Do you enjoy raining destruction on enemies with overwhelming fire damage in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict? Then the Siege Cascade Tactician is a build you cannot afford to miss. In this comprehensive guide, we'll break down what makes this build tick, the best gear, optimal skill setups, and tips to dominate maps and pinnacle bosses alike.
If you're looking to get the most out of your Siege Cascade Tactician, our PoE 2 Store offers the unique items and currencies that can push this build to its full potential.
Why Play the Siege Cascade Tactician?
The Siege Cascade Tactician revolves around Siege Cascade, a skill that launches enemy-seeking payloads into the air. These payloads shower the battlefield with fire damage bolts, which lodge into the ground and explode again, dealing additional fire damage to nearby enemies.
This build thrives on immobilized enemies. Thanks to the Tactician's Suppressing Fire ascendancy node, you'll deal 200% more damage to enemies when they are pinned down. Combining Siege Cascade with Artillery Ballista totems amplifies this effect, ensuring you can devastate both map monsters and bosses.
Additionally, the build incorporates Glacial Bolt, which creates ice walls that explode when hit by Siege Cascade or Artillery Ballista, providing even more damage against pinnacle bosses.
Whether you prefer offensive or defensive playstyles, the Tactician allows flexibility:
· Offensive: Use Unleash Hell! to add supporting fire.
· Defensive: Choose Stay Light, Use Cover for damage mitigation or Whoever Pays Best to deploy multiple banners for buffs.
Ascendancy nodes for Patch 0.3.0:
1. Suppressing Fire
2. Right Where We Want Them
3. A Solid Plan
4. Polish That Gear
Gear Recommendations
Weapon
· Primary: Gemini Crossbow – Fires Siege Cascade twice before reloading. Seek mods for increased physical damage, added physical damage, and added fire damage. If budget allows, a "Loads 2 Additional Bolts" mod is nearly mythical.
· Secondary: Any crossbow with +7 to Level of All Projectile Skills and physical damage mods to boost Artillery Ballista. The Desolate Crossbow is ideal for maximum base damage.
Body Armor
· Rare hybrid armor/evasion (e.g., Death Mail) with armor, evasion, life, attributes, and resistances.
· Unique options: Morior Invictus (attributes and resistances per socket) or The Coming Calamity (reduces enemies' elemental resistances, ideal for damage scaling).
Helmet
· Rare Champion Helm for stats and resistances.
· Unique: The Deepest Tower – treats nearby enemies as low life, synergizing with Finality and Stars Aligned. Use Sapphire jewels to offset its reduced presence in AoE.
Gloves
· Painter's Servant – Inflicts fire, cold, and lightning for Ignite, Freeze, and Shock.
· Alternative: Valako's Vice – Converts all fire damage to lightning, enabling constant Shock application.
Boots
· Hybrid armor/evasion boots (e.g., Fortress Sabatons) with movement speed, resistances, life, and STR/DEX. Insert an Ox Talisman to boost AoE.
Amulet
· Lapis Amulet with INT, +3 to all projectile skills, and life.
· Instill the Pin and Run notable passive to boost movement speed and pin efficiency.
Rings
· Breach Rings with lightning damage for Shock application, or mods for physical/fire damage and stats if needed.
Belt
· Double Belt for increased charm charges and life/mana.
· Optional: Ingenuity for maximizing charm efficiency.
Charms
· Thawing Charm for freeze immunity.
· Arakaali's Gift – Restores life/mana from flask recovery.
· Ngamahu's Chosen – Grants Rage from fire damage, boosting Siege Cascade and Artillery Ballista.
Jewels
· Emerald Jewels: Increased crossbow and projectile damage.
· Ruby Jewels: Increased fire and totem damage.
· Sapphire Jewels: Increased presence AoE (especially with The Deepest Tower).
· Unique options: Against the Darkness (extra fire damage), A Prism of Belief (+3 Siege Cascade skills), From Nothing (flexible passive allocation).
Skill Setup
Siege Cascade: Martial Tempo, Magnified Effect, Mobility, Ammo Conservation, Acceleration
Artillery Ballista: Lockdown, Font of Rage, Inspiration, Elemental Focus, Ancestral Urgency
Glacial Bolt: Scattershot, Icicle, Primal Armament, Execute, Concentrated Effect
Galvanic Shards: Conduction, Fork, Lightning Infusion
Cast on Ignite: Voltaic Mark, Spark, Impetus, Lightning Exposure, Frostbolt
Trinity: Fire, Cold, Lightning Mastery
Emergency Reload: Premeditation, Ingenuity
Companion: Quadrilla (Meat Shield, Last Gasp, Loyalty)
Wind Dancer: Maim, Cannibalism, Clarity, Vitality, Precision
Crossbow Shot: Longshot, Close Combat
Passive Tree
Focus on Siege Cascade damage early on with Remorseless, Devastation, and Mass Hysteria.
Totem nodes come after completing the second ascendancy unless The Deepest Tower is absent. Allocate AoE nodes and presence-focused nodes if using The Deepest Tower.
Playstyle Tips
· Mapping: Fire Siege Cascade for rapid mob clearing.
· Rare Monsters: Drop Artillery Ballista to pin and maximize damage.
· Bosses: Combine Siege Cascade, Artillery Ballista, Glacial Bolt, and Galvanic Shards. Use Emergency Reload to maintain constant pressure.
· Trinity: Sustain elemental damage buffs using Painter's Servant or Cast on Ignite with Spark/Frostbolt.
· Increased AoE: Use Magnified Effect, AoE passives, and appropriate jewels to maximize coverage.
Optional Upgrades:
· Crit version removes AoE/low-life passives and reallocates points for higher critical damage and chance.
· Consider Shard Scavenger for extra Siege Cascade shots.
· Ripwire Ballista is an alternative, but it deals less damage than Artillery Ballista.
Final Thoughts
The Siege Cascade Tactician is a dynamic, high-damage build that excels in both map clearing and pinnacle boss fights. With the right setup, you can pin enemies, sustain Trinity buffs, and rain devastating fire damage with ease. Despite its power, it remains relatively underplayed, making it a hidden gem in the Rise of the Abyssals League.
If you're looking for top-tier Siege Cascade gear, check out our PoE 2 Store for discounted unique items, Divine Orbs, and mirror-tier weapons to maximize your Tactician's potential!