Cyclone Slayer
Starter Budget build

Updated for Patch 3.16

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Estimated budget: very low

Cyclone is the most popular and the most iconic Melee Skills in Path of Exile. It's the spin-to-win type of skill that offers an extremely smooth playstyle, technically requiring you to use no more than 1 button to progress through content. By utilizing high Physical DPS Staves, and Slayer Ascendancy class with its' over leech, you will be able to benefit from strong damage buffs and great self-sustain. This build also utilizes Impale mechanic which allows you to quickly scale your DPS thanks to Cyclone's high Attack Speed, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to boost your damage while playing on a budget.  The following setup has been designed for beginners and newly started characters, as we decided not to include any specific Uniques, crafted Rares, or even Cluster Jewels to keep the Currency requirements at a minimum. This is a Starter/Budget version of this powerful Melee combination, and if you are looking for an end-game optimized variation, which greatly increased Critical Strike Damage and hence the effective DPS you can check the following article: Shockwave Cyclone Slayer

You can also check our other Path of Exile builds: Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List

1. Gameplay

This builds is extremely easy to master. All you have to do is spin through enemies and obliterate everything in your path. With the recommended gear, your Cyclone should cost near to 0 Mana allowing you to endlessly spam it. Most of the buffs are triggered automatically as well, making it even smoother. All you need to do is place your Ancestor Totems (you will be able to use both types thanks to the use of Multiple Totems Support) and cast Molten Shell and Blood Rage whenever needed. You can also benefit from insane Rampage bonuses on Maps with high monster density, allowing even covering the entire screen with your Cyclone.

This is an outdated video from Patch 3.13 - the gameplay hasn't changed much, but it's a slightly different build now

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Leveling a Duelist/Slayer is quite easy, however, it may feel slow at first. You should primarily focus on a high DPS Two-Handed Weapon (preferably a Staff), and get as much Life and Elemental Resistances on your other gear. Also, getting extra Movement Speed is always nice on lower levels. You can start off with any preferred Attack Skill, and switch to Cyclone at level 28. Cyclone offers much better clear speed and damage than most of the other available Gems. Below you will find basic Gem setups and several useful uniques that can help you level up quickly. 

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Ground Slam setup
	Ground Slam - very strong AoE Attack which has good base damage and attacks multiple enemies with each swing, that's even further increased to enemies in very close range
	Melee Physical Damage Support - the great boost to Melee Physical Damage makes it one of the most powerful Support Gems for this type of builds
	Ruthless Support - every 3rd hit with Ground Slam will deal much higher damage
	Maim Support - boots your Physical DPS and causes attacks to slow down enemies

Cyclone setup
	Cyclone - the core Attack Skill Gem used in this build. It makes you spin around obliterating enemies
	Melee Physical Damage Support
	Shockwave Support - one of the best Support Gems for this build, which basically determines the necessity to use a Staff here
	Brutality Support - greatly increases Physical Damage dealt but makes the skill deal only Physical Damage
	Impale Support - grants increased chance to Impale enemies, and as a result nearly doubles your effective DPS when you have 100% Chance to Impale combined with other Passives

Utility Gems
	Vulnerability - the recommended Curse for this build which increases your Physical Damage. On lower levels, you will have to apply it manually
	Dread Banner - increases your Physical Damage and grants increased chance to Impale with your Attacks
	Herald of Purity - a Herald Spell that increases your Physical Damage significantly
	Ancestral Warchief - summons a Totem which increases your Melee Damage

Bandits:

We recommend killing all the Bandits for two additional Passive Points

Leveling Skill Trees:

36 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Destroyer 2) Brinkmanship 3) Constitution 4) Bastion Breaker 5) Bloodless

62 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Juggernaut 2) Barbarism 3) Whirling Barrier 4) Counterweight 5) Smashing Strikes

Recommended leveling items:

Belt of the Deceiver - very solid Belt which grants a high DPS bonus and some defensive stats. It can be efficiently used until mid-tier Maps

+(25-35) to Strength (15-25)% increased Global Physical Damage You take 30% reduced Extra Damage from Critical Strikes +(30-40) to maximum Life +(10-15)% to all Elemental Resistances Nearby Enemies are Intimidated

Goldrim - one of the best leveling Helmets in the game which grants very high Elemental Resistances bonuses

+(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)

Blackheart - these Rings provide everything - Attributes, Life, and flat Physical Damage

Adds 1 to 4 Physical Damage to Attacks 5% increased Global Physical Damage Adds 1 to 3 Chaos Damage to Attacks +(20-30) to maximum Life (2-4) Life Regenerated per second 10% chance to Cause Monsters to Flee

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

117 Points Final Skill Tree
117 Points Path of Building (PoB) link 

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Impact
2. Brutal Fervour
3. Endless Hunger
4. Bane of Legends

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of the Brine King mainly for the Freeze immunity it grants from the additional bonuses or Soul of Solaris for additional Physical Damage Reduction against Bosses

Minor God: Soul of Gruthkul 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each Hit you've taken Recently up to a maximum of 5%

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Cyclone
	Cyclone - your primary DPS skill. Deals massive both single and AoE damage by spinning around Maps and killing everything on its path
	Melee Physical Damage Support - grants very high Melee/Physical DPS bonuses
	Fortify Support - grants high Damage bonus with the recent buffs, and also a very strong defensive buff
	Impale Support - increases your chance to Impale with Attacks which offers one of the highest DPS bonuses for this build
	Shockwave Support - one of the core Support Gems which causes additional AoE attacks that deal extra damage. This Gem is one of the reasons to use a Staff for a Cyclone build
	Brutality Support - grants a very high increase to Physical Damage, but makes supported Skills deal no Chaos or Elemental Damage

[UTILITY] Ancestral Totems
	Ancestral Warchief - deals a moderate amount of damage and increases your Melee DPS. Since you are going to use Multiple Totems Support, you can benefit from two different types of Ancestral Totems
	Ancestral Protector - grants high bonus Melee Attack Speed
	Multiple Totems Support - allows you to summon up to three Totems, so you can use both Ancestral Warchief and Protector at the same time
	Lifetap Support - will make your Totems cost Life instead of Mana, allowing you to basically Reserve nearly 100% of your Mana for Auras

[UTILITY] Auras
	Pride - grants very high bonus Physical Damage which is amplified the longer your target stays in Melee Range
	Blood and Sand - allows you to switch between Blood and Sand stances. Use Sand Stance for farming/leveling and Blood Stance against Bosses and tougher rares
	Flesh and Stone  - increases your damage while using Blood Stance, and enhances defenses when in Sand stance
	Precision  - a very important Aura that will be mandatory to get to (or close) 100% Chance to Hit. It also boosts your Critical Strike Chance
	Herald of Purity  - increases your Physical Damage by a lot. The additional Minions are negligible here though
	Enlighten Support - if your Mana Pool is low with all the Auras enabled, you can use Enlighten Support to reduce the amount of Mana Reserved by them

[UTILITY] Molten Shell/Blood Rage
	Molten Shell - grants a protective shield and extra Armour Rating while active. It should be cast manually, and to be more effective you can allocate it under your left mouse button, so it will be nearly automatic
	Blood Rage - Blood Rage increases your Attack Speed, Life Leech, and generates Frenzy Charges for even more DPS
	Lifetap Support - will cause linked skills to cost Life instead of Mana, allowing you to Reserve more Mana on Auras

[UTILITY] Vulnerability
	Vulnerability - this is the best Curse for this build which greatly increases your Physical DPS. It's best to apply it via a Ring affix

[UTILITY] Dread Banner
	Dread Banner - a Banner skill that increases your Chance to Impale enemies which should give you a total of 100% Chance to Impale

[UTILITY] Dash and Enduring Cry
	Dash - primary mobility Skill used in this build which allows you to travel faster
	Enduring Cry - allows you to quickly generate Endurance Charges and instantly recover some of your Life
	Second Wind Support - adds additional charges to your Dash and Enduring Cry
	Lifetap Support

5. Gear Setup

Below you will find the recommended gear for this build. This is a very low-budget set up so we will not include any expensive Uniques or heavily crafted equipment. The most "basic" form should be accessible on as low as 1 Exalted Orb budget. All the rare equipment can be replaced with Uniques with equivalent stats and vice-versa, which makes it an exceptionally easy build to complete.  

Using this opportunity, we would love to invite you to visit our Path of Exile Marketplace where you can buy cheap PoE Currency in case you can't afford all the items for your character. Links to that section can be found on top of this page

(Helmet) Abyssus - the best in slot budget Helmet for this build. It grants simply a massive DPS bonus, and with high Life/Armour, the increased Physical Damage taken can be ignored in most cases

+(20-25) to all Attributes Adds 40 to 60 Physical Damage to Attacks +(100-125)% to Melee Critical Strike Multiplier (100-120)% increased Armour (40-50)% increased Physical Damage taken

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - just aim for decent Life, Elemental Resistances and possibly Intelligence bonus

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 70% Total Elemental Resistances 35 Intelligence Optional affixes: Accuracy Rating Nearby enemies take +#% Physical Damage

Helmet enchantments: Increased Cyclone Attack Speed Increased Cyclone Damage

(Weapon) Hegemony's Era - quite decent Unique Staff with reasonable single-target DPS. You can easily get a better rare (even on a budget) but it's still a worthy mention here

+20% Chance to Block Spell Damage while wielding a Staff +6% Chance to Block Attack Damage while wielding a Staff Adds (135-145) to (160-175) Physical Damage (12-16)% increased Attack Speed (10-20)% increased Critical Strike Chance +1 to Maximum Power Charges 10% chance to gain a Power Charge if you Knock an Enemy Back with Melee Damage

(Weapon) Rare Staff - simply aim for as high Physical DPS you can afford. You can get a base with either Block Chance or Crit. Chance, which should simply provide the more sought-after stats for your character

Min. requirements: 500 Physical DPS Optional affixes: Chance to Deal Double Damage Critical Strike Chance Critical Strike Multiplier Culling Strike

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - just aim for high Life (preferably 100+) and 6-links. This will be one of the most expensive parts of this build

Min. requirements: 100 maximum Life Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances Socketed Attacks have -15 to Total Mana Cost Attributes Maximum Life%

(Boots) Rare Boots - again, mainly defensive stats and increased Movement Speed. I would suggest using Labyrinth Enchantment on the boots since they can roll something valuable while getting the right Helmet enchantment will require a lot of luck

Min. requirements: 70 Maximum Life 70% Total Elemental Resistances 25% increased Movement Speed Optional affixes: Dexterity

Boot enchantment: 16% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've Killed Recently

(Belt) The Retch - grants very high bonus damage based on your Leech and extra Movement Speed making it one of the best Belts for this build. It will, however, cost over 15 Chaos

(12-24)% increased Global Physical Damage +(60-80) to maximum Life +(30-40)% to Cold Resistance 0.4% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life 60% increased Flask Effect Duration 30% reduced Flask Charges gained during any Flask Effect 200% of Life Leech applies to Enemies as Chaos Damage 15% increased Movement Speed during any Flask Effect

(Belt) Belt of the Deceiver - another overall very solid Belt for this build. The Intimidation grants very high bonus DPS against end-game Bosses

+(25-35) to Strength (15-25)% increased Global Physical Damage You take 30% reduced Extra Damage from Critical Strikes +(30-40) to maximum Life +(10-15)% to all Elemental Resistances Nearby Enemies are Intimidated

(Belt) Stygian Vise - just get extra Life and Resistances here. Obviously, Stygian Vise with its' additional Abyssal Socket is the best option

Min. requirements: 90 maximum Life 80% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Attributes Maximum Life% Increased Damage/Global Damage

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - basically some Life, Resistances, and DPS bonuses can be found here

Min. requirements: 60 maximum Life 50 Dexterity Accuracy Rating Critical Strike Multiplier Optional affixes: Intelligence Added Physical Damage to Attacks

(Amulet) Daresso's Salute - increases your Weapon Range and Damage while at full Life. With Slayer's Leech, you are basically at full Life at all times

+(16-24) to Strength and Dexterity 50% reduced maximum Energy Shield +(30-40)% to Fire Resistance +(30-40)% to Cold Resistance 10% increased Movement Speed when on Full Life +2 to Melee Weapon and Unarmed Attack range 60% increased Melee Damage when on Full Life

Recommended Anointments: Tenacity Panopticon Master of Force Charging Offensive

(Ring) Rare Rings - try to look for Rings with an empty Prefix to craft the reduced flat Mana Cost of Skills which makes Cyclone free to cast. It's also best to get one Ring (even if with inferior stats) with Vulnerability Curse

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 60% Total Elemental Resistances Curse Enemies with Vulnerability on Hit, with #% increased Effect Optional affixes: Intelligence Added Physical Damage to Attacks Channelling Skills have -# to Total Mana Cost

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - again, aim for defensive stats and either Attack Speed and Added Physical Damage to Attacks (a pair with all of these stats can get expensive)

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 40% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Accuracy Rating Added Physical Damage to Attacks

(Jewels) Rare Jewels - try to get extra Life and one Damage mod (either Melee/Physical/Area) and an extra useful stat like Attack Speed

Recommended affixes: increased maximum Life increased Melee/Area/Physical Damage increased Attack Speed Optional affixes: Attributes

(Flask) Rumi's Concoction - with Glancing Blows you will be able to nearly cap your Block Chance, making it one of the best defensive mechanics used for your character

+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: Bubbling Divine Life Flask with Bleeding/Corrupted Blood immunity Quicksilver Flask with affix to further boost your Movement Speed Silver Flask with increased Critical Strike Chance  Experimenter's Basalt Flask with random ailment removal

If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games.