Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Crave the Slaughter, War Bringer, Aspect of Carnage, and Defy Pain. A Watcher's Eye jewel can optionally be used for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, a chance to evade attacks while affected by Grace, and a chance to suppress spell damage while affected by Grace but it's purely optional for better defenses. The Fortify Mastery should be taken to lower your damage taken from hits by up to 23% and gives high life regeneration. The Armour and Evasion Mastery is important for Bleeding immunity which works if you're using an armour based helmet and the Resistance Mastery or a corrupted jewel can give Corrupted Blood immunity which allows you to use a damage flask in the place of a Bleeding and Corrupted Blood removal flask. The Warcry Mastery should be taken for 15% increased damage each time you use a warcry because this build uses several warcries. The Mana Mastery is also important to lower the mana cost of your skills for the very high mana cost of the build and for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. This is a melee build so make sure and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for survival. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for the new season (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

Earthshatter Berserkers have a large area of effect slam attack that attacks enemies all around you from a distance. The Defy Pain ascendancy is highly recommended for improved defenses because the damage of this build is already very high. The Fortify Mastery is also recommended to improve your defenses because it makes you take reduced damage from hits. This build also has a chance to block attacks when using a staff which is the recommended weapon for the build.

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Gems

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Weapon (6-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

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Armour (6-link)

Earthshatter

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Pulverise Support

Overexertion Support

Impale Support

Note: Awakened gems can be replaced with the normal support gems for seasonal play.

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Herald of Purity

Dash

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Intimidating Cry

Seismic Cry

Autoexertion

Enlighten Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Battlemage's Cry

Infernal Cry (Combust)

Autoexertion

Enlighten Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Herald of Purity is selected to increase your physical damage and gives four extra minions for enemies to attack. Autoexertion should be used which gives a mana reservation for your warcries but it casts them all automatically which is important. Herald of Purity can be used once you have the Mana Mastery, the Charisma anointment on your amulet, the increased mana reservation efficiency from Eldritch Ichors rolled on your helmet, and three level 4 Enlighten Supports to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​​

1. Steelskin is the best guard skill for this build because Immortal Call requires you to use more potions and Molten Shell requires very high armour to be effective.

2. This build uses several warcries which are very important because they repeatedly trigger Earthshatters secondary damage effect, increase your damage with slam attacks, increase the damage of the Autoexertion Support, and give 15% increased damage for each recent warcry for a duration once you have the Warcry Mastery taken on the skill tree.

3. Summon Flame Golem is used with this build to give a damage increase and gives an extra target for enemies to attack.​

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Staff

A high damage Maelstrom Staff is the preferred weapon choice because it can come with very high damage and a high chance to block. You can also use Tempering Orbs on rare weapons for a low chance at getting an increased physical damage modifier enchantment but be aware that this can sometimes reforge the sockets on the weapon.

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How Do You Craft A Great Starter Earthshatter Staff?

To craft a staff you can purchase an ilvl 85+ Maelstrom Staff with a tier one attack speed fracture and roll Deafening Essences of Contempt until you get a very high combined increased damage/accuracy modifier with an open prefix. You can then roll up to 129% increased physical damage at the crafting bench using an Exalted Orb for a strong starter Earthshatter weapon.

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Armour

Replica Farrul's Fur

This body armour gives Endurance charges, Frenzy charges, free Aspect of the Cat which is an offensive and defensive reservation skill, life, high armor and evasion, and Onslaught whenever you have Cat's Agility from Aspect of the Cat. Regular Farrul's Fur can also be used as a budget option for Frenzy and Power charges without Onslaught and Endurance charges.

 

Helmet

Rare Armour Helmet

Look for high life, high armour, strength, resistances, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems. The helmet should have armour as its highest defensive stat for Bleeding immunity from the Armour and Evasion Mastery. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased mana reservation efficiency and a percentage of physical damage taken recouped as life.

Devoto's Devotion (budget)

The budget option gives 16% increased attack speed, 10% reduced physical damage, up to 65 dexterity, 20% increased movement speed, and 25% chaos resistance. You can also look for a +2 to level of socketed AoE or aura gems corruption.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for high life, high increased attack speed, increased accuracy, chaos resistance, and add increased damage during any flask effect at the crafting bench. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased attack speed and exerted attacks deal increased damage. 

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

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

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, increased attack speed, and increased global critical strike chance.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

Look for high life, resistances, Tailwind, Elusive, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, and increased movement speed.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high life, attributes, gain physical damage as extra fire damage, and increased critical strike chance. You can use a Warlord's Exalted Orb on an amulet with the other modifiers with an open prefix for a chance at physical damage as extra fire damage. You should also use Turbulent Catalysts on the amulet to increase its physical damage as extra fire damage.

Carnage Heart (budget)

This budget amulet gives 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while you are leeching. You should use Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Vulnerability Ring

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

Rare Aspect of the Cat Ring

Look for high life, high resistances, level 30 Aspect of the Cat (Aspect of the Cat can be added to an item with the Bestiary), optionally an attribute, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should also use a Warlord's Exalted Orb if the ring has an open prefix for a chance at adding increased melee damage.​

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Provides 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, consecrated ground has triple radius, up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Taste of Hate (legacy is better)

Gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, and a 30% reduced chance to be Frozen or Chilled. The legacy version has higher physical damage as extra cold damage and physical damage taken as cold damage. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Atziri's Promise (legacy is better)

Gives 35% increased chaos resistance, physical damage as extra chaos damage, elemental damage as extra chaos damage, and 2% chaos damage leeched as life.

Note: You will be immune to Bleeding from your skill tree and immune to Corrupted Blood from the Resistance Mastery or a corrupted jewel so its not necessary to use a Bleeding/Corrupted Blood removal flask.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Charisma for 16% increased mana reservation efficiency and 6% increased effect of your non-curse auras from your skills at Cassia using an Opalescent Oil, Golden Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Earthshatter Deals 40% Increased Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed If You've Killed Recently

Belt: Recover 2% Life When You Kill an Enemy While You Have Rage​

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Bandits

The best bandit to help in Act 2 is Alira because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances which allows you to focus more on damage from your equipment. If you don't need the resistances you can kill all three bandits for one passive skill point.

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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 two hand level one weapon with a 30% block chance and a 100% chance to cast Vulnerability on 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 remaining.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

A strong level one offensive chest armour that has six white linked sockets. This armour allows you to link any six skill gems and support gems together for much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also look for 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 that has 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

Strong level one gloves that give up to 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots can be equipped at level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

This amulet gives level 10 Purity of Elements, up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 30 intelligence, and 10 to all elemental resistances. The Purity of Elements aura is optional to increase your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two level one Perandus Signet rings for mana regeneration which each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience gained.

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Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four for 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process. This flask can also have increased attack speed or increased 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.

Taste of Hate (legacy option)

This flask only requires level 18 and gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, and 30% reduced chance to be Frozen or Chilled. You can optionally use this flask instead of a Quicksilver Flask for leveling. The legacy version is much better and has higher physical damage as extra cold damage and physical damage taken as cold damage. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask 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 it can have increased attack speed or increased 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 a Bottled Faith)

This endgame flask requires level 27 for 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use it whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

Ground Slam should be used as your main damage skill at level one. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and can be used once you reach level 10 for increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10 for high life regeneration. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four for a defensive guard skill. Dash also 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 Kaom's Primacy at level 58, and then finally to your endgame weapon. You can use the Carnage Heart amulet which is the budget amulet for this build as early as level 20. You should also benefit from upgrading to two unique Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items listed in the above leveling section last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for this PoE guide! You can view more Path of Exile guides in the menu at the top of this page. Best of luck!