Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Master Toxicist, Nature's Reprisal, Nature's Adrenaline, and two Flask Effects and Charges Gained nodes because the other ascendancies don't help this build very much. Take the increased chaos damage over time multiplier nodes, increased damage over time nodes, and the three nearby Poison Masteries to increase your damage. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, up to 22% damage over time multiplier while affected by Malevolence, damaging ailments inflict damage 15% faster while affected by Malevolence, and optionally a 15% chance to suppress spell damage while affected by Grace. The Clever Thief node is also important because it gives 1% life leech and 1% mana leech which works with attacks. The Reservation Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. Make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival. Note: The skill tree above is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

When you kill an enemy during any flask effect your poison damage will spread to nearby enemies with the Master Toxicist ascendancy. The Nature's Boon ascendancy makes flasks gain three charges every three seconds. The Pathfinder ascendancy gives flasks increased effect and gives increased flask charges. This build also has a small chance to block from dual wielding. 

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

More Duration Support

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Weapon 2 (3-link)

Wither

Spell Totem Support

Multiple Totems Support

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Armour (6-link)

Viper Strike of the Mamba

Awakened Ancestral Call Support

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

Awakened Swift Affliction Support

Cruelty Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Malevolence

Herald of Agony

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Vaal Haste

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Boots (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Dash

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and give very high evasion. Malevolence gives increased damage over time and increased skill effect duration and is the best offensive aura for the build. Herald of Agony is also selected to give 10% more poison damage. Malevolence can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, increased mana reservation efficiency from using Eldritch Ichors on your helmet if you want more unreserved mana, and a leveled Enlighten Support to lower 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. 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. Wither Totems are used with Spell Totem Support to give 6% increased chaos damage stacking up to 15 times.

5. 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 additional target for enemies to attack.

6. Viper Strike of the Mamba is a solid poison builds but if you think you would prefer to play a solid bow build that can make use of a strong tri-elemental bow the Tornado Shot Guide can be found here Tornado Shot Deadeye.

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Equipment

 

Weapons

Look for two high increased physical damage claws with high added physical damage and tier one added chaos damage. You can buy a high physical damage fracture (a golden modifier that doesn't change when crafting) claw and use Deafening Essences of Contempt to add physical damage until you get a tier one added chaos damage modifier with other strong modifiers.

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Armour

The Covenant

Gives socketed gems are supported by level 29 Added Chaos Damage, 30 intelligence, 10% increased life, high energy shield, and skills gain a base life cost equal to 100% of base mana cost. The life cost isn't noticeable at all once you have a large life pool. You should also eventually go for a The Covenant with an increased damage corruption once you have enough currency.

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Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high life, attributes, resistances, accuracy, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems/increased area of effect. As a budget option you can also add +1 to level of socketed AoE gems at the crafting bench. This uninfluenced helmet allows you to use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add increased mana reservation efficiency and physical damage taken recouped as life.

The Broken Crown

An extreme budget option that gives up to 15 to attributes, 20% increased damage when on low life, and 61% chaos resistance.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, resistances, increased chaos damage, and an abyssal socket. Increased chaos damage has a chance of being added with a Hunter's Exalted Orb and an open prefix. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, increased accuracy, and added chaos damage to attacks.

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Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves

Apothecary's Gloves have an 18% increased damage over time implicit. Look for high life, increased chaos damage over time multiplier, optionally increased damage over time, optionally attack speed, and optionally a resistance.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, high resistances, optionally an attribute increase, Onslaught on kill, and movement speed. You should also use Eldritch Ichors and Eldritch Embers to add poisons you inflict deal damage faster and increased action speed.

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Amulet

Rare Chaos Skill Amulet

Look for increased damage over time multiplier, high life, energy shield, attributes, and if you can afford it increased chaos damage over time multiplier. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Carnage Heart

This budget option gives 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while leeching. You can also use Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus or Prismatic Catalysts to increase its elemental resistances.

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Rings 

Rare Despair Ring

Look for a ring with Despair on hit, high life, attributes, optionally increased chaos damage, and resistances. You should use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses.

Rare Poison Damage Ring

Look for a ring with high life, strength, energy shield, resistances, increased poison damage which has a chance to be added with a Hunter's Exalted Orb and an open suffix, and you can optionally craft reduced mana cost at the crafting bench.

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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, 12% increased chance to block attacks, and 6% chance to block spells. The legacy version has much higher block chances. 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. 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 Overcharged for an 8% chance to gain a Frenzy, Endurance, or Power charge on kill at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Silver 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 Speed if You Have Killed Recently

Belt: Enemies Withered By You Have -6% to All Resistances

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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 on your gear and tree. 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

Last Resort x2

Last Resort is a unique level one claw weapon that deals high damage for a level one weapon.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one offensive body armour that has six white linked sockets. Linked white sockets allow you to link any color gems together which allows 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 up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These 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 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

A level five amulet that has up to 20 to all attributes, 10% to all elemental resistances, 30 intelligence, 40 to life, and level 10 Purity of Elements. The Purity of Elements aura increases your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

Two Perandus Signets can be used at level one 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. 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.

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, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground. You should 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

Viper Strike of the Mamba can be used at level one and you can add Ancestral Call Support which is very important for leveling at level four. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. You should pick up a Steelskin gem once you are 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 switch your claws to two unique Al Dhih claws once you are level 26. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for this build and can be equipped as early as level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also upgrade to two unique 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 Viper Strike Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgames guide here Endgame Guide.

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