Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Gratuitous Violence, Jagged Technique, War of Attrition, and Weapon Master. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, increased damage over time multiplier while affected by Malevolence, damaging ailments deal damage 15% faster while affected by Malevolence, and optionally 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. You should pick up all three of the nearby Bleeding Masteries for a 100% chance to cause Bleeding on hit and increased Bleed damage. You should also take the Armour and Evasion Mastery which gives Bleeding immunity when using a helmet that has armour as its highest defensive stat. This allows you to use a tincture instead of a Bleed removal flask which is a major damage increase. You can also take the Resistance Mastery for Corrupted Blood immunity or you can get Corrupted Blood immunity from a corrupted jewel. The Fortify Mastery is also important because it gives 23% reduced damage taken from hits. A Stormshroud jewel is recommended to make Shock avoidance apply to all elemental ailments which gives 100% elemental ailment avoidance with the recommended boots. The Mana Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. 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 greatest defense of this build is its strong clear and single target damage from Bleed damage that works even when you aren't continuously attacking an enemy. This build has great mobility because it allows you to hit a boss and then move out of the way of danger. This build also uses a one hand weapon so you will have the defensive advantage of using a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders

Dash

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Shield (3-link)

Grace

Malevolence

Enlighten

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Armour (6-link)

Lacerate of Haemorrhage

Awakened Brutality Support

Awakened Multistrike Support

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Cruelty Support

Volatility Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Herald of Purity

Vaal Haste

War Banner

Enlighten Support

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Gloves (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Enhance Support

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Boots (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support

Blind Support

Note: If you don't have Culling Strike on your weapon use Culling Strike Support in the place of Blind Support.

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Malevolence increases your damage over time and skill effect duration and is the best offensive aura for this build. Herald of Purity is selected to increase your physical damage and summons four extra targets for enemies to attack. This leaves you with enough mana to use a Tincture with increased bleed damage and increased damage over time multiplier which is explained in the flasks section. Malevolence can be used once you have a 30% increased mana reservation efficiency of socketed gems shield, the Mana Mastery for 12% increased mana reservation efficiency, the Charisma anointment for 16% increased mana reservation efficiency, and two leveled Enlighten Supports to lower 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 armour to be effective.

2. 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.

3. 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 reduce your elemental damage taken.

4. Volatility Support was added in 3.23 and increases the maximum damage of your attacks which gives stronger Bleeds.

5. Flame Golem gives 20% increased damage and provides an additional target for enemies to attack.

6. If you would prefer to play another fast paced melee Duelist build that deals high damage while teleporting through enemies you can also check out the Impale Flicker Strike Champion Guide here Impale Flicker Strike Champion Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Reaver Axe

Look for a high damage Reaver Axe with Hits with this Weapon have Culling Strike Against Bleeding Enemies which is combined with more physical damage and if you can afford it high damage over time multiplier for Bleeding with hits with this weapon. Lacerate of Haemmorhage requires a one hand axe or sword and axes are more powerful than swords for this build.

Paradoxica

This budget weapon option always deals double damage and can have up to 139% increased physical damage, 25% to global critical strike multiplier from its implicit, a 25% chance to Poison enemies, and 22% increased attack speed/15% chance to cast level one Blood Rage when you kill an enemy.

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Shield

Rare Reservation Shield

Look for high life, socketed gems have 30% increased reservation efficiency, high resistances, and increased chance to block.

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Armour

Rare Armour/Evasion Armour

This armour is the best option for high life, life percent, armour and evasion, resistances, and spell suppression. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll +1 to maximum resistances and increased effect of Malevolence.

Farrul's Fur

The offensive option gives up to 100 life, Phasing, Frenzy and Power Charge generation, and free Aspect of the Cat.

Belly of the Beast

The defensive option gives up to 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, and 50% increased life flask recovery rate. You can upgrade to a Belly of the Beast with an increased damage corruption once you have enough currency.

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Helmet

Usurper's Penance

Gives 15% chance to cause Bleeding, 4% damage over time multiplier for Bleeding per Frenzy charge, Bleeding deals damage 4% faster per Frenzy charge, and up to a 30% chance to gain a Frenzy charge on critical strikes at close range. You should also eventually go for a +2 to level of socketed AoE gems corruption once you can afford it.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

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

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, increased accuracy, and increased global critical strike chance.

 

Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves

Apothecary's Gloves have up to an 18% increased damage over time implicit modifier. Look for Apothecary Gloves with high life, resistances, physical damage over time multiplier, if you can afford it increased damage over time, and add increased damage during any flask effect at the crafting bench.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, chance to avoid being Shocked, resistances, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, and increased movement speed. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll Bleeding you inflict deals damage faster and a chance to avoid being Shocked which gives 100% elemental ailment avoidance with a Stormshroud jewel socketed in your tree. You can craft these boots by getting a tier one chaos resistance fracture (golden modifier that appears above the line that cant be changed) and roll Deafening Essences of Torment for Shock avoidance until you get high life and resistances. After that you can craft chance to gain Onslaught on kill and increased movement speed at the crafting bench for a great pair of boots.

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Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high attributes, high life, increased damage over time multiplier, optionally increased critical strike chance, resistances, and add the combined increased area damage and increased area of effect modifier at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Carnage Heart

This budget amulet gives up to 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% physical damage leeched as life, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while leeching. You can use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to increase it's attributes or Prismatic Catalysts to increase its resistances.

 

Rings

Rare Vulnerability Ring

Look for Vulnerability on hit, high life, attributes, resistances, increased damage, and optionally add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses.

Rare Bleed Ring

Look for high life, increased attributes, resistances, increased damage with Bleeding which has a chance to be added using a Warlord's Exalted Orb with an open suffix, and craft reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

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Utility Flasks and Tinctures

Blood Sap Tincture

Gives increased damage with bleeding from melee weapons and increased damage over time multiplier with melee weapons. This flask also causes mana burn which isn't noticeable at first but increases over time until you reach zero mana.

Bottled Faith

Gives 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 whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% chance to block attacks, and 6% chance to block spells. The legacy version is better and gives higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Note: You can get Bleeding immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery and Corrupted Blood immunity from the Resistance Mastery which means you don't need to use a Bleeding/Corrupted Blood removal flask.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Charisma for 16% increased mana reservation efficiency and 6% increased effect of non-curse auras from your skills at Cassia using an Opalescent Oil, Golden Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

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

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 120% Increased Critical Strike Chance if You Haven't Crit Recently

Belt: 30% Increased Accuracy Rating While You Have Onslaught

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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

This weapon requires level one, has a high chance to block, and can curse 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 level of socketed strength gems, and Culling Strike which kills enemies once they reach 10% life.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

This level one offensive chest armour has six white linked sockets which means you can link any color gems together inside of it for 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

Goldrim is a level one resistance helmet with 40% to all elemental resistances that has 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 an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy Charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

These boots can be equipped at level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed. 

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

Gives up to 20 to all attributes, 10 to all elemental resistances, 30 intelligence, 40 to life, and gives the level 10 Purity of Elements aura which increases your elemental resistances but the aura isn't needed with the recommended resistance helmet.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

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

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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 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 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, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and 150% increased critical strike chance against 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.

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Leveling Gems

Ground Slam is the best skill to start off with 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. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem once you are 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

You can upgrade your weapon to Quecholli at level 22, to Stormheart at level 28, to Daresso's Passion at level 43 (and make the switch to Lacerate of Haemorrhage), and finally to your endgame one hand weapon. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for this build that can be used once you reach level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. Two Praxis rings are also great to use at level 22 to lower the cost of all skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items in the leveling section above last until the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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