Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Master Of Metal, First to Strike Last to Fall, Fortitude, and Inspirational. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased mana, increased energy shield, 60% increased attack damage while affected by Precision, and 30% increased critical strike multiplier while affected by Precision. The above skill tree should be used if you're using a sword but this build is also viable with an axe. The Iron Grip node is important because it makes your strength increase your projectile damage. The Attribute Mastery is also important because it gives high strength which increases your life and projectile damage with the recommended body armour. The Armour and Evasion Mastery should be taken because it gives Bleeding immunity when using a helmet with armour as its highest defensive stat. The Resistance Mastery or a corrupted jewel should also be used for Corrupted Blood immunity. The Mana Mastery is needed for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. This is a life build so make sure and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes for survival. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for the new season (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

The Fortitude ascendancy gives 20 Fortification which makes you take 20% less damage taken from hits. With the First to Strike, Last to Fall ascendancy you will automatically recover 25% life when you're low on life with a 20 second cooldown. Enduring Cry is also used to generate Endurance charges to lower your physical damage taken and lower your elemental damage taken. Champions have plenty of life nodes in their tree with strong defensive passives from their ascendancy.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Vaal Haste

Empower Support

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Elemental Army Support

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Armour (6-link)

Splitting Steel

Awakened Vicious Projectiles Support

Awakened Brutality Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Cruelty Support

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

 

Helmet (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support (or Mark On Hit for bosses with the Whispers of Doom anointment on your amulet)

Enhance Support (or Assassin's Mark for bosses with the Whispers of Doom anointment)

Note: Your auras should go in your helmet if it has +2 to level of socketed AoE gems.

 

Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Precision

Herald of Purity

Enlighten Support

Note: Your auras should go in your gloves if they have +2 to level of socketed AoE gems.

 

Boots (4-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

Empower Support

Dash​

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Precision is the recommended offensive aura and it gives increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Precision should be supported with a Watcher's Eye jewel with damage bonuses when using Precision. Herald of Purity is also selected for increased physical damage and it summons four extra targets for enemies to attack. Herald of Purity should 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 often and Molten Shell requires very high armour to be effective.

2. The Enduring Cry warcry is used for Endurance charge generation and high life regeneration per second. Endurance charges are important to reduce your physical damage taken and your elemental damage taken.

3. You can use Assassin's Mark and Mark On Hit in the place of More Duration Support and Enhance Support for bosses. You would just need to switch to a Whispers of Doom anointment for an additional curse.

4. Vaal Haste can have its Vaal ability used without reservation once you have enough souls from defeating enemies to use it. Vaal Haste gives high increased attack speed and increased movement speed for a medium duration.

5. Summon Ice Golem gives increased critical strike chance and accuracy, replenishes 2% life on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life remaining with Culling Strike Support, and provides an additional target for enemies to attack.

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Equipment

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Weapon

Two Handed Sword or Axe

Splitting Steel requires a sword or axe. In Seasonal you can use a unique Atziri's Disfavour and in Standard you can use a unique Legacy Starforge as great mid to high tier weapons. You can also optionally look for a high physical damage rare weapon.

 

Armour

The Iron Fortress

This armour makes strength's damage bonus provide 3% increased melee physical damage per 10 strength which is converted to projectile damage with the Iron Grip node on the skill tree. It also gives up to 120 strength, 1% chance to block attack damage per 50 strength, and 10% reduced movement speed. You should add grants 1 strength per 2% quality at the Horticrafting Station. You should also eventually look for an increased damage corruption once you have enough currency. 

 

Helmet

Rare Armour Helmet

Look for very high life, high strength, resistances, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems on this slot or your gloves. The helmet should have armour as its highest defensive stat for Bleeding immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased attack damage and increased area of effect.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for high life, strength, increased attack speed, a resistance, +2 to level of socketed AoE gems on this slot or your helmet, and you should add increased damage during any flask effect at the crafting bench. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased attack speed and 3% increased damage per 100 strength.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

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

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, energy shield, increased attack speed, and increased critical strike chance.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

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

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for +1 to level of socketed physical skill gems, high attributes especially strength, and life. You can optionally add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its attributes.

Carnage Heart (budget)

The extreme budget option gives up to 56 to all attributes, 20% increased elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while leeching. You can use Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attributes.

 

Rings

Rare Vulnerability On Hit Ring

Look for Vulnerability on hit, life, strength, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses and reduced mana costs.

Rare Diamond Ring (for critical strike chance)

Look for high life, strength, increased critical strike chance, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This legacy tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node to give You Gain Onslaught For 4 Seconds on Hit which is better than the chance to gain Onslaught on kill modifier that you can roll on your boots slot.

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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 whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Taste of Hate (legacy is better)

Gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 30% of fire and lightning damage taken as cold damage (new modifier), 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy modifier), 50% cold resistances, and a 30% reduced chance to be Frozen or Chilled. The legacy version has higher 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.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance and it can have up to a 35% chance to gain a flask charge on critical strikes 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: You can get Bleeding/Corrupted Blood immunity from the tree so a Bleeding/Corrupted Blood removal flask isn't needed.

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Anointment

You can anoint your amulet with Overcharged for an 8% chance to generate an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy charges on kill at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Silver Oil. If you're using Assassin's Mark however you should instead use the Whispers of Doom anointment for an additional curse at Cassia using three Golden Oils.

 

Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Splitting Steel Deals 40% Increased Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if you've Killed Recently

Belt: 300 to Armour While Fortified

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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

Redbeak

You can use the Redbeak unique sword at level one when using the Splitting Steel skill which requires a sword or axe.

Limbsplit

Requires level 13 and 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 when they have 10% life remaining.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets. White sockets allow any color gems to be linked together which allows you to deal 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 great gloves can be used at level one for 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

These boots require level nine and give as much as 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

Requires level five and gives level 10 Purity of Elements for a 50% reservation cost. More importanly it has up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 30 intelligence, and 10% increased elemental resistances.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signets at level one 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.

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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 and it can have increased attack speed or increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should also use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Taste of Hate (legacy option)

This flask 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, 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 whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught for 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 whenever 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, up to 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 this flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Ground Slam is an optional leveling skill that can be used at level one but you can transition into using Splitting Steel which requires level one whenever you're ready. 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. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem at level four with at least 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 weapon to Reaper's Pursuit at level 33, to Terminus Est at level 51, and finally to your endgame weapon. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for the build and can be equipped at level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can upgrade 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 items in the leveling section can last all the way to 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!​