3.2 Melee Skellington NO BARON HELM! NO STRENGTH STACKING>? Do 300k damage on a 5 link!

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I'm thinking of making this my next build in the league. I don't have a huge budget but it should be enough to get at least some of the jewels (expensive atm!). For anyone that is currently playing this (including OP), how are you finding it? How far have you gotten?

You gotta try this build, it is so good: https://pastebin.com/zCJjMtcC

I'm level 89 atm, and have mostly facetanked everything up to tier 12 maps. The only requirements are a Queens Escape and a decent survivability chest armour (I'm currently loving belly of the beast or ambu's charge).

It has been a real eye opener to only use physical damage. It frees up lots of space for survivability (blasphemy/enfeeble aura is the bomb). Also, no monster resists or map rolls can stop you. The only thing is physical reflect maps mean you have to cast skellies more and let your zombies die.

I am currently running utility gems instead of to dust jewels, and there is more than enough damage. The 700+ life regen means the only flask i pop is quicksilver, and the only buttons I push is skellies, phase run to go faster, or decoy totem for chest opening. Interestingly, in party play, I am way faster and clear harder than the expensive clear speed focused builds. This is because I am running or picking up loot instead of pressing buttons to kill things/survive.

Other factors: The minions need no aura to do damage, so I can be elsewhere while they kill monsters that look like they hurt. The extra 12%physical damage reduction from zombies is huge, and another thing that is hidden op. Makes farming uber lab a breeze.

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I'm level 89 atm, and have mostly facetanked everything up to tier 12 maps. The only requirements are a Queens Escape and a decent survivability chest armour (I'm currently loving belly of the beast or ambu's charge).

How about yopu post your build with your items instead of a multiple ex worth of items build with level 100

Is there a current up to date link ?

I am really interested in the melee skeleton build. Since the mage skellies I am playing hurt my eyes more and more :D

Also the guy that posted the video with 500% MS .... do you have a build link maybe? This looks amazing! :D

Dont play queens decree. Play pure ES with a fast shield charge weopon like brightbeak. Skells dont need to clear. Spectres on a 4link clear all content and skellets with 6link kill Bosses. If there is red animal use convocation and all skellets stand next to it. Build done with 8k es and only supp flasks.

Much more tanky and shield charge is sooo fast and linked with fortify

hey,

what do u recommend to improve in my current load out? I see you have like 500K DPS. I barely have 200K and no Idea what I could imporve. Whats is the trick I dont see? :-D

https://pastebin.com/4ii88Sfx

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exec85 wrote:

Is there a current up to date link ?

:D

OK, here is my current character: https://pastebin.com/1RWdP7w1

Note: The empty jewel slots are filled with trash jewels, The belt and other ring just cap my resists.... I haven't found/bought anything better yet. Also zombies add additional 12% damage reduction.
The key thing to note is that when you change the boss type in the configuration, the damage does not reduce at all. I have found this consistent in game: Mobs explode, and bosses take a few seconds tops, without even swapping out melee splash. The reason is that all the other skellie builds using elemental damage suffer greatly for bosses (who gain resists and curse reductions). 95% of monsters/bosses do not gain armour, and the logarithmic armour mechanics reward brutality far more than elemental tooltip damage, or resistance reductions via curses/Elemental Equilibrium.

Life vs ES, and shield charge/fortify vs phase run suit different playstyles, but if you also like less button pressing, and lots of forgiveness for positioning mistakes, I recommend a life/phase run set up.

I should also address this:

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exec85 wrote:

How about yopu post your build with your items instead of a multiple ex worth of items build with level 100

Ignore this troll, and use the previous pastebin to play around with 6 link options if/when you find them, and to note that you can get really high effective DPS, as well as solid defenses using this build. (By for example exchanging enfeeble for vulnerability).

:)

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grimlock9999 wrote:

OK, here is my current character: https://pastebin.com/1RWdP7w1

Tried it and it works really well, indeed. So far I didn't have any problems with yellow maps or bosses with 5-link build even and tree progression felt really smooth (bonus points for almost capped resistances).

Do you have recommendations for Spectre choice? Something like Solar Guards or maybe Slashed miscreations? It's not the primary source of damage for this build, but maybe some work better than others..

Awesome, so glad it's working well.

My helmet currently has Animate Guardian (leer cast, dying breath, ambu's charge, meginoords vise, victarios boots) with minion life, raise spectre and stone golem. For spectres I have 3 X carnage chieftan. The frenzy charges help minions go faster, do more damage, as well as helping phase run.

I'm pretty sure Best In Show spectre combo is 2 X carnage chieftan and 1 X host chieftan in the helmet. This gives your zombies and skellies the best stats. You can skip AG and can go for blood magic, or even increased area of effect or increased duration for almost 100% uptime of charges on you and minions.

Other options:

I have tried undying evangelist, but am already facetanking everything except nasty bosses, so didn't notice a difference to defence. Still, I think this build best suits defensive spectres, so I'd rate these second best option.

Kitava's heralds are wonderful meatshields and will apply bleed if you want to go that road. They also give good interactions for positioning/taunting/meatshielding/applying maim if they use their leapslam: They will get to mobs before even your fast zombies at times.

Sandworn slaves from the vastri desert are also great meatshields, move fast, and can apply blind/taunt easily if you have the right abyssal jewels. These are great for breach mobs I found.

You can also free up 2 jewel slots and some mana by using a curse spectre, but I have not tested this much. I tried a trapping/temp chains cursing option for a while, but since you are one shotting most mobs, this has no noticable effect.

I have also used undying ravagers for their bladefall spell. This does physical damage, so works well with your baron helmet and iron will. If you are aiming for 1000 strength, and don't value minion speed, try using a doon cuebyari for a 4 link aoe damage spectre that can apply mass maim in your off hand.

For critical spectres, you can try a soul wick jewel and keep raising what you can find in that level, or combine with unearth to raise skeletal bowmen. I have tried this, but not much because it adds a lot of button pushes..

Another good choice is merveil's blessed and/or frost heralds for applying mass chill, which I consider a wonderful defensive mechanic.

Solar guards are definitely lovely for clearing, but I avoid them because I don't like the animations.

Slashed miscreations are good damage dealers, but I find they died too easily, though I didn't test them much.

And finally, knitted horrors. They can't be desecrated, but are good tanks, apply puncture for decent single target damage, and are ranged for long range bleed/maim/blind/taunt.

Have you tried anything else? Is there a bear that casts abysal cry? .. this might be good defense too.

Thank you for advices and great insight on specters!
I didn't knew about Carnage chieftain bonuses and now the benefits are obvious.
Previously, while leveling (started with Skeletons around lvl 40 or so) I've used Stygian Revenant and later Solar Guards for better clearing. But now when I can spawn 5 skeletons every second I don't really have problems with clear speed, so thought about specters optimization :)

Animate Guardian bonuses are sweet too - just started using it recently, when I got comfortable with the maps (for now it's mostly steamrolling with occasional "oh all zombies died, must be a reflect map, better spam more skeletons")

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grimlock9999 wrote:

Kitava's heralds are wonderful meatshields and will apply bleed if you want to go that road.

Yeah, love Heralds... solid tanks, ranged attack is pretty insane with faster/echo. Leap slam is useful, but annoying as it does so little damage compared to their mortar.

Also worth noting: Undying Inductors, *only* available via Maligaro's Sanctum (storyline map, via chamber of sins). They also have a ranged mortar that does pretty insane damage, and apparently applies shock. With faster/echo and spectre support setup they're walking machinguns. Not terribly tanky, tho. At least they can be desecrated, but if you loose them it's a PITA to get them back.