Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Flawless Savagery, Crave the Slaughter, Rite of Ruin, and Blitz. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for up to 6% increased life, 6% increased energy shield, 6% 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. The Attack Mastery is also important for this build because it makes non-vaal strike skills target one additional nearby enemy which increases your multi-target damage. The Fortify Mastery should also be taken for Fortification which reduces your damage taken from hits by 23% and provides life regeneration which counteracts the life degeneration from the Rite of Ruin ascendancy. The increased physical damage nodes are not necessary because Lightning Strike is primarily an elemental attack. Make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival.

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Defensive Layers

The Enduring Cry warcry is used on this build to generate Endurance charges which reduce your physical damage taken and increase your elemental resistances. Fortification from the Fortify Mastery in the tree also reduces your damage taken from hits by 23%. Lightning Strike is one of the few melee builds that deals more damage with a one handed weapon and a shield. The shield for this build should be used to improve both your offenses and defenses and can have a very high block chance with a Rumi's Concoction unique flask and the Block Masteries from the skill tree. 

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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 (Lightning Strike of Arcing can optionally be used for large groups of enemies)

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Awakened Added Lightning Damage Support

Ruthless Support (Ruthless Support is better for single target and Faster Attacks Support is better for multiple enemies)

Trinity Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Summon Lightning Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Flame Dash

 

Gloves (4-link)

Vaal Ancestral Warchief

Ancestral Protector

Herald of Ice

Enlighten Support

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin (Molten Shell if you are a Standard player)

Empower Support

Enduring Cry

Call To Arms

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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 should also be used to increase your damage and helps trigger the Trinity Support gem which lowers the elemental resistances of enemies. Herald of Ice can be used once you have the recommended 30% increased mana reservation shield and two leveled Enlighten Support to reduce the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​​

1. Steelskin should be used as your guard skill in league play when using the recommended Belly of the Beast chest armour because Immortal Call requires you to use potions more often and Molten Shell requires very high armour to be effective.

2. Molten Shell is the recommended guard skill for use in standard because the recommended legacy version of The Brass Dome can give more than 6000 armour which gives a larger Molten Shell shield than Steelskin.

3. Lightning Strike of Arcing is weaker for single target but is useful for clearing large groups of enemies. You should try and target weaker enemies nearby difficult enemies with Lightning Strike of Arcing to get the increased damage from chaining.

4. Vaal Ancestral Warchief and Ancestral Protector should be used together on high life enemies for increase melee damage and increased attack speed.

5. Enduring Cry is used to bolster your defenses by giving 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 which makes Enduring Cry instantly cast on cooldown.

6. 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 projectiles.

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

8. 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.

9. 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, attack speed, chance to block, and optionally resistances. At the very high end of things you can also look for 1% increased damage per 1% chance to block attack damage.

 

Armour

Belly of the Beast

If you are playing league this armour gives up to 40% increased life, 15% to all elemental resistances, and 50% increased flask life recovery rate. You can also go for a +1 to level of all socketed gems corruption for a little more currency.

The Brass Dome (legacy)

The legacy The Brass Dome has extremely high armour if you are playing Standard and makes you take no extra damage from critical strikes at the cost of lowering your attack block and spell block chances. It also allows you to take the Life Mastery that gives 15% increased life when your body armour doesn't have a life modifier unlike the regular version of The Brass Dome which has a life modifier. If you are using the legacy version of The Brass Dome you should use Molten Shell as your guard skill instead for up to a 5000 life armour based shield.

 

Helmet

Devoto's Devotion

Gain 16% increased attack speed, 10% reduced physical damage, 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, high defensive stats, 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 20 Fertile Catalysts 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 life, resistances, Onslaught on kill, Tailwind, Elusive, and movement speed.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high life, high attributes, increased critical strike chance, increased elemental damage with attack skills, added lightning damage, and resistances. You can also use 20 Turbulent Catalysts to improve its elemental damage bonus.

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 20 Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Elemental Damage Rings

Look for high life, resistances, elemental damage with attack skills, accuracy, and crafted reduced mana cost. You should use 20 Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses and their reduced mana costs.

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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

Gain 100% increased critical strike chance. Look to 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 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 (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

Alira is almost always the best bandit to help in Act 2 because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second which are all very beneficial.

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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 and you can use Ancestral Protector for more damage and attack speed at level four. 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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