The Duelist class has also three Ascendancy Classes.
SlayerGladiatorChampion
The Duelist class is considered one of the best classes to start the game with. Due to its hybrid nature, you can build this class as high life (tank), high damage, or both. So, in this article, we will discuss some of the best builds for the duelist class.
Devon’s Blazing Headsman Slayer Build
This build is not for league starters and is completely focused on the end game. So, if you are searching for league starter builds you can go to the next build. This build is fire-based using Awakened Elemental damaged which provides you with 100% fire reflect immunity. Also, using slayer ascendancy in this build grants you the life leech ability. Using this build, you can just spin and hit enemies with lots of critical damage.
Playstyle
Nothing much to do here. Use the recommended gears and gem links. Spin and kill enemies with granted stun immunity. Do map mods as much as you like. Get to the endgame as soon as possible. In the early game, use the gears and gems you find and play as you like.
Recommended Gears
Here are some of the recommended gears for this build. These gears work well with this build.
Head: Ghoul Glance Royal BurgonetAmulet: Xoph’s Blood Amber AmuletChest: Loreweave Elegant RingmailGloves: Soul Grasp Vaal GauntletsBoots: Pain Road Titan GreavesBelt: Ryslatha’s Coil Studded BeltRings: Damnation Eye Sapphire Ring or Victory Whorl Two-stoned RIngWeapon: Void Forge Infernal SwordShield: Any Rare or Unique Shield
Leveling
As this build is not focused on the early game, you can use any weapon but keep upgrading it for the smooth starter. Focus on upgrading Physical Damage. Voidforge with Xoph’s Heart is the best for this build so focus on getting these. Awakened gems are recommended but you can also play without awakened gems if you find it hard. This build may cause some mana problems during leveling so use Praxis Ring in the early game until you find two rings with -3 mana cost of channeling skills. You also need to use Cyclone and Vaal Ancestral Warchief with Ancestral Protector.
Gem Link
For this build, you only need your Weapon, Chest, Head, Gloves, and Boots equipment for gem-link. But you need 6 slotted Weapons and Chest gear. Your gem-link should look like this in end-game:
Ascendancy Nodes
After unlocking ascendancy, you have to choose ascendancy nodes to invest your points on. For this build, choose these ascendancies nodes for this build listed in order of importance.
HeadsmanBane of LegendBrutal FervourOverwhelm
Bandits
In Act 2, there is a quest called “Deal with the Bandits” which will give you passive powerful combat abilities as a reward. You have to choose between 4 options which are:
Save Bandit Lord KraitynSave Bandit Lord AliraSave Bandit Lord OakKill All Bandits
For this build, save bandit lord Alira.
Pantheons
Pantheon powers help to enhance the characters’ defensive stats. These powers are available when players defeat certain gods from Act 6 to Act 10. There are altogether 12 gods. Four of them are major gods and eight of them are minor gods. A player can have the powers of one major god and one minor god. For major gods, you can choose Soul of Lunaris. For minor god, you can choose Soul of Gruthkul or Soul of Yugul, or Soul of Shakari.
Cyclone Blood and Sand Gladiator Build
Cyclone build for Duelists is very popular among players. This build is a melee build using Cyclone gem. Gladiator ascendancy is considered a balanced class for both offense and defense. And using Cyclone gem with other support gems with this ascendancy is very powerful. You get lots of damage, over 7000 life, endurance, leech, and armor with this build.
Playstyle
In this build, using cyclone skill your character has a lot of attack speed. The character has a spinning ability for attacking. Your attack speed is fast but the movement speed of your character becomes slow. You have to enter a map, use Leap Slam and Cyclone. Gratuitous Violence ascendancy keystone will help you use bleeding effect in enemies and deal 10% of their maximum damage as physical damage.
Recommended Gears
Here are some of the recommended gears for this build. These gears work well with this build.
Head: Devoto’s DevotionAmulet: Any Rare Amulet GearChest: Belly of the Beast or Carcass Jack or Rare Astral PlateGloves: Rare Spiked GlovesBoots: Rare Two-toned Boots (Cold and Lightning Resistances)Belt: Rare Stygian ViseRIngs: Rare Steel Rings or Shaped Ring + Mark of the ElderWeapon 1: Rare Siege Axe or Soul TakerWeapon 2: Rare Siege Axe or Soul Taker
Leveling
For this build, you need to start with Ground Slam gem until Level 12. Then after reaching level 12, you need to equip Sunder gem which will grant you high base damage. With Sunder, you need to link other gems too. Here are the gems in order of importance:
SunderMelee Physical Damage SupportOnslaught SupportMultistrike SupportMaim SupportRuthless Support
You may not get all these gems in an instant. So, use whatever gems you have until you find them all. Maim Support, Ruthless Support, and Onslaught Support can be found early. But Melee Physical Damage Support will only be available in ACT II. You can use Added Fire Damage Support too if you are using Tabula Rasa chest. Don’t forget to pick Blood and Sand gem at Level 4 and Herald of Ash and Herald of Purity in ACT II.
Gem Link
Cyclone is the main gem for damaging skill and you have to up your dexterity stats to fully level up the cyclone. As mentioned, Cyclone may not be that good until the end-game so Sunder can be used instead of it. The gem links you need for this build are as follows:
Ascendancy Nodes
After unlocking ascendancy, you have to choose ascendancy nodes to invest your points on. For this build, choose these ascendancies nodes for this build listed in order of importance.
Arena ChallengerBlood in the EyesGratuitous ViolenceOutmatch and Outlast
Bandits
In Act 2, there is a quest called “Deal with the Bandits” which will give you passive powerful combat abilities as a reward. You have to choose between 4 options which are:
Save Bandit Lord KraitynSave Bandit Lord AliraSave Bandit Lord OakKill All Bandits
Kill all three of them for additional skill points of Eramir for this build.
Pantheons
Pantheon powers help to enhance the characters’ defensive stats. These powers are available when players defeat certain gods from Act 6 to Act 10. There are altogether 12 gods. Four of them are major gods and eight of them are minor gods. A player can have the powers of one major god and one minor god. Choose the powers of Soul of the Brine King for major god and Soul of Gruthkul for minor god for this build.
Shattering Steel Impale Champion Build
This is a ranged build using Champion Ascendancy. This build uses Impale Support gem which pairs with Champion Ascendancy in the best way. This build focuses on dual One-handed swords as the main weapons which are the strongest in the game. This build is for league starters so there are no build-enabling items. This build uses Steel abilities like Shattering Steel or Splitting Steel.
Playstyle
This build has ridiculous clearing speed so the use of the gems which help you do that is very necessary. You can use Leap Slam or Smoke Mine to run around the map. If you choose Smoke Mine don’t forget to get Divergent for bonus attack speed. While attacking, use some distance with enemies as you have ranged abilities. Use Blood Rage for increased Life steal and attack speed. Also, you can use Ancestral Protector to improve attack speed for tank bosses and monsters. If you have space in the gem slot, consider using Vaal Double Strike for additional burst damage. While in defense, remember to keep your Fortify Support with Leap Slam. Vaal Molten Shell is also a very good defense skill gem for this build. Use Leap Slamming ability more often in this build and maintain your distance from the enemies.
Recommended Equipment
Head: Any Rare HelmetAmulet: Any Rare AmuletChest: Any Rare Body ArmorGloves: Any Rare Gloves or Great Old One’s TentaclesBoots: Tailwind Rare Boots or Atziri’s StepBelt: Any Rare Belt or The NomadRings: Any Rare RingsWeapon 1: Ichimonji or Paradoxica or Jewelled FoilWeapon 2: Ichimonji or The Saviour
Leveling
For this build leveling, you need to get to Call to Arms and Points Blank as soon as possible. You should have Point Blank around level 30. After getting Call to arms, also get Enduring Cry from ACT III and use it as a movement button by putting it in left-click. For this build, you need to increase your attack speed, dexterity, and intelligence too.
Gem Links
Before starting your gem link, you need to choose between Shattering Steel and Splitting Steel which both are for ranged attacks. You can only use one of these abilities. Let’s see the gem links you need for this build. These gems should be used for your setup. You will need at least one Enlighten Support of level 4 to fit everything. Blood Rage and Enduring cry should be active all of the time. Remember to pick Poacher’s Marks as soon as possible.
Ascendancy
After unlocking ascendancy, you have to choose ascendancy nodes to invest your points on. For this build, choose these ascendancies nodes for this build listed in order of importance.
Master of MetalUnstoppable HeroConquerorWorthy Foe
Bandits
In Act 2, there is a quest called “Deal with the Bandits” which will give you passive powerful combat abilities as a reward. You have to choose between 4 options which are:
Save Bandit Lord KraitynSave Bandit Lord AliraSave Bandit Lord OakKill All the Bandits
For this build, you need to Kill all three of them for Skill points.
Pantheons
You can choose Soul of Lunaris for Major god. For Minor god choose Soul of Shakari.
Lacerate Gladiator Build
Cyclone skill gems and their ability are widely used in the PoE community. But there is another skill gem Lacerate that is highly ignored but is very useful. Lacerate is considered a melee skill but when reached endgame you will get ranged-like abilities from this skill gem and this build. It gives the players high damage with strong defense. Lacerate is also very good for league starters. The scaling of Lacerate is also good for end-game which is great bossing too. This build is fast and very powerful.
Playstyle
The use of Lacerate to quickly kill monsters and Leap Slam to move through the map is the main playstyle of this build. Ascendancy nodes of Gladiator like Arena Challenger increase movement and attack speed by 20%. Gratuitous Violence grants a bleeding effect that explodes monsters and deals physical damage of 10% of monsters’ maximum life. Instead of 2 weapons in other builds, players use 1 weapon and 1 shield.
Recommended Equipment
Head: Any Rare Helmet.Amulet: Any Rare Amulet or TalismanChest: Belly of the Beast or Rare Astral PlateGloves: Rare Spiked GlovesBoots: Rare Tiran Greaves or Kaom’s Roots (Uber Elder)Belt: Rare Stygian Vise Rings: Rare Steel RingsWeapon 1: Crafted or Multi-modded Siege AxeShield: Lioneye’s Remorse
Leveling
You cannot get a Lacerate in the early game. So, in the early game equip Ground Slam until Level 12. Gem-links for leveling for this build should look like this:
LacerateMelee Physical Damage SupportMultistrike SupportPulverise SupportBrutality SupportOnslaught Support
Onslaught Support can be found in the early game. But after you complete ACT V, you can get Fortify Support with a Silver Flask. Also, before you find Brutality Support and Multistrike Support you can use any gem. But later on, you should use these gems compulsory. At the start of the game, you need Blood and Sand. In ACT II get Flesh and Stone and in ACT III get Pride gem.
Gem Links
These gems can be linked with each other to increase the efficiency of the required skills. So, gem link is very important for your character development. Following gem links should be used for this build and all gems should be used in the equipment where there is the same number of required gems slots available. Here are the names for the gem link.
Ascendancy
After unlocking ascendancy, you have to choose ascendancy nodes to invest your points on. For this build, choose these ascendancies nodes for this build listed in order of importance.
Arena ChallengerBlood in the EyesGratuitous ViolenceOutmatch and Outlast
Bandits
In Act 2, there is a quest called “Deal with the Bandits” which will give you passive powerful combat abilities as a reward. You have to choose between 4 options which are:
Save Bandit Lord Kraityn Save Bandit Lord AliraSave Bandit Lord OakKill All Bandits
In this build, you have to help Eramir and kill all bandits for 2 passive skill points.
Pantheons
Choose Soul of Brine King or Solaris for Major God and Soul of Gruthkul for Minor God for this build.
