Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Vile Bastion, Void Beacon, Forbidden Power, and Profane Bloom. The Chaos Inoculation node makes this a pure energy shield build and gives immunity to chaos damage which makes you immune to the self damage of Forbidden Rite. This is a Cast on Critical build so make sure and pick up enough critical strike chance nodes to have a 100% critical strike chance. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased energy shield, increased mana, 30 energy shield per hit while affected by Discipline, 40% faster start of energy shield recharge while affected by Discipline, and optionally 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. You should use an Energy From Within jewel in the middle blue circle in the image above to convert the nearby life nodes to energy shield nodes. The Light of Meaning jewel is also important in the blue circle on the right of the image for 6% increased chaos damage for each passive in its radius. The Mana Mastery is important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. A Stormshroud jewel is also important for elemental ailment immunity with the recommended boots. This is an energy shield build so make sure and take plenty of the nearby energy shield nodes and don't forget the importance of the energy shield leech, energy shield recharge rate, and faster start of energy shield recharge nodes. Note: The skill tree and build ratings have been updated for (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

The Vile Bastion ascendancy gives stun immunity when you have energy shield and high energy shield regeneration which gives permanent stun immunity. With the Chaos Inoculation node you will also be immune to chaos damage. CoC Forbidden Rite Occultists typically also have very high energy shield from the Witch skill tree and their energy shield equipment.

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Shield (3-link)

Withering Step

Empower Support

More Duration Support

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Armour (6 Link)

Cyclone

Awakened Cast on Critical Strike Support

Forbidden Rite

Inspiration Support

Increased Critical Strike Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

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

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Helmet (4-link)

Discipline

Grace

Precision

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Wither

Spell Totem Support

Multiple Totems Support

Assassin's Mark (when using Vixen's Entrapment gloves which gives an additional curse)

 

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace and Discipline are the best defensive auras for this build because they give high evasion, high energy shield, and high energy shield recharge rate. Precision is selected as the best offensive aura for this build and it gives increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Precision should be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support to lower the 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. Aim for a 100% critical strike chance and an attack speed that is lower than your Cast on Critical Strike Support cooldown.

3. Withering Step gives Phasing, Elusive, and Wither. It allows you to pass through enemies, increases your movement speed, increases your chance to dodge attacks and spells, and increases your chaos damage by 6% which stacks up to 15 times.

4. Enduring Cry is used to improve your defenses by generating Endurance charges which reduce your physical damage taken and your elemental damage taken by 4% per charge.

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

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Gemini Claw

Look for a rare Gemini Claw because it has a mana on hit implicit (the modifier above the line on items) with increased critical strike chance, increased spell damage, increased global critical strike multiplier, increased attack speed, and hits can't be evaded which should be added at the crafting bench. You should also add 1% critical strike chance per 4% quality at the Horticrafting Station which should be added to your hideout.

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How Do You Craft A Great Starter CoC Forbidden Rite Claw?

Purchase a Gemini Claw with tier one increased critical strike chance and roll Deafening Essences of Woe for increased spell damage until you get increased attack speed and tier one increased global critical strike multiplier. Try and get one open prefix and add hits can't be evaded to the claw at the crafting bench which costs three Exalted Orbs. To get an open prefix you might need to use an Orb of Annulment or the Bestiary to switch a prefix to a suffix.

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Shield

Rare Energy Shield Shield

Look for very high energy shield, +1 to level of all chaos spell skill gems, increased spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, resistances, and optionally a chance to avoid elemental ailments.

 

Armour

Rare Energy Shield Chest

Look for an extremely high energy shield armour with modifiers like critical strike chance for attacks and critical strike chance for spells. You can also add 25% faster start of energy shield recharge at the crafting bench with an open suffix. 

 

Helmet

Crown of the Inward Eye

Has 21% increased life, mana, and energy shield, and Transfiguration of Soul, Transfiguration of Body, and Transfiguration of Mind. Transfiguration of Soul causes energy shield nodes to give spell damage, Transfiguration of Body causes life nodes to give attack damage, and Transfiguration of Mind causes causes increases to mana to increase damage. You can also go for a corruption like +1 to maximum Power charges and/or +2 to level of socketed AoE gems once you have enough currency.

 

Gloves

Attack Critical Strike Corrupted Gloves

Look for the best gloves you can find with an attacks have increased critical strike chance corruption. Vixen's Entrapment unique gloves are an excellent option because they have high energy shield, spell energy shield leech, and an additional curse.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high energy shield, increased energy shield percent, increased chaos damage, resistances, and an abyssal socket. You have a chance at adding increased energy shield percent when using a Crusader's Exalted Orb on the belt with an open prefix. You can also use Tempering Catalysts on the belt to increase its energy shield bonuses.

Abyss Jewel

Look for high energy shield, increased global critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, and optionally you can look for an increased global critical strike chance corruption.

 

Boots

Rare Energy Shield Boots

Look for very high energy shield, chance to avoid being Shocked, resistances, and increased movement speed. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid being Shocked and optionally a chance to avoid elemental ailments which gives 100% elemental ailment immunity with a Stormshroud jewel socketed in your tree.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

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

 

Rings

Rare Diamond Rings

Diamond Rings are preferred for their increased critical strike chance implicit. One of your rings should also have the Despair curse on hit. Look for increased critical strike chance, energy shield, resistances, optionally critical strike chance multiplier (an influenced modifier), and add reduced mana costs at the crafting bench. You should also use Unstable Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their critical strike modifiers.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Wise

This tattoo can replace a 30 intelligence node on the tree to give +1 to Level of All Intelligence Skill Gems.

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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 also 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, a 12% chance to block attacks, and a 6% chance to block spells. The legacy version can have much higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Diamond Flask (legacy is better)

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance and it can have increased critical strike chance and a chance to gain a flask charge on critical strikes as extra modifiers. The legacy version of the flask can have a higher critical strike chance. You should 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 Bleeding and Corrupted Blood Immunity during effect and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you're Bleeding.

Quicksilver Flask

Gives 40% increased movement speed which is great for moving around with Cyclone and you can roll more movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Overcharged for an 8% chance to generate Endurance, Frenzy, and Power charges on kills at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Silver Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Forbidden Rite Fires An Additional Projectile

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 35% Increased Mana Regeneration If You've Cast A Spell Recently

Belt: Enemies Withered By You Have -6% To All Resistance

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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 kill all three bandits instead for 1 passive skill point.

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Pantheon

Soul of the Brine King is the best major Pantheon power for energy shield builds because it gives Freeze immunity, 50% reduced effects of Chill on you, stun immunity if you've received a stunning hit in the past 2 seconds, and 30% increased stun and block recovery. Soul of the Brine King is important because this build is a one life energy shield build with the Chaos Inoculation node on the tree and your Freeze and Chill threshold is normally based off your maximum life. Soul of Abberath is the best minor Pantheon power to help maintain energy shield because it gives 60% less Ignite duration on you, 10% increased movement speed on burning ground, and makes you unaffected by burning ground.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Lifesprigs

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

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one offensive chest armour that has six white linked 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 look for a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which can be used at level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

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Helmet

Goldrim

An excellent level one resistance helmet that has 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 a Frenzy, Power, or Endurance charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

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

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Amulet

Karui 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 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 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 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, up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground. You should also 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

Freezing Pulse is a strong starter spell to use at level one. You can switch to Forbidden Rite once you have the Chaos Inoculation node on the tree which gives chaos damage immunity for the self damage of Forbidden Rite. 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 also be used at level 10. You can eventually switch to CoC Forbidden Rite Cyclone once you have a high enough critical strike chance. You should use a Steelskin gem at level four with at least 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 as early as level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You should 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. The items in the leveling section above can 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!