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Greetings, exiles! Before the new league kicked off,with buy Path of exile currency,the developers surprised us with an exciting event: the Enraged Gauntlet of Fcia. Naturally, I couldn't resist diving in. This time, I wanted to experiment with a build centered around V Smite combined with the Architect of Chaos ascendancy. The main idea? Scale V Smite's damage through auras and modifiers for a satisfying, high-damage experience.

The Build Concept

V Smite is a powerful skill because its aura scales significantly with level, and thanks to Architect of Chaos, we can leverage life instead of mana to sustain multiple auras. Adding the Chaos Bloodline further amplifies V Smite, granting a 50% increase in its aura effect. To complement the build, I also planned to use V Haste, which synergizes well with my ascendancy, improving both speed and damage.

I'll admit upfront: this isn't intended to be a “meta-breaking” build. Instead, it's an experimental approach—I'm curious to see how far it can go.

Starting Out: Polytheist Ascendancy

I began the league with Polytheist, which works well early on. Its Minimum Charges node gives a strong damage boost, perfect for initial encounters. Pairing Smite with Anger and Wrath auras adds substantial flat damage. With a little clever mastery selection, we can even achieve a budget version of Paradoxica, making for a strong starting setup.

The softcore gauntlet is more about fun than hardcore efficiency. Personally, I prefer enjoying the gameplay rather than slogging through bosses that drop little loot. Still, the campaign gave me a solid start before moving on to maps.

Early Progress: Maps and Gear

Once in the maps, Smite performed admirably. Map clearing and damage output were satisfactory, proving Polytheist was a solid choice for the start. I began upgrading gear gradually:

Jewels for life and damage

New shield with benchcraft

Armor upgrades for survivability

While I didn't get a six-link from the tree (which can feel like a mini-victory), the items I picked up set a solid foundation. Boss fights, especially with modifiers like Enrage and Haste, were challenging but rewarding. I set a personal record: 8 minutes for a particularly tricky boss.

Transition to Chaos Ascendancy

After the initial maps and lab runs, it was time to switch to my main build: Chaos Ascendancy with V Smite at the core. Key gear changes included:

March of the Legion boots: Boosts V Smite level, allows activating an extra aura, and supports life-based skills thanks to Architect of Chaos

New amulet, rings, and cluster jewels to optimize damage and survivability

Mana leech nodes to maintain uptime for Prismatic Tincture

With these upgrades, damage output and map clearing speed became excellent. However, unlike an “OG slammer” build, this one requires active play: toggling auras and consistently using V Smite. The gameplay is engaging, rewarding, and—most importantly—fun.

Farming Strategy and Idols

To maximize efficiency, I experimented with farming idols for ore, targeting Swallen and using locations like Starfall Crater with Black Knight spawns. Even with a simple setup costing about two divine orbs, this strategy proved effective.

Random drops yielded some valuable idols for Ultimatum, with decent spawn rates compared to the standard Atlas. I also observed promising results for Bismouth ore, which opens additional crafting opportunities.

First Impressions

In summary:

V Smite is strong and fun to play, especially with Architect of Chaos

Polytheist is a great starting ascendancy, and Chaos Ascendancy shines later

Early gear and jewels set a strong foundation for maps and bosses

Active gameplay keeps combat engaging,with POE currency,with rewarding loot opportunities

Idols and targeted farming strategies provide reliable currency and crafting resources

This concludes the first part of my journey with this V Smite build. I'm excited to continue experimenting, farming, and refining my strategy. Whether you're a new or returning exile, there's plenty of fun to be had trying out new combinations and seeing how they hold up in the Enraged Gauntlet of Fcia.