Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Chain Reaction, Like Clockwork, Bomb Specialist, and Pyromaniac. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, critical strikes penetrate 10% of enemies' elemental resistances while affected by Zealotry, and optionally 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. The Light of Meaning jewel should be socketed in the bottom left blue circle in the image above and gives high increased fire damage for each passive in its radius. The Ghost Dance node can be taken for a great defensive that recovers energy shield when you're hit. The Mana Mastery and Reservation Mastery are also important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. 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 the new (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

The Pyromaniac ascendancy makes you immune to Ignite and Shock and regenerates a large amount of life when your traps are triggered. You will also have a 30% chance to take 50% less area damage with the Bomb Specialist ascendancy. This build also has the strong defensive benefit of attacking from a distance with traps while using a one handed weapon with a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Dash

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Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at a low level)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one so it triggers more often)​

Power Charge On Critical Support

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Armour (6-link)

Explosive Trap of Shrapnel

Trap and Mine Damage Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Awakened Elemental Focus Support

Cluster Trap Support

Inspiration Support

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

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Zealotry

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Seismic Trap

Trap and Mine Damage Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Culling Strike Support

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support​​

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Zealotry is recommended as the best offensive aura for the build because it increases your spell damage and spell critical hit chance. Clarity is also needed for the high mana cost of the build and provides high mana regeneration. Zealotry should be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, and a leveled Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

 

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. Explosive Trap of Shrapnel is a fairly new transfigured gem that makes Explosive Trap have screen wide damage. Explosive Trap pair well with Seismic Trap which is as a burst trap and they can be used together on difficult fights.

3. The Trap Mastery on the right side of the tree gives a chance to generate a Power charge when a trap is sprung and the Trap Mastery near the center of the tree gives a chance to generate a Frenzy charge when a trap is sprung. Cold Snap is also used to generate Frenzy charges when enemies dies in its skill effect area and it can generate Power charges when it's linked to Power Charge On Critical Support.

4. Summon Flame Golem gives a damage increase for your skills, kills enemies at 10% life remaining with Culling Strike Support, gives fire exposure with Elemental Army Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Spell Dagger or Wand

This weapon should have +1 to level of physical spell skill gems, high increased spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased critical strike multiplier, and ideally increased mana. You should also add 1% increased area of effect per 4% quality at the Horticrafting Station which should be added to your hideout once its unlocked.

 

Shield

Rare Physical Spell Shield

Look for very high life, +1 to level of all physical spell skill gems, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased spell damage, optionally resistances, and you can optionally add a 5% chance to deal double damage at the crafting bench.

Lioneye's Remorse

The budget option gives up to 210 life and very high armor especially if you can get the legacy version in the standard league.

 

Armour

Spell Critical Strike Chance Armour

Look for high life, spell critical strike chance, optionally percent physical damage taken as an elemental damage, optionally strength, and add 8% increased life/8% increased mana at the crafting bench.

Belly of the Beast (budget)

This budget body armour gives up to 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, 50% increased life flask recovery, and allows you to allocate more damage on the tree.

 

Helmet

Crown of the Inward Eye

Has up to 21% increased life, mana, and energy shield, and Transfiguration of Soul, Transfiguration of Body, and Transfiguration of Mind. Transfiguration of Soul causes energy shield to give spell damage, Transfiguration of Body causes life to give attack damage, and Transfiguration of Mind causes increases to mana to increase all damage. You should also look for a strong corruption like +2 to level of socketed AoE and/or +1 to maximum Power charges.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, resistances, increased fire damage, and an abyssal socket. Increased fire damage can be added to the belt with a Warlord's Exalted Orb with an open prefix. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, increased critical strike chance, and added physical damage to spells.

 

Gloves

Rare Physical to Fire Damage Gloves

These gloves should have high life, 30%+ physical damage converted to fire damage, resistances, and spell suppression. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors on your gloves to add increased trap throwing speed and physical damage converted to fire damage which makes Explosive Trap of Shrapnel have all of its physical damage converted to fire damage.

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Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, high strength, resistances, movement speed, and spell suppression. Tailwind and Onslaught from your boots don't work when using traps. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid elemental ailments and a chance to avoid being Frozen because you can already be immune to Shock and Ignite with the Saboteur ascendancy.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for modifiers like high attributes, high life, physical damage as extra fire damage, increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, and optionally +1 to level of all physical spell skill gems. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Carnage Heart

This amulet is the budget option for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also use Prismatic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its resistances or Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attributes.

 

Rings

Rare Flammability Ring

Look for Flammability on hit, high life, strength, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses and reduced mana costs.

Rare Ring

Look for high life, increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier (which is an influenced modifier), resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Hunter

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node on the tree in Standard to give +1 to Level of All Dexterity Skill Gems.

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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 is much better and gives 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. Try and roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity during effect and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Heart of Flame for 30% increased fire damage and damage penetrates 6% fire resistance at Cassia using a Teal Oil, Azure Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Summon Skitterbots Has 45% Increased Mana Reservation Efficiency (which eliminated the need for extra mana)

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 120% Increased Critical Strike Chance if You Haven't Crit Recently

Belt: Enemies Blinded By You Have 30% Reduced Critical Strike Chance

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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 Abberath is the best minor power to help maintain energy shield and gives 60% less Ignite duration on you, makes you unaffected by burning ground, and gives 10% increased movement speed on 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

A great level one offensive chest armour that has six white linked sockets. 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% increased elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These 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

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

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

This amulet gives level 10 Purity of Elements, up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 30 intelligence, and 10% increased elemental resistances. The Purity of Elements aura can increase your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

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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 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 and you can also get 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.

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 increases enemies damage taken on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use it when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Explosive Trap of Shrapnel can be used at level one and it's your endgame trap skill. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used at level 10. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem once you are 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

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 and it 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 ring 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. 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!​