Need some advice on my revised 1.2 build

Trying to go GS/Heavy Strike with some stunning. Critique all you want I sure could use it!

Based on the passives you took, you're running 2h Maces, no? If so, then your layout could be much more efficient. You have upwards of 30 skillpoints in +10 attribute nodes, which are arguably the least valuable nodes on the entire tree, I can often hit less than 20 pts spent in +10 attr. nodes when I theorycraft a build.

Here's an incremental picture:
40 points: http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEAGj4c5yDwIQIhVScvKS4s-y7_OQ49_ETnUFBQVFQLVElYY18_ah5qO3Z_e4x8uH7gjM-eV6IPpKyoGKlzvJ_G2Nw945_kUel87w7xrPIv9kg=

64 points: http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEAAecJlhT2GS4aPhznIPAhAiFVJyAnLyftKS4s-y7_NI42ujkOPfxCjkTnUFBQVFQLVElW2VhjXz9qHmo7a9lsFm6Xdn97jHy4fuCGO4cZjM-eV6Ebog-krKgYqXOt5LyfwQTG2Nlh3D3jn-RR6XzrCe8O8azyL_Kc9kj3vvxL_9M=

89 points (90 if you want to run Blood Magic keystone): http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEAAecJlg48FCAUcRT2GJEZLho-HOcg8CECITQhVScgJy8n7SkuLPsu_zSONro5Dj38QT9CjkTnUEdQUFBUUeZUC1RJVtlYPVhjXz9gxGKTah5qO2vZbBZul3Kpdn97jHy4fuCBK4Y7hxmMz5SHmAqdSJ5XnsWhG6IPpKynMKgYqXOsqq3ktC-2pLyfwQTG2Nlh3D3elt-y4kPjn-RR6XzrCe8O8azyL_Kc9kj3Mve-_Ev_0w==

117 pts w/ Blood Magic (only 16 +10 nodes!!): http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEAAecJlg4UDjwUIBRxFPYYkRkuGekaOBo-HOcg8CECITQhVScgJy8n7SgqKS4s-y7_NI42ujboOQ47Oz38QT9CjkTnUEdQUFBUUeZUC1RJVtlYPVhjWfNfP2CRYMRik2SjZ1hnm2n-ah5qO2vZbBZul3Kpdn93U3uMfLh-vX7ggSuDsYY7hxmMz5BVkn2T15SHl_6YCphvm2qdSJ5XnsWhG6IPpKynMKeEqBipc6yqreS0L7akvJ_AGsEExtjLQ9lh3D3elt7B37Lfv-JD45_kUeSt5c_pfOsJ7w7xrPIv8pz2SPcy9778S__T

Is this a standard build? I'm playing on HC. It looks like you ignored a lot of health for more dps. I upped my build to 117 like you did.

here are some of the differences I noticed that I wasn't comfy with

Your build has +248 to maximum Life. mine has +325 to maximum Life
Your build has 115% increased maximum Life. mine has 205% increased maximum Life
Your build has 10% more armor at 148% to my 138% but my health should help with that
You grabbed all the res nodes on the tree which I can just get gear to counter that.
My build also has RT, Unwavering, and IR where your build doesn't.
Also no Amplify to increase the range and damage of GS in your build.
You grabbed some 1h damage nodes? You said yourself

"

Based on the passives you took, you're running 2h Maces, no?

why grab 1h damage and attack speed nodes?
No endurance charges grabbed either.

I just fail to see your logic and how you build is better or optimized.

Bah, I musta derped when I made the 117 pt tree and forgot it was supposed to be 2h. Here's a 120 pt version,
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgEAAecJlg4UDjwUIBRxFPYW-RiRGS4Z6Ro4Gj4c5yDwIQIhNCFVJyAnLyftKS4s-y7_NI42ujboOQ46Ujs7PfxBP0KOROdQR1BQUFRR5lQLVElVqVbZWD1YY1nzXz9gkWDEYpNko2dYZ5tp_moeajtr2WwWbpdyqXZ_d1N7jHy4fuCBK4OxhjuGYIcZiDiMz5BVlIeXtJgKnCedSJ2KnleexaEbog-krKcwp4SoGKlzrKqsuq3ktC-2pLyfwBrBBMbYy0PZYdw93pbewd-y37_iQ-Of5FHkrel86wnuFO8O8azyL_Kc9kj3Mve--TT8S__T

you could drop the 3 pts in Reckless Abandon, Riddle of Steel, or Pure Brutality if you want to get the rewards for helping certain bandits instead, may be worth it.

Before patch 1.2, people considered +200% to maximum life desirable especially for Hardcore builds. Since the patch, that picture has changed because the life formula changed. It used to be that base life was 42+8*level, for a max at level 100 of 842 base life. Now, it's 38+12*level for a maximum of 1238 base life at level 100. This is basically a 50% increase in base life. In pre 1.2 200% increased life would mean you'd get 3*842=2526 life before accounting for +max life from gear. Now at 100% increased max life, you get 2*1238=2476 life before +max life from gear. Basically, depending on how much +max life you're getting from gear, +200% increased maximum Life from pre 1.2 is now between 100% and 133.3...% increased maximum life. So my build is just about as tanky as many pre 1.2 builds (as you noted, I have more Armour but perhaps a bit less life), and a ALOT more damage while doing it.

If you can get max resists from your gear, by all means, drop skillpoints from the Diamond Skin cluster (and put them elsewhere), but I think having it opens up wider gear selection, so it's always a tradeoff.

I didn't take any Endurance Charge stuff because neither GS nor Heavy Strike generate Charges unless you wanna run the Endurance Charge on Melee Stun support w/ them. I suppose you could opt for taking 1 or 2 of the Endurance change nodes by dropping Diamond Skin, or another cluster, this is a matter of what will do you more good, so you might wanna wait and see as your character develops, really the lower point links I gave show how to get going, and you can fine tune as you go by noticing what you're strong in, and what you need more of and planning accordingly.

With the fixed tree, try comparing offensive stats as well as defensive stats (be sure to include the defensive stats that are scattered in offensive clusters), I think you'll see that I managed to get a LOT more damage while still getting (in light of 1.2) adequate defenses.