Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Oath of Spring, Avatar of the Wilds, Enduring Suffusion, and Experienced Herbalist. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, 60% increased lightning damage while affected by Wrath, damage penetrates 15% lightning resistance while affected by Wrath, and 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. The 100% increased critical strike chance while affected by Wrath modifier on a Watcher's Eye isn't needed at high critical strike levels. An Intuitive Leap jewel should also be used in the blue circle above to allocate nearby nodes without pathing though them which saves multiple skill points. The southern Attack Mastery is also important because it makes non-vaal strike skills target one additional nearby enemy which greatly increases your damage against multiple targets. The Tincture Mastery near the Evasion Mastery is also a major damage increase and should be taken once you have two strong tinctures which are new items in 3.25 that are very similar to flasks but with more powerful effects. Also 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 Enduring Cry warcry should be used to generate Endurance charges which reduce your physical damage taken and elemental damage taken. You can get Fortify from a Fortify Support or a legacy Honoured Tattoo of the Pa in standard to reduce your damage taken from hits by up to 20%. If you get Fortify from the legacy Honoured Tattoo of the Pa you can use Nightblade Support for increased critical strike chance, global critical strike multiplier, and increased effect of Elusive (which grants attack and spell dodge). This build should use a one handed weapon and shield which can also significantly improve your defenses. 

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Clarity

Enlighten Support

Flame Dash

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Shield (3-Link)

Grace

Wrath

Enlighten Support

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Armour (6-link)

Lightning Strike

Awakened Multistrike Support

Awakened Added Lightning Damage Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Fortify Support

Trinity Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

Wave of Conviction (keep at level one for a lower mana cost and to trigger more frequently)

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

 

Gloves (4-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Elemental Army Support

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Vaal Haste

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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. Clarity is also needed with some unreserved mana because you will be using two Tinctures which is a new type of flask that causes mana burn. Wrath can be used once you have the recommended 30% increased mana reservation shield, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, a Charisma anointment which increases your mana reservation efficiency, and two leveled Enlighten Supports to lower 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 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 elemental damage taken.

4. Awakened Multistrike Support improves your Lightning Strike damage by much more than other support gem options but shows lower tooltip damage because it doesn't account for the second and third attack.

5. Replace Fortify Support with Nightblade Support if you are using a legacy Honoured Tattoo of the Pa which gives Fortify. You can also switch Increased Critical Damage Support with Nightblade Support early on if you lack critical strike chance.

6. Wave of Conviction lowers the lightning resistance of nearby enemies by 15% and should be linked to Cast When Damage Taken Support to cast passively when you take damage.

7. Summon Ice Golem gives increased critical strike chance and accuracy, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, gives cold exposure to enemies with Elemental Army Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

8. 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 Tri-Elemental Claw

The Ranger tree has access to multiple Claw Masteries which give more overall damage than the Sword Masteries. Look for a very fast claw with added lightning damage, cold damage, fire damage, and other beneficial modifiers like increased critical strike chance and increased critical strike multiplier. You should also add 1% increased elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout with the edit option.

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How Do You Craft A Great Starter Lightning Strike Warden Claw?

To craft a strong starter claw you can purchase a ilvl 83+ Gemini Claw with a 27% increased attack speed fracture (a permanent modifier that appears golden). A Gemini Claw is recommended to recover life on hit for survival and mana on hit for tinctures which cause mana burn. Next roll Deafening Essences of Wrath which give higher than tier one added lightning damage until you hit high added fire and cold damage optionally with a strong suffix like increased critical strike chance. Now use the crafting bench to roll increased critical strike chance or global critical strike multiplier. If you have any open suffixes you can finish the weapon with Exalted Orbs to add modifiers. The final step is to add 1% increased elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticarfting Station and you will have a very strong starter Lightning Strike Warden claw.

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Shield

Increased Reservation Efficiency Shield

Look for the socketed gems have 30% increased mana reservation efficiency modifier, increased attack speed, high life, increased chance to block, and resistances.

 

Armour

Farrul's Fur

This armour makes the Aspect of the Cat reservation skill free, generates Frenzy and Power charge, and has up to 100 life.

 

Helmet

Rare Helmet

This slot is primarily used to increase your resistances. Look for high life and very high resistances and use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll physical damage taken recouped as life and physical damage taken as lightning or fire damage.

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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, increased critical strike chance, and global critical strike multiplier.

 

Gloves

Corrupted Vixen's Entrapment With Elemental Weakness

Look for the best gloves with Elemental Weakness on hit corruption you can find. Vixen's Entrapment gloves are the high end option for an additional curse so that you can use a Conductivity curse on hit ring.

 

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, +1 to level of all lightning skill gems, and optionally add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You can also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life 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 Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus or Prismatic Catalysts to increase its resistances.

 

Rings

Rare Aspect of the Cat Ring

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

Rare Conductivity Ring

Once you can afford Vixen's Entrapment gloves which give an additional curse with an Elemental Weakness corruption you should look for Conductivity on hit to lower the lightning resistances of enemies. Your ring should also have high life, strength, resistances, and optionally elemental damage with attack skills. As a budget option without Vixen's Entrapment gloves you can simply look for a ring with high life, strength, resistances, elemental damage with attack skills, and craft reduced mana cost.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Pa (legacy)

This tattoo can be used to replace a 30 strength node to give Melee Hits Fortify so that you can use a better support gem than Fortify Support which significantly increases your damage.

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker (legacy)

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node to give You Gain Onslaught For 4 Seconds On Hit which replaces the chance to gain Onslaught on kill modifier on your boots slot.

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Tinctures and Flasks

Rosethorn Tincture

Gives very high increased critical strike chance. One tincture should have tier one elemental resistance penetration rolled on it as a secondary modifier and the other should have tier one increased melee weapon attack speed.

Prismatic Tincture

Gives very high increased elemental damage with attack skills. One tincture should have tier one elemental resistance penetration rolled on it as a secondary modifier and the other should have tier one increased melee weapon attack speed.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance and should have Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity as a second modifier. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use it whenever you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Charisma for 16% increased 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: Lightning Strike Fires 2 Additional Projectiles (older legacy enchants can give Lightning Strike 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 it 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 be used all the way through the midgame where better items will become available.

 

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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