Path of Exile, developed by Grinding Gear Games, is a game of deep mechanics, complex character builds, and challenging gameplay. As we dive into the new season, the burning question on everyone's mind is: what are the top builds to ensure you dominate in Wraeclast? Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer eager to make a mark, choosing the right build can significantly impact your journey through the various acts and endgame content.
In this guide, I'll walk you through the top 5 builds that are currently leading the charge in Path of Exile. Our selections are based on their potency, scalability, and overall performance in both solo play and group settings. Each build will be broken down with detailed explanations of their strengths, weaknesses, and why they stand out this season. These builds cater to different playstyles, ensuring that you can find one that aligns perfectly with how you love to conquer the dark and gritty world of PoE.
Take, for example, a popular build like the Tornado Shot Deadeye. This build excels in clear speed and damage output, making it a favorite among players who aim to farm efficiently. On the other hand, if you prefer a more tanky and resilient approach, the Juggernaut's Earthquake Slam might be more up your alley, offering substantial defense and high-impact melee damage. No matter your preference, this guide promises to equip you with the knowledge to craft a formidable character that's ready to face any challenge.
To achieve success in Path of Exile, it's not just about picking the right skills, but also understanding how to optimize your gear, passive skill tree, and support gems. We will provide insights into each of these aspects, helping you to build a character that's capable of handling both the early game hurdles and the late-game bosses.
So, let's jump into our comprehensive guide to the top 5 builds and uncover the strategies that will lead you to glory in Path of Exile. Follow along as we break down each build, offering tips and tricks to maximize your efficiency and enjoy the game to its fullest potential. Ready your orbs and sharpen your blades; it's time to dominate Wraeclast with the best builds of the season!
Lightning Conduit Elementalist Build
One of the standout builds in Path of Exile is the Lightning Conduit Elementalist Build. Known for its formidable power and versatility, this build capitalizes on high lightning damage and elemental resistances to dominate enemies.
Starting with the Ascendancy choices, I recommend picking Elementalist for its potent elemental damage bonuses and reliable survivability mechanics. Prioritize getting Shaper of Storms and Shaper of Winter first, as they enhance your lightning damage and apply crucial debuffs to enemies.
The core of this build revolves around the skill Lightning Conduit. This skill deals devastating damage to enemies affected by the shocked status. To maximize its effectiveness, focus on increasing your chance to shock and enhancing the shock effect through the passive tree and gear.
When gearing up, look for items that boost spell damage, lightning damage, and critical strike chance. A wand or scepter with +1 to level of all Lightning Spell Skill Gems is particularly valuable. Combine this with a shield that enhances spell damage and offers elemental resistances to balance offense and defense.
Your main links for Lightning Conduit should include Increased Critical Strikes, Lightning Penetration, and Energy Leech. These gems help ensure your attacks not only hit hard but also pierce through enemy resistances and sustain your energy shield.
A crucial aspect of this build is maintaining high mobility and defense. Utilize the Flame Dash or Dash skill paired with the Second Wind support gem for quick escapes and dodging dangerous attacks. For defense, the combination of Immortal Call and Cast when Damage Taken Support offers a solid damage mitigation layer in critical moments.
The passive skill tree should focus on nodes that increase elemental damage, spell critical strike chance, and maximum life. Additionally, pathing through the Templar and Witch areas on the tree can provide access to powerful elemental and spell-based clusters.
Jewels play a significant role in optimizing this build. Seek out Abyss Jewels with added lightning damage to spells and % increased maximum life. Cluster Jewels that offer extra passive skills related to lightning damage are also excellent additions.
For bandits, I suggest allying with Alira. The critical strike multiplier, mana regeneration, and elemental resistances she provides are highly beneficial for sustaining and enhancing your damage output.
Managing mana is crucial for continuous casting. Equip with a good mana flask with instant recovery to keep your resources topped up during intense fights. For other flasks, carry a Basalt or Granite Flask for added physical damage reduction and a quicksilver flask for increased movement speed.
Playing as a Lightning Conduit Elementalist is both thrilling and rewarding. The combination of high damage, debuffing enemies, and solid defenses makes it a top contender for Path of Exile's demanding environments. Give it a try, and you'll find yourself zapping through foes with electrifying ease!
Summary:
- Prioritize Elementalist Ascendancy for elemental damage bonuses and survivability, focusing on Shaper of Storms and Shaper of Winter to boost lightning damage and debuff enemies.
- Core skill Lightning Conduit needs increased shock chance and effect; gear should boost spell damage, lightning damage, and critical strike chance.
- Maintain high mobility with Flame Dash and Second Wind; boost defense using Immortal Call with Cast when Damage Taken Support, focus passive tree on elemental damage, spell crit chance, and max life.
Toxic Rain Pathfinder Build
Toxic Rain Pathfinder Build is one of the most captivating and robust choices for players looking to dominate in Path of Exile. Designed to melt enemy health bars while maintaining fluid mobility, this build revolves around the consistent application of chaos damage over time.
To start, you'll want to focus on the core skill: Toxic Rain. This skill fires arrows that create spore pods upon landing. These pods deal chaos damage over time and slow enemies, making it an excellent skill for both offense and crowd control. By enhancing Toxic Rain with support gems like Mirage Archer and Void Manipulation, we amplify its damage and efficiency.
The backbone of this build lies in its ascendancy: the Pathfinder. By choosing Pathfinder, we exploit the numerous flasks benefits, including increased flask charges, recovery, and duration. The crucial nodes to focus on are Master Toxicist and Master Alchemist. These will boost your chaos damage and provide elemental immunity, respectively.
Optimal gear is vital for maximizing the effectiveness of this build. Equip a high-attack speed bow with added chaos damage, such as Quill Rain. For armor, look for evasion-based gear with chaos resistance, and prioritize life and resistances on all your pieces. Don't forget flasks! Use a Dying Sun for additional projectiles, a Coralito's Signature for poison enhancements, and a Quartz Flask for increased dodge and phasing capability.
The skill tree for this build focuses heavily on life and damage nodes to ensure survivability and DPS. Key clusters include Growth and Decay for chaos damage over time and Hunter's Gambit for attack speed and poison chance. Example passives would include "Skill Effect Duration" nodes, which are exceptionally useful for keeping enemies in your damage zones longer. Don't forget to allocate a Watcher's Eye with relevant mods for increased damage.
For auras and buffs, use Malevolence for increased damage over time and Grace for evasion rating. Implement Vaal Grace for clutch situations where you need maximum dodge. Pairing these with the Despair curse, either through a curse on hit ring or manual casting, will enhance your chaos damage substantially.
One of the biggest benefits of the Toxic Rain Pathfinder is its versatility. Whether you're farming maps or taking on end-game bosses like The Shaper and Sirus, this build can handle it all. You'll notice how smoothly it clears content and manages to stay mobile, avoiding deadly hits while dishing out continuous damage. For example, during my run against The Elder, the pods decimated his health while his minions were slowed and easy to dispatch.
If you're seeking a build with superb damage over time, strong survivability, and fluid mobility, the Toxic Rain Pathfinder is an excellent choice. It's an engaging and straightforward build that can tackle all of Path of Exile's content, making it one of the top builds to dominate the game.
Summary:
- The Toxic Rain Pathfinder build focuses on consistent chaos damage over time, using Toxic Rain skill enhanced with support gems like Mirage Archer and Void Manipulation for offense and crowd control.
- This build leverages the Pathfinder ascendancy to maximize flask benefits, utilizing key nodes like Master Toxicist for chaos damage and Master Alchemist for elemental immunity, along with optimal gear such as Quill Rain and specialized flasks.
- Focusing on life and damage nodes in the skill tree, this build employs auras like Malevolence and Grace, and curses like Despair, making it versatile for various gameplay scenarios, including boss fights and map farming.
Cyclone Slayer Build
When it comes to exhilarating hack-and-slash gameplay, the Cyclone Slayer build doesn't just top the charts; it redefines them. Built around the Slayer Ascendancy class, this build focuses on the whirlwind of destruction that is the Cyclone skill. Picture yourself spinning through hordes of enemies, leaving nothing but carnage in your wake. Let's break down what makes this build a dominant force in Path of Exile.
Key Features of the Cyclone Slayer Build
The backbone of this build is the sturdy blend of high damage output and solid survivability. The passive skill tree is tailored to maximize melee physical damage, attack speed, and life leech. Here are some of the crucial nodes and skills you'll want to prioritize:
1. Cyclone Skill Gem
Cyclone is your main attack skill. It allows you to move while dealing continuous damage, making you an unstoppable force. Pair the Cyclone with Melee Physical Damage, Infused Channelling, and Fortify support gems to boost your damage and survivability.
2. Slayer Ascendancy
Opt for the Slayer Ascendancy to leverage bonuses like Brutal Fervour and Overwhelm. Brutal Fervour grants you endless life leech—meaning you'll rebound life at an incredible rate, even in the face of the fiercest enemies. Overwhelm ensures high-quality critical strikes, turning each hit into an opportunity for massive damage.
3. Gear and Equipment
Your gear should focus on enhancing physical damage, attack speed, and critical strike chance. Equip items like Abyssus (helmet) for a big offensive boost. The Starforge sword is another excellent choice, as it scales up your physical damage and adds a splash of Attack Speed. Don't forget to stack up on good defensive items; running with Kaom's Heart (chest) can offer you substantial life increases.
4. Passive Skill Tree
Focus on nodes that increase melee damage, critical strike multiplier, and life leech. Key nodes to consider are Bloodless, Constitution, and Disemboweling. These nodes increase your life pool and fortify your critical hit capabilities, turning you into a durable, yet highly offensive powerhouse.
5. Gameplay Strategies
Mastering the Cyclone Slayer build involves balancing mobility and damage. Always stay on the move to avoid becoming an easy target. Use your high life leech to compensate for any incoming damage while applying constant pressure on enemies. In boss fights, prioritize positioning to maximize the active area of your Cyclone, ensuring that you continually deal damage while dodging telegraphed attacks.
For instance, farming the Delve or taking on Uber Elder is where this build truly shines. Your spinning attack clears mobs swiftly, and your life leech keeps you in the fight even during extended encounters.
The Cyclone Slayer build combines relentless offense with sustainable defense, making it one of the top choices for players looking to dominate every facet of Path of Exile. Spin to win, dominate, and enjoy the ride!
Summary:
- The Cyclone Slayer build in Path of Exile emphasizes high damage output and survivability, leveraging the Slayer Ascendancy for bonuses like Brutal Fervour and Overwhelm.
- Key features include the Cyclone skill gem paired with support gems, specific gear such as Abyssus and Starforge, and a passive skill tree focused on melee damage, critical strike multipliers, and life leech.
- Gameplay strategies involve maintaining mobility and using life leech to handle incoming damage while consistently dealing high damage, particularly excelling in activities like Delve and Uber Elder encounters.
Summon Raging Spirits Necromancer Build
The Summon Raging Spirits Necromancer Build is one of the most thrilling and dynamic builds in Path of Exile, designed for players who love to command an army of fiery minions. This build revolves around summoning floating skulls that relentlessly pursue and annihilate your enemies. Let's break down why this build is a top contender.
First, the core skill: Summon Raging Spirits (SRS). This spell conjures up to 20 flaming skulls that last for a few seconds, attacking anything in sight with high-speed melee hits. These spirits are not just visual spectacles; they pack a serious punch, especially when you bolster them with synergistic support gems like Multistrike, Melee Splash, and Minion Damage. It's exhilarating to watch them swarm enemies, shredding through packs like a hot knife through butter.
Necromancer Ascendancy is crucial for maximizing the potential of this build. By choosing the Necromancer, we gain access to powerful nodes such as Mistress of Sacrifice, which provides defensive benefits, and Bone Offering, which boosts the survivability of both you and your minions. Additionally, Commander of Darkness boosts both minion damage and resistances, ensuring your spirits not only hit hard but also survive longer battles.
Let's talk about gear. Equip yourself with wands like Midnight Bargain to increase the number of spirits you can summon, or Bones of Ullr boots for additional minions. A good balance of life, resistances, and minion damage on your gear will keep you alive and your spirits deadly. An example chest piece is the Vis Mortis, which grants a flat bonus to minion damage but at the cost of increased damage taken by you. Choose your gear carefully to strike the perfect balance.
Regarding your passive skill tree, focus on nodes that increase minion life, minion damage, and increased duration. Start by targeting clusters like Lord of the Dead and Minion Instability to set a solid foundation for your undead army. From there, paths leading to Spiritual Command and Redemption will amplify both offensive and defensive capabilities of your spirits.
Don't forget your utility and defensive setups. Enhance your survivability by using Bone Offering linked with Cast when Damage Taken, ensuring you automatically gain its benefits during heavy hits. Incorporate Flesh Offering during map clears for a significant boost in minion speed and damage, turning your raging spirits into a literal blur of destructive force.
Last but not least, the playstyle. This build is fast-paced and requires you to constantly move and summon. I often find myself weaving in and out of combat, summoning spirits on the go, casting Flesh Offering, and positioning myself strategically to stay safe while my minions do the heavy lifting. It requires attention and strategy but is immensely satisfying to master.
In conclusion, the Summon Raging Spirits Necromancer Build offers a blend of offensive might and strategic play, perfect for those who enjoy controlling the battlefield with a fiery entourage. Equip the right gear, optimize your passive tree, and embrace the whirlwind of flaming skulls. You're sure to dominate the endgame content of Path of Exile with this exhilarating build.
Summary:
- The Summon Raging Spirits Necromancer Build in Path of Exile focuses on summoning fiery minions that deal high melee damage, enhanced by support gems like Multistrike and Minion Damage, and benefits greatly from Necromancer Ascendancy nodes such as Mistress of Sacrifice and Commander of Darkness.
- For optimal gear, use items like Midnight Bargain for additional spirits, Bones of Ullr for more minions, and balance life, resistances, and minion damage; Vis Mortis chest piece offers a significant minion damage boost at the cost of increased damage taken by you.
- Key passive skill tree nodes include Lord of the Dead and Minion Instability for foundation, while Spiritual Command and Redemption enhance both offensive and defensive capabilities; defensive strategies involve linking Bone Offering with Cast when Damage Taken, and using Flesh Offering for speed and damage boosts during map clears.
Ice Shot Deadeye Build
Ice Shot Deadeye Build is one of the most dynamic and devastating paths you can take in Path of Exile. This build leverages the high damage potential of Ice Shot combined with the pinpoint accuracy and speed enhancements provided by the Deadeye Ascendancy.
At its core, the build relies on turning your enemies into ice sculptures before shattering them into pieces. The primary skill, Ice Shot, fires an arrow that converts a significant portion of your physical damage into cold damage, creating a cone of ice on impact. This can instantly freeze most enemies, especially those that are part of big packs. Imagine walking into a room and, with a single shot, turning a whole group of monsters into ice and shattering them. It feels immensely satisfying.
The key here is to focus on maximizing your damage output and attack speed. The Deadeye Ascendancy offers strong support for this with notable passives such as Gathering Winds for increased Projectile Speed and Accuracy, and Far Shot to ensure your arrows travel farther and hit harder. Picture this: you stand at a distance, loosing arrows that tear through foes like a hot knife through butter. With the right gear and positioning, you often find yourself untouched, decimating waves of enemies before they ever reach you.
As for equipment, grabbing a bow with high physical damage is non-negotiable. On top of that, gear pieces with added Cold Damage and Crit Multipliers will make your shots even deadlier. Don't forget to optimize your evasion and movement speed. Items like Queen of the Forest for the chest piece can give you that balance between damage output and survivability. Imagine being able to dart around while unleashing deadly volleys, making you an almost untouchable force.
To further enhance your build, use support gems like Added Cold Damage, Cold Penetration, and Hypothermia. These will significantly bump up your damage, making sure even the toughest bosses melt under your frosty onslaught. Equipping a Quiver with added cold damage modifiers is also pivotal. It's like adding the final polish to an already well-crafted weapon, ensuring every shot counts.
For your passive skill tree, channel your points into Critical Strike Chance, Critical Strike Multiplier, and Cold Damage nodes. Also, make sure to pick up the Acrobatics and Phase Acrobatics keystones to boost your evasion further. As a result, you'll be a fast-moving, high-damage dealer with impressive survivability.
If you're aiming to dominate in Path of Exile, this Ice Shot Deadeye Build offers you a fun, powerful way to freeze and shatter your enemies with both speed and precision. Whether you love crowd control or just enjoy seeing crispy crits, this build will keep you engaged from start to finish.
Summary:
- Ice Shot Deadeye Build is a dynamic Path of Exile build that combines Ice Shot's high damage and the Deadeye's speed and accuracy enhancements to freeze and shatter enemies efficiently.
- Maximize damage output and attack speed by leveraging the Deadeye Ascendancy's Gathering Winds and Far Shot passives while using gear with high physical damage, added cold damage, and crit multipliers like Queen of the Forest.
- Enhance the build further with support gems such as Added Cold Damage, Cold Penetration, and Hypothermia, and focus on critical strike and evasion nodes in the passive skill tree for high damage and excellent survivability.