PoE 3.27 Reap Occultist Witch Build Guide

Path of Exile's 3.27 Keepers of the Flame update gives Witch players a surprisingly strong league starter in Reap Occultist. The combination of Reap's broad, sweeping chaos hit and Occultist's built-in curse explosions makes early mapping feel effortless, and the build scales well enough to handle Uber bosses without major investment PoE 1 Currency. 

During testing, players were clearing 100% Delirium T17s on basic league-start gear, then shifting into simple low-life setups to push past 50 million DPS with nothing more complicated than a couple of decent wands and the usual Tabula swaps. Because so much of the damage comes from chaos DoT multipliers and curses, it fits perfectly into SSF and low-budget trade environments and aligns nicely with 3.27's new flamekeeper mechanics and adjusted ailment spread.

Reap itself forms the core of the playstyle—typically linked to Spell Echo, Controlled Destruction, and Void Manipulation—letting the Witch chain wide cleaves that instantly trigger Occultist's explosions. The build layers Despair, Temporal Chains, and Malediction for the usual resistance shredding, which can easily push enemy chaos res deep into the negatives. Forbidden Power ramps damage further by stacking power charges, while Vile Bastion keeps your energy shield topped off during heavy combat. Chill and freeze effects from Vex Static help lock down packs, often leaving rares stuck in place just long enough for a scythe swing to erase them. 

Defensively, the character leans into energy shield very early; Prism Guardian auras move to life reservation, Vaal Discipline smooths out tough moments, and Ghost Dance gives early spell suppression that eventually rises toward the 90% mark. Flasks like Taste of Hate add extra layers of mitigation, and Wither stacks ensure bosses melt quickly.

Leveling is straightforward: Freezing Pulse in the first acts, switching to Reap once Act 4 opens and the first ascendancy grants Malediction for auto-cursing. Early passive points go toward general defenses and energy shield recharge, and most players kill all bandits for the extra two passives. Soul of the Brine King helps avoid stun chains during the campaign, while Solaris shines later for bossing. By the time you get a six-link, something like Reap–Echo–Inspiration–Crit Strikes–Lightning Pen–Deadly Ailments carries you comfortably into yellow maps. 

Gearing tends to focus on fast-casting wands or sceptres with flat chaos or spell damage, crit chance, and DoT multipliers. Void Battery is usually one of the first big purchases since it appears early in a league and opens the door for power-charge stacking long before crafted daggers are accessible. Shavronne's or a high-ES body armor works for the chest, while Crystal or Stygian belts help fix attribute needs and add more energy shield. Gloves with attack speed are useful for trigger setups, and rings generally carry intelligence, chaos damage, and resistances. A helmet with Whispers of Doom anointed allows for triple curses, and rare jewels add ES, crit multi, or cast speed depending on your priorities. Watcher's Eye with relevant aura mods is a late upgrade, and flask setups remain simple until players pick up a Mageblood or equivalent high-end piece.

The real power spike comes from cluster jewels and chaos mastery nodes. With the right setup, Reap can push past 200 million DPS on Uber Shaper, especially when supported by Wither totems and the natural “increased damage taken” effects from the Occultist ascendancy. Certain cooldown recovery breakpoints—especially around 52%—keep the rotation tight and prevent delayed triggers during tougher encounters. 

Aspect of the Spider fits naturally here, adding extra slow and damage that feels great during T17 mapping. Builds aiming for 10k+ ES and high suppression often borrow tech from FRoSS Occultists, resulting in extremely durable characters capable of handling all current endgame mechanics. Uber Sirus kills under two minutes are already circulating across community channels, which is impressive for something designed as a league starter.

On a budget, the build functions perfectly at around 10 divines for full mapping, and spending closer to 50 opens the door to all Uber bosses. Even without trade, SSF players can craft serviceable wands through Heists and pick up the necessary curse tools from Blight encounters. The only thing to watch is any potential mid-league adjustment to curse effect, though Occultist's innate resistance reduction should keep the build strong even with minor tuning.

Reap Occultist feels like a comfortable and surprisingly complete package for 3.27. It clears fast, scales hard into the late game, and doesn't demand constant respecs or expensive gear to stay relevant. Anyone looking to start the league with a smooth, chaos-focused caster should have no trouble carrying this build all the way from the campaign to Uber Elder—and beyond—simply by playing naturally and upgrading along the way buy PoE Currency.