Starting in between the Marauder and Witch in the passive skill tree, the Templar class is perfect if you want to build a tanky mage or a melee elemental damage machine. There’s plenty of different options for you to go with and as always building a Templar is all about your own play style and preference.
Below you can take a look at some of the more popular Templar skill tree builds in Path of Exile, so if you’re new to the game or class and need some advice on what works best this guide on popular builds should give you a good start.
Dual Wield Elemental Cleave Templar
This is a very simple but effective build based around Cleave gem and dual wielding weapons with elemental damage. You also get plenty of defenses by using Grace and Determination auras. For items this build doesn’t require any expensive unique items which is great if you’re low on currency or if this is your first character.
Additionally many things in this Dual Wield Elemental Cleave build are easily changed, such as gear or gems depending on your preferences. For example the author mentions you can easily replace Cleave with Rain of Arrows and still do amazing DPS, which is quite remarkable as you can switch from melee to ranged as necessary.
- Forum topic
- Skill tree builds: level 20, level 40, level 60, level 80
Righteous Fire/Low Life Freezing Pulse Build
First of all, this build isn’t for anyone. It has less survivability than most other builds and is very gear dependent, so if you decide to give it a shot be prepared to spend some orbs: you need two specific unique items to make this build work well. It also isn’t the easiest of builds to play so if it’s your first character I wouldn’t advise this.
The biggest upside to this build if of course the ridiculous damage output. I recommend you take a good look at the author’s forum topic (linked below) and decide if this build is something you want to go for. It looks incredibly fun, but as mentioned is has its drawbacks.
- Forum topic
- Skill tree build (level 78)
Explosive Arrow Templar Build
An unusual path for a templar class, but the author claims you can deal up to 350k DPS. Chances are this will get significantly nerfed, but until then you’re welcome to enjoy killing everything with ease.
I wouldn’t recommend trying this build in Hardcore though as it’s lacking a lot in the defensive department and you might die more often than you’d like.
- Forum topic
- Gameplay video (level 69 shore map)
- Skill tree build
Dual Totem/Curse Elemental Equilibrium Fire Trap Templar
Despite its long and perhaps a bit confusing title, this build actually does work well if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary. This build is focused on high AoE damage as well as significant single-target DPS, while having pretty high resistances and health pool for added survivability.
The build also uses summoned zombies with Minion Explode, along with Elemental Weakness and Critical Weakness curses. Not only do you have two totems to tank for you but also several zombies, making sure you can stay as far away from danger as possible. As main attack you’ll be using the Fire Trap, one of the highest damage skills in the game. Auras used are Clarity, Grace and Discipline.
- Forum topic
- Gameplay footage (Tropical Map, level 76)
- Passive skill tree: 9 points, 13 points, 32 points, 46 points, 56 points, level 67, level 74
Spellcaster/Summoner Templar
This is a great build if you prefer to solo the game. It’s based around having a bunch of zombies to tank for you while you dish out damage with Freezing Pulse. The build isn’t overly dependent on items, although as always it does help to have quality equipment. It can be played in Hardcore mode since it does have decent survivability as well.
- Forum topic
- Skill tree build: level 24, level 45, level 60, level 90
Lightning Strike Physical Damage Templar Build
Lightning Strike is one of the most commonly used gems I see on Templars, and for good reason: it has a pretty long range and scales well with Physical Damage nodes. This build has extremely high survivability with high elemental resistances and significantly increased health pool, along with decent life on hit to top off your HP when you take damage.
- Forum topic
- Passive skill tree: 30 points, 60 points, 80 points
These of course are just some of the most popular builds and by no means the only ones you can go for. They seem to work for a lot of players so instead of experimenting with everything yourself, you can build your character based around these passive skill tree builds and make sure you don’t waste any.
As usual I encourage you to pick a build that fits your play style, so for example if you prefer to get in monster’s faces and bash their heads one by one then I don’t recommend you go for the dual totem + zombies build. Some players find it extremely boring so make sure you read the comments on all builds before you spend hours leveling a character.
And of course if you have any other efficient builds you want to share simply post them in the comments below!
i cant see the skill tree cuz its not updated
This is outdated AF
I just started the game and I’ve been doing some research , with my Templar I went fire and lightning with elemental and life per second as well as life per hit and it seems to be super effective , I’m pritty much untouchable mind you I’m only lvl 7 atm but I feel this build is really good
Tips and pointers are appreciated
Sadly I can’t give you any useful tips, it’s been a long time since I last played the game, but I do hope you followed someone else’s build. PoE gets increasingly hard at later difficulty levels, so many builds which look great in Normal simply don’t work in endgame.
You’re welcome to try creating your own build and experiment, but if you’re new to the game and don’t want to spend a fortune respeccing later on or leveling another character, scour the official forums and find a build which is proven to work (preferably one without insanely expensive equipment requirements).
I appreciate it man thanks , and I did follow someone’s build and spiced it up a bit lol , that’s what I meant when I said I’ve been doing some research , and I also wanted to know about the trading menus , is there only trading ,there’s no official currency in PoE ??
Oh yeah and I forgot to mention , I’ve was using a two handed staff which dealt insane damage but only 3 gem slots sooo, I switched to sceptre and dagger which increased to 4 gem slots and I only lost 5 dps , was this a good choice for weapon ??
Following someone else’s build is certainly a good idea, you can easily adapt it further later on once you get a better grasp of the game’s difficulty and mechanics.
Trading is still only done through direct chat with other players, there’s no “auction house” interface or anything to make the process faster and smoother. It’s also the main reason why I’m very unlikely to return to the game.
There’s no “default” currency in the game, various currencies like Chaos or Exalted Orbs have different values, so the game basically has different currencies, and you can either farm what you need or trade in between them.
My currency guide is likely outdated in some things, but may help you understand a few of the basics.
As for your third question, I’m afraid I really can’t answer about weapon choices with any insight. I haven’t played the game for a couple of years actually, and I’m not even following patch notes anymore, so I’m completely out of touch with what’s viable and what isn’t. Sorry!
That’s all good man I appreciate the insight
“there’s no “auction house” interface or anything to make the process faster and smoother. It’s also the main reason why I’m very unlikely to return to the game.”
I am sure you already know about http://poe.trade
Of course, it is not run by GGG, it is not an in-game UI asset that players see as a random NPC holding an auction (whether live or after a buyout period, a la WoWarcraft).
The market is, and always has been, controlled by the players, the past markets influencing the current one, and naturally some power player econocrushers who can dominate a certain item(s) niche by being first-to-market with that league’s most desirables.
Economy controlling players work by: being good at reaching the end-game quickly and efficiently. This takes practice, experience, and maybe simply skill in finding new “OP” builds and holding onto them while everybody else is jizzing about the ‘next op sheeeiot’ on redditz. sheeple,. he calls them.
Economy controllers are also willing to play the fastest build in terms of reaching endgame, farming the mechanic of the league (warbands, Shapter, atlas, atziri and uber lab/atziri, etc. Even if it is a rather ‘boring’ and unengaging build; you will be able to play your ppreferred build soon, anyway, and youll have tons of currency to do it with since you were the first one selling highest tier maps, drops, tokens, fragments/offerings, etc.
And obviously, the players that have been in control, as ALWAYS in poe’s economy, have to know what to do with their market advantages. Wast time spamming trade chat for something, not sure of its worth but its a new unique? That’s bad. Target-farming what you know will be in demand, and has been hyped by the masses for weeks in that new OPop build that you refuse to play because yours is better! Then selling it at a huge, huge profit being one of the first, or first, to be able to do so.
Let’s condense. The economy and trading of POE is still in the hands of the players, completely. As such, player has created http://poe.trade which indexes all special stash tabs automatically, and lets pllyers post prices to sell each, any, or all items contined within, From in-game.
Buyer’s can search the indexer site linked above and see and specify any number of myriad affixes and ranges, sockets, etc. get a scrape of the specific item in question, along with a buyout price next to it.
It’s not perfect.
GGG didn’t code it.
It’s not like Diablo III AH (thank god)
Yoiu can’t search in game, and as you know, even back then, trade chat was a huge waste of time. Even moreso now.
Now, you cut through the trasde chat step, and find all the people spamming the one item youre looking to buy, then deciding if you want to or not, stats vs cost, links/sockets, etc.
Similarly it lets sellers post and have the item indexed, then go do maps or something instead of spamming trade chat for 4 hours from the hideout. Sure, either he will have to quit labyrrinth run, or he refuses and buyer goes to another player instead, once in a while. FAR better system than what you left the game to as being the standard of the time.
So to say trading is still only done in ‘direct chat’, or any sort of item listing interface that you can search for by item name, type, mod/affix, sockets, links, etc. — there is, though. It’s just not from Gazelowe the Goblin dispensing your treats like a vending machine. You still need to interact with people to get shit done. Just dont have to feel like thats what youre trying to do, but getting trade chat drowned in a sea of flaming capslock.