Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Fortitude, First to Strike Last to Fall, Master of Metal, and Inspirational. The Disciple of the Slaughter node and the Sword Mastery are important for Frenzy charge generation. The Armour and Evasion Mastery can make you immune to Bleeding with an armour based helmet and the Resistance Mastery or a corrupted jewel can make you immune to Corrupted Blood. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, a chance to Impale enemies while using Pride, and increased physical damage while using Pride. The Mana Mastery is important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. Make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival. ​Note: The build ratings and skill tree are updated for (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

The First to Strike, Last to Fall ascendancy makes you automatically recover 25% of your life when you are low on life with a 20 second cooldown. The Fortitude ascendancy gives 20 Fortification which reduces your damage taken from hits. Enduring Cry should also be used to generate Endurance charges for reduced physical damage taken and reduced elemental damage taken. Champions have an abundance of life percent nodes in their tree and strong defensive passives from their ascendancies.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Flicker Strike

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Brutality Support

Awakened Melee Splash Support

Awakened Multistrike Support

Impale Support

Note: Awakened gems can be replaced with the normal support gems for seasonal play.

 

Armour (6-link)

Vaal Haste

Empower Support

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Elemental Army Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

More Duration Support

War Banner

Note: You should put auras here if you have +2 to level of socketed AoE gems on your helmet.

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Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Pride

Enlighten Support

Dash

Note: You should put auras here if you have +2 to level of socketed AoE gems on your gloves.

 

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Enhance Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Pride gives increased physical damage and is the best offensive aura for this build. Aspect of the Cat is free with Farrul's Fur body armour and alternates between 100% increased critical strike chance/15% chance to evade all attacks/100% Stealth which lowers enemies detection range and 10% increased attack speed. Pride should be used once you have the Mana Mastery for increased mana reservation efficiency and a level 4 Enlighten Support to decrease the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​

1. Steelskin is the recommended guard skill for this build because Immortal Call requires you to use potions more often and Molten Shell requires very high armour to be effective.

2. Flicker Strike of Power uses Power charges to bypass the cooldown instead of Frenzy charges and is a little behind this build once fully optimized because it's easier to gear Flicker Strike for Frenzy charges than Power charges.

3. Vaal Haste can have its Vaal ability used without reservation once you have enough souls to use it. Vaal Haste gives high increased attack speed and high increased movement speed for a short to medium duration.

4. The Enduring Cry warcry is used for Endurance charge generation and life regeneration per second. Endurance charges reduce your physical damage taken and reduce your elemental damage taken.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives a damage increase, gives 2% life replenishment on Culling Strike, kills enemies with 10% life remaining with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

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​​Equipment

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Weapon

Legacy Starforge

You will be hard pressed to find a better weapon than this. Legacy Starforge has up to 30% increased global accuracy, 100 life, 8% attack speed, physical damage can Shock, deal no elemental damage, and has very high damage.

Rare Sword

A rare two hand sword can be even better than Legacy Starforge for a very expensive price. A sword is highly recommended because of the Sword Masteries which give an 8% chance to generate a Frenzy charge when you hit a unique enemy and a 20% chance to Impale enemies. You can also use Tempering Orbs on rare weapons until you get increased physical modifiers but be aware that doing this is expensive and it can sometimes reforge the sockets on the weapon.

Atziri's Disfavour

If you are seasonal Atziri's Disfavour is a strong budget unique axe that has close to the same damage as legacy Starforge.

 

Armour

Farrul's Fur

Gives 100 life, Phasing, Frenzy and Power Charge generation, and free Aspect of the Cat. The Frenzy charge generation from this armor makes this armor is important for Flicker Strike.

 

Helmet

Rare Armour Helmet

Look for high life, strength, resistances, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems if you don't have it as a modifier on your gloves. Using a helmet with armour as the highest defensive stat makes you immune to Bleeding with the Armour and Evasion Mastery taken on the skill tree. Another optional modifier is 9% increased physical damage against nearby enemies. Without 9% increased physical damage which adds influence you can use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased attack damage and increased damage per Power charge.

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Gloves

Rare Extra Strike Gloves

The very high end option has life, strength, strike skills target 1 or 2 additional nearby enemies, +1 to maximum Frenzy charges, increased attack speed, and increased accuracy.

Rare Gloves (budget)

You can use budget rare gloves with life, increased attack speed, accuracy, resistances, and use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll overwhelms physical damage reduction and non-vaal strike skills target one additional nearby enemy.

Double Corruption Gloves

Another budget option is double corrupted gloves with +1 to maximum Frenzy charges and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems.

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Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, increased life percent, strength, resistances, increased damage, and an abyssal socket. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, attack speed, and accuracy.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for high life, resistances, Tailwind, Elusive, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, increased movement speed, and optionally Aspect of the Cat which can be added in the Bestiary.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high attributes, high life, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier. You should also use Unstable Catalysts on the amulet to increase its critical strike modifiers.

Carnage Heart

The budget option gives up to 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while leeching. You can use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its attributes.

 

Rings

Rare Vulnerability Ring

Look for Vulnerability on hit, strength, dexterity, high life, increased critical strike chance, and resistances. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses.

Rare Aspect of the Cat Ring

Look for Aspect of the Cat if you don't have it on your boots, high life, strength, resistances, and accuracy.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node to give You Gain Onslaught For 4 Seconds on Hit which replaces the 12% chance to gain Onslaught on kill modifier on your boots slot.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gain 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, consecrated ground has triple radius, up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% chance to block attacks, and 6% chance to block spells. Legacy Rumi's Concoction has much higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you can automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance and can have up to a 35% chance to gain a flask charge on critical strike and 17% increased attack speed. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Note: Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity aren't needed on a flask on this build because you can pick up Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery and the Resistance Mastery.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Fervour to gain +1 to Maximum Frenzy Charges at Cassia using an Amber Oil, Black Oil, and Silver Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 9% Increased Flicker Strike Damage per Frenzy Charge

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if You've Killed Recently

Belt: 300 to Armour While Fortified

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Bandits

The best bandit to help in Act 2 is Alira because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances which allows you to focus more on damage from your equipment. If you don't need the resistances you can switch to Oak for more life which helps with survival.

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Pantheon

Soul of Solaris is the best major Pantheon power and gives 6% reduced physical damage taken when only one enemy is present, a 20% chance to take 50% less area damage, 8% reduced elemental damage taken if you haven't been hit recently, take no extra damage from critical strikes if you've been hit with a critical strike recently, and a 50% chance to avoid elemental ailments from critical strikes. Soul of Ryslatha is the best minor power and gives 60% increased life recovery from flasks at low life, life flask charges every 3 seconds if you haven't used a life flask recently, and enemies you hit have 50% reduced life regeneration.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

The Blood Thorn

A great level one staff that gives a 30% block chance and it curses enemies with Vulnerability when you block.

Limbsplit

Gives high physical damage for its level, level one Gore Shockwave if you have over 150 strength, +1 to level of socketed strength gems, and Culling Strike which kills enemies at 10% life remaining.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one body armour that has 6 white linked sockets. This armour lets you link any color gems together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also get a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which also requires level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

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Helmet

Goldrim

An excellent level one resistance helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These level one gloves are great for Flicker Strike because they have up to 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate a Frenzy, Power, or Endurance charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap can be equipped at level nine and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

Tear of Purity requires level 5 and gives level 10 Purity of Elements which increases your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost. It also has up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 10 to all resistances, and 30 intelligence.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can equip one or two Perandus Signet ring at level one for mana regeneration which each give 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience.

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Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four and gives 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process. This flask can also have increased attack speed or increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Taste of Hate (legacy option)

This flask only requires level 18 and gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, and 30% reduced chance to be Frozen or Chilled. You can optionally use this flask instead of a Quicksilver Flask for leveling. The older legacy versions are much better and have higher physical damage as extra cold damage and physical damage taken as cold damage. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which gives increased attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27 and it can have increased attack speed or movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Bottled Faith (use a Sulphur Flask for 40% increased damage if you can't afford a Bottled Faith)

This endgame flask requires level 27 for 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use it whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Ground Slam is a great starting melee slam skill to use at level one. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and it can be used at level 10 for increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and it can be used at level 10 for life regeneration. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem at level four once you have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels. You can switch to Flicker Strike at level 51 once you have a Terminus Est which is a budget Frenzy charge generation weapon.

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Upgrades

You can upgrade your weapon to Quecholli at level 22, to Stormheart at level 28, to Jorrhast's Blacksteel at level 44, to Terminus Est at level 51 (which allows you to switch to Flicker Strike), and finally to your endgame weapon. You can also use Carnage Heart which is the recommended amulet as early as level 20. You should benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of your skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the leveling items listed above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

 

That's all for this PoE guide! You can view more Path of Exile guides in the menu at the top of this page. Best of luck!