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 negates the self chaos damage of Forbidden Rite. This is a Cast on Critical build so make sure and pick up as many of the nearby critical strike nodes as you can. 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 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. You should also use an Energy From Within jewel in the blue circle shown above to convert all of the nearby life nodes to energy shield nodes. The Mana Mastery is important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. A Stormshroud jewel should also be used to make Shock avoidance apply to all elemental ailments for 100% elemental ailment avoidance with the recommended boots. This is an energy shield build so take as many nearby energy shield nodes as you can and don't forget the importance of energy shield leech, energy shield recharge rate, and faster start of energy shield recharge. Note: The above skill tree is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

The Vile Bastion ascendancy gives stun immunity whenever you have energy shield and high energy shield regeneration which means you will have stun immunity at all times. With the Chaos Inoculation node you will also be immune to chaos damage. CoC Forbidden Rite Occultist builds are also capable of having very high energy shield from their tree and 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

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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 unique gloves which give 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 and give high evasion, energy shield, and energy shield recharge rate. Precision is selected for increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Precision can 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 100% critical strike chance and no higher than 0.15 second attack speed to cast Forbidden Rite every time your Cyclone hits when using Awakened Cast On Critical Strike Support which has a 0.15 second cooldown.

3. The Cyclone of Tumult gem isn't recommended for this build because it increases your attack speed lower than the 0.15 second cooldown of Awakened Cast On Critical Strike Support.

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

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

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

7. If you think you would prefer a Cyclone build that is better for single target once you have a very high physical damage weapon you can also check out the Impale Cyclone Champion Guide here Impale Cyclone Champion Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Gemini Claw

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

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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 using Orbs of Annulment if needed or the Bestiary and add hits can't be evaded to the claw at the crafting bench which costs three Exalted Orbs. This results in a high end starter CoC Forbidden Rite Cyclone claw.

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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 optionally 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, 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 all damage. You can also go for a strong corruption like +1 to maximum Power charges and/or +2 to level of socketed AoE or aura gems once you have enough currency.

 

Gloves

Attack Critical Strike Corrupted Gloves

Look for the best gloves you can find with 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, 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 an increased global critical strike chance corruption.

 

Boots

Rare Energy Shield Boots

Look for very high energy shield, chance to avoid being Shocked, resistances, optionally chance to gain Onslaught on kill, and 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 if you need more Shock avoidance which gives 100% ailment avoidance with a Stormshroud jewel socketed in your tree. With high tier Eldritch Embers you won't need the added chance to avoid elemental ailments modifier and can use chance to avoid being poisoned instead. You can craft these boots by getting a tier one increased energy shield fracture (golden modifier that appears above the line that cant be changed) and roll Deafening Essences of Torment for Shock avoidance until you get a high energy shield roll with resistances. Now you can craft increased movement speed and optionally a chance to gain Onslaught on kill at the crafting bench and you will have some very strong boots.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for increased attributes, 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

One of your rings should have the Despair on hit modifier to quickly apply your Despair curse. Diamond Rings are preferred for their increased critical strike chance implicit which is the modifier above the line on an item. Look for increased critical strike chance, energy shield, resistances, and add reduced mana costs from 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, 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 uses 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 can have increased critical strike chance and chance to gain a flask charge when you deal a critical strike as additional modifiers. The legacy version can have a higher critical strike chance. You should use Instilling Orbs 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 are Bleeding.

Quicksilver Flask

Has 40% increased movement speed which is great for moving around with Cyclone and you can roll 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.

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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 that 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 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

A level five amulet that 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 Signets at level one that 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, 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 the best starter spell to use at level one. You should switch to Forbidden Rite once you have the Chaos Inoculation node on the tree for chaos damage immunity. 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 eventually switch to CoC Forbidden Rite Cyclone when you have a high enough critical strike chance. You should use a Steelskin gem once you reach level four and have at least 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

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 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. 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 the Forbidden Rite Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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