Thanks to an open-ended passive skill tree,Path of Exileis a game that largely allows classes to overlap in similarities. Because Witches can use shields, Rangers can use maces, and Templars can cast spells, it’s often difficult to look at a person playing the game and determine which class is on the screen. In a world of homogeneous heroes, the Shadow shatters the world of similarities by being entirely unique.
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No other class inPath of Exileis going to be stealthing around, racking up critical hits, and stabbing backs like the Shadow class. As if this weren’t enough individuality, the Ascendancy classes further make the Shadow a nightmare for opposing enemies to handle. It’s very easy to build a Shadow poorly and this class is often tossed out early. Pro players have some advice and, after a bit of a grind, players will find themselves putting up the highest physical damage numbers in the game.
Updated on May 3rd, 2023 by Hodey Johns:Since first writing this article, Path of Exile has had several major updates, buffing and nerfing certain class options in order to bring a better balance to the gameplay. The Shadow, an all-out assassin that can absorb damage based on output, has had to make some adjustments. Player power is still a guiding light for the game and the same builds that were viable before are still viable now to varying efficacies. This has been updated to give players some points but it does not take a stance on how to play the class. Shadows enjoy a myriad of builds, these are simply some points to consider while customizing the class.
10Take The Life Nodes
Obviously, it’s not very thrilling to pick a rogueish Shadow and then be forced to pick skills that bolster health. While it’s a great intention to perk up the damage first, this means enemies will start wiping out the character in a single hit by Act 3.Good luck capturing beastswith such an issue.
Don’t go overboard or out of the way for these bonuses. The passive health skills needed are right next to the starting position on the passive skill tree. This will boost maximum HP to about 4,000 and that should be plenty of life all the way through Act 10.
9Max Out Resistances Early
Every pro is going to tell every class to max out resistances. It’s just a universal necessity. But while most classes get to gear up for damage first and then move into resistances later, the Shadow has to flip this order around.
The Shadow’s short range and early incapabilities make it susceptible to being absolutely shredded by magic early on. Eventually, this can become one ofthe most powerful builds in the game, but it takes some serious focus on spell defenses to live that long.
8Find A Skill And Stick To It
The team has flooded the game with active skill gem options for players to choose from, some of which can make the Shadow agreat solo class to use. This does keep the game fresh, but it’s also a trap for beginners.
Naturally, players will want to give every spell a shot and see what works. It’s alright for the Shadow to experiment, but don’t put any levels into skill gems that don’t seem useful. The Shadow’s only defense is offense in the early going and switching between spells reduces the offensive capabilities.
7Look Over The Late Game Weapons
As new playerspick this game up for free on the Epic Games Store, people are surprised at howPath of Exile’s classes are able to use any weapon effectively. The classes are not locked in on traditional items as more standard dungeon crawlers like to do.
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The Shadow is expected to pick a weapon to focus on early on, be it bows, claws, daggers, or otherwise. Trying to upgrade all of them with passive skills is a waste of points for the weapons that don’t end up being used. Set a goal on a weapon type and commit to it early.
6Pick The Trickster
Unless using a build that is specifically designed around traps or critical strikes, pick the Trickster Ascendancy. For many, this alone is the entire reason people play the Shadow class as opposed to a Duelist or Ranger.
Why is the Trickster routinelyranked at the top of all the other Ascendancies? It gives the Shadow exactly what the class needs; lots of damage and protection based on the total amount of damage dished out. It’s also one of the best ways forveterans to take on Ruthless mode.
5Always Have An Ailment Going
Having a debuff on enemy targets is a good thing, everybody knows that even well before taking onthe Forbidden Sanctum (which isn’t actually a roguelike). Debuffs take on extra meaning for the Shadow, who has several skills that do extra damage to targets with ailments.
Any ailment will do; even elemental ailments like Freeze and Scorch. But if the option is there, attempt to apply Bleed or Poison instead as these will stack better with the Shadow skills. Always have at least one ailment that is applied 100% of the time on a hit.
4Don’t Rule Out A Shield
Depending on which skill gems the player has opted for, there might not be any perk at all to dual-wielding. If this is the case, don’t feel like it is betraying the essence of the class to strap on one ofthe game’s many unique shieldsand beef up those defenses.
Shields are clearly going to help with defense, but for the Shadow, this can be turned into offense. If the shield is providing enough defense, other gear can be weaponized and repurposed to boost damage instead of more protection.
3Use A Spell
Nobody is going to mistake the Shadow for the Witch.The Witch has some incredible caster buildswhile the Shadow has a mana pool and very little in the way of becoming a full-fledged spellcaster. That doesn’t mean the class should ignore mana altogether.
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Many rookies just ignore the blue globe entirely. Remember that some spells can protect the character or make enemies more susceptible to the Shadow’s attacks. Find a spell, even just one spell, that uses mana to help out with the physical damage.
2Have A Gem For The Mobs
It’s not going to drop anyone’s jaw on the floor to state that the Shadow’s main role is to do huge amounts of single-target physical damage. Some builds can alter this role, but the game encourages the Shadow to fulfill this particular task. When done properly, this feels like one ofthe best free games on the Steam Deck.
Wishful thinking does not magically make the mobs go away. There are a few choices of how to handle them. Gems and skills that help the Shadow escape are one way to do it. Or socketing something that takes out groups works as well. The prior will farm slower than the latter, but stealth has additional utility.
1The Case For Blood Magic
Blood Magic drains health instead of mana. The Shadow has several powerful spells that use mana. So there is a good amount of wondering whether or not Blood Magic is intelligent for the player’s preferred setup. This answer will vary based on builds.
The pros have advised that if the Shadow has Life Leech or some other kind of life steal, this is almost always stronger than any spell drain, meaning the Shadow can gain health back faster than casting it out. For most builds, this deserves serious consideration and should be selected based on player preference. The strategy works amazingly whencompleting the Maven’s questline.
Path of Exileis available now on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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