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PoE Build

[3.29] CWS Chieftain

presentationMarauder
presentationChieftain
End Game
Starter
3.29 CotA
Updated on Jul 22, 2026
Jul 22, 2026

Path of Building Code

Build Overview

CWS Expectations

First and foremost Cast when Stunned (CWS) build is focused on non-bossing content, although it can still do them at reduced effectiveness. This build excels at high and extremely high density content; think Simulacrum, Ritual, Ultimatum, Harvest, Strongbox, Abyss and so on. While I say the build is "AFK', that is more of a gimmick than reality. You still need to play the game, but you're able to walk away from your PC at any time.

CWS is also exceptionally low input, so if you're prefer low input gameplay there's not much better than this.

CWS peaks at mid-late game performance, and typically I play this build to farm significant currency in addition to Mageblood to then explore and try out new builds for the remainder of the league.

POB

https://pobb.in/nCxD7ANcl5qx

Leveling/Campaign

Highly recommended to follow pohx RF. If you're new to CWS or to RF please level with this.

https://pohx.net/

If you're more experienced, you can deviated with alternate initial leveling such as Sunder until 19 for RF swap, or 55~ for swap then.

CWS Swap

No Bloodnotch

For the majority of people, Bloodnotch Isn't so quickly acquired at league start. Therefore, No Bloodnotch version is a gateway until then.

POB: https://pobb.in/nCxD7ANcl5qx

Follow this PoB carefully, and make your pantheons are LUNARIS and TUKOHAMA. Do not take Brine King.

Video Explanation on NO BLOODNOTCH swap.

Flask Crafting

Flasks are usually alt spammed, searching for +3 prefix + open suffix. You can finish them off at menagie to add on X immune during effect as shown in PoB. Ideally, everytime you alt spam Ignite chance suffix, always try to slam a +x flask when hit prefix as that will be a very good flask.

3% regen, 15% damage taken leeched as life are crafts found on the CRAFTING BENCH. These are unlocked by clearing Silo Map and picking the recipe by the boss.

Bloodnotch Initial Swap

Once you acquire Bloodnotch the main benefit is the ability to drop some defensives for some more offensives while getting tankier.

It's very important to drop the Life Recoup over 3 seconds mastery at this time and from now onwards.

Video Explanation on BLOODNOTCH swap.

Edit: If you are degenning at anytime for some reason and can't figure out why, just take Brink of Death to bandaid it from here on out.

Anytime Upgrades

I should first mention expensive upgrade options which you can swap in at anytime if you get your hands on them.

1. Defiance of Destiny

This amulet basically un-nerfs any change to Bloodnotch and makes you incredibly tanky.

2. Watcher's Eye

Vitality life on hit, Malevolence Multiplier, Faster Ailments are all great options to slot into the build whenever you can.

3. Good Jewels

Jewels such as Life %, max fire res, fire damage over time multiplier are all extremely good and you can stuff into sockets as you get them.

4. Tattoos

With shipment being swapped, Ignite % chance tattoos may be more readily available. So pick them up if they're cheap and you need ignite chance (you want 100% to feel good).

Midgame Upgrade 1 - Nebulis

Basically, you want Nebulis asap. Last league was pretty for whatever roll, we just need to start and implicit don't matter.

Midgame Upgrade 2 - Initial Large Cluster

When applicable, drop damage nodes for Large cluster nodes and start introducing Life %, Fire Multi AND/OR Fire max res jewels.

The large cluster we want is 8 passive Fire cluster with Burning Bright + Widespread Destruction and a combination of 1 of the following 3; Cremator Master of Fire or Smoking Remains. For the 1 of 3 options, we never take this rear notable at the back of the cluster.

I highly recommend buying these jewels outright, however if you insist on crafting then your best bet is buying a ilvl 50-67 large cluster and doing some variation of fire mod spam and exalt. It's quite painful crafting this way.

Midgame Upgrade 3 - Triple Large Cluster Swap

This includes mostly a tree restructure, and picking up even more jewel sockets and large clusters.

Midgame Upgrade 4 - Prism Guardian Malevolence Aura

Make sure to link Malevolence with Eternal Blessing Support OUTSIDE of Prism Guardian.

Within Prism Guardian, put Petrified Blood and Flesh and Stone (guess which stance we want). If you are running a Watcher's Eye with Vitality (life gain on hit), then you can squeeze in an appropriate Vitality making sure your HP doesn't drop below 55%.

In addition, keep your reservation topped off with one of the following.

1. Champion of the Cause (+ life mastery if necessary)

2. Leader of the Pack (annointed on new Cord belt)

3. Runegraft of Treachery (I prefer it tattooed on Infused Flesh mastery)

Midgame Upgrade 5 - Unearth DD Swap

Highly recommend Defiance first. It could feel squisher due to losing the helmet

I would like to firstly acknowledge the traditional owners of the this land and the gadigal people that you can skip Unearth + Detonate Dead if you prefer the 7L RF playstyle. Both versions have their benefits and downsides.

The quickest TLDR. 7L Righteous Fire + Detonate Dead of Scavenging is better at clearing low density very weak mobs because you can kill them faster than they can hit you to proc a DD. Unearth DD has higher success at single target with combined with. If you would prefer Righteous Fire check out my guide from last league, not much changed in terms of setup here.

Video guide here. Highly recommend watching.

The basics are using Unearth + Honourhome/ Viridi's Veil with a +2 AoE and/or +2 Projectile corruption linked with Enhance Support and Empower Support. This gives us access to level 30+ Unearth with level 6+ enhance to spawn a corpse with 100k life.

We then use Detonate Dead to explode this SPAWNED corpse. DO NOT USE Detonate Dead of Scavenging for this. In some exceptions, Detonate Dead of Chain Reaction can be used at the sacrifice of damage but for better clear and proc rates. I would only recommend this at ultra end when damage is no longer a problem for generic DD.

This is combined with The Hateful Accuser and we kill the phantasms spawned to then proc Hinekora, Death's Fury which when combined with 100% ignite chance gives us our single target damage.

Endgame Variations

You could continue with 7L RF Helmet which makes some mapping smoother or you could do unearth DD which makes simulacrum slightly easier.

At a certain point hybrid is the best of worlds, with easy phantasm kills while also having RF for smooth mapping.

We have a 6L Righteous Fire + 4L Detonate Dead stapled together.

As a result, we do lose some sockets meaning you can only have 1 frostblink or 1 shield charge, but with Quicksilver Flask mageblood, frostblink is typically enough mobility without shield charge.


Strengths and Weaknesses

  • Tanky
  • Can't kill maven

Build Variants

Passive Tree

main:
123
123
ascendancy:
8
8
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Skills

This section is empty, or nothing was imported from Path of Building

Video Guide

Stats

Stats are displayed for the "bloodnotch - UPGRADED" Variant only
Character
Attributes
232 / 
136 / 
164
Movement Speed
178%
Pantheon Major
Arakaali
Pantheon Minor
Tukohama
Charges
Endurance Charges
7
Frenzy Charges
3
Power Charges
3
Defensive
Life
6,708
Energy Shield
264
Mana
0
Armour
1,650
Evasion Rating
19
Block
22%
Resistances
90% / 
90% / 
90% / 
75%
Simulated
Effective Health Pool
48K
Max Hit
11K / 
49K / 
49K / 
49K / 
25K
Skill DPS Estimation

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