How to Sustain Frenzy Charges with Explosive Spear? (Combat Frenzy Issue)

Hey everyone,

I'm trying to build around the Explosive Spear skill and i really want to make use of its Frenzy Charge-consuming version, as it's clearly the stronger variant. However, i’ve run into a major problem with sustaining Frenzy Charges.

The only reliable way i’ve found to generate Frenzy Charges is by using Combat Frenzy. The issue is, Combat Frenzy only grants charges when you freeze, electrocute, or pin enemies. But Explosive Spear is a Fire-based skill. so naturally, it can’t trigger any of those status effects.

This means i can't generate Frenzy Charges consistently, and without them, i can’t access the enhanced version of Explosive Spear. The build feels underwhelming as a result, and i’m kind of stuck.

Has anyone found a workaround for this?
Maybe there’s another way to generate Frenzy Charges that i'm missing – or perhaps a way to scale Fire skills to somehow enable pin or another valid condition?

Would really appreciate any thoughts, ideas, or wild theories you might have. Thanks..

Parry + Disengage?

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T40K_Unnamed#0408 wrote:

Parry + Disengage?

How long will it take to clear one map in this way? It's not a normal slowness, it's an incredible slowness. Moreover, it will be very unlikely that you will be able to reach maximum charge.

I tried this and it feels absolutely disgusting. :(

i think at the current state of the game GGG is to focused on trying to make a combo-ish based combat system and it doesn't seem like they thought spear skills thoroughly through

making a weapon with ranged abilities and having to be in melee in order to fully utilize these seems like a rather horrible design choice.

i myself were planning on doing a lightning spear build with the amazon ascendancy passive where you get infusion when consuming charges, this should be easier for me though but it still will never be 100% reliable and annoying having to go out of my way for electrocution build up...

hopefully some of the new uniques can help with this

convert 100 of fire to cold probably through various methods (pretty sure there's a ring), or the dragon mask that changes the native ailments caused by the elemental dmg types? I'm sure there's other ways as well.

I've been pondering this myself and have a sort of half-work around as the parry combo mechanics felt HORRIBLE to me to play. and i can't imagine it being quick or flow well in maps.

Unfortunately, im not focusing on explosive as my main clear, but using it as part of the rotation as a whole. So maybe this will help you theorycraft to fit your needs / playstyle.

I've been using glacial lance with martial tempo / cold infusion / rising tempest to freeze essentially on hit and generate a frenzy charge with combat frenzy. I have a decent damage / flat cold damage and took essence of the mountain, so I freeze white mobs with one shot currently. Combat frenzy grants a charge, and I tossed profusion into combat frenzy to sometimes get granted two charges. And then in explosive spear I have overabundance and perpetual charge, so i sometimes get additional empowered spears.

You could likely swap glacial lance with another ability that you enjoy.

And then obviously you have crit so you run sniper's mark for frenzy on bosses

I've been trying to find a similar work around to get at least more frequent charges, as sometimes 1 charge every 4.5-5 seconds just feels underwhelming. But I havent solved that yet. If anyone knows a way to semi reliably get frenzy or endurance charges (with resonance, these become frenzy) on hit or something, would love to know.

there is a pair of unique gloves that turn fire damage into cold. they are called blueflame bracers and they convert 100% fire dmg into cold dmg which would allow it to freeze you still run into the issue of combat frenzy CD but maybe could pair with sniper mark too in order to circumvent that but even without 100% frenzy charge uptime if you support with overabundance and expedite they detonate after like 1 second without frenzy charges.

hey man I got you, I'm working on a leveling build to post at the moment and figured this out by talking with other spear users

You sustain frenzy charges by using "pin" support on whirling spear attack as your 'builder', and you spend it with explosive spear. You quickly build whirlwinds and drop empowered fire spears, then scoop up the fire and move along with a huge blazing whirlwind by continually attacking, and then 'drop' the whirlwind on a pack to get more frenzy charges. Remember to 'pop' your whirlwinds by running out of them, or disengaging out of them.

You need the double charge support, and very importantly 20% quality on your combat frenzy gem.

You can also use something like weapon switch staff ice blast or whatever the 450% freezing coefficient backwards leap is, which is perfect for setting up big explosive spear hits with your main weapon.

I also suggest you try out "death dance" and nearby action speed nodes and give 1 handing without the shield a try, since parry is functionally useless.


The gameplay is essentially generating multiple frenzy charges per 'pin' or freeze, and nuking groups of monsters with a single cast of explosive spear (or lightning spear, which I prefer, but I use both), and keeping 'topped up' on frenzy charges while moving through an area. If you are having to spend multiple ES per pack your gear is holding you back. You will be generating so many frenzy charges compared to what it takes to kill packs, that you will find yourself full of charges and nothing to kill, allowing you to 'tactical nuke' rares with your full stack if needed.

Killing bosses is another story, and you will probably need to use primal strike and lightning spear for shock. Combat frenzy doesn't work very well with bosses.

BTW I really cant stress enough how important it is to stay 'current' with a high physical damage weapon while leveling. IF you are in trade league spend your ex every 10 levels or whatever for a decent weapon and an iron rune, you will have a much better time.

The advice about blueflame gloves is pretty good. It would (in theory) turn explosive spear into your builder AND spender, but gloves are a really huge attack boost slot for melee classes.

Some additional tech for this playstyle is the use the ability that explodes your elemental ailments on mobs combined with the 40% action speed when you move 10 meters support gem, and then use that to quickly finish off any stragglers ignited by your empowered spears or flaming whirlwinds. It detonates burning corpses also, so its pretty good.

Or play snipers mark with amazon ascendancy (accuracy --> crit) to generate frenzy charge ?

You could try the "endurance charge on armor break support" with the charge-shuffle Keystone between Monk and Witch.

That whould mean you need to play a Warbringer tho. Gonna try this later. Throw Lightning Fury with armour explosions generating endurance into frenzy charges automatically. Don't know if it's viable tho, since you need to travel across the entire tree.