[2.1] Viper Striker [Starting HC, Budget]

Viper Strike as the main damage to deal lots of poison damage. Poison and Snakebite to triple up on poison (possibly not triple but double should work, new poison needs testing). Puncture to add a chance for more poison from Dirty Techniques plus the extra DoT. Blasphemy Vulnerability to double dip DoT multipliers. Frenzy charges, but not too many because of Snakebite.

190%+ life without jewels. High armor with Grace + IR. Block from shield or DW. Possibly Darkray Vectors over Snakebite if more survivability is needed.

Note that both of these trees lack accuracy and crit. You can pick these up as necessary from many available nodes along the tree, or you can extend to RT from the Scion life wheel. You can also use a sick Vagan mod weapon if you get one.

Ranger Tree - More life, slower start.
http://exiletools.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwIAm40ILu2DGY4AXtN-73ruDqOKI_ZNko19MHxRR42_BbUGcE6fen_C7LTFYqxsjJ2qNj1VhaXL62O1SHaCyAy00Ra_JpVh4lVLDY1brxR1GNt08SFgKaUshVoaLiOTmbueQKB67wUtdO1Gt9NvPs-95jfU7T-Hdmeg459KfX11_rr2oxUg3Q0s6YazAO4qTT8nSshuqrXyNZLYvf4K8kU64aZXTeP-jzGeLYMZtL6nZU29Nkd-hNkRLw==

Shadow Tree - More damage, less life. After considering how good the Shadow starting nodes are due to them technically triple dipping damage for Viper Strike I have decided to start as shadow since I would have ended up taking the nodes later on as Ranger anyways.
http://exiletools.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwYAsNii2cgU9W9qjBa_JpVh4lVLdf2Eb9RCtUjrYxEvNj2dqmyMYqxVhaXLtMXC7AW1BnBOn3p_jb9RRz7PN9TtP73mMHyNfSP2TZKjiu4O_MUNjVuvFHUY2y4jk5m7nnTxKaUhYCyFWhpAoHrvBS107Ua302_dDRUgLYMZtL6nZU29Nkd-hNks6YazAO4qTYd2459KfWegPydKyG6qtfI1kti9_gryRTrhpldN4_6PMZ4=

(Main Damage) Chest: Viper Strike - Melee Splash - Poison - Blood Magic - (Bloodlust/Melee Phys/Multistrike/Life Leech)

(Defensive CWDT) Helm: CWDT - IC - Increased Duration - (Molten Shell/Phase Run/Tempest Shield/Summon X Golem)

(Movement/Blood Rage) Gloves: (Whirling Blades/Leap Slam) - Blood Magic - Fortify - Blood Rage

(Auras) Boots: Blasphemy - Vulnerability - Grace - Arctic Armor

If you want some more free stuff
(Optional - Extra CWDT) Weapon/Shield: CWDT - (Anything that wasn't on the first CWDT/Increased Duration)

If you want to run Bloodlust on Viper Strike and make use of the Dirty Techniques passive
(Optional - Puncture) Weapon/Shield: Puncture - Melee Splash - (Faster Attacks/Life Leech/Melee Phys)

If you are using Jack the Axe and want to run Bloodlust on Viper Strike. Or you just want some free damage.
(Optional - Trigger Attacks) Boots(move auras somewhere else): Riposte - Melee Splash - Reckoning - (Vengeance/LGoH)

Bino's Kitchen Knife: It's good because this is poison. Nuff said.

Jack the Axe: For Bloodlust. Get bleeds with trigger attacks like Reckoning/Riposte+Melee Splash/Vengeance.

Mark of the Doubting Knight: If you dual wield these do the proc passives stack? I doubt it but idk. Would probably grab a bit of crit if I used this and put PCOC on trigger attacks or something. No idea how good it is.

Random good physical damage rare: Would work fine. Don't see any reason why not.

Atziri's Disfavour: Same as Jack the Axe but only if you have a bunch of money to waste on a trash build.

Snakebite: Adds a bunch of damage. Not too expensive.

Darkray Vectors: If you don't use Snakebite. Free dodge.

The Blood Dance: More Frenzy generation. Probably good to have these with Snakebite so you refresh your Frenzy charges often as just Blood Rage is pretty RNG.

Cherrubim's Maleficence: Lots of armor, life, and extra chaos damage/life leech rate. Solid chest piece good option for the build.