Flicker Strike is one of the most dynamic and fast-paced melee skills in Path of Exile, providing incredible mobility and rapid attacks that can devastate enemies in seconds. In the 3.25 update, Flicker Strike remains a popular choice for players looking to experience a thrilling and highly mobile playstyle. This guide will cover the skill mechanics, passive tree, gear recommendations, and gameplay strategies to help you master the Flicker Strike build.
Skill Mechanics
Flicker Strike (Level 20):
- Type: Attack, Melee, Strike, Movement, Duration
- Mana Cost: 8
- Cooldown Time: 2.00 sec
- Attack Speed: 120% of base
- Attack Damage: 408.9% of base
- Effectiveness of Added Damage: 408%
- Quality: +20%
- Requires: Level 70, 155 Dexterity
- Skill Effects:
- Teleports the character to a nearby monster and attacks with a melee weapon.
- If no specific monster is targeted, one is picked at random.
- Grants a buff that increases movement speed for a duration.
- The cooldown can be bypassed by expending a Frenzy Charge.
- Base duration is 3.00 seconds.
- 10% increased attack speed per Frenzy Charge.
- 25% chance to gain a Frenzy Charge on hit.
- Buff grants 20% increased movement speed.
Building a Flicker Strike Character
Key Skill Interactions
1. Frenzy Charges: Frenzy charges are essential for maintaining the rapid attack pace of Flicker Strike and bypassing its cooldown. Focus on generating and maintaining frenzy charges throughout combat.
2. Attack Speed: Maximizing attack speed is crucial for Flicker Strike builds, allowing for more frequent teleports and attacks.
3. Critical Strikes: Enhancing critical strike chance and multiplier can significantly boost your damage output, making Flicker Strike even more deadly.
Passive Skill Tree
Focus on Nodes that Enhance:
- Frenzy Charge Generation: Increases the number of frenzy charges and the frequency of their generation.
- Attack Speed: Boosts overall damage output and mobility.
- Critical Strike Chance and Multiplier: Increases damage.
- Physical and Elemental Damage: Enhances damage output.
- Life and Evasion: Improves survivability and defense.
Ascendancy Choices
1. Raider (Ranger):
- Way of the Poacher: Increases frenzy charge generation and attack speed.
- Rapid Assault: Provides Onslaught for increased attack speed and movement speed.
- Avatar of the Slaughter: Increases damage and movement speed with frenzy charges.
- Avatar of the Chase: Enhances Onslaught effect and evasion.
Support Gems
Main Skill Setup:
- Flicker Strike: Primary damage-dealing skill.
- Support Gems:
- Multistrike: Allows multiple rapid attacks.
- Melee Physical Damage: Increases physical damage.
- Increased Critical Strikes: Enhances critical strike chance.
- Increased Critical Damage: Increases critical strike multiplier.
- Fortify: Provides damage reduction.
- Ancestral Call: Increases attack range and additional target hits.
Utility Skills:
- Blood Rage: Increases attack speed and grants life leech.
- Whirling Blades: Provides additional mobility.
- Precision: Increases accuracy and critical strike chance.
- Herald of Ash: Adds fire damage and overkill burn.
Gear and Accessories
1. Weapons:
- Dual Wield Swords or Daggers: High attack speed and critical strike chance.
2. Armor:
- Body Armor: Focus on life, resistances, and increased damage.
- Helmet, Gloves, and Boots: Prioritize life, resistances, attack speed, and critical strike chance.
3. Accessories:
- Amulet and Rings: Look for increased physical damage, life, resistances, attack speed, and critical strike chance.
- Belt: A Stygian Vise with high life, resistances, and increased damage is ideal.
Flask Setup
1. Life Flask:
- Instant Recovery: For emergency healing.
2. Utility Flasks:
- Quicksilver Flask: Increases movement speed.
- Diamond Flask: Increases critical strike chance.
- Jade Flask: Increases evasion.
- Lion’s Roar: Increases physical damage and grants knockback on hit.
Combat Strategy
1. Engaging Enemies:
- Use Flicker Strike to teleport to enemies, maintaining high mobility and constant attacks.
2. Maximizing Damage:
- Activate Blood Rage and Precision for increased damage and accuracy.
- Utilize flasks to boost damage and survivability.
3. Positioning:
- Constantly move around the battlefield using Flicker Strike to avoid damage and maintain a high attack pace.
- Use Whirling Blades for additional mobility and escape options.
Example Build
Raider Flicker Strike Build:
- Focus: Increased attack speed, critical strikes, and frenzy charge generation.
- Key Passives: Way of the Poacher, Rapid Assault, Avatar of the Slaughter, Avatar of the Chase.
- Support Gems: Multistrike, Melee Physical Damage, Increased Critical Strikes, Increased Critical Damage, Fortify, Ancestral Call.
Conclusion
The Flicker Strike build in Path of Exile 3.25 offers an exhilarating and fast-paced playstyle that combines high mobility, rapid attacks, and significant damage output. By focusing on frenzy charges, attack speed, and critical strikes, you can create a powerful character capable of tearing through enemies with unmatched speed. Equip your gear, activate your skills, and unleash the chaos with this Flicker Strike build in Path of Exile.