Lightning Conduit
Elementalist Starter Build

Updated for Patch 3.19

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Lightning Conduit is the most notable new Skill introduced in Patch 3.19. It's a Lightning ability that deals very high damage which is further amplified by consuming Shock ailment from enemies. The Skill itself has very high base damage with good damage effectiveness, and it's also increased by the effect of Shock on the enemy Hit. As an Elementalist, you can shock with all types of damage, but for its maximum effect, it's obviously better to use Lightning Spells, and Orb of Storms is our number 1 recommendation.

This is a very basic Life setup with no special Item requirements, that's specifically designed for the early stages of new Leagues, and given the changes to Unique Drop rates, it would be unwise to depend on such items early on. With bonuses to Shock effectiveness and Elemental Damage from the Elementalist Ascendancy, you will be good to go with only self-found Rares, but the build can be easily upgraded by using Uniques like Algor Mortis, Doryani's Prototype, or possibly go for a more end-game-oriented variant based on Staves with Crystallized Omniscience and The Annihilating Light.

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

1. Gameplay

This is a simple self-caster build that requires you to cast Lightning Conduit on shocked enemies, which is applied by your Orb of Storms. Shock is used to apply the most powerful Shock with each Hit, and should be supported by Chain Gem so that it covers a wider radius. You will need to constantly recall Orb of Storms to your location as it will hit enemies at a much higher frequency if you use other Lightning Spells while staying near it. Since you want to remain stationary and self-cast your main damage-dealing ability, it's good to invest in additional Armour Rating and Block Chance, allowing you to take increased damage from enemies to get into melee range. 

This video was recorded on a level 95 Elementalist using Berek's Grip and random low-budget Rares. We had over-capped Resistances, so decided to use the new buffed Flesh and Stone Aura instead

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

You can start leveling with Arc. It's one of the most popular Spells for that purpose. It has a built-in Chain which is great for clearing, and it also deals increased damage against Bosses. Since you are going to use Orb of Storms in the final version of the build, you might as well use it during leveling - not exactly for Shock, but to deal additional damage against Bosses on tougher enemies. It pairs really well with Arc, and those two should easily carry you through the first half of the campaign. Later on, most likely completing the first Lab to get Shaper of Storms, you should be able to constantly Shock enemies with all your Hits, so you may replace Arc with Lighting Conduit as your primary source of DPS - make sure to remove Elemental Focus from Orb of Storms if you plan to use it to apply Shock ailment though. It's generally a good habit to use several different Spells while leveling and have them deal damage to enemies simultaneously. 

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Arc setup
	Arc - a fine Spell if you value clear speed and user-friendliness. Lightning Conduit won't be available until level 28, and even then you might be unable to Shock efficiently enough so it's best to leave it for higher levels
	Inspiration Support - immensely beneficial Gem, it grants you Critical Strike Chance, Elemental Damage, and lowers the Mana Cost of Arc
	Lightning Penetration Support - makes Arc penetrate some Lightning Resistance
	Added Lightning Damage Support - another huge bonus to DPS

Orb of Storms setup
	Orb of Storms - one of the core abilities used in this build, which also happens to offer very high supplementary DPS on lower levels
	Inspiration Support - again, for increased Elemental DPS and reduced Mana Cost
	Elemental Focus Support - since you can Shock with increased effect using Arc, this Support will offer a decent DPS boost
	Added Lightning Damage Support

Utility Gems
	Molten Shell - a Guard Spell that presents a portion of the damage
	Summon Lightning Golem - allows you to summon a Golem that boosts your Cast Speed and later on, those Golems will be used to apply Shock quickly
	Conductivity - lowers the Lightning Resistance of cursed enemies
	Clarity - an Aura that increases your Mana Regeneration Rate allowing you to use Arc (and other Spells) at much faster rate
	Flame Dash - Travel Spell that increases your mobility

Bandits:

Killing all the Bandits for two additional Passive Points is the best option

Leveling Skill Trees:

35 Points Skill Tree
On early levels, the damage is much more important than Life/defenses so prioritize getting Lightning Walker, Elemental Overload, and Crackling Speed/Heart of Thunder/Breath of Lightning with Lightning Masteries that increases the maximum Effect of Shock and makes your non-crit Lightning Damage lucky

71 Points Skill Tree
Taking Eldritch Battery, assuming you have a valid source of Energy Shield Leech from Spells, will fix all your Mana issues. Then you can go for Sovereignty, Divine Judgement, and Devotion

Recommended leveling items:

Dream Fragments - for more Mana and Cold Resistance and Cold Ailments immunity. This Ring will solve your Mana issues before you transition into Eldritch Battery

+(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

Praxis - for more Mana and lower Mana cost of Skills. An alternative to Dream Fragments

+(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

Goldrim - A helmet that's good for leveling most of the builds, this build is no exception

+(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)

Tabula Rasa - allows you to link any six Gems from the start

Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Item has 6 White Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden)

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. Shaper of Storms
2. Mastermind of Discord
3. Heart of Destruction
4. Shaper of Winter

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 Shakari: 5% reduced Chaos Damage taken, 25% reduced Chaos Damage over Time taken while on Caustic Ground

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Lightning Conduit setup
	Lightning Conduit - the newly introduced Lightning Spell that is used to consume Shock from enemies and deal increased damage based on that Shock's effect
	Added Lightning Damage Support - adds flat Lightning Damage to linked Skills
	Elemental Focus Support - increases Elemental Damage of supported abilities but makes them unable to inflict ailments, which is negligible in this case
	Innervate Support - grants additional Lightning Damage to your Spells, and Innervation buff after you kill an enemy with the linked Spell. Can be replaced with Energy Leech Support, or Inspiration Support Gem if you are not using Eldritch Battery
	Lightning Penetration Support - use to penetrate the Lightning Resistance of your opponents
	Hypothermia Support - greatly increases your damage against Chilled enemies - and they all should be thanks to the use of Shaper of Winter

[UTILITY] Orb of Storms
	Orb of Storms - it's a static Orb that repeatedly and rapidly Hits enemies in its radius when you are using other Lightning Skill in its radius (in this case, Lightning Conduit mainly)
	Overcharge Support - mandatory Support Gem for this build, which will increase the effect of Shock inflicted by supported skills
	Unbound Ailments Support - will increase the effect of Orb of Storm's Shock
	Chain Support - adds chain effect to the Lighting strikes from Orb of Storms, greatly reducing the radius in which it applies Shock effect

[UTILITY] Wrath setup
	Wrath - one of the best DPS-oriented Auras which should be used as a Blessing in this particular setup. It should be cast using Energy Shield instead of Mana whenever off cooldown
	Divine Blessing Support - turns Wrath into a temporary Blessing, removing its' Mana Reservation cost
	Inspiration Support - reduces the Mana cost of linked Skills, which allows you to use Wrath as a Blessing with lower base Energy Shield pool

[UTILITY] Auras setup
	Determination - increases your Armour Rating which is one of the core defensive mechanics used in this build
	Tempest Shield - increases your Chance to Block Spell Damage, which can easily reach 75% with Glancing Blows
	Purity of Elements - increases your Elemental Resistances and grants you immunity to Elemental Ailments - allowing you to fully benefit the Lethe Shade Passive without downsides
	Defiance Banner - increases your Armour further while reducing the chances of nearby enemies Critically Striking you

[UTILITY] Wave of Conviction + Curse
	Wave of Conviction - applies exposure to enemies Hit. In this setup, you are supposed to cast it manually, but it could be also triggered by your Weapon with the appropriate affix for it
	Hextouch Support - causes Wave of Conviction to apply a linked Curse
	Conductivity - is the best Curse for this build. Not only reduces the Lightning Resistance of affected enemies, but it will also allow your Golem to have a 100% Chance to Shock in total

[UTILITY] Cold Snap
	Cold Snap - creates Chilling Grounds whenever triggered, allowing you to generate Frenzy Charges, but also increases your damage if you are using Algor Mortis Gloves. Use a level 1 Gem here unless you are able to trigger it via your Weapon
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - triggers Cold Snap when you take enough damage. Use a level 1 Gem here for most frequent casts

[UTILITY] Utility Gems
	Flame Dash - the best Movement Spell for this build which allows you to travel faster or avoid incoming damage. Make sure to replace it with Frostblink if you are using Algor Mortis
	Molten Shell - increases your Armour Rating and grants a protective Shield that absorbs damage. You might need an Unset Ring to socket it, and it should be allocated under your LMB so that it's basically cast automatically

6. Gear Setup

This Lightning Conduit build is designed in such a fashion that it can be played on Rares only. This is a true Stater Build, which offers sufficient DPS on Gems and Passives alone, but obviously investing in it further can be very profitable and is highly recommended. Unique Items like Thunderfist, Algor Mortis, or Berek's Grip can substantially increase your DPS output at a very reasonable price, while more end-game-oriented setups based on Annihilating Light and Crystallised Omniscience should be also possible, and will be looked into further. This, however, will not be the subject of this particular Guide at this time.

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - get more Life, Resistances, and later as you can afford more sophisticated gear, "Nearby Enemies have -9% to Lightning Resistance". Minion Helmet with Minion Life and +# to the level of Socketed Minion Gems can also be used for your Golem setup

Min. requirements: +60 to Maximum Life +60% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Nearby Enemies have -9% to Lightning Resistance Socketed Gems are supported by level # Minion Life +# to Level of Socketed Minion Gems Chaos Resistance

Helmet enchantments: 40% increased Lightning Conduit Damage 30% increased Conductivity Curse Effect

(Weapon) Rare Wand/Sceptre - basically look for high bonuses to Lightning Spell Damage and Cast Speed. Crit-related stats are irrelevant. At some point you can craft the "trigger" mod so that your Wave of Conviction and Curse are cast automatically

Min. requirements: 60% increased Lightning Spell Spell Damage Adds 40 Lightning Damage to Spells Optional affixes: increased Cast Speed Trigger a Socketed Spell when you Use a Skill, with a 8 second Cooldown Adds Lightning Damage to Spells +# to Level of all Lightning Spell Skill Gems/Spell Gems

(Weapon) Singularity - recently buffed Unique weapon which now adds a ton of added Lightning Damage and has built-in Hinder for defensive purposes

30% increased Elemental Damage Adds (1-10) to (150-200) Lightning Damage to Spells (14-18)% increased Cast Speed (6-8)% reduced Mana Cost of Skills Nearby Enemies are Hindered, with 25% reduced Movement Speed 100% increased Damage with Hits and Ailments against Hindered Enemies

(Shield) Rare Shield - simply look for high defensive stats like Life and Resistances. It's good to get extra Spell Block Chance here so that you can cap it at 75% with Glancing Blows

Min. requirements: +70 to maximum Life +50% Spell Damage 8% Chance to Block Spell Damage Optional affixes: Attributes Resistances

(Body Armour) Inpulsa's Broken Heart - a Unique Item that makes clearing maps a bit faster thanks to the built-in explosions. However, it lacks Elemental Resistances

+(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

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - simply aim for high defensive stats and possibly Spell Block Chance which can be crafted here

Min. requirements: +80 to maximum Life +60% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Attributes Spell Block Chance Maximum Life%

(Boots) Rare Boots - Life, Resistances, and Movement Speed are the mods to look for here. If you want to upgrade your pair, simply look for Tailwind mod which will increase your Action Speed

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)

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - after you have enough defensive mods start looking for bonuses to Spell Damage or increased Damage while Leeching to boost your damage

Min. requirements: +60 to maximum Life +60% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Attributes Spell Damage/Damage while Leeching

(Gloves) Thunderfist - this pair fits this build perfectly as it increases the effect of your Shocks, and gives you an extra Support Gem to increase the damage of your Orb of Storms or potentially Lightning Conduit in some alternative setups

Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 30 Added Lightning Damage 100% increased effect of Lightning Ailments 10% increased Attack Speed (150-200)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield

(Gloves) Algor Mortis - another very interesting pair that can increase your Lightning damage against enemies inside your Chilling Grounds which can be created by Cold Snap or Frost Blink

+(50-70) to maximum Energy Shield +(15-20)% to Cold and Lightning Resistances (20-30)% chance to Sap Enemies in Chilling Areas Enemies in your Chilling Areas take (25-35)% increased Lightning Damage (15-20)% increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments

(Belt) Rare Belt - Life and Resistances are the only affordable mods worth looking for on a Belt. Stygian Vise is the best base thanks to the extra Abyssal Socketed it provides

Min. requirements: +60 to Maximum Life +50% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: increased Elemental Damage Maximum Energy Shield increased Damage increased Maximum Life

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - Amulets offer a huge variety of mods, but you should be the most interested in Life, Resistances, Lightning Spell Damage, and eventually increases to Lightning or Intelligence Gem levels

Min. requirements: +60 to maximum Life +1 to Level of all Intelligence/Lightning Skill Gems Optional affixes: Attributes Resistances Non-Channelling Skills have -# to Total Mana Cost (crafted)

Recommended Anointments: Ash, Frost, and Storm Herbalism (or other Life nodes based on your budget)

(Ring) Rare Rings - simply aim for high defensive stats and fix your Attributes/Resistances here. You should also get one Unset Ring so that you can use Molten Shell without skipping any of the other more important Gems

Min. requirements: +60 to maximum Life +60% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Attributes Increased Lightning or Elemental Damage Non-channeling Skills have -# to Total Mana Cost (crafted) Added Lightning Damage to Spells

(Ring) Berek's Grip - grants Life Leech based on your damage dealt, adds a decent amount of extra Life, and added Lightning Damage to Spells making it one of the best budget Rings for this build

+(12-16)% to Cold and Lightning Resistances (25-30)% increased Cold Damage Adds 1 to (50-70) Lightning Damage to Spells and Attacks +(30-40) to maximum Life 1% of Damage Leeched as Life against Shocked Enemies 1% of Damage Leeched as Energy Shield against Frozen Enemies

(Ring) Valako's Sign - just like Berek's Grip, it adds valuable Leech and increases your Lightning Damage. However, in most cases, it will grant less raw DPS boost

+(20-30)% to Lightning Resistance 40% increased Damage with Hits against Shocked Enemies 20% increased Lightning Damage +(20-40) to maximum Mana 1% of Damage Leeched as Life against Shocked Enemies 25% chance to Shock

(Jewel) Rare Jewels - they should provide extra Life and some other various stats

Recommended affixes: Maximum Life Elemental Resistances Attributes Increases Lightning/Spell Damage

(Jewel) Watcher's Eye - one of the best Jewels in the game which can grant powerful Wrath Aura modifiers to boost your damage. It also grants extra Life, Mana, and Energy Shield

(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 (40-60)% increased Lightning Damage while affected by Wrath +(5-8)% Chance to Block Attack Damage while affected by Determination

(Flask) Atziri's Promise - an inexpensive Flask that adds extra Chaos Damage to your Skills based on conversion. It also increases your Chaos Resistance and adds some Leech

+35% to Chaos Resistance 2% of Chaos Damage Leeched as Life during Flask effect Gain (5-8)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect Gain (5-8)% of Elemental Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect

(Flask) Vessel of Vinktar - a powerful Flask that's used to increase your Lightning Damage. It also inflicts Shock on you, which you are luckily immune to. Use Penetration or Added Lightning Spell Damage variant

+50% to Lightning Resistance 20% less Lightning Damage taken (80-100)% increased Charges used Shocks nearby Enemies during Flask effect, causing 10% increased Damage taken You are Shocked during Flask effect, causing 50% increased Damage taken 20% of Lightning Damage Leeched as Life during Flask effect <One of the five modifiers>

Other suggested Flasks: Life Flask with instant recovery and Bleed removal Granite Flask for extra Armour Rating Quicksilver Flask for extra mobility - preferably with Poison immunity or even more Movement Speed bonus

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.