CWS Chieftain Guide | 3.30 Path of Exile: Covens of Umbra

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@HolyFkingShit TW: https://www.twitch.tv/emiracles VERY IMPORTANT: Build Video Guide (Thanks Linear) WIP Discord: https://discord.gg/vR4xZAsgN8 Please refer to the FAQ channel it has so many questions answered! ===================================================================== A VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: This build IS NOT for new poe players or players that lack immense knowledge in the game. The build has complex mechanics and very important breakpoints (example: 50% bloodnotch, lvl 23 Purity of Fire) Do NOT copy ALL of the build 1:1. This Pob and all of it's loadouts are MERELY a template to give you an idea of what things should look like (Beside the very important key pieces for the build to work, such as: Bloodnotch) Beside this Pob, Video Guide and the FAQ on my discord, I will not hand-hold you with the build. Figure things yourself as you go as there's plenty of room for customization (Attributes on gear, Tree, Jewels, etc) ===================================================================== CWS League Start Guide BUDGET RULES: DO NOT OVERPAY Act 3 uniques: max 1-2 alch each. The time you spend trading is saved by progressing and saving for Cloak of Flames. - Redbeak, Springleaf, Araku Tiki, Ondar's Clasp: max 1-2 alch each - Lori's Lantern: max 1 alch - 1c - Wondertrap: max 1 alch - Eternal Blessing: max 1 alch (Act 4 vendor) - Scorching Ray of Immolation: get it ASAP, but do not pay too much - Hinekora first. Max 1 alch: perma listed, no one wants it, drops like candy from hillock onwards. (which item? fill in) ================================================== ACT 1 ================================================== Buy / gamble - Gold gamble a 2H axe at level 9, then do Brutus with Decoy Totem - Buy a jade/dex amulet - Buy 2 iron rings Skills - Leap Slam at level 10, after Brutus - Sunder at level 12, at Caverns WP. Also buy Frost Blink (points into dex/int) - Optional: Intimidating Cry (skip it if you can't be bothered, just suffer a few more levels) ================================================== ACT 2 ================================================== Respec - Level 19: respec into RF, usually after Felida's spike - Optional: after killing Oak with Sunder is probably faster Rings and fire res - Vendor 2 iron rings (6 wisdom) + 2 red gems into 2 ruby rings - Crafting bench: fire res on both rings (2 transmutes) - Keep spare transmutes for extra fire res crafts if you still degen Gems - RF: buy from Yeena in Act 2 (1 alteration) - Efficacy and Elemental Focus: get from friends/guild/trade/beg (witch) - Holy Flame Totem + Combustion: whenever you can afford it - Swap Leap Slam for Shield Charge ================================================== ACT 3 ================================================== Quest rewards - Tolman keys -> Clarissa -> Maramoa reward -> Petrified Blood Uniques (see Budget Rules: max 1-2 alch) Priority: Redbeak > Springleaf > Araku Tiki > Ondar's Clasp - Redbeak: 1 alch | 100% damage - Springleaf: 1 alch | 150 regen - Ondar's Clasp: 1 alch | 20% movespeed - Lori's Lantern: 1c is ok. We use it for a long time - Araku Tiki: only if you have spare dex If you buy it: put 2 points into 30 dex somewhere, eventually Agility pathing to Acrimony (DoT multi above witch/templar) - Wondertrap: more MS/DEX/INT Helps offset attribute requirements early and big RNG drops earlier - Look for more sockets Buy (vendor) - Purity of Elements - Flammability (optional) - Lifetap (Act 1), for Shield Charge and/or Frost Blink. Drop Momentum until you have a 4 link - If rich, buy a 3rd or 4th Lifetap (Flame Totem, Fire Trap) Gambling - Start gambling gold for gear: see GOLD GAMBLING below ================================================== LIBRARY (IMPORTANT) ================================================== Buy - Fire Trap, Burning Damage x2, Trap and Mine, Lifetap - Swift Affliction can wait until later Links - Burning Damage goes in the 4th link of RF - RF gets priority for the first 4th link - Can wait on 4th links if no currency, and come back Level 31: Lab - Bring Detonate Dead or Scorching Ray (DD of Scavenging or Scorching Ray of Immolation) - Or bring the best potential transfigured gem outcome based on league start hype (fubgun etc) to sell ================================================== ACT 4 ================================================== - Kill Malachi -> Dialla -> Multiple Totem support - Buy Lori's Lantern: max 1 alch - 1c ================================================== ACT 6 ================================================== Scorching Ray of Immolation (SRI) - Try to buy it. Can delay using it until Act 8 (???) or until Blood Magic - Setup: SRI - Spell Totem - Multiple Totem - Efficacy - More Duration (5th) - Controlled Destruction (6th) - Need to SPAM totems. Each beam is an independent debuff - Better than Fire Trap, but not by much at this stage - Definitely aim to get it ASAP, but do not pay too much Gear - Early game, Torchoak Step seems to be decent ================================================== ACT 8 ================================================== - Collect Act 7 points - Buy DD / Scorching Ray / or any Meta transfigured gem just in case cause you're going to enter Lab at Act 8 and want to have a gem in your inventory (ex. Viper Strike etc) - Take shared res (Tasalio) 2nd - Buy Wondertrap: max 1 alch. Priority: MS > dex/int > everything else ================================================== ACT 9 ================================================== Blood Magic keystone - Buy Eternal Blessing (1 alch) from the Act 4 vendor - Remove Lifetap supports, add extra links: Swift Affliction for Fire Trap, Momentum for Shield Charge Gear - Around now, begin swapping out Springleaf and Ondar's Clasp for real gear - Start saving for Cloak of Flames ================================================== GOLD GAMBLING ================================================== From Act 3 onward - Gamble gold for gear, mainly armour links and/or movement speed - ES body armour: luck into Cloak of Flames - Armour/ES shield: luck into Springleaf Act 10 - Gloves (Armour/Ev, str/dex): Life > Fire res > Dex - Shield (Str): Life > Res > Block > PDR ================================================== EARLY MAPS ================================================== Merc Lab - Do Merc Lab first, before or after Kitava is fine - Preferably with SRI totems + totem nodes. If you don't have them, it doesn't matter Cloak upgrade - Take 15% life mastery Bareswap - Level 74 minimum Abyss - Around 40 atlas points: spec into Abyss and start farming early bubblegum for early upgrades and flasks ================================================== EARLY UPGRADES ================================================== - Maw of Conquest (gives poison immunity) -> swap poison flask for shock flask -> swap Purity of Elements to PoF ================================================== MISC REMINDERS ================================================== - Anvil ASAP - SRI is bad early (no scaling) - Agnostic retro - Einhar for early and late Ultimatum. Boon of the First Ones buff grants: Regenerate 5% of Life per second, 3% of Damage Leeched as Life, and Recover 5% of Life on Kill ================================================== General Tips & Ideas: Flasks: Flask Suffixes Can Be Moved Around. Please Find The Cheapest Option. Gear Bases: Look For Armour Bases. Evasion And Suppression Currently Useless Because Of Left Side Tree. Gear Implicits: Use Lesser Eldritch Embers To Get Easy Implicits For Early-Mid Game Settle. Tree Nodes: T16 Version Nodes To Cut, Probably Use Node Power (PoB Feature) To Identify The Worst Nodes. Determination Vs Malevolence: For The Free Eternal Blessing Aura, You Can Choose Between Damage Or Armour. If You Go With Determination, Make Sure You Dont Take The "Enemies Overwhelm All Physical Damage Reduction" Trial in Ultimatum Overcapped Resistances: Get At Least 25% Overcapped Resistances. Make Sure That During Ultimatum, Your Resistances Are At Least 90% (115%). It Is Very Common To Get Exposed (-25% Resistance) In Ultimatum. Physical Max Hit Requirement: Even 10k Phys Max Hit Is Enough For White T16 Ultimatums. In Ultimatum, There Is Very Little Raw Physical Damage. Majority Of The Damage Is Consecutive Elemental Hits Which Require Massive Recovery (Bloodnotch). Lab: You might suffer with Lab if you swap to CWS early (Ramako Sunlight isn't mandatory for CWS but very good), therefore, if you don't know what you're doing stick to RF/Slams ===================================================================== Weapons: If rare sceptres are expensive or you didn't find one YOU can snipe other types that work with shields as placeholder (for example a Claw/Rune Dagger with Fire Dot Multi, Dot Multi, chance to ignite, etc..) Dark Seer vs Rare Sceptre: Dark seer increases your Max Hit by A LOT which is great. Rare sceptre has a lot more damage though. Nethier are mandatory/BiS just pick whatever you like or need depending on your situation. if you don't need damage go Dark Seer as more max hit is always good. ===================================================================== General Only drop Purity of Fire once you get 90% Maximum Fire Resistance WITHOUT it and replace it with Flesh and Stone Aspirational = As the name implies, this loadout is aspirational and not mandatory to most content in the game that CWS can do. Please DO NOT jump loadouts and mix them up UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING. Progress loadouts after loadout once you complete the previous one. ===================================================================== PANTHEON: Take Soul of Lunaris and Tukohama DO NOT upgrade Lunaris with "10% Chance to Avoid Projectiles" and "Avoid Projectiles That Have Chained" if you did, you can revert it by using a Divine Vessel in the map device with the god corresponding map and it will toggle it off Upgrade Tukohama fully. TLDR: Consume Divine Vessel Again to Toggle it off ===================================================================== Freeze: Cannot Be Frozen Is Priority On Boots For Trialmaster. Before Trialmaster Just Rely On Flask For Waves. You do not need Freeze immunity. Being immune to Freeze doesn't stop you from being cold crit, which is what actually breaks Bloodnotch and prevents stun. ===================================================================== Attributes: Take Notable Attributes On Passive Tree If Necessary. You Do Not Need To Have Dexterity Specifically On Gloves Or Intelligence On Boots. You Can Wiggle Your Attributes As You See Fit Or Depending On Your Situation As Long As You Don't Compromise The Build Essentials And Mechanics. ===================================================================== Crafting A Budget Elder Helm (Burning Damage + Concentrated Effect): This is a simple method for crafting a budget Elder helmet with Burning Damage and Concentrated Effect support. If you're looking for a more advanced version using Fossils or Essence of Horror, there are plenty of in-depth guides available on YouTube just search for them. --- Crafting Steps Step 1 - Get an Elder Helmet The easiest way is to buy one from trade (usually the cheapest option). Alternatively, slam an Elder Exalted Orb onto a base (may be expensive early in a league). Step 2 - Use the Harvest Crafting Bench Roll until you hit Burning Damage and Concentrated Effect. Level 16 for both mods is perfectly fine for early to mid-game. You can keep rolling for higher levels if desired. Step 3 - Final Touches with Bench Crafting If the item has decent affixes, finish with bench crafts. If the helm has life and an open prefix: Craft +1 to AoE Gems If it does not have life: Craft flat Life on the open prefix If there are open suffixes, consider: - Any single or dual resistance (e.g. Fire + Chaos, Lightning + Cold) - Any attribute or dual attribute (e.g. Strength, Dexterity + Intelligence) - Life Regeneration Rate