Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Crave the Slaughter, Rite of Ruin, Ancestral Fury, and Aspect of Carnage. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, 100% increased critical strike chance while affected by Wrath, 60% increased lightning damage while affected by Wrath, and optionally 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. An Immutable Force jewel is important for up to 1000% stun and block recovery so that stuns barely affect you. The Attack Mastery should also be taken because it makes non-vaal strike skills target one additional nearby enemy. The Fortify Mastery has life regeneration which helps counteract the life degeneration from the Rite of Ruin ascendancy and gives Fortify which reduces your damage taken from hits by 23%. The increased physical damage nodes don't significantly increase the damage of Lightning Strike because Lightning Strike is primarily an elemental attack. Make sure and take plenty the nearby life percent nodes for survival. Note: The skill tree and build ratings have been updated for season (3.26).

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Defensive Layers

The Enduring Cry warcry is used on this build to generate Endurance charges which reduces your physical damage taken and your elemental damage taken. Fortification from the Fortify Mastery also reduces your damage taken from hits by 23%. This build also has the defensive advantage of using a one handed weapon and shield which improves your survivability.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Wave of Conviction (keep at level one)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one)

Awakened Added Lightning Damage Support

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Shield (3-Link)

Grace

Wrath

Enlighten Support

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Armour (6-link)

Lightning Strike

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Awakened Added Lightning Damage Support

Faster Attacks Support (Ruthless Support can also be used for single target)

Trinity Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Summon Lightning Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Elemental Army Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Herald of Ice

Enlighten Support

Vaal Haste

Flame Dash

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Enduring Cry

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Wrath is the best offensive aura for this build and gives high added lightning damage. Herald of Ice can also be used to increase your damage and helps build Resonance with Trinity Support which lowers the resistances of enemies. Level 30 Aspect of the Cat can be used in the place of Herald of Ice. Wrath can be used once you have the recommended 30% increased reservation shield, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, and two level 4 Enlighten Supports to reduce the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​​

1. Steelskin should be used as your guard skill because Immortal Call requires you to use potions more often and Molten Shell requires very high armour to be effective.

2. Vaal Haste gives high increased attack speed and movement speed for a short to medium duration. Vaal Haste can have its Vaal ability used without reservation once you have enough souls from defeating enemies to use it.

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 elemental damage taken.

4. Ruthless Support is a better support gem for single target damage but it doesn't affect the projectiles of Lightning Strike. Faster Attacks Support is better for groups of enemies and increases the attack speed of your melee attacks and projectiles.

5. Wave of Conviction gives enemies -15% to lightning resistances when linked to Added Lightning Damage Support.

6. Summon Lightning Golem gives increased attack speed, an aura that gives added lightning damage occasionally, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

7. If you would like to try out an alternate Lightning Strike build that does less damage but is stronger defensively you can also check out the Accuracy Stack Lightning Strike Juggernaut Guide here Accuracy Stack Lightning Strike Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare One Handed Sword

Look for a fast weapon with above 2 attacks per second with added lightning damage, cold damage, and fire damage. Using a sword allows you to pick up the Sword Mastery which give critical strike chance in the Marauder tree. You should also add 1% increased attack speed per 8% quality at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout with the edit option.

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Shield

Increased Reservation Efficiency Shield

Look for socketed gems have 30% increased reservation efficiency, high life, increased attack speed, increased chance to block, and optionally resistances or spell suppression.

 

Armour

The Iron Fortress

Gives 1% chance to block attack damage per 50 strength, strength's damage bonus instead applies 3% increased melee physical damage per 10 strength (which includes the projectile of Lightning Strike because it's a melee skill), up to 120 strength, chance to block spell damage is unlucky, and 10% reduced movement speed.

 

Helmet

Armour Base Helmet

A rare armour helmet is recommended with very high life and resistances. If you don't have +2 to level of socketed AoE gems on your gloves you can get it on your helmet or roll +1 to level of socketed AoE gems at the crafting bench. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll physical damage taken as fire damage and physical damage taken recouped as life.

Note: Your helmet should be an armour base so that you can get Bleeding immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery. With Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity from the tree you can use a Diamond Flask with 17% increased attack speed and a chance to gain flask charges on critical strikes in the place of a Bleeding and Corrupted Blood removal flask.

Devoto's Devotion

The budget option gives 16% increased attack speed, 10% reduced physical damage, 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, and 25% chaos resistance. You can also go for a 6% to maximum life corruption because it's a fairly inexpensive item.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, resistances, elemental damage with attack skills, and an abyssal socket. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, energy shield, global critical strike multiplier, and added lightning damage with sword attacks.

 

Gloves

Elemental Weakness Gloves

Look for the best gloves with Elemental Weakness on hit corruption you can find.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for high life, resistances, Tailwind, Elusive, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, and movement speed.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high life, high attributes, increased critical strike chance, and added lightning damage to attacks, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You can also use Turbulent Catalysts on the amulet to improve its elemental damage.

Carnage Heart

The budget option 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. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Level 30 Aspect of the Cat Ring (optional)

Look for high life, resistances, elemental damage with attack skills, accuracy, and crafted reduced mana cost. If you can get level 30 Aspect of the Cat in this slot it's better than the Herald of Ice reservation skill. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses and reduced mana costs.

Rare Elemental Damage Ring

Look for high life, resistances, elemental damage with attack skills, accuracy, and crafted reduced mana cost.

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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. You won't need Fortify from a tattoo because the Fortify Mastery also gives high life regeneration to counteract the life degeneration from the Rite of Ruin ascendancy.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 40% increased damage, 150% increased critical strike chance, 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 attack block, and 6% increased spell block. Legacy Rumi's Concoction has much higher block chances. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you can automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

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

Note: Bleeding immunity and Corrupted Blood immunity aren't needed on a flask for this build because you can pick up Bleed immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery and the Corrupted Blood immunity from the Resistance Mastery.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Divine Judgement to gain 50% increased elemental damage at Cassia using a Sepia Oil, Teal Oil, and Black Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Lightning Strike Fires 2 Additional Projectiles (double legacy enchantment gives 3 additional projectiles)

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if you've 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 high damage level one two hand weapon with a 30% chance to block that 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

A level one strong offensive chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets. You can link any color skill gems and support gems together inside of it which allows for 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 strong level one resistance helmet with up to 40% increased elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These gloves require level one and give 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to gain an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy Charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

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

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

An amulet that has up to 20 to all attributes, 10% increased elemental resistances, 30 intelligence, and 40 life. It also has level 10 Purity of Elements which can increase your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost. 

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signets at level one that each 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.

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, gives 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

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Leveling Gems

Ground Slam is the best melee skill at level one to use at the start of the game. 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. Lightning Strike which is your endgame skill should be switched to at level 12. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem once you reach 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 Daresso's Passion at level 43, and then finally to your endgame weapon. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for this build and can be equipped as early as level 20. 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 in the place of mana flasks. The items in the leveling section above can last all the way through the midgame where better items will become available.

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And that's all for the Lightning Strike Guide! For more on Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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