Dual-Wielding Melee "Dream" Ranger — Possible in early access? Giant's Blood Pathfinder? (WIP!)

I have always been interested in off-build melee builds whether it was dual dream sorc in Diablo 2 or the Dual Dreamfeather Ranger builds from the early days of PoE...

So my question is ... is a dual-wielding melee Ranger possible in early access?

I noticed the ranger has access to some decent dual-wield and melee damage nodes prettymuch straight downwards from their starting position. I plan to make good use of these, plus the nearby life leech nodes as a starting point. I have started my passive tree by taking the fast travel path downwards from the evasion rating start position, to boost early strength while heading towards that nearby cluster of melee damage nodes. I will also hoover up as many attack speed nodes as I can.

So far at about level 10, just using mace strike with rage support, I am dishing out way easier boss kills than I was on my warrior at this level (somehow?!?!). Does the ranger have a higher base attack speed or something? Feels like it (or could just be the animations that feel that way?). I have focused on taking equipment with +life or defense.

Note that we only have maces and mace skills to work with here when dual wielding - ie; usually the slower of the 1-hand weapon classes. I would way rather build this around swords or axes but they aren't out yet...

This build is very much a work in progress: constructive feedback is welcome, and I will post links to updates here:

Update 1: Level 28 update in comments below.
Update 2: Level 39 update in comments below.

Skill tree

First Draft for skill tree here - v1
Deadeye Draft for skill tree here - v2 updated
Giant's Blood Pathfinder - v3 updated

Skill rotation (so far at level 30)

Dual Mace strike - rage - martial tempo (this does huge single target damage and builds rage bonus dmg fast)

Armour breaker - break endurance (our end endurance charge gen) - ruthless (just more stun)

Infernal cry - premeditation (+dmg) - murderous intent (culling strike)

Boneshatter - impact shockwave - fire infusion - magnified effect (our big finisher attack that explodes the whole screen)

Herald of Ash - not enough spirit to support yet (as at level 30, will update)

Leap Slam - overpower - expanse (this is our opener - one large stunning aoe attack)

Best item I've seen so far is probably the Kingsguard Full Plate which will let our infernal cry heal us for 5-15% of our life, if we first generate some endurance charges via armour breaker's break endurance support gem. This is generally only needed for tougher enemies.


Considerations:

- What ascendancies would you go for if you were trying to make a melee ranger?
- What would be your top clusters to pick up on the passive tree?
- What skills would you build around? (str-based mace skills?)
- What stats on gear are most important? (Life? Str? Attack Speed? Phys Damage?)
- Secondary weapon setup?


Edit: Some further thoughts on ascendancies:

Deadeye tree: Wind Ward and Thrilling Chase look great to me for boosting frenzy charges and defenses. - edit: frenzy charges seem useless in EA.

Pathfinder: has nice slow immunity and flask buffs or even just some extra passive points. - edit: recommended ascendancy for giant's blood.

Not sure which way to go here. Is Tailwind a bit useless for melee since it resets on hit? Do we even have reliable frenzy gen/consume in melee in EA? — now pretty sure we are rolling Pathfinder here.

Update: Approaching level 20, about 600hp, have all the dual wield nodes and going to hit some health regen nodes and life steal nodes next. I don't actually have any life steal on my gear yet, though. Feels like the missing piece for this build

I have just landed in act 2 and this build feels way stronger than my warrior at a comparable level — I'm just so much faster already with a few move speed and attack speed nodes. Using a lot of infernal cry so far.

Currently mulling over whether Resolute Technique is actually the way to go on this build. Feels like I kinda can't do an Iron Reflexes / dex / crit build here since we need str for maces, which means we will be lacking on dex/accuracy and the best way to solve that is probably just with RT?

Question for the community — do you think this build would benefit from Vaal Pact? Unwavering Stance? Bulwark?

Its also tempting to swap out some nodes for the endurance charge nodes we path beside, for +2 max charges ... thoughts?

I'm interested to see what you come up with

wouldnt gemling a better option?

adaptative capability (u dont worry about stats for gems anymore)

reduced stat req for gear (maybe u can even go giant's blood)

I think a Giant's Blood version of this build would be possible with Mercenary and Gemling. The difference in points on the passive tree would be only 3pts I think. However the Gemling ascendancy would really lend itself to giant's blood. 330 str seems to be the target for late game maces? That is tough with just the passive tree and no ascendancy stat bonuses (I guess 5 passive from pathfinder could add 25 str?? Or find a higher str passive to path to). Str is great because it gives us about 600 life and 1% damage per 15 str seems a smart grab on this build from the passive tree.

I do think there are some style points worth awarding for whoever can engineer the best melee ranger build rather than the (perhaps slightly better placed) Mercenary.

Here's my attempt at a Pathfinder with Giant's Blood

Hey mate any updates yet? :D I am doing this build myself, and just wanted some updates on gear specc talents etc.


Okay! Thanks fo the quick reply! :D. I'll try out the 2h mace (since theres no 2h swords yet :( )

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Hey mate any updates yet?

At level 28 the build is feeling fine, I am about here on the tree right now. 800ish hp I think

One thing I have realised won't work is Deadeye ascendancy, since the frenzy nodes are pointless (there's not really reliable frenzy charge gen in the game yet)

That means Pathfinder is the better choice although after taking the passive nodes and flask nodes you don't have great options left, I guess the slow resist is probably decent?

Giant's blood does look attractive so that our ranger can dual wield 2h hammers. Haven't made it that far yet

In terms of skill rotation, so far I am mostly opening with leap slam, then infernal cry. Depending on whether anyone is already showing a stun indicator I will next hit them with dual mace attack (supported with increased stun) or armour break. I use herald of ash. Boneshatter is used like a finisher once stun indiocators appear, which usually clears whole sections of the screen combined with the explosions/ignite from infernal cry / herald of ash.

Its physical damage with a bit of fire thrown in.

Liked the idea of a ranger dual wielding 2-handed maces so updated the build to reflect that.

Looking at the tree it feels like it might be lacking on defenses - most of it comes from life steal, str, and flask nodes I guess. Might not be enough, I guess we'll see when I level up a bit more :)

Updated OP with skill rotation so far at level 30, including supports.

Following, after getting to act two on my war it just felt slow so I decided to see if I could also do a duel wield ranger, so far I'm killing things way faster than my war, I'm just level 10 though and headed down the same path you did passive wise. Since I'm new to POE I'm definitely working to learn abilities and there support gems.