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, increased damage over time multiplier while affected by Malevolence, and Bleeding immunity while affected by Malevolence which is optional. A Light of Meaning jewel is important in the blue circle in the image above for high increased fire damage for each passive in its radius which is a major damage increase. An Immutable Force jewel should also be used for up to 1000% stun and block recovery with a Bloodnotch jewel which recovers 60% of damage taken from stunning hits. Your stun threshold will be based off your very low energy shield with this build which triggers Cast When Stunned Support more frequently. Make sure to take all of the nearby maximum resistance nodes and maximum fire resistance nodes to counteract the self damage of Righteous Fire. Life regeneration nodes on the skill tree are also very important for this build because Righteous Fire deals self damage. The Life Mastery should also be taken because it can make some of your mana be spent with life which is important for the very 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 all of the nearby life percent nodes for damage and survival. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for the new season (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

The damage of Righteous Fire is greatly increased by your maximum life which means you should stack maximum life for better 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 resistances. The Valako Storm's Embrace ascendancy makes it much easier to get 90% maximum cold, fire, and lightning resistances. Sixty percent of your damage taken from stunning hits is recouped as life with the Bloodnotch jewel. This build also has the strong defensive benefit of using a staff which gives a chance to block enemies' attacks.

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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

Note: Awakened gems can be replaced with the normal support gems for seasonal play.

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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

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

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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 which helps counteract the self damage of Righteous Fire. Malevolence is recommended as the best offensive aura for this build because it gives increased damage over time. Purity of Fire is also used to counteract the self damage of Righteous Fire and gives high fire resistance and increased maximum fire resistance. Malevolence should be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support linked to your auras 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 triggers Detonate Dead of Scavenging very frequently with the Valyrium unique ring which makes your stun threshold based off of your energy shield which means you should keep your energy shield very low.

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

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Cane of Kulemak

This staff is used so that you can six link Cast When Stunned Support with 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.​

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Armour

Rare High Life Armour

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

Belly of the Beast (budget)

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. You can also look for a good corrupted modifier.

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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 should also add +1 to level of socketed AoE Gems/10% increased area of effect at the crafting bench.

Voll's Vision (budget)

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, increased life percent (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 high life, life regeneration, and increased damage over time while wielding a two handed weapon.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for life, an attribute, resistances, chance to gain 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 add reduced mana costs at the crafting bench. You should use Fertile Catalysts on the 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 use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its attributes.

 

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. You should also look for a Malevolence has 20% increased aura effect corruption.

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 add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gain 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, consecrated ground has triple radius, up to 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 when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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.

Jade Flask (without bleed immunity)

Gain 1500 evasion and immunity to Bleeding and Corrupted Blood as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you are Bleeding. If you get Bleeding immunity from a double Malevolence Watcher's Eye jewel you can use an Atziri's Promise flask here for its elemental damage as extra chaos damage instead.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Breath of Flames for 30% fire damage and 10% to fire damage over time multiplier at Cassia using a Verdant Oil, Azure Oil, and Golden 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 for 40 to maximum life.

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Pantheon

Soul of Solaris is the best major Pantheon power for 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

This two handed level one weapon has 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 level of socketed strength gems, and Culling Strike which kills enemies at 10% life remaining.

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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

These excellent level one gloves 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 for up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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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 is optional and gives increased elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two level one Perandus Signet rings for mana regeneration which 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 increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask when 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), 50% cold resistances, and a 30% reduced chance to be Frozen or Chilled. The legacy version is much better and has higher physical damage as extra cold damage and physical damage taken as cold damage. You should also use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask when 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 it can have increased attack speed or increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Bottled Faith (use a Sulphur Flask for 40% increased damage if you can't afford a 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 up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

You can use Ground Slam at level one as a great starter skill. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and it 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 it can be used as early as level 10 for high life regeneration. 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 endgame Righteous Fire weapon. You can equip Carnage Heart which is the budget amulet for this build at level 20 for high attributes and resistances. You should 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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That's all for this PoE guide! You can view more Path of Exile guides in the menu at the top of this page. Best of luck!​