[3.11] BLOCKING STONEMANCER ✦ For intermediate players ✦ Fluid melee combat with minions ✦ (WIP)

Type: Active/Automated.

Budget: low.

Priority: ASAP.

Build is using Acendancy nodes for Necro and Gladiator as build baseline. This alone gives ability to have nice block with shields and utilize Bone Offering as self cast skill.



Glancing Blows keystone allows easily cap both spell and attack block chances while we have Bone Offering active. This keystone is essential to make reliable automation with Cast When Damage Taken since we would receive half of damage on blocks to proc it.

Half of damage still penetrates our block and activate both Cast When Damage Taken and Desecrate for Bone Offering buff. Now every time we block we gain HP.



While it is not mandatory I use CWDT setup in my shield. Lioneye's Remorse is one of the best shields that you can get on very small budget. The biggest flat HP and armor that you can get in this slot. Good are shields with % life on block are tempting but usually just have less flat life or armor, or just sparse in the market.

Type: active.

Budget: low-medium.

Priority: scale with content.





Cyclone is great utility to build second layer of tank. Idea is to scale as much of flat life gained on hit as possible from following:

- Life on Hit support gem;

- Claw implicit Life on hit;

- Elder Claw suffix Life Gained for each Blinded Enemy hit by this weapon combined with blind from Gladiator ascendancy nodes;

- Faster Attacks support gem or build in suffix from Elder Gloves;

- Fortify Support to have extra damage mitigation all the time;

- Increased Area Support if Elder Gloves available to more comfortable mapping.

Type: passive/active/automated.

Budget: medium.

Priority: red maps.



Devouring Diadem is an awesome unique to not only manage all the mana issues, but for the nice heal every 5 seconds and to clear any corpses as potential threat from corpse interactions.

Also Diadem allows build to run 4 auras, 1 of witch - Vulnerability is purely defensive and allow to get 90% physical damage reduction.

Type: active.

Budget: medium.

Priority: red maps.



Flacks are important source to get 90% phys damage reduction going and have all the utility immunes.

Just get usual immunity to bleed, freeze, ignite, shock and curses. Life flask is for the most part for boss fights. Having onslaught is nice idea.

Type: passive.

Budget: medium-high.

Priority: endgame.



Glorious Vanity Jewel is awesome source of extra resistance through Divine Flesh keystone. Half of elemental damage can go into very high chaos resist of 85%. To be able to cover up our Chaos res to maximum we would need Cleansed Thoughts annoint on the amulet.

Be aware that 2x resist from annoint also interact with negative chaos res base. I was able to hit 85%+ chaos res with 2 normal item t1-t3 suffixes and 2 bench crafted suffixes combined with all the tree passives.

Type: minion damage.

Budget: medium-high.

Priority: build enabling.




This build use Stone Golems as main damage source.

Chance to bleed on Elder gloves is nice source of Bleed for Bloodlust activation. Other sources is Vulnerability curse and Chance to Bleed craft on claw.

This build do not use Primordial Chain since loosing on gear slot for almost same damage as buff spectres is a disadvantage. Also Primordial Chain and the same amount of extra minion management as specters and overall makes minion tank rather problematic. Speed boost is irrelevant since convocation is the main instrument of fast damage delivery on point.

Since we do not use Primordial Chain stacking of Primordial Eminence is nogo. Surprisingly stacking Primordial Eminence is the best option for great DPS and generally the cheaper.

While it is tempting to have Feeding Frenzy with extra Primordial Eminence instead of Primordial Might it is just DPS loss if you can get Feeding Frenzy from other source like Spectres.

Type: minion buff.

Budget: low.

Priority: white maps.



As one of the main buffs for the damage this build can use Raise Specters with Frenzy and Power charges. As extra layer in 4 link setup you can use Feeding Frenzy as extra buff for minion DPS and self tank from life on hit speed.

Type: automated minion debuff + curse.

Budget: low-medium:

Priority: red maps.



Summon Skitterbots standalone is the best debuff utility from shock aura and invincible minions. Profane Proxy Ring push utility further and free up effectively 2 socket slots elsewhere by making our Vulnerability curse automated.

Devouring Diadem allows us to take 3 extra auras if we go for one of the banners.

Summon skitterbots is mandatory for our curse automation and general DPS boost through shock debuff.

Hatred is the most generic DPS boost that you can get and in non conversion build generally better than rather tempting Pride aura thanks to instant DPS boost.

We are left with banner choice and impale from dread banner is the best, since we do not have other impale sources for our golems by default.

]Priority: as you see fit, all 3 are big QoL.

- Convocation to get your minions on point for DPS and for disengage situations.

- Minions recover 100% of their life when you Focus. The best minion heal skill on 12s cooldown. Essential for bossing.

- Movement skill of your choice. Personally I do prefer Shield Charge with Faster Attacks. Whirling Blades should work as well as Phase Run.