[DEAD] 20M Sirus DPS Replica Iron Commander Shrapnel Ballista Hiero [18 totems] [2200 strength]

In patch 3.12.4, GGG fixed the bug on Fork and Awakened Fork support which caused forked projectiles to hit the same enemy, causing an unintended 3x and 7x damage multiplier respectively.

The patch fixed this bug, which caused fork projectile to actually fork now.
In short, this is actually a buff.

Before the patch, in order to bring up the 7x damage on single target, you have to give up pierce in order to allow projectiles fork on the first enemy. This limits your pack clear capability to Chain support and Anomalous Shrapnel Ballista which either of them would only chain 2 enemies behind the first. That also means to clear 1 pack of mobs, your ballista have to fire 2-3 times, causing delay in clearing.

After the patch, due to the change of behaviour of fork supports, you are now not limited to using fork support, but things like Anomalous pierce which can pierce 6 enemies. However, after various testings in 3.12.4, I have concluded that Awakened Fork Support is now the best in slot for pack clearing.

Here's what I observed:

- Sirus fights now take significantly longer time to complete. You have to play with his mechanics now, but your tankiness can probably get through almost everything (see video). This however can be improvised by switching awakened fork support into something like arrow nova in combination with slower projectiles or hypothermia (if you are using skitterbot for chill).

- Simulacrum and Full-Juiced Delirium maps are now way easier to complete. The fact that Awakened Fork generates more projectiles than pierce allow high damage output to backline enemies. Compared to high damage output to frontline enemies before 3.12.4, this is in fact a super buff for high pack density maps given that rare and unique monster often sit in the middle of a pack. Forked projectiles from frontline enemies would have a very high chance to shotgun at backlines and thus results in a faster map clearing experience.

- Heists no longer require arrow nova support. Most of the problematic heist mobsters are backline enemies. With the same reason why Simulacrum feels better now, with your general mapping setup, you can now efficiently clear door camps almost instantly.

On the tooltop of Shrapnel Ballista:

"

Enemies can be hit by multiple arrows from the same attack.

This means as long as the enemy is hit by a different arrow multiple damage counts.
With GMP:
Ballista creates more arrows that can hit the same enemy.
Larger enemy benefit more from this shotgun effect due to larger hitboxes.
Foe excample, Kitava is significantly receiving more damage than other bosses.
With Fork:
If a projectile hits an enemy, it forks and create 2 new projectiles.
In Shrapnel Ballista's case, these 2 new projectiles will hit the same enemy, causing 3 total hits including the initial arrow.
Does not shotgun anymore in 3.12.4.
With Awakened Fork:
Since the 2 forked projectiles hit the same enemy, the "fork one more time" effect will as well proc inside the same enemy, creating 4 extra projectiles. The same enemy will be hit for a total of 7 times as a result. That's a 600% more damage multiplier on one gem.
Does not shotgun anymore in 3.12.4. It is instead the BiS support for pack clearing due to it being capable of shotgunning backline enemies.
With Pierce:
Anomalous pierce allows you to pierce 6 targets. It has a damage multiplier as well so it is considerably a nice support to use after fork is nerfed.
With Chain:
Chain allows projectiles to guarantee hits when passing through enemies. Although it is not worth to use Chain support or Awakened Chain support, Anomalous Shrapnel Ballista is still a decent upgrade for 2 extra chains. It is not mandatory though.
With Arrow Nova:
Since arrow nova causes projectiles to split after the initial arrow hits the ground, if the arrow hit right on top of the mob, all splitting arrows will as well shotgun on the same target. Consider only with Awakened Arrow Nova + Awakened Fork, the initial impact from 1 ballista will create 8x7=56 hits on an single enemy. Using 18 totems means a single target will be hit for 1008 times every 0.4 second. And as you can imagine, the actual gameplay is in fact very laggy and basically just an overkill given how op it is solely with awakened fork. 18 totems will proc 18x8=144 hits per attack sequence on a single target. With Dying Sun it is 180 hits.
The condition, however, requires the target to be standing still, as the tiniest bit of movement would prevent arrow nova from hitting perfectly and significantly reduce number of hits. Use it on bosses that don't walk at all e.g. Sirus, Shaper and Elder.
The support is also very useful in Heists where doors are the bottlenecks and projectiles with GMP cannot pass through efficiently. Allowing your totem fire 1 projectiles through the door and spreading after is totally worth the launch delay.
With Anomalous Faster Projectiles:
This one grants chance for arrow to return and hit enemies again. With fork nerfed in 3.12.4, I am putting this on the watch list. However, even though 3.12.4 says it fixed the projectile return bug, I still do not observe the return behaviour under any situations. Maybe it is not fixed yet?

So I have 2200 strength.
Iron Fortress makes it give 660% increased melee physical damage
Repentance (Iron Will) converts it to also grant 660% increased spell damage
Crown of Eyes then converts it to 990% increased attack damage.

If you really struggle with getting intelligence for Repentance, you can consider using Iron Will support, but I am not sure if the combo still works sicne it is a local modifier.

Withering Step applies Withered on enemies.
Each stack increases chaos damage taken by 6%, up to 15 stacks.
It is an instant skill so it is faster than everything else. Best skill when you are capable of one-shotting enemies.

Level 20 Withering Step = 6 stacks
Level 21 Withering Step = 7 stacks
Anomalous Withering Step further add 1 stack per 10% Quality.
Using a Level 4 Enhance on +1 socket gear grants +32% Quality.
Level 21 Anomalous with 52% quality = 12 stacks.

This means a 3-link setup grants 96% incresed chaos damage taken to all nearby enemies. Instantly.

Chainbreaker is the Keystone Granted by Lethal Pride Timeless Jewel.

Chainbreaker grants rage regen to your character. The condition for it to lose rage is only when you hit an enemy with a skill. As you are using totems, your totem will always gain the buff granted by 50 rage while it never reduces your rage meter. Definitely balanced mechanics right? Now put in a berserk for extra more damage, attack and movement speed.

It is possible to do HoGM with this build. (or maybe not after 3.12.4)
1. Swap Replica Alberon's Warpath with Alberon's Warpath
2. Swap Void Manipulation with Block Chance Reduction
3. Do it when your exp is 0% so you have nothing to lose

To get Block Chance Reduction, sell a Punture with 20%Q Dexterity Shield.

https://pastebin.com/sSRFdFKC
!!! Don't use this for levelling !!!
This tree is the finalized version after min-maxing everything.
I will add an early game tree when I can.

Watcher's Eye is purely QoL.
You can use rare jewel with resist/str/max life.

I also replace Watcher's Eye with Spire of Stone when doing Simulacrum.

These 2 both grants 2x 5% increased Strength bonus on my tree.
Incubator slot

Main Skill for mapping:

Main Skill for bossing:

DPS Booster:
(This is also where you can replace Portal with Berserk)

Mobility and Survivability:

Auras:

Optional (for adding Aspect of Avian):

CWDT Setup:
(Whatever skills that you do not want to cast yourself)

https://pastebin.com/Yh2EYbnV
Get Storm Cloud and Tabula Rasa. Start levelling with shrapnel ballista. You should have no problem levelling at all.

Fill in unique items whenever possible.

Rush to Ancestral Bond and then Utmost Might as soon as possible.

Important dps spike items:
Level 31 Fork Support (Make sure you do not pierce anymore)
Level 32 Replica Iron Commander
Level 35 Meginord's Vise
Level 49 Replica Alberon's Warpath
Level 69 Repentance + Crown of Eyes

At level 69 you might find yourself struggling to get 300 intelligence. Make sure you have all +30 int nodes on the tree nearby and anoint Utmost Intellect if necessary.

Mandatory items:
Replica Iron Commander (6-linked)
Replica Alberon's Warpath (18% strength)
Astramentis
Iron Fortress (Buy Iron Heart and Battle Hardened prophecy, kill Colonnade map boss)
Repentance
Crown of Eyes
Brawn (+6% Strength, -10% Intelligence)
Inertia (Dex to Strength)
Pure Talent
Might of the Meek
Bunch of Deafening Essence of Rage (if you want to craft your own rares)
Spire of Stone (Totems cannot be stunned)
Lethal Pride

Upgrading:
Cyclopean Coil
Lethal Pride (with at least 1 5% Strength node)
Medium Cluster Jewel (Sleepless Sentries + Snaring Spirits)
Split Personality x2 (strength + intelligence)
Efficient Training
Anomalous Shrapnel Ballista
Anomalous Withering Step
Other AltQ gems are fairly optional

Finalizing
Iron Fortress with 120 Strength (6-linked)
Level 4 Enhance for withering step
Lethal Pride (with at least 2 5% Strength node, e.g. 16468, 16226)
Synthesised Belt with 13-15% increased Strength (Blessed and Catalyst for 18%)
Hubris Circlet with Proj Speed Enchantment + Trash to Treasure Prophecy

Belt, Rings and Quiver are all self-crafted in this build.

1. Buy item bases
2. Buy Deafening Essence of Rage
3. Slam until you get decent mods like life/resist
4. If you have open suffix craft resistance or even str/int hybrid mod (need unveil items)
5. Beast craft with Farric Frost Hellion Alpha for cheap divines until max attribute
6. Blessed Orb implicit mods since beast craft rerolls them
7. Fine tuning your crafted mod with crafting bench