Triple Curse Blade Flurry
Low-Life Occultist build

Updated for Patch 3.5

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Estimated budget: moderately expensive

Crown of Eyes is a powerful item, that applies all Spell Damage to attacks, which combined with Power Charges, Occultist's Forbidden Power Passive skill and Auxium belt, resulting in an insane damage increase to all attacks, especially with great scaling of Blade Flurry's stages. Using Low Life and high Energy Shield allows us to reserve both Mana and Life for additional Auras, which scales our damage even higher. On top of that, Occultist's Malediction and Whispers of Doom from Passive Skil Tree allow to inflict up to 3 Curses on enemies, reducing their Damage and increasing ours by great amounts. This build not only has great clear speed thanks to Profane Bloom explosions but one of the highest single target damage in the game, making it a very efficient Shaper and Uber Elder farmer.

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

1. Gameplay

Blade Flurry gains up to 6 stages while channeling, increasing its damage and releasing a powerful explosion once the channeling ends. Damage of the skill and explosions is higher for each of the stage accumulated while channeling. For the highest DPS output, we recommend stopping channeling Blade Flurry for split second each time you reach 6th stage. Triple Curse will be automatically applied to nearby enemies each time we receive enough damage, thanks to Cast When Damage Taken setup. With very high Energy Shield we can survive most of the hits in the game, and Ghost Reaver will apply Life Leech from our attacks to Energy Shield. It will let us face-tank most of the encounters and bring back lost Energy Shield in a matter of seconds.

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

It's recommended to level this build as a spellcaster because we are picking mostly Area and Spell Damage nodes, which can be only converted to attacks while equipping Crown of Eyes at level 69. Arc is an amazing skill, which scales really good even without any investments. Use it until you can switch your build to Blade Flurry, using all required items.

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Arc setup
	Arc - your primary Spell during leveling, amazing both for AoE and single target
	Added Lightning Damage Support - adds a lot Lightning Damage to Arc
	Lightning Penetration Support - your Arc spell's damage will penetrate Lightning Resistances, making it deal much more damage
	Faster Casting Support - powerful gem, increases Arc casting speed

Flame Dash setup
	Flame Dash - your main mobility skill
	Faster Casting Support

Utility Gems
	Conductivity - cursed enemies have lower Lightning Resistance, which increases the damage they receive from Arc
	Summon Ice Golem - increases Critical Strike Chance for your Arc by a lot
	Wrath - increases Lightning Damage a lot
	Assassin's Mark - use it as your second curse after you take Whispers of Doom node in the tree

Bandits:

We recommend helping Alira for easier capping resistances thanks to +15% All Elemental Resistances and Critical Strike Multiplier

Leveling Skill Trees:

30 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Blast Radius 2) Melding 3) Nullification 4) Arcane Focus

65 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Unnatural Calm 2) Whispers of Doom 3) Faith and Steel 4) Overcharge

Recommended leveling items:

String of Servitude - with Incursion added to core game you can now buy them every league. It's definitely best belt for leveling that cap your Elemental Resistances
+40% to all Elemental Resistances

Goldrim - amazing leveling Helmet which covers up all your needs for Elemental Resistances during early levels
+(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)

Le Heup of All - they provide everything - Attributes, Damage, and Resistances. Perfect choices for the whole leveling process
(10-30)% increased Damage +(10-30) to all Attributes (10-30)% increased Rarity of Items found +(10-30)% to all Elemental Resistances

Axiom Perpetuum - increased Cast Speed, additional flat Damage to Spells and an immense amount of Critical Strike Chance for Spells make it best leveling weapon for our build. Recommended for dual-wielding
(4-6)% increased Cast Speed (100-140)% increased Critical Strike Chance for Spells Adds (2-3) to (5-6) Fire Damage to Spells Adds (2-3) to (5-6) Cold Damage to Spells Adds 1 to (10-12) Lightning Damage to Spells

4. Final Skill tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

116 Points Skill Tree
116 Points Path of Building (PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Profane Bloom
2. Malediction
3. Forbidden Power
4. Void Beacon

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of Lunaris 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%; 1% increased Movement Speed for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%

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] Blade Flurry
	Blade Flurry - your primary DPS skill. Deals massive both single and AoE damage
	Elemental Damage with Attacks - biggest damage boost out of all Support Gems
	Concentrated Effect Support - massive Damage boost in exchange for lower Area of Effect
	Faster Attacks Support
	Immolate Support - grants additional Fire damage against enemies that are Ignited
	Hypothermia Support - more damage against Chilled enemies and additional Chance to Freeze

[CURSE] Enfeeble, Elemental Weakness and Assassin's Mark setup
	Enfeeble - reduces Damage and chance to be hit by cursed enemies. Keep it at level 12
	Elemental Weakness - reduces all Elemental Resistances for cursed enemies. Keep it at level 12
	Assassin's Mark - increases Critical Strike Chance against cursed enemies. Keep it at level 12
	Cast When Damage Taken Support - it will automatically inflict all curses to nearby enemies when you receive Damage. Keep it at level 10

[MOBILITY] Whirling Blades setup
	Whirling Blades - your primary movement skill
	Faster Attacks Support - increases the movement speed of Whirling Blades
	Fortify Support - after hitting an enemy with Whirling Blades it will grants you Fortify Buff, which reduces Damage Taken

[UTILITY] Immortal Call and Vaal Haste
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - will auto-cast Immortal Call after a certain amount of damage is taken. Keep this Gem at level 1
	Immortal Call - grants brief Physical Damage immunity. Keep this Gem at max level 1-3
	Increased Duration Support - increases the duration of Immortal Call and Vaal Haste
	Vaal Haste - after acquiring enough souls you can use this skill, which increases your Attack Speed by a lot

[AURA] Wrath
	Wrath - it will add additional Lightning Damage to attacks
	Blood Magic Support - since we are using Shavronne's Wrappings Life doesn't matter for us so we can reserve our Life for additional Aura spell

[AURA] Hatred and Discipline
	Hatred - grants additional Cold Damage based on Physical Damage
	Discipline - grants a lot of additional Energy Shield
	Enlighten - use at least level 3 for Reduced Mana Reservation by linked Auras

[UTILITY] Ancestral Protector and Blood Rage
	Ancestral Protector - increases our Attack Speed and tank a bit of damage
	Blood Rage - not only increases our Attack Speed and Life Leech but also generates Frenzy Charges which increases both Movement and Attack Speed

5. Gear Setup

Below you will find all the recommended and required items for this build. As usual, all required stats are listed (items are also included in the PoB link). This is a rather expensive build, which to reach full potential might cost around 20-50 Exalted Orbs, but with such investment, you can do all content in the game with ease.

At this point, we would love to invite you to visit our Path of Exile Marketplace where you can buy cheap PoE Currency in case you are unable to complete your build.

Our recommended items will:

1. Cap your resistances 
2. Give you enough DPS/Life to start mapping successfully

(Helmet) Crown of Eyes - it's the only option for Helmet slot for this build. It will apply all Spell Damage increases from skill tree and our equipment to Attacks. Crown of Eyes also grants very important Life and Mana Leech

+(200-250) to Accuracy Rating (120-150)% increased Energy Shield -30% to Fire Resistance (0.4-0.8)% of Attack Damage Leeched as Life (0.2-0.4)% of Attack Damage Leeched as Mana Increases and Reductions to Spell Damage also apply to Attacks

Helmet enchantments: Increased Blade Flurry Damage

(Weapon) Fate of the Vaal - it's a very viable and cheap option as your first weapon when you start gearing your character. It converts Physical Damage to random Elements and Increases Damage against enemies that are inflicted by Elemental ailments

(160-180)% increased Physical Damage (10-15)% increased Attack Speed 100% of Physical Damage from Hits with this Weapon is Converted to a random Element Hits with this Weapon always Ignite, Freeze, and Shock Hits with this Weapon deal (30-60)% increased Damage to Ignited Enemies Hits with this Weapon deal (30-60)% increased Damage to Frozen Enemies Hits with this Weapon deal (30-60)% increased Damage to Shocked Enemies

(Weapon) Rare Sword - it's our go-to option. The more Physical Damage and Critical Strike the better. Aim at 350+ Physical DPS sword

350+ Physical DPS 20% increased Attack Speed 20% increased Critical Strike Chance 20% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier

(Shield) Lycosidae - with this shield our Attacks cannot be Evaded. Without this shield you, need to invest into Accuracy Rating affixes on all your gear to get 95%+ Hit Chance

+(120-160) to Armour +(30-40) to maximum Life Your hits can't be Evaded +(3-5)% Chance to Block Adds 250 to 300 Cold Damage to Counterattacks

(Body Armour) Shavronne's Wrappings - since we are going Energy Shield Low Life build this is the only viable option for our chest piece. It will allow us to reserve our Life for more damage and doesn't let Chaos Damage bypass Energy Shield

(100-150)% increased Energy Shield 10% faster start of Energy Shield Recharge +(30-40)% to Lightning Resistance Reflects 1 to 250 Lightning Damage to Melee Attackers Chaos Damage does not bypass Energy Shield

Corrupted modifiers: +2 levels of Socketed AoE Gems +1 level of Socketed Gems increased Damage

(Boots) Rare Boots - boots will increase our amount of Energy Shield and fix Elemental Resistances. It's best to pick Strength/Energy shield base to easily craft three red sockets on it for one of the CwDT Gem setups

Min. requirements: 180 Energy Shield 35% Fire Resistance 35% Cold Resistance 35% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: 25% increased Movement Speed

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

(Belt) Auxium - extremely powerful Belt that will increase your Elemental Attack Damage by up to 175%, based on the number of Power Charges It also grants a lot of Energy Shield

+(60-80) to maximum Energy Shield +(45-55) to maximum Mana +(60-70) to maximum Energy Shield 0.2% of Attack Damage Leeched as Mana per Power Charge (20-25)% increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills per Power Charge Chill Effect and Freeze Duration on you are based on 100% of Energy Shield

(Amulet) Rare Citrine Amulet - we need the highest amount of Strength and Dexterity for fixing Attributes Requirements. It also adds Resistances and Energy Shield

Min. requirements: 30 to all Attributes 30 to maximum Energy Shield 12% to all Elemental Resistances 29% to Fire Resistance Optional affixes: Increased maximum Energy Shield Increased Spell Damage

(Ring) Rare Rings - preferably Opal Rings for increase Elemental Damage. Try to get one of them as Shaper for combination with Mark of the Elder

Min. requirements: 30 to maximum Energy Shield 30% Fire Resistance 30% Cold Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: Attack Speed Physical Damage to Attacks

(Ring) Mark of the Elder - use it only if your other ring is Shaper one. Provides immense Damage boost for the ring slot

Adds (3-4) to (10-14) Physical Damage to Attacks Adds (26-32) to (42-48) Cold Damage to Attacks (6-10)% increased maximum Energy Shield (6-10)% increased maximum Life (60-80)% increased Attack Damage if your other Ring is a Shaper Item Cannot be Stunned by Attacks if your other Ring is an Elder Item 20% chance to Trigger Level 20 Tentacle Whip on Kill

(Gloves) Rare Fingerless Silk Gloves - try to get with the highest Energy Shield possible

Min. requirements: 160 Energy Shield 25% Fire Resistance 25% Cold Resistance 25% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: Physical Damage to Attacks Attack Speed

(Jewels) Rare Jewels - all jewels should provide extra Energy Shield and at least one Damage amplification mod

Recommended affixes: increased maximum Energy Shield increased Spell Damage/Area Damage/Spell Damage while holding a Shield Optional affixes: increased Attack Speed increased Critical Strike Multiplier

(Jewels) Abyss Jewels - your priority should be added flat Elemental Damage to Attacks

Recommended affixes: Adds Lightning/Cold/Fire to Attacks/Sword Attacks Optional affixes: maximum Energy Shield

(Flask) Atziri's Promise - grants additional Chaos Damage based on Fire and Physical damage, and extra Life Leech

2% of Chaos Damage Leeched as Life during Flask effect Gain (15-20)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect Gain (10-15)% of Elemental Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect

(Flask) Lion's Roar - increases Physical Damage by a lot and adds Knockback effect which increases our survivability, because enemies can't hit us with Melee attacks

Adds Knockback to Melee Attacks during Flask effect 75% chance to cause Enemies to Flee on use (20-25)% more Melee Physical Damage during effect Knocks Back Enemies in an Area when you use a Flask

(Flask) Taste of Hate - grants additional Cold Damage based on Physical and reduces Cold and Physical Damage Taken

20% of Physical Damage from Hits taken as Cold Damage during Flask effect Gain (15-20)% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage during effect 30% chance to Avoid being Chilled during Flask effect 30% chance to Avoid being Frozen during Flask effect

Other suggested Flasks: Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching (Bleeding immunity) Ample Silver Flask of Staunching (Bleeding immunity)

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.