Updated for Patch 3.17
The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo
Guide notes | |||
May 14, 2021 -Build created February 04, 2022 -Build updated for Patch 3.17 -It's redesigned to be simpler and more affordable |
|||
Build overview | |||
Tags: [CASTER] [ELEMENTAL] [LIFE] [STARTER] | |||
Budget: Defenses: |
|
Boss DPS: AoE: |
|
Patch 3.17 reinvigorated self-casters, Spell Hits deals now more damage and there are new Cast Speed modifiers. This build explores the Elementalis version of a self-cast Arc - more specifically a Golemancer. With four or five Golems and the increased effect of Buffs they grant it's safe to assume this is one of the most viable builds based on that ascendancy in the current version of the game. Arc is great for clearing, but due to the nature of the build, it can be swapped for any Lightning Spell, for example, a Ball Lightning. It's a Life build that uses Life and some Energy Shield that inevitably is gathered from Items and Intelligence. With a Staff, you also have some Block Chance that you can later expand on.
Golem's Buffs increases your offense and defense. Each of the summoned Golems will grant you Increased Damage, Cast Speed, Physical Damage Reduction, Critical Strike Chance, and Life Regeneration. You can Summon all the Golems thanks to your Ascendancy, Golem Commander Notable, and The Anima Stone (which is expensive and optional). The best part of it is that you won't need to resummon them after they die, they'll do it automatically after 4 seconds, so it's comparable to how Auras works - you just don't need to reserve Mana. Your Golem's Skill Gems should be of Anomalous Quality as you need them only for their powerful buffs.
You can also check our other Path of Exile builds right over here Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List
The Skill of your choice is Arc - it's excellent for clearing maps, you just need to aim in the general direction of an enemy and it clears the whole screen. Arc linked with generic Spell Support Gems will be used to kill bosses as well as small games. Using a Staff brings you the advantage of another 6-link. It's where you can put your Orb of Storms granting you miscellaneous buffs. For passive skills use Auras like Wrath, Zealotry, Herald of Thunder, and various Golems. Flame Dash or Lightning Warp can be used as a mobility tool, and for Guard Spell use Molten Shell.
This video was recorded on a level 94 Elementalist with a level 24 Vaal Arc in total, and approximately 4kk fully buffed DPS against Shaper (this doesn't not include the multiplier for remaining chains that should work against single-target) |
|
PROS |
|
CONS |
|
You can start using Arc right from the start, in act 3 you'll be able to link it with Archmage Support. We recommend you to craft a weapon with added Lightning Damage to Spells using Vendor Recipe: Magic Wand or Sceptre, Topaz Ring, and Orb of Alteration. Start with stats such as Life and Lighting Damage, then specialize in Block Chance, Critical Strike Chance, and Multiplier. Lightning, Ice, and Fire Golems give you more DPS, Chaos, and Stone Golems are defensive-oriented ones that one of which you'll summon after you can afford The Anime Stone. There is not much more to say, the leveling process is pretty simple and does not differ too much from the mapping.
Suggested leveling Gem setups:
Arc setup | |
![]() |
Arc - a fine Spell if you value clear speed and user-friendliness |
![]() |
Inspiration Support - immensely beneficial Gem, it grants you Crit. Chance, Elemental Damage, and lowers Mana Cost of the Arc |
![]() |
Lightning Penetration Support - makes Arc penetrate some Lightning Resistance |
![]() |
Added Lightning Damage Support - another huge bonus to DPS |
Golems setup | |
![]() |
Summon Ice Golem - increases your Critical Strike Chance and Accuracy Rating (the latter being irrelevant) |
![]() |
Summon Flame Golem - increases your Damage directly |
![]() |
Summon Lightning Golem - this Golem increases your Attack and Cast Speed, effectively boosting your DPS |
![]() |
Summon Chaos Golem - for more Physical Damage Reduction |
various Gems | |
![]() |
Molten Shell - a Guard Spell that presents a portion of the damage |
![]() |
Conductivity - lowers the Lightning Resistance of cursed enemies |
![]() |
Flame Dash - Travel Spell that increases your mobility |
Bandits:
KIlling all Bandits for two additional Passive Points is the best option
Leveling Skill Trees:
33 Points Skill Tree
Go get the Maximum Life, Lightning, and Spell Damage nodes
70 Points Skill Tree
Take Golem Commander, find more Maximum Life, Sovereignty, and Critical Strike nodes nearby
Recommended leveling items:
![]() |
|
+(20-30)% to Cold Resistance 20% increased maximum Mana 50% increased Mana Regeneration Rate +(30-40)% to Cold Resistance Cannot be Chilled Cannot be Frozen |
|
![]() |
|
+(20-30) to maximum Mana +(30-60) to maximum Mana Regenerate (3-6) Mana per second -(8-4) to Total Mana Cost of Skills 8% of Damage taken gained as Mana over 4 seconds when Hit |
![]() |
|
+(30-50) to Evasion Rating 10% increased Rarity of Items found +(30-40)% to all Elemental Resistances Reflects 4 Physical Damage to Melee Attackers Level Requirement reduced by 100 (Hidden) |
![]() |
|
Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Item has 6 White Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden) |
Final Skill Tree:
119 Points Final Skill Tree (doesn't include Unique or Cluster Jewels)
119 Points Path of Building(PoB) link
Ascendancy points:
Preferably in that order:
Pantheon:
Major God: Soul of Solaris: 6% additional Physical Damage Reduction while there is only one nearby Enemy; 20% chance to take 50% less Area Damage from Hits
Minor God: Soul of Garukhan: 60% reduced Effect of Shock on you, Cannot be Blinded, You cannot be Maimed
[DPS] Arc setup | |
![]() |
Arc - a Chaining Lightning Spell that automatically Hits multiple enemies and doesn't require aiming. |
![]() |
Inspiration Support - lowered Mana Cost, increased Critical Strike Chance, and Elemental Damage are all very important |
![]() |
Increased Critical Strikes Support - it would be hard to reach 100% Crit Chance without this Gem |
![]() |
Spell Echo Support - Spell is repeated with increased Cast Speed, and to faster Cast a Spell is to deal more Damage |
![]() |
Lightning Penetration Support - use to penetrate the Lightning Resistance of your opponents |
![]() |
Added Lightning Damage Support - for additional Lightning Damage |
[UTILITY] Orb of Storms Brand | |
![]() |
Orb of Storms - It's a static Orb that repeatedly and rapidly Hits enemies in its radius |
![]() |
Arcane Surge Support - don't level up this gem too much, a single Cast of Orb of Storms should activate it |
![]() |
Power Charge on Critical Support - generates Power Charges which increases your Critical Strike Chance |
![]() |
Innervate Support - if you kill a Shocked enemy with Orb of Storms you gain a Buff granting additional lightning damage |
![]() |
Culling Strike Support - makes it actually possible to kill enemies with Orb of Storms, it's extra useful against bosses with less than 10% of Maximum Life because it kills them |
![]() |
Onslaught Support - when you kill an enemy or Hit a Unique one you have a chance to gain Onslaught |
[UTILITY] various gems | |
![]() |
Flame Dash - Flame Dash is a great movement skill, it holds up to three charges allowing to you dash three times in a rapid succession |
![]() |
Molten Shell - One of the best Guard Spells given that you have at least 10k of Armour |
![]() |
Vaal Righteous Fire - The Vaal variant grants more Spell Damage |
![]() |
Wave of Conviction - applies Exposure on Hit which reduces Elemental Resistance |
[UTILITY] Auras setup | |
![]() |
Wrath - it's an additional and increased Lighting Damage for your Spells |
![]() |
Herald of Thunder - increases and adds Lightning Damage, creates Storms which Hit enemies nearby |
![]() |
Zealotry - increased Spell Damage and Critical Strike Chance for Spells, allows you to create a Consecrated Ground during Boss Fights |
![]() |
Enlighten Support -lowers the Reservation Cost of linked Spells |
[UTILITY] Golems Note: Golems do not require any links |
|
![]() |
Summon Ice Golem - summons Ice Golem that increases your Accuracy Rating and Critical Strike Chance (the first one is irrelevant for this build) |
![]() |
Summon Flame Golem - summons Flame Golem that increases your Global Damage |
![]() |
Summon Chaos Golem - summons Chaos Golem that grants a very high Physical Damage mitigation bonus |
![]() |
Summon Lightning Golem - summons Lightning Golem that increases your Attack and Cast Speed |
![]() |
Summon Stone Golem - Stone Golem grants high Life Regeneration |
|
It can be played as a Starter build so it doesn't require any Unique Items. Inpulsa's Broken Heart is definitely one of the Body Armour that's great to have later on. Look for Critical Strike modifiers, increased and added Lightning Damage with Spells, increased Gem Level of Arc, and Cast Speed to increase your Damage. For defenses firstly cap your Elemental Resistances, get Maximum Life, and then seek Armour and Block Chance. You should also find a source of Life and ES Leech (on a Passive Skill tree you can pick Elemental Mastery or Light Eater for ES Leech).
Our recommended items will:
Stat priorities on items:
|
![]() |
|
Min. requirements: +60 to Maximum Life +60% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Nearby Enemies have -9% to Lightning Resistance Chaos Resistance |
|
Helmet enchantments: 40% increased Arc Damage Arc deals 12% increased Damage for each time it has Chained Arc Chains an additional time |
|
![]() |
|
Min. requirements: 25% increased Critical Strike Chance for Spells 100% increased Spell Damage Adds (3–9) to (109–115) Lightning Damage to Spells Optional affixes: increased Lightning Damage increased Cast Speed Adds Lightning Damage to Spells +% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier +3 to Level of all Lightning Spell Skill Gems |
|
![]() |
|
+(60-80) to maximum Life (20-50)% increased Damage if you have Shocked an Enemy Recently (15-25)% increased Effect of Shock Shocked Enemies you Kill Explode, dealing 5% of their Life as Lightning Damage which cannot Shock Unaffected by Shock |
|
![]() |
|
Min. requirements: +70 to maximum Life +50% to Elemental Resistances +1% to Spell Critical Strike Chance Optional affixes: Dexterity Energy Shield You can apply an additional Curse increased maximum Life |
|
![]() |
|
Min. requirements: +60 to maximum Life 25% increased Movement Speed +50% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance Armour You have Tailwind if you have dealt a Critical Strike Recently Cannot be Frozen (crafted) |
|
![]() |
|
Min. requirements: +50 to maximum Life +60% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: increased Global Critical Strike Chance Dexterity Spell Damage/Damage while Leeching |
|
![]() |
|
Min. requirements: +60 to Maximum Life +50% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: increased Elemental Damage Maximum Energy Shield increased Damage increased Maximum Life |
|
![]() |
|
Min. requirements: +60 to maximum Life +40% to Elemental Resistances 30% increased Global Critical Strike Chance Optional affixes: Global Critical Strike Multiplier +1 to Level of all Intelligence Skill Gems +1 to Level of all Lightning Skill Gems Non-Channelling Skills have -7 to Total Mana Cost (crafted) |
|
Recommended Anointments: Counterweight Storm Weaver Breath of Lightning Assassination Heartseeker |
|
![]() |
|
Min. requirements: +60 to maximum Life +60% to Elemental Resistances Trigger Level 12 Assassin's Mark or Sniper's Mark when you Hit a Rare or Unique Enemy and have no Mark Optional affixes: increased Global Critical Strike Chance Non-channeling Skills have -7 to Total Mana Cost (crafted) Added Lightning Damage to Spells |
|
![]() |
|
Recommended affixes: |
|
![]() |
|
Golems have (16-20)% increased Attack and Cast Speed 30% increased Effect of Buffs granted by your Golems Golems have +(800-1000) to Armour Primordial |
|
![]() |
|
(25-30)% increased Damage if you Summoned a Golem in the past 8 seconds Golems Summoned in the past 8 seconds deal (35-45)% increased Damage Golems have (18-22)% increased Maximum Life Summoned Golems are Aggressive Primordial |
|
![]() |
|
Only affects Passives in Medium Ring Passives in Radius can be Allocated without being connected to your tree -(20-10)% to all Elemental Resistances |
|
![]() |
|
(4-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield (4-6)% increased maximum Life (4-6)% increased maximum Mana <Two or Three random aura modifiers> Recommended Aura modifiers: Damage Penetrates (10-15)% Lightning Resistance while affected by Wrath (70-100)% increased Critical Strike Chance while affected by Wrath |
|
![]() |
|
Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Doryani's Lesson 1 Added Passive Skill is Prismatic Heart 1 Added Passive Skill is Disorienting Display 1 Added Passive Skill is Overshock |
|
![]() |
|
Creates Consecrated Ground on Use (30-50)% increased Duration Consecrated Ground created by this Flask has Tripled Radius +(1-2)% to Critical Strike Chance against Enemies on Consecrated Ground during Effect Consecrated Ground created during Effect applies (7-10)% increased Damage taken to Enemies |
|
![]() |
|
+1500 to Armour +(8-12)% Chance to Block Attack Damage during Flask effect +(4-6)% Chance to Block Spell Damage during Flask effect |
|
Other suggested Flasks:
|
|
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
|
If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below. We are always open to suggestions and constructive feedback.
Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games.