Path of Exile Best Witch Build: A Comprehensive Guide
In Path of Exile, the Witch is one of the most versatile and powerful classes, offering a wide range of build possibilities. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newcomer, crafting the best Witch build can be a game-changer in your journey through Wraeclast. This guide will walk you through the top Witch builds, focusing on their strengths, playstyles, and how to optimize them for maximum effectiveness.
1. Introduction to the Witch Class
The Witch is a pure intelligence-based class, excelling in dealing elemental damage and manipulating the battlefield. Her ascendancies—Necromancer, Elementalist, and Occultist—offer distinct playstyles, making her a favorite for both beginners and veterans. The Witch’s ability to summon minions, cast devastating spells, and manipulate the minds of enemies makes her a formidable opponent in any situation.
2. Top Witch Builds for All Playstyles
2.1. Necromancer Build: The Undead Overlord
The Necromancer ascendancy is perfect for players who enjoy summoning and commanding an army of undead minions. This build focuses on summoning skills like Summon Raging Spirit, Summon Skeletons, and Summon Carrion Golem. With the right support gems and gear, your minions will tear through enemies while you stay safe at a distance.
Key Skills: Summon Raging Spirit, Summon Skeletons, Summon Carrion Golem
Recommended Gear: The Baron helmet for minion damage, The Flow of Life amulet for life regeneration
Passive Tree Focus: Minion damage, life, and block chance
2.2. Elementalist Build: Master of the Elements
If you prefer dealing direct damage with powerful elemental spells, the Elementalist ascendancy is the way to go. This build revolves around elemental spell damage and ignite mechanics. Skills like Fireball, Arc, and Blazing Salvo are staples of this build, allowing you to melt bosses and clear maps with ease.
Key Skills: Fireball, Arc, Blazing Salvo
Recommended Gear: The Scorching Ray staff for bonus fire damage, Essence Worm belt for additional elemental damage
Passive Tree Focus: Elemental damage, spell damage, and critical strike chance
2.3. Occultist Build: The Mind Controller
The Occultist ascendancy is ideal for players who enjoy a mix of damage and utility. This build focuses on curse and chaos damage skills like Bane and Essence Drain. With the right curses and support gems, you can manipulate enemy behavior and deal massive damage over time.
Key Skills: Bane, Essence Drain, Desecrate
Recommended Gear: The Vertex helmet for intelligence and energy shield, The Devouring Dark gloves for chaos damage
Passive Tree Focus: Chaos damage, curse effectiveness, and energy shield
3. Optimizing Your Witch Build
3.1. Gem Setup and Support Gems
Your gem setup is crucial for maximizing damage and survivability. For example, pairing Summon Raging Spirit with Minion Damage Support and Elemental Focus Support can significantly boost your minion’s effectiveness. Similarly, for elemental spell builds, Combustion Support and Ignite Proliferation Support are essential for spreading ignite effects.
3.2. Gear and Crafting
While high-tier gear can be expensive, crafting your own items can save you currency. For example, crafting a +2 minions helmet with Harvest or Exalted Orbs can be a cost-effective way to boost your minion build. Additionally, ensuring your gear has the right suffixes (e.g., % increased elemental damage) is vital for optimizing your build.
3.3. Passive Skill Tree
The passive skill tree in Path of Exile is vast, but focusing on key nodes like Elemental Damage, Minion Damage, or Chaos Damage will ensure your build is optimized. For example, in a Necromancer build, prioritizing nodes like Minion Life, Minion Speed, and Block Chance will make your army of undead nearly unkillable.
4. Advanced Strategies for Witch Builds
4.1. Mapping and Bossing
When running maps, always consider the modifiers. For example, if you’re running a fire-based build, avoid Reflect mods to prevent taking unnecessary damage. For boss fights, use your mobility skills (like *