Templar - [3.25-Ruthless] Absolution Guardian - Forum - Path of Exile (2025)

Hello ,

3.22/Guardian reworked

3.23/Nerf to the late-game scaling of Auras & Sentinel of Radiance [85->80 character level scaling]

Its melee damage has been reduced by roughly 50%, and the damage and area of their burn has been reduced by roughly 50%.

3.24/No change

3.25/Bandit reward reworked
/ 10% of Damage from Hits is taken from your Sentinel of Radiance's Life before you (previously 20%)
/Divine blessing support removed from the game but March of Legion still exist

3.25 , I advise to play to play this build as a League starter , he scale well and start extremly strong with the sentinel , you can reach map without any res & gear issue and a little dmg upgrade(support/gem level/minion multiplier) be smooth to reach tier 16 // can be used in solo or party play. Probably one of the best Character to start in Ruthless before rerolling .

POB:
https://pobb.in/Qihjpcs4wbgB

Ruthless mode :
The Ruthless is a veteran mode for people who seek a challenge via less Playerpower ( gear , ascendancy , link ) can be compare to a Diablo2-like

To summurize it :
/You have no support gem until you drop them
/Ascendancy Power are nerfed compare to normal mode
/Active skill Gems are lock behind a class (you can buy only 3 active skill Gem from Siosa - act 3 - during one character full campaign )
/No bench craft
/Less currency , less Rare-Unique Item drop
/No perma Uptime on Utility flask ( don't gain flask charge during effect)
/Movement skill are disabled ( you have a quickstep -bad and cheap dash with high cd - Conc path - ambush)
/Gems gain 1/4 of the normal XP value
/Harvest/Betrayal/Beastary different reward/craft

Here a link to vendor recipe in Ruthless: https://www.poewiki.net/wiki/Vendor_recipe_(Ruthless)
https://www.poewiki.net/wiki/Immortal_Syndicate_(Ruthless)

Pro of this build:

He offer 3 Aura which scale with character level (Wrath/Hatred/Anger)-(scale up to level 80 character)/ a taunt minion(scale up to level 80 character)/ 15% spell block /Every 4s recover 100 % Life / 10 % hit dmg taken by Sentinel Radiance

An Tree with Elemental Resistances are almost all Maxed early and enough Life node to have an Easy time during Campaign & Early Maps

Sentinel Radiance help with Absolution summoning & carry the whole campaign

Good Life Reg , thank to Vitality and Holyflame Totem early campaign , stone golem & ascendancy "Time of Needs" in Atlas maps.

Minions meat wall (distracting monster and protecting from projectiles)

The new Vaal-Absolution is Insanly strong , you can clear the whole screen in 1s thanks to his ability or even Melt boss like a white mob .

I recommend to vaal your Absolution , Vaal-absolution 20 > Absolution 21

Cons of the build :
Cannot run Elemental Reflect Map

Minions die more often in campaign - early maps because they have less life due to underlevel gem from XP gem penality of Ruthless.

Absolution have 25 % to summon a sentinel that mean it can happens time to time to not summon minions after 6-7 cast vs single target Rare/Unique Ennemie (rare but annyoing)

Spell echo lock you in place during the cast of Absolution , resolve with some cast speed from (gear ,Haste aura)

Starting to summon Absolution again blue pack can be a bit painful. ( specialy in Harvest encounter) Radiance help with that

During Campaign :
The build is played like a Minion army build - Absolution as aoe clearer vs white and blue
SrS vs Boss - yellow monster

Before Domninus go do Labyrinth and get Ascendancy Sentinel of Radiance (he carries the whole campaign),this Minion is extremly SLOW and have a burning aura.
Unfortunatly, he needs to be convocate -> feel free to buy Convocation instead of Raise Specter at Siosa .

More Tips and Guidance into PoB Notes

Offensif stats Scaling:
Gem level : Minion/spell/Lightning/Physical
Minion Damage
Minion Attack/Cast speed
Lightning Resistance Penetration (only from curse / support gem / exposure)
Minion Critical Chance/Critical Damage

Defensif stats Scaling:
Life
Physical damage reduction
Elemental Resistance
Chaos Resistance
Armour / ES
Block chance

Qol stats:
Movement speed
Cast speed

Updated : 24 August 2024

This is not a guide per se, even still very useful though.

If you keep updating or posting it here with some text etc, that would end up being really great.

Like pros/cons of Necro/Guardian, meaning of Auras HC build you got in options, etc.

I will probably give this a try to pass the campaign, good work anyway.

Any suggestion after that? What would be useful is something like priorities in case you get some supports. I mean, for each active skill you recommend, putting the "ideal" 4 or 5 link setup, and somehow ranking them from desirable to less desirable.

Updates : Updating old mastery
Added more details between Guardian & Necromancer
Added an end-game gem skill Set with Eldritch Battery + Divine blessing Softcore Oriented
Added an end-game gem skill Set with Mana setup (Life mastery 30 % mana cost as life - Mana mastery 12 % mana rmr ) Hardcore oriented
Added extra skill gems in hardcore option

//

Added New Caster Mastery into Softcore for QoL in Ruthless
Edited and Fixed softcore and Hardcore tree
Added extra text to explain quickly how to start and choice of Ascendancy
Added 3rd Specter Choice

//
Added Vaal Absolution + Explenation
Added Stats Damage Scaling of the build
Added Defensive Scaling

Double Ascendancy guide

Swap tree ? =)

Update from 13 August 2023:

3.22 nerf ascendancy in Ruthless

PoB updated with custom configuration until PoB update
Guardian ascendancy removed until further more information on the rework

Update from 16 August 2023:
Guide updated