If you are looking for budget Cyclone build that doesn't follow current meta, can be build from scratch as league starter capable of taking on endgame content, then this PoE 3.10 Duelist Cyclone Build is probably the build for you. If you have several exalts to spend, you can push the build to the max.

Quick Jump

Pros & Cons

  • + Can be a leaguestarter
  • + Cheap to build
  • + Can handle almost all mapmods except for no leech
  • + Immune to reflect mods
  • + Great mapper and boss killer
  • + Capable to do all endgame content including five faction Legion
  • + No gemswap
  • + Flexible gear and support gem choices
  • + Onslaught buff on hit!
  • + Up to 2.6k life leech per sec, can be push to 3k
  • - Cannot do no leech mapmod
  • - On tier15-16 map, less recovery mod is dangerous (mostly Legion army)
  • - Cyclone AOE is not massive
  • - Kaom's Heart is not an option since we don't use 6L weapon
  • - Map with Burning/Desecrated ground can be annoying when to pick up item or typing in chat while not on life leech effect

 

Skill Tree

Ascendancy

Headsman -> Bane of Legends -> Endless Hunger -> Brutal Fervour

Pantheon 

For general mapping use Soul of Solaris (Major God) and Soul of Gruthkul (Minor God).

For Shaper and Uber Elder encounter use Soul of Araakali (Major God) and Soul of Yugul (Minor God).

For Legion's Domain of Timeless Conflict encounter, use Soul of Solaris (Major God) and Soul of Ralakesh (Minor God). Upgrade all of them, this is important as these pantheon gives great defensive bonus.

Bandit: Save Alira or kill all if you want two additional passive points.

Saving Alira makes it easier to gear on resist, 5 mana regen is great for early leveling and 20% critical multi is the stats for late game.

Passive Tree & PoB

Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/FwzCmJE0


 

 

 

 

Gems Setup

In order of importance;

6L - Main Attack

Cyclone > Impale > Fortify > Brutality > Pulverize > Melee Physical Damage

4L - Movement | Ancestral Warchief

Leap Slam > Ancestral Warchief > Faster Attack > Blood Magic

Unfortunately we can only link our Warchief with Faster Attack and Blood Magic because of the setup requiring aura NOT to be on 3 link weapon and Blood Rage to BE on one of them

4L - Aura

Pride > Flesh and Stone > Maim > Blood and Sand

This build use Blood Stance.

4L - Banner | Utility

Dread Banner | Cast when Damage Taken lvl1 > Frost Bomb lvl1 | Vengeance or Summon Ice Golem lvl3 or Vulnerability lvl 5
Frost Bomb reduces enemy life/es regeneration by 75%, extremely useful against Metamorph bosses with high life and regen mod. Frost Bomb level does not matter - higher level will increase the int requirement so level 1 is enough. Vengeance is optional.

3L - Utility

Cast when Damage Taken lvl1 > Immortal Call level 3 > Increased Duration level 20 or Vulnerability lvl 5

Do not level cwdt higher than 1, if you do it won't trigger Immortal Call.

3L - Utility

Blood Rage > Blood Magic > Enhance lvl 3 (optional) or Portal/whatever gem

Blood Rage needs to be slotted on the weapon to have the ability to remove Blood Rage by pressing 'x'. X key is for weapon swap.

 

Gear Setup

Weapon & Armour Explanation

Ahn's Might

Look for the highest dps non-corrupted you can afford, then beastcraft to 30% quality. Keep in mind this will corrupt your weapon, so change color socket for your gems before you do. No you don't have to quality it to 20% before that.

Rare Helmet

Look for armour based with 90+ life, physical damage taken as fire mod; this comes with resistance too. Cold or lightning also works but the fire version works slightly better because of 1% higher fire max res. The helmet cost me 10c in first week of Legion, should be cheaper now. Look for non-corrupted with 1 prefix open so you can craft +1 to Melee Weapon Range for 1 Divine Orb. Best enchantment is 15% Cyclone attack speed > 40% Cyclone Damage > 10% Cyclone attack speed > 25% Cyclone damage.

Alternative unique : Starkonja's Head, Devoto's Devotion

Rare Body Armour

Armour based with 90+ life, Socketed Gems Have -15 Mana cost. Additional stat is bonus. BiS is Attacks have +% to Critical Strike Chance, +1500 armour and % maximum life.

Socketed Gems Have -15 Mana cost is required, therefore no current unique body armour can fill this slot. To craft this mod it requires Serrated Fossil. If you want to craft your own, check out body armour mods.

Rare Gloves

This depends on your budget. If you are on lower budget than 10c for gloves (not overall) look for rare with +70 life, as much resists to reduce the need for your boot to have resists as it will cost alot more with 30% movement speed. 10-30c range go +90 life, resists.

More budget go for 90+ life, resists, attack speed or flat phys, ideally with 1 open prefix to craft +1 Melee Weapon Range. Bought mine for 2 ex, corrupted.

Alternative unique : Tombfist with Enfeeble lvl 11/12 corruption. I used it before my current gloves, great defensive setup. Cheapest on sale is 15c, average price is 25-30c. Remove cwdt-vulnerability setup if you use this.

Rare Boots

If budget lower than 10c for boots, look for 70+ life, and 30% movement speed. Follow the same principle as gloves.

*Important tips for beginner* When upgrading your gear ideally look for armour based than evasion, as it benefits the build, coloring is easier. Avoid int based armour because of socket color, int requirement. LiftingNerdBro have a great video guide on upgrading gear for beginners if you are struggling on how to.

Accessory Explanation

Rare Amulet

Look for non corrupted, +30-50 life, +30% critical multi, dexterity and intelligence that your build require, 1 prefix open for 1+ Melee Weapon Range, critical chance is a bonus. higher life rolls or resist is ideal, but not a requirement, because it will get expensive to look something specific as that. I bought mine for 50c.

Alternative unique : Daresso's Salute

Rare Ring

Ideal is Diamond Ring - non corrupted, with 70+ life, some resists, -8 mana cost. BiS ring multi mod Curse on hit Assassin's Mark, but these can be very expensive.

*IMPORTANT NOTE!!

With 3.8 update to Crafting Benches, you can only craft up to -3 mana cost for channel skill. This method is not useful for endgame setup because to have smooth Cyclone experience -8 to mana cost is required.

Although the craft version for channelling skill is restricted to -3 mana cost, Elreon modifier exist however I do not recommend this because it is rare, expensive and hard to get the right stats for your build.

Cheapest way to get -8 mana cost is by Praxis unique ring. Keep in mind that not all Praxis ring is equal- the mod have rolls (-4 --8). This can serve you from leveling until endgame when you can afford -15 mana cost body armour.

Perseverance

Best corruption is +25 critical multiplier > +40% critical chance > 10% attack speed. Note that this belt doesn't show Onslaught buff, but it does if you have Fortify. You can check the difference of movement speed on defense tab. I bought mine for 5c. I wouldn't pay more than 20c, so if you see the price beyond that just get normal one with higher rolls which cost 1-3c.

Jewel Explanation

1. Pacificm Jewel is required. Equip it together with two Ahn's Might.

2. Pride Watcher's Eye; "Your Hits Intimidate Enemies while using Pride" (cost about 50c). This can be skip if you use Tombfist. I don't recommend "Impales last 2 additional hits" mod, too expensive.

3. +30% critical multiplier (if cost below 3c) or get Tempered Flesh for 15c (49%+ critical multiplier)if placed near Juggernaut and Barbarism node.

BiS is Transcendent Flesh but it cost about 2.6 ex right now, have the same amount critical multiplier like Tempered Flesh but with additional physical reduction. If you follow my tree, you'll get 4%. Which why I don't use it, but will use it for my other build.

Flasks Explanation

1. Quicksilver Flask

While most players like to craft movement speed and increase effect on Quicksilver to be used for general movement, I don't. This flask is mainly use on attacking for better positioning while having immunity to Freeze and Chill. Tip to craft if you struggle with getting increased Duration and Freeze Immunity is to craft increased duration and beastcraft "of Heat" - you will most likely have the beast - it is common.

2. Diamond Flask

If you don't have the craft, what can you do is either buy (on sale is 15-25c) or craft increased Duration then look for craft service. As I recommend in section above, try Vocandin. But as for this craft, he may or may not ask you for 10c per craft because last time I asked him he mentioned that people have been using this exact mod craft to profit, though he still did mine for free.

Even at 10c, you save 5-10c than buying on trade. If you can't afford it, craft increased Armour instead. Should be able to give 3k-4k armour depending the rest of your gear.

3. Sulphur Flask

So why this flask when we can't life regen? The implicit of 40% damage and it gives 3 total usage; perfect for Curse Immunity flask to counter curse mods on maps. Use same method as Quicksilver flask, craft duration then beastcraft "of Warding".

4. Basalt Flask

This one is different than the other as it consumes 40 out of 60 charges and it is a bit harder to get the right craft. What mod you going to look for is 23% reduced Charges used, not lower. With 23% it uses exactly 30 out of 60 thus allowing two usage per flask without topup. At 22% it uses so 31 so can't be used twice without charging. Once you get the right number beastcraft with "of Grounding" (Immunity to Shock - very important to avoid one shot).

5. Lion's Roar

While the knockback effect is annoying for most melee skill it is actually great for Cyclone because it pushes enemies out from their melee range towards outer Cyclone aoe and since we constantly moving it is not a problem. If you can't afford it craft Granite Flask with increased Duration and increased Armour or movement speed.

You can also use Life Flask or Writhing Jar. As we are immune to bleeding, skip the mod unless you want to farm Labyrinth or do Trial, have it ready so can be use any time.

Some tips if you are 12345 flask user, set your flask based on highest duration from 1 to 5. If you noticed, I place the lowest duration Lion's Roar at 5 and second lowest Basalt Flask at 4, so that when I start pressing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 the flasks can ends at similar time.

 

Leveling Tips For Beginners

Veteran melee players can skip this part and do what suits you best. Please keep in mind these tips only serve to make leveling easier, by no means required.

Act 1

1. Before you start new character, get Goldrim if you don't have it already.

2. Get two Redbeak for dual wield. You can use it until level 20. Get Cleave gem from Hillock quest use it with Chance to Bleed and Onslaught. Also get Wanderlust for immunity to Freeze.

3. Upon completing The Tidal Island quest, take Quicksilver flask. Add Ruthless as 4th support if you have the link.

4. After Breaking Some Eggs quest, get Blood and Sand, Ancestral Protector, Steelskin and Dash. Use Sand Stance.

5. Next get Leap Slam and Maim support > link to Ancestral Protector.

6. At the end of Act 1 quest you have the option to buy Infernal Blow or Sunder. If you using axe or mace take Sunder, if sword take Infernal Blow, buy Ancestral Call and Added Fire Damage.

Sunder > Onslaught > Chance to Bleed > Ruthless or Infernal Blow > Ancestral Call > Added Fire Damage > Ruthless/Onslaught (you don't need Melee Splash).

Act 2

7. Around this time you should be around level 15-20, get Atziri's Foible for 1c. It is a great leveling amulet that can reduce stats requirement and will greatly boost your max mana and regen; replace mana flask. If you use Infernal Blow, I'd highly recommend getting two Tempestuous Steel; it can carry you until level 50+s.

8. Next get Herald of Ash for Intruders in Black quest reward and buy Flesh and Stone after The Root of the Problem. Use Sand Stance if you are using Infernal Blow, Blood Stance if using Sunder. On Blood Stance, take Maim support and link with Flesh and Stone.

9. After Sharp and Cruel quest get Faster Attack support and link it with Leap Slam and totem together. So both skills benefits from one support. Buy Melee Physical Damage and replace Ruthless/Onslaught from your main skill with it.

If you use Sunder, get two additional gems; Sunder> Faster Attack> Ruthless > Melee Physical Damage.

Act 3

10. Upon completing Siosa's quest, get Fortify support as reward. Use it in you main skill.

Infernal Blow > Ancestral Call > Fortify > Melee Physical Damage or Sunder > Faster Attack > Fortify > Melee Physical Damage. Also get Pulverize to be use later, don't use it with Sunder.

11. Get Cyclone as reward for Sever the Right Hand quest, Cyclone > Fortify > Melee Physical Damage> Pulverize. At this point get Praxis unique ring, ideally -8 mana cost roll, this can carry you until you get your -mana cost armour or accessories.

12. Buy Pride gem and drop Herald of Ash from your auras setup. Pride, Flesh and Stone > Maim, Blood and Sand. Replace Ancestral Protector with Ancestral Warchief. Add Dread Banner, Brutality and Impale whenever you can. And for the love of god, if you are struggling with mana then don't turn all auras on. It is not a problem if you can't at your current level, because you will able to later at higher level.

Act 4-Act 10

Flask - Get Bismuth flask if you struggle with resists, Granite Flask helps alot in early level. Make sure you have Bleed removal before going in Labyrinth.

Labyrinth - You don't have to go it right away after you completed required Trial of Ascendancy. Most players will usually overlevel their character before going. As for Cruel and Merciless difficulty, complete them before act 10 Kitava.

Other possible uniques - Prismatic Eclipse, Ichimonji, Relentless Fury, Tabula Rasa, Belt of the Deceiver, Lochtonial Caress, Tombfist, String of Servitude with elemental resists.