Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Crave the Slaughter, Rite of Ruin, War Bringer, and Aspect of Carnage. A legacy Rapid Expansion jewel can be used in Standard in the blue circle to expand the radius of Ground Slam. The Fortify Mastery is important to lower your damage taken from hits by 23% and gives life regeneration which helps counter the life degeneration from the Rite of Ruin ascendancy. The Staff Mastery on the left side of the skill tree also gives Endurance charges on critical strikes and Power charges when you block attacks. The Mana Mastery is very important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. 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

Ground Slam Berserkers have a fast attack speed with their Rage and a large area of effect attack that stuns enemies which makes the build great for survival. Fortification from the Fortify Mastery also improves your defenses by making you take 23% less damage from hits. This build also has a chance to block attacks from using a staff which improves its defenses.

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Gems

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Weapon (6-link)

Vaal Haste

Empower Support

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Elemental Army Support

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Armour (6-link)

Ground Slam of Earthshaking (Ground Slam is the budget gem if you have a slow attack speed)

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Added Fire Damage Support

Pulverise Support

Faster Attacks Support

Impale Support

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

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Herald of Purity

Herald of Ash

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Intimidating Cry

Urgent Orders Support

War Banner

Dash

 

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Enhance 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. Herald of Ash gives physical damage as extra fire damage, increases your fire damage, and causes overkills to burn nearby enemies. Herald of Ash should be used once you have the Reservation Mastery for increased mana reservation efficiency, the Mana Mastery for increased reservation efficiency, and a level four 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. The Staff Mastery gives a chance to gain an Endurance charge on critical strikes which allows you to use the Intimidating Cry warcry because you will no longer need Endurance charge generation from the Enduring Cry warcry.

3. Vaal Haste can have its Vaal ability used without reservation once you have enough souls from enemies to use it. Vaal Haste gives high increased attack speed and high increased movement speed for a short to medium duration.

4. Summon Flame Golem gives a damage increase, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, gives fire exposure with Elemental Army Support which lowers enemies' fire resistances, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.​

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Staff

Ground Slam of Earthshaking requires a very fast axe, mace, or staff. A staff is the preferred choice because staffs can have high damage, high block chance, and high critical strike chance. You can also use Tempering Orbs on rare weapons for a low chance at getting increased physical modifiers but be aware that doing this can sometimes reforge the sockets on the weapon.

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How Do You Craft A Great Starter Ground Slam 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 until you get a very high combined increased damage/accuracy modifier with an open prefix. You can then roll up to an additional 129% increased physical damage at the crafting bench for a strong starter Ground Slam weapon.

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Armour

The Iron Fortress

This armour makes strength's damage bonus provide 3% increased melee physical damage per 10 strength. It also gives up to 120 strength, 1% chance to block attack damage per 50 strength, and 10% reduced movement speed. You should also eventually look for an increased damage corruption once you have enough currency.

 

Helmet

Rare Armour Helmet

Look for very high life, high strength, resistances, and optionally +2 to level of socketed AoE gems. This rare helmet should have armour as its highest defensive stat which gives Bleeding immunity with the Armour and Evasion Mastery. You can also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased attack damage and increased area of effect.

Devoto's Devotion

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

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for high life, increased attack speed, increased accuracy, a resistance, and add increased damage during any flask effect at the crafting bench. If you can afford it you can also look for +2 to level of socketed AoE gems. 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, increased 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 accuracy.

 

Boots

Rare Two-Toned Boots

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

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for life, attributes, physical damage as extra fire damage, increased critical strike chance multiplier, and add +1 to minimum Frenzy charges at the crafting bench. 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 use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Carnage Heart

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 can also use Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus.

 

Rings

Vulnerability Ring

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

Rare Ring

A Diamond Ring is the best damage option for 30% increased critical strike chance. Look for high life, attributes, resistances, and add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You can 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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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Berserker

This tattoo replaces a 30 dexterity node to give Onslaught on hit which replaces the Onslaught on kill modifier on your boots.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gain 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 this flask until you automatically use the flask when 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 modifier), 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 converted to cold damage. You should also use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask when 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 strikes and 17% increased attack speed. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use this flask when it has full charges.

Note: You can be immune to Bleeding from your ascendancies and immune to Corrupted Blood from the Resistance Mastery or a corrupted jewel which allows you to use a damage flask in the place of a Bleeding and Corrupted Blood removal flask.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Disciple of the Slaughter for +1 to minimum Frenzy charges, 8% chance to gain a Frenzy charge on kill, and 8% increased damage per Frenzy charge at Cassia using an Amber Oil, Verdant Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Ground Slam 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 switch to Oak for more life which helps with survival.

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Pantheon

Soul of Solaris is the best major Pantheon power for 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 strong two handed level one staff with a 30% block chance and a 100% chance to cast Vulnerability on blocks.

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 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 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

These excellent level one gloves 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 for up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

An amulet that 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 that 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 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 also use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use this flask when 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 modifier), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, and a 30% reduced chance to be Frozen or Chilled. 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 this flask until you automatically use the flask when 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 movement speed as a second modifier. You should also use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask when 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 and gives 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 also use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

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Leveling Gems

It's best to use Ground Slam at level one because Ground Slam of Earthshaking has a slow attack speed until you find a fast two hand weapon. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and it 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 and have 16 strength 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 equip Carnage Heart which is the budget amulet for this build as early as level 20. You should also benefit from upgrading to two 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 leveling section above 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!