Build of the Week, Season 2 Episode 2 Build Submission Thread

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JoanGrimm wrote:

Hi.

I've wanted to post this somewhere in the vastness of this great forum, and been searching for the right place.. and it seems that I've found it.

I'd like to give you SwithinMauve, my "Grinding Cyclone - Infernal Blow Duelist".

First off, I'd like to say that I started this character on Anarchy, mostly because after about one month of playing I had some low level 2-handed uniques I just wanted to try out.

Now, at level 83, I can say it is by far my most easily playable character. Currently, it is quite lovely equipped, but I'd dare to say that it's not very equipment-dependent (I just happen to be lucky in terms of very good drops).

Why I'm proposing this build:
For POE beginners, I'd even say that it is the character to start with, so you won't quit after 3 hours of playing. Essentially, Duelists are great because they have access to a lot of life nodes, resists, armour and damage, as well as mobility, due to the Leather and Stone key, which "Ignores all movement penalties". With the new Scion right on top, the new nodes and new gems, this Duelist is practically invincible. Really, it does not die, unless there's a lot of desync involved.

Gear:
This is my gear. However, it should be regarded more as indicative.

Weapon:

Helm:

Gloves:

Boots:

Rings & amulet & belt

Now, Daresso's Salute is quite important, because of the extra damage it provides, but not completely necessary (when running on maps with chaos taken over time, the damage from Daresso's doesn't kick in as much because you're almost never at max life, but that does not mean that the character can't manage), so don't spend your currency, unless you reeeaaally need to have it, cuz it's a legacy item nowadays, and pretty expensive (in my case, back in the day (:))) ), it dropped on Ledge, the place where wonderful things happen).

Skills:
During the first levels, I used a combination of cleave and double strike, but that didn't last that long and it wasn't very impressive. As soon as they became available (at the NPCs'), I started using the following:

Infernal Blow linked with Melee Spash + Melee Physical Damage (you can also go with Weapon Elemental Damage, because of the fire damage of Infernal Blow) + whatever else you want (I went with IIR & IIQ, just for the fun of it and better item drops)

It really doesn't need much advertising. Besides doing great damage, have you ever seen a screen full of monsters explode? It's rather magical. Go try.

Cyclone + Life on Hit + Mana Leech + IIR

Now, Cyclone is my main attack, meaning I use it in most cases, and it represents the attack that makes this character an awesomely invincible one. Using Life on Hit on Cyclone basically means that as long as you've got mana, and you don't get desync-ed much, you don't die. Getting mana is a bit of a problem early in the game, but as soon as Mana Leech becomes available, that isn't an issue anymore.

Of course, using Multistrike really buffs Cyclone, but also causes huge desync, so I've stopped using it after a few levels. I've put Cyclone on Bringer of Rain, and obviously the helmet provides a good boost, but I've played with Cyclone without Bringer of Rain, and it does the same thing, maybe just a little slower.

The best thing about Cyclone is that, as far as I'm concerned, it only needs LoH and Mana Leech to really work, and thus only a 3-linked item. 4-linked items are better, because you can add IIR or IIQ and make your stash a lot wealthier, and anything beyond 4-linked... well, just go wild!

Also, Leap slam for moving easier around maps. Never forget Leap slam.

Auras:
Before the release, I used both Determination and Grace. Now, I only use Determination (and it's ok, although I thought at first it wouldn't).

This is mainly due to the fact that Duelists don't have a really large mana pool available, but with a little mana regen, and some lovely Mana reduce points on the skill tree, that's all you're gonna need.

So don't sob over other auras, just think damage taken reduction.

Defense:
Offence is the best defense. That does not mean that the character cannot withstand damage. E.g. merciless Dominus is a hell of a boss, and the character did die once (desync and a little too much in-your-face approach on my side), but Cyclone and LoH really did their jobs ok. (BTW, I still play on my laptop, so when I'm saying 'desync', it's not what you big boys experience on your high-end gamer PCs... it's hell).

The game release brought on a few very interesting gems, such as Cast on Damage Taken, which I've linked with the oh-so-obvious Enduring Cry and Immortal Call, to which I've added Warlord's Mark. I'm not leveling Cast on Damage Taken, so it can basically trigger at all times, which makes playing the Duelist so much more easier.

Skill tree:
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgQAAecFLQ_MEuEUIBRNFHEYkRkuGlUb-iXfJ-0pLimlMHUxnjIJNdY26DrhPC1BqkUKRmlHfkrITP9OKlBHVElYr18_YEthIWSjZU1nm2qTbEZuaW6qcmxyqXTtd-N4DXrvfNmC5IOxhNmE74dqiPGKr5ARkGyZK5rMn8uiAKQZplemZKcwqWipbqmUq8Wsqqy6rj6vbLXytkG53b2Bvqe-vMAPxLjFismY0k3Uj9Xt1fjh2udS52PvDvAf8i_yRfTG9zL3vvjr_go=

Important passives:

Iron Reflexes, Unwavering Stance & Resolute Technique - all very close to the Duelist, because of the Skill Tree Change.

Also, the new resist and life points next to the Scion are awesome!

Pros:
Easy to level (1-75)
Easy to gear (as I've said, going for a Bringer of Rain or Marohi might be a target, but it's not a must)
Unlikely to die
Easy to play
More than 4-linked items are great, but not a must

Cons
Can't really think of any

I've reached a point where there's not much I can do to the character anymore, except for playing and enjoying it. I've reached that point since maybe lvl 2. As I said in the beginning, I was fortunate to have some really good low-level unique 2-handers, but I've recreated this build in other scenarios where I didn't have any kind of gear (new league, races), and it's worked beautifully.

I've mostly gone solo (both Bringer and Marohi dropped when I played alone, if anyone's wondering), but used it in parties as well, and I think that it's a good tanking-character, while also doing quite a lot of damage.

I think I've said all there is to say.

Thanks for reading! :)