[3.2] Elementalist Claw Manual Bomber - Shield Charge / X Skill (Mathil build)

[3.2] Elementalist Manual Bomber - Shield Charge/Blade Flurry (or other skill)

INTRODUCTION

Hi all. I just want to start by saying that this build is still a WIP for me and will remain to be one until I feel that it can comfortably take on Uber Elder. I try to play builds that can do ALL CONTENT or at the very least clear at a top speed and do bossing. An example is the Elemental Frost Blades/Molten Strike Ranger that I wrote up a guide for and played for the last 2 seasons - https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2061931.

This build was inspired by Mathil who released a Shield Charge/Static Strike Elementalist. There are no significant changes to the build except that I've chosen to use Blade Flurry instead of Static Strike since it gives more damage and some skill gem changes. Anyhow, I will say that this is arguably the most fun build I've played. The buff to the Elementalist class is so good for clearing and damage, Wrath + 2x Heralds is glorious. I will say it's not the best build when it comes to bossing but IMO it does have elite clear speed and is a solid all-round build. This is my current goal - to make it more suitable and relaible for bosses. So far I've done Shaper+Guardians, Uber Atziri and Red Elder but I have not attempted Uber Elder yet as I don't believe it can do that atm and I am hoping that new gear/changes in 3.3 will hopefully close the gap in this regard (ignite looks like a good start!).


POB/BANDITS/ASCENDENCY: https://pastebin.com/356fFDdq
Spoiler
Help Alira (crit multiplier + res)
Shaper of Desolation > Beacon of Ruin > Pendulum of Destruction > Mastermind of Discord



VIDEOS
Spoiler

Note: I can do a Shaper/Elder video on request but I don't think it's all that special to record. It's essentially just a generic Blade Flurry build in that fight and I'm sure you can find several examples. What makes this build special is the ability to shield charge into packs and clear that way.

https://streamable.com/edll4 - T16 Minotaur gameplay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5qEd94btkw - Mathil video 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0wO9Id9Qz8 - Mathil video 2


PROs/CONs:
Spoiler

PROs:
- Double Herald + Inpulsa Explosions = glorious MTX + FUN
- Zoom through maps - elite clear speed
- ~1.2M single target Shaper DPS
- 6L not required

CONs:
- Despite the use of Blade Flurry, mechanics will be required against bosses. Not fast enough APS to facetank and leech end game bosses.
- Cannot do reflect, Monsters avoid 90& ailments slows the mapping significantly



CORE GEAR DISCUSSION:
Spoiler


Inpulsa is what carries this build for mapping purposes. Combined with double heralds it is glorious. 6L is not required!


You'd require an Elder helm with lvl x. conc effect + socketed attacks have crit chance. This is where your single target skill will be. Alternatively you could put your AOE skill in here and find a helm with increased AOE/innervate and use your Inpulsa as the single target damage (I will need to test this more, just don't have the equipment to handle the resistances).



Lyco is a must for accuracy reasons. Tombfist are the best attack gloves in the game so there is no reason not to use it.



You would ideally want Imperial Claws as they give the most APS and Life gain on hit. Prioritise: Attack Speed > Phys Damage/% > Crit Chance > Crit Multiplier > Flat Ele Damage

The rest of the gear are rares. You know what to prioritise - life and resistances followed by crit multiplier, %elemental damage with attacks, flat ele damage (master craft is fine).

For Jewels you would prioritise: Life=Res > Attack Speed > Crit Multiplier/Flat Ele or Phys damage

The best boots enchant for damage is Adds Lightning Damage to Attacks however Damage penetrates 10% resistances and Attack Speed% are also fine.



Vessel of Vinktars for Attacks works well as it provides the ability to shock plus Inpulsa grants shock immunity so you're safeguarded from that. Wise Oak is a nice damage booster and good for your resists but can also be replaced by Atziri's flask. We want lightning res the highest if using Wise Oak. The Diamond Flask is the biggest key flask when it comes to damage, a must in pretty much every build. I'm using an Onslaught Flask as it syncs with Shield Charge movement for more zooms as well as leech using Blade Flurry.



MY CURRENT GEAR:
Spoiler

BOSSING:
Spoiler


MF:
Spoiler




GEM SETUPS:
Spoiler

Note that mine differs from what Mathil has in his videos. I have adapted it so that my take is more defensive. But these gem setups may still be a WIP as I try to make it more suited for boss killing.

5L or 6L setup:
Shield Charge - Faster Attacks - Fortify - Incresed Crit Strikes - Increased AOE - Power Charge on Crit

This is setup to get us fortify and power charges while mapping. With an Inpulsa, Shield Charge will basically one shot packs until T15/T16 red maps. Increased Crit Strikes allows for more Inpulsa and Herald explosions :)

4L:
Blade Flurry - Elemental Damage /w Attacks - Innervate - Faster Attacks

You can get more single target damage if you replaced Faster Attacks with Lightning to Phys or Damage on Full Life support but I went with Faster Attacks to allow the ability to facetank at least the Minotaur and Chimera bosses. Note that the ideal rare helm has conc effect + crit chance so it's basically a 6L setup.

Orb of Storms - Curse on Hit - Herald of Thunder - Enfeeble

The change here from the Mathil setup is that I am using Enfeeble instead of Assassin's Mark. I feel that the defensive aura is required especially when you're meleeing everything and it goes a long way to avoid damage.

3L:
CWDT (lvl 20) - Immortal Call - Lightning Golem (lvl 20) / Ice Golem

I'm too lazy to summon Golems which is why I link it to a level 20 CWDT. You can wish to keep this at low level and do a manual Golem set up if you wish. I went with Lightning Golem for faster movement and attack speeds but Ice Golem does provide more herald/inpulsa explosions and overall dps.

1L/2L:
Ancestral Protector, Wrath, Herald of Ash, Blood Rage

Wrath is the highest damage flat elemental aura in the game. Ancestral Protector is absolutely necessary for single target sitautions, a requirement for attack speeds. Herald of Ash is there for additional damage and clearing. Blood Rage allows for frenzies whilst we are mapping.


CONTINUAL GOAL / PROGRESS:
Spoiler
Make this build able to comfortably take on Uber Elder.



Thanks for reading! Feel free to ask any questions or make suggestions to this build!
Last edited by Eathb on May 6, 2018, 7:43:21 AM
Last bumped on May 21, 2018, 3:06:38 PM
Hi Eathb, I played your Molten Strike build in Abyss league and enjoyed it and was able to clear all content. I'm searching for builds that can do everything again and I came across this after looking at your character profile. I noticed that you have changed your passive tree from the POB link and importing your character, your life pool has jumped up quite significantly with pretty much the same
DPS. Have you had success with Uber Elder? Thanks :)
"
Rwantwo3 wrote:
Hi Eathb, I played your Molten Strike build in Abyss league and enjoyed it and was able to clear all content. I'm searching for builds that can do everything again and I came across this after looking at your character profile. I noticed that you have changed your passive tree from the POB link and importing your character, your life pool has jumped up quite significantly with pretty much the same
DPS. Have you had success with Uber Elder? Thanks :)


Thx for the interest.

Uber Elder was easy with my current gear (Kaom's Roots in as boots) and having some experience with my Molten char. Don't have it recorded as there didn't seem to be that much interest in this build but the closest thing to a video would be Dalykas Scion Uber Elder killer but picture it using a Witch while dealing more single target damage and with an Inpulsa but less life and leech.

In terms of power this build matches the Molten/Frost Blades Deadeye and wins out in clear speed and defenses/life but has less single taret damage (~3M dps vs ~1.7M dps shaper).
Last edited by Eathb on May 14, 2018, 7:45:06 AM
For the next league, I was looking to see if someone had made a build based on a movement skill and found this one. I think I saw the Mathil video before too. Anyway looks pretty interesting. So two questions.

1) What do you think the leveling process would be for this? I love leveling a build with the intended skill asap. I.e. not wait till 70+ to find out what the build will actually be like. I know about the gear and what it will take to acquire but it would kind of blow my mind if you could viably start using shield charge right at 10 (or whatever req. level) :)

2) From what we know for 3.3, do you anticipate any changes, buffs, nerfs?

Ok third question. Do you know of any other viable movement skills based builds? I was thinking leap slam, whirling blades, or lightning warp might be a possibility but really have no idea and no skills for doing my own build.
"
redmalloc wrote:
For the next league, I was looking to see if someone had made a build based on a movement skill and found this one. I think I saw the Mathil video before too. Anyway looks pretty interesting. So two questions.

1) What do you think the leveling process would be for this? I love leveling a build with the intended skill asap. I.e. not wait till 70+ to find out what the build will actually be like. I know about the gear and what it will take to acquire but it would kind of blow my mind if you could viably start using shield charge right at 10 (or whatever req. level) :)

2) From what we know for 3.3, do you anticipate any changes, buffs, nerfs?

Ok third question. Do you know of any other viable movement skills based builds? I was thinking leap slam, whirling blades, or lightning warp might be a possibility but really have no idea and no skills for doing my own build.


Hi

1. I'm not sure how levelling will work tbh. If you could get an Inpulsa's immediately then it'd be a pretty smooth process IMO since you don't need a 6L but my gut feel is that it is key for map clearing purposes. According to Mathil though, it was one of the fastest builds he's ever levelled and he's even stated Inpulsa isn't necessary. I have a hunch it will be slow until you get your first ascedency.

2. Absolutely, I see two pretty significant 'buffs' right now - ignite buff which helps Elementalists and the Lightning Damage/Penetration mod which would be seriously ridiculous if you get a nice Claw version of it.

I'm hopeful that another skill gem can be used for single target as I'm getting tired of seeing Blade Flurry or Molten Strike being the only viable single target melee skills lol.

3. There's a pretty neat looking Poet Pen's Lightnig Warp build in the Witch section. I have thought of doing Leap Slam version (running a foil + stat stick) instead of Shield Charge however.
Thanks for the reply. So I gave this a go this weekend. Here is what happened.

Started out with freezing pulse, lifesprig + another random wand, wanderlust and added in a goldrim for act 6+. Tried converting to shield charge attack with a random shield at 28 (no ascendancy) and not gonna happen.

Switched to lightening tendrils since the tree has lightning damage early on. Added in CwC arc at 38 in a tabula. Was starting to feel good at 45. I've tried arc on its own before and liked the look of it but didn't work too well for me but lightening tendrils CwC arc was solid. I'd do that again sometime. Not sure this is the ideal leveling skill for this build but it works.

Converted to shield charge + bf at 45 and picked up Lycosidae (60c flashback) + random vendor claw. Worked ok'ish but probably too early to convert. Also, I just played a bf build and I was getting bored with it so that may have colored my impression quite a bit. Picked up a 5L Inpulsa's broken heart (45c flashback) once I could and a bloodseeker which dropped for me. Switched over to wild strike which to me is the most fun melee skill and I would guess would work well for an elementlist.

In the 70's this build is realy starting to work well and super fun. Shield charge + Inpulsa's is brilliant - I love it - would not consider this build without the Inpulsa's. On my current character, wild strike is a bit clunky. When I played WS before I must have had a lot more attack speed. Anyway, after buying some quality'ed gems it's certainly plenty DPS for low-tier maps. WS is something like 90k dps, non-boss in PoB on the lightning hit. Running wrath and herald of thunder. Calculating dps in PoB for WS is weird.

I don't really know what I am doing so I am sure my build is no where near close to optimal but it is still working well. Its crazy fun to see the whole screen catch on fire when you shield charge into the massive packs on Flashback. If all that fire actually did some meaningful damage it might be better but I guess in 3.3 that will be a thing.

Life is low and I get quite a few random deaths. Mathil mentioned picking up all available jewel sockets to bring that up but its still going to be fairly glass cannon'y I guess.

Thanks for making this thread and I hope you keep developing it. I can't see this as a league starter but maying as a second in 3.3 could be really great.
Last edited by redmalloc on May 21, 2018, 6:32:09 PM

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