[3.1] BERSERKER/JUGGERNAUT 288k DPS Ice Crash/EQ Crit Staff AKA "The Shattering Karui"

Please, if you have any questions, DO NOT SEND ME PRIVATE MESSAGES, but post your question here in the thread!


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Introduction
I'm very happy to announce that this build was featured by GGG in the "Community Build Guide Highlights": https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1360805 :)

Ice Crash just seems like both a very powerful and a fun skill to use at the same time, and so I decided to do a crit staff build for the 2.0 expansion. There is both a "softcore" passive tree and a "hardcore" one with over 200% life.

I welcome all comments and suggestions!

Although the build should work fine with any rare phys staff, the goal is to use Hegemony's Era.


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DPS and Defence screenshots
288 512 tooltip DPS with Hatred, all charges and Atziri flask:


Defence:



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FAQ
Q: What about mana?
We use the "Pain Reaver" ascendancy node which gives us enough mana leech. No other source of mana regeneration or mana leech are needed.

Q: What about survivability? I play hardcore leagues and want to be extra safe.
There are several options:
- life leech
- spec into the Unyielding node
- use Fortify with your main skill
- use Rumi's Concoction

Q: Why go staff with Ice Crash? What is better for Ice Crash, a mace or a staff?
There is no correct answer to this question. It boils down to what you prefer to play: if you're playing with a 2h mace, you cannot do a crit build because maces have only 5% local crit chance. Staffs have higher local crit, and are thus ideal for crit builds. With maces, you go for Resolute Technique, with staves, you go crit. Resolute Technique gives more consistent damage and more room for investing into survivability in the passive tree. Crit gives you significantly higher DPS. Both options are completely viable to play, and it is up to you to decide what you like more.

Q: I am using Hegemony's Era, but I am not generating power charges often enough. Why is this happening?
A: My bet is that your accuracy, i.e. your chance to hit is too low. If it is below 90%, I recommend buying rings or an amulet with accuracy. (You can check your chance to hit in your character screen under the "offence" tab).
The reason why accuracy is important for generating charges is because you knocback on crit, and criting depends not only your crit chance, but also on your accuracy. Accuracy is checked twice when attacking: the first time to determine if you hit at all or not, and the second time to determine if you made a critical strike or not. For that reason, having high accuracy also means your crit chance is more effective and you will make critical strikes more often. If you make critical strikes more often, you will knockback more often, which finally means you will have a greater chance to receive a power charge.


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Video Section
Build preview:
http://youtu.be/L-SpfBhW0ec


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Ascendancy Class Specialisation
We go for the Berserker class, increasing our DPS even more :) http://www.pathofexile.com/ascendancy/classes/Berserker
Take Aspect of Carnage + Rite of Ruin + Pain Reaver

You can also go Juggernaut if you want.


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Passive tree
DPS version:
- Berserker


- Juggernaut:


More life version (220%+ life):
- Berserker:


- Juggernaut:



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Levelling guide
Go for Resolute Technique, then respec later in the game into crit and accuracy nodes.

32 points:


62 points:



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Skill Gems
With Hegemony's Era
6L: Ice Crash - Melee Physical Damage - Elemental Damage with Attacks - Increased AoE - Increased Critical Strikes - Fortify (for hardcore) / Added Fire Damage (for softcore)
OR
Earthquake - Melee Physical Damage - Less Duration - Increased AoE (Conc Effect for bosses) - Increased Critical Strikes - Brutality (for softcore) / Fortify (for hardcore)

Without Hege's Era:
6L: Ice Crash - Melee Physical Damage - Weapon Elemental Damage - Increased AoE (Conc Effect for bosses) - Power Charge on Crit - Increased Critical Strikes
OR
Earthquake - Melee Physical Damage - Less Duration - Increased AoE (Conc Effect for bosses) - Power Charge on Crit - Increased Critical Strikes

Your other 6L for boss fights:
Ancestral Warchief - Melee Physical Damage - Faster Attacks - Fortify - Brutality - Increased Critical Strikes

4L: Hatred / Determination + Herald of Ash / Arctic Armour + Blood rage
4L: CWDT (lvl 9) - Immortal Call (lvl 11) - Increased Duration - Phase Run (lvl 11)
4L: Ice Golem - Faster Attacks - Blood Magic - Leap Slam


Full list of required gems by colour:
Ancestral Warchief
Added Fire Damage
Blood Magic
Cast When Damage Taken
Determination
Fortify
Herald Of Ash
Ice Crash / Earthquake
Immortal Call
Increased Duration
Leap Slam
Melee Physical Damage x2
Multistrike x2
Weapon Elemental Damage
Herald of Ash
Brutality

Blood Rage
Hatred
Phase Run
Summon Ice Golem
Faster Attacks
Arctic Armour

Increased Area Of Effect
Increased Critical Damage
Increased Critical Strikes
Minion Life
Power Charge On Critical (if no Hegemony's Era)


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Buffs & Curses
Auras:
Determination + Arctic Armour for survivability and tankiness
OR
Hatred + Herald of Ash for DPS (not recommended)
OR
Determination + Herald of Ash or Hatred + Arctic Armour for hybrid.

If you can somehow squeeze in an Enlighten lvl4 linked to your auras, you might try using 3 auras: Determination / Hatred + Herald of Ash + Arctic Armour.

We always run Blood Rage for the nice life leech and for Frenzy Charges which now give a MORE damage multiplier per Frenzy Charge


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Gear
All armour gear preferably, no hybrid ev/ar. You should prioritise gear-related mods in this order:
1) capping resistances
2) getting as much life as possible
3) high armour gear
4) flat physical damage, crit chance, crit multiplier, accuracy

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The gear section is for showing gear, if you're interested how to set up your gem links, look at the Skill Gems section. Literally every gem slot is there.
Current gear:

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The gear section is for showing gear, if you're interested how to set up your gem links, look at the Skill Gems section. Literally every gem slot is there.


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Bandits
Either help Alira OR kill all for 2 passive points.

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Youtube & Twitch
https://www.youtube.com/user/jeotee

You can never have enough life, especially on a 2h character.

I propose a skill tree like this:


Lots of accuracy and dex which staff builds usually lack for. 204% life, decent damage. No US because it isn't worth it, and neither are any pure elemental damage nodes. Didn't take vaal pact because it hinders blood rage, a major dps source. All the while getting a couple jewel sockets and a frenzy charge as well. Various paths from here on could be to get Sovereignty , or get more dps from martial artistry and berserking.

I don't like the usage of hypothermia in crit builds, because you should be oneshotting al the mobs, thus making the damage increase from it pointless. Also, fortify could be linked to flicker/leap to open up another dps slot. Using flicker with fortify and curse on hit would be pretty nice.

Very interesting, thanks for the input! Will definitely consider it.

"

Etherfire wrote:

I don't like the usage of hypothermia in crit builds, because you should be oneshotting al the mobs, thus making the damage increase from it pointless. Also, fortify could be linked to flicker/leap to open up another dps slot. Using flicker with fortify and curse on hit would be pretty nice.

Hypothermia seems really nice to me because it's basically a free MORE multiplier. You're right about one-shotting when I'm solo, but I'll be playing in parties, so I think it's better than anything else. What would be better in your opinion for solo play? Faster att or crit multi?

You would swap flicker with heavy strike? You think Ice Crash alone would be enough for single target dps? Flicker would be purely of a utility use then, if I understood you correctly.

Since beta testing showed that it is relatively easy to get endurance charges from Smashing Strikes, I ditched Vengeance and swapped it for a CWDT setup. Not sure yet what to put in as 4th link for CWDT.

The input from Etherfire was quite helpful. Any further comments are very welcome!

Made a video preview of the build at level 71 with a map clear: https://youtu.be/vbH6nQSaIOs

I am trying to understand what is the benifit of going the staff route rather than going for the best 2h axe/mace with highest physical dmg and maxing the aoe.

With a staff you can go crit, with an axe or mace there's not much point, not only because of the lower base crit chance on the weapons, but also because of the lack of crit nodes for those weapon types.

If you want to go RT, that's perfectly fine and viable, of course. But crit and RT aren't the same things. Different builds, different playstyles.

How can you spam the skill? Don't you need more mana?

Haven't had the chance to try Ice Crash in the beta, I'll use your build tomorrow! I have a few questions, which part of the tree should I go to last for the HC version? also, I am several patches behind. Was there any changes to Immortal Call + CWDT? or did you really just pick it for survivability despite it's really low duration? Thanks!