Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Pursuit of Faith, Conviction of Power, Ritual of Awakening, and Arcane Blessing. The Ancestral Bond node is very important because it gives an extra totem at the cost of dealing no damage without totems, traps, or mines. A Watcher's Eye jewel should be used with increased life, increased mana, increased energy shield, added cold damage while affected by Hatred, and optionally spell critical strike chance while affected by Hatred. A Stormshroud jewel makes Shock avoidance apply to all elemental ailments and is recommended for 100% elemental ailment immunity with the recommended boots. The Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery are also important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. Make sure and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for survival. Note: The skill tree and build ratings are updated for the new season (3.26).

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Defensive Layers

You will have a minimum of four Endurance and Power charges at all times with the Conviction of Power ascendancy which reduces your physical damage taken, reduced your elemental damage taken, and increases your critical strike chance. You will also regenerate 1% life per second for each summoned totem with the Ritual of Awakening ascendancy. This build is capable of having very high life from the Templar tree and has the defensive advantage of using a shield.

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

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Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at level four to trigger Arcane Surge)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one to make Cold Snap cast more frequently)

Arcane Surge Support (keep at level one)

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Armour (6-link)

Shockwave Totem

Multiple Totems Support

Empower Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

Herald of Purity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (6-link)

Seismic Trap

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Trap and Mine Damage Support (from gloves)

Faster Casting Support (from gloves)

 

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support​

Flame Dash

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Hatred gives physical damage as extra cold damage and is the best offensive aura for this build when combined with a Hatred Watcher's Eye jewel. Herald of Purity is also selected to increase your physical damage and gives up to four extra targets for enemies to attack. Hatred can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, and a level 4 Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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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. The Ancestral Bond passive makes it so that you can't deal damage yourself without totems, traps, or mines which is why Seismic Trap is a great secondary attack to use that also benefits from increases to physical damage.

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. Cold Snap is a very helpful spell for this build because it generates Frenzy charges when enemies die in its skill effect area.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives a damage increase, gives fire exposure for your Awakened Added Fire Damage Support, kills enemies at 10% life remaining with Culling Strike Support, and provides an additional target for enemies to attack.

6. If you would prefer a caster playstyle over a totem playstyle you can also check out the Spark Hierophant which has an extra aura and better defenses than the Inquisitor version. The build guide can be found here Spark Hierophant Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Wand or Spell Dagger

Look for a rare wand or spell dagger with +1 to level of all physical spell skill gems, increased spell damage, critical strike chance for spells, increased cast speed, and increased critical strike multiplier. You should also add 1% increased area of effect per 4% quality at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout once it's unlocked.

Cold Iron Point x2

The budget option gives +3 to all physical spell skill gems, a 30% increased global critical strike chance implicit, and deal no elemental damage which changes the build to a pure physical damage build.

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Shield

Rare Physical Skill Gems Shield

Look for life, +1 to level of all physical spell skill gems, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased spell damage, and you can add increased global physical damage at the crafting bench. You can also go for +1 to maximum number of summoned totems but it's rare to find one with great modifiers.

 

Armour

Dialla's Malefaction

Makes gems ignore socket color and instead gives +2 to level of all gems socketed in red sockets, 10% quality to all gems socketed in green sockets, and 25% increased experience gain for gems socketed in blue sockets in this armour. Because of this you should socket all of your gems in red sockets except your critical strike gems which should go in green sockets for 10% increased quality. You will most likely need to corrupt the armour and use Tainted Chromatic Orbs for 4 red and 2 green sockets. You also may want to eventually go for a +1 to level of all socketed gems corruption once you can afford it.

Belly of the Beast

The budget option gives 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, and 50% increased life flask recovery rate.

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Helmet

Crown of the Inward Eye

Gives up to 21% increased life, mana, and global energy shield and Transfiguration of Soul, Transfiguration of Body, and Transfiguration of Mind which increase your damage, spell damage, and attack damage. You can also eventually look for a +2 to level of socketed AoE gems corruption for your auras once you can afford it.

The Broken Crown

The budget resistance option has 15 to all attributes, 20% increased damage when on low life, and 61% to chaos resistance.

 

Gloves

Rare 6-Link Gloves

Look for gloves with level 20 Trap and Mine Damage Support/increased trap damage, level 20 Faster Casting Support/faster cast speed (which is used for the increased casting speed which increases the damage of Shockwave Totem), high life, optionally 30-70% increased critical strike multiplier for socketed gems, and resistances.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

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

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, increased critical strike chance, and added physical damage to spells.

 

Boots

Rare Boots (the recommended boots)

The Shock avoidance on these defensive boots give 100% elemental ailment immunity once you have a Stormshroud jewel socketed in your tree which makes Shock avoidance apply to all elemental ailments. Look for high life, chance to avoid being Shocked, a resistance, and movement speed. The Tailwind on critical strike and Onslaught on kill modifiers on boots aren't recommended because they don't work with totems. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid being Shocked and optionally elemental ailment avoidance if you need more ailment avoidance to reach 100%.

Boots (optional offensive boots)

These offensive boots can give high life, spell suppression, an attribute, resistances, and the combined Level 22 Spell Totem Support/35% increased totem damage modifier. These boots are used for their increased totem damage. Steelskin should be socketed in these boots if you use them because your other skills will cast as totems if they're socketed inside of them.

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Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for an increase to all attributes, high life, +1 to level of all physical skill gems if you can afford it, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier. You should also use Unstable Catalysts to increase its critical strike modifiers.

 

Rings

Vulnerability Curse Ring

Look for Vulnerability curse on hit, life, resistances, and increased cast speed. You should use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonus.

Diamond Ring

Diamond Rings have up to a 30% increased global critical strike chance implicit which is the modifier above the line on an item. Look for high life, dexterity, increased cast speed, optionally critical strike multiplier, and resistances.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Warlord

This tattoo can replace a 30 strength node on the tree to give +1 to Level of All Strength Skill Gems.

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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 it has full charges.

Taste of Hate (legacy is better)

Gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy modifier), 30% of fire and lightning damage taken as cold damage (new modifier), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% less chance to be Chilled. The legacy version has higher cold damage and better damage reduction. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance. Try and 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 Doom Cast for 60% increased spell critical strike chance and 15% critical strike multiplier with spell damage at Cassia using an Amber Oil, Azure Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Shockwave Totem Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 120% Critical Strike Chance If You Haven't Crit Recently

Belt: 30% Reduced Effect of Curses on You While On Consecrated Ground

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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 also kill all three bandits for 1 passive skill point.

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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

Lifesprigs

You can use two level one Lifesprigs that each give 40% increased spell damage, +1 to level of socketed spell gems, increased cast speed, life, mana, and life regeneration.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a level one strong offensive chest armour that has 6 linked white sockets. Any combination of skill 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 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

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

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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.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots require level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Karui Ward

A level five amulet that gives up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 100 accuracy, and 30% increased projectile damage.

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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.

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Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four for 40% increased movement speed and can have increased 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 increases your attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27. It can also have increased 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, consecrated ground, 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 whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Freezing Pulse is the best starter spell to use at level one and you can make Freezing Pulse cast from totems with Spell Totem Support as early as level 8. You can optionally switch to Arc totems at level 12. Shockwave Totem which is your endgame skill should be switched to once you reach level 28. 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 are 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 wands to two Ashcallers at level 12 for increased spell damage, high added fire damage to spells, a 10% chance to cover enemies in Ash on hit, and a chance to summon Level 10 Raging Spirits. This build also benefits from upgrading to two Praxis ring 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 above last until the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for the Shockwave Totem Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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