1.3 [Newbie Friendly] GROUNDSLAMMER BUILD

After doing some math, I am beginning to see why health nodes are so much more valuable than even the rock-bottom deal of 50% armor for 3 points.

I still haven't finished up the southern Golem's Blood cluster, opting instead to grab that 50% armor cluster.

My unmodified health is somewhere around 700, 1035 after adding passive bonuses. My armor reduction at the time before I grabbed the 50% cluster was 30%. Afterwards it was 40%. If I take the rest of the health cluster, an additional 24% health would bring my total to 1200-ish.

What this means is, I gained around 13% more effective health against physical attacks only with the armor cluster, and around 20% more effective health against all attacks by taking the health cluster.

So I'll probably keep the armor cluster until I finish up the health cluster, then I'll refund the points and use the three skillpoints to make a jump to the next health cluster.

I'm up to the 1st diamond skin node
Should I take time to fill out the various elemental resistance nodes or just rush towards resolute technique?
(you should add the answer to this question in the Build spoiler of the 1st post imo)

It doesnt really matter. It depends on your mood.

Wanna Thank OP for a damn good guide.

"

OTfor2 wrote:

I'm up to the 1st diamond skin node
Should I take time to fill out the various elemental resistance nodes or just rush towards resolute technique?
(you should add the answer to this question in the Build spoiler of the 1st post imo)

IMHO you should definitely fill it out. I could stand toe to toe with Merv and laugh at a lot of ele damage mobs (the dogs that explode on death or the skellies that shoot ele arrows) thanks to it. Makes a noticeable difference.


I have 2 questions of my own...

1) Do you guys use the Life on Hit gem with an AoE skill? coz it seems to eat through my mana pool really quickly thanks to the 150% cost multiplier.

2) Does Blood Magic also affect auras? i.e. Does its reserve life instead of mana? Never mind just read the description. Since it removes all mana I am guessing you can't run more than one aura early on..

"

Berzijs wrote:

Hello everyone. I don't want to be insulting but I dislike this build of yours. Here is some explanation and similar point and tactic build from me.

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEBAnEEswUtDjwPzBQgFE0UcRkuGekaOCftKLUyCTpSQKBBP1BHUFBR5lRJVgRXDVhjWfNfP2BLYIhhUnKpdO1673uMfNmGYIzPkFWcJ57Nn8ugnaIApmSnMKeEqWisqrQvud3AGsbYyZjSIdlh3sHfv-St51LuFO8O707wH_Iv9kj3vtSP890hYHTxnrnsOFfid-UyiXbn

So why I think this is better.. You have taken 6 nodes of +15 single resistances while you could just take 2 Dex nodes and diamond skin that gives +15 all resists. Also if you have taken so many ele resist nodes I think you want to max them, then why not take +5 to max resistances .. its really a good thing to have 20% incoming damage not 25% .. thous last ones are a big difference in terms of taking damage.

So wasting 1 point into Str is better than spending 2 points on Fire Resistance (+15% each)?
or is reaching Resolute Technique in as short of a time as possible worth it?
(2 less points spent by going Str route.)
.

I just avoided support gems entirely before I reached blood magic. If That's your second goal, then mana cost starts to become difficult toward the end and I really couldn't afford the extra cost.

As for blood magic, yeah using any of the good auras does reserve 40% of your health. From what I have gathered, you want to stay away from auras until you have a bunch of lifegain, over 100/sec. From there you respec out of blood magic and use the more expensive blood magic support gems on your main attacks, freeing up your mana for auras.

Okay, so I just read the build for the first time..basically if i didnt get that health bonus from normal bandit quest I should just re roll?

should i use the war lords mark with this build?

The Life Leech vs Life on Hit spreadsheet is broken.

Here is my official review of this build:
This is the first time we played this game.
I made a GS.
Friend made a LS.


Was in cruel a1 @26 solo'd everything. It was only 5 hours playing.
From a1 to a3 cruel, took me 3 hours. Finished act 2 cruel @lvl 34.

This build is way better than the LS mara my friend built he would just die in mobs while I just ran around slamming everything.
At first, of at the beginning I rushed everything and died while friend kited.
In the beginning it was quite hard around act 3 normal. I was almost always consistently 4-5 levels below all the mlevels.

Wasted over 100 tp solo everything.

Just a little rant:
Now I am farming for levels in public games, is it just me or does NOBODY talk in party chat...
I ask for TP countless times in multiple groups and whenever I die and ask for tp no one gives or even replies?
Then I see some unique items drop with my name before the timer runs out I get ninja'd.

All in all thanks for this build, I was doing horrible from levels 26-39 (i was always consistently 4-5 levels below the mlvl).

Now that I've caught up to the mlvl and beyond, this mara is tanking!

I have 2 question, where do I farm between the following:
Act 1 cruel:
Act 2 cruel: Fellshrine ruins?
Act 3 cruel:

What is the experience cap, is it 5 mlevels above?