Best Ascendancy for Melee Builds

1. 1

   Titan

   Warrior · 3 notables

   5nodes
   • 
     Ancestral Empowerment

     Every second Slam Skill you use yourself is Ancestrally Boosted
   • 
     Earthbreaker

     25% chance for Slam Skills you use yourself to cause an additional Aftershock
   • 
     Mountain Splitter

     Every Third Slam skill that doesn't create Fissures which you use yourself causes 3 additional Aftershocks ahead and to each side of the initial area
   • 
     Slam Area of Effect

     Slam Skills have 8% increased Area of Effect
   • 
     Slam Area of Effect

     Slam Skills have 8% increased Area of Effect
2. 2

   Smith of Kitava

   Warrior · 3 notables

   4nodes
   • 
     Against the AnvilGrants skill Temper WeaponChannel to temper your main hand Melee Martial Weapon. Each hit of the hammer against the anvil Empowers subsequent Attacks to Combust when Hitting enemies.Grants skill Temper WeaponChannel to temper your main hand Melee Martial Weapon. Each hit of the hammer against the anvil Empowers subsequent Attacks to Combust when Hitting enemies.
   • 
     Heat of the ForgeGrants skill Fire Spell on HitWhile active, gains Energy when you Hit enemies with Melee Attacks and triggers socketed Fire spells on reaching maximum Energy.Grants skill Fire Spell on HitWhile active, gains Energy when you Hit enemies with Melee Attacks and triggers socketed Fire spells on reaching maximum Energy.
   • 
     Living WeaponGrants skill Manifest WeaponManifest a copy of your main hand Melee Martial Weapon as an immortal Companion to fight by your side. In addition to its standard Strikes, the Manifested Weapon gains an additional Attack depending on its weapon type.Grants skill Manifest WeaponManifest a copy of your main hand Melee Martial Weapon as an immortal Companion to fight by your side. In addition to its standard Strikes, the Manifested Weapon gains an additional Attack depending on its weapon type.
   • 
     Melee Damage

     20% increased Melee Damage
3. 3

   Amazon

   Huntress · 1 notable

   1nodes
   • 
     Elemental SurgeGrants skill Elemental SurgeGrants your weapon Surges. Non-Melee Projectile Attacks with that weapon Consume Surges to cause the Projectiles fired to explode at the end of their flight.Grants skill Elemental SurgeGrants your weapon Surges. Non-Melee Projectile Attacks with that weapon Consume Surges to cause the Projectiles fired to explode at the end of their flight.
4. 4

   Invoker

   Monk · 1 notable

   1nodes
   • 
     ...and Scatter Them to the Winds

     Trigger Elemental Expression on Melee Critical Hit
5. 5

   Martial Artist

   Monk · 1 notable

   1nodes
   • 
     Hollow Form TechniqueGrants skill Hollow FormChannel to create fleeting images of your astral self near the target location. The images perform a Socketed Melee Attack once then vanish, targeting the closest enemy if possible. The images cannot perform Channelled Skills or Conditional Skills. Consuming a Power Charge creates additional images.Grants skill Hollow FormChannel to create fleeting images of your astral self near the target location. The images perform a Socketed Melee Attack once then vanish, targeting the closest enemy if possible. The images cannot perform Channelled Skills or Conditional Skills. Consuming a Power Charge creates additional images.
6. 6

   Spirit Walker

   Huntress · 1 notable

   1nodes
   • 
     Wild ProtectorGrants skill Wild ProtectorCall upon a Bear Spirit Companion to maul your foes. The Bear Spirit leaps at enemies to Maim them, Leeches Life with its slam, and periodically roars to Intimidate enemies. The Bear Spirit does not count toward your Companion limit.Grants skill Wild ProtectorCall upon a Bear Spirit Companion to maul your foes. The Bear Spirit leaps at enemies to Maim them, Leeches Life with its slam, and periodically roars to Intimidate enemies. The Bear Spirit does not count toward your Companion limit.

MinionsCompanionsSpellsProjectilesAttack speedCritical hitsFireCold and freezeLightning and shockChaosPhysicalElementalIgnitePoisonBleedingCursesTotemsBlock and shieldsLifeEnergy shieldManaArmourEvasionResistancesSpiritChargesFlasks and charmsStunArea of effectMovement speedCooldownsLeechWarcriesStrength stackingDexterity stackingIntelligence stacking

How it is counted: a node counts when one of its lines (or the description of the skill it grants) matches the theme's words, read from the game's passive tree and stat files. Compare two ascendancies to see all their nodes.