PoE Fishing Rod Build, Drop Rate & How To Farm in Phrecia

Fishing rods in Path of Exile have long been seen as meme-tier items, but with the Legacy of Phrecia event, they have gained surprising viability through the Surfcaster Ascendancy. With this Path of Exile 1 guide, we will cover what fishing rods are, how they are used in actual builds, and finally, how to farm them efficiently.

What is a Fishing Rod in Path of Exile?

Fishing rods are a unique class of weapons in Path of Exile that are typically seen as jokes rather than serious combat tools. They lack inherent damage stats and are not meant for traditional attacks. However, with the introduction of Surfcaster, a new Ascendancy in the Legacy of Phrecia event, fishing rods have found a niche in actual powerful builds.

Best Fishing Rod Build – Surfcaster Autobomber

One of the most interesting builds to emerge from Legacy of Phrecia is the Surfcaster Fishing Rod Autobomber. This build takes full advantage of the Surfcaster Ascendancy, which provides powerful bonuses when wielding a fishing rod. Here’s a breakdown of why this build works:

Key Notables of the Surfcaster Ascendancy

• Stormy Seas: Converts 100% of lightning damage to cold, and cold damage can shock.

• Ghost of the Deep: Grants 30% attack and cast speed, 30% movement speed, and increased damage.

• Screaming Reels: Increases cast speed by 50% while holding a fishing rod.

• Baited Breath: Makes all hits critical strikes while wielding a fishing rod.

This combination makes the build a strong autobomber by ensuring all attacks critically strike and continuously chain explosions through Herald skills.

How the Build Works

The build revolves around Herald of Ice & Herald of Thunder, which typically struggle to scale critical strikes. However, with Baited Breath, every hit is a critical strike, making Herald explosions incredibly powerful.

Key Items for the Build:

• Fairgraves' Tricorne: This helmet is mandatory because it has a hidden modifier that enables fishing rods to drop.

• Crest of Desire: A helmet that significantly boosts the effectiveness of crackling lance for single-target damage.

• Pragmatism Chestpiece: Allows Heralds to reach level 29, greatly enhancing their damage.

• Marylene’s Fallacy: Provides massive crit multiplier while removing the need to worry about crit chance.

• Storm Secret Ring: Increases the frequency of Herald of Thunder strikes.

This setup allows for a highly explosive playstyle where Heralds propagate freezes and shocks across the screen, clearing packs effortlessly.

POB link: https://pobb.in/9yNEO9s8PTw0

PoE Fishing Rod Drop Rate & How to Farm?

Drop Mechanics

Fishing rods can drop anywhere in the game, but only under specific conditions:

• Your character must be wearing Fairgraves' Tricorne. They have an uncommon drop rate, requiring a few hundred unique monster kills on average.

Without Fairgraves' Tricorne, fishing rods will never drop.

Best Methods to Farm Fishing Rods

To efficiently farm fishing rods, follow these steps:

1. Acquire Fairgraves' Tricorne: This helmet is relatively common and falls in the same rarity tier as items like Heatshiver or Cold Iron Point. Expect it to be expensive early in a league but more affordable later.

2. Run Maps with High Unique Monsters: Since fishing rods drop from unique monsters, boss-rush strategies are effective.

3. Use Divination Cards: The Tyrant’s Sekhem divination card can award a Merciless-tier fishing rod.

4. Farm High-Mobility Content: Areas with a high density of unique enemies, such as Delirium maps or Breach events, can increase your chances of finding a fishing rod.

Is the Fishing Rod Build Worth It?

While Legacy of Phrecia is a temporary event, the Surfcaster Ascendancy has made fishing rods a novelty that actually works. The Surfcaster Autobomber utilizes fishing rods in a serious build, leveraging guaranteed crits and Herald explosions for massive clear speed.

If you want to try a Path of Exile build that is both hilarious and effective, this is the perfect time to do so. Just remember that getting a fishing rod requires some farming, but once you have one, the build comes together beautifully.