Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Hinekora Death's Fury, Tasalio Cleansing Water, Valako Storm's Embrace, and Ramako Sun's Light. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, up to 22% increased damage over time multiplier, and optionally Bleeding immunity while affected by Malevolence. The Red Nightmare jewel should be placed in the blue circle above to give fire damage as extra chaos damage, Endurance charge generation on kill, and a high increased chance to block attack damage. An Immutable Force jewel should also be used for up to 1000% stun and block recovery and a Bloodnotch jewel is important to recover 60% of damage from stunning hits. Make sure to take all the nearby maximum resistance nodes and maximum fire resistance nodes to counteract the self damage of Righteous Fire. The life regeneration nodes on the tree are very important because you'll want to regenerate more life than you are losing from the self damage of Righteous Fire and the Life Mastery is important to make some of your mana be spent with life for the high mana cost of the build. The Mana Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. This build increases its damage with maximum life so make sure and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for damage and survival. Note: The skill tree above is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

The damage of Righteous Fire is increased by your maximum life which means you should stack life to very high amounts for improved damage and survival. The Tasalio Cleansing Water ascendancy gives 50% of your fire resistance as cold and lightning resistance and the Valako Storm's Embrace ascendancy makes your maximum fire resistance also apply to your maximum cold and lightning resistance. Valako Storm's Embrace makes it easy to get up to 90% maximum cold, fire, and lightning resistances. The Red Nightmare jewel also gives increased block chance and Endurance charges on kill which reduce your damage taken. This build also has the defensive advantage of using a staff which blocks damage.

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Gems

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Weapon (6-link)

Cast When Stunned Support​​

Detonate Dead of Scavenging

Awakened Elemental Focus Support

Awakened Spell Cascade Support

Awakened Fire Penetration Support

Combustion Support

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Armour (6-link)

Fire Trap

Trap and Mine Support

Awakened Swift Affliction Support

Awakened Burning Damage Support

Concentrated Effect Support

Inspiration Support

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Helmet (6-link)

Vaal Righteous Fire

Life Tap Support

Awakened Swift Affliction Support

Awakened Area of Effect Support

Burning Damage Support (built into helmet)

Concentrated Effect Support (built into helmet)

 

Gloves (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Dash

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Boots (4-link)

Malevolence

Vitality

Purity of Fire

Enlighten Support​

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Reservation Skills

Vitality is the best defensive aura for this build because it gives high life regeneration for the self damage of Righteous Fire. Malevolence is the best offensive aura for this build and gives increased damage over time. Purity of Fire is also used to counteract the self damage of Righteous Fire by giving high fire resistance and a 4% increase to your maximum fire resistance. Malevolence can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​​

1. Steelskin is the best 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. Cast When Stunned Support Detonate Dead of Scavenging triggers frequently with the Valyrium unique ring equipped which makes your stun threshold based off of your energy shield.

3. Righteous Fire is supported by Lifetap Support to give the damage over time tag to Righteous Fire which allows you to use Awakened Swift Affliction Support. These two support gems together deal the highest damage for the two available slots.

4. If you think you would prefer to play another Righteous Fire build that is much weaker defensively but has a high damage ceiling with very expensive equipment you can also check out the Mana Stacking Righteous Fire of Arcane Devotion Hierophant Guide here Mana Stacking Righteous Fire of Arcane Devotion Hierophant Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Cane of Kulemak

This staff is used so that you can six link Cast When Stun Detonate Dead of Scavenging for much better clearing damage. It can have more than 200% increased fire damage, 90% fire damage over time multiplier, and 3 to level of socketed support gems. You should also add 1% increased elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticrafting Station to improve its damage.​

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Armour

Rare Life Armour

Look for the highest life armour you can find for Righteous Fire damage with high strength, up to 12% increased life from a Hunter's Exalted Orb with an open prefix, high armour and/or evasion, and optionally life regeneration.

Belly of the Beast

Belly of the Beast is the budget defensive option that gives up to 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, and 50% increased life flask recovery rate. The very high life on this armour will increase the damage of Righteous Fire.

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Helmet

Rare 6-Link Helmet

Look for a helmet with level 20 Burning Damage Support/35% increased burning damage, Level 20 Concentrated Effect Support/25% increased area damage, high life, life regeneration, and if you can afford it 30% increased elemental damage with socketed skills. You can also add +1 to level of socketed AoE Gems/10% increased area of effect at the crafting bench.

Voll's Vision

The budget option gives up to 12% increased life if none of your items are corrupted, 400 life regeneration if none of your items are corrupted, 32% increased fire resistance, and 14% increased chaos resistance.

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Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves

Apothecary's Gloves have up to an 18% increased damage over time implicit. Look for high life, increased damage over time, fire damage over time multiplier, an attribute, life regeneration, and resistances.

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Belt

Rare Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent which has a chance to be added with a Hunter's Exalted Orb with an open prefix, strength, and resistances. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for life, increased damage over time while wielding a two handed weapon, and a strong implicit modifier or corruption.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for life, an attribute, resistances, Onslaught on kill, life regeneration, and movement speed. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid elemental ailments and increased maximum fire resistance.

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Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high life, high attributes, increased damage over time multiplier, increased fire damage, optionally life regeneration, resistances, and you can optionally add reduced mana costs at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on your amulet to increase its life bonus, life regeneration, and reduced mana cost.

Carnage Heart (budget)

This budget amulet gives 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while you are leeching. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Valyrium

This ring makes your stun threshold based off of your energy shield instead of life which triggers Cast When Stunned Detonate Dead of Scavenging much more frequently.

Rare Flammability Ring

This ring triggers Flammability on hit with Fire Traps and Detonate Dead of Scavenging. Look for Flammability on hit, high life, attributes, resistances, and you can optionally add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench

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Utility Flasks

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% increased chance to block, and 6% increased 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.

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.

Jade Flask

Gain 1500 evasion with increased armour as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges. If you don't have Bleed immunity from a Watcher's Eye or the Armour and Evasion Mastery on the tree you should instead 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 for 50% increased elemental damage at Cassia using a Sepia Oil, Teal Oil, and Black Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 24% Increased Righteous Fire Area of Effect

Gloves: Commandment of Inferno on Kill (on kill should be used because Righteous Fire doesn't count as hitting the enemy)

Feet: 2% Life Regenerated per Second if You Were Hit Recently

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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 instead for 40 to maximum life.

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Pantheon

Soul of the Brine King is needed for your major Pantheon power because it makes you immune to freeze and gives 50% reduced effects of chill on you. Without Soul of the Brine King hybrid life energy shield builds have their freeze and chill threshold based off their maximum life which will be lower because it's a combined life energy shield build. Soul of Abberath is the best minor power for this build because it gives 10% increased movement speed on burning ground, 60% less Ignite duration on you, and makes you unaffected by burning ground which helps you maintain energy shield when you take fire damage.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

The Blood Thorn

A high damage two hand level one weapon with a 30% block chance and a 100% chance to cast Vulnerability on 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 strong level one offensive chest armour that has six white linked sockets. This armour allows you to link any color skill gems and support gems together 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

A great level one resistance helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances that has 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

Level one gloves that 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

Wondertrap 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

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

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two level one Perandus Signets that 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 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.

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 version), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% less chance to be Chilled. You should optionally use this flask instead of a Quicksilver Flask for leveling if you have the legacy version with percent physical damage taken as cold damage. 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 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, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and gives 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground.

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Leveling Gems

It's best to use Ground Slam at level one as a Marauder. 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 to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached 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 Jorrhast's Blacksteel at level 44, to Kaom's Primacy at level 58, and finally to your Righteous Fire weapon when you switch to Righteous Fire. You can equip Carnage Heart which is the budget amulet for this build as early as level 20. You can also benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items listed in the leveling section above last all the way through the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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