Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Liege of the Primordial, Shaper of Storms, Shaper of Flames, and Bastion of Elements. You should use a Watcher's Eye jewel for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, increased damage over time multiplier while affected by Malevolence, and optionally damaging ailments deal damage faster while affected by Malevolence if you can afford it for faster Corrupting Fever damage. Using a Stormshroud jewel in your tree can give you full elemental ailment immunity with the recommended boots. The Elementalist tree is recommended for Corrupting Fever and Reap because it's the best tree to scale the damage of Corrupting Fever. The increased minion damage nodes also apply to you with the Spiritual Aid node taken on the tree. The Nomadic Teachings node is great for +2 to all maximum elemental resistances to improve your defenses and its mastery node can make you immune to Corrupted Blood. This is a life build so make sure and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes for survival. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for the new season (3.27).

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Defensive Layers

The Bastion of Elements ascendancy gives level 20 Primal Aegis which is a very strong elemental absorb shield. You can also have full elemental ailment immunity with this build. This build also has an army of golems and zombies to help you take the damage along with the defensive advantage of using a shield which makes it strong for survival.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

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Shield (3-link)

Raise Zombie

Empower Support

Minion Life Support​

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Armour (6-link)

Corrupting Fever

Reap

Awakened Swift Affliction Support

Empower Support

Cruelty Support

Efficacy Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Malevolence

Enlighten Support

Dash

 

Gloves (4-link)

Summon Lightning Golem of Hordes

Summon Flame Golem

Summon Stone Golem

Empower Support

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Boots (4-link)

Storm Brand (keep at level one)

Arcane Surge Support (keep at level one)

Culling Strike Support

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one to trigger more frequently)

Note: Storm Brand casting when you take damage is a very fast way to apply additional Corrupting Fever stacks.​

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build because it gives very high evasion. Malevolence is the best offensive aura because it increases your damage over time and this is a damage over time build. Malevolence can be used once you have a level 4 Enlighten Support linked to your auras to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​

1. Corrupting Fever has a life cost but it refreshes its duration as you fight so you won't need to recast it except for when you have downtime in between fighting. Reap also scales with damage over time making it great to use with Corrupting Fever.

2. 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.

3. Summon Lightning Golem of Hordes increases the maximum number of golems you can have out. Lightning Golems increase your cast speed and provide lightning damage auras that give lightning damage to you and your minion's attacks. Summon Flame Golem increases your damage. Summon Stone Golem gives increased life regeneration and defenses. This build can use 3 different types of golems because the Liege of the Primordial ascendancy increases your golem limit.

4. If you would like to try out a pure summoner Elementalist build instead that is great at damage and survival you can also check out the Golem Summoner Elementalist Guide here Golem Summoner Elementalist Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Convoking Wand

Look for a rare Convoking Wand with +1 to level of all physical spell skill gems, optionally +1 to level of all spell skill gems, and high increased minion damage which is added to your damage with the Spiritual Aid node taken on the skill tree.

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Shield

Rare Minion Shield

Look for high life, energy shield, increased minion damage, increased minion life, increased minion resistances, and resistances.

 

Armour

Rare Life Armour

Look for an armour with high life modifiers like increased life and life percent for survival optionally with physical damage taken as an elemental damage. You can also look for a +1 to level of socketed gems corruption on an armour with high life for much higher damage once you have enough currency.

 

Helmet

Rare AoE Gems Helmet

Look for high life, high energy shield, resistances, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems with increased area of effect. You can also add physical damage taken as an element and physical damage recouped as life using Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors.

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Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent (Hunter's modifier), strength, resistances, and an abyssal socket. You can use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus. Your abyss jewel should have life and increased damage over time while holding a shield.

 

Gloves

Minion Gem Gloves

Look for gloves with increased minion damage, life, resistances, and if you can afford it +2 to level of socketed minion gems. You should also add increased minion damage and chance to suppress spell damage using Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors.

Note: You can look for gloves with a +2 to level of socketed minion gems fracture (permanent golden modifier) and use Deafening Essences of Fear for increased minion damage until you get a tier one life roll with the right modifiers.

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Boots

Rare Boots

Look for boots with high life, resistances, and a high chance to avoid being Shocked. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll chance to avoid being Shocked and physical damage as extra fire damage. These boots can give a 100% chance to avoid being Shocked which applies to all elemental ailments with a Stormshroud jewel socketed in the skill tree.

 

Amulet

Rare Physical Skill Gem Amulet

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

 

Rings

Rare Vulnerability Ring

Look for Vulnerability on hit, high life, strength or dexterity, and resistances. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses.

Rare Ring

Look for modifiers like high life, energy shield, optionally increased minion damage, strength or dexterity, and resistances.

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Tattoo

Honoured Tattoo of the Wise (standard only)

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

Quartz Flask 

Gives Phasing and a 10% chance to suppress spell damage. You should roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

 

Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Growth and Decay for 12% damage over time multiplier and 1% life regeneration per second at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Teal Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Steelskin Buff Can Take 45% Increased Amount Of Damage

Gloves: Commandment of the Grave

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

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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 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 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

The Blood Thorn

A great level one staff with a 30% chance to block that curses enemies with Vulnerability when you block.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one chest armour that has six white linked sockets. Linked white sockets allow you to link any color gems together for 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

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

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These strong 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 can be used as early as level nine that give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Sidhebreath

A level one amulet with minions deal 35-65 cold damage, minions convert 50% physical damage to cold damage, 15% increased minion life, and minions deal no non-cold damage.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signets at level one that each give up to 65% increased 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 requires level four and gives 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process. 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 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.

Granite Flask

This flask will help you survive by giving 1500 armour and can have high increased armour as a second modifier. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

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Leveling Gems

Summon Raging Spirit can be used at level 4 and above with Raise Zombie. 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. 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 can be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

The Dying Breath staff can be upgraded to at level 13 for 18% increased damage for nearby allies and minions, 18% increased effect of auras, 18% increased cast speed, and 18% increased maximum mana. The Carnage Heart amulet can be switched to at level 20 and gives up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can use Aukuna's Will gloves at level 31 to increase the life of your zombies by 100% and make zombies summonable without corpses. You can also upgrade your weapon to the Clayshaper mace at level 41 for added physical damage for your golems and an extra golem. Many of the items in the above leveling section can last until the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for the Corrupting Fever & Reap Guide! For more about PoE you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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