Ignatius' HCSSF Spark Oracle

Variant 1-11

Your opening progression is actually VERY important to do precisely. Here are your quick notes:

Prioritizes the Wolf Form on your Changeling Talisman

When you can, switch from the staff to a Wand and Shield (NOT a Focus if you are HC).

Where possible, you always want your shield to have good Armour, and then Block Chance affix as a secondary. (The shield bases can be found here: https://poe2db.tw/us/Shields#ShieldsItem)

Your first gem from opening quest will be Frost Bomb. With just Frost Bomb and Volcano you can deal with Beira and the opening mobs in Clearfell.

When you find the small encampment in Clearfell with an additional gem, take Spark. Your first support gem is Unleash for Spark.

Gem Order Rundown:

Note that the Skill Gems and SUPPORT Gems have #'s indicating priority

1 - Frost Bomb

3 - Spell Cascade

4 - Overabundance I

2 - Spark

1 - Unleash

2 - Rapid Casting I

3 - Contagion

4 - Flame Wall

5 - Prolonged Duration I

6 - Rapid Casting I

5 - Orb of Storms

6 - Pounce

Gear and Vendors:

I have a regex but you really have to go beyond Regex in POE2 (sadly):

"y: \+|y: r|(10|15)% i.+mov|^\+.*ills$"

• • This emphasizes Rares, Quality (for salvage), + to skills, and movement speed
  • HOWEVER, you want to look specifically at shields and gear that is armour specific.
  • AND, when you get enough Orbs (Transmutes and Augments), you want to look at NORMAL gear

On main hand, you are looking for

• Lightning Skills or All Spell Skills
• Spell Damage
• Cast Speed
• % Damage as Extra

On the off hand, you are looking for

• Armour
• %Block Chance
• Resists
• Armour Also Applies to Elemental Damage

**NOTE: we do NOT use a focus in Hardcore. Block is too important.

On other gear pieces you look for

• Movement on boots
• Armour
• Resists (esp Cold and Fire)
• Armour Also Applies to Elemental Damage

**Above all: "Armour Also Applies to Elemental Damage" is a big win.**

HCSSF Notes:

1 --> Keep the SALVAGE BENCH in mind at all times. Make a tab in your stash for salvageable items before you unlock it. Go back to town to salvage.

Why? In part it's obvious, but in another part, PoE2 does not give us a lot of ways to enhance our gear at will in the campaign (unlike PoE1). But with Armour as a priority, getting scraps is the difference between cozy DR (and not dying) and having to roll again. Sockets are also huge, padding resists for boss fights (cold for A1, fire for A2), and adding Damage as Extra to the wand.

2 --> USE YOUR CURRENCY!

If you are new to the scene, you may not realize that all your Augments and Transmutes should be gone! In the vendors, check for normal items and double slam them (esp wands). If you hit a really good mod (like + skills, or armour as elemental damage), then you have a weapon to improve with Essences, Regal, Exalts, and Scraps

3 --> Combat mechanics are essential with Spark. Here are some tips/reminders:

• • Spark is on unleash, so you don't need to spam it
  • Cold Infusions from Frost Bomb are REALLY powerful, spam it
  • Orb of Storms leaves behind Fire Infusions for your Flame Wall, and...
  • Flame Wall buffs the heck out of Spark if you are shooting through it

Your rotation is obvious, but just in case:

• • • 1 -> Frost Bomb and Orb of Storms for infusions
    • • You can "pre-buff" these in boss rooms
    • 2 -> Flame Wall between you and the target
    • 3 -> Spark, and then intermittent (every 1-2 seconds) spark with Unleash

** The ideal WASD movement while doing this rotation is circular. Keep the mobs / boss in the "middle" of your imaginary circle that you are wrapping around.