Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Righteous Providence, Inevitable Judgement, Augury of Penitence, and Instruments of Virtue. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, added cold damage while affected by Hatred, 60% increased cold damage while affected by Hatred, and optionally 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. Physical to cold conversion is recommended because Hatred is used to increase your cold damage, because there are a ton of elemental damage nodes in the Inquisitor tree, and because Inquisitors ignore the elemental resistances of enemies. The Light of Meaning jewel is also recommended in the blue circle in the image above to increase cold damage for each passive in its radius. An Immutable Force jewel is important for up to 1000% stun and block recovery which makes stuns nearly unnoticeable. The Reservation Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. You should travel down the left side of the tree for the Fortify Mastery which gives Melee Hits Fortify and high life regeneration for the self damage of Reap. Take all of the nearby critical strike related nodes until you have a 100% chance to critically strike and as many of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree as you can for survival. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for the new season (3.28).

​

Defensive Layers

Enduring Cry gives Endurance charge generation which lowers your physical damage taken and lowers your elemental damage taken. The Augury of Penitence ascendancy also gives 16% increased elemental damage and 8% reduced elemental damage taken. This build also has an abundance of life nodes in the Templar tree and the defensive advantage of using a shield.

​

Gems

​

Weapon (3-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

Empower Support

 

Shield (3-link)

Frost Bomb (keep at a low level)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one)

Power Charge On Critical Support

​​

Armour (6 Link)

Cyclone

Awakened Cast on Critical Strike Support

Reap

Increased Critical Strike Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Empower Support

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

 

Helmet (4-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support

Culling Strike Support

Note: You can use auras here if you can roll +1 to level of socketed AoE gems on your helmet at the crafting bench.

 

Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

Herald of Purity

Enlighten Support

Note: Use reservation auras in your gloves if you have a +2 to level of socketed AoE gems corruption on your gloves.

​

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Sigil of Power

Flame Dash

​

Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive auras for this build and give very high evasion. Hatred is the best offensive aura for the build and gives physical damage as extra cold damage and increased cold damage. Herald of Purity should also be used to increase your physical damage and it summons up to four extra targets for enemies to attack. Hatred should be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, and a level 4 Enlighten Support to lower the mana 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. You won't need Cold Snap to generate Frenzy charges because Frenzy charges can take you past the Cast On Critical Strike Support cooldown which lowers your spell activation rate.

3. 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.

4. Summon Ice Golem gives increased critical strike chance and accuracy, kills enemies at 10% life remaining with Culling Strike Support, gives cold exposure with Elemental Army Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack. Summon Fire Golem should be used instead for damage if you don't need increased critical strike chance and accuracy.​

​​

Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Dagger

Daggers can roll +1 to level of all physical spell skill gems, increased spell damage, increased critical strike chance, increased global critical strike multiplier, and you can add hits can't be evaded at the crafting bench. You can also use the Horticrafting Station to give increased critical strike chance if you need attack critical strike chance or increased elemental damage if more critical strike chance isn't needed.

​

Shield

Rare Shield

Look for a shield with +1 to level of all physical spell skill gems, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased spell damage, high life, energy shield, and resistances. You can optionally add chance to deal double damage at the crafting bench.

 

Armour

Rare Armour

Look for high life, life percent, attributes, spells have increased critical strike chance (if you need more spell critical strike chance), and/or attacks have increased critical strike chance (if you need more attack critical strike chance). 

 

Helmet

Rare Blizzard Crown

Blizzard Crowns have a high added cold damage implicit and the 10% added enemy cold resistance that it adds is negated by the Inquisitor ascendancy which gives enemies elemental resistances of zero. Look for high life, energy shield, resistances, and you can use a Warlord's Exalted Orb for a chance to roll increased elemental damage or increased global critical strike multiplier.

 

Gloves

Hrimsorrow (Double Corrupted)

Look for a spell critical strike chance corruption and/or attack critical strike chance corruption optionally with +2 to level of socketed AoE gems or +2 to level of socketed aura gems. These gloves give 100% of physical damage converted to cold damage without having to path all the way to the far Cold Mastery and give up to 30 strength and 30% cold resistance.

 

Belt

Rare Stygian Vise

This belt has an abyssal socket and can have high life, resistances, increased cold damage or increased damage against chilled enemies, and increased damage. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for life, increased critical strike chance, increased global critical strike multiplier, and a critical strike chance corruption.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for life, attributes, high resistances, Onslaught on kill, and movement speed. You should only use Onslaught if it doesn't take you over the activation rate on Cast On Critical Strike Support. You can also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll chance to avoid being Ignited and a chance to avoid elemental ailments.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

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

 

Rings

Rare Diamond Rings

Look for increased critical strike chance, high life, energy shield, resistances, and add channeling skills have reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses. A Frostbite on hit ring is unnecessary because you already ignore enemies' elemental resistances with the Inquisitor ascendancies.

​

Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Warlord

This tattoo can replace a 30 strength node on the tree to give +1 to level of all strength skill gems.

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node on the tree to give Onslaught on Hit.

​

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.

Diamond Flask (use this flask if you don't have a 100% critical strike chance)

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance and increased critical strike chance as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Rumi's Concoction (use this flask if you have a 100% critical strike chance without a Diamond Flask)

When you no longer need an increased critical strike chance flask you should use this flask to improve your survival. This flask gives 1500 armour, increased block chance, and increased spell block. The legacy version is better and gives much higher block chances. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Jade Flask

Gives 1500 evasion. Try and roll immunity to Bleeding and Corrupted Blood during effect and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you're Bleeding.

​

Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Arcane Potency for 30% increased spell critical strike chance and 30% increased critical strike multiplier for spells at Cassia using an Azure Oil, Black Oil, and Silver Oil.

​

Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Reap Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: Regenerate 2% of Life Per Second If You Have Been Hit Recently

Belt: 30% Increased Accuracy While You Have Onslaught

​

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.

​

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.

​

Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Lifesprigs

You can use two level one Lifesprigs that each give 40% increased spell damage, +1 to level of socketed spell gems, increased cast speed, life, mana, and life regeneration.

​

Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one offensive chest armour that has six linked white sockets. Any color gems can be linked together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also purchase a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which also requires level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

​

Helmet

Goldrim

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

​

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 a Frenzy, Power, or Endurance charge on kill.

​

Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots require level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% increased movement speed.

​

Amulet

Tear of Purity

This amulet requires level 5 and gives level 10 Purity of Elements, up to 20 to all attributes, 30 intelligence, 40 to life, and 10 to all resistances. Purity of Elements is optional to increase all elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

​

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.

​

Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four for 40% increased movement speed and can have increased 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.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which increases your 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 also 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 and gives 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, increases the 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 the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

​

Leveling Gems

Freezing Pulse can be used as a starter skill at level one. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and 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 cold Cyclone temporarily at level 28 once have the recommended unique Hrimsorrow cold conversion gloves. You probably won't have enough increased critical strike chance to make a CoC Reap Cyclone build work until you're leveled. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you reach 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.

​

Upgrades

The Carnage Heart amulet can be equipped at level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also upgrade to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. The above leveling items can be used 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!