Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Crave the Slaughter, Rite of Ruin, Flawless Savagery, and Blitz. You should stack strength with this build because it's a strength stacking build and it's the best way to improve the damage of Venom Gyre. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for up to increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, increased damage over time while affected by Malevolence, damaging ailments that you inflict deal damage 15% faster while affected by Malevolence, and optionally unaffected by Bleeding while affected by Malevolence. The Mana Mastery is also important for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. If you can't get Bleeding immunity from a Watcher's Eye jewel you can also find a strength stacking helmet with armour as its highest stat and get Bleeding immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery. Corrupted Blood immunity can come from a corrupted jewel or the Resistance Mastery which allows you to use a damage increasing flask in the place of a Bleeding/Corrupted Blood removal flask. The Iron Grip node is also an important part of the build because it makes strength's melee damage increase also apply to projectile damage. This is a life build so make sure and take a healthy amount of the nearby life percent nodes for survival.

Note: Skill tree images are from last season (3.24) and still await updates for the new season (3.25).

 

Defensive Layers

This build is a strength stacking build which greatly increases your maximum life. This build also uses the Iron Fortress body armour which gives a 1% chance to block attacks per 50 strength and a one handed weapon and shield for an even higher block chance. You will also have a very fast attack speed and movement speed from Rage and Blitz from the Berserker ascendancy which makes avoiding fight mechanics easier and as an added benefit Rage and Blitz increase your farming speed.

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at level one)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one to trigger more frequently)

Blind Support

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Shield (3-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Culling Strike Support

Minion Life Support

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Armour (6-link)

Venom Gyre

Pierce Support

Chance to Poison Support

Awakened Added Chaos Damage Support

Awakened Unbound Ailment Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Malevolence

Dash

Enlighten Support

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Gloves (6-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Enduring Cry

Vaal Haste

 

Boots (4-link)

Whirling Blades

Awakened Cast on Critical Support

Tornado

Power Charge on Critical Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Malevolence increases your damage over time and skill effect duration and is the best offensive aura for the build. Malevolence should be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support to lower the reservation costs 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. Whirling Blades expends projectiles that return to you for a powerful area of effect attack with Venom Gyre. Tornado also improves the damage of Venom Gyre by reflecting 10% of damage taken from projectiles to nearby enemies.

3. Cold Snap generates Frenzy charges when an enemy dies in its skill effect area which gives a damage increase.

4. 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.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives increased damage, 2% life replenishment on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

6. If you would like to also try out a different strength stacking Berserker build you can check out the Strength Stacking Kinetic Blast Berserker Guide which can be found here Strength Stack Kinetic Blast Berserker Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Claw

Look for the highest attack speed rare claw base with high life per enemy hit and get modifiers like tier one attack speed, chance to poison on hit/increased poison damage, added chaos damage, increased chaos damage/increased skill effect duration, and attacks with this weapon penetrate chaos resistance. You have a chance to roll added chaos damage or attacks with this weapon penetrate chaos resistance if you use a Hunter's Exalted Orb on the claw with an open prefix. You should also add 1% increased critical strike chance per 4% quality at the Horticrafting Station which can be added to your hideout.

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Shield

Strength Stack Synthesised Shield

Look for a shield with a 6% increased strength synthesis implicit (the modifier above a line on an item) and use Deafening Essences of Rage for tier one strength. Also look for high life, high attack speed, block chance, and resistances.

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Armour

The Iron Fortress

Gives 1% chance to block attack damage per 50 strength, strength's damage bonus instead applies 3% increased melee physical damage per 10 strength which is then converted to increased projectile damage with the Iron Reflex node on the tree, 60-120 strength, chance to block spell damage is unlucky, and 10% reduced movement speed.

 

Helmet

Rare Strength Stack Helmet

Look for gain accuracy rating equal to your strength, 1% increased critical strike chance per 10 strength, high life, resistances, optionally +2 to level of socketed AoE gems, and optionally nearby enemies have lowered chaos resistances. An armour base can also optionally be used for Bleeding immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery on the tree.

Black Sun Crest

The budget option has 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 AoE or aura gems corruption for a little more currency.

 

Belt

Synthesized Strength Stack Belt

This belt can have a 15% increased strength implicit, high strength, high life, increased damage, and resistances. You should also use Intrinsic Catalysts on the belt to increase its attribute bonus.

Cyclopean Coil

The budget option gives up to 15% increased attributes, 120 life, cannot be Ignited if strength is higher than dexterity, cannot be Frozen if dexterity is higher than intelligence, and 1% increased damage per 5 of your lowest attribute. You should also use Intrinsic Catalysts on the belt to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for high strength, high life, increased attack speed, resistances, and use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll 3% increased damage per 100 strength and increased attack speed on the gloves.

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Boots

Replica Alberon's Warpath

Gives up to 18% increased strength, 220 to armour, 19% to chaos resistance, 1-80 added chaos damage to attacks per 80 strength, and 30% increased movement speed.

 

Amulet

Astramentis

Gives up to 116 to all attributes which helps with attribute requirements and gives a huge damage increase from strength. You should also use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to greatly increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Despair Ring

Look for a ring with the Despair curse on hit, high strength, life, increased damage, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use Intrinsic Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their strength bonuses.

Rare Ring

Look for high strength, high life, increased damage, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. An Amethyst ring base is also helpful for its chaos resistance implicit.

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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 gives Onslaught on single target encounters and replaces the chance to gain Onslaught on kill modifier on your boots.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, 150% increased critical strike chance to 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)

This build is difficult to get chaos resistance on so use this flask for 35% increased chaos resistance, 2% chaos damage leeched as life, physical damage as extra chaos damage during effect, and elemental damage as extra chaos damage during effect. 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. If you don't have Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity you should instead 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

Your amulet should be anointed with Heart of Darkness for 27% increased chaos damage and damage penetrates 7% chaos resistance at Cassia using an Azure Oil, Azure Oil, and Opalescent Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Venom Gyre Deals 40% Increased Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 16% Increased Attack and Cast Speed If You've Killed Recently

Belt: 30% Increased Accuracy Rating While You Have Onslaught

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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 switch to Oak for 40 life which helps with survival.

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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 high damage two hand level one weapon with a 30% block chance and a 100% chance to cast Vulnerability on block.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A strong level one offensive chest armour that has six white linked sockets. Tabula Rasa allows you to link any color skill gems and support gems together 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

A great level one resistance helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances that has 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These excellent level one gloves 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.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap 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

Tear of Purity

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

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two level one Perandus Signets that each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience gained.

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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 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, consecrated ground, 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and enemies take 10% increased damage when they are on consecrated ground. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Ground Slam is the best starter skill and can be used at level one. 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. You can switch to Venom Gyre as early as level 12. 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

You can upgrade your weapon to Mortem Morsu at level 34, to The Wasp Nest at level 60, and then to your endgame claw. You can also upgrade to two Praxis rings 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 above items last until the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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