Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Pursuit of Faith, Conviction of Power, Ritual of Awakening, and Divine Guidance. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, increased attack damage while affected by Precision, added cold damage while affected by Hatred, and increased critical strike chance while affected by Hatred. A Rain of Splinters jewel makes your totems fire two extra projectiles which gives more damage than using Lesser Multiple Projectiles Support because it frees up a support gem slot. The Split Personality jewel is also recommended in the jewel slot furthest from your starting point on the tree for a large increase to your dexterity and life. The Mana Mastery should be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. Make sure and pick up the nearby increased totem damage nodes and circle down on the left side of the tree towards the small dexterity nodes and the Utmost Swiftness node which increases your dexterity. Next head over to the Projectile Mastery which gives 1% increased projectile damage per 16 dexterity on the bottom right side of the tree. Make sure and pick up the nearby life percent nodes as you path over to the Projectile Mastery. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for the new season (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

This is an attribute stacking build so you should have high attributes including strength which gives increased life. With the Conviction of Power ascendancy you will have a minimum of four Endurance and Power charges at all times which lowers your physical damage taken, lowers your elemental damage taken, and gives increased critical strike chance. The Divine Guidance ascendancy also makes you take 10% of your damage to your mana. Your totems can take 5% of your damage for you with the Totem Mastery and your totems will also typically take the damage of enemies for you which is very helpful defensively.

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Gems

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Weapon (6-link)

Frenzy

Maim Support

Lesser Multiple Projectile Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Faster Attacks Support

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Armour (6-link)

Siege Ballista

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Faster Attacks Support

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

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

Precision

Enlighten Support

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Gloves (4-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Flame Dash

 

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Vaal Haste

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Hatred is the best offensive aura for this build because it gives increased cold damage and added cold damage to attacks. Vaal Haste can be used free of reservation because the Vaal part of the skill charges after collecting enough souls from defeated enemies. Precision is also selected to increase the accuracy and critical strike chance of you and your totems. Precision can be used once you have the 12% mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​

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

2. Summon Ice Golem gives increased accuracy and critical strike to you and your totems, replenishes 2% life on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and it provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

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Equipment

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Weapon

Iron Commander

Gives an extra Siege Ballista totem per 200 dexterity, 1-3 physical damage per 25 dexterity, and 20% increased totem life. You should also add 1% critical strike chance per 4% quality at the Horticrafting Station which should be added to your hideout.

 

Quiver

Hyrri's Demise (legacy for standard players)

Gain up to 30 to all attributes, 10% increased attack speed, 10% increased area of effect, 1-2 cold damage per 10 dexterity, 1-2 fire damage per 10 strength, 0-3 lightning damage per 10 intelligence, and life per enemy hit.

The Poised Prism (for seasonal players)

Has up to 30% increased elemental damage with attacks, 25% cold resistance, 25% fire resistance, 25% lightning resistances, 1-2 cold damage per 10 dexterity, 1-2 fire damage per 10 strength, and 0-3 lightning damage per 10 intelligence.

 

Armour

Hyrri's Ire

Gives up to a 30% chance to suppress spell damage, 50 dexterity, 145-200 added cold damage with bow attacks, and very high evasion. Legacy Hyrri's Ire is also significantly better and has much higher added cold damage if you're playing in Standard. You should add 1 dexterity per 2% quality at the Horticrafting Station which should be added to your hideout.

 

Helmet

Fractal Thoughts

Gives 15% increased dexterity if strength is higher than intelligence, 1% increased elemental damage per 10 dexterity, 40% critical strike multiplier if dexterity is higher than intelligence, and 2 to maximum life per 10 intelligence. You should also look for a Fractal Thoughts with a +2 to level of socketed AoE gems corruption once you can afford it.

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Belt

Cyclopean Coil

Gives up to 15% increased attributes, 120 life, immunity to freeze if dexterity is higher than intelligence, and 1% increased damage per 5 of your lowest attribute. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts on this belt to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Gloves

Elemental Weakness Corruption Gloves

Look for the best Elemental Weakness corruption gloves you can find preferably with life, high dexterity, and resistances.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, high dexterity, a resistance, spell suppression, and increased movement speed. Onslaught on kill and Tailwind on your boots don't trigger with totems. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll the gain physical damage as extra cold damage modifier and increased totem placement speed.

 

Amulet

Simplex Amulet

The very expensive option is best for 100% increased explicit modifiers with high percent increased attributes, percent increased dexterity, and 2% increased damage per 15 dexterity but you'll need some strength and intelligence from other slots and the tree.

Dexterity Synthesised Amulet

The mid tier option is a 15% dexterity synthesised implicit amulet that has increased dexterity, increased attributes, critical strike modifiers, life, and increased elemental damage with attack skills. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attributes.

Astramentis (budget)

The budget option gives up to 115 to all attributes and -4 physical damage taken from hits. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts on the Astramentis to increase its attributes bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Dexterity Rings

Look for high resistances, high dexterity, life, and increased elemental damage with attack skills. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses. 

Le Heup of All (budget)

This extreme budget option gives up to 30% to all elemental resistances, 30 to all attributes, 30% increased damage, and you can optionally look for a dexterity percent and strength percent corruption which is still inexpensive on the trade website.

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Tattoos (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node to make your Frenzy skill give Onslaught.

Honoured Tattoo of the Tuatara

This tattoo can replace multiple small strength nodes to give four to all attributes which gives more dexterity.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Provides 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 also use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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 this flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Silver Flask

Gain Onslaught for you and your totems. You should roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity on the flask and use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you're Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with the King of the Hill anointment which gives 100% increased critical strike chance with bows at Cassia using a Verdant Oil, Violet Oil, and Silver Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Siege Ballista Deals 40% Increased Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: Adds 1-160 Lightning Damage If You Haven't Killed Recently

Belt: 30% Reduced Effect of Curses on You While On Consecrated Ground

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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 also kill all three bandits for 1 passive skill point.

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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

Silverbranch

A great level one starter bow with +1 to level of socketed bow gems, increased attack speed, accuracy, and mana on kill.

Roth's Reach

Requires level 18 and gives high physical damage, 80% increased elemental damage with attacks, and skills chain +2 times.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A strong level one offensive chest armour that has six white linked sockets which means you can link any six color skill and support gems together for much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also look for a Tabula Rasa with an 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 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These excellent level one gloves give up to 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy Charge on kills.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots can be equipped at level 9 for up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Kurai Ward

This level five amulet gives up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 100 accuracy, and 30% increased projectile damage.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two level one Perandus Signet rings for mana regeneration which each give up to 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 also use Instilling Orbs on this flask 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 modifier), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, and a 30% reduced chance to be Frozen or Chilled. The legacy versions are much better and have higher physical damage as extra cold damage and physical damage taken as cold damage. You should use Instilling Orbs on this 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. It can also have increased attack speed or movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on this 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 up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Galvanic Arrow is the best starter bow skill to use at level one because it has multiple projectiles without needing a support gem. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and it can be used once you reach level 10 for increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. You can switch to the higher damage Ice Shot with Volley Support once you are level four and then switch to Siege Ballista which is your endgame skill at level 12. Make sure and 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 can be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

Astramentis is the recommended amulet for this build and it can be equipped as early as level 20. You can also upgrade 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. Your endgame weapon, the Iron Commander bow, can be equipped as early as level 32. The items listed 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 this PoE guide! You can view more Path of Exile guides in the menu at the top of this page. Best of luck!​