Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Crave the Slaughter, Flawless Savagery, Blitz, and Rite of Ruin. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, 60% increased physical damage while using Pride, 25% increased chance to Impale enemies while using Pride, and if you can afford it 12% chance to deal double damage while using Pride. An Immutable Force jewel is also important for up to 1000% stun recovery because the Berserker ascendancy no longer gives stun immunity. The Fortify Mastery isn't recommended for this build because Fortify Support has higher overall damage once you consider the tree. Several of the nearby Rage Masteries should also be taken to help maintain Rage with Rage Vortex of Berserking. The Mana Mastery is also very important for reduced mana costs. Make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival. Note: The skill tree image above is updated for the new season (3.25).

​​

Defensive Layers

This build uses Fortify Support which reduces your damage taken from hits by 20%. It also uses Infused Channeling Support linked to Cyclone to reduce your damage taken from hits. Enduring Cry should also be used as your warcry for a 10% life heal over one second and for Endurance charge generation which lowers your physical damage taken and elemental damage taken.

​

Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Cyclone​

Awakened Brutality Support

Infused Channeling Support

Impale Support

Rage Support

Fortify Support

Note: This build changed in 3.25 to a two handed build because of the changes to Rage and the War Bringer ascendancy. The Redblade Banner shield no longer gives maximum Rage and Rage is generated from Rage Masteries on the tree.

​​

Armour (6-link)

Rage Vortex of Berserking

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Brutality Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Concentrated Effect Support

​

Helmet (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

​

Gloves (5-link)

Grace

Pride

War Banner

Enlighten Support

​

Boots (4-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strikes Support

Dash

​

Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Pride is the best offensive aura for this build and greatly increases your physical damage. Pride can be used once you have the reduced mana costs from the Mana Mastery and a level 4 Enlighten Support 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. Rage Vortex of Berserking creates a Ragestorm when you cast it with at least 10 Rage. The Ragestorm follows you around as long as you still have Rage so you can also channel Cyclone to attack enemies at the same time.

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. Summon Ice Golem gives increased accuracy and critical strike and provides an additional target for enemies to attack.

5. If you would like another capable build that teleports through enemies and still does great damage you can also check out the Impale Flicker Strike Champion Guide here Impale Flicker Strike Champion Guide.

​

Equipment

​

Weapon

Two Hand Sword or Axe

Rage Vortex requires a sword or axe. Legacy Starforge is an amazing option in standard but you can also use the unique Atziri's Disfavour axe in league. You can also optionally use a rare two handed sword or axe.

Note: The one handed weapon recommendation changed in 3.25 with the changes to Rage and the War Bringer Berserker ascendancy which made the Redblade Banner shield no longer give up to your maximum Rage.

​​

Armour

Rare Life Armour

A rare armour is the best option for survival because rare armours can now have significantly more life, armour, evasion, and resistances in 3.25. Look for high life, high armour and evasion, life percent, and optionally spell suppression. You can also use a Hunter's Exalted Orb on a body armour with an open prefix for a chance at adding up to 12% increased life.

Belly of the Beast

This budget option survival chest armour has up to 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, and 50% increased flask life recovery rate. You can also eventually look for an increased damage corruption for a little more currency.

 

Helmet

Rare 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.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for high life, increased attack speed, resistances, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems/10% increased area of effect. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add increased attack speed and increased damage per 100 strength.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

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

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, and optionally regenerate life per second.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

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

​

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high attributes, life, increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, and optionally reduced mana cost from the crafting bench. You should also use Unstable Catalysts on the amulet to increase its critical strike modifiers.

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 use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its attributes.

 

Rings

Rare Vulnerability Ring

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

Rare Diamond Ring

A Diamond Ring should only be used for a 30% increased critical strike chance implicit if you can get enough resistances in other slots. Look for high life, an attribute, resistances, accuracy, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

​

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.

​

Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 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, a 12% increased chance to block attacks, and a 6% chance to block spells. The legacy version has much higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you 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.

​

Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Fatal Blade if you are using a sword for 50% increased critical strike chance and 25% increased critical strike multiplier with swords at Cassia using an Amber Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Opalescent Oil. If you are using an axe you should instead anoint your amulet with an unallocated Axe Mastery notable.

 

Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Cyclone Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if you've Killed Recently

Belt: 300 to Armour While Fortified

​

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.

​

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.

​

Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

The Blood Thorn

A two hand level one staff with a 30% block chance that curses enemies with Vulnerability whenever 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 at 10% life remaining.

​

Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets. Any color skill gems and support 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.

​

Helmet

Goldrim

An excellent level one resistance helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

​

Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These gloves can be used at level one and 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.

​

Boots

Wondertrap

These boots require level 9 and give as much as 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% increased movement speed.

​

Amulet

Tear of Purity

This amulet gives level 10 Purity of Elements, up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 30 intelligence, and 10 to all elemental resistances. The Purity of Elements aura increases your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

​

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.

​

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 on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Taste of Hate (legacy option)

This flask only requires level 18 and gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy modifier), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% less chance to be Chilled. You can optionally use this flask instead of a Quicksilver Flask for leveling. The older legacy versions are much better and have higher physical damage as extra cold damage and physical damage taken as cold damage. 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 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 also 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 also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

​

Leveling Gems

Ground Slam is the best starting melee skill to use 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. You can transition into Cyclone at level 28 once you have a Praxis ring which only requires level 22 for its reduced mana cost of skills. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have at least 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

​

Upgrades

You can upgrade your weapon to Quecholli at level 22, to Stormheart at level 28, to Jorrhast's Blacksteel at level 44, to Terminus Est at level 51, and finally to your endgame weapon. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for the build and 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 a Praxis ring at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 8 which allows you to channel Cyclone without using mana. At level 36 you can add a Mark of Submission ring with a Vulnerability gem socketed in it to cast Vulnerability on hit. The items in the leveling section above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

​

That's all for the Rage Vortex Cyclone Guide! For more on Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

​