[3.2] 15c BF BoR Champion/Zerker- Shaper/Guardians/Red Elder & Guardians/Uber Lab/Atziri

Video Update: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wj6nwGpk6Q

The build is fine on Berserker. I was waiting for the patch notes to let you all know if its dead or not as it relies mostly on Bloodseeker still having insta-leech and less on anything else. Given that it's still alive, everyone can proceed to give it a shot. I do imagine shaped items will be much more expensive now since everybody knows how powerful they are. I would go with Relentless Fury as a stat-stick for clearing and Death's Hand when you can afford it (should be like 1c within a couple of days of the league).

Upgrade to a shaper stat-stick when you can and if you can't sustain both Blood Rage and Crave the Slaughter, get rid of blood rage. You don't really need frenzy charges for clearing and for bosses you have frenzy anyways. Ascendancy points remain the same.

I AM PERSONALLY NOT PLAYING BERSERKER THIS LEAGUE. HERE ARE SOME NUMBERS FOR CHAMPION. I WILL TEST AND VERIFY IF IT'S AS OP AS IT LOOKS:

With the patch notes we now know that Shaper/Guardians are no longer immune to taunt. This changes everything. Let's take a look at the exact same tree/items as the 15c video overview but switch from Berserker to Champion:

Berserker flasked Shaper stats 15c budget:

Champion flasked Shaper stats 15c budget:

Offensively we gain just under 100k dps with the exact same setup.
- We have 100% chance to hit and the build becomes cheaper as you don't need to worry about accuracy on gear at all.
- Enemies are permanently intimidated for 10% more damage
- Enemies are permanently taunted for another 20% more damage.
- We always have adrenaline up because as you are all well aware, we hit low life pretty darn often. That's another 100% increased damage and 25% increased attack speed.

Defensively
- We always have fortify up already from whirling blades, so we get from that an extra 1000 evasion and armour as well as stun immunity so we can go for the reduced reflected damage Pantheon instead. (also adds some damage)
- Adrenaline gives us 10% additional physical damage reduction
- Regenerate 2% life per second since we permanently taunt
- 6% reduced global damage taken since we permanently taunt.

We still leech 31k life/second and I tried testing if that's enough by removing ascendancy nodes entirely from my more expensive setup which brought me to a lower overall dps than the champion build and lower life leech. I tested Shaper like that and I killed him deathless while testing stuff like facetanking his beam so I do think our life leech is more than enough without berserker. This is the only reason I'm not making the full recommendation to switch over though since I won't know for sure if it's enough until I play through with the full ascendancy. But I think it'll be fine and I'll update when I know for sure.

SO LETS WIND IT DOWN:

Berserker: 100k less dps, takes 10% increased global damage, negative net life regen, 20% evade chance, 4% phys damage reduction, 30% dodge chance, has fortify on whirling blades

Champion: 100k more dps, takes 6% reduced global damage (!!), ~+200 net life regen, 33% evade chance, 22% physical damage reduction, 30% dodge chance, has fortify on whirling blades

So guys, I'm fairly confident that the Champion has just completely outclassed the Berserker for this build and many other melee builds. It is infinitely more defensive, is cheaper due to accuracy needs, and has more overall damage to boot. I will keep you posted on the progress as I could just be entirely wrong I guess, but I'm pretttttty darn confident. So if you wanna give it a shot, go for it but at your own discretion since it's not fully tested yet.

Champion Ascendancy Nodes:

Order: Conqueror - Worthy Foe - First to Strike/Last To Fall - Unstoppable Hero
You can switch the last two if you want more defensiveness before Uber Lab. I'm all bout dem deeps.

PoB Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/XzasAUR8

380k Shaper DPS without flasks up. This number can go up to 450k or down to 300k depending on whether you want more/less life as there is room on the Scion life-wheel to go either way. The video in the build guide is the mid-range, with 380k dps and 6k life.

This is enough DPS for damn near everything in the game.

With flasks up, the mid-range version in the video goes up to 554k.

I have an upgraded version I'm currently using since I had so much currency I figured I might as well upgrade. That version is currently at 1 mill Shaper DPS with flasks up. There is still room to grow with expensive rings/6-l etc.

30% Dodge, 20% Evade, Insta-Leech, 6k+ life.

If you don't get one shot, you don't die. It's as simple as that.

The only things that can really one shot you are super telegraphed moves like Shaper's slam, or super un-telegraphed bullshitty moves like the Elder's boop.

Skill Tree
If you are not using Path of Building, you really should get it. But the skill tree is this if you just refuse for some reason.

PoB:
Budget Version (lvl 90): https://pastebin.com/yvGJE6q2

2x DPS Version (not needed, makes shit faster, lvl 90): https://pastebin.com/YqQkbS26

Bandit: Kill them all!
Reasoning: 2x Skill Point too OP.

Leveling:
Dual wield whatever items you can. Molten Strike/Ancestral Call is disgusting. Then Static Strike + Ancestral Call. I used that all the way up to lvl 50ish before switching to Blade Flurry.
Since we're a marauder, I like to grab Resolute technique first for accuracy purposes. Then when I have some dex on the tree/transition to crit, use your respec points to spec out of that shit into the final tree.


Ascendancy
Berserker. Pain Reaver -> Crave the Slaughter -> Aspect of Carnage -> Cloaked in Savagery

Pantheon
Brine King and Tukohama. If you are using Kaom's Roots use whatever else you want instead of Brine King.

Tukohama is op as fuck when you are just face-tanking while stationary. We don't use VP so the life regen is insane.

Core Items:
Bringer of Rain:
Used to get cheap links, great budget helmet.

BloodSeeker:
Makeshift Vaal Pact. Main weapon.

Stat-Stick:
Shaped Mods are op. You want %of phys gained as fire, and the Enemies Explode dealing % life mods.

The exploding mod is absolutely disgusting. Make your clear speed on par with much more expensive builds. Sub-3 min full minotaur clears and shit. God damn.

Make sure that the off-hand stat-stick is not a sword/dagger/claw. Blade-flurry will only attack with the main-hand if the off-hand weapon is something that blade-flurry can't use. Use a mace/sceptre/axe, otherwise you drastically decrease your dps.


Update on Stat-Stick:
As of right now, the combination of mods on a stat-stick I mention in the video is getting a more expensive for whatever reason. They should be 2-3c, but if you can't find one for that, use the Enemies explode one for clearing, and the % gained one in a weapon swap for bosses. You don't need the extra damage for clearing, I've tested on t16s and the exploding enemies is the most important. Individually the mods are only about 1c each so it's cheap.

So weapon set 1 (AoE Clear): BloodSeeker + Stat Stick that has "Enemies killed explode dealing 5% of their Life as Fire Damage"

Weapon set 2 (Single-Target Bosses): BloodSeeker + Stat stick that has "Gain x% of Physical Damage as Extra Fire/Cold/Lightning Damage"

OR

Weapon set 2 (Single-Target Bosses): BloodSeeker + Death's Hand (1c) - that'll work just as well if not better than a single %gained stat.

Hell, I'm still swapping to an enemies explode from my crazy damage stat-stick right now. The enemies explode is just too nice for clear.

Rare Items:
Prioritize getting Res/Life/Phys Damage/Accuracy in that order. Whatever you can get is fine really. Just max your resistances.

Flasks: Life - Diamond - Atziri's Promise - Silver - Quicksilver.

My Items/Flasks (budget):


My Items/Flasks (5ex):



Gems/Links

Using Bringer of Rain:
Blade Flurry - Chance to Bleed - Maim - Inc Area of Effect/Conc Effect

Using 6-L Chest:
Main Damage: Blade Flurry - Melee Physical Damage - Chance to Bleed - Maim - Inc Area of Effect/ Conc Effect - Faster Attacks/Increased Critical Damage

Defensive: Cast When Damage Taken (lv 1) - Blood Rage (lv 7) - Immortal Call (lv 3)

Movement: Whirling Blades - Fortify - Faster Attacks

Auras: Herald of Ash, Hatred

Cull/Charges: Culling Strike - Frenzy

Curse: CwDT - Punishment

Other: Summon Ice Golem, Ancestral Protector

Intro
G'day it's MathilD here once again.


Overview


Pros/Cons


DPS/Defenses


F.A.Q


Path of Building


Leveling


Itemization


Ascendancy/Skill Tree


Bandits/Pantheon


Videos