3.19 Versatile Slam Marauder - All Red - Low Life - Any Slam/Totem/Banner/Guard/Stance + Auras

Intro:

My 1st posted build, after a few years playing POE.
I am in no way an expert player, I would not consider this guide "pro".

If its a "Slam" attack, it will likely work with this guide, but I perfer Tectonic Slam for it.

Depending on how you build, physical/elemental reflect modifiers on maps are NOT your friend.

THIS BUILD WILL RESERVE 52% OF YOUR LIFE & 84% OF YOUR MANA

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Skill Links

6L body:

Slam + Melee phy dam + added fire dam + Multistrike + Bloodthirst + Elemental dam w attack (uses mana)

4L glove:

Ancestral War Chief/Holy Flame Totem + Multistrike/Multiple Totems + Maim + Melee phy/added fire dam (uses mana)

3L weapon:

Leap Slam/Shield Charge + Fortify \ Enduring/Seismic Cry (uses mana)

3L shield:

Immortal Call/Molten Shell + CWDT + Increased Duration (uses mana)

4L helmet: (@ from mastery node on skill tree)

Blood & Sand (10% @ 50%) + Petrified Blood (35%) + Determination (50% @ 25%) + Vitality (@100%) (MANA RESERVED = OVER 100%, with tree = 84%)

4L boot: (only golem uses mana))

War Banner (10%) + HO Ash (25%) + Arrogance (RESERVES 70% life, with tree = 52% of life reserved) \ Flame/Stone Golem (uses mana)
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Concept: Versatile, Damaging & Tanky:

Note: Of all things I had to make tough choices, opting out of “Faster attacks” allowed best versatility & attribute spread.

Easy access league start/new player with a high degree of versatility.
All red skill gems, 570+ skill tree strength, Huge Armor, Bloodthirst + low life & big AOE.


I went mace + stun with a shield, but one-handed axes/maces/scepters are all feasible & require only minor skill tree edits (moving weapon node wheel invested in).

An alteration to two-handed weapons would be very easy, if desired, again with a minor swap of shield node wheel to two-handed node wheel

Level 80 completes a very solid base, level 85 to 87 reaches high specialization, as per player choice. Use “Free” passive skill refunds per choice.

Versatility:

If its a "Slam" attack, it will likely work with this guide.

Crimson Dance (Bleed), Impaler (Impale), or Avatar of Fire (Full fire) can all be deeply specialized in to by the "End of act 10/Start of mapping" (levels 75 to 85). Hematophagy (Leech) node wheel is easily accessible also.

I chose to go the balanced route and focused on damage/defense holding a shield with Hematophagy (leech) on a mace/stun setup, for example.

Skill Tree: LEVEL 80 SHOWN
POB (CE) LINK: https://pastebin.com/M7K5Jsch



Budget:

Lower end is a under 10 Chaos orbs to begin mapping at level 80+.

Skill Keybinding

Active: Walk (lc) + Slam skill (rc) + Totem skill (Q) + Golem skill (mc) + Move skill (Q) + War Cry skill (W) + Place/Carry Banner skill on (E).

Auto: Stance skill (Blood) + Multi-Aura skills > All stance/auras on (R) leave on swap stance / VAAL SKILL (T) / Immortal Call on CWDT.


Flask Progression

1. Life Flask -> …of the Antitoxin
2. Life Flask -> Granite Flask (The Key to Freedom, Act 5) + ..of the Deer
3. Mana Flask -> Quartz Flask (The Silver Locket, Act 7) + ..of the Conger
4. Mana Flask -> Quicksilver Flask (The Great White Beast, Act 2) + ..of the Lizard
5. Quicksilver Flask (Mercy Mission, Act 1) -> Silver Flask (Safe Passage, Act 10) + ..of the Urchin

Note: Use the Menagerie to craft the listed suffixes onto your Flasks. Be aware of item level when crafting.

Act 1 leveling skills:

To start a set of Paula Rings & Amulet are very helpful, as are a Decent/Rare: One-handed Mace + 24% Rustic Sash + % to movement Shield & Boots
Upgrade your Mace every 5 levels

3 link items drop at level 2 > 4 link items drop at level 25 > 5 link items drop at level 35 > 6 link items drop at level 50

Perforate has the highest damage of act 1 slam skills * interacts with blood & sand stance, although Groundslam is faster.

• Ground Slam/Perorate + Chance to Bleed Support + Ruthless Support (> Added Fire + Elemental Damage with Attacks, *when available)
• Ancestral Protector Totem + Ancestral Call Support (> Melee Splash, *when available) + Onslaught Support (> Maim, *when available)
• **Bear Trap + Onslaught Support + Stun Support (*when available)
• Reckoning (Trigger: Counter attack) (add supports, when available) + Knockback Support + Life Gain on Hit Support
• War Banner + Blood & Sand (Stance) + Molten Shell (Guard) *NO LINKS NEEDED*
• Dash (Movement) > Leap Slam/Shield Charge
• Vigilant Strike (+ Onslaught + Chance to Bleed Support > to Maim, when available) is the best early single target skill, in DPS & extra effect
• Enduring Cry + Intimidating Cry (caged brute reward)

Questionable Usefulness Skill

• **Absolution is better than a trap (but comes late in act 1), BUT, its the 1st skill able to summon a non-totem minion (replaces Bear Trap)



Early to Mid game unique items for leveling
- Full set by level 10, doable with a 1x Chaos orb budget


Many weapons listed, but it will lower weapon swaps over-all on a budget.

To start a set of Paula Rings & Amulet are very helpful, as are a Decent/Rare: One-handed Mace + 24% Rustic Sash + % to movement Shield & Boots

Upgrade your Mace every 5 levels

3 link items drop at level 2 > 4 link items drop at level 25 > 5 link items drop at level 35 > 6 link items drop at level 50

1. Araku Tiki Coral Amulet (can carry you to a Rare +16 Onyx Amulet)
2. 1x Kaom's Sign Coral Ring + 1x Doedre's Damning Paua Ring (once you get war cry, swap Kaom's) Berek's Grip Two-Stone Ring (at level 20)
3. Driftwood Club > Screaming Eagle Jade Hatchet (at level 6) > Gorebreaker Spiked Club (at level 10) > Brightbeak War Hammer (at level 20) > Flesh-Eater Dream Mace (at level 32) > Frostbreath Ornate Mace (at level 50) > Cameria's Maul Gavel (at level 60) > Callinellus Malleus Auric Mace (at level 66) > Nebuloch Nightmare Mace (at level 68)
4. Goathide Buckler > Crest of Perandus Pine Buckler (at level 8) > Kaltenhalt Painted Buckler (at level 17)
5. Ezomyte Peak Iron Hat (can carry to act 3 / 4-link helmet or) > Honourhome Soldier Helmet (at level 12)
6. Bramblejack Plate Vest (can carry to act 2 or) > Solaris Lorica Copper Plate (at level 17) > Belly of the Beast Full Wyrmscale (at level 46)
7. Ondar's Clasp Wrapped Mitts (at level 5, a 4-link can carry you to next unique) > Veruso's Battering Rams Titan Gauntlets (at level 69)
8. Wanderlust Wool Shoes > Wondertrap Velvet Slippers (at level 9) > Dusktoe Ironscale Boots (at level 18) > Torchoak Step Antique Greaves (at level 37)
9. 24% Rustic Sash > Meginord's Girdle Heavy Belt (at level 8) > Feastbind Rustic Sash (at level 11) > Wurm's Molt Leather Belt (at level 41)


Mid/End game needs stats on gear:

+Life > Chaos/Cold/Lightning resists > Life regeneration (&/OR Gain/Leech) > % increased Melee > % increased AOE > Mana regeneration

- 70 dexterity need (54 tree, so +16 needed from items)
- 70 intelligence need / (54 tree, so +16 needed from items)

Mid/End game uses Items:

+16 Onyx Amulet / +12% Amethyst Rings / +35 Heavy Belt / Str boots / Spiked gloves / Str helmet / Str chest / Str shield / One handed Mace

Other Options

1. Replace “Slam” with desired “Slam” tagged active skill (Tectonic = “Ideal”, Ground = big AOE, Earthquake = 360 degree)
2. Replacing “Enduring Cry” (= more survivability, for “Tectonic”) with “Seismic Cry” (= more damage) is possible
3. Replacing “Immortal Call” (= more survivability) with “Molten Shell” (= more damage/fire) is possible
4. Replacing “Flame Golem” (= more damage/fire) with “Stone Golem” (= more survivability) is possible
5. Replacing “Leap Slam” (= can cross gaps/damage) with “Shield Charge” (= faster, cant cross gaps/damage) is possible
6. Replacing “War Chief Totem” (= more damage/multistrike) with “Flame Totem” (= more Fire/multiple totems) is possible
7. Vaal Skill, Ancestorial War Chief is an ideal vaal skill for all “slam” builds (all use war chief, high utility) OR a vaal Guard skill

Rough Skill Link Notes, Work In Progress:

Skill Gem Links – Off hand set = Alt War Cry + Alt Movement + (leveling only) Alt Guard + Alt Golem + Alt Slam + Alt Totem + 1x Alt extra

• 6L body: Slam + Melee phy dam + added fire dam + Multistrike + Bloodthirst + Elemental dam w attack (uses mana)
• 4L glove: Ancestral War Chief/Holy Flame Totem + Multistrike/Multiple Totems + Maim + Melee phy dam (uses mana)
• 3L weapon: Leap Slam/Shield Charge + Fortify \ Enduring/Seismic Cry (uses mana)
• 3L shield: Immortal Call/Molten Shell + CWDT + Increased Duration
• 4L helmet: Blood & Sand (10% @ 50%) + Petrified Blood (35%) + Determination (50% @ 25%) + Vitality (@100%) (= 105% with tree = 84%)
• 4L boot: War Banner (10%) + HO Ash (25%) + Arrogance (uses 70% life, with tree = 52%) \ Flame/Stone Golem (uses mana)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this build would work very well with the new Volcanic Fissure skill in 3.20

Maybe not optimized for it, but a good testbed at the least.