Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Righteous Providence, Inevitable Judgement, Sanctuary, and Instruments of Virtue. The Inquisitor ascendancy is used because Hexblast of Contradiction is resisted by the highest elemental resistance of enemies and Inquisitors ignore the resistances of enemies on critical strikes with the Inevitable Judgement ascendancy. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, faster start of energy shield recharge while affected by Discipline, increased energy shield recharge rate while affected by Discipline, and optionally spell suppression while affected by Grace. The Life Mastery in the bottom left of the image is important because it provides increased life and reduced cost of skills. A Life Mastery is also needed for skills cost life instead of 30% of mana cost for the very high mana cost of the build even with the Clarity aura. The Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skill. Make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree as you can for survival. Note: The skill tree above is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

This build has consecrated ground when you are stationary with the Sanctuary ascendancy which regenerates a portion of your life while you stand on it and reduces the effects of curses on you. This build also has the strong defensive benefit of being able to use a shield. You can also have high life and energy shield on this build from the Templar and Witch tree.

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Flame Dash
 

Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at level one to cast more frequently)

Cast When Damage Taken (keep at level one to trigger more frequently)

Clarity

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Armour (6 Link)

Hexblast of Contradiction

Empower Support

Awakened Spell Echo Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Arcane Surge Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Summon Skitterbots

Discipline

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 and Discipline are the best defensive auras for this build and provide very high evasion, energy shield, and increased energy shield recharge rate. Summon Skitterbots is used to apply Shock or Chill and the Despair curse with the unique Profane Proxy ring. Clarity gives high mana regeneration and is also important for the high mana cost of Hexblast of Contradiction. Discipline can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery and 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 automatically casts when you take damage with Cast When Damage Taken Support.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives increased damage 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

Rare Spell Dagger or Wand

Look for high increased spell damage, increased critical strike multiplier, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased casting speed, and optionally if you can afford it +1 to level of all chaos spell skill gems. You should also add 1% increased area of effect per 4% quality at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout.

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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 resistances.

 

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

Rare Blizzard Crown

This helmet has high added cold damage and has the drawback of raising the cold resistances of enemies by 10%. You will ignore elemental resistances on critical strikes with the Inevitable Judgement ascendancy so the cold resistance of enemies doesn't matter. Look for a Blizzard Crown with high life, high resistances, and optionally +2 to level of socketed AoE gems.

 

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 for corruptions 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 can use Noxious Catalysts 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, energy shield, resistances, Onslaught on kill, Tailwind, Elusive, and movement speed.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

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

Carnage Heart

This budget option gives up to 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while leeching. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its attributes bonus.

 

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 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 Noxious Catalysts to increase its chaos damage or Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus.

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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.

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.

Jade Flask or Diamond Flask (if you are short on critical strike chance)

Gives 1500 evasion or 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 Heart of Darkness for 27% increased chaos damage and damage penetrates 7% of chaos resistances at Cassia using an Azure Oil, Azure Oil, and Opalescent Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Steelskin Buff Can Take 45% Increased Amount Of 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

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 offensive chest armour that has six linked white sockets. Any color gems can be linked together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also look for 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 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 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 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, consecrated ground, enemies take 10% increased damage on consecrated ground, and 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask every time you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Smite is the best skill to use at level one and you can add in Ancestral Call Support to hit another target at level four. You can make the switch to Hexblast of Contradiction once you are level 28. 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 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

The Carnage Heart budget amulet 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 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 above can last all the way to the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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