Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Swift Killer, Heartstopper, Polymath, and One Step Ahead. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, increased damage over time multiplier while affected by Malevolence, and Bleed immunity while affected by Malevolence. The Light of Meaning jewel should be used in the blue circle in the image above and gives 6% increased chaos damage for each passive in its radius. Take the increased chaos damage over time nodes, increased damage over time nodes, increased chaos damage nodes, and enough chance to poison nodes to reach a 100% chance to poison. The Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery should be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. Make sure and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for survival. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for the new season (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

The Heartstopper ascendancy makes you take 50% less damage for 5 seconds and 50% less damage over time for 5 seconds alternating back and forth. With the One Step Ahead ascendancy your action speed is always at least 90% and the action speed of enemies is at most 90%. And with the Polymath ascendancy you gain 2% increased damage, 1% life replenishment, 1% energy shield replenishment, and 1% mana replenishment on kill for every mastery node taken on the skill tree. You will also have 25% of physical damage taken converted to chaos damage with the recommended Darkscorn Bow.​

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Toxic Rain of Withering

Manaforged Arrows Support

Mirage Archer Support

Withering Touch Support

Awakened Greater Multiple Projectile Support

More Duration Support

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

 

Armour (7-link)

Caustic Arrow

Volley Support

Awakened Swift Affliction Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

Awakened Vicious Projectile Support

Chance To Poison Support

Added Chaos Damage (from The Covenant body armour)

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Malevolence

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Flame Dash

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Boots (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Elemental Army Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Malevolence is the best offensive aura for this build and it increases your damage over time and skill effect duration. Clarity should also be used for the high mana cost of the build. Malevolence should be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery and a level 4 Enlighten Support to lower the reservation cost of your skills.

 

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. Toxic Rain of Withering makes each spore pod apply one stack of Wither to nearby enemies and Withering Touch Support gives another 25% chance to inflict Wither on hit. Wither increases your chaos damage by 6% stacking up to 15 times.

3. Level 21 Caustic Arrow with 20% quality is better than level 20 Vaal Caustic Arrow but if you can afford the very expensive level 21/20 Vaal Caustic Arrow it's definitely a very nice damage increase.

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

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

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Darkscorn

Gives a 20% chance for poisons inflicted by this weapon to deal 300% damage, converts 25% of physical damage to chaos damage, and converts 25% of your physical damage taken from hits to chaos damage.

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Quiver

Rare Damage Over Time Quiver

Look for high life, damage over time multiplier with attack skills, increased attack speed, increased damage with bow skills, and if you can afford it chaos damage over time multiplier with attack skills which is an influenced modifier.

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Armour

The Covenant

This body armour is the best option for 10% increased life, up to 30 intelligence, high energy shield, socketed gems are supported by level 29 Added Chaos damage, and skills gain a life cost equal to the base mana cost of the supported skill. You might need a corrupted The Covenant so you can use Tainted Chromatic Orbs to get random socket combinations because the uncorrupted version typically rolls blue sockets because it's an intelligence energy shield base.

Dendrobate

This budget option has socketed gems are supported by level 10 Chance To Poison, up to 100% increased poison damage if you have 300 dexterity, 25% increased poison duration if you have 150 intelligence, and 25% increased elemental resistances.

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Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high life, high resistances, strength, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased damage per Power charge and increased duration of ailments.  

Devoto's Devotion

This budget option can be used with the budget Dendrobate body armour for 16% increased attack speed, 10% reduced physical damage, 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, 25% chaos resistance, and high defensive stats. Devoto's Devotion also makes it easier to get 300 dexterity for the 100% increased poison damageif you have 300 dexterity on Dendrobate. You can also look for a +2 to level of socketed aura or AoE gems corruption on this helmet for fairly cheap from the trade site.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

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

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, energy shield, increased attack speed, and increased damage over time while wielding a two handed weapon.

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Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves

These have an 18% increased damage over time implicit. Look for life, increased damage over time, increased chaos damage over time multiplier, increased attack speed, a resistance, and add projectiles pierce an additional target at the crafting bench.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for high life, resistances, Tailwind, Elusive, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, and increased movement speed.

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Amulet

Chaos Skill Level Amulet

Look for high attributes, high life, +1 to level of all chaos skill gems, increased damage over time multiplier, and resistances. 

Impresence

This budget amulet has 16 to all attributes, 40% increased damage over time, added chaos damage, 70 life, 23 chaos resistance, and Maddening Presence when you kill a rare or unique enemy which reduces enemies' action speed and damage by 10%.

 

Rings

Rare Despair Ring

Look for a ring with Despair on hit, high life, strength, and resistances. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses and reduced mana costs.

Rare Chaos Damage Ring

Look for high life, resistances, increased chaos damage, an attribute like strength, and/or increased damage.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 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.

Dying Sun (legacy is better)

Gives two extra arrows, 20% increased area of effect, 50% fire resistance, and reduces fire damage taken by 20%. The legacy version is better. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever 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're Bleeding.

Note: You can also get Bleeding immunity from a Malevolence Watcher's Eye jewel and Corrupted Blood immunity from a corrupted jewel or the Resistance Mastery instead. With this path to Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity you won't need a Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity flask and can use a Diamond Flask for increased critical strike chance instead.

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Anointment

You can anoint your amulet with Nomadic Teachings at Cassia for +2 to maximum elemental resistances to improve the builds defenses, because bow builds often lack max resistances from their tree, using a Black Oil, Golden Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Tattoos

​Tattoo of the Tawhoa Shaman x3

These tattoos can replace 10 intelligence nodes with a 5% increased chance to poison. You can use three of these on the tree so that you don't need to get your 100% chance to poison with points in the Dagger Mastery which gives a 15% chance to poison.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Caustic Arrow Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if You Have Killed Recently

Belt: Enemies Withered By You Have -6% to All Resistances

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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 want 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 Abberath is the best minor power to help maintain energy shield and gives 60% less Ignite duration on you, makes you unaffected by burning ground, and gives 10% increased movement speed on burning ground.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Silverbranch

Silverbranch is a level one bow with +1 to level of socketed bow gems, increased attack speed, accuracy, and mana on kill.

Roth's Reach

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

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Quiver

Craghead

This quiver requires level 4 and gives 7-14 added physical damage with 25% reduced projectile speed.

Hyrri's Bite

Requires level twelve for strength, dexterity, intelligence, attack speed, area of effect, and added cold damage to attacks.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A great offensive level one body armour that has six white linked sockets. White sockets allow you to link any color skill gems and support gems together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also look for 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 great 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 kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

These 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 amulet requires level 5 for up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 100 accuracy, and 30% increased projectile damage.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signet rings at level one 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 for 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process and it can also have increased attack speed or increased 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.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught for increased attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27 and it can have increased attack speed or increased 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 a 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

Caustic Arrow is your endgame skill and can be used at level one. You can link it to Volley Support at level four for more projectiles. 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 it can be used as early as level 10. 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

The Carnage Heart amulet can be equipped at level 20 for 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. Death's Harp is an excellent weapon upgrade at level 32 that fires an additional arrow. You can later upgrade your bow to Death's Opus at level 44 for a bow that fires two additional arrows. 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. 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 this PoE guide! You can view more Path of Exile guides in the menu at the top of this page. Best of luck!​