Warbringer Thorns
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Warbringer Thorns
Build Overview Build prioritizes Thorns damage to kill foes up close and from afar. Slow but methodical gameplay. Cheap! Core uniques are 1 Alchemy, Regal or Exalt each.. the same for early late game rares. I suggest a fantastic video made by ZiggyD back in the day for those who need to learn how to use the trade site. His video for gearing for endgame for 10C may be for POE1 but the exact same principles apply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_YcUIeubG0&list=PL4aZrsY9M5qBxERp-3iAA8iyyFyeWvaxA The Build PoB Link: https://pobb.in/tVMUKPCJdmIQ Core Uniques Only the Crown is essential, I suggest one set of boots, Tusks while levelling and Dreadfist.
Spoiler
Crown of the Pale King: Very Eessential. https://www.pathofexile.com/trade2/search/poe2/Dawn%20of%20the%20Hunt/qq575elfg
Briarpatch: What my current build uses. https://www.pathofexile.com/trade2/search/poe2/Dawn%20of%20the%20Hunt/Byjw2p4c8 Beetlebite: Non crit version. https://www.pathofexile.com/trade2/search/poe2/Dawn%20of%20the%20Hunt/K7602oRh5 Dreadfist: Gives us thorns in the glove slot. Additional Impale with crit. https://www.pathofexile.com/trade2/search/poe2/Dawn%20of%20the%20Hunt/942MoyzCK Empire's Grasp: Testing them. I found the knockback frustrating from Rapid Assault. https://www.pathofexile.com/trade2/search/poe2/Dawn%20of%20the%20Hunt/PzDKjV7cL Edyrn's Tusks: Will take you to the end of campaign. https://www.pathofexile.com/trade2/search/poe2/Dawn%20of%20the%20Hunt/942MoyzCK Prized Pain: Gives us thorns in the ring slot. Not planning on using its stun mechanic. https://www.pathofexile.com/trade2/search/poe2/Dawn%20of%20the%20Hunt/nejQEYyu0 Chainsting: Gives us cheap Maim, Pin buildup, Attack speed and accuracy https://www.pathofexile.com/trade2/search/poe2/Dawn%20of%20the%20Hunt/0k8zq2eCg Tyranny's Grip: If going with Empire's Grasp https://www.pathofexile.com/trade2/search/poe2/Dawn%20of%20the%20Hunt/8m2PmBnIV Other Gear Body, Shield & Belts will need Thorns Damage, Health, Regen & Resists. Amulet & Rings will need Health, Regen, Leech & Resists. Gameplay Loop & Mechanics at work Walk around, try and get in melee range, and make a beeline to any enemies that drop AoE degens which we can't target with thorns. Warbringer's Anvil makes our thorns, armour break. This in turn procs Scavenged Plating stacks with gives us a tonn of thorns damage (400-700 at the end of the campaign alone). Thorns is Physical Retaliation Damage that Hits enemies when you get Hit in melee. It's not Melee, Attack, Spell or Projectile damage. Anything that works globally with Hits will work with thorns, and if it doesn't... it's a bug. The reason the crown is essential is that it allows thorns to retaliate against projectiles... so we can now retaliate against 3/4 of the enemy damage types. The only one we can't deal with is AoE degens... as those don't hit. Skills & Links Scavenged Plating: Persistence, Thornskin, Physical Mastery. Rapid Assault: Barbs, Quill Burst, Exploit Weakness, Martial Tempo That's it We already get Scavenged Plating stacks with Anvil and we can break the armour against bosses with exploit weakness to reapply those stacks. Passive Tree Still in development, but I'm pretty happy with it's current form (ignore the resistance nodes, that's just because my res sucks). We will be going turtle charm, so any additional passives will go to max block chance, Armour, and regen, leech etc. Videos https://youtu.be/qAjr2zNSkZ8 https://youtu.be/I96Xh7XPDC4 Old Guide
Spoiler
Thorns got buffed this patch. Was already possible last patch, though it was rather lacklustre and still is, but it is much better, certainly super viable for campaign with basically no investment in currency. Most I ever spent on one of the uniques was 1 exalt. If you have any combination of 3x Exalt, Regals or Alchemys then you'll be fine.
https://mobalytics.gg/poe-2/profile/0f447cfd-f692-4587-8992-333dea146a69/builds/1d05dd3f-c515-42e1-b01f-7030e9c9577a Only mandatory unique is the Crown of the pale king so we can retaliate against all hits not just melee. TBH I think this should be the default on how thorns works, as all it does is pigeonhole the helmet for literally any thorns build. We then have access to several others (and one that might change up the entire build TBH, only found out about the ring last night before I went to bed). And those are Dreadfist, Briarpatch, Eryn's Tusks (only for levelling, when you finish campaign pick up a tier 2 (yes I will still call it that GGG!) thorns mod on a high armour, life and res body armour) and the new ring Prized Pain (that adds thorns damage when you stun. After further thought this isn't as good as I originally figured, as it's only when you stun, not ON stunned enemies, so you have to stun constantly. Still nice though). I have chosen spears for the massive burst damage with Rapid Assault. I was originally using the new hotness that was Rake, but I wasn't struggling with packs as often as single target so switched over. Still going through campaign but at lvl 45 I'm getting 2k thorns, so that's 8K thorns at lvl45 on burst... kray kray. For packs I just leave it to thorns... shocking I know. 2k is enough for most stuff to die in a single attack (not sure but from looking at the globe I don't think damage effects you if the monster dies... I assumed we would still take damage but it honestly doesn't look like it... still investigating but if that's the case that's pretty insane.) Single target is still an issue however since we need to keep Scavenged Plating up for the thorns and that's where leap slam comes from, so it eats the armour break from our ascendancy and allows us to apply it over and over. It's not perfect, but it's the best I've found so far. I welcome suggestions. Honestly if the ring pans out I might transition this to a stun slam build (Spear field would also be fitting if the thorns damage transfers to the floor spears, and I'm guessing we have multiple stun procs??? let me know). As for Ascendancy I went with Warbringer because it gives us easy scavenged plating generation because it gives thorns armour break. I also want to go Turtle since we getting hit a lot... When POB2 knows how to implement thorns I'll update with a build link. Until then have fun with mobalytics. Best part is.. I'm having fun. https://pobb.in/AvAzStmvbLM4 MK3 (doubles the damage. lvl 68, now in maps): https://pobb.in/tVMUKPCJdmIQ Have a pob link. mobalyticsis being dumb Last edited by Insanity_Pilgrim#5447 on Apr 9, 2025, 4:14:12 PM Last bumped on Apr 15, 2025, 10:48:54 AM
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If the boss has some damage mechanic you can actually park yourself in that mechanic. (Like Jamara has those lightning rods)
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Exploit Weakness Support gem consume Fully Broken Armour debuff so you can use it on any attack or spell that you like.
Last edited by RaphaelDjirane#7270 on Apr 7, 2025, 10:42:51 AM
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" This is great advice. Looking into it. :) |
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" Yer, Act Bosses crumble (frost breath, lightning pillars, butt lasers) |
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What stat do you choose for your skill tree stats?
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" As much strength as I can, you need a good health pool. Havant had an issue with acc yet. That may change though... not sure if thorns needs it... doesn't seem to. but not sure. Will need it for single target ofc. Last edited by Insanity_Pilgrim#5447 on Apr 7, 2025, 1:27:34 PM
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Thanks. Tutorial boss dropped a bramble so I came to find a thorns build ha
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Did you just take all stat nodes to thorn nodes, then branch out into set 1/set 2 when you were able to progress-wise? Trying to figure out how to level the build.
Last edited by gothamhunter#2340 on Apr 7, 2025, 1:57:32 PM
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" It's still definitely a work in progress just bare that in mind. I went to thorns leach first, then straight up to the thorns crit. then onto the 75% damage on block, followed right after by block nodes. Very basic really. |
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