Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Pursuit of Faith, Conviction of Power, Ritual of Awakening, and Divine Guidance. The Split Personality jewel should be used in the jewel slot furthest from the starting point for a large increase to strength and life. The Rain of Splinters unique jewel is also important to make your totems fire two additional projectiles. Using a Rain of Splinters jewel is better than Lesser Multiple Projectile Support because it frees up a support gem slot for a damage support gem. The Emperor's Might jewel should also be used for 6% increased strength and 10% increased damage. Two Efficient Training unique jewels can give a very large amount of strength and should be socketed in the two blue circles above. You can get Bleeding immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery and Corrupted Blood immunity from the Resistance Mastery which allows you to used a damage increasing flask in the place of a Bleeding and Corrupted Blood removal flask. Pick up all of the nearby totem damage nodes then circle down on the left side of the tree towards the mega Totem Mastery cluster at the bottom of the tree. Make sure and pick up as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival. Note: The skill tree above has been updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

This is a strength stacking build so you will have very high strength which increases your life. Your totems can absorb 5% of your damage taken and taunt enemies with the Totem Masteries and enemies will typically attack your totems instead of you which is extremely helpful defensively. With the Conviction of Power ascendancy you will also have a minimum of four Endurance and Power charges at all times and the Divine Guidance ascendancy makes you take 10% of your damage to your mana. The recommended Iron Fortress body armour will also give you a very high block chance that scales off your strength.

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Gems

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Weapon (6-link)

Frenzy

Maim Support

Lesser Multiple Projectile Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Faster Attacks Support

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Armour (6-link)

Shrapnel Ballista

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Faster Attacks Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

Precision

Enlighten Support

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Gloves (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Flame Dash

 

Boots (4-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Vaal Haste

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Hatred is the best offensive aura for this build and gives increased cold damage and added cold damage to your attacks. Precision is also selected to increase the accuracy and critical strike chance of you and your totems. Precision can be used once you have the 12% 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 frequently and Molten Shell requires very high armour to be effective.

2. Summon Ice Golem gives increased accuracy and critical strike chance to you and your totems, replenishes 2% life on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies.

3. If you think you would prefer to play a self cast build you can also check out the Spark Hierophant Guide for a more defensive version of the Spark Inquisitor. A guide for the Spark Hierophant can be found here Spark Hybrid Hierophant.

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Equipment

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Weapon

Replica Iron Commander

Gives an extra Shrapnel Ballista totem per 200 strength, 1-3 physical damage per 25 strength, and 20% increased totem life. You should also add 1% critical strike chance per 4% quality at the Horticrafting station which can be added to your hideout.

 

Quiver

The Poised Prism

Gives up to 30% increased elemental damage with attacks, 25% cold resistance, 25% fire resistance, 25% lightning resistances, 1-2 cold damage per 10 dexterity, 1-2 fire damage per 10 strength, and 0-3 lightning damage per 10 intelligence.

 

Armour

The Iron Fortress

Gives up to 120 strength, 1% chance to block attack damage per 50 strength, strength's damage bonus instead gives 3% increased melee physical damage per 10 strength, and 10% reduced movement speed. The recommended Giantsbane gloves have Iron Grip as a modifier which makes strengths melee damage bonus also apply to projectile attacks. You should also add 1 strength per 2% quality at the Horticrafting station which can be added to your hideout with the edit option.

 

Helmet

Black Sun Crest gives up to 15% increased strength, 15% increased dexterity, 15% increased intelligence, and +1 to level of socketed gems. You can also go for a +2 to level of socketed aura or AoE gems corruption once you have enough currency.

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Belt

Rare Synthesised Belt

Look for a synthesised belt with 15% increased strength and use Deafening Essences of Rage for a guaranteed tier one strength. It will take quite a few tries to get a belt that beats Cyclopean Coil. Look for high life, high strength, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and resistances. You should also use Intrinsic Catalysts on the belt to increase its attributes bonus.

Cyclopean Coil

The budget option gives up to 15% increased attributes, 120 life, and 1% increased damage per 5 of your lowest attribute. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attributes bonus.

 

Gloves

Giantsbane With Elemental Weakness Corruption

Gives up to 40 strength, 8-16 physical damage to attacks, arrows pierce two additional targets, Iron Grip which makes the melee damage from strength also apply to projectile attacks, and an Elemental Weakness on hit curse corruption.

 

Boots

Rare Strength Boots

Look for high strength, high life, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, a resistance, movement speed, and 10% increased strength which has a chance to be added by using a Hunter's Exalted Orb with an open suffix. Two-Toned Boots or high armour boots are the recommended bases. You can also use Eldritch Ichors and Eldritch Embers on regular tier one strength boots as a budget option if they don't have Hunter's influence to roll a chance to avoid elemental ailments and a chance to avoid being Ignited.

 

Amulet

Rare Synthesised Amulet

A rare amulet can technically be better than Astramentis which is the budget option for a very high price. Look for a strength implicit synthesised amulet with very high strength, strength percent, attribute percent, and life with other modifiers. You should also use Intrinsic Catalysts on your amulet to greatly increase its attribute bonus.

Astramentis

The budget option that gives up to 115 to all attributes and -4 physical damage taken from hits. Simple and effective.

 

Rings

Rare Strength Rings

Look for very high resistances, tier one strength, life, and increased elemental damage with attack skills. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both your rings to increase their life bonuses.

Le Heup of All

The budget option that gives up to 30% to all elemental resistances, 30 to all attributes, 30% increased damage, and you can also optionally go for a strength/dexterity percent corruption.

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Tattoos (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node to make your Frenzy give Onslaught without the Frenzy of Onslaught gem which allows you to use the Frenzy gem instead for maintained Frenzy charges.

Honoured Tattoo of the Tuatara

This tattoo can replace multiple small dexterity nodes to give four to all attributes which gives more strength.

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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 and can have up to a 35% chance to gain a flask charge on critical strike and 17% increased attack speed. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when 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.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Watchtowers which gives an extra Shrapnel Ballista totem, 24% increased totem damage, and a movement speed increase at Cassia using a Indigo Oil, Silver Oil, and Silver Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Shrapnel Ballista Fires an Additional Arrow

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: Adds 1-160 Lightning Damage If You Haven't Killed Recentl

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

Silverbranch

Silverbranch is a great level one bow with +1 to level of socketed bow gems, increased attack speed, accuracy, and mana on kill.

Roth's Reach

Requires level 18 and gives high physical damage, 80% increased elemental damage with attacks, and skills chain +2 times.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A strong level one offensive chest armour that has six white linked sockets which means any color skill and support gems can be linked together inside of it allowing 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 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These gloves that can be used at level one and give up to 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate Endurance, Power, and Frenzy Charge on kills.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap can be equipped at level 9 and gives up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Kurai 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 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 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 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

You can start off with Galvanic Arrow at level one because it has multiple projectiles built in and switch to Shrapnel Ballista which is your endgame skill at level four. 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 and pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached 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

Astramentis is the budget amulet for the build and can be equipped as early as level 20. You can also benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. The Replica Iron Commander bow, which is the recommended bow for this build, can be equipped as early as level 32. The in the leveling section can last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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