Path of Exile Top 10 Melee Builds
​1. Boneshatter of Complex Trauma Slayer (Duelist)
The highest damage melee build on the list goes to the Boneshatter Slayer which has very high single target damage.
Mapping: 10/10 Delve: 10/10 Heist: 9/10 Damage: 10/10 Safety: 9/10 Bosses: 9/10
Build Guide
The Boneshatter Slayer has a quick stacking damage buff that increases your damage which gives very high single target damage. Boneshatter also triggers an area of effect pulse whenever an enemy is stunned which makes it great for clearing damage. If you would like to try out a Boneshatter Slayer build you can find a guide for it here Boneshatter Slayer Guide.
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2. Shockwave Cyclone Slayer (Duelist)
The Shockwave Cyclone Slayer is a strong build both offensively and defensively with great mobility.
Mapping: 10/10 Delve: 10/10 Heist: 10/10 Damage: 9/10 Safety: 10/10 Bosses: 9/10
Build Guide
The Shockwave Cyclone Slayer is one of the strongest starter builds in the game and it really starts to shine in the endgame once you have a strong staff. You will have Fortification to reduce your damage taken from hits, high block from using a staff, and you'll kill enemies with 20% of their life remaining from your ascendancies. If you're interested in trying out the Shockwave Cyclone Slayer build you can find a guide for the build here Shockwave Cyclone Slayer Guide.
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3. Impale Flicker Strike Champion (Duelist)
The Impale Flicker Strike Champion excels at delve and heists and is the best melee build for speed farming.
Mapping: 10/10 Delve: 10/10 Heist: 10/10 Damage: 9/10 Safety: 9/10 Bosses: 9/10​
Build Guide
Flicker Strike teleports from pack to pack while attacking making it excellent at speed farming. The Impale Flicker Strike Champion is recommended because it has better defenses than the Cold Flicker Strike Deadeye and the Oro's Sacrifice Fire Flicker Strike Deadeye while dishing out really great damage with a high damage physical weapon. If you would like to try out the Flicker Strike Champion build you can find a guide for it here Impale Flicker Strike Champion Guide.
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4. Strength Molten Strike of the Zenith Juggernaut (Marauder)
Molten Strike of the Zenith is a fairly new strength stack build that's one of the most powerful melee builds in the game.
Mapping: 10/10 Delve: 10/10 Heist: 9/10 Damage: 10/10 Safety: 9/10 Bosses: 10/10
Build Guide
The Juggernaut is the preferred ascendancy for this strength stacking build because the Undeniable ascendancy gives accuracy equal to twice your strength and attack speed from your accuracy. Molten Strike of the Zenith also has a wide spread area of effect attack with its projectiles that can trigger off of multiple enemies. If you would like to try out this Molten Strike of the Zenith build you can find a guide for it here Strength Molten Strike of the Zenith Juggernaut Guide.
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5. Earthshatter Berserker (Marauder)
The Earthshatter Berserker has become the new melee slam meta and does very well with multiple warcries.
Mapping: 9/10 Delve: 10/10 Heist: 10/10 Damage: 9/10 Safety: 10/10 Bosses: 8/10​​​​​
Build Guide​
When using Earthshatter, multiple warcries are very important because they trigger the secondary damage explosion of Earthshatter while increasing the damage of Earthshatter. This means you can use multiple Autoexertion gems to cast your warcries automatically and Overexertion Support to increase your damage for each recent warcry. If you would like to try out the Earthshatter Berserker slam build a guide for it can be found here Earthshatter Berserker Guide.
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6. Rage Vortex of Berserking & Cyclone Berserker (Marauder)
The Rage Vortex of Berserking & Cyclone Berserker is a fairly new Cyclone build variant that deals excellent damage.
Mapping: 10/10 Delve: 10/10 Heist: 10/10 Damage: 10/10 Safety: 8/10 Bosses: 10/10
Build Guide
With this build you will generate Ragestorms with Rage Vortex of Berserking while channeling Cyclone to deal high damage to nearby enemies. This build deals the highest single target damage of the Cyclone builds and it has excellent clearing damage but it isn't as strong defensively as some builds. If you would like to try the Rage Vortex of Berserking & Cyclone Berserker build a guide for it can be found here Rage Vortex of Berserking & Cyclone Berserker Guide.
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7. Wild Strike of Extremes Trickster (Shadow)
Wild Strike of Extremes was buffed back in season 3.25 and it's much better than the old version of Wild Strike.
Mapping: 10/10 Delve: 10/10 Heist: 9/10 Damage: 8/10 Safety: 9/10 Bosses: 9/10​
Build Guide
Wild Strike of Extremes had its damage effectiveness nearly doubled in 3.25 making it a solid build for the current season. This build deals great boss damage because it inverts the resistances of your enemies and it also deals great clearing damage because Wild Strike of Extremes is a wide area of effect attack. If you would like to try out the Wild Strike of Extremes Trickster build a guide for it can be found here Wild Strike of Extremes Trickster Guide.
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8. Lacerate of Haemorrhage Bleed Gladiator (Duelist)
The Lacerate of Haemorrhage Gladiator is now one of the best melee builds in the game for boss encounters.
Mapping: 8/10 Delve: 9/10 Heist: 9/10 Damage: 9/10 Safety: 8/10 Bosses: 10/10
Build Guide
The Lacerate of Haemorrhage Gladiator was majorly buffed with improvements to the Gladiator ascendancy back in season 3.25. This build is now one of the best bossing melee builds in the game because you can attack the bosses and then easily move out of danger while the bosses are taking Bleeding damage. If you would like to try out the Lacerate of Haemorrhage Gladiator build a guide for the build can be found here Bleed Lacerate of Haemorrhage Gladiator Guide.
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9. Armour Stacking Smite Champion (Duelist)
Armour Stacking Smite Champions are capable of high damage and have very high armour to help with survival.
Mapping: 10/10 Delve: 8/10 Heist: 8/10 Damage: 7/10 Safety: 9/10 Bosses: 9/10​
Build Guide
The Armour Stacking Smite Champion uses Doryani's Prototype to give enemies your extremely low lightning resistances and it also makes armour mitigate your lightning damage taken. This build uses two build enabling Replica Dreamfeather weapons to greatly improve your attack damage with increases to your armour. If you would like to try out the Armour Stacking Smite Champion build a guide for it can be found here Armour Stacking Smite Champion Guide.​
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10. Dual Strike of Ambidexterity Slayer (Duelist)
The Dual Strike of Ambidexterity Slayer is a fairly new transfigured build that received a significant buff in 3.25.
Mapping: 9/10 Delve: 10/10 Heist: 10/10 Damage: 8/10 Safety: 10/10 Bosses: 8/10
Build Guide
Dual Strike of Ambidexterity was buffed in a previous patch which increased its damage effectiveness. The build can clear well with Ancestral Cry Support and it has solid single target damage. If you're interested in trying out the Dual Strike of Ambidexterity Slayer build you can find a guide for it here Dual Strike of Ambidexterity Slayer Guide.
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HM. Acc. Stack Lightning Strike Juggernaut (Marauder)
The Lightning Strike Juggernaut is the best Juggernaut build in the game and the best accuracy stack build in the game.
Mapping: 10/10 Delve: 7/10 Heist: 9/10 Damage: 8/10 Safety: 10/10 Bosses: 8/10
Build Guide
The Accuracy Stacking Lightning Strike Juggernaut is one of the strongest melee builds in the game both offensively and defensively. With investments in more expensive gear and more expensive jewels the damage of this build can get rather high. The Juggernaut ascendancy also doubles the armour of your equipped body armour which is helpful defensively. If you would like to try out this build a guide for it can be found here Accuracy Stack Lightning Strike Juggernaut Guide.
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That's all for the Top 10 Melee Builds! For more on Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.
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