Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Way of the Poacher, Avatar of the Slaughter, Quartz Infusion, and Avatar of the Veil. The Clever Thief node is important for 1% life leech and 1% mana leech and also works for elemental damage. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for up to 6% life, 6% mana, 6% energy shield, 60% increased attack damage while affected by Precision, 15% increased attack speed while affected by Precision, and optionally 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. An Intuitive Leap jewel should also be used in the blue circle above to allocate the nodes in the radius that are not connected to your tree which saves several skill points. The Mana Mastery is very important because it gives increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. The Attack Mastery is also important to make non-vaal strike skills target one additional nearby enemy. This is a melee build so make sure and take all of the nearby life percent nodes for survival.

​

Defensive Layers

The Quartz Infusion ascendancy will give Phasing and 40% spell suppression. With the Avatar of the Veil ascendancy you will give enemies exposure applying -20% to their elemental resistances and have a 50% chance to avoid elemental ailments. You will also have increased evasion and movement speed from the Avatar of the Slaughter ascendancy. With the recommended Kaom's Heart body armour you should also eventually reach over 7,000 life once you have excellent equipment.

​

Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Flicker Strike

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Awakened Multistrike Support

Awakened Melee Splash Support

Combustion Support

Close Combat Support (use Fortify Support if you don't have a Fortify corruption on your Oro's Sacrifice)

 

Kaom's Heart Armour (no sockets)

​

Helmet (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Dash

 

Gloves (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Enduring Cry

Call To Arms

 

Boots (4-link)

Grace

Precision

Dread Banner

Enlighten Support

​

Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Precision is used to increase your critical strike chance and accuracy and helps with Frenzy charge generation with the Oro's Sacrifice weapon. Dread Banner is selected to lower the accuracy of nearby enemies and can be used once you have the 12% reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support to reduce 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 armor to be effective.

2. The Oro's Sacrifice weapon generates Frenzy charges so Flicker Strike which bypasses its cooldown when you expend a Frenzy charge is preferred to Flicker Strike of Power which bypasses its cooldown when you expend a Power charge.

3. Enduring Cry is used to provide a large 2200 life heal over one second, generates Endurance charges, and gives an extra 2% increased physical damage reduction and 2% increased elemental resistances per charge. Enduring Cry should also be linked to Call To Arms to make it cast instantly on cooldown.

4. Summon Flame Golem gives 20% increased damage, replenishes 2% life on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

5. If you think you would prefer to play a ranged attacking Ranger build that doesn't require fighting in melee range you can also check out the Tornado Shot Deadeye Guide here Tornado Shot Deadeye Guide.

​

Equipment

​

Weapon

Oro's Sacrifice

Gives 465-600 fire damage, 15% increased attack speed, 20% chance to Ignite, Culling Strike against burning enemies, and a Frenzy charge every time you ignite an enemy which is important for Frenzy charge generation on single target fights. Once you have the currency you can also look for Level 10 Fortify Support and Level 10 Additional Accuracy Support corruptions.

​

Armour

Kaom's Heart

Gives 500 to maximum life and 40% increased fire damage. For a little more currency you can also look for a Kaom's Heart with an increased damage corruption or a legacy Kaom's Heart in standard which has 1000 life for a very expensive price.

 

Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high life, strength, resistances, and nearby enemies have -9 to their fire resistances.

Rare Helmet

Devoto's Devotion

The budget option has 16% increased attack speed, 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, 25% chaos resistance, and very high armour and evasion.

 

Gloves

Rare Elemental Weakness Gloves

The expensive gloves option is rare gloves with an Elemental Weakness corruption, life, strike skills target 1 or 2 additional nearby enemies, and +1 to Maximum Frenzy Charges.

Lochtonial Caress

These gloves are the budget option and can be used for an Elemental Weakness corruption, a +1 to Maximum Frenzy Charges corruption, 15% increased attack speed, and Endurance, Power, and Frenzy charges on kills.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, high resistances, strength, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and an abyssal socket. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus or 20 Turbulent Catalysts to increase its elemental damage.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, attack speed, accuracy, and added fire damage with sword attacks.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

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

 

Amulet

Xoph's Blood

Gives 10% increased life, 10% increased strength, damage penetrates 10% fire resistance, up to 30 strength, and covers enemies in ash when they hit you which increases enemy fire damage taken by 20%. You should use Turbulent catalysts on Xoph's Blood to increase its fire resistance penetration.

 

Rings

Rare Flammability Ring

Look for Flammability on hit, life, strength, elemental damage with attacks skills, and resistances. You should use Fertile Catalysts on both your rings to improve their life bonuses or Turbulent Catalysts to increase their elemental damage.

Rare Reduced Mana Cost Ring

Look for life, resistances, strength, elemental damage with attack skills, and roll reduced mana cost. You can optionally use a Replica Conqueror's Efficiency jewel for non-channeling skills have -9 to total mana cost if you need to roll resistances. 

​

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 when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% increased block chance, and 6% increased spell block. The legacy version is better and gives 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

Gain 100% increased critical strike chance. Look to roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity during effect and use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

​

Anointment

Because you will be using Flammability and Elemental Weakness you should anoint your amulet with Whispers of Doom so you can use another curse at Cassia using three Golden Oils.

 

Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 9% Increased Flicker Strike Damage per Frenzy Charge

Gloves: Commandment of Flames

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if you've Killed Recently

Belt: 300 to Armor When You Are Fortified

​

Bandits

The best bandit to choose in Act 2 is almost always Alira because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second.

​

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.

​

Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Silverbranch

Silverbranch is a great level one bow with +1 to socketed bow gems, increased attack speed, accuracy, and mana on kill.

Roth's Reach

Gives high physical damage, 80% increased elemental damage with attacks, skills chain +2 times, and requires level eighteen.

​

Quiver

Craghead

A level four quiver that gives up to 7-14 added physical damage and 25% reduced projectile speed.

​

Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets which means any color skill gems and support gems can be linked together inside of it allowing 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.

​

Helmet

Goldrim

A strong level one resistance helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

​

Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

Lochtonial Caress can be used at level one and gives 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy Charge on kill.

​

Boots

Wondertrap

These boots require level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

​

Amulet

Tear of Purity

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

​

Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two level one Perandus Signets which each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience.

​

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.

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.

​

Leveling Gems

Galvanic Arrow is the best elemental bow skill to use as at level one because it has multiple projectiles without a support gem. You should switch to Ice Shot and Volley Support for higher damage once you are level four and switch to Lightning Arrow and Lesser Multiple Projectile Support once you are level 12. Flicker Strike can be used once you can equip your endgame weapon Oro's Sacrifice at level 67. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

​

Upgrades

The Carnage Heart amulet is a great upgrade at level 20 and has up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. The Death's Harp bow is a strong upgrade to Roth's Reach at level 32. You can upgrade to Death's Opus at level 44 and drop Lesser Multiple Projectile Support because it already fires two additional arrows. You can also benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks instead of mana flasks. Many of the above items last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

​

That's all for the Oro's Flicker Strike Guide! For more on Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

​