In Path of Exile 3.27, the Kinetic Blast (KB) Warden has emerged as a top-tier build for tackling endgame T17 content. This guide, based on Fubgun's tested progression and gearing strategies, details how to build a T17-capable character with minimal PoE Currency investment, while analyzing key items and crafting approaches.
I. Character & Account Progress Overview
🎯 The author's current status:
• Level 97
• Running fully-juiced T17 maps and "T16.5" maps (with T17 modifiers)
• Using the classic Ambush + Containment + Strongbox farming strategy
• Key items acquired: Headhunter, Nimis, Progenesis, Awakened Fork
• Crafted a solid wand (planning to upgrade to a mirror-tier wand eventually)
🎯 Gear Summary:
• High-quality gloves, boots, and shield (near-BiS)
• Amulet is the weakest slot, pending upgrades
• Armor is a hybrid Evasion/ES chest, serviceable but improvable
• Runeglass (Fortress, Warp) and high-end jewels/Abyss jewels equipped
• Cluster Jewel focused on damage, with Storm Drinker for ES leech
The build aims to balance clear speed with survivability against T17 mechanics.
II. Damage Scaling: Shield, Wand, Jewels & Glove Crafts
1. High Spell Damage Shield
A spell damage shield offers the most cost-effective DPS boost:
* Tooltip without shield: ~119k
* Tooltip with shield: ~181k
Even a 60-80% spell damage shield is affordable and highly recommended for PoE Currency-efficient upgrades.
2. Wand Crafting & Purchasing
⭐ Minimum Requirements:
♦ Critical Strike Chance
♦ Attack Speed
♦ High flat Elemental Damage (Cold/Lightning/Fire)
⭐ Ideal Stats:
• T1 Cold + T1 Lightning flat damage
• Additional spell damage or critical multiplier
⭐ Crafting Method:
• Use Transmutation/Alteration orbs on white wands to roll T1 flat elemental damage.
• Recombinator fusion in King's March (use 100% success option).
• Craft “Can have 3 Crafted Mods” and add attack speed/crit.
⭐ Market Alternative:
Due to the Birthing/Genesis mechanic, well-rolled wands with crit, attack speed, and flat damage are available for as low as 10-20 Chaos Orbs.
3. Jewels, Abyss Jewels & Accessories
• Abyss Jewels: Prioritize flat Cold/Lightning/Fire damage. Use Harvest “Reforge Attack” for budget-friendly crafts (10–20c each).
• Rings/Amulet: Flat damage rolls significantly boost clear and single-target DPS.
4. Glove Implicits & Crafts
* Eldritch Embers: “+1 Rage on Hit” (up to 30% more damage at max stacks)
* Eldritch Ichors: “+1 Pierce” for smoother KB clear
* Pair with powerful grafts like Overcharged Sinews for further amplification
III. Defense Layering: 5k HP/ES Pool, Evasion, & Mitigation
1. Target: 5k Life + ES Pool
* 4.8k–5k total pool is comfortable for T17s
* Additional life nodes can push this to 5.5k+ for extra safety
2. High Evasion/ES Chest Armor
* 6-linked hybrid bases (450–550 ES + Evasion) cost only 0.5–1 Divine
* One of the most PoE Currency-efficient defensive upgrades
3. Ghost Dance & Runeglass of Fortress
* Ghost Dance becomes effective at ~10k Evasion (20k with Jade Flask)
* Runeglass of Fortress (~1 Divine) provides 40% Global Defenses, adding hundreds of ES and over 1k Evasion
4. Chill/Freeze via Cold Damage
* Cold damage on wand/jewels chills and freezes enemies, preventing on-death effects
* A cheap and powerful defensive layer
5. ES Recovery & Spell Suppression
* Early game: Use Soul Thief for ES on kill
* Late game: Storm Drinker Cluster for reliable ES leech
* Spell Suppression:
• Use Lucky Spell Suppression if not capped at 100%
• Respec Lucky once 100% suppression is achieved
IV. T17 Requirements & Deadeye/Warden Switching
1. Elemental Ailment Immunity
• Ancestral Vision Jewel (converts Spell Suppression to ailment avoidance)
• Boots implicit (23–25% avoid elemental ailments via Eldritch currency)
• Shield craft (25% avoid elemental ailments)
• Total 100% avoidance ensures smooth T17 mapping
2. Deadeye vs. Warden Playstyles
🗺️ Deadeye:
♣ Ideal for T16/T16.5 farming
♣ Gather Winds (16% action speed), +2 projectiles, and mark synergy
🗺️ Warden:
♣ Superior for T17 Fortress bossing
♣ Massive burst damage via tinctures, shock stacking, and grafts
♣ Switching between ascendancies optimizes efficiency for different content.
V. Best Grafts: Offense & Defense Options
⚔️ Offensive Grafts:
◆ Overcharged Sinews:
♣ Grants more Attack/Spell Damage and Crit Multi per Jolt stack.
♣ ~40% more total damage at full stacks.
♣ Downside: Increased damage taken.
◆ Wreathed in Light:
♣ Makes Lightning Damage Lucky while standing in the area.
♣ ~25–30% more damage for high-variance lightning hits.
♣ Ideal for T17 bossing.
🛡️ Defensive Grafts:
◆ Heart of Flame + CDR:
♣ 4k+ damage absorption shield (8s duration, ~14s CD).
♣ Replaces Steelskin.
◆ Preserved in Stillness + CDR:
♣ 1k+ elemental damage absorption (4s duration, ~6s CD).
♣ Can be used alongside Steelskin.
◆ Recommendations:
♣ T16: Double defensive grafts for relaxed mapping.
♣ T17: One offensive + one defensive graft for balance.
VI. Conclusion
The KB Warden/Deadeye build excels by prioritizing PoE Currency investments in the most impactful upgrades: Wand → 2. Shield → 3. Chest → 4. Jewels → 5. Runeglass → 6. Grafts.
This approach ensures balanced damage and defense, allowing players to conquer T17 content efficiently. By strategically switching between Deadeye (mapping) and Warden (bossing), you maximize returns on every PoE Currency spent—transforming savings into tangible power.
