Shadows can specialise into one of these three Ascendancy classes: Assassin, Trickster, Saboteur.
The Shadow is Path of Exile's dexterity/intelligence hybrid class. He prefers to use fast-hitting weapons such as daggers or claws to dart in and out of battle, while laying traps or mines and controlling the flow of combat. He makes surgical use of offensive spells while dodging attacks, always outmaneuvering his opponents.
The Shadow is one of the more difficult classes to play due to his fragility, but he more than makes up for it if handled with skill. His hit-and-run style of combat makes the most of his natural evasion and energy shield, and rewards strategic coordination of attacks, spells, and traps.
| Classes | Assassin | Trickster | Saboteur |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skills Build |
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The Assassin is an Ascendancy class for Shadows. It is a offense-oriented class centered around critical strikes. The class offers skills that enhance their power charges and bonus to critical strike effectiveness and utility under certain conditions. He has access to poison themed skills like Noxious Strike, as well as allowing poisons to synergize off of critical strikes to higher levels via Toxic Delivery. Furthermore with Mistwalker the Assassin has the ability to gain the Elusive buff on critical strikes and additional benefits while being affected by it.
| Name | Category | Skill Tree |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Strike Chance, Power Charge Duration |
Basic | 15% increased Critical Strike Chance 15% increased Power Charge Duration |
| Unstable Infusion |
Notable | 20% chance to gain a Power Charge on Non-Critical Strike 10% chance to gain a Power Charge on Critical Strike +1 to Maximum Power Charges |
| Deadly Infusion |
Notable | +5% to Critical Strike Multiplier per Power Charge +1.5% Critical Strike Chance while at maximum Power Charges |
| Critical Strike Chance and Multiplier |
Basic | 15% increased Critical Strike Chance +10% to Critical Strike Multiplier |
| Ambush and Assassinate |
Notable | +40% to Critical Strike Multiplier against Enemies that are on Full Life 100% more Critical Strike Chance against Enemies that are on Full Life Critical Strikes have Culling Strike 15% more Damage with Hits and Ailments against Enemies that are on Low Life 100% more Critical Strike Chance against Enemies that are on Low Life |
| Opportunistic |
Notable | Damage from your Critical Strikes cannot be Reflected 20% reduced Damage taken while there are at least two Rare or Unique Enemies nearby 25% more Damage while there is at most one Rare or Unique Enemy nearby |
| Critical Strike Chance, Damage Over Time |
Basic | 15% increased Critical Strike Chance 10% increased Damage over Time |
| Toxic Delivery |
Notable | Poison you inflict with Critical Strikes deals 25% more Damage +0.5% to Critical Strike Chance per Poison affecting Enemy, up to +2.0% |
| Noxious Strike |
Notable | 5% increased Poison Duration for each Poison you have inflicted Recently, up to a maximum of 100% Recover 0.5% of Life per Poison affecting Enemies you Kill 40% chance to Poison on Hit |
| Critical Strike Chance, Elusive Effect |
Basic | 15% increased Critical Strike Chance 10% increased Elusive Effect |
| Mistwalker |
Notable | 50% increased Elusive Effect You take no Extra Damage from Critical Strikes while Elusive Gain Elusive on Critical Strike |
The Trickster is an Ascendancy class for Shadows. It is a versatile hybrid class that mixes high speed, maneuverability, and slippery defenses. He is well-suited for damage over time builds with his strong recovery from Patient Reaper and further damage over time specialization like poison via Prolonged Pain. The Trickster also gains added layers of defense to his evasion and energy shield from Ghost Dance and Escape Artist, rewarding playstyles that focus on taking hits periodically. Furthermore he is able to generate and enhance power and frenzy charges either from killing enemies or channelling an ability with Swift Killer. He can also choose to specialize in strong mana-based bonuses from Weave the Arcane or a chance to gain large amounts of extra chaos damage via Harness the Void.
| Name | Category | Skill Tree |
|---|---|---|
| Attack and Cast Speed, Frenzy Charge Duration |
Basic | 4% increased Attack and Cast Speed 15% increased Frenzy Charge Duration 15% increased Power Charge Duration |
| Swift Killer |
Notable | +1 to Maximum Frenzy Charges and Maximum Power Charges 15% chance to gain a Frenzy Charge and a Power Charge on Kill 5% increased Damage per Frenzy Charge 5% increased Damage per Power Charge Gain a Power or Frenzy Charge each second while Channelling |
| Attack and Cast Speed, Damage Over Time |
Basic | 4% increased Attack and Cast Speed 10% increased Damage over Time |
| Patient Reaper |
Notable | 70% increased Recovery Rate of Life, Mana and Energy Shield if you've Killed an Enemy affected by your Damage Over Time Recently Recover 3% of Life on Kill Recover 3% of Mana on Kill Recover 3% of Energy Shield on Kill |
| Attack and Cast Speed, Evasion and Energy Shield |
Basic | 4% increased Attack and Cast Speed 14% increased Evasion Rating 5% increased maximum Energy Shield |
| Ghost Dance |
Notable | When Hit, lose a Ghost Shroud and Recover Energy Shield equal to 5% of your Evasion Rating 3% reduced Damage taken per Ghost Shroud Every 2 seconds, gain a Ghost Shroud, up to a maximum of 3 |
| Escape Artist |
Notable | Cannot be Stunned while you have Ghost Shrouds 5% increased Attack and Cast Speed per Ghost Shroud +5 to Evasion Rating per 1 Maximum Energy Shield on Helmet +1 to maximum Energy Shield per 6 Evasion Rating on Body Armour |
| Attack and Cast Speed, Maximum Mana |
Basic | 4% increased Attack and Cast Speed 8% increased maximum Mana |
| Prolonged Pain |
Notable | 10% reduced Damage taken from Damage Over Time 20% more Damage over Time 20% increased Skill Effect Duration |
| Attack and Cast Speed, Damage |
Basic | 4% increased Attack and Cast Speed 10% increased Damage |
| Weave the Arcane |
Notable | 30% increased maximum Mana 30% chance to Recover 10% of Mana when you use a Skill Movement Skills Cost no Mana 20% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've used a Movement Skill Recently |
| Harness the Void |
Notable | 27% chance to gain 25% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage 13% chance to gain 50% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage 7% chance to gain 100% of Non-Chaos Damage with Hits as Extra Chaos Damage |
The Saboteur is an Ascendancy class for Shadows. It specializes in traps and mines. With Bomb Specialist and Demolitions Specialist he gains large bonuses towards mines, whereas Perfect Crime and Chain Reaction further enhances traps. The class has access to a blinding aura and further benefits against blinded enemies via Born in the Shadows, as well as life regeneration and reduced mana cost for traps and mines with Pyromaniac. Last but not least Explosives Expert allows for large damage bonuses versus enemies which are affected by multiple elemental ailments.
| Name | Category | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Trap and Mine Damage, Movement Speed |
Basic | 10% increased Trap Damage 10% increased Mine Damage 4% increased Movement Speed |
| Pyromaniac |
Notable | Regenerate 2% of Life per Second for each Trap Triggered Recently, up to 10% per second Regenerate 2% of Life per second for each Mine Detonated Recently, up to 10% per second Immune to Ignite and Shock |
| Born in the Shadows |
Notable | Cannot be Blinded Blind Enemies on Hit 10% reduced Damage taken from Blinded Enemies Nearby Enemies are Blinded |
| Trap and Mine Damage, Elemental Resistances |
Basic | 10% increased Trap Damage 10% increased Mine Damage +6% to all Elemental Resistances |
| Explosives Expert |
Notable | Damage Penetrates 10% Elemental Resistances against Chilled Enemies +40% to Critical Strike Multiplier against Burning Enemies 80% increased Critical Strike Chance against Shocked Enemies |
| Trap and Mine Damage, Mine Throwing Speed |
Basic | 10% increased Trap Damage 10% increased Mine Damage 5% increased Mine Throwing Speed |
| Bomb Specialist |
Notable | 25% increased Mine Throwing Speed if you Detonated Mines Recently You gain 5% increased Area of Effect for each Mine Mines have 25% increased Detonation Speed |
| Trap and Mine Damage, Trap Throwing Speed |
Basic | 10% increased Trap Damage 10% increased Mine Damage 5% increased Trap Throwing Speed |
| Perfect Crime |
Notable | You gain 10% increased Damage for each Trap 25% Chance for Traps to Trigger an additional time 25% reduced Cost of Skills that throw Traps |
| Demolitions Specialist |
Notable | 150% increased Effect of Auras from Mines Mines Hinder Enemies near them for 2 seconds when they Land, reducing Movement Speed by 40% |
| Chain Reaction |
Notable | 50% increased Cooldown Recovery Rate for throwing Traps When your Traps Trigger, your nearby Traps also Trigger Skills used by Traps have 50% increased Area of Effect |