Ethereal Knives Build PoE, Guardian, Farming

Ethereal Knives Ethereal Knives (often referred to as EK) is a spell that throws ten knives in front of the caster that deal physical damage. Multiple knives cannot hit the same target. The angle of the spell’s arc is fixed and does not depend on where the cursor is, unlike other projectile skills.

Despite the fact that it does physical damage, Ethereal Knives Ethereal Knives is a spell and not an attack. It does not utilize weapon damage in any way.

Fires an arc of knives in front of the caster which deals physical damage.

Spell, Projectile, Physical, Duration. Level: 1–20. Cost: 5–20 Mana. Cast Time: 0.60 sec. Critical Strike Chance: 6.00%. Effectiveness of Added Damage: 220%. Projectile Speed: 1300. Requires Level 1.

  • Deals (7–949) to (10–1423) Physical Damage
  • Base duration is 6 seconds
  • Leaves 50% fewer Lingering Blades in the ground if you don"t Cast this Spell yourself
  • Leaves a Lingering Blade in the ground for every 3 Projectiles fired
  • Fires (9–12) additional Projectiles
  • (0–19)% increased Projectile Speed
  • Maximum 40 Lingering Blades can be left in the ground at a time

Place into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.

NameAdditional Effects From QualityWeight
Ethereal Knives(0–20)% increased Projectile Speed50

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Related Gems

Level Effect

LevelRequires LevelDexterityIntelligenceCostDeals 7 to 10 Physical DamageFires 9 additional Projectiles#% increased Projectile SpeedExperience
116457, 10970
227559, 1291308
34107510, 15921,554
471410614, 20936,667
5111913720, 309426,047
6162618831, 469549,725
7203122942, 6310695,714
82437251056, 85107169,595
92842291175, 112108283,759
103247331198, 147109453,996
1136533612128, 1911010703,128
1240584013165, 24710111,061,223
1344634414211, 31611122,065,870
1448684815269, 40311132,507,110
1552745116341, 51111145,798,936
1656795517431, 646111515,083,919
1760845918542, 813111627,792,735
1864906218679, 1019111743,869,739
1967946519804, 12051218242,081,556
2070986820949, 14231219
2172201059, 15891220
2274211182, 17731221
2376211318, 19771222
2478211469, 22041223
2580221636, 24551324
2682221822, 27331325
2784232027, 30411326
2886232255, 33831327
2988242507, 37611328
3090242787, 41801329
3191242937, 44061429
3292253096, 46441430
3393253263, 48941430
3494253438, 51571431
3595253622, 54341431
3696253816, 57251432
3797264020, 60311532
3898264235, 63521533
3999264461, 66911533
40100264698, 70471534

Skill functions and interactions

  • Lingering Blades: One in three projectiles from Ethereal Knives will leave a Lingering Blade on the ground. These blades can be detonated with Blade Blast or animated with Animate Weapon. Lingering Blades have a duration of 6 seconds.
  • Physical spell damage: Ethereal Knives is affected by modifiers to Spell Damage, Physical Damage, and Projectile Damage. Its damage can also be improved by Added Fire Damage Support, Brutality Support, Physical to Lightning Support, Hatred, and Herald of Ash.
  • Projectile speed: The projectiles move at an average speed of close to 120 units/s for roughly 0.25 seconds, putting their effective range at somewhere around 30ish units. Then inherently have a variation of +/−40% base speed, but the average will be around 30. Modifiers to projectile speed will increase the average distance that Ethereal Knives projectiles travel before they fade, effectively increasing the maximum range of the spell.
  • Leech: Since it is a spell, Ethereal Knives is not affected by Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life or Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Mana. However, unspecified leech such as Life Leech Support will function with Ethereal Knives.
  • Can be used in left mouse button slot to cast and move.

Item acquisition

Ethereal Knives can drop anywhere. Drop level: 5.

Recipes

Ethereal Knives can be created from the following recipes:

Amount Part Description
13 The Cataclysm Random corrupted level 21 Spell gem
6 The Fox Random level 20 gem
8 Dying Anguish Random level 19 gem with 19% alternative quality
8 The Hook Random corrupted level 21 gem with 23% alternative quality
3 Gemcutter's Promise Random gem with 20% quality
1 Gemcutter's Incubator Random gem with 1–20% quality
1 The Void Random divination card set exchange

Quest reward

This item is given as a quest reward for the following quests:

Class → Witch Shadow Ranger Duelist Marauder Templar Scion
Quest ↓
Enemy at the Gate
Act 1		 ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

Vendor reward

This item can be bought at the listed NPC vendors, after completing the following quests:

Class → Witch Shadow Ranger Duelist Marauder Templar Scion
Quest ↓
Enemy at the Gate
Act 1
Nessa		 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗
A Fixture of Fate
Act 3
Siosa		 ✓
Fallen from Grace
Act 6
Lilly Roth		 ✓

Threshold jewels

The following threshold jewels augment Ethereal Knives:

Item Limit Radius Stats
Ring of Blades 1 Medium (10-15)% increased Global Physical Damage
With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Ethereal Knives fires Projectiles in a circle

Related helmet enchantments

The following helmet enchantments affect Ethereal Knives.

Name Level Labyrinth Stats Spawn Weighting
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Damage 1 66 Merciless Labyrinth 25% increased Ethereal Knives Damage helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Damage 2 75 Eternal Labyrinth 40% increased Ethereal Knives Damage helmet 75
default 0
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Number Of Targets To Pierce 1 75 Eternal Labyrinth Ethereal Knives Pierces an additional Target helmet 75
default 0
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Projectile Speed 1 66 Merciless Labyrinth 20% increased Ethereal Knives Projectile Speed helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Ethereal Knives Projectile Speed 2 75 Eternal Labyrinth 30% increased Ethereal Knives Projectile Speed helmet 75
default 0

Alternate skill effects

Ethereal Knives has the following alternate skill effects:

Item Effect(s)
Ebony Ethereal Knives Effect Your Ethereal Knives becomes a volley of ebony knives.
Ethereal Stars Effect Your Ethereal Knives becomes a volley of spinning throwing stars
Illusionist Ethereal Knives Effect Your Ethereal Knives becomes an Illusionist Effect.
Sawblade Ethereal Knives Effect Your Ethereal Knives becomes a Sawblade Effect.

PoE Ethereal Knives Build

1. Character: 100 Guardian

Life: 1672 Strength: 117
Energy Shield: 3649 Dexterity: 198
Mana: 1539 Intelligence: 329
Evasion Rating: 494 Charges: E: 3 / F: 3 / P: 3
Armour: 4465

2. Main Skills Build

Main skill: Ethereal Knives Ethereal Knives. DPS: 276k.

Damage types:

  • Cold: 79%
  • Chaos: 16%
  • Physical: 2%
  • Fire: 2%
  • Lightning: 1%

Ethereal Knives Support gems:

  • Physical to Lightning Physical to Lightning Support(Blue): 87%
  • Spell Echo Spell Echo Support(Blue): 65%
  • Awakened Controlled Destruction Controlled Destruction Support(Blue): 54%
  • Inspiration Support(Red): 51%
  • Energy Leech Energy Leech Support(Blue): 38%
  • Awakened Spell Echo Spell Echo Support(Blue): 32%
  • Chain Chain Support(Green): 25%
  • Awakened Cold Penetration Cold Penetration Support(Green): 25%
  • Arcane Surge Arcane Surge Support(Blue): 24%
  • Awakened Chain Chain Support(Green): 23%
  • Controlled Destruction Controlled Destruction Support(Blue): 16%
  • Awakened Fork Fork Support(Green): 12%
  • Cold to Fire Cold to Fire Support(Red): 12%
  • Pierce Pierce Support(Green): 8%

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3. Skill Gems Build

These are the support skill gems for it:

Body Armour: Ethereal Knives Ethereal Knives (Green) (21 / 23), Awakened Cold Penetration Cold Penetration Support (Green) (5 / 20), Awakened Chain Chain Support (Green) (5 / 20), Awakened Controlled Destruction Controlled Destruction Support (Blue) (5 / 20), Physical to Lightning Physical to Lightning Support (Blue) (20 / 23), Spell Echo Spell Echo Support (Blue) (20 / 20),

Gloves: Herald of Thunder Herald of Thunder (Blue) (20 / 20), Vaal Discipline Vaal Discipline (Blue) (21), Herald of Agony Herald of Agony (Green) (20), Purity of Fire Purity of Fire (Red) (20),

Boots: Purity of Ice Purity of Ice (Green) (20), Purity of Lightning Purity of Lightning (Blue) (20), Blood Magic Blood Magic Support (Red) (21), Clarity Clarity (Blue) (12),

Helmet: Vaal Righteous Fire Vaal Righteous Fire (Blue) (21 / 23), Precision Precision (Green) (20), Herald of Ice Herald of Ice (Green) (21 / 20), Flame Dash Flame Dash (Blue) (20 / 23),

Weapon: Herald of Purity Herald of Purity (Red) (20), Vaal Haste Vaal Haste (Green) (21), Herald of Ash Herald of Ash (Red) (20 / 19),

Offhand: Zealotry Zealotry (Blue) (21), Hatred Hatred (Green) (21), Wrath Wrath (Blue) (21),

4. Passive Skill Build

Ethereal Knives Build

Keystones / Ascendency Popularity:

  • Zealot’s Oath: 98%
  • Pain Attunement: 80%
  • Radiant Faith: 69%
  • Unwavering Faith: 69%
  • Bastion of Hope: 61%
  • Harmony of Purpose: 48%
  • Templar Ascendancy: 27%
  • Guardian: 27%
  • Witch Ascendancy: 27%
  • Necromancer: 27%
  • Radiant Crusade: 24%
  • Path of the Templar: 23%
  • Chaos Inoculation: 19%

5. Equipment Build

Body Armour: Shavronne’s Wrappings Shavronne’s Wrappings Occultist’s Vestment

Weapon: Nebulis Nebulis Synthesised Void Sceptre. 95% of players user Mace / Shield.

Offhand Weapon: Prism Guardian Prism Guardian Archon Kite Shield

Helmet: Loath Star Hubris Circlet

Gloves: Asenath’s Gentle Touch Asenath’s Gentle Touch Silk Gloves

Boots: Morbid Dash Dash Sorcerer Boots

Belt: Headhunter Headhunter Leather Belt

Amulet: Miracle Clasp Amber Amulet

Ring: Call of the Brotherhood Call of the Brotherhood Two-Stone Ring x2

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