3.6 Champion Vaal Double Strike - Melee is "dead" Para Double Strike

Intro

Hello together, this is my very first build guide.

Since I was reading the Patch Notes for 3.5 all my friends told me that melee is dead. Well that's why I made my first melee build ever and I love it so far. I even killed Uber Elder for my first time with this build... well it was my 3rd fight with uber elder ever but killing him in the 3rd fight feels great.

Pros and Cons

+ Tons of damage
+ Our used weapon is an underdog
-+ costs for gear is okay not budged (can start with cheap gear)
- u have to like melee playstyle
- if u get cocky u will die ^^


Skill tree
Spoiler
POB Link: https://pastebin.com/25kMRPZ6

Skill Tree at 92: www.poeurl.com/cdp2

Bandit: kill all

Ascendancy:

Without Tombfist


With Tombfist




Gear
Spoiler
3.6 Update
Spoiler
Tombfist got a huge nerf but still pretty strong. I dont recommand them at the moment because we got some good alternatives. For now i recommand to use these gloves! Feel free to use Tombfist if you still like them. Please check out "Skill tree" for Ascendant changes.




If u want to be a bit more tanky use a helmet like this. Providing damage and tankiness equally.


When you are looking for a shaper ring look for dex and int on it. Since we need a lot of both.

Paradoxica - For me the most broken weapon of this patch. If you want to see your DPS in POB, edit the weapon and replace "Attacks with this weapon deal double damage" with "Attacks with this weapon deal double damage to chilled enemies" and activate enemy is chilled in POB.

Abyssus - great damage boost but we are getting a bit squishy. Look for 40% increased physical damage taken and no more then that

Body Armor - try to get high life with resistances and if possible Lvl 1 Maim Support or +critical strike chance

Kaoms roots - just great. We are getting tanky and can say goodbye to freezes and stuns. No Movement Speed is no problem since we are using either Whirling Blades or Leap Slam to move around.

Jewels - good stats are life, attack speed, physical damage added, resistances, dex/int, crit multi

This Watcher's Eye is a good damage bost! We need the crit chance while affected by Hatred

Most of the gear I got within the first week of the league. So I would say it's "cheap" but you will need atleast 15-20ex for all of this.


Gem Setup
Spoiler
Gloves
3 red sockets: Immortal Call + Cast when damage taken + increased duration

Weapon 1
2 green and 1 red: Purity of Ice + Ancestral Protector + Blood Rage

Note! Purity of Ice is used for Uber Elder fight. Otherwise Dread Banner and Herald of Purity are active

Weapon 2
2 red and 1 green: Herald of Purity + Dread Banner + Hatred
Info - i never place the banner i just want the chance to impale

Helmet
2 green and 2 red: Whirling Blades + Faster Attacks + Blood Magic + Fortify

Body Armor
1 green + 1 blue and 4 red: Vaal Double Strike + Increased Critical Strikes + Melee Physical Damage + Multistrike + (Melee Splash and Ancestrall Call for Clear) or (Ruthless and Chance to Bleed for single target) OR i used (Ancestrall Call + Ruthless) for Uber Elder


Leveling
Spoiler
Skilltree
Step 1: www.poeurl.com/cdF0
Step 2: www.poeurl.com/cdF2
Step 3: www.poeurl.com/cdF3

After this u can decide where u want to go next.

Intro
There are many guides out there for leveling a duelist. Most of the time u will start with cleave until u can use sunder. Maybe its the best way for leveling a duelist but i really dont know. I personally used Cleave till level 8. And then switched to double strike.

My setup with level 8 was Double Strike - Ancestral Call - Melee Splash - Onslaught Support. Chance to Bleed can be used with too but i wanted more attack speed. Next possible gem is Maim but u will need a 6 link to use it. So my guess for a 4 link is to use Onslaught or Chance to Bleed instead.

Ancestral Protector can be used from start. So get this sweet totem and push your damage.

Next big gems coming with level 16 Herald of Fire and Herald of Purity. They will help alot with Damage and Clearspeed.

Here some good uniques to start with.



Upgrade your weapons as soon as possible.



If u cant effort to buy these weapons then use a simple trick.
Find a weapon during the story and use the vendor recipe. All u need is a weapon + Whetstone and atleast a blue rustic stash.

If u now sell it to an NPC u will get smth like this:






Videos
Spoiler
T16 Guardians and other Bosses
https://youtu.be/9HydX-Lkfi0

T16 Elder Desert Map
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap_sRXXHPvQ

Lvl 83 Safehouse Run
https://youtu.be/rHQyZr-H7hc







Last edited by heitu#2266 on Mar 8, 2019, 9:24:42 AM
Last bumped on Oct 28, 2019, 10:22:29 AM
Added some videos. Hope u guys enjoy :)
leveling guide? skill tree guide? please. thanks for sharing!
Will add it tomorow :)
Why purity of ice =D ?
I used Purity of Ice for Uber Elder fight. It gives 4% additional max. cold resistance.


And btw added a alternative helm choice and a leveling sector. Added informations why and when we use Purity of Ice.
Last edited by heitu#2266 on Dec 24, 2018, 10:54:20 AM
Hi i want to ask, chance to Impale Enemies on Hit with Attacks on the weapon is important ?
Hi,good guide,I have some question,can I change Herald of Purity for Herald of Ash?
@nomes15 its nice to have since we aim for 100% chance to impale. But only go for chance for impale on hit if the paradoxica is already good. Otherewise u lose damage.

@Core11 of course u can go for Herald of Ash but its only half as effective as Herald of Purity ... when u look for pur damage. But if u feel its better for clearspeed then go for it.
I'm gonna play with herald of purity and maybe then can be change the on the HoA,but i didnt see what different HoA and HoP
Last edited by Shioren#0562 on Dec 30, 2018, 6:59:35 PM

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