Links

Showcase - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4wQDo9yu_A

PoB - https://pobb.in/0Ipc9l-UDgRW

WARNING: Configuring PoB for build like this is pretty much impossible. There are too many effects that may or may not be active. I've enable every possible buff, except for [Bound Fate], since PoB assumes that every mode is active all at the same time, and that gives very wrong numbers.

About

Main idea of this build is to stack multiple Pendulum* effects. It is widely accepted that effects of this type are bad due to unreliability - so I decided to get as many as possible and make a build that can go crazy when all of them align.

Those effects include:

• Positive [Bound Fate] procs.
• “Fanaticism” buff from [Instruments of Zeal].
• “Divinity” buff from [Garb of the Ephemeral].
• [Lightning Tendrils] - “Releases a Stronger Pulse every 3 Pulses, Stronger Pulses always Critically Strike”.
• [Curse Mastery] - “Your Curses have 20% increased Effect if 50% of Curse Duration expired”.

Since [Instruments of Zeal] can be allocated through Forbidden Jewels I’m going Guardian as Ascendancy .

*“Pendulum effect” refers to effects that are active only some of the time or switch between different “modes” on a set timer. Name comes from the first effect of this type - Pendulum of Destruction.

Dealing damage

To best take advantage of those powerful Pendulum effects I’m using [Lightning Tendrils] - it is a perfect skill for this setup for the following reasons:

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• LT guarantees a critical strike on every 3’rd pulse – I’m taking advantage of that and using [Controlled Destruction] and [Marylene's Fallacy] to boost that 3’rd pulse. This by itself is already a strong setup to scale LT damage. But since [Bound Fate] has a “Your Hits are always Critical Strikes” proc – I can occasionally deal full damage on every pulse rather than on 3’rd.
• LT is a lightning skill, meaning that it benefits a lot from [Bound Fate]’s “Your Damage with Hits is Lucky” proc. (due to high variance in Lightning damage rolls)
• It obviously benefits from “Divinity” buff (50% More Elemental Damage) and “Fanaticism” buff (75% more Cast Speed, 75% Reduced Cost, 75% increased Area of Effect)
• I’m using Shield Charge to maintain “Fanaticism” - since LT is a channeled skill it’s much easier to weave SC attacks while channeling. Channeled skills are not going to cause animation-locking.
• LT hits fast (and VERY fast when Fanaticism is active) - this allows me to maintain summons from [Unwavering Crusade] pretty much permanently.

I’m using [Anathema] and [Vixen’s Entrapment] to apply Conductivity, Elemental Weakness, Enfeeble and Punishment. Curse Effectiveness scaling is very powerful right now.

Also, this is a [Bloodnotch] build - so I’m going to get stunned a lot. This allows me to use [Caster Mastery] - “25% more Spell Damage if you've been Stunned while Casting Recently”.

Defenses

This build is insanely tanky. Only DoT damage can cause some issues - which is standard for Petrified Blood build.

Block

Since [Instruments of Zeal] already causes me to both attack and cast spells, I can also maintain [Bastion of Hope]’s buffs 100% of the time. This combined with using a shield and [Tempest Shield] puts me at ~50% Block and Spell Block. From there capping both types of Block is possible. In fact, I can cap Spell Blocks just from the passive tree.

Recovery

• I’m using the standard [Bloodnotch] + [Immutable Force] + [Petrified Blood] combo to get big recovery. This is further enhanced by getting [Trial of the Faith] notable and Life Recoup on a ring.
• For life leech I’m using Doryani’s Lesson, and thanks to Petrified Blood I can overleech.
• ES leech is also important since I’m using [Eldritch Battery] + [Mind Over Matter]. Lucky [Vixen’s Entrapment] provides that.

Ailments

• Elemental Ailments - this build is fully immune to shock (from [Tempest Shield]) and reduces duration of every other ele ailments by over 100% with [Solipsism] (this is equal to being immune unless you are standing on a ground effect). Since I must use [Supreme Ostentation] to wear [Garb of The Ephemeral] I can pick [Solipsism] for free. And since I’m reducing Ailment Duration by over 100%, I can also get [Lethe Shade] for free. I’m also running [Time of Need] - just in case.
• Bleed - I’m running a Bleed Immunity Life Flask and a charm with “Unaffected by Bleeding While Leeching”.
• Corrupted Blood - “Corrupted Blood cannot be inflicted on you” from [Protection Mastery]
• Poison - “Cannot be Poisoned” ring corruption.

Other

There are also 2 Pendulum effects that will occasionally boost defenses even further:

• [Bound Fate]’s “Attacks cannot Hit you”.
• Divinity’s “20% less elemental damage taken”.

[Radiant Crusade] is also worth mentioning - If you can pre-cast it before a big damage spike, it's a free 20% damage reduction. This can be the difference between dying or surviving Uber 1-shorts.

Dealing with [Bound Fate]’s downsides

• “Hits against you are always Critical Strikes” - this can be countered by getting [Stun Mastery] “Hits against you Cannot be Critical Strikes if you've been Stunned Recently”. Another option would be getting 100% reduced Extra Damage from Critical Strikes - this can be achieved through tree passives and a Shield mod. Note: [Garb of the Ephemeral]’s “Nearby Enemies cannot deal Critical Strikes” will not work.
• “Attacks against you always Hit” - I simply don’t rely on Evasion for defenses. I still run Grace however - it seems worth it.
• “Damage of Hits against you is Lucky” - this could be countered by using [Lori's Lantern]. This is a very good ring for this build anyway. And since it’s cheap, it’s easy to get good corruption on it. In the end I decided against using it however, since “Lucky Damage” downside does not seem to actually be that bad. It would probably be a bigger problem If I was not crit-immune.