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Triple Herald Blade Vortex Elementalist Starter Build - Odealo's Crafty Guide

Triple Herald Blade Vortex Elementalist Starter Build - Odealo's Crafty Guide

Amazing clear speed and DPS make this BV Elementalist a fine League Starter build. It also scales well into end-game with shaped gear

Triple Herald
Blade Vortex Elementalist
Starter build

Updated for Patch 3.5

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Guide notes
December 10, 2018
-Updated for Patch 3.5
January 22, 2019
-Added Gameplay video

Along with the Elementalist Ascendancy Class changes in Patch 3.2, Herald skills became much more useful. As a Witch Elementalist character, you can use all three Heralds at once. Thanks to Ascendancy Passives, Heralds will have increased efficiency, reduced Mana Reservation, and grant amazing Elemental Damage Penetration (25% to each element, for every active Herald of that element). Elementalist might not have become the top class in Path of Exile, but earned some new fans in Patch 3.2, and opened up several interesting build options, including this Blade Vortex Triple Herald Elementalist build.

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

1. Gameplay

Triple Herald Elementalist is a melee spellcaster build, that revolves around the Blade Vortex Spell. Blade Vortex summons ethereal blades around the caster that deal Physical Spell Damage in the radius. A maximum of 20 blades can be summoned at once, and each increased the damage, damage with ailments and chance to hit. Blade Vortex is further amplified by three Heralds and with increased Crit. Chance, you will be instantly Freezing, Shocking and Igniting enemies on your path. On the other hand, high Life, and the Freeze mechanic are the core defensive layers of this build. 

0:06 Tier 15 Summit
0:40 Tier 14 Basilica
1:11 Tier 14 Sunken City
1:46 Tier 16 Guardian of the Hydra
2:18 Tier 16 Guardian of the Chimera

This video was recorded on a level 92 Elementalist on the Betrayal League. This character is using two Rare Daggers, Inpulsa's Broken Heart, and Starkonja's Head with Blade Vortex increased duration enchantment


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2. Build's PROS & CONS

PROS
  • high damage both single-target and AoE
  • good clear speed with one of the fastest movement sills at your disposal
  • decent defenses as soon as you get in melee range and start your ailments rolling
  • budget-friendly with no expensive item requirements
  • scales exceptionally well in the end-game with investments in Shaped gear
CONS
  • vulnerable to elemental reflect map mods
  • not the cheapest build to clear all the content
  • needs to get in melee range
  • dependant on Freeze for its' defenses

3. Leveling tips

Leveling a Witch character is one of the easiest of its' kind. You get early access to powerful AoE spells, Spell Damage nodes, and you can summon durable Zombies to aid you on your adventure. Also, since this is a Life-based build, you do not need to adjust your Skill Tree in any way during leveling, and you will save up all the Passive Refund Points.

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Freezing Pulse setup
Freezing Pulse Freezing Pulse - projectile based-spell that has 100% chance to pierce, making it very good for the leveling phase
Faster Casting Support Faster Casting Support
Arcane Surge Support Arcane Surge Support - grants Spell Damage, and Mana Regeneration Rate bonuses after spending a certain amount of Mana on supported spells
Added Cold Damage Support Added Cold Damage Support - grants additional Cold Damage to your Spells
Firestorm setup
Firestorm Firestorm - one of the best leveling AoE spells
Elemental Focus Support Elemental Focus Support - dramatically increases Elemental Damage of supported skills
Increased Area of Effect Support Increased Area of Effect Support - provides increased AoE for clearing areas
Spell Echo Support Spell Echo Support - makes supported spell repeat additional time with significantly increased Cast Speed
Utility Gems
Elemental Weakness Elemental Weakness - the recommended Curse for this build during leveling phase
Herald of Ice Herald of Ice - grants added Cold Damage to your Spells and causes AoE explosions
Clarity Clarity - provides increased Mana Regeneration rate
Flame Dash Flame Dash - your mobility skill for the early levels. You should be using wands during, and Whirling Blades won't work with them

Bandits:

Killing all bandits for two additional Passives Points, or you can help Alira for the extra Crit. Multiplier

Leveling Skill Trees:

31 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Occultist's Dominion 2) Heart and Souls 3) Discipline and Training 4) Light of Divinity 5) Devotion

56 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Blast Radius 2) Cruel Preparation 3) Potency of Will 4) Constitution

Recommended leveling items:

PraxisPraxis - one of the best spellcaster's leveling ring in Path of Exile
+(20-25) to maximum Mana
+(30-60) to maximum Mana
(3-6) Mana Regenerated per second
-(8-4) to Total Mana Cost of Skills
8% of Damage taken gained as Mana over 4 seconds when Hit
 
GoldrimGoldrim - the best leveling unique helmet in Path of Exile. Will cover up all your Elemental Resistances needs till level 50+
+(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)
 
Wurm's MoltWurm's Molt - provides decent Life and Attribute bonuses
+(25-40) to maximum Life
+(20-30) to Strength
+(20-30) to Intelligence
+(10-20)% to Cold Resistance
0.4% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life
0.4% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Mana
 
LifesprigLifesprig - one of the most popular Witch's leveling wand. Is perfect to socket your Firestorm setup in it, for the additional Gem level
(8-12)% increased Spell Damage
+1 to Level of Socketed Spell Gems
(20-28)% increased Spell Damage
(5-8)% increased Cast Speed
+(15-20) to maximum Life
+(15-20) to maximum Mana
Regenerate (6-8) Life over 1 second when you Cast a Spell
 

Lochtonial CaressLochtonial Caress - this pair of gloves provide very important increased Cast Speed for any spellcaster character

(10-15)% increased Attack Speed
(10-15)% increased Cast Speed
+(20-30) to maximum Life
(15-10)% reduced maximum Mana
10% chance to gain a Power, Frenzy or Endurance Charge on Kill
Conduit
 

Thousand RibbonsThousand Ribbons - a nice body Armour for the earlier levels. It provides amazing Damage bonuses to your spells. Try to get a four-linked piece, and socket your Freezing Pulse in it

3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden)
Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 5 Elemental Proliferation
Adds 2 to 3 Fire Damage to Spells and Attacks
Adds 2 to 3 Cold Damage to Spells and Attacks
Adds 1 to 4 Lightning Damage to Spells and Attacks
+(10-20) to Evasion Rating
+6 to maximum Life
+6 to maximum Mana
+(10-20) to maximum Energy Shield
+(5-10)% to Fire Resistance
+(5-10)% to Cold Resistance
+(5-10)% to Lightning Resistance
 

4. Final Skill tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

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

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

  1. Pendulum of Destruction
  2. Mastermind of Discord
  3. Shaper of Desolation
  4. Beacon of Ruin

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 Vortex
Blade Vortex Blade Vortex - you should summon several blades before approaching enemy packs. Try to adjust to the current difficulty tier and see what's required to kill monsters on your first contact
Spell Echo Support Spell Echo Support - makes supported spells repeat with significantly increased Cast Speed
Controlled Destruction Support Controlled Destruction Support - even though this Gem reduces Crit. Chance, it still provides one of the highest DPS bonuses out there
Physical to Lightning Support Physical to Lightning Support - required Gem for full damage conversion
Increased Critical Strikes Support Increased Critical Strikes Support - increases BV's Critical Strike Chance
Hypothermia Support Hypothermia Support - greatly increases your damage with Hits against chilled enemies
[UTILITY] Triple Herald setup
Herald of Ice Herald of Ice - grants added Cold Damage and causes AoE explosions
Herald of Thunder Herald of Thunder - grants added Lightning Damage
Herald of Ash Herald of Ash - gives added Fire Damage based on Blade Vortex's Physical Damage. Also causes enemies to Ignite for 25% of overkill damage
Enlighten Support Enlighten Support - reduces Mana Reservation of the supported Herald Skills
[MOBILITY] Whirling Blades setup
Whirling Blades Whirling Blades - your primary movement skill. Is one of the fastest movement skills in Path of Exile, but requires you to use a dagger
Faster Attacks Support Faster Attacks Support - grants speedier mobility with Whirling Blades
Fortify Support Fortify Support - hits with WB will grant you the Fortify buff, that reduces your damage taken
[UTILITY] Frost Bomb
Cast when Damage Taken Support Cast when Damage Taken Support - will auto-cast Vortex. Keep this Gem at level 1
Frost Bomb Frost Bomb - Frost Bomb is an area/duration spell that will reduce affected enemies resistance to Cold damage. Keep this Gem at level 10
Bonechill Support Bonechill Support - increases the effectiveness of Chill effect on affected enemies and the Cold Damage they take
[UTILITY] Orb of Storms/Arcane Surge
Frost Bomb Orb of Storms - used mainly for the Arcane Surge buff, and Blind as an extra layer of defense
Arcane Surge Support Arcane Surge Support - grants increased Spell Damage and Mana Regeneration Rate. You need to match this gem's level to the current Mana cost of Orb of Storms, to proc the buff with every cast
Chain Support Chain Support - will make Orb of Storms hit enemies even slightly offscreen, with a chance to blind them
Blind Support Blind Support - grants a chance to blind enemies on hit
[UTILITY] Immortal Call/Golem setup
Immortal Call Immortal Call - grants brief Physical Damage immunity
Cast when Damage Taken Support Cast when Damage Taken Support - will auto-cast supported spells after a certain amount of damage is taken by your character
Increased Duration Support Increased Duration Support - increased the duration of Immortal Call buff
Ice Golem Ice Golem - recommended Golem for this build. Is auto-cast by CwDT Support Gem as well
[CURSE] Assassin's Mark
Assassin's Mark Assassin's Mark - recommended Curse for this build. It's advised to have it as the "Curse Enemies with Level 8 Assassin's Mark on Hit" Shaped mod on one of your Rings. If you can't afford or find one, just take an Unset ring and manually cast the curse versus Bosses and rare monsters


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5. Gear Setup

Our Triple Herald Blade Vortex Elementalist was designed to be a fully viable League Starter build. That's why we are presenting all the items for the budget-friendly variation of this build. End-game items including Shaped weapons, Inpulsa's Broken Heart have also been included on the list. 

At this point, we would love to invite you to visit our Path of Exile Marketplace where you can buy cheap POE Orbs.

Our recommended items will:

  1. Cap your resistances 
  2. Give you enough DPS/Life to start mapping successfully
  3. Save you at least a couple of hours since it's all planned out for you!

Stat priorities on items:

  1. Life
  2. Elemental Resistances
  3. Spell Damage
  4. Increased Critical Strike Chance & Multiplier
  5. Cast Speed
  6. Attack Speed
Starkonja's Head(Helmet) Starkonja's Head - the best in slot item for this build. It usually doesn't cost much and is perfect for both very high defensive utility, and the increased Critical Strike Chance it provides. It also helps you get the Dexterity needed for Blade Vortex's requirements
50% reduced Damage when on Low Life
+(50-70) to Dexterity
10% increased Attack Speed
25% increased Global Critical Strike Chance
(100-130)% increased Evasion Rating
+(80-100) to maximum Life
150% increased Global Evasion Rating when on Low Life
Rare Helmet(Helmet) Rare Helmet - may be easier to find and obtain for more casual players
Min. requirements:
80 maximum Life
28% Fire Resistance
28% Lightning Resistance
28% Cold Resistance
Helmet enchantments:
40% increased Blade Vortex Spell Damage
30% increased Blade Vortex Duration
Rare Dagger(Weapon) Rare Spell Damage Dagger  - with added Elemental Damage to Spells, Crit. Chance, Multiplier, and Spell Damage
Min. requirements:
75 increased Global Critical Strike Chance
15% increased Global Critical Strike Multiplier
40% increased Spell Damage
10% increased Attack Speed
Optional affixes:
added Elemental Damage to Spells
added % of your Physical Damage as Elemental Damage (Shaped mods)
Sceptre(Weapon) Rare Spell Damage Sceptre - with similar stats to daggers. Keep in mind you need a dagger to be able to use Whirling Blades
Min. requirements:
75 increased Global Critical Strike Chance
15% increased Global Critical Strike Multiplier
40% increased Spell/Elemental Damage
10% increased Attack Speed
Optional affixes:
added Elemental Damage to Spells
added % of your Physical Damage as Elemental Damage (Shaped mods)
Doryani's Catalyst(Weapon) Doryani's Catalyst - also a solid pick which might be easier to get early in a new League or Event
32% increased Elemental Damage
Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 20 Elemental Proliferation
Adds (65-85) to (100-160) Physical Damage
(11-15)% increased Attack Speed
(6-10)% increased Cast Speed
(30-40)% increased Global Critical Strike Chance
0.2% of Elemental Damage Leeched as Life
(80-100)% increased Elemental Damage
Rare Chest(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - should be your first pick when you start mapping. Try to get a cheap fix or six-linked Body Armour from the market, and craft at least 90 Life and whatever Elemental Resistances you can get. A decent piece may cost you as low as 40 Chaos Orbs for six links
Min. requirements:
90 maximum Life
50% mixed total Elemental Resistances
Optional affixes:
Attributes
Inpulsa's Broken Heart(Body Armour) Inpulsa's Broken Heart - this is the recommended Body Armour for the end-game content. It provides the highest DPS bonuses available for this build
3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden)
+(60-80) to maximum Life
(20-50)% increased Damage if you have Shocked an Enemy Recently
(25-40)% increased Effect of Shock
Unaffected by Shock
Shocked Enemies you Kill Explode, dealing (5-10)% of
their Maximum Life as Lightning Damage which cannot Shock
Boots(Boots) Rare Boots - with high stats and at least 20% increased Movement Speed
Min. requirements:
80 maximum Life
20% Fire Resistance
20% Lightning Resistance
20% Cold Resistance
20% increased Movement Speed
Boot enchantment:
16% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've Killed Recently
0.6% of Damage Leeched as Life and Mana if you've Killed Recently
Adds 45 to 68 Cold Damage if you've been Hit Recently
Leather Belt(Belt) Rare Belt - preferably a Rustic Sash base for the additional Physical Damage bonus
Min. requirements:
80 maximum Life
30% Fire Resistance
30% Lightning Resistance
30% Cold Resistance
Optional affixes:
increased Physical Damage
Stygian Vise(Belt) Rare Stygian Vise - will be the best in the slot. Look for similar stats as Leather Belt, and be prepared it might be several times more expensive
Min. requirements:
80 maximum Life
30% Fire Resistance
30% Lightning Resistance
30% Cold Resistance
Optional affixes:
increased Physical Damage
Rare Amulet(Amulet) Rare Life/Res. amulet - recommended amulet for this build
Min. requirements:
80 maximum Life
15% All Elemental Resistances
30% increased Global Critical Strike Multiplier
20% increased Global Critical Strike Chance
Optional affixes:
Spell Damage
Attributes
Opal Ring(Ring) Rare Life/Res. Ring - with Opal Ring as the best possible base rings
Min. requirements:
60 maximum Life
20% Fire Resistance
20% Cold Resistance
20% Lightning Resistance
Optional affixes:
increased Elemental Damage
increased Global Critical Strike Chance
Attributes
Opal Ring(Ring) Rare Life/Curse Ring
Min. requirements:
60 maximum Life
Curse Enemies with Level 8 Assassin's Mark on Hit
Optional affixes:
Elemental Resistances
Global Critical Strike Chance & Multiplier
Hrimsorrow(Gloves) Hrimsorrow - mandatory item for the Elemental Damage conversion
+(20-30) to Strength
Adds (5-7) to (13-15) Cold Damage to Spells and Attacks
+(40-50) to Evasion Rating
+(20-30)% to Cold Resistance
50% of Physical Damage Converted to Cold Damage
Reflects 10 Cold Damage to Melee Attackers
Cobalt Jewel(Jewels) Rare jewels - all jewels should provide extra Life and at least one Damage amplification affix
Recommended affixes:
% increased maximum Life
% increased Generic/Physical/Elemental/Area/Spell Damage
Optional affixes:
% increased Global Critical Strike Chance
% increased Global Critical Strike Multiplier
% increased Cast Speed
Abyss Jewel(Jewels) Abyss jewels - with bonus Life and added Elemental Damage to Spells
Recommended affixes:
maximum Life
added Elemental Damage to Spells
Optional affixes:
Global Critical Strike Multiplier
Cast Speed
Atziri's Promise(Flask) Atziri's Promise - grants increased damage and 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
Taste of Hate(Flask) Taste of Hate - grants amazing Physical Damage mitigation, and extra Cold Damage. Sadly, it's not exactly a budget-friendly Flask. Just use a Life or Quicksilver Flask if you can't afford it
+50% to Cold Resistance
+6% to maximum Cold Resistance
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:
  1. Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching (bleeding immunity)
  2. Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Heat (freeze and chill immunity)
  3. Experimenter's Diamond Flask of Reflexes (increased Evasion)
Atziri's PromiseTaste of HateDivine Life FlaskDivine Life FlaskDiamond Flask


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