Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Escape Artist, Soul Drinker, Polymath, and Heartstopper. A Watcher's Eye jewel should be used for 6% life, 6% energy shield, 6% mana, added cold damage while affected by Hatred, and optionally critical strike chance while affected by Hatred. Try and take both of the nearby Attack Masteries for non-vaal strike skills target one additional nearby enemy and increased melee strike range. The Mana Mastery and Reservation Mastery are also important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. If you have enough accuracy on your equipment you can also optionally skip the Accuracy Mastery but this can be difficult to achieve. This is a hybrid life and energy shield build so take plenty of the nearby life and energy shield nodes while prioritizing damage increases on the skill tree.

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Defensive Layers

The Heartstopper ascendancy gives 40% reduced damage taken from hits for 5 seconds and 40% less damage over time taken for 5 seconds alternating back and forth. The Escape Artist ascendancy makes evasion on your body armour give extra energy shield and energy shield on your helmet give extra evasion which is important because Wild Strike of Extremes costs life, mana, and energy shield. The Soul Drinker ascendancy gives energy shield leech so that you can replenish the energy shield cost of Wild Strike of Extremes. And with the Polymath ascendancy you'll gain 3% increased damage per mastery node taken as well as 1% life replenishment, 1% energy shield replenishment, and 1% mana replenishment on kill for every mastery node taken. This build is also capable of blocking the attacks of enemies with a high damage physical two handed staff which is better than a tri-elemental weapon because your physical damage is converted to elemental damage with Wild Strike of Extremes.

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Gems

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Weapon (6-link)

Vaal Ancestral Warchief

Ancestral Protector

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Maim Support

Culling Strike Support

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Armour (6-link)

Wild Strike of Extremes

Awakened Multistrike Support

Awakened Elemental Damage With Attacks Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower

Enduring Cry

Call To Arms

 

Gloves (6-link)

Hatred

Discipline

Clarity

Enlighten

 

Boots (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Dread Banner

Dash

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Clarity is important to maintain mana because Wild Strike of Extremes has a very high mana cost. Discipline is used for the energy shield cost of Wild Strike of Extremes and to improve the builds defenses by giving high energy shield and increased energy shield recharge rate. Dread Banner lowers the accuracy of nearby enemies and is helpful for survival. These auras can all be used once you have reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery and a leveled 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 armor to be effective.

2. Wild Strike of Extremes is better than the standard Wild Strike gem and has the added bonus of inverting the resistances of enemies which greatly improves the damage of Wild Strike against bosses. It also has a high life, mana, and energy shield cost that is countered with life leech, reduced mana cost, and energy shield leech from the Trickster ascendancy.

3. Vaal Ancestral Warchief and Ancestral Protector should be used together on difficult enemies to deal much higher damage and to give a melee damage increase and attack speed increase.

4. The Enduring Cry warcry is used to bolster your defenses and gives a large 2200 life heal over one second, generates Endurance charges, gives an extra 2% increased physical damage reduction per charge, and gives 2% increased elemental resistances per charge. You should also link the new Call to Arms gem to Enduring Cry to instantly cast it on cooldown.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives a 20% damage increase and provides an additional target for enemies to attack.

6. If you would prefer a caster playstyle over a melee build the Spark Hybrid Hierophant is a strong build that is more defensive than the Inquisitor version. A guide for the Spark Hierophant can be found here Spark Hybrid Hierophant.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Staff

A Maelstrom staff is the preferred option because it has the highest block chance while still providing excellent damage. Look for the highest damage per second Maelstrom staff you can find.

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How Do You Craft A Great Starter Wild Strike of Extremes Staff?

To craft a starter staff you can purchase an ilvl 85+ Maelstrom Staff with a tier one attack speed fracture and roll Deafening Essences of Contempt until you get a very high combined increased damage/accuracy modifier with an open prefix. You can then roll up to 129% increased physical damage at the crafting bench using an Exalted Orb for a strong starter staff.

 

Armour

Corrupted Yriel's Fostering

This armour has very high evasion which is converted to energy shield with the Escape Artist ascendancy. It also has up to 100 life, 400 accuracy, projectile attack skills have 60% increased critical strike chance, and added physical damage or attack speed. It's a fairly inexpensive armour so you should also look for a +2 to level of socketed AoE gems corruption. Corrupted Yriel's Fostering is recommended because you can roll the correct color sockets much easier with Tainted Chromatic Orbs.

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Helmet

Rare Blizzard Crown

Blizzard Crowns have high added cold damage with enemies have 10% increased cold resistance which is then inverted with Wild Strike of Extremes. Look for high life, high energy shield, high accuracy, increased global accuracy rating, and resistances.

The Broken Crown

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

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for high life, attack speed, accuracy, resistances, and if you can afford it +2 to level of socketed AoE gems. You should also use Eldritch Ichors and Eldritch Embers on the gloves to roll non-vaal strike skills target one additional nearby enemy and increased attack speed.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, strength, increased elemental damage with attack skills, resistances, and an abyssal socket. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, regenerate energy shield per second, critical strike chance, and critical strike multiplier.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for life, resistances, Onslaught on kill, Tailwind, Elusive, and movement speed.

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Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high life, attributes, increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus and reduced mana cost.

Carnage Heart

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

 

Rings

Rare Rings

A curse on hit ring is not necessary for this build because enemies resistances will be inverted with Wild Strike of Extremes. Look for high life, strength or intelligence, increased elemental damage with attack skills, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the rings to increase their life bonus and reduced mana cost.

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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 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, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage, 20% less cold damage taken, 50% cold resistances, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% reduced chance to be Chilled. Legacy Taste of Hate is better. You should 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 Counterweight for 60% increased global critical strike chance and 30% global critical strike multiplier with staves at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Amber Oil, and Silver Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Steelskin Buff Takes 45% Increased Amount Of 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 choose in Act 2 when gearing for critical strike chance is Alira because she gives 15% increased elemental resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second which are all very beneficial.

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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

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.

Limbsplit

Gives high physical damage for its level, level one Gore Shockwave if you have over 150 strength, +1 to socketed strength gems, and Culling Strike which kills enemies at 10% life.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a level one strong chest armour that has 6 linked white sockets. White sockets means that any color skill and support gems can be linked together inside of it 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 evasion 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 are strong even at a high level 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

Wondertrap boots require level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Karui 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 for 40% increased movement speed and can have 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.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which increases your attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27. It can also have 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 1 and you can use Wild Strike at level 28. Wild Strike of Extremes should be switched to once you have enough energy shield and the Soul Drinker ascendancy for energy shield leech. You can use life leech and/or Vitality to counter the life loss with Wild Strike of Extremes. Make sure and 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 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. Carnage Heart is the budget amulet for the 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 Praxis ring 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 items listed in the leveling section above last until the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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