Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Unflinching, Unstoppable, Undeniable, and Unbreakable. Juggernaut is the preferred ascendancy for this strength stacking build because of the Undeniable ascendancy which gives accuracy equal to twice your strength and attack speed from your accuracy. This means that the nearby Accuracy Mastery should be taken for increased critical strike chance and accuracy even when you are at a 100% chance to hit. A Split Personality jewel and an Emperor's Might jewel both give a high amount of strength which is important because this is a strength stacking build. The Iron Grip node makes it so that strength also affects your projectile damage and is important. The Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery are also important and give increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. The Armour and Evasion Mastery can give you Bleeding immunity if you have an armour based strength stacking helmet and the Resistance Mastery can give Corrupted Blood immunity. This is a melee build so try and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for survival. Note: The skill tree above is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

Endurance charges are used to reduce your physical damage taken and elemental damage taken and are generated with the Unflinching ascendancy. You will also have stun immunity from the Unstoppable ascendancy. The Unbreakable ascendancy doubles the armour of your equipped body armour and makes 15% of your armour also mitigate chaos damage taken. You will also have very high life from strength stacking and Fortification from the Fortify Mastery which reduces your damage taken from hits by 23%. Juggernauts also have an abundance of life nodes in their tree and strong defensives from their ascendancy.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Vaal Haste

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Combustion Support

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Armour (6-link)

Molten Strike of the Zenith

Awakened Multistrike Support

Awakened Vicious Projectiles Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Awakened Fire Penetration Support

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Haste

Herald of Ash

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Infernal Cry

Urgent Orders Support

More Duration Support

Dash

 

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower

More Duration Support

Enhance Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Haste is the best offensive aura for this build and increases your attack speed and movement speed. Herald of Ash gives physical damage as extra fire damage and causes overkills to burn enemies. Haste can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and Reservation Mastery, the Charisma anointment on your amulet for 16% increased mana reservation efficiency, some mana from the tree or your equipment, and a level four 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. Infernal Cry gives physical damage as extra fire damage, makes defeated enemies explode dealing 8% of their maximum life to nearby enemies, and makes exerted attacks trigger Combust. Combust covers enemies in ash, makes enemies move more slowly, and increases the fire damage taken by enemies.

3. 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 short to medium duration.

4. Summon Flame Golem gives up to 21% increased damage, gives enemies Ignited by your Summon Flame Golem -10% fire resistance with Combustion Support, replenishes 2% life on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an additional target for enemies to attack.

5. If you would like another capable melee build that teleports through enemies and still does great damage you can also check out the Flicker Strike Champion Guide which can be found here Flicker Strike Champion Guide.

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Equipment

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Weapon

Rare High Damage Two-Hand Weapon

Maelstrom Staffs are an excellent option for a 25% chance to block but you can also go with a multiple synthesised modifier weapon that includes adds 3-5 fire damage to attacks with this weapon per 10 strength if you can afford to craft it.  

 

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 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 which can be added to your hideout. You can eventually look for an increased damage corruption once you have enough currency. 

 

Helmet

Rare Strength Stack Armour Helmet

Look for high life, resistances, gain accuracy rating equal to your strength, 1% increased critical strike chance per 10 strength, optionally -9% to nearby enemies fire resistance, and add +1 to level of socketed AoE gems/10% increased area of effect at the crafting bench. You should also look for an armour base for Bleed immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery which allows you to use a Diamond Flask with 17% increased attack speed instead of a Bleeding/Corrupted Blood removal flask.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for high life, tier one strength, increased attack speed, a resistance, and add increased damage during any flask effect at the crafting bench. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add strike skills target one additional nearby enemy and increased damage per 100 strength.

 

Belt

Strength Synthesised Belt

Look for a synthesised belt with a 15% increased strength implicit (modifier above the line on an item), high life, strength, and resistances. You should also use Intrinsic Catalysts on the belt to increase its attributes.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for tier one strength, high life, resistances, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, movement speed, and 10% increased strength which has a chance to be added with a Hunter's Exalted Orb and an open suffix.

 

Amulet

Astramentis

Gives up to 116 to all attributes and -4 physical damage taken from attack hits. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its attributes.

Simplex Amulet

The expensive option gives 100% increased explicit modifiers. It can have high percent increased attributes, percent increased strength, and 2% increased damage per 15 strength but, you'll need intelligence and dexterity from your tree and/or equipment.

 

Rings

Rare Flammability Curse Ring

Look for the Flammability Curse On Hit, all resistances, high life, and tier one strength. You should also use Intrinsic Catalysts on both of your rings to improve their attribute bonuses.

Rare Strength Stacking Ring

Look for tier one strength, high life, mana, very high resistances, and add reduced mana cost to the ring at the crafting bench.

Original Sin (high end option)

This mirror tier ring converts elemental damage to chaos damage and makes nearby enemies have zero chaos resistance.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node to give You Gain Onslaught For 4 Seconds on Hit which replaces the 12% chance to gain Onslaught on kill modifier on your boots slot.

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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.

Atziri's Promise (legacy is better)

Gives high elemental damage as extra chaos damage and physical damage as extra chaos damage on a build that is both physical and elemental along with 2% chaos damage leeched as life. It also gives 35% chaos resistance on a build that is difficult to gear for chaos resistance.

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: You will be immune to Bleeding from your ascendancies and immune to Corrupted Blood from the Resistance Mastery so there's no need to use a Bleeding/Corrupted Blood removal flask.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Charisma for 16% increased mana reservation efficiency and 6% increased effect of non-curse auras from your skills at Cassia using an Opalescent Oil, Golden Oil, and Golden Oil.

 

Enchants (Standard Only)

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

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

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 for this build is Alira because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances because resistances are harder to get on strength stacking builds. It also allows you to focus more on damage from your tree and equipment.

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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

The Blood Thorn

A two hand level one weapon with a 30% chance to block that curses enemies with Vulnerability when you block.

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 at 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. Linked white sockets means that any color gems can be linked together inside of it 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 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. These gloves are great even after Act 10.

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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 5 and gives level 10 Purity of Elements, up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 30 intelligence, and 10 to all elemental resistances. Purity of Elements increases your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

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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 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, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27 and can have increased attack speed or 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

Ground Slam can be used at level one. You should transition into Molten Strike of the Zenith which also requires level one once you have reduced mana cost rings. 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 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 Quecholli at level 22, to Stormheart at level 28, to Jorrhast's Blacksteel at level 44, to Terminus Est at level 51, and finally to your endgame weapon. You can also 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 above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for the Molten Strike of Zenith Guide! For more about PoE you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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