Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is First to Strike Last to Fall, Unstoppable Hero, Fortitude, and Inspirational. Make sure and pick up the armour nodes on the tree without increases to your lightning resistance because the recommended Doryani's Prototype body armour makes enemies have your lightning resistance and makes armour mitigate your lightning damage taken. The left blue circle in the tree shown above is the Thread of Hope jewel with a medium ring which lowers your elemental resistances by up to 20% including your lightning resistance which lowers the lightning resistances of enemies. Thread of Hope will allow you to allocate Prismatic Skin for +2 to all maximum elemental resistances without pathing through the lightning resistance nodes. The right blue circle is Thread of Hope with a large ring which gives up to -20% to all elemental resistances including your lightning resistance. This Thread of Hope will allow you to allocate a couple life percent nodes and +1 to maximum elemental resistances which comes with a 20% chance to avoid elemental ailments. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for up to 6% increased life, 6% increased energy shield, 6% increased mana, 1000 armour while affected by Determination, and 60% increased attack damage while affected by Precision. The Iron Reflexes node is also important because it converts your evasion into armour and this is an armour stacking build. The Attack Mastery makes Smite target one additional nearby enemy and is also recommended. You should also use a Voices large cluster jewel because it gives three cluster jewel slots that can be socketed with three 6% increased mana reservation efficiency cluster jewels with the Introspection notable which gives increased aura effect for more armour. This is a melee build so make sure and pick up the nearby life percent nodes for survival.

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Defensive Layers

This is an armour stacking build so you will have extremely high armour which will improve both your offenses and defenses. With the First to Strike, Last to Fall ascendancy you will also recover 25% of your life and remove all elemental ailments on you when you reach low life. With the Fortitude ascendancy you will have 20 Fortification at all times which reduces your damage taken from hits by 20%. And with the Unstoppable Hero ascendancy you will have 20% increased attack speed, 500 armour and evasion, and stun immunity while you have Fortification which is at all times with the Fortitude ascendancy.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Vaal Ancestral Warchief

Ancestral Protector

Maim Support

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Shield (3-Link)

Herald of Thunder

Precision

Flame Dash

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Armour (6-link)

Smite (Smite of Divine Judgement can be switched to for larger groups of enemies in areas like Delve and Heist)

Awakened Multistrike Support

Awakened Ancestral Call Support (use Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support when using Smite of Divine Judgement)

Awakened Added Lightning Damage Support

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Physical to Lightning Support

Note: Smite of Divine Judgment is better for multi-target situations and Smite is better for single target.

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Helmet (4-link)

Determination

Grace

Defiance Banner

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Molten Shell

Empower Support

Ancestral Cry

Call To Arms

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Boots (4-link)

Summon Lightning Golem

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support

Culling Strike Support

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Reservation Skills

Determination, Grace, and Defiance Banner will all serve to increase your armour which improves both your offenses and defenses. Precision is also recommended because it increases your critical strike chance and accuracy. Herald of Thunder should be used to give added lightning damage and to create lightning storms that damage enemies. These reservation skills can be used once you have three small Introspection cluster jewels with 6% increased mana reservation efficiency, the Mana Mastery with reduced mana cost, and a level 4 Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​​

1. Molten Shell is the best guard skill to use when you have very high armour because it's an armour based shield. You can expect to have the maximum 5000 life shield when using Molten Shell on this armour stacking build.

2. Smite is better for single target and Smite of Divine Judgement is better for multiple target situations. Smite of Divine Judgement hits three nearby enemies with more range and allows you to switch from Awakened Ancestral Cry Support to Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support which improves its single target damage.

3. Ancestral Cry increases your armour and instantly casts on cooldown with Call To Arms Support linked to it.

4. Vaal Ancestral Warchief and Ancestral Protector should be used together on enemies that are difficult to take down and provide increased melee damage and increased attack speed.

5. Summon Lightning Golem gives increased attack speed, a buff that increases your lightning damage, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

6. If you would like another highly capable Champion build that teleports through enemies and still does excellent damage you can check out the Impale Flicker Strike Champion Guide here Impale Flicker Strike Champion Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Replica Dreamfeather x2

Has up to 10% increased attack speed, 200 armour, 300 accuracy, and 1% increased attack damage per 450 armour. These two weapons are the main build enabling uniques for armour stacking Smite Champions.

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Armour

Doryani's Prototype

Has high armour and energy shield, up to 90 life, nearby enemies have lightning resistance equal to yours, armour also mitigates lightning damage taken, and deal no non-lightning damage with your attacks. You should also upgrade to a Doryani's Prototype with an increased damage corruption once you have enough currency.

 

Helmet

Corrupted Alpha's Howl

Alpha's Howl has +2 to level of socketed aura gems (which greatly increases your armour), 16% increased mana reservation efficiency of skills, 30% cold resistance, cannot be Frozen, and 25% chance to avoid being chilled. You should also look for an Alpha's Howl with a +2 to level of socketed AoE or aura gems corruption for a total of +4 to level of socketed aura gems.

 

Belt

Rare Vanguard Belt

Rare Vanguard Belts have a high armour and evasion implicit (the modifier on the item above the line). Look for life, strength, resistances besides lightning resistance, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and add the combined armour and evasion modifier at the crafting bench. You should also use 20 Tempering Catalysts to increase its armour and evasion modifiers.

 

Gloves

Rare Armour and/or Evasion Gloves

This slot should have high life, resistances (except lightning resistance), high attack speed, increased damage during any flask effect, and high armour and/or evasion. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add non-vaal skills target one additional nearby enemy for multi-target damage and percent lightning damage leeched as life for survival.

 

Boots

Rare Stormrider Boots

Stormrider Boots give an implicit modifier with 1-6 lightning damage per 200 accuracy and 25% less accuracy. Look for high resistances except lightning resistance, high life, high evasion, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, and movement speed. You can also go for Tailwind and Elusive but these modifiers on Stormrider Boots are extremely expensive.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for increased attributes, high resistances except lightning resistance, high life, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and increased armour and/or increased evasion. You should also use 20 Tempering Catalysts on the amulet to increase its armour and/or evasion bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Amethyst Rings

Look for high life, very high cold, fire, and chaos resistances, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and craft reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should use Prismatic Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their resistances.

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Tattoos

Tattoo of the Rongokurai Warrior

These tattoos can replace small strength nodes to give 6% increased armour per tattoo for improved damage and defenses.

Honoured Tattoo of the Turtle (legacy)

These can replace small attribute nodes to give 3% increased global defenses per tattoo which increases your armour and evasion which is converted to armour with the Iron Reflexes node on the tree.

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Utility Flasks

Granite Flask (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour and can have armour as a secondary modifier. Legacy can have a higher second armour modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you have full charges.

Jade Flask (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 evasion which is converted into armour and can have increased armour as a second modifier. Legacy Jade flasks can have higher armour. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance. Look to roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity during effect and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Soul of Steel which gives 30% increased armour, +150 armour, and +1 to all maximum elemental resistances at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Golden Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Precision has 75% Increased Mana Reservation Efficiency

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

You should kill all three of the bandits for two extra skill points. I sometimes recommend Alira for 15% increased elemental resistances, 20% critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration but, on this build you should avoid lightning resistance.

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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 high damage level one two hand weapon with a 30% chance to block that 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 socketed strength gems, and Culling Strike which kills enemies at 10% life.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A level one strong offensive chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets. You can link any color six gems together inside of this armour 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 gloves require level one and give 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to gain an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy Charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots can be used 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

An amulet that has up to 20 to all attributes, 10 to all elemental resistances, 30 intelligence, 40 to life, and level 10 Purity of Elements. The Purity of Elements aura greatly increases your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost. 

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signets at level one that 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 movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs 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 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 Bottled Faith)

This endgame flask requires level 27 and gives 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and gives 150% increased critical strike chance against 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.

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Leveling Gems

Smite is your endgame skill and can be used as early as level one. You should combine it with Ancestral Call Support so that it hits multiple targets. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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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, and finally to two Replica Dreamfeathers at level 66. You can also benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items in the leveling section above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for the Armour Stack Smite Guide! For more on Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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