GhazzyTV - 20+ mil sDPS Dominating Blow & Herald of Purity [LOW & HIGH BUDGET VERSIONS]

IMPORTANT NOTE:

THIS GUIDE IS NOW AVAILABLE WITH A MUCH BETTER QUALITY OVER AT: https://www.poe-vault.com/guides/dominating-blow-guardian-build-guide

I will be answering ALL questions on that forum thread and keep all guides on icy-veins website (poe-vault.com) updated consistently every league as per usual.

All my build guides as well as other written guides can be found here: https://www.poe-vault.com/guides/ghazzy-guide-hub



This thread will no longer be updated but will leave it as it was when I did this move for the sake of nostalgia <3

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For gameplay footage & verbally describing the build, check out this video guide: Dominating Blow Video Guide

Animate Guardian Guide: https://youtu.be/JRK5AFbhd2M

Path of Building Link for the build: https://pastebin.com/FUGHMiij
Simply go to "Import/Export Build" > Click the "Import from Pastebin" paste the link in there, and then click "Import"

HIGH BUDGET VERSION: https://pastebin.com/5PhgAZiy

If you have any questions you can always come to my twitch stream to get them answered or just to enjoy the stream:

Ghazzy's Livestreaming Channel

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Is this build for you?

1. If you are looking for a top tier league starter build.

2. A build that is viable in both hardcore & softcore.

3. Extremely cheap build with TONS of upgradable options for end-game.

4. If you prefer a build guide that has a video linked to it.

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Build Enabling/Enhancing Items:

A Glorious Vanity with the "Xibaqua" mod grants us Divine Flesh which is providing a massive different in terms of defence which I would argue for to be build enabling.

Besides the defence, the most important item for this build to function in the end-game is to be wearing 2x Circle of Guilt rings. Before you get access to these you'll have to simply run fewer auras as these are eventually crucial to make room for the end-game auras for the build.

Once you reach the higher tier maps the build won't be able to kill enemies by itself, to fix this we use a Writhin Jar Flask to kickstart our snowballing for each map!

Other options are jewels that grants your minions taunt on hit which is not required but very useful.

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Defence & Utility

Thanks to Divine Flesh the build moves 50% of all elemental damage taken on to your chaos resistance which you can get up to 85% with high budget and 80% in low budget which helps mitigate most of any elemental damage taken. On top of this we are getting 90% physical damage mitigation to further enhance the builds tankiness.

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Pantheon Choices:

Pantheon List

Major God:

- Soul of Lunaris
Upgrade it to avoid chaining projectiles as this can be very dangerous with a lot of minions.

Minor God:

- Soul of Shakari
Helps mitigate any chaos damage taken even further then Divine Flesh

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Skill-gems & Setups:

Dominating Blow:

- Dominating Blow, Impale, Feeding Frenzy, Brutality, Melee Physical Damage, Multistrike

Note:
Multistrike is meant to be replaced by Melee Splash for the sake of smoother clearing.

Herald of Purity:

- Herald of Purity, Impale, Multistrike, Brutality

Note:
Multistrike is meant to be replaced by Melee Splash for the sake of smoother clearing.

Mobility:

- Dash, Second Wind

Utility Minions:

- Carrion Golem, Raise Spectre, Animate Guardian

Note:
Raise Spectre should be linked with Blood Magic to have the Carnage Chieftain monkeys from Act 7 Ashen Fields spam their frenzy charges to your army.
When it comes to the Animate Guardian gear & mechanics I would suggest watching the video linked at the top of this thread!

Auras:

- Dread Banner, Skitterbots

Utility:

- Convocation, Desecrate, Flesh Offering, Punishment, Enduring Cry, Clarity (lvl 1),



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Blighted Oils

Only really one node worth oiling with this build which is Ravenous Horde which requires the following Oils: Verdant Oil & 2x Opalescent Oils.

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Skill-tree & Ascendancy Nodes:

Ascendancy Nodes:

The priority is very straight forward for this build;
You start with taking up the minion oriented nodes which starts of with: Radiant Crusade, after this you take the second minion node which is: Unwavering Crusade.
Once this is done you have 3 generic options, I've listed them in the order of efficiency from my personal preference & playstyle:
* Harmony of Purpose
* Time of Need
* Bastion of Hope

Basically I prefer the first 2 and simply skipping Bastion of Hope, but it's all a matter of personal taste.


Leveling skill-tree, 51 points

Leveling skill-tree, 72 points

Finished skill-tree

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Leveling Tips:

This build can with Dominating Blow from lvl 28 reach Blood Aqueducts in about 6h fairly easily. However, I felt it to be faster to simply focus on Herald of Purity & Smite. This can easily be combined with a Holy Relic as well as with a pack of pack of Zombies which comes down to a matter of personal preference.

The idea is to link your Smite this way:
- Smite, Ancestral Call, Melee Physical Damage, Added Fire Damage

And your Herald of Purity like this:
- Herald of Purity, Melee Splash, Melee Physical, Minion Damage

This in combination with a Blind linked to our Holy Relic makes leveling extremely smooth & efficient.


Since the end-game gear for this character is solely focused on high life with capped resistances, so does the leveling! However, it is recommended to use a 1H weapon with proper damage during the lvling sequence till you hit about lvl 70 in which case you can easily switch to Dominating Blow and a Brightbeak. Obviously this can be done earlier if you so wish but without extensive knowledge and/or experience with this type of build I wouldn't recommend switching before that.

Bandits:

- Kill them all, they don't grant anything worth the skillpoints you'd lose

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Gearing & Stat Priorities

What base items to use:

The base items of this build really doesn't matter as we don't care about the base defensive stats such as armour(str), evasion(dex) or energy shield(int). So instead the base items will follow the stat priority listed in this guide.
However, the attribute requirement of the items will base how hard it is to chrome (color) which will be the only thing we will think about when planing our gearing.
So, if you need 4 blue sockets in an item the recommendation is to get an item that has Energy Shield (int) base or a hybrid base which includes Energy Shield (int).

By using this chrome calculating website: https://siveran.github.io/calc.html you can easily track how hard it will be to chrome the colors you need. This YouTube playlist can help a lot for new players and also includes a few tricks when coloring items with the "wrong attribute requirements" for your build: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuu-MdPs0Af8A4e3gSsJ1xDKNNcdFwY1r


Defensive Stats:

1. Life
2. Mana
3. Resistances
4. Strength

Offensive Stats:

1. Minion Damage
2. Minion Attack Speed


Jewels:

Same as the offensive stats unless you need defensive stats, then mix or follow that.

Flasks:

1x Seething Divine Life Flask of Staunching
1x w/e Divine Life Flask of w/e
1x Writhing Jar
1x w/e Sulphur Flask of w/e
1x Ample Quicksilver Flask of Heat

Note:
You can use any extra utility flask instead of multiple life flasks if you feel comfortable, options that are good are; Resistance flasks, Stibnite, Granite, or Basalt.

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Recommended Unique Items:
Brightbeak
Belly of the Beast
Writhing Jar Flask

Recommended LvLing Uniques:
Wanderlust
Goldrim
Tabula Rasa
Brightbeak

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Outro:

For gameplay footage & verbally describing the build, check out this video guide: Dominating Blow Video Guide


Before you start posting questions I would recommend checking the video. I am as always available in my stream!

Hope you guys will enjoy the build! Below you can access my other build guides:

Build Guides


//GhazzyTV

* Reserved

Nice

Hello Ghazzy.

What do you think about using The Dancing Duo with face breakers utilizing your build three and gems? Will it work or do you think it isn't worth it?

Hi Ghazzy a long fan of your guides here!

What are your thoughts on using spectres (chieftains gorillas) for charges?

Thanks!

This could use a fair amount of optimization and it's kind of a testament to how crazy strong dom blow is right now that this still facerolls (imho dom blow is actually a bit broken)

1) your links are sub-optimal. Ancestral doesn't benefit your minions, and Minion Damage doesn't benefit you, so it's kind of a double whammy. Melee Splash can replace AC and Damage on Full Life is a decent replacement for Minion Damage, or a bunch of other damage gems depending on your setup (faster attacks, ele damage with attacks, etc).

2) I'm not sure why you link Hatred with generosity when you aren't using an EE setup. Yes, it benefits your minions more, but it also slows down your own clearspeed a bit because it gimps your damage (and thus your "time to ramp up to 9/3/1). This is kind of important because of blue packs.

3) some tree choices are weird. The two attack speed nodes near Redemption are way more important than the two damage nodes near Righteous Army. I'll take 8% IAS over 24% ID any day. This is doubly important since "How many dudes can I tap with the blow debuff per second" is more important than "how much damage do I do per second". Having said that, I'd probably take all the nodes in that wheel.

3a) Sovereignty is almost assuredly more DPS than the few nodes in the witch tree -- pretty sure it affects Smite's aura, and its effect on HoP is a huge boost to your own damage.

4) You have Convocation linked to Inc Duration, which it doesn't really need (the healing after-effect of it is way less important than the teleport), and don't have flesh offering here, which is a huge boost to your minion's clear *and* yours (you only get the IAS, but at level 20, it's 30%!).

5) This one's minor, but a Lightning Golem is better than a Stone Golem because the LG has a buff effect that it sometimes uses that affects all allies (not just you). Between the holy relic and your tree, you've got crazy regen anyway, the SG is overkill. Alternatively, consider getting an Animated Guardian instead of a golem (leer cast, dying breath, etc).

It just.... feels like you have a setup concentrating on your minions' damage exclusive of yours, but then you've also made weird choices like Ancestral Call and not taking EE + AoF and Sovereignty.

Instead of the added fire damage on Dominating Blow, what about Summon Phantasm on kill? Since both you and your sentinels will summon them, you'll have 9 extra ranged minions nearly constantly. Switch the fire back in for bosses. I experimented with this a little, and man, you have a literal army with you constantly.

love it

"

bilbosan wrote:

This could use a fair amount of optimization and it's kind of a testament to how crazy strong dom blow is right now that this still facerolls (imho dom blow is actually a bit broken)

1) your links are sub-optimal. Ancestral doesn't benefit your minions, and Minion Damage doesn't benefit you, so it's kind of a double whammy. Melee Splash can replace AC and Damage on Full Life is a decent replacement for Minion Damage, or a bunch of other damage gems depending on your setup (faster attacks, ele damage with attacks, etc).

2) I'm not sure why you link Hatred with generosity when you aren't using an EE setup. Yes, it benefits your minions more, but it also slows down your own clearspeed a bit because it gimps your damage (and thus your "time to ramp up to 9/3/1). This is kind of important because of blue packs.

3) some tree choices are weird. The two attack speed nodes near Redemption are way more important than the two damage nodes near Righteous Army. I'll take 8% IAS over 24% ID any day. This is doubly important since "How many dudes can I tap with the blow debuff per second" is more important than "how much damage do I do per second". Having said that, I'd probably take all the nodes in that wheel.

3a) Sovereignty is almost assuredly more DPS than the few nodes in the witch tree -- pretty sure it affects Smite's aura, and its effect on HoP is a huge boost to your own damage.

4) You have Convocation linked to Inc Duration, which it doesn't really need (the healing after-effect of it is way less important than the teleport), and don't have flesh offering here, which is a huge boost to your minion's clear *and* yours (you only get the IAS, but at level 20, it's 30%!).

5) This one's minor, but a Lightning Golem is better than a Stone Golem because the LG has a buff effect that it sometimes uses that affects all allies (not just you). Between the holy relic and your tree, you've got crazy regen anyway, the SG is overkill. Alternatively, consider getting an Animated Guardian instead of a golem (leer cast, dying breath, etc).

It just.... feels like you have a setup concentrating on your minions' damage exclusive of yours, but then you've also made weird choices like Ancestral Call and not taking EE + AoF and Sovereignty.

Feel like I have to make a few comments on this post as it's a very nice read tbh.

Most of your points are accurate. However, as stated this build is designed as a league starter and I felt the build to be vastly easier to go through with Ancestral Call as the superior support gem over melee splash, but yes, for end-game melee splash is going to be more optimal.

Regarding self-damage the build is using Brightbeak with and is utilizing Writhing Jar flask when you hit content in which you can't deal enough damage to get the ball rolling. What I'm saying is that we never really care about our self-damage with this approach.

The Convocation with inc duration is not the point, the Immortal Call with inc duration is. The Convocation is only needed to be linked with CWDT to make it pretty smooth unless you wanna self-cast it. But you are absolutely right about how utterly useless the heal is.

Golem Choice:
My guide is displaying a heavy defensive focus on life regen, making stone golem a very optimal choice for the sake of survival, however, if you play in softcore this can be discarded asap.


If anything I would probably look into using DMG on full life over added fire, pick up Avatar of Fire & EE and utilize the enhanced Smite & Hatred aura via Generosity and still have EE up thanks to Avatar of Fire proccing Fire. However, I usually play with at least 1 other friend in the party most of the time which leads to EE causing issues for many builds (duh!)


Just my 2 cents, though many of these choices comes down to a matter of taste as well as what you want the build to do for you. My focus with the design was to have it function as good as possible for a league starter build. Even with these changes I feel there are higher budget options for better boss/end-game damage which is something I've started avoiding in my build guides since I want to focus on new players (or players being new to summoners in this specific build!)


<3

Also a big note:

Due to the massive ammount of build guides I have on the forums which generates half a milion+ views/month and me not being a full-time streamer, it is impossible for me to keep up with responding to each and every question as I would love to do.

The result has been that I will focus on responding to any questions via the YouTube video and check on the threads every now & then, more specifically prior & during patch updates!

Hope you guys understand and will have fun using this build <3



Oh and, @Valmar:
If you feel that you can keep them alive & make room for the sockets, absolutely! It would rule out the use of Harmony of Purpose and you can utilize other ascendancy nodes for "Better" efficiency, or at least a different playstyle :)