The Duelist in Path of Exile is a versatile hybrid character blending strength and dexterity. Strength boosts his health and melee damage, while dexterity enhances accuracy and evasion. This blend creates an agile warrior adept at wielding dual one-handed swords.
How to Play Duelist
The Duelist focuses on close-range combat. While not as durable as the Marauder, the Duelist compensates with faster attacks and better evasion. Playing this character requires a strategic and cautious approach, especially when facing enemy groups. Leveraging attack speed and appropriate skill gems, the Duelist can efficiently dispatch foes.
Passive Skills
This build for the Duelist aims for balanced development in both strength and dexterity. Passive skills should prioritize melee physical damage, particularly with swords and dual wielding. Focus on enhancing health, regeneration, evasion, and, to a lesser extent, armor. By selecting passives that boost both strength and dexterity, the Duelist evolves into a nimble yet resilient fighter. The initial passive skills (7 points) will guide the character's development path.
Active Skills
A Duelist built following this guide should seek skill gems that align with both strength and dexterity, ensuring they are compatible with one-handed swords. While dual wielding compatibility is beneficial, it is not essential. Below are some ideal skill gems for this character, which should be prioritized.
- Cleave: This strength-based skill is effective for quickly eliminating groups of enemies. It strikes all enemies within its 180-degree range, ensuring comprehensive damage.
- Dual Strike: Utilizing both wielded weapons, this skill is excellent for targeting single enemies and bosses, dealing significant damage to a specific target.
- Flicker Strike: An essential component of any flicker strike build, this skill allows for quick teleports to targeted enemies, delivering increased damage. It serves both as an escape mechanism when surrounded and a method to rapidly engage distant foes.
- Viper Strike: This skill can replace your basic attack, provided you have sufficient mana or the appropriate potions. It poisons the target, providing a damage-over-time effect that can be particularly useful at the start of boss fights.
By integrating these strategies and skills, your Duelist will become a formidable and agile combatant in Path of Exile, capable of handling various challenges with finesse.