[2.4.0] Burning Vortex Elementalist

Primary Skill
In order, use these gems:

Get a 5-link. It shouldn't be hard once you hit maps and imo you're going to need those minimum 5 gems to be clearing efficiently. The 6-link isn't really necessary but it's a nice dps boost for clearing higher, tankier maps. Hypothermia or rapid decay might be a more effective 6-link, but I haven't tested it yet.

For bosses you can swap out increased area of effect for concentrated effect but it really depends the boss--often times you would rather have the AoE then the deeps.



Orb of storms to proc elemental overload and flame dash as your movement skill.


I like to use fire golem and chaos golem but it's really up to personal preference here.
Frost bolt can be used to cheese bosses.


The ole' temp chains + enfeeble on blasphemy combo. Throw in elemental weakness for a nice dps boost.


Doesn't need much explanation here. Level up clarity if you feel you could use more mana.



Pretty standard CwDT setup. Vaal discipline does not proc off CwDT but and I have it linked there to benefit from the increased duration.

The fun part


This is the most important item in the build, it enables your cold damage to ignite and unlike pyre it will allow your vortex to proc elemental equilibrium to mobs fire resist. Alternatively you could use Three Dragons helm if you lack resistance but the gloves are generally better because they enable you to use a juicy ES helmet.


Using Shavronne's for pain attunement, because of the double dipping effect of spell damage.


Using this for the +1 to curses and the 5 mana on kill which allows us to keep up mana between packs even in less regen maps.


Stun resistance plain and simple.


These boots are great for the price. Very respectable energy shield combined with high MS and immunity to desecrated ground.

Bandits: Kill, kill, kill

I pretty much leveled with vortex as soon as I could get it at level 28. Gems were Vortex, elemental focus, controlled dest, inc AoE.

Passive allocation while leveling: I went up from the spell damage side of witch starting area then traveled to the templar to get the life/damage/aoe nodes there then from there i went back to the witch and got her life/aoe nodes. Then I went to shadow and got the life/ele/degen nodes there. Finished off by going to the scion life wheel.

80 life tree: poeurl.com/MvD

87 low life tree: poeurl.com/MvH

Current tree(94): poeurl.com/MvM

pain attunement: Pretty straightforward dps boost. The 30% more spell damage double dips on the burn

Elemental Equilibrium: Because our vortex is doing cold damage when we hit mobs it will increase their cold resist by 25% and lower their fire resist by 50%. Because most mobs die in a single vortex the downside isn't really relevant. On bosses we use our orb of storms to constantly hit with lightning damage causing both the bosses cold and fire resistance to drop.

Elemental Overload: 40% more elemental damage which double dips. Huge and easy to keep up on bosses with orb of storms.

Zealot's Oath: Not much to say here. Life regeneration is awesome so it stands to say that ES regen is too.

Whispers of Doom: Tri-curse is good.

Alchemist: We are in the potion meta for good reason and we're running 5 utility flasks so these nodes are amazing.

Liege of the primordial: Lets you use double golem and makes your elemental golems really damn hard to kill. I usually use chaos golem as my primary so adding a fire golem gives me ~80% damage. Pretty huge.

Paragon of Calamity: Makes you a little tankier to elemental damage and reduces elemental damage taken by 50%. I have ran elemental reflect maps with this by swapping out elemental weakness for herald of ice. Still hurts but its possible if you really want to run the map.

Shaper of Desolation: 6/14 seconds of 100% chance to ignite and 6/14 seconds of 100% chance to shock is nice.

Bacon of Ruin: My personal favorite ascendancy node of all time. Gives you free elemental proliferation. Some people have pointed out going for mastermind of discord for the penetration might be better but I find that prolif is insanely strong for clearing maps fast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyJiNu6h3KA&feature=youtu.be