> DISCLAIMER: I have not actually played this build in any way yet and 3.18 is when I'll possibly try it, so it could have periods of build progress where its shit before it becomes good, or just be shit forever.

> DISCLAIMER 2: This is NOT intended to be a day 1 all uber bosses killed build with all magic gear like DD, but one that can function early without needing gear in SSF but will also feel rewarding to build it up as you play throughout the league.

Build Features

Ethics

• Not DD, Seismic, EA +++
• Hit based attack build +++
• Does not use omniscience +++
• Does not use Ashes of Stars ++
• Does not aura stack +++
• Uses Champion defences --

Offense

• 800k fully naked 5link level 19 gem DPS
• 1.2M fully naked 6link level 20 gem DPS

Mid-Lategame

• 2.7M non flask non totem DPS
• 3.5M w/ ancestral protector totem up
• 4.2M w/ totem + flasks up
• 6.0M w/ somewhat obtainable(?) unique gear

Defence

• 64k EHP, 21k Max Hit unbuffed
• 129k EHP, 63k Max Hit w/ molten shell and flasks
• 100% spell suppression, easy to cap nearby ranger area
• Full Elemental Ailment Immunity
• Stun Immmunity
• high movement speed w/ adrenaline

Weaknesses/Possible Issues

• Life sustain is not that amazing, just base leech, 1.6% life regen and unreliable regen from banner placement (up to 5%) so DoTs may pose an issue
• Must play melee for maximum Point Blank DPS and shotgunning.
• Usage of ancestral totems is unreliable annoying management and cringe and its why I hate attack builds(only 1 totem though)
• Gear is suffix heavy and can be difficult to fit in chaos res.
• Might need more AoE for proper overlap/better clear. If you don't trust GMP + GVolley being able to get ALL 9 hits (even i'm suspicious), you can change to something else like LMP or next highest damage link. (Mathil has said he feels no difference between the 2 in his version)
• Might need higher max mana or -mana craft on rings when your attack speed gets very high
• Clear will be suboptimal to prolif ignite or prolif poison
• If this build fucking sucks, its relatively easy to respec into lightning strike / omniscience strike builds

Build Theory/Explanation/Guide

Why Explosive Concoction?

> A 2 link GMP Molten Strike with T1 fire, T1, cold T1 Lightning T1 Attack speed claw (not obtainable in SSF) on a naked level1 character does 7k dps with 7 balls hitting. > > A 2 link GMP Explosive Concoction Lvl 21 (obtainable in SSF) does 7k dps with 5 flasks hitting on a naked character level1 character, without usage of Sapphire/Topaz flasks...... which is what this build will be doing.

Why Champion instead of Pathfinder or Ascendant Pathfinder?

> While it's true adding on Sapphire/Topaz flasks will increase dps by 30%, the investment to be able to sustain the charges would cost more than 30% damage. > > In order to sustain Sapphire/Topaz flasks you need to either play pathfinder, which is currently not a real ascendancy right now for non chaos damage, you will STILL need to invest in other flask charge things. > The alternative is playing scion, but she also faces the same issues in needing heavy investment to maintain flask charges such as Enkindling them so that you can't even use them all the time and lose 2 flask slots. > > Both ascendancies have way worse defences than champion and will need to spend even more investment to reach nearly the same level. > > Furthermore, the sources of charge sustain is overall limited and you will need to limit your attack speed which in turn limits one of the few scaling methods available for Explosive Concoction. > As an unarmed ranged attack skill, EC is balanced around being scarce in scaling options and you do not want to limit them. > > This build uses everything possible to scale the hit damage: attack speed, projectile count, crit, penetration, gem levels and to an extent frenzy charges. > > The main draw of using multiple elements is to use Trinity Support but the flat damage provided by Sapphire/Topaz flasks is MUCH lower than the fire damage and is not enough to use Trinity, so there's no real draw to using multiple elements. > By going pure fire, you can easily deal with enemy resists through simple Fire Penetration and Fire Exposure on glove implicit, while also not dealing with flask charge sustain bullshit. (Combustion Support is also a bonus)

Gearing

ALWAYS CHECK POEDB OR CRAFTOFEXILE FOR REFERENCE

> All POB gear is self craftable with essences, ichors and crafting bench with no uniques. All you need mainly is resists and suppression. No conqueror bases required. > There is lots of flexibility in where you get suppression, which can be on all non accessory gear, and ailment avoid, which can be obtained on chest (betrayal bench craft), shield, boots(essence + ichor). > You only need total of 88% suppression and 60% ailment avoid from gear since rest is on the tree. > It's possible to get 60% purely on boots from high tier ichor and high tier essence. > > I have not planned for this, but it's also possible to put even more investment and go for high end gear like awakend shit, crit+ additional curse chest w/ flammability ring, double corrupting for +2aoe/projectile, influenced/synthesized shields > > Uniques you should try to get are Perseverence belt (~15%+ DPS) and Interrogation Small Cluster Jewel (Scorch) or Polaric Devestation (ash on ignite) > Once you get Perseverence, you need to get more armour to reach the naturally high evasion levels we reach. > > If you get Interrogation Jewel, you drop Combustion since you can no longer ignite. > > If you use Polaric Devestation, you cannot use Interrogation since you can no longer ignite. > > Immortal Ambition Glorious Vanity (Ahuana) can give overleech to assist life sustain. Place in Ele equilibrium.

How the build Functions/Things to know

> Frenzy charges are from Mark mastery and are completely sustainable with amount of hits EC does + charge duration. Disciple of Slaughter also gives on kill for mapping. > Power charges are gained from the chest mod + the charge mastery +100% duration of charges, which makes them last 20 seconds which allows for full sustain except for maps with themod that lowers buff time. > > The idea is to use Divine blessing to get to Low life (50%) but it may not be enough life cost so RF to lower down to 50% for sure may be necessary. Or just take damage LUL > > Skill Gem sockets are extremely tight so this build uses an Unset Ring although you can choose to drop either Faster attacks, Shield charge, both, or frostblink, or mark on hit support to cast manually, or ancestral totem if you hate using totems completely > > This build can obviously transition to omniscience since any elemental build can, but I think multi element molten strike would be way better for that

Trade League or lucky SSF Upgrades

> Helm Enchant

> cluster jewel setup using feed/fuel + double crit w/ good rare jewels

> forbidden flame/flesh of your choosing

> Anger/Precision watchers eye

> Awakened Gems/Empower 5

> Bottled Faith

> Omniscience

Additional Defensive Avenues

> 50 block/50 spell block is possible by changing the tree and getting higher block on shield. > > Annoint Heart of Steel, get more %max res > > Minimum Endurance charges > > %phys taken as ele > > get more life isntead of damage lul

Leveling

• Shattering steel - onslaught - chance to bleed until 12 while using strongest 2h weapons you can find
• At 12, spectral helix - added cold - onslaught with 2x heralds at 16 until 28 where you make the full transition, OR just stick with spectral helix until maps.
• If sticking with helix use 1h swords and spec into sword nodes since theyre the closest and easy to unspec
• I would use topaz/sapphire flasks while leveling if they drop and replace them later on. 4link is probably EC - L/GMP - inspiration - Ele damage with attacks, crit gems are probably not worth until later on when you get more crit from tree
• If damage feels fine, can continue to use onslaught for speed.
• If you switch to EC, get point blank right away.
• I would just use defensive auras only throughout entire campaign and replace either grace or determination with purity of elements until getting flask suffix for chill/freeze.
• anger - divine blessing - lifetap may not be viable if the hp cost is too high until way later.
• Use snipers mark self cast on bosses if linking with mark on hit costs too much mana.
• Use bloodrage for clearing if you have a socket.
• replace 1 link with fire pen at end of campaign along with removal of topaz/sapphire since you will encounter more ele resistant enemies from that point on

Ascendancy Order

1. First to Strike, Last to Fall. During leveling you constantly drop to low life (50%) and the 100% increased damage and 25% move speed will feel amazing not to mention the recovery and intimidate damage.
2. Skip the second lab
3. Get both nodes of Fortify
4. Inspirational last because it doesnt provide anything until you have stronger auras so you get it last.

Anticipated Questions

Video? > Watch Mathil's version and divide the DPS by 10 and multiply the defenses by 10

HC Viable? > Probably since it's specifically very tanky

SC Trade Viable? > Yes but it's worse than other builds that thrive in SC trade.

Wave 30 Simulacrum? > Idk I never played the build but damage may be too low without omniscience or better gear

Uber Uber Bosses? > Idk they didn't come out yet

Is this better than [meta build]? > no, meta stands for most efficient tactic available so if its specifically not meta then it's strictly worse than meta.

POB (fork)

https://pobb.in/wSx9Kxh1wnea

If you see any potential issues or flaws that I have not yet pointed out, post in comments.