Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Way of the Poacher, Avatar of the Slaughter, Quartz Infusion, and Avatar of the Veil. The Clever Thief node should be taken for 1% life leech and 1% mana leech and works for both physical damage and elemental damage. A Watcher's Eye jewel is also very important for up to 6% life, 6% energy shield, 6% mana, added cold damage while affected by Hatred, increased cold damage while affected by Hatred, and optionally spell suppression while affected by Grace. The Mana Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. This is a melee build so make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival.

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Defensive Layers

The Quartz Infusion ascendancy gives Phasing and 40% spell suppression and the Avatar of the Slaughter ascendancy gives increased evasion and movement speed. With the Avatar of the Veil ascendancy you will also give enemies exposure applying -20% to their elemental resistances and have a 50% chance to avoid elemental ailments. This build also has the strong defensive advantage of using a one handed weapon and a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Vaal Ancestral Warchief

Ancestral Protector

Maim Support

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Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap

Cast When Damage Taken Support

Bonechill Support

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Armour (6-link)

Flicker Strike

Ice Bite Support

Awakened Multistrike Support

Awakened Melee Splash Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Fortify Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Flame Dash

 

Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

Dread Banner

Enlighten Support

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Enduring Cry

Call To Arms

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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 and is used to greatly increase your cold damage. Aspect of the Cat will be free with Farrul's Fur and occasionally gives 100% increased critical strike chance, 10% increased attack speed, 100% Stealth which lowers enemies detection range, and a 15% chance to evade all attacks. Dread Banner should be used for a 20% chance to Impale, 20% increased Impale effect, and lowers the accuracy of nearby enemies. Hatred can be used once you have the 12% mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support to reduce the mana 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 armor to be effective.

2. Flicker Strike of Power uses Power charges to bypass the cooldown instead of Frenzy charges but it's not recommended because it's much easier to gear for Frenzy charges than Power charges with Flicker Strike.

3. Vaal Ancestral Warchief and Ancestral Protector give increased melee damage and increased attack speed buffs.

4. Enduring Cry is used to provide a large 2200 life heal over one second, generates Endurance charges, and gives an extra 2% increased physical damage reduction and 2% increased elemental resistances per charge. Enduring Cry should also be linked to Call To Arms to instantly cast your Enduring Cry warcry on cooldown.

5. Cold Snap generates Frenzy charges when enemies die in its chilling area. With Cold Snap linked to a Bonechill Support it also increases the cold damage of your Flicker Strike.

6. Summon Flame Golem gives 20% increased damage, 2% life recovery on Culling Strike, 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 to play a top tier ranged Ranger build that doesn't require fighting in melee range you can also check out the Tornado Shot Deadeye Guide here Tornado Shot Deadeye Guide.

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Equipment

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Weapon

Paradoxica

Look for a Paradoxica with attacks with this weapon penetrate 16% elemental resistances, attacks deal double damage, and increased attack speed while a rare or unique enemy is nearby.

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Shield

Rare Shield

Look for very high life, resistances, attack speed, and increased block chance.

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Armour

Replica Farrul's Fur

This chest armour is the better but more expensive option that gives 100 life, free Aspect of the Cat, gain up to your maximum Frenzy and Endurance charges on Cat's Agility, and gives Onslaught while you have Cat's Agility.

Farrul's Fur

This is the less expensive option that gives 100 life, free Aspect of the Cat, gain up to your maximum Frenzy and Power charges on Cat's Stealth, and gives Phasing while you have Cat's Stealth.

 

Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high life, strength, resistances, and nearby enemies have -9 to their cold resistances.

Rare Helmet

Forbidden Shako

If you get a high enough level built in Ice Bite Support on this helmet it can be best in slot with a strong second support gem. It gives an increase to all attributes with up to level 35 Ice Bite Support built in and up to a level 10 random second support gem.

 

Gloves

Rare Damage Against Chilled Enemies Gloves

Look for life, attack speed, attributes, increased damage against chilled enemies, and resistances. You should also roll non-vaal strike skills target one additional nearby enemy and increased damage per dexterity with Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, resistances, energy shield, elemental damage with attack skills, and an abyssal socket. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, energy shield, added cold damage with sword attacks, and added lightning damage with sword attacks.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for life, resistances, Onslaught on kill, Tailwind, Elusive, movement speed, and optionally Aspect of the Cat. You can support Aspect of the Cat with Less Duration Support to keep your Power charges from Farrul's Fur from falling off or you can take the increased Power charge duration node for 20% increased Power charge duration.

 

Amulet

The Pandemonius

Gives up to 30% increased cold damage, 30 dexterity, 40% cold resistance, chills enemies for 1 second when hit reducing their action speed by 30%, blinds chilled enemies on hit, and penetrates 20% cold resistances against chilled enemies. You should use 20 Turbulent Catalysts to increase its cold damage and cold resistance penetration.

 

Rings

Rare Frostbite Ring

Look for Frotsbite on hit, life, attributes, added cold damage, and resistances. You should use Fertile Catalysts on both your rings to improve their life bonuses.

Rare Cold Damage Per Frenzy Charge Ring

Look for high life, cold damage per frenzy charge, added cold damage, attributes, and resistances.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 40% increased damage, 150% increased critical strike chance, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% increased chance to block, and 6% increased spell block. The legacy version is better and gives much higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

Gain 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 are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Savagery for +1 to Maximum Frenzy Charges at Cassia using a Crimson Oil, Black Oil, and Golden Oil.

 

Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 9% Increased Flicker Strike Damage per Frenzy Charge

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if you've Killed Recently

Belt: 300 to Armour While Fortified

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Bandits

The best bandit to choose in Act 2 is almost always Alira because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second.

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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

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

Roth's Reach

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

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Quiver

Craghead

A level four quiver that gives up to 7-14 added physical damage and 25% reduced projectile speed.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets which means any color skill gems and support gems can be linked together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also get 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

A strong 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 gloves can be used at level one and give 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

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

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

Gives level 10 Purity of Elements, up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 30 intelligence, and 10 to all resistances. The Purity of Elements aura  increases your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two level one Perandus Signets 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 use Instilling Orbs 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 and can 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, creates consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and gives 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground.

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Leveling Gems

Galvanic Arrow is the best bow skill to use at level one because it has multiple projectiles without a support gem. You should switch to Ice Shot and Volley Support once you reach level 4 and switch Volley Support for Lesser Multiple Projectile Support at level 12. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

The Carnage Heart amulet is a great amulet that can be equipped at level 20 that has up to 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, and 40% increased damage while leeching. Death's Harp is an excellent bow upgrade and can be equipped as early as level 32. You can later upgrade to the Death's Opus bow at level 44 for high critical strike modifiers and two additional arrows. At level 51 you should switch to Terminus Est which generates Frenzy charges which allows you to use Flicker Strike. 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. Many of the above items last until the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for the Flicker Strike Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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