Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Forbidden Power, Profane Bloom, Void Beacon, and Withering Presence. This is a chaos spell critical strike build so take all of the nearby critical strike nodes, increased spell damage nodes, and increased chaos damage nodes. You should also take the top Fire Mastery for an increased chance to Ignite and for 100% increased damage against Ignited enemies. The Mana Mastery is also important because it gives increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use another reservation skill. Make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival. Note: The skill tree above is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

The Withering Presence ascendancy gives Hindered enemies 15% reduced damage over time against you and gives you 60% increased chaos resistance which makes gearing this build much easier. This build also has the strong defensive benefit of being able to use a shield. This build should be built to have high combined life and energy shield from the tree and equipment. 

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support
 

Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at level one)

Cast When Damage Taken (keep at level one)

Enduring Cry

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Armour (6 Link)

Hexblast

Empower Support

Awakened Spell Echo Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Elemental Proliferation Support (should be replaced with Increased Critical Strike Support if you lack critical strike chance)

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Summon Skitterbots

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Wither

Spell Totem Support

Multiple Totems Support

More Duration Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Vaal Haste

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Unset Ring (1-link)

Despair (socketed in a Profane Proxy unique ring)

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and provides very high evasion. Summon Skitterbots can apply Chill and/or Shock and is used to apply the Despair curse with the unique Profane Proxy ring. Clarity gives mana regeneration and is also important for the high mana cost of Hexblast. Summon Skitterbots can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a level four 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. 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.

3. Wither spell totems should be used on tough enemies to increase your chaos damage by 6% stacking up to 15 times.

4. Cold Snap gives a 25% chance to generate a Frenzy charge when an enemy dies in its area of effect and increases enemies damage taken when they're in the chilling area based on their chill effect with Bonechill Support.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives 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. 

6. If you think you would prefer a CoC Forbidden Rite Cyclone Occultist which deals damage with a chaos spell and a melee skill you can check out the CoC Forbidden Rite Cyclone Occultist Guide here CoC Forbidden Rite Cyclone Occultist.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Prophecy Wand

Look for +1 to level of all chaos spell skill gems, increased critical strike chance (works for spells with the recommended Sandstorm Visage helmet), increased critical strike multiplier, increased critical strike chance for spells, and increased spell damage. You should also add 1% increased critical strike chance per 4% quality at the Horticrafting station to increase your spell critical strike chance. A Prophecy Wand is highly recommended for its high base critical strike chance which becomes your base spell critical strike chance with the recommended helmet.

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Shield

Rare Shield

Look for +1 to level of all chaos spell skill gems, increased spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, high life, energy shield, and add increased mana regeneration at the crafting bench.

 

Armour

The Covenant

Gives socketed gems are supported by level 29 Added Chaos Damage, 30 intelligence, 10% increased life, and skills gain a base life cost equal to 100% of base mana cost. The life cost isn't noticeable at all once you have a large life pool. You should also eventually go for a The Covenant with a +1 to level of socketed gems corruption once you have enough currency.

 

Helmet

Sandstorm Visage

Hexblast has a very low base critical strike chance at 4% so this helmet is recommended to set your base spell critical strike chance to that of your weapon and it causes you to ignore stuns while casting and gives increased casting speed. You should also eventually go for a +2 to level of all aura or AoE gems corruption once you have enough currency.

 

Gloves

Spell Critical Strike Gloves

You should look for up to +0.8% to spell critical strike chance as a corruption, increased cast speed as a corruption, and high life. Hands of the High Templar can have up to five implicit modifiers and is one of the best options. Malachai's Mark is also a good option if you can't afford Hands of the High Templar for Frenzy, Endurance, and Power charge generation.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, energy shield, high resistances, increased chaos damage, and an abyssal socket. You should use Noxious Catalysts on the belt to increase its chaos damage or Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, energy shield, increased global critical strike multiplier, and increased critical strike chance.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, high energy shield, resistances, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, and movement speed. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid being Ignited and chance to avoid elemental ailments.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for +1 to level of all chaos skill gems, high life, high attributes, energy shield, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier. You should use Unstable Catalysts on the amulet to increase its critical strike modifiers.

 

Rings

Profane Proxy

This ring gives a Despair aura when using Summon Skitterbots, +3 to level of the socketed curse gem, up to 30% cold resistance, and 30% lightning resistances. You should use Prismatic Catalysts on the ring to increase its resistance bonus.

Rare Ring

Look for resistances, life, energy shield, increased cast speed, increased chaos damage, and you can optionally add the combined increased critical strike chance/critical strike multiplier if you've shattered an enemy recently modifier at the crafting bench. You should also use Imbued Catalysts on the ring to increase its cast speed or Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives up to 40% increased damage, 150% increased critical strike chance, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. 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 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

Gives 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 whenever you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Overcharged for a chance to generate an Endurance, Frenzy, or Power charge on kill at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Silver Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Hexblast Deals 40% Increase Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 16% Increased Attack and Cast If You've Killed Recently

Belt: Enemies Withered By You Have -6% to All Resistances

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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 also kill all three bandits 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 Lifesprigs at level one 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 a great level one offensive chest armour that has six linked white sockets. Any combination of 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

These level one gloves 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

Karui Ward

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

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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 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 whenever 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 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

Freezing Pulse is the best spell to use at level one. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. Make sure to 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 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 kill. The Carnage Heart amulet can also be equipped at level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of your skills which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. The items in the leveling section can last to the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for the Hexblast Occultist Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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