Purifying Flame Inquisitor Build Guide (PoE Harvest 3.11)

Out Of Date

March 5th, 2023, 15:27

Introduction

Due to the latest balancing changes, we do not recommend playing this build anymore, as it does not meet the high standards we apply to our guides in terms of fun and performance. We are leaving it up as a reference and it might be revived in a later patch.

This is a legacy build that may be out of date, and should primarily be used as a snapshot of builds that were able to tackle endgame content during Harvest League. While the build will be playable, it may include a lot of reworking the tree & gearing.

Purifying Flame was first introduced to Path of Exile in Patch 3.6.0 Synthesis League. A rather unique gem in the sea of other skills, Purifying Flame incorporates several different mechanics into each cast. First, it deals damage in a line, before exploding at the targeted location, dealing damage and creating Consecrated Ground. An even larger shockwave of damage then explodes outwards from the targeted location, hitting everything on the Consecrated Ground. If you are not clear on what Consecrated Ground does, it is a mechanic that increases the chance of Critical Strikes against enemies standing on it by a hefty 100%, and it also increases the Life Regeneration of you and allies while standing in its effects.

Overall, the fresh feel of this skill makes it a joy to play. Not only is it straightforward and satisfying, it functions very well on a slim budget, and can achieve several million Shaper DPS for a reasonable budget. Perhaps best of all, it is a great build for players of all skill levels, and feels familiar in the hands of first-time exiles and grizzled veterans alike. A great leveling skill in its own right, Purifying Flame can be acquired at the very beginning of the game, allowing you to build up comfort with the mechanics and playstyle the build offers. Do not be concerned, however, as this build has the heft and damage to carry you all the way through the end-game.

Build Assessment

Pros

+ League starter
+ Strong damage potential for single target and AoE
+ Lots of Life Regeneration (20%+ max health per second, not including Consecrated Ground)
+ Several defense layers (Mind Over Matter, 10k Effective Health Pool, Life Leech)
+ Great in the hands of first-time novice players and veterans alike; very easy to play
+ Good clear speed
+ Solid lab farmer

Cons

– Starts to feel a bit vulnerable in heavily modded Tier 16+ Maps and Simulacrum
– Certain map affixes are problematic (No Regeneration, Elemental Reflect)
– Delving becomes difficult after Depth ~400
– Not as “fast” as the top tier clear speed builds

Playstyle and Build Mechanics

This build clears quickly and efficiently, and Purifying Flame‘s Unique mechanics allow it to function as both a clearing and bossing skill without any loss in damage. With well over 15% of Maximum Life regenerated per second with the benefits of Consecrated Ground, the feel of this build is one of stability and consistency. Damage from most enemies is immediately healed away without concern, which is also ideal when the running the Labyrinth, or beast-crafting in your menagerie. This cushion allows the player to make a few mistakes without getting punished, and run through traps and Punctures with reckless abandon.

Since this build can also apply Ignite reliably, we gain a fair amount of burning damage on top of Purifying Flame‘s stellar initial salvo. For clearing this can be a great asset, mopping up any monsters that survive the first hit to eliminate any backtracking. Clearing with this build is extremely easy and straightforward, as all of our damage comes from Purifying Flame, and requires no special ordering or timing of skills, gem swaps, or aura rotations. When dealing with bosses, our high damage output assures relatively quick kills and the ability to melt any adds that may attempt to join the fray, such as the Elder’s portals.

Defensively, there are several ways to build your Inquisitor in order to ensure your stability in the end-game. Life Regeneration fulfills the core of our defenses, but in order to level past 93 without issues, we need to surround ourselves with several more layers of defense. Mind Over Matter combined with Eldritch Battery is a viable option that still allows us to run several auras off of Mana, but requires a little extra gear and some extra Passive Points to properly facilitate. With the prime defensive positioning of Templar on the Passive Skill Tree, a nice helping of Increased Maximum Life and Flat Life can be acquired with little deviation from our desired path. Altogether, this results in a nicely rounded exile that can easily reach 10k Effective Health, all while maintaining extremely high damage and Critical Strike.

Due to the range and large Area of Effect of this build, particularly when using Carcass Jack, you should try to remain at mid-range from your enemies. While we do have fairly potent Effective Health and Regeneration, part of this build’s strength is its ability to destroy things from a safe distance and reposition as necessary. As with most builds in Path of Exile, the best defense is proper movement and positioning.

Passive Skill Tree

This is our recommended Level 100 Passive Skill Tree.

For more details on the Passive Tree, skill acquisition order, and more, be sure to check out the Passive Skill Tree page for in-depth information.

Passive Skill Tree and Gem Links

Gems

We go over all of the gem links this build uses in the end-game on our Gem Link page.

Passive Skill Tree and Gem Links

Ascendancy, Bandits, and Pantheon

Our Ascendancy, Bandit, and Pantheon Powers page goes into detail about all the choices you need to make in these regards.

Ascendancy, Bandits, and Pantheon Powers

Gear Summary / TL;DR

These items strike a balance between power and cost-effectiveness. If you want to explore more options for budget or “GG” gear, see recommendations about Jewels and Flasks, or get more information on alternatives and specialty items, please ensure you read the Gear, Jewels, and Flasks page

Our recommendation:

Item Slot	Item Name
Head	The Devouring Diadem
Amulet	Rare Amulet
Chest	Carcass Jack
Gloves	Fingerless Silk Gloves
Boots	Rare Boots
Belt	Leather Belt or Stygian Vise
Ring 1	Gifts from Above
Ring 2	Rare or Mark of Submission (see Rings)
Weapon	Rare Sambar Sceptre
Shield*	Magna Eclipsis

*See Weapons section for more information on Dual-Wielding versus using a Shield.

For in-depth recommendations for gear, flasks, jewels, and crafting advice be sure to read our Gear, Jewels, and Flasks page.

Gear, Jewels, and Flasks Breakdown

Leveling

As a reminder, we have several guides to help you level up a character.

Our step-by-step leveling walkthrough, which allows even more experienced players to save time and speed through the leveling process.
Our guide to Unique Items for leveling, which helps you gear up your characters for the leveling process.
Our beginner leveling guide, which answers many of the questions new players might have and will set you on the right path.

You can acquire Purifying Flame immediately in Act I. Link it with Arcane Surge Support and ###item:onslaught-support### for now, and add in Added Fire Damage Support and Combustion Support as soon as possible.

Make sure you pick up Flame Dash in Act I to help with mobility. Once you have your appropriate links for Purifying Flame, you can move your Arcane Surge Support to this link instead. Add in Faster Casting Support in Act II.

Herald of Ash should be acquired in Act II along with the Controlled Destruction Support gem.

In Act III, you can grab Zealotry and Intensify Support.

If you are using a Tabula Rasa, once you acquire Spell Echo Support in Act IV, your Purifying Flame links should look like this for the rest of the leveling process:

Make sure you are leveling up Intensify Support as well. You should acquire the secondary gems, such as Armageddon Brand, while you are leveling and level them up as needed.

Leveling Trees

52 Points / Normal Lab

87 Points / Cruel Lab

FAQ

What Annointment Should I Use for my Amulet?

Force Shaper is an excellent option for increasing damage and our recommended choice, as the annointment allows you to skip all the lackluster nodes leading up to it.

How About Bottled Faith?

Bottled Faith is an excellent flask for this build, however, it does require you to drop another Flask suffix if you want to incorporate it into your regular clear. See the flask section for more information.

How About Low-Life / Chaos Innoculation?

This build is absolutely doable as a fully Energy Shield build, and can even be better in many cases. Be aware, however, that this is far less friendly towards newer players and far more expensive to execute. If you are League Starting, you will definitely want to start out as a Life based character until you have amassed a good amount of currency.

If you have questions on how to adapt this build to Chaos Innoculation or Low-Life, please ask in the comments.

Is Pledge of Hands a viable option?

Yes, you can use Pledge of Hands early on to supplement your damage, however, since there are several cheap and effect 1-handed options we do not recommend investing currency into properly linking this staff.