The Steel Champion has been one of the most reliable builds since the inception of Path of Exile. While it’s not as overpowered as others, the cheap version of the build does around 17 to 20 million DPS if you play really well. The expensive version requires a steep PoE currency investment, but it’s worth every Exalted Orb as you’ll soon discover for yourself. If you like this guide, then stay tuned for similar content here on MmoGah.
Pros and Cons of the Build
Pros
High damage scaling potential.
Life gain hits boosts survivability.
It's hard for bosses to one-shot you.
Can defeat most of the Uber bosses with ease.
Cons
Struggles with Searing Exarch and Maiven.
The cheap low-life version is not as tanky.
Build Variants (cheap to expensive)
Low Life (Cheap) Build
1. Average Damage 17-20 million
2. No Evasion
3. Decent armour (30K) and elemental resistance.
4. Can clear most of the end game bosses. Cannot sustain slams or consistent hits. You need to move around a lot and avoid direct hits as much as possible.
5. The average cost is between 7 and 10 exalted orbs.
Evasion+Armour Stacking (Affordable) Build
1. Average Damage 17-20 million
2. Evasion Rating - 38 & Evasion Chance - 85%
3. Higher Armour (42.5K) and almost the same elemental resistance.
4. Higher survivability thanks to the increased armour and evasion rating.
5. The average cost is between 20 and 30 Exalted Orbs.
Evasion+Armour Stacking (Expensive) Build
1. Average Damage 30-40 million
2. Evasion Rating - 48 & Evasion Chance - 88%
3. Highest armour (58K) among all the variants, but similar elemental resistance.
4. Greatest surviability and most damage potential. It’s also capable of clearing every piece of in-game content relatively easily.
5. The average cost is between 150 and 170 Exalted Orbs.
Steel Champion Overview
• The build focuses on impaling targets and hitting enemies frequently. With the full build, you can deliver close to 100 hits per second.
• The second highlight of the build is life-gain. Since you’re hitting the targets so quickly, lost HP is instantly regained.
• It’s also a high-crit scaling build with anywhere between 70-90% crit chance.
• High armour, decent spell supression, and elemental resistance to further boost survivability.
Picking the Right Skills
Spells
- The Steel Champion build has two main abilities: Splitting Steel and Lancing Steel.
Splitting Steel - Great for clearing mobs. When used in conjunction with Call of Steel can deal massive amounts of damage, effectively clearing mobs in seconds.
Lancing Steel - As long as you have steel shards (which you’ll have plenty of thanks to all the implale skills), Lancing Steel shoots out a bunch of projectiles that synergize perfectly with The Saviour Long Sword and summon two clones that almost double your DPS (depending on the modifier).
Molten Shell and Vaal Molten Shell - Provides added armour and survivability to help out in difficult encounters.
Vaal Grace - Provides evasion to you and your allies.
Enduring Cry - Get endurance charges on bosses and provide extra healing to you in tough situations.
Ancestral Protector Totem - Grants more DPS and attack speed for faster killing.
Blood Rage - A must-have skill on every melee build since it buffs physical damage, attack speed, and grants life leech and frenzy charges.
Leap Slam - Movement ability that lets you quickly traverse the map.
Sniper’s / Anomalous Poacher’s Mark - You can use them interchangeably. Sniper’s Mark does more damage, but Anomalous Poacher’s Mark grants extra health and mana on each hit, which synergizes perfectly with your fast attack speed.
Auras
Defiance Banner (Dread Banner in the low-life version of the build).
Pride
Determination
Grace (Petrified Blood in the low-life version of the build).
Vitality
Precision
Importnat Gear and Craftable Itmes and their alternatives
Paradoxica Vaal Rapier - There is a mod that doubles the damage of your attacks which is a must have a on this weapon.
The Saviour Long Sword - Summons clones whenever you crit with a certain skill, and the clones attack with the same skill you crit with previously.
Pain Touch Ambush Mitts - Chance to impale enemies alongside any random hunter modifier.
Hypnotic Dome Pig-Faced Bascinet - Spec for elemental resistance and anything else that may help your build. Preferred modifiers are more intelligence, more mana, reduced mana cost for attacks, etc.
Ashes of Stars Onyx Amulet - Most expensive and important gear on the list, and is a must-have for the build since it gives +1 level and +25% quality to all skill gems.
Foe Veil Zodiac Leather - It’s important to have Chaos resistance and spell suppression on the chestpiece. Some other important suffixes are a chance to avoid elemental ailments, fire resistance, percentage life and mana, etc.
Wrath Knot Steel Ring - Needed for added physical damage and elemental resistance.
Dread Knot Steel Ring - Also needed for physical damage and elemental resistance. Other important modifiers include maximum life and maximum mana.
Perseverance Vanguard Belt - Any stats would do, but getting bonus life percentage is the best option for this gear.
Doom Urge Wyrmscale Boots - Prioritize on elemental ailments and resistance, spell suppression, and finally movement speed.
Flasks - Four magic flasks, three for armour evasion and one for crit.
Important Jewels and alternatives
Forbidden Flame Crimson Jewel (Arena Challenger) - Moves and attacks really fast, which is a must have for the Steel Champion build.
Thread of Hope Crimson Jewel - Let’s you allocate important passives like:
1. Courage - 30% Increased armour, 30% Evasion and 10% Chance to suppress spell damage.
2. Graceful Assault - 30% Increased Onslaught Effect, 10% Chance to gain onslaught, 30% Increases armour and evasion rating.
3. Forceful Awakening - Impale damage overwhelms 25% physical damage reduction, 10% Chance to impale enemies, and 10% increased impale effect.
4. Merciless Skwering - Impale damage overwhelms 15% physical damage reduction, 15% Chance to impale enemies, 10% Chance to impale enemies, and 5% Increased impale effect.
5. Vaal Pact* - Total recovery and maximum total life recovery from Life Leech is doubled.
6. Hematophagy* - 10% increased total life recovery & 100% increased total recovery per second from Life Leech and 40% increased damage while Leeching.
7. The Impaler** - Hits impaled enemies and applies 4 additional impales on impaled enemies.
8. Rampart** - 40% increased damage with attack skills.
* Optional picks if you’re running the low life/cheap version of the build.
** If you don’t have access to Jewels and are forced to allocate passives normally.
Impossible Escape Viridian Jewel - Let’s you allocate important Conduit passives like:
1. Hired Killer - 7% increased maximum Life and 2% life recovery on kill.
2. True Strike - 15% Critical Strike Multiplier and 45% increased critical strike chance.
3. Reflexes - 30% increased evasion rating, +150 to evasion rating, 15% increased global accuracy rating and +150 to accuracy rating.
4. Overcharged - 8% chance to gain power, frenzy or endurance charge on kill.
Lord of Steel Viridian Jewel - Grants 83% increased speed and 21% increased reflected damage to Call of Steel. A must-have skill for this build.
Watcher’s Eye Prismatic Jewel - Make sure to roll the 'Impales you inflict last 2 additional hits while using Pride’ modifier. This will greatly increase your DPS and clear enemies much quicker.
Final Verdict
Steel Champion is a tried and tested build that has been around for quite a while. Its a difficult build to master, but you should now have the necessary information to get started. If you found this guide helpful, check out the rest of our other guides and services in MmoGah.com.
