Here Are The Deadliest Path of Exile Builds
With the launch of Legion League, the melee rework is in full effect. Here is a list of the top 10 insanely strong builds that will shred through legion enemies.
Note that all build links are meant to be imported into Path of Building, which can be found here.
That said, let’s jump into it.
10. Ice Nova Assassin
One of the few spellcaster builds on this list, but making a return in Legion for those who don’t want to be up-close and personal with monsters. Mathil’s Ice Nova Assassin is a very effective build for demolishing legion enemies that was left untouched unlike Winter Orb. With the interaction of Ice Nova, Frost Bolt, and Spell Echo Support gem, you can trigger Ice Nova as Frost Bolt projectiles travel outward—which cast multiple times—ensuring destruction in its path.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- Well-rounded defense
- High damage output
- Insane clear speed
Path of Building link: https://pastebin.com/0NwhePQq
Full Build Guide: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1668096
Build Power Rating: 80/100
This build starts slow at the early levels, but once you get the Spell Echo Support at level 38, this build really starts to show its true potential.
9. Magic Find Ranger Tornado Shot
One of the fastest ways to get currency in the game is a build for Magic Find. Magic Find builds typically sacrifice defense for high damage output, and increase the quantity/quality of loot. Leaning on the Pathfinder Ascendency, this Tornado Shot Ranger build will have you swimming in currency.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- Over 400+ % move speed
- 100+ % item quantity & rarity
- Excellent map clearing
Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/4SdjqAxc
Full Build Guide: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2509129
Build Power Rating: 85/100
While this build is insanely strong for map clearing and can wipe out entire screens very quickly, you are a glass cannon with the potential for being the one shot. Not meant for those who want to boss kill, as you need to maintain flask charges.
8. Chieftain Holy Flame Totem
Coming in at number 8, this Holy Flame Totem build is very strong and safe. With up to 3 totems, this build has the ability to clear all content in the game, run any map mods, and—best of all—it’s budget and beginner friendly, so you can use this as a strong league starter build.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- Fast clear speed
- Clears all content & map mods
- Chieftain ascendency changes boosted damage considerably
Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/NM9hjTcy
Full Build Guide: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2452164
Build Power Rating: 87/100
The only weakness in this build is needing an Essence Worm to get around any mana issues, but other than that, Holy Flame Totems will do the damage for you. Reap the rewards off the ground as these flamethrowers cremate your enemies.
7. Toxic Rain
Devastating poison and chaos damage rain from the heavens then explode shortly after landing, spreading spores all over the battlefield. Another very strong build using the Pathfinder Ascendency. One of the benefits to this build: as you poison enemies, an agony crawler will appear and mow down enemies with its poison attack.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- Clears all content & map mods
- Extreme Herald of Agony DPS
- Deadly with little gear investment and even stronger with currency
Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/cBYPaQVq
Full Build Guide: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2208830
Build Power Rating: 90/100
This build really comes together once the Master Toxicist Ascendency is allocated, as your Herald of Agony relies on Virulence stacks to maintain high damage output; however, even without Herald of Agony, Toxic Rain has a fast clear speed, and can solo bosses on its own — just not as quick.
6. Lacerate
Here we begin to get into some of the melee skill builds, starting out with Lacerate. Melee is unique with the new Blood and Sand gem that affects melee skills such as Lacerate, depending on which Stance you are in. Lacerate is an attack that slashes twice, releasing a wave of damage that inflicts bleeding on your enemies in Blood Stance; however, while in Sand Stance, the wave is 50% larger, meaning that map clearing will be easier with Sand Stance for a larger area of effect attacks. When fighting stronger single-target mobs or bossing, you can instantly swap to Blood Stance.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- Excellent survivability through evasion
- Strong map clearing and single-target boss damage
- Strong bleed damage allows for constant DPS
Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/tR7L06t9
Full Build Guide: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2171678
Build Power Rating: 92/100
Blood and Sand Stances really allow this build — along with others on this list — to really shine. The larger area of effect modifications to the skills make for an enjoyable experience fighting any particular
mob type without having to worry about building your character for map clearing or boss killing, as it can do both.
5. Bladestorm
While some of the melee skills look similar and may be close in damage output, it will ultimately come down to what a player enjoys using in combination with different movement skills that are available. Bladestorm is an ability you use in melee that drops a ring of blood which causes bleeding by default, and can be used in Sand Stance as well with the rings traveling a short distance outward. You can have up to three rings out at any time, leaving destruction in your path.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- Don’t have to face enemies to attack
- Strong area of effect with blood and sand rings
- You can stack the rings on top of each other for maximum damage
Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/2VdmAbBv
Full Build Guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPj5jhwaefs
Build Power Rating: 94/100
Typically, this build will utilize Leap Slam as a movement skill, allowing you to jump in and out of large packs of monsters as well as avoid any ground effects easily. Leave blood and sand circles where you land then move on to the next pack of monsters.
4. Flicker Strike
If you’re looking for movement baked into a melee ability, Flicker Strike will have you traveling across the map while killing anything in sight. Essentially a teleporting attack to each monster with high attack speed, you will “flick” to each enemy to perform an attack. Killing them will cause you to “flick” to the next monster, and, if they are close enough, you don’t have to do anything other than hold down your mouse button—or whichever key bind you have Flicker Strike set to—and watch mobs fall over the second you arrive at them.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- Capable of clearing an entire map while holding down one key
- Instant teleporting to monsters in sight
- With a little investment into area of effect, you can clear entire monster packs with one attack
Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/Ge8qJXEx
Full Build Guide: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2533684
Build Power Rating: 97/100
You have to wait until level 10 to use Flicker Strike, relatively early unlike some other skills that are not available until level 38. This play style is not for everyone and can make some people sick when they reach certain speeds, as your character will be moving so quick the screen can shake excessively. The damage potential is well into the millions, and with the built-in teleport, allows for some crazy monster chaining combinations.
3. Viper Strike
The ultimate poison build where 50% of physical damage is converted to chaos damage, allowing poison damage that kills enemies to proliferate and transfer to other enemies nearby. This allows for a pseudo area of effect to take place without actually needing to invest skill points or other resources, and can scale the chaos damage even higher. Claws will be the weapon of choice and have an incredibly high attack speed, allowing your poison damage to ramp up very quickly.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- Chaos damage cannot be reflected back towards you
- Herald of Agony crawler, along with your own poison damage, will decimate monsters and bosses
- Pathfinder Ascendency ensures you never run out of flask charges
Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/HXHzrTds
Full Build Guide: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2537735
Build Power Rating: 98/100
Increasing the skill effect duration will add damage multiplicatively, and is something you should look for within the skill tree as well as any jewels. Viper strike has the potential to be one of the deadliest builds in Path of Exile; rightfully so, as poison and chaos damage—while not instant—ensures that even a few seconds spent damaging a monster results in their health bar disappearing.
2. Essence Drain/Contagion
Even with the melee rework and some nerfs to the trickster ascendency, Essence Drain with Contagion has been extremely popular this league. Steelmage, a popular Hardcore Solo Self Found Path of Exile streamer, was the first to make it to level 100 utilizing this build; although, he had different gear due to SSF, it goes to show that a safer ranged playstyle was vital to his success. Chaos damage in this build, again, is extremely strong and Contagion spreads Essence Drain to every mob in its radius.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- High damage and fast playstyle
- Chains extremely well with legion monolith encounters
- Can do any map mod
Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/DyDgj7u1
Full Build Guide: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2523235
Build Power Rating: 99/100
Positioning is important with this build as you rely on evasion. Even if you build as a hybrid life and energy shield, legion generals and certain map mods can be dangerous if you run out of Ghost Shrouds.
1. Cyclone
At long last we arrive at the king of melee in Legion league, with good reason. Capable of damage well into the millions and extremely high movement speed, Cyclone can speed through any map hitting enemies in a large radius and again, with Blood and Sand Stances, switch to single target damage. This build has some ridiculously good damage scaling with minimal currency investment, and is one of, if not the best tank in the game at the moment.
Reasons this build is overpowered:
- Extremely tanky
- Damage well into the millions on single target bossing
- Versatile build – can choose your own weapon setup
Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/JeiK3a8R
Full Build guide: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1995010
Build Power Rating: 100/100
Versatility is strong with this build; as mentioned previously, you can choose your own weapon setup; whether you like one handed or two handed is up to you, and, Cyclone can be used not only with Slayer and Berserker, but also Champion. There is something for everyone with this build, and you can choose your own utility.
Remember, while these guides are very strong in their own right, if you feel you enjoy something different and want to go off the beaten path, feel free;these are guides and not set in stone.Don’t feel scared to try something new, or switch out a gem or two to suit your preferences. Stay safe exiles!
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