Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Commander of Darkness, Plaguebringer, Essence Glutton, and Mindless Aggression. A Light of Meaning jewel is recommended in the upper blue circle in the image for high increased fire damage for every passive node in its radius. The Red Nightmare jewel should also be used in the bottom left blue circle in the image because it gives fire damage as extra chaos damage, a chance to generate an Endurance charge on kill, and it increases your block chance. The Minion Offense Mastery with increased corpse life is also important because it increases your Detonate Dead damage. The Mana Mastery, Wand Mastery (for Spellslinger reservation efficiency), and Reservation Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. The Life Mastery is also needed to have 15% of your mana cost paid with life because this build has a very high mana cost. This is a life build so make sure and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for survival. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for season (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

The Commander of Darkness ascendancy gives increased elemental resistances, increased damage, and increased attack and cast speed to you and your allies. You should also have high energy shield regeneration and mana regeneration with the Essence Glutton ascendancy. And with the Plaguebringer ascendancy you will take 10% less damage and deal 10% more damage when there is a corpse nearby and you'll gain 30% increased area of effect if you've consumed a corpse recently. This build has an army of minions to take the damage for you and the strong defensive benefit of using a one handed weapon with a shield.

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Desecrate

Spellslinger Support

Awakened Spell Cascade Support

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

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Shield (3-link)

Grace

Herald of Ash

Enlighten Support

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Armour (6-link)

Vaal Detonate Dead of Chain Reaction

Spellslinger Support

Awakened Burning Damage Support

Awakened Fire Penetration Support

Combustion Support

Cruelty Support

Note: Enlighten Support can be used in the place of Cruelty Support if you need more reservation efficiency for Spellslinger.

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Helmet (4-link)

Frenzy

Barrage Support

Faster Attacks Support

Flame Dash

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Gloves (4-link)

Raise Spectre

Raise Zombie

Empower Support

Minion Life Support

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Summon Flame Golem

Feeding Frenzy Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace should be used as your defensive aura to greatly increase your evasion. Herald of Ash is recommended to increase your spell fire damage, your burning damage, and causes overkills to burn nearby enemies. The rest of your reservation efficiency should be used on your two Spellslinger Supports. You should use Herald of Ash once you have a 30% increased reservation efficiency of socketed gems modifier on your shield, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, the increased mana reservation efficiency from Eldritch Ichors on your helmet, the 25% increased mana reservation efficiency for Spellslinger Support from the Wand Mastery, a few increased mana nodes on the tree, and a level four Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation costs 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. Your spectres maximum life is important for the corpse explosion damage of Detonate Dead because your spectres appear in your Desecrate pool. Make sure your four highest life spectres are always active and in your Desecrate pool. The highest life spectres are the Primal Crushclaw and the Primal Blister Lord from Harvest followed by the Lithomancer and the Stoneskin Flayer from the Primeval Chambers areas in Delve. You can start off with temporary high life spectres that are easier to obtain like the Auto-Enforcer and Rusty Crusher spectres which appear in Tunnels contracts inside heists.

3. Empower Support should be linked to your spectres to increase their level which increases the damage of your Detonate Dead and as an added bonus it gives increased life and damage to your summoned spectres and zombies.

4. Summon Fire Golem gives a damage increase, deals damage because this is a minion build, gives Feeding Frenzy which increases the damage of your minions with Feeding Frenzy Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.​

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Imbued Wand

An Imbued Wand is ideal for its high attack speed. Look for +1 to level of all fire spell skill gems, +1 to level of all spell skill gems if you can afford it, increased fire damage, and increased fire damage over time multiplier. You should also add 1% increased elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticrafting Station which should be added to your hideout.

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Shield

Rare Reservation Efficiency Shield

Look for a shield with 30% increased reservation efficiency of socketed gems, high life, increased critical strike chance with spells, and increased attack speed which can optionally be added at the crafting bench.

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Armour

Rare Life Armour

Look for an armour with high life modifiers like increased life and increased 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 a chest armour with high life modifiers for significantly more damage once you can afford it.

Belly of the Beast (budget)

Gives up to 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, and 50% increased life recovery from flasks. You should also eventually look for a +1 to level of socketed gems corruption once you have enough currency.

 

Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for +2 to level of all minion skill gems to raise the level of your spectres corpses for increased damage with Detonate Dead, high life, high energy shield, and resistances. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add increased mana reservation efficiency (so you can use the recommended reservation skills) and added fire damage to spells.

 

Belt

Rare Stygian Vise Belt

Look for high life, increased life percent (a Hunter's modifier), energy shield, increased damage, resistances, and an abyssal socket. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, increased damage over time while holding a shield, and added fire damage to attacks.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for +2 to level of socketed minion skill gems to raise the level of your spectre corpses, which also increases the damage of your Detonate Dead, with high life, strength or dexterity, resistances, increased attack speed, and if you can afford it increased fire damage over time multiplier but this modifier can be extremely expensive on these gloves.

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Boots

Rare Cooldown Recovery Boots

Look for boots with high increased cooldown recovery, high life, resistances, and increased movement speed.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for +1 to level of all fire spell skill gems, high attributes, high life, increased damage over time multiplier, optionally resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus and reduced mana costs.

Carnage Heart

The budget amulet gives up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its attributes bonus or Prismatic Catalysts to increase its resistances.

 

Rings

Rare Flammability Ring

Look for a ring with the Flammability curse on hit, high life, strength, increased damage, and resistances. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the ring to increase its life bonus.

Circle of Anguish (with an Elemental Weakness corruption)

Look for a Circle of Anguish unique ring with an Elemental Weakness on hit implicit. This ring can have high added fire damage, up to 60% increased fire damage while affected by Herald of Ash, and increased Herald of Ash buff effect. You should use Turbulent Catalysts on the Circle of Anguish to increase its elemental damage modifiers.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Provides 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 when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

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

Jade Flask

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

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Anointment

Your amulet should be anointed with Whispers of Doom once you have a Circle of Anguish with Elemental Weakness on hit for an additional curse at Cassia using three Golden Oils.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

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

Gloves: Commandment of the Grave

Feet: Adds 45-68 Fire Damage If You've Killed 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 kill all three bandits instead 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

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 an excellent level one chest armour with six white linked sockets. White linked sockets allow you to link any color skill and support 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

An excellent 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 great level one gloves give up to 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and give a 15% chance to generate an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots can be equipped at level 9 for up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

The Kurai Ward

This level five amulet gives up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 100 accuracy, and 30% increased projectile damage.

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Rings

Two Perandus Signets

You can use two level one 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 also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when 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 when 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, up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and 10% increased damage taken to enemies on consecrated ground. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Freezing Pulse is a great level one spell to use until you can make the switch to Desecrate with Detonate Dead. You can also use Zombies and take the early minion damage and minion life nodes and add Summon Raging Spirit at level four for another minion skill. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and it can be used once you are level 10 for increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and it can be used as early as level 10 for high life regeneration. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem for a defensive guard skill once you've reached level four and have at least 16 strength. Dash also requires level four and it should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

You can upgrade your wands to two Ashcallers at level 12 for increased spell damage, high added fire damage to spells, a 10% chance to cover enemies in Ash on hit, and a chance to summon Level 10 Raging Spirits on kills. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for this build which can be equipped at 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 skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items in the leveling section above last all the way until the midgame where better items will start becoming available.

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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!​