Overview
This build turns the Smith of Kitava into a near-unkillable thorns retaliation tank that punishes enemies simply for hitting it. The core idea is to push block chance to the old 75% cap using Saffell’s Frame and double Occultist scaling, then convert all that incoming damage into outgoing screen-wide explosions through thorns, Iron Ward and a Cast on Block Repulsion engine. Because so much of the damage is reflected off block and retaliation rather than dealt directly, the build plays as an attrition bruiser — it tanks almost everything and lets the room delete itself.
The damage identity is built around Brutus’ Lead Sprinkler triggering Molten Shower, Bramble Slam laying down thorns-amplifying ground, and Iron Ward scaling damage off the hits the character soaks. Crown of the Power King keeps retaliation at 100% uptime (mandatory for any thorns build), while Smith of Kitava’s catharsis tech ties the whole explosion loop together. The result is a build that maps with constant chain-reaction explosions and farms breach extremely well.
It is not a speed-record boss killer — the creator is upfront that single-target kills “take a couple seconds longer” — but its survivability and clear make it a comfortable, sustainable endgame farmer.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Extreme survivability: 75% lucky block (via Saffell’s + double Occultist), high regen/leech (~900 life/s), capped resistances and a Petrified-Blood-style life-loss-prevention layer from an Undying Hate (Manamu) jewel
- Massive screen-wide clear from stacked Repulsion, Molten Shower and bleed explosions
- Excellent breach farmer — the creator reports ~60 divines made in a day
- Scales damage off block chance and damage taken, so defense and offense reinforce each other
Cons
- Single-target/boss damage is slow (attrition-based, admitted “borderline ZDPS” opener)
- Gear-gated: wants Saffell’s, Crown of the Power King, Brutus’ Lead Sprinkler, Dread Fists, plus a ~20 div double-augment shield for the best version
- Heavy trigger/keyword stack (Cast on Block, retaliation, war cries) means lots of moving parts
- Locked into a normal-base chest piece due to the Smith of Kitava ascendancy requirement
Key Skills
- Repulsion (Cast on Block) — the always-on screen clearer; 75% block keeps it triggering roughly every 0.4s
- Iron Ward — big-hit clear that scales off damage taken
- Brutus’ Lead Sprinkler / Molten Shower — projectile explosion engine triggered by the block loop
- Bramble Slam — drops brambles that amplify thorns damage on hit
- Ancestral / Infernal Cry + Forge Hammer — the boss-fight combo for sustained thorns retaliation
Gear & Anointments
Weapon archetype is the mace/war-cry Warrior package built around Brutus’ Lead Sprinkler. Must-have uniques are Saffell’s Frame (lucky block to 75%), Crown of the Power King (100% retaliation uptime), Dread Fists and Briar Patch (thorns crit), plus an Undying Hate jewel that must roll Manamu for the life-loss-prevention effect. The chest is a normal Ornate Plate (3- or 4-socket) because the ascendancy blocks other chest types. Bloodthirsty is the called-out anoint, pathing down into Molten One’s Gift to scale armour break into Iron Ward. Exact secondary item rolls should be confirmed against the source video.
Endgame Notes
Tuned for juiced mapping and breach farming rather than fast pinnacle kills. Pushing block to ~82% via Defensive Stance and converting physical-to-chaos (farmed from breach) are the creator’s planned upgrade paths for more damage and even more tankiness.
Credits & Source
Build credited to JorgenPOE. See the source video for the full build’s gameplay footage + voice commentary: FULL SCREEN THORNS EXPLOSIONS! Molten Repulsion Iron Ward Smith of K - Build Guide - Path of Exile 2.