Path of Exile Explosive Concoction Build Guide

Explosive Concoction is one of the many new skills added with the Path of Exile Expedition (3.15) update and a lot players want to run the Explosive Concoction build as their league starter. Casting Explosive Concoction will throw an explosive bottle that deals unarmed attack damage in an area. It can also consume charges from elemental flasks such as Ruby, Sapphire and Topaz to gain additional damage. The main downside of Explosive Concoction is that the skill requires an empty main hand to be used, which only leaves you with the off-hand slot available. In this Path of Exile Explosive Concoction Build guide we'll be going over everything you'll need to know about a 3.16 Explosive Concoction build: good and bad sides of the skill, the passive tree PoB, leveling, ascendancy, pantheons, bandits, gems and equipment.

Table of Contents

1. Pros & Cons
2. Passive Tree (PoB) link
3. How to level
4. Ascendancy
5. Pantheon
6. Bandits
7. Gems
8. Equipment

Pros & Cons

Pros

✔ A lot of AoE
✔ Very fast clear speed
✔ Hardcore Viable
✔ League start/budget friendly

Cons

✖ Single target damage is lacking
✖ Min-maxing can be expensive

Explosive Concoction Build PoB

This is the passive skill tree data for the Explosive Concoction Build: https://pastebin.com/WQwy4h5j
To use it simply copy and paste the link into the Path of Building Community fork. You can tweak the passive skill tree to your needs, for example in softcore Scourge you can skip the Scion life wheel and go for more damage nodes and a cluster jewel socket instead.

Leveling

Since the Explosive Concoction has a level 28 character requirement and is acquired in act three, you'll have to use different skills to get to that level.

At level one, in ACT 1 get Frost Blades and use those with any strong melee weapon you can get. Getting to level 12 allows us to use Elemental Hit, that's when you'll want to switch to Elemental Hit and a one-handed melee weapon with a shield in the off hand. The skill tree progression has been added to the PoB link mentioned above, once you've loaded it up simply swap between the 25 point (level 22), 50 point (level 42), 75 point (level 58) and default (level 92) skill trees to know which nodes to progress through at certain stages of the game.
As you reach level 28, in ACT 3, you'll be able to get the Explosive Concoction build going. Socket the gem into one of your equipment sockets to use it and don't forget to remove the one-handed melee weapon you had used before as this skill cannot be used with a weapon in the main hand.

Ascendancy

There are two Ascendancy choices for a Ranger: Deadeye and Pathfinder. Deadeye grants chain and +2 projectiles, as well as Tailwind whilst the Pathfinder focuses more on the defensive aspect of the build due to ailment removal via flasks and reduced damage which may make it better for hardcore. Personally, I think the Deadeye is a better choice as it synergizes much better with Explosive Concoction.

Ricochet > Endless Munitions > Gathering Winds > Wind Ward

Pantheon

The pantheon choice for this build is versatile and will depend on what content you're doing, but overall, for mapping Soul of Lunaris and Soul of Shakari are the most common choices.

Bandits

Helping the Alira bandit is the best choice here because she grants much needed critical hit multiplier, as well as resists which come in handy during league starts when good gear is scarce.

Gems

Explosive Concoction - Trinity - Combustion - Lesser Multiple Projectiles - Elemental Penetration - Increased AoE/Concentrated Effect/Faster Attacks

Auras
Clarity and Anger

Movement skill
Shield Charge - Faster Attacks - Fortify

Curse
Curse on hit - Orb of storms - Assassin's Mark or Elemental Weakness or Sniper's Mark.

Equipment

There aren't any must-have unique items that are required for this to work. This means that Explosive Concoction can be used as a league starter, though be vary that the gem colors may be difficult to achieve as a dexterity based chest would need to have three blue off colors.

Helmet

High life and elemental resistance rare helmet. The delve suffix "of the Underground" can be an added bonus since it makes nearby enemies lose a percentage of their fire resistance.
Frostferno is a budget-friendly unique that has resistances, high evasion and +levels to fire and cold gems.

Gloves

Rare gloves with high life, evasion, attack speed and resistances.

Jewelry

High life and resistances as a base rare ring. Added fire damage to attacks and curse on hit will be stats that you want to look for additionally.

Boots

30% movement speed rare boots with 80+ life and high evasion & elemental resistances.

Body Armor

Preferably, you'll want to get a 5/6 link evasion-based chest but during league starts chromatic orbs will be scarce and getting three blue off colors is going to be a problem. Therefore, use an evasion + energy shield chest instead because that way getting the green and blue sockets will not be a problem. Later on of course, you'll want to switch to a fully evasion-based armor piece and roll for off color blues.
The chest piece should have high life and elemental resistances.

Off-Hand Shield

Any rare shield with a lot of evasion, health and resistances.

Flasks

Life Flask of Staunching
Diamond Flask
Sapphire Flask
Ruby Flask
Topaz Flask