Gladiator block/stun build for Ascendancy exp (idea?)

Hi, I was just looking at the Ascendancy classes that have been revealed and was wondering if this might be a good or at least somewhat viable build. The following build would be for softcore mostly and so I'm not looking for god tier build that costs 1000 ex but rather my own idea of a build that might work somewhat on upcoming expansion. I do realize that the skill tree might be reworked before exp comes out but still the same idea would apply.

Skill Tree - https://www.pathofexile.com/fullscreen-passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwQBAecEhwUtBTwJMwz3DY0S4RQgFE0VIBXsGJEZtBo-G5cpLi2DL8wyTjboPfxAoEKORrdHfkh4Sn1NRlBHVw1YY1uvXhNfP2FSYuxlTWegdO12rHk5eu98uHzZfuKCB4TZhO-GYId2ivCMz4-Zkc6S0JZsmAqezaLqpzCplayvrY22irakuR277byfvTa-p8C_wYLEWMSCxLjFU8bYypDPftE20iHTb9X42WHZfNrB3DLdDeIs4kPjn-RR6Ubp1eoY7w7vTvGs8kH2SPcy_Es=

PathofPoe calc. - https://pathofpoe.com/passive-breakdown/AAAAAwQBAecEhwUtBTwJMwz3DY0S4RQgFE0VIBXsGJEZtBo-G5cpLi2DL8wyTjboPfxAoEKORrdHfkh4Sn1NRlBHVw1YY1uvXhNfP2FSYuxlTWegdO12rHk5eu98uHzZfuKCB4TZhO-GYId2ivCMz4-Zkc6S0JZsmAqezaLqpzCplayvrY22irakuR277byfvTa-p8C_wYLEWMSCxLjFU8bYypDPftE20iHTb9X42WHZfNrB3DLdDeIs4kPjn-RR6Ubp1eoY7w7vTvGs8kH2SPcy_Es=/

The idea of the build is to be tanky and be able to stun at least most bosses if not all of them (don't know if that's still possible). My concerns are that the build might be lacking in dmg/clear speed. If I can't stunlock bosses with this build I might go for the Skull Cracking wheel under Resolute Technique to get 10-18% more reduced stun treshold.

To get the extra tankiness from Ascendancy classes I was thinking about going for Gladiator class which gives me Painforged (which gives additional block chance and occasional bigger hit from enemies), Versatile combat (which convers my block % into spell block aswell) and last but not least Outmatch and Outlast (which gives frenzy charges for extra attack speed when killing with my main hand). Depending on which feels better, I might consider the Violent Retalition instead of the Outmatch and Outlast for the extra dmg and MS.

As for my gear, I was thinking Lioneye's Remorse for the shield slot (as it has high hp, good amount of armor which gets amplified by alot from my talents and good block %), The Anvil for amulet slot (nice extra survivability from hp/mana from blocks, block %, armor and little amount of thorns never killed anybody ;D) and for the last piece of gear I was thinking about Bringer of Rain (good amount of hp, block %, armor and endurance charges on block).

As for the skills I was thinking of going with heavy strike for single target for the stun aspect of the build and maybe for infernal blow for the aoe part. Don't really know yet if heavy strike would work on 4L like HS, melee phys, stun, endurance on stun (the dmg might be too low, but without endurance on stun don't nkow if I'm able to stun bosses?) If I can get away without endurance on stun i might be adding phys to fire support instead? And for the aoe Infernal blow, I'd put it into the BoR so it gets the faster attacks and blind gems straight away and for the extra 3 supports I'd put melee phys, splash, and maybe extra fire.

As for auras I was thinking of Determination to get that much more armor and Herald of Ash to get more dmg and maybe the overkill burn (don't really know how it would end up working with this build).

I have never used Vengeance, Reckoning and Riposte so I might be adding those to a 4L if I have room for them and maybe put fortify with them to give that perma fortify effect that way. If I have enough AS I might be using leap slam/whirling blades for mobility.

And that's the end of my build idea. If you read all of this and have some sort of ideas on how to tweak or what you might change on the build or in the case it's total garbage, please let me know! :D

I have been thinking about this a little bit.

Considering a Ground Slammer focused on Stun. Most likely using the below build idea as an early character in the new HC league to build base currency before moving on to a higher clear speed toon.

Here's my idea on 1H Mace + Shield. Close to yours but I was thinking about going to Versatile Combatant + Gratuitous Violence (Bleeding). So I took Bloodletting notable in the tree. I would also take Savagery and the frenzy charge from Kraityn and run Blood Rage.

The tree is far from optimized - just a general idea of what I am going for around level 92 - Block, Armour, Life, Stun, Mace Damage, Bleeding.



My planned links:
Ground Slam + Melee Physical Damage + Bloodlust + Melee Damage on Full Life + Multistrike + Increased Area of Effect

I may need to work Faster Attacks gem in there - depending on how Bloodlust and Melee Damage on Full Life work out.

Buffs: Aura's are like yours - probably Determination + Herald of Ashe - if the block chance ends up being enough mitigation then I would replace Determination with Hatred. Also run Tempest Shield and Blood Rage. Reckoning and Riposte with Endurance Charge on Melee Stun. Leap Slam with Faster Attacks and Fortify.

Weapon: will most likely start mapping with Callinellus Malleus until I can get a good 320 pDPS mace.

Gear:
The Anvil! Versatile Combatant gives 100% Block Chance Applied to Spells. I'll miss you Stone of Lazhwar!

Shield: Armour, Life, Resistances, 32% Block Chance
Rings: Life, Resistances, Flat Phys, Attack Speed
Belt: Rustic Sash - Armour, Life, Resistances (might consider Studded Belt)

Block:
23% from passive tree
32% from shield
8% from The Anvil
3% from Tempest Shield
2% from Gladiator Class

That's 68% full time Block and Spell Block. Adding the additional 8% situation Block Chance from Painforged in the Gladiator Class - that puts us to 76% Block and Spell Block. I love you Rumi's it's been a good run!

We could always reallocate 6 skill points from somewhere to grab Command of Steel for an additional 4% Block chance. Or just optimize the tree around it.

Well... anyways... thanks for listening to my rant!

Hi, i did some testing with an RT dual wield stun build recently.

Weapons used:



Other notable items:



stun belts.




temp chains gloves.



The tree i was going for was:

111 points



Aim:

My original plan was to use heavy strike since there would be no knockback, but i felt the aoe size of melee splash was too small.

Instead i used frost blades for the long distance melee range.

I didn't have a ground slam gem on hand to test, i wish i did because that would have been perfect.

I wanted maximum stun threshold and stun duration on the tree and i also wanted to see the interaction of stuns with temp chains.




Conclusion:

The build was pretty fun, but i couldn't quite squeeze the right amount of dps versus life in the tree. Better pathing might have been better.

The dps ended up to be around 30k without flasks, but i think this too low to stun everything successfully.

I was able to stun almost everything, but on some bosses the stun wouldn't work. If i had closer to 60k i think that i could stun everything.

The best part was how temp chains gloves worked with this build. the stun on enemies would stretch out for a long time, like slow motion. In some cases maybe a 2 second stun.

In the future i'd like to revisit this stun build, maybe with a strong 2h mace.

I want to see how the ascendancy subclass Slayer works with the build, in particular this node:



So that bosses will get stunned no matter what.

I was actually thinking about going into right side of the tree.

Thats tree for my current duelist im testing in standard(lvl 90).
When spell block will kick in from gladiator as well as frenzy charge generation it gonna be even better. You can easly hit 60%+ block chance with 40% dodge and 46% spell dodge(atziri's boots). The only think this build is missing is high life pool, u can get like 5,5k hp with belly. Dps is pretty good with 7 frenzy charges and i use reave as my main dps skill. With conc effect and flasks i get about 70k dps and without them about 30k so its pretty good for immortality. For auras i use hatred and warlord's mark with blaphesmy.
Gear isnt very expensive for new league as u can achieve high survability only with rares.
I managed to clear colosseum deathless while doing a lot of face tanking on doresso and jumping into big packs of mobs so i belive it will be pretty viabla for HC in new league.
Although i belive gladiator nodes will be nerfed like to 50% of block converted to spell block cuz it would be too powerful.

"

Glored wrote:

I was actually thinking about going into right side of the tree.

Spoiler

https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAwQAAF4CEQMnBIcFLQW1CC4JMwzyDPcNjQ-rFSAV7Ba_GY4ZtButIWAj9iaVKaUshS2DL8wwcTB8MbAyTjpCOq094j7PQKBE0kd-SO5KfUt4TZJRR1VLWhpbr2HiYqxi7GVNZ6BsjG1sb4R07XTxdf14rnrvfXWE2YTvh3aK8Iw2jX2Nv4-ZnaqjiqPnpcuplayvsbO0xbaKuR29Nr3mvqfAv8GCwuzEgsqQy_XRNtN-1CPUUtrB3L3dDd2o4izi1eOf5w_ndOjW6UbrFO1B7YPvevaj_rr_HA==?accountName=Glored&characterName=GloredCyc

Thats tree for my current duelist im testing in standard(lvl 90).
When spell block will kick in from gladiator as well as frenzy charge generation it gonna be even better. You can easly hit 60%+ block chance with 40% dodge and 46% spell dodge(atziri's boots) ......

Since you have 30% less block chance, to reach 60% block u will need 85 or 86% block chance. The tree you posted has 29% block chance, adding tempest shield 3%, gladiator 12% (including 8% block chance when u failed to block a hit) you still need a 33% max block chance shield and 8% from anvil to get 85% block.

Now with 60% block chance and 40% dodge, an attack still have 0.4 x 0.6 = 24% chance to hit you. A 78% block chance with anvil is still better than that. Unless you can buy/find rumi early in a new hardcore league, its better to ignore acrobatics if you go block.

~150% life seems terribly low, i suggest 100 points RT axe 15% increased radius, 23% block, reaches 78% with 3% tempest, 12% gladiator, 32% block shield and 8% anvil

or 101 points RT sword 27% block

both sits at 190%+ HP, should be fine at 78% block

BUT once you get rumi you basically hits 78% block without getting ANY block nodes so these trees probably becomes useless