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The Lightning Golem Elementalist build in Path of Exile 3.26 is a powerful and versatile option, combining strong elemental damage with excellent utility from golem summons and the Elementalist ascendancy bonuses. This build focuses on maximizing lightning damage, shock effectiveness, and golem survivability to excel in both mapping and boss fights across all stages of the game PoE 1 Currency.

At the core of the build is the synergy between the Lightning Golem and the Elementalist ascendancy, which provides key passives like an increased number of golems, elemental ailment proliferation, and elemental penetration. Ascendancy points such as Liege of the Primordial (extra golem and defensive buffs), Shaper of Storms (consistent shock application), Heart of Destruction (damage and AoE scaling), and Mastermind of Discord (elemental penetration) are essential to boost damage and survivability. This combination enables the Lightning Golem and allied minions to reduce enemy resistances and apply a high shock effect, increasing overall damage taken by enemies significantly.

The build’s primary damage comes from the Lightning Golem’s projectile attacks and the player’s lightning spells, often centered around Lightning Conduit, Orb of Storms, and supportive auras or heralds. Players typically prioritize shock effect scaling, aiming to reach around 160% increased shock effect for enemies, which translates to approximately 65% increased shock damage taken. Using awakened support gems like Awakened Unbound Ailments further boosts shock effectiveness, amplifying the damage output considerably. Chain support is preferred for clearing, while Pierce support can be swapped in for boss fights.

Gear choices emphasize lightning damage, elemental penetration, and survivability. Important unique items such as Impulsa’s Broken Heart greatly enhance clear speed due to its chain reaction effect with Orb of Storms, while items like Incandescent Heart body armor with +2 to minion gems offer powerful golem enhancements. Defensive layers come from energy shield, resistances, and flasks like basalt for tankiness. Mercenaries also play a valuable role in this build, providing additional utility and damage, though their survival can be a factor in tougher encounters.

The passive skill tree and cluster jewels focus heavily on minion damage, elemental damage, number of golems, and cast speed. Notable nodes such as Enduring Composure are recommended for added tankiness. Players invest points to maximize the utility and damage of golems, and to unlock critical strikes and shock effect scalability for spells. The build is accessible for league starters as it requires few unique items early on and scales well with respect to gear upgrades.

In gameplay, the Lightning Golem Elementalist offers fast, explosive clears and reliable single-target boss damage thanks to the shock debuff and high cast speed. The use of Lightning Conduit provides excellent ranged mobility and damage uptime. Though golems die relatively often, their quick resummoning, coupled with the defensive bonuses of the Elementalist, helps maintain constant pressure and survivability throughout maps or boss encounters. The build’s flexible gearing and gem setup make it viable in Hardcore and Solo Self-Found (SSF) playstyles as well.

Overall, the Lightning Golem Elementalist for PoE 3.26 delivers a balanced and impactful playstyle that excels in lightning damage and minion synergy. Players should focus on optimizing shock scaling, selecting the best supportive gems for minions and spells, and investing in ascendancy and passives that increase elemental damage, minion survivability Poe 1 Divine Orb, and golem quantity. This makes it a highly effective build for Secrets of the Atlas content, suitable for both new and experienced Path of Exile players aiming for competitive clear speed and boss DPS.