Home / Build / [3.6] CI HoWA Molten Strike Scion (Ascendant)

[3.6] CI HoWA Molten Strike Scion (Ascendant)

Intro & build description

HoWA stands for Hand of Wisdom and Action which is unique claw that scales the damage from intelligence. This build is using 2 of these claws, energy shield as our main defensive mechanism combined with Incandescent Heart for extra damage, leech, and elemental mitigation.

Build Pros

  • Very high damage - great at killing bosses
  • Good survivability
  • Good for doing delves in depths 500+
  • Really easy to balance resistances for the Wise Oak damage reduction

Build Cons

  • Can be a bit expensive to start

Passive tree(s) and Path of Building

[3.5] Tree
[3.6] Skill Tree

Bandits

Bandits Quest Choice
Kill all bandits

Ascendancy skill points

LabyrinthsSkill point choice
Labyrinth 1Intelligence, Passive Point
Labyrinth 2Occultist (Under Witch Ascendancy), Passive Point
Labyrinth 3Path of The Witch, Dexterity
Endgame LabyrinthPassive Point, Raider (Under Ranger Ascendancy)

Skill gem setup

Helm


Enlighten (Level 3)

Wrath

Purity of Elements

Discipline


Body Armor


Molten Strike

Ancestral Call Support

Damage on Full Life Support

Multistrike Support

Elemental Focus Support

Elemental Damage With Attacks Support


Gloves


Cast When Damage Taken Support (Level 1)

Immortal Call (Level 3)

Enfeeble (Level 5)

Increased Duration (Level 20)


Boots


Whirling Blades

Fortify Support

Faster Attacks Support

Culling Strike Support


2h Weapon


None


1h Weapon


Summon Lightning Golem

Clarity (Level 1 - used only for Watcher's Eye)

Portal (Optional)


Offhand weapon / shield


Ancestral Protector

Faster Attacks Support

Blind Support



Build uniques / Example rare gear


Tip: Click on the item to view it on PoE Wiki or to view similar rare items in poe.trade

Helmet

The Vertex

Great helm for the build – lets us get away with having level 3 Enlighten and giving a nice energy shield boost.

If you can get level 4 Enlighten, a well-rolled Hubris Circlet could probably outscale this item though.


Body Armour

Incandescent Heart

A must have for our build.
We get free elemental damage mitigation since this build is using Chaos Inoculation keystone.


Gloves

Shaper's Touch

An extremely important unique for the build – it synergyzes really well with the attributes we have giving the build a lots of evasion without investment, free ES from strength and tons of damage from accuracy.

You could try corrupting these gloves later on when they get cheaper.


Boots

Sin Trek

Sin Trek is perfect for the build with stats such as free attributes and high energy shield and evasion.

Try to get 1-160 lightning damage or 10% penetration enchantment from the Uber Lab.


Left Ring

Le Heup of All

Le Heup of All is perfect all-around ring for the build – attributes, damage and resistances.

We use 2 of these rings and you should try to get % increased intelligence and strength corruption on them.


Right Ring

Le Heup of All

Same as the previously mentioned ring.


Amulet

Rare Shaper Amulet / Astramentis

Ideally you should have rare amulet that has these 2 mods:

% increased attributes and 1% increased damage per 15 intelligence.

You could either buy it or try to craft it yourself – it can be pretty expensive to craft though.

A good alternative is a well-rolled Astramentis.


Belt

Cyclopean Coil

Cyclopean Coil is also a must have for the build due to the increased attributes. Look for as high roll as possible.

Ideally you would want a well-rolled Cyclopean Coil with %increased intelligence and strength corruption.


1Hand Weapon

Hand of Wisdom and Action

An item the build revolves around. Get 2 of them as soon as you can afford it.


Offhand

Hand of Wisdom and Action

Get 2 of these.


Jewel

Unique Jewels

This build uses several unique jewels:

3x Fertile mind – 1st goes near Charisma notable, 2nd goes under Profane Chemistry notable and 3rd goes in the jewel slot between Blood Drinker and Mind Drinker.

Watcher’s Eye -(With Gain x% of maximum mana as extra maximum energy shield while affected by Clarity)

Wildfire – limited to 1 in 3.5 patch, it goes in the jewel slot just above Sentinel notable.

Pure Talent – any socket you want.


Jewel

Rare Jewels

On rare jewels look for:

1.) Increased Lightning damage
2.) Attack speed, attack speed while dual wielding
3.) All resistances if you need them
4.) Intelligence


Flask

Flask Setup

1.) Atziri’s Promise
2.) The Wise Oak
3.) Quicksilver flask of adrenaline
4.) Stibnite Flask with freeze removal
5.) Vessel of Vinktar / Sulphur Flask with curse or bleed removal



Feel free to share your thoughts/experiences/tips about the build in comments section below.

About gems

Always tries to keep up with the game, its ever-changing mechanisms and explain them in understandable manner.

23 comments

  1. How should you level this build? Both items wise and skill tree wise?

    Thanks,

    • Tree is very defensive and attribute-focused, so I’d get Hand of Thought and motion as soon as possible, after that – Hand of Wisdom and Action. I would also switch to CI when you have at least 3.5K energy shield and Ghost Reaver.
      When leveling, get as much flat elemental damage as possible – things like Wake of Destruction, Ondar’s Clasp, Hrimsorrow, Tabula Rasa and some rare items with flat elemental damage would be more than enough to get you through.

      • Where should you start on the tree? Or at least what do you recommend as the last 10-15 points?

        Thanks!

        • 10-15 points matter way less than you think if you have decent items, I wouldn’t worry too much about it and just put them where you need them the most at the given time, be it resists, life or damage.

  2. Why vaal pact when you have two claws with life on hit?

  3. Whta other unique options ill can take to lvling?

    • Now with new veiled mods, you could look into crafting flat elemental damage, or anything else you need on rare items, because there are a limited amount of uniques that offer that.

  4. Question: where is all your life and mana leech coming from?

  5. Just a question:
    How do you use the skillpoints, if you don´t have “Path of the Witch” atm? I am having 35 Skillpoints atm. Thats why i ask.

  6. Just another Question^^
    Is there a Gameplayvideo or a Pastebin?^^ That would be great t finde out where tro put the jewels^^

  7. why buff lightening elemental damage?

  8. which pantheon gods i choose?

  9. Why get lightening elemental damage on this build? I dont understand why

  10. I’m can only recommend this built its awesome uber elder was never easier 😀

  11. Molten Strike + Concentrated effect + Multistrike + Ele focus + Ele damage with attacks + Dmg on full life ( Boss ) / Ancestral call ( Mapping )

  12. Hey, does this Build work in 3.11?

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