Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Polymath, Heartstopper, Escape Artist, and Soul Drinker. A Watcher's Eye jewel should be used for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, 22% damage over time multiplier while affected by Malevolence, and if you can afford it unaffected by Bleeding while affected by Malevolence. A medium cluster jewel should also be used for the most damage with the Circling Oblivion and Student of the Decay notables and added passives also grant damage over time. The Reservation Mastery and two Mana Masteries should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency and lowered mana costs. The Life Mastery can make 30% of your mana cost spend life which is necessary for the extremely high mana cost of the build. Make sure and take a healthy amount of the nearby life percent nodes for survival. Note: The skill tree image above has been updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

With the Polymath ascendancy you will have 3% increased damage and 1% life replenishment, 1% energy shield replenishment, and 1% mana replenishment on kill for every mastery node taken. The Trickster ascendancy is amazing for Soulrend because the Polymath ascendancy quickly replenishes your mana on multiple target fights which allows you to cast Soulrend on cooldown even with its extremely high mana cost. The Heartstopper ascendancy gives 40% less damage taken from hits for 5 seconds and makes you take 40% less damage over time for 5 seconds alternating back and forth. The Escape Artist ascendancy also makes evasion on your body armour also give energy shield and energy shield on your helmet also give evasion and the Soul Drinker ascendancy gives you high energy shield leech and makes energy shield leech continue even on full energy shield. This build also has the strong defensive benefit of using a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Flame Dash

Arcane Surge Support (keep at a low level)

Sniper's Mark

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Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at level one)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one)

Arcane Surge Support (keep at a low level)

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Armour (6-link)

Soulrend of the Spiral

Awakened Greater Multiple Projectiles Support

Awakened Controlled Destruction Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

Awakened Swift Affliction Support

Cruelty Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Malevolence

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Enduring Cry

More Duration Support

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Boots (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support

Culling Strike Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Malevolence is the best offensive aura for this build because it increases your damage over time and skill effect duration. Clarity is also needed for the extremely high mana cost of the build. Malevolence can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery and a level 4 Enlighten Support to reduce the mana reservation cost of your skills.

 

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 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.

3. Cold Snap is used to generate Frenzy charges when enemies die in its skill effect area and should be kept at level one and linked to Arcane Surge Support to maintain mana. 

4. 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.

5. Soulrend of the Spiral is one of the best Shadow builds in the game but if you think you would prefer to try out a strong starter trap based build the Lightning Trap Saboteur Guide can be found here Lightning Trap Saboteur Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Wand

Look for +1 to level of all chaos spell skill gems, +1 to level of all spell gems if you can afford it, high increased spell damage, and add increased chaos damage over time multiplier at the crafting bench.

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Shield

Rare Chaos Spell Skill Gem Shield

Look for high life, +1 to level of all chaos spell skill gems, high increased spell damage, high resistances, and block chance.

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Armour

Cospri's Will

Makes all damage poison against cursed enemies and gives an additional curse which allows you to use Sniper's Mark, up to 53% chaos resistance, and your hexes can affect hexproof enemies. The high evasion on Cospri's Will is very important because it grants high energy shield with the Escape Artist ascendancy. You should also eventually look for a Cospri's Will with a +2 to level of socketed AoE gems corruption and/or a +2 to level of socketed projectile gems corruption.

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Helmet

Rare Energy Shield Helmet

Look for high energy shield which grants evasion with the Escape Artist ascendancy, high life, resistances, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems/increased area of effect if you can afford it.

 

Belt

Rare Stygian Vise

Look for high life, energy shield, resistances, optionally increased chaos damage, and an abyssal socket. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, high energy shield, and increased mana regeneration while moving.

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Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves

Apothecary's Gloves have an 18% increased damage over time implicit which is the modifier above the line on an item. Look for high life, strength, increased damage over time, and increased chaos damage over time multiplier.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for high life, resistances, Tailwind, Elusive, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, and increased movement speed.

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Amulet

Replica Dragonfang's Flight

The offensive amulet option can give up to +3 to level of all Soulrend gems, 16 to all attributes, 10% increased mana reservation efficiency of skills, and 10% increased elemental resistances. You should also use Prismatic Catalysts to increase its resistances.

Rare Chaos Skill Amulet

The defensive amulet option can give high life, +1 to level of all chaos skill gems, increased damage over time multiplier, and increased chaos damage. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Impresence (budget option)

This budget amulet has 16 to all attributes, 40% increased damage over time, added chaos damage, 70 life, 23 chaos resistance, and Maddening Presence when you kill a rare or unique enemy which reduces enemies' action speed and damage by 10%. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Despair Ring

Look for a ring with Despair on hit, high life, strength, resistances, and craft non-channeled skills have reduced mana cost. You should use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase the life bonuses and reduced mana costs.

Rare Damage Over Time Ring

Look for high life, increased damage over time multiplier, resistances, and crafted non-channeled skills have reduced mana cost. You can add increased damage over time multiplier to a fractured life ring using Essences of Delirium.

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Utility Flasks

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 also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, increases your block chance by 12%, and gives 6% spell block. The legacy version is better and gives much higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Dying Sun (this flask can be used instead of a Bleeding/Corrupted Blood removal flask if you have Bleeding immunity)

Gives two extra projectiles, 20% increased area of effect, 50% fire resistance, and 5% to maximum fire resistance. The legacy version is better. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Jade Flask

Gives 1500 evasion. Look to 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 Acrimony for 15% increased damage over time multiplier at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Black Oil, and Black Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Steelskin Buff Can Take 45% Increased Amount Of Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 16% Increased Attack And Cast Speed if You Have Killed 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 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 Abberath is the best minor power to help maintain energy shield and gives 60% less Ignite duration on you, makes you unaffected by burning ground, and gives 10% increased movement speed on burning ground.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Last Resort

A great level one claw that allows you to use the ranged attacking Cobra Lash skill as a starting chaos damage skill.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A great offensive level one body armour that has six white linked sockets which allows you to link any color gems inside of it 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

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 require 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

These 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

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 movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which gives increased attack speed, increased cast speed, and increased movement speed as early as level 27 and can have increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should also 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, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies 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

Cobra Lash can be used at level one and Volley Support can be added in at level four for multiple projectiles. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. You should make the switch to Soulrend at 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 also requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

The Carnage Heart unique amulet can be equipped at level 20 and can be used for its 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. 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. Many of the items in the leveling section above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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