The Lightning Strike Champion is a versatile, powerful melee build that leverages the Champion ascendancy's strengths to deliver devastating lightning-based attacks. This build is designed to balance offense and defense, making it suitable for tackling end-game content such as maps, bosses, and Delve.
Build Overview
Pros
• High damage output with lightning strikes
• Good balance between single-target and area damage
• Strong defenses through Champion ascendancy
• Versatile for various types of content
Cons
• Can be gear-dependent for optimal performance
• Requires careful management of mana and life leech
Core Skill: Lightning Strike
Lightning Strike is the centerpiece of this build. It projects a number of lightning bolts in addition to your melee strike, which can hit additional enemies or concentrate on a single target for increased damage.
Gem Setup
• Lightning Strike
• Multistrike Support
• Added Lightning Damage Support
• Elemental Damage with Attacks Support
• Increased Critical Strikes Support
• Pierce Support (for clearing) / Concentrated Effect Support (for bosses)
Ascendancy: Champion
The Champion ascendancy provides a mix of offensive and defensive bonuses that complement the Lightning Strike skill.
Recommended Ascendancy Nodes
• Unstoppable Hero for increased attack speed and defenses while you have Fortify
• Conqueror for taunting enemies on hit and increased damage against them
• Worthy Foe for enemies you taunt take increased damage
• First to Strike, Last to Fall for Adrenaline and additional damage/defense boosts
Gear Choices
Your gear should focus on increasing lightning damage, critical strike chance, and survivability.
Key PoE Items
• Weapon: A high physical damage one-handed sword with added lightning damage and critical strike chance.
• Armor: A six-linked chest piece with life and resistances.
• Helmet: A helmet with added lightning damage to attacks and life.
• Gloves: Gloves with increased attack speed and added lightning damage.
• Boots: Boots with high movement speed, life, and resistances.
• Accessories: Rings and amulet with added lightning damage, critical strike chance, and multiplier.
Passive Tree
Focus on nodes that increase melee and lightning damage, critical strike chance and multiplier, and life.
Key Passives
• Static Blows for increased lightning damage and shock chance
• Heartseeker for increased critical strike multiplier
• Primeval Force for increased elemental damage with attack skills
• Blood Drinker for life leech
Bandits and Pantheon
Bandits:
Help Alira with the critical strike multiplier, mana regeneration, and resistances.
Pantheon:
• Major God: Soul of the Brine King to protect against stuns
• Minor God: Soul of Ralakesh for reduced physical damage over time and blind immunity
Flasks
• Seething Divine Life Flask of Staunching for instant life recovery and bleed removal
• Diamond Flask for increased critical strike chance
• Atziri's Promise for chaos resistance and extra chaos damage
• Vessel of Vinktar for lightning damage leech and shock immunity
• Quicksilver Flask of Adrenaline for increased movement speed
Conclusion
The Lightning Strike Champion is a robust build that offers a satisfying blend of speed, power, and resilience. With the right gear and passive tree setup, you can enjoy slicing through hordes of enemies with electrifying efficiency. Remember to adjust your flasks and gear according to the content you're facing for the best experience.
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Lightning Strike Champion build, covering the essentials to get you started. As you progress, fine-tune the build to suit your playstyle and the challenges of Wraeclast. Good luck, Exile!