Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Brutal Fervour, Endless Hunger, Bane of Legends, and Headsman. The Attack Masteries should be taken to increase your damage, to make Boneshatter strike an additional nearby enemy, and to make melee strikes deal splash damage to surrounding enemies. The Fortify Mastery should also be taken to reduce your damage taken from hits and as an added bonus it gives life regeneration which is helpful for the self damage of Boneshatter. The Mana Mastery is also important for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. This is a melee build so make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can because they're very important for survival.

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Defensive Layers

You will have 100% increased maximum recovery per life leech and take 10% reduced damage while leeching from the Brutal Fervour ascendancy and life leech effects will not be removed at full life. You will also have stun immunity with the Endless Hunger ascendancy while you are leeching and you'll leech life even when you're at full life. The Endless Hunger ascendancy also makes you immune to Bleeding while you are leeching and gives 20% of overkill damage as leeched life. Fortification from the Fortify Mastery is used to reduce your damage taken from hits by 23% and Enduring Cry is used to generate Endurance charges which reduce your physical damage taken and increase your elemental resistances. As an added plus the Bane of Legends ascendancy makes you immune to reflected physical damage.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Vaal Ancestral Warchief

Ancestral Protector

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Brutality Support

Faster Attack Support

Maim Support

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Armour (6-link)

Boneshatter (Boneshatter of Complex Trauma is safer but deals less damage)

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Brutality Support

Awakened Ancestral Call Support

Faster Attack Support

Impale Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support

Dash

 

Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Determination

Dread Banner

Enlighten Support

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Boots (4-link)

Molten Shell Support

Enduring Cry

Empower Support

Call To Arms

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Reservation Skills

Grace and Determination are the best defensive auras for this build and are important to mitigate the self damage of Boneshatter. Dread Banner should be used for a 20% chance to Impale, 22% increased Impale effect, and serves to lower the accuracy of nearby enemies. Grace can be used once you have the 12% increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support to reduce the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​​

1. Molten Shell is an excellent guard skill when you have very high armour and The Brass Dome body armour alone gives more than 4000 armour and the legacy The Brass Dome can provide more than 6000 armour.

2. Boneshatter of Complex Trauma has much higher damage per Trauma and higher damage taken per Trauma but, resets Trauma at 10 stacks back to zero stacks. With lower Trauma levels Boneshatter of Complex Trauma is safer but does less damage than a ramped up standard Boneshatter.

3. Vaal Ancestral Warchief and Ancestral Protector should be used together on difficult enemies to deal damage and increase your damage by giving increased melee damage and increased attack speed buffs.

4. Enduring Cry is used to provide over a 2200 life heal over one second, generates Endurance charges, and gives an extra 2% increased physical damage reduction and 2% increased elemental resistances per charge. Enduring Cry should also be linked to Call To Arms to instantly cast your Enduring Cry on cooldown.

5. Summon Flame Golem increases your damage by up to 20% and provides an additional target for enemies to attack.

6. If you would like to try out an alternate Duelist build with more mobility and quicker clearing of large groups of enemies you can check out the Shockwave Cyclone Slayer Guide which can be found here Shockwave Cyclone Slayer Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Maelstrom Staff

Look for the highest damage Maelstrom Staff you can find because staffs can deal very high damage while still having a high block chance which makes them the best option. Maelstrom Staffs have the highest block chance and have high damage. You can also use Tempering Orbs on rare weapons for a low chance at getting an increased physical modifiers enchantment but be aware that doing this can sometimes reforge the weapons sockets.

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How Do You Craft A Great Starter Boneshatter Staff?

To craft a starter staff you can purchase an ilvl 85+ Maelstrom Staff with a tier one attack speed fracture and roll Deafening Essences of Contempt which give high added physical damage until you get a high combined increased damage and accuracy modifier ideally with an open prefix. If needed you can also use an Annulment Orb to remove a prefix. You should then roll up to 129% increased physical damage at the crafting bench using an Exalted Orb for a very strong starter Boneshatter staff.

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Armour

The Brass Dome

The Brass Dome can give more than 4000 armour, makes you take no extra damage from critical strikes, and gives 5% to all maximum elemental resistances at the cost of strength not increasing your life. The very high armour on The Brass Dome is important to reduce the self damage of Boneshatter and greatly increases the size of your Molten Shell shield. If you are playing in standard the legacy The Brass Dome has much higher armour to help mitigate the self damage of Boneshatter, gives you life from your strength, and allows you to take the 15% increased life Life Mastery because it doesn't have a life modifier.

 

Helmet

Rare Increased Physical Damage Helmet

Look for nearby enemies take 9% increased physical damage, high life, life regeneration, and resistances.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, increased damage, resistances, and an abyssal socket. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, increased attack speed, and increased accuracy.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for high life, increased attack speed, chaos resistance, +2 to level of socketed AoE gems/increased area of effect, if you can afford it accuracy, and roll increased damage while leeching at the crafting bench. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors on the gloves to roll increased attack speed and percent increased damage per 100 strength.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for high life, resistances, Tailwind, Elusive, Onslaught, and movement speed.

 

Amulet

Carnage Heart

Gives 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while leeching. You will leech life even at full life with the Brutal Fervour ascendancy. You should also use 20 Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus or 20 Prismatic Catalysts to increase its resistance bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Vulnerability Ring

Look for Vulnerability curse on hit, life, strength, increased damage, and resistances, and craft reduced mana cost on the ring. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses and their reduced mana costs.

Rare Ring

Look for high life, strength, accuracy, increased damage, resistances, and craft non-channeled skills have reduced mana cost. 

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This tattoo can replace a 30 dexterity node on the tree to give Onslaught on hit. Honoured Tattoo of the Pa which gives Melee Hits Fortify is not recommended because the Fortify Mastery gives high life regeneration for the self damage of Boneshatter.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 40% increased damage, 150% increased critical strike chance, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% increased attack block, and 6% increased spell block. Legacy Rumi's Concoction has much higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance and can have up to a 35% chance to gain a flask charge on critical strike and 17% increased attack speed. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Note: You can be immune to Bleeding with your ascendancy and immune to Corrupted Blood with the Resistance Mastery so you don't need to use a Bleeding/Corrupted Blood removal flask.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Overcharged for a chance to generate a Power, Frenzy, or Endurance charge on kill at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Silver Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Boneshatter Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if you've Killed Recently

Belt: 300 to Armour While Fortified​

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Bandits

Alira is almost always the best bandit to help in Act 2 because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second which are all very beneficial.

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Pantheon

Soul of Solaris is the best major Pantheon power and gives 6% reduced physical damage taken when only one enemy is present, a 20% chance to take 50% less area damage, 8% reduced elemental damage taken if you haven't been hit recently, take no extra damage from critical strikes if you've been hit with a critical strike recently, and a 50% chance to avoid elemental ailments from critical strikes. Soul of Ryslatha is the best minor power and gives 60% increased life recovery from flasks at low life, life flask charges every 3 seconds if you haven't used a life flask recently, and enemies you hit have 50% reduced life regeneration.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

The Blood Thorn

A high damage level one two hand weapon with a 30% chance to block that curses enemies with Vulnerability when you block.

Limbsplit

Gives high physical damage for its level, level one Gore Shockwave if you have over 150 strength, +1 to level of socketed strength gems, and Culling Strike which kills enemies at 10% life.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A level one strong offensive chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets. You can link any combination of six gems together inside of the Tabula Rasa which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also get a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which also requires level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

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Helmet

Goldrim

A great level one resistance helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These gloves require level one and give 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to gain an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy Charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots can be used at level nine and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed. 

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

An amulet that has up to 20 to all attributes, 10 to all elemental resistances, 30 intelligence, 40 to life, and level 10 Purity of Elements. The Purity of Elements aura increases your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost. 

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signets at level one that each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience.

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Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four and gives 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process. This flask can also have increased attack speed or movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which gives increased attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27 and can have increased attack speed or movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Bottled Faith (use a Sulphur Flask for 40% increased damage if you can't afford Bottled Faith)

This endgame flask requires level 27 and gives 40% increased damage, creates consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and gives 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground.

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Leveling Gems

Ground Slam is the best starting melee skill to use at level one and you can add in Ancestral Protector at level four for more damage and attack speed. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four for a defensive guard skill. Dash requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

You can upgrade your weapon to Quecholli at level 22, to Stormheart at level 28, to Jorrhast's Blacksteel at level 44, to Terminus Est at level 51, to Kaom's Primacy at level 58, and finally to your endgame weapon. The Carnage Heart amulet is the recommended amulet for this build and can be equipped as early as level 20. You can also greatly benefit from using two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. The leveling items in the section above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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And that's all for the Boneshatter Guide! For more on Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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