Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Hinekora Death's Fury, Ngamahu Flame's Advance, Tasalio Cleansing Water, and Valako Storm's Embrace. An Immutable Force jewel is important for up to 1000% stun recovery so that stuns barely affect you. The Fortify Mastery cluster is preferred for Melee Hits Fortify in league and standard because the legacy Honoured Tattoo of the Pa requires a 30 strength node and the closest +30 to strength node is too far away to be worth it. You should also take the Fire Mastery and Avatar of the Fire nodes to convert your physical damage to fire damage for this build once you have a better weapon than Ngamahu's Flame. Make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival. Note: The skill tree image above is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

Chieftains get cold resistance and lightning resistance from their fire resistance and Ignite immunity from their ascendancies. Your maximum cold and lightning resistance will also be equal to your maximum fire resistance. Fortify from the Fortify Mastery and Infused Channeling Support will further improve your defenses. A Maelstrom Staff is also recommended with this build for its high damage and block chance. The Marauder tree also has a high number of life nodes to improve your survival.

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Gems

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Rare Weapon (6-link)

Vaal Haste

More Duration Support

Empower Support

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

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Armour (6-link)

Cyclone (Cyclone of Tumult is better for boss fights)

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Awakened Fire Penetration Support

Infused Channeling Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Herald of Ash

Herald of Purity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

War Banner

Dash

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support​

Enhance Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Herald of Purity gives increased physical damage and summons four minions to help take the damage. Herald of Ash is selected to give 15% of your physical damage as extra fire damage and burns nearby enemies on overkills. Herald of Purity can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a level 4 Enlighten Supports to lower 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 armour to be effective.

2. The Cyclone of Tumult gem has high attack speed but low movement speed which makes it great for boss fights.

3. Vaal Haste can have its Vaal ability used without reservation once you have enough souls from defeating enemies to use it. Vaal Haste gives high increased attack speed and high movement speed for a short to medium duration.

4. The Enduring Cry warcry is used for Endurance charge generation and up to 10% life regeneration per second. Endurance charges reduce your physical damage taken and elemental damage taken.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives up to 21% increased damage, fire exposure with Elemental Army Support, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

6. If you think you would prefer a Marauder build that has higher single target damage with the drawback of not being able to attack while moving you can check out the Lightning Strike Berserker Guide here Lightning Strike Berserker Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Two Handed Staff

Look for a very high damage two handed staff. A strong Maelstrom Staff is preferred because it can deal very high damage with a high critical strike chance and has the highest block chance available from staffs. You can also use Tempering Orbs on a rare staff for a low chance at getting an increased physical modifiers enchantment but be aware that doing this is expensive and sometimes reforges the sockets on the weapon.

Ngamahu's Flame

The budget starter weapon has 20% fire penetration, 60% physical damage converted to fire damage, and level 16 Molten Burst on hit. The support gems in Ngamahu's Flame should be used to support the built in level 16 Molten Burst instead. The legacy version of Ngamahu's Flame is fairly inexpensive and has significantly higher damage if you are playing in standard.

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How Do You Craft A Great Starter Cyclone Staff?

To craft a starter staff you can purchase an ilvl 85+ Maelstrom Staff with a tier one attack speed fracture and roll Deafening Essences of Contempt until you get a very high combined increased damage/accuracy modifier with an open prefix. You can then roll up to 129% increased physical damage at the crafting bench using an Exalted Orb for a strong starter staff.

 

Armour

Bronn's Lithe

Gives five to level of socketed movement skill gems, up to 100% increased damage with movement skills, 10% increased attack speed, and 10% increased movement speed. You can also go for an increased damage corruption for more currency.

 

Helmet

Devoto's Devotion

Gain 16% increased attack speed, 10% reduced physical damage, 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, 25% chaos resistance, and high armour and evasion. You can look for a socketed skill gems get a 90% cost & reservation multiplier corruption or as a budget option a +2 to level of socketed AoE or aura gems corruption.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for high life, strength, attack speed, accuracy, increased damage during any flask effect, and resistances. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll one Rage on hit per second and physical damage converted to fire damage.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, 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 an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, increased attack speed, and increased accuracy.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for life, resistances, Onslaught on kill, Tailwind, Elusive, and movement speed.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high attributes, life, resistances, physical damage as extra fire damage, and increased elemental damage with attack skills. You can chance getting physical damage as extra fire damage on a nice amulet with an open prefix using a Warlord's Exalted Orb. You should also use Turbulent Catalysts on the amulet to increase its elemental damage increase.

Eye of Chayula

This budget amulet can be used to give stun immunity before you can afford an Immutable Force jewel.

 

Rings

Flammability Ring

You should use a ring with Flammability on hit, high life, strength, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and 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.

Reduced Mana Cost Ring

Look for high life, strength, elemental damage with attack skills, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node on the tree to give You Gain Onslaught For 4 Seconds On Hit which replaces the chance to gain Onslaught on kill modifier on your boots. The 30 strength node is too far away to use Honoured Tattoo of the Pa for Melee Hits Fortify but you can still get Fortification from the Fortify Mastery.

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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 use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever 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.

Diamond Flask

Gives 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 Lava Lash for 30% increased fire damage and 8% fire resistance penetration at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Clear Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 15% Increased Cyclone Attack Speed

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 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 switch to Oak for 40 life which helps with survival.

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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 two handed level one staff with a 30% chance to block and high damage for its level that can also cast Vulnerability on block.

Limbsplit

Gives high physical damage for its level, level one Gore Shockwave if you have over 150 strength, +1 to socketed strength gems, and Culling Strike which kills enemies at 10% life.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one offensive chest armour that has six linked white sockets. Any color skill 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 great 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

Level one gloves that 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

Tear of Purity

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

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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 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.

Taste of Hate (legacy option)

This flask only requires level 18 and gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy modifier), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% less chance to be Chilled. You can optionally use this flask instead of a Quicksilver Flask for leveling. The older legacy versions are much better and have higher physical damage as extra cold damage and physical damage taken as cold damage. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask 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

Ground Slam is the best starting melee skill to use at level one. 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 transition into using Cyclone once you've reached level 28 and have the reduced mana cost modifier on a ring from a unique Praxis ring. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you are level 4 and have at least 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level 4 and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

You can upgrade your weapon to Quecholli at level 22, to Stormheart at level 28, to Jorrhast's Blacksteel at level 44, to Terminus Est at level 51, to Kaom's Primacy at level 58, and finally to your endgame weapon. The Eye of Chayula amulet can give stun immunity as early as level 20. You can also greatly benefit from using a Praxis ring at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 8 which allows you to use Cyclone without using mana. Once you reach level 36 you can also equip a Mark of Submission ring with the Flammability curse socketed in it to automatically cast Flammability on hit. The items listed in the leveling section above can be used all the way to the midgame where better items will become available.

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And that's all for the Fire Cyclone Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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