Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Brutal Fervour, Endless Hunger, Overwhelm, and Bane of Legends. A Watcher's Eye unique jewel should be used for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, 60% increased physical damage while using Pride, 25% chance to Impale while using Pride, and if you can afford it 12% chance to deal double damage while using Pride. You generate Power charges from your critical strikes on this build so it's important to take the nearby critical strike chance nodes. This is a melee class so make sure and take as many of the nearby life 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

The Endless Hunger ascendancy provides you with Bleeding immunity and stun immunity while you are leeching which is great for this build. Enduring Cry should also be used to generate Endurance charges which reduce your physical damage taken and your elemental damage taken. The Brutal Fervour ascendancy is helpful defensively because it allows you to leech at full life, doubles your maximum recovery per life leech, and makes life leech continue at full life. Flicker Strike of Power Slayers also have strong defensives from their tree and ascendancy.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Vaal Haste

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

 

Armour (6-link)

Flicker Strike of Power

Awakened Melee Splash Support

Awakened Multistrike Support

Power Charge on Critical Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Impale Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Enhance Support

Note: You should put auras here if you have +2 to socketed AoE gems on your helmet.

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Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Pride

Enlighten Support

Dash

Note: You should put auras here if you have +2 to socketed AoE gems on your gloves.

 

Boots (4-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

War Banner

Flame Dash (use Less Duration Support here if you have Aspect of the Cat on your boots)

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Unset Ring (1-link)

Less Duration Support (use Less Duration Support here if you have Aspect of the Cat on your ring)

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives high evasion. Pride is used as the best offensive aura and increases your physical damage to nearby enemies. Aspect of the Cat is 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. Pride should be used once you have the 12% increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a level 4 Enlighten Support 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. Flicker Strike of Power uses Power charges to bypass its cooldown so Power charge generation is important. Flicker Strike of Power and Power Charge on Critical Support give a 100% chance to gain a Power charge on critical strike.

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 movement speed for a short to medium duration.

4. It's necessary to socket your Aspect of the Cat item with Less Duration Support to speed up the cycling of Aspect of the Cat which greatly increases your Power charge generation with the recommended Farrul's Fur body armour.

5. 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.

6. Summon Ice Golem increases your accuracy and critical strike chance which are important for this build because this is a critical strike build. Summon Ice Golem also provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

7. If you find Flicker Strike of Power which teleports through enemies to be too fast of a playstyle you can also check out the Impale Cyclone Champion Guide which can be found here Impale Cyclone Champion Guide.

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Equipment

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Weapon

Legacy Starforge

You will be hard pressed to find a better weapon than this. Legacy Starforge has up to 30% increased global accuracy, 100 life, 8% attack speed, physical damage can Shock, deal no elemental damage, and extremely high damage.

Rare Sword

A rare two hand sword can be even better than Legacy Starforge for a very expensive price. A sword is highly recommended because of the Sword Mastery which gives a large increase to your critical strike chance and critical strike multiplier. You can also use Tempering Orbs on rare weapons for a low chance at getting an increased physical modifiers enchantment but be aware that doing this sometimes reforges the sockets on the weapon.

 

Armour

Farrul's Fur

Gives 100 life, Phasing, Frenzy and Power charge generation, and free Aspect of the Cat. The Power charge generation from Farrul's Fur makes this armour required for Flicker Strike of Power to maintain Power charges.

 

Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for very high life, strength, +2 to level of socketed AoE gems/increased area of effect, and resistances. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased damage per Power charge and physical damage taken as cold damage.

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Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for gloves with high life, increased attack speed, accuracy, chaos resistance, and roll increased damage while leeching at the crafting bench. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll overwhelms physical damage reduction and increased critical strike chance for attacks to improve your single target damage. If you would prefer better damage against groups of enemies you can roll non-vaal strike skills target one additional enemy instead of increased critical strike chance.

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Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, strength, resistances, increased damage, and an abyssal socket. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, energy shield, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier if you've killed recently.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for life, resistances, Onslaught on kill, Tailwind, Elusive, movement speed, and optionally Aspect of the Cat if you don't have it on an Unset Ring. The Aspect of the Cat modifier can be added to your boots in the Bestiary if you have an open suffix.

 

Amulet

Carnage Heart

This amulet gives up to 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while leeching. This amulet is strong offensively because you will always be counting as leeching while attacking from your ascendancies. You should use 20 Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attributes bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Vulnerability Ring

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

Rare Ring (optionally an Unset Ring)

Use an Unset Ring (which has a socket) if you don't have the Aspect of the Cat modifier on your boots so that Aspect of the Cat can be supported with Less Duration Support. When Less Duration Support is socketed in an Aspect of the Cat item it will help keep your Power charges high with the recommended Farrul's Fur body armour. Look for high life, strength, resistances, accuracy, and the Aspect of the Cat modifier if you don't already have it on your boots.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node to give You Gain Onslaught For 4 Seconds on Hit which replaces the 12% chance to gain Onslaught on kill modifier on your boots slot.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives up to 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.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance and can have up to a 35% chance to gain a flask charge on critical strike and 17% increased attack speed. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Taste of Hate (legacy is better)

You should use this flask if you aren't using the legacy Starforge weapon option which has deals no elemental damage. Taste of Hate gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy modifier), 30% of fire and lightning damage taken as cold damage (new modifier), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% less chance to be Chilled. The legacy version has higher cold damage and better damage reduction. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Atziri's Promise

Gives 35% chaos resistance, physical and elemental damage as extra chaos damage, and 2% of chaos damage leeched as life.

Note: Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity aren't needed on a flask with this build because you can pick up Bleeding immunity while leeching from your ascendancies and Corrupted Blood immunity from the Resistance Mastery.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Fatal Blade to gain 50% increased critical strike chance and 25% critical strike multiplier with swords at Cassia using an Amber Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Opalescent Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

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

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if You Have 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 great level one staff that gives a 30% block chance and curses enemies with Vulnerability when you 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 body armour that has 6 white linked sockets. This armour lets you link any color gems 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

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 level one gloves are great for Flicker Strike and have up to 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 can be equipped at level nine and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

Tear of Purity requires level 5 and gives level 10 Purity of Elements which increases your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost. It also has up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 10 to all resistances, and 30 intelligence.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can equip two level one Perandus Signets that give 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 optionally switch to Cyclone at level 28 once you have a Praxis ring which makes channeling Cyclone free. Make sure and 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 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, and finally to your endgame weapon. You can also use Carnage Heart which is the recommended amulet for this build as early as level 20. This build also greatly benefits from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of your skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items listed in the leveling section above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

 

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

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