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. Make sure and take the nearby totem damage nodes and the Critical Mastery nodes in the upper left part of the tree. 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 as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival.

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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, increases your elemental resistances, 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 has high life from the Templar tree and has the defensive advantage of being able to use a shield.

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Flame Dash

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Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap (only level this until Arcane Surge triggers from one cast)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level 1 to make Cold Snap cast more frequently)

Arcane Surge Support (keep at level 1 to make Arcane Surge trigger after every Cold Snap)

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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)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Clarity

 

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)

Grace

Herald of Purity

Herald of Ash

Enlighten Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Clarity is needed to maintain mana because Shockwave Totems have a very high mana cost. Herald of Ash is used to give a percent of physical damage as extra fire damage and makes overkills burn nearby enemies. Herald of Purity is also selected to increase your physical damage and gives up to four summoned minions to help distract enemies. These auras can all be used once you have reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support to decrease 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 armor 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 that will also benefit from increases to physical damage.

3. Summon Flame Golem gives a 20% damage increase, 2% life recovery on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

4. If you would prefer a caster playstyle over a totem build the Spark Hybrid Hierophant is a strong build that is more defensive than the Inquisitor version. A guide for the Spark Hierophant can be found here Spark Hybrid Hierophant.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Wand or Spell Dagger

Look for a rare wand or spell dagger with +1 to 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 increased area of effect per 4% quality at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout with the edit option.

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Shield

Rare Physical Skill Gems Shield

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

Lioneye's Remorse

A budget option with 210 life and very high armor especially if you can purchase the legacy version in Standard. You can also look for a corrupted version with 5% increased block or 4% increased life for cheap.

 

Armour

Dialla's Malefaction

The offensive option gives +2 to level of all gems socketed in a red socket in the armour and 10% quality to all gems socketed in a green socket in the armour. For more currency you can also go for a +1 to all socketed gems corruption.

Belly of the Beast

The defensive option gives 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, and 50% increased life flask recovery rate. You can also go for a +1 to level of socketed gems corruption for a little more currency.

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Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high life, attributes, resistances, damage taken as an element, and use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add increased cast speed and increased spell damage.

The Broken Crown

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

 

Gloves

Rare 6-Link Gloves

Look for gloves with level 20 Trap and Mine Damage Support (also gives increased trap damage) and level 20 Faster Casting Support (also gives increased cast speed) built into the gloves. These gloves should also have high life and resistances.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, resistances, and an abyssal socket and add cooldown recovery at the crafting bench. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

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

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, dexterity, resistances, movement speed, and optionally spell suppression. Tailwind and Onslaught on your boots don't affect your Shockwave Totems. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid elemental ailments and 5% increased damage per Endurance charge.

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Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for an increase to all attributes, high life, +1 to level of all physical skill gems, critical strike multiplier, increased cast speed, and increased spell damage.

 

Rings

Vulnerability Curse Ring

Look for Vulnerability curse on hit, life, resistances, and increased cast speed. You should use 20 Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonus.

Rare Faster Cast Rate Ring

Look for high life, high attributes, increased cast speed, 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, 20% less cold damage taken, 50% cold resistances, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% reduced chance to be Chilled. Legacy Taste of Hate is better. You should 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 Surveillance for 30% increased totem damage, attacks used by totems have 8% increased attack speed, and each totem applies 1% increased damage to enemies near your totems at Cassia using a Sepia Oil, Indigo Oil, and Opalescent 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 choose in Act 2 is almost always Alira because she gives 15% to all resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second which are very beneficial.

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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

A strong level one evasion 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 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.

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, 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

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've reached level 28. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash only 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 greatly 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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