Shield Crush Slayer A10 Pts+Lab Commentary Run 3h24m

---- Version 1 of Notes Section (Last Updated 2/28/2026) ---- Below is some information to help make leveling Shield Crush Slayer easier including Link setups, Notable Passive Orders, Gem Acquisition, Solving Attributes, and some questions and answers. This run will typically end around Lvl 61/62 based on how I normally XP in preparation for a league start. ---- Gear and Weapon Acquisition ---- We will be using Shield Crush from level 2 onwards through the entire campaign. You will need to buy a shield at first vendor, either on mule or on duelist. Look for a goathide buckler with at least 15 evasion. If you can't find one, you can either use a different shield that is available or use Frostblades from Ranger mule to clear Mudflats and Tidal Island and check again at Level 4. Because Shield Crush scales off armor/evasion amount (in 15 armor/evasion increments), we want to choose bases that have good inherent range rolls for those two stats. Bases I will typically look for. I will gamble for these bases starting at Lvl 8 for Pine Buckler. I will always try to match minimum iLvl required for item to start dropping before gamba (ie be Lvl 8 to gamble for Pine Buckler which starts dropping if an item with iLvl of 8 can be dropped, by whatever content your doing). You can also check vendors, you do not need to be same iLvl. Rather, it seems vendors will sell items +- about 5 levels from your character level. Use armourer's scraps on your shield, especially if it looks like using a single one will get you another increment of 15 armour or evasion. Crafts for % armour, % evasion, flat armor and flat evasion are available from Piety area in Crematorium in A3 for first tier of craft (4 transmutes) and Tuokohama arena in A6 for second tier (1 alch). Lvl 1: Goathide Buckler; Other Lvl 1 shield base if goathides are not available Lvl 8: Pine Buckler; If not available a Lvl 5 or Lvl 6 base via Corroded Tower Shield and Rotted Round Shield can serve in pinch. If you still have not upgraded beyond the original by Fairgraves return, can get Lvl 11 base Rawhide Tower Shield Lvl 16: Painted Buckler Lvl 24: Copper Tower Shield Lvl 30: Reinforced Tower Shield Lvl 42: Enabled Buckler (this one has a high dexterity requirement of 103, Jade Amulet helps/necessary here) Lvl 51: Girded Tower Shield Lvl 67: Colossal Tower Shield (won't get this in most A10 Pts+Labs run since it requires 67, but this will be base I use in mapping) Pine Buckler, Painted Buckler, Reinforced Tower Shield, and Girded Tower Shield are all big power spikes and are very worth trying for. Save armourer's scraps and essences as needed for them. As gamble as needed for them. Will gamble at least 1 4L before trying for Lvl 24 bases though in A3, so I will save gold for that. You can to keep both starter swords from Duelist's Twilight Strand as you can use the R-G default one for Shield Charge-Faster Attacks and it has a nice 40% global accuracy bonus. Eventually, the one that drops from Hillock, which has R B G singleton sockets with no links, can be used instead once you move your Shield Charge-Faster Attacks setup to armour piece for more links like a Momentum or Lifetap Need to use a heavy belt by mid A2 onwards (Lvl 16) to avoid strength issues from the right side pathing towards PT. Take Jade Amulet from Dialla quest in A3 Solaris 2 to help with Dexterity requirements and Accuracy. Important for some bases later in run (Lvl 42 Enamled Bucker requires 103 dex). Use Wisdom of Glade (+30 Intelligence) and Beef (+30 Strength) to spot solve attribute issues as needed. ---- Links ---- Shield Crush (Lvl 2 through to the end): Requires 1 wisdom scroll to buy for Duelist. Ruthless support WILL NOT work with Shield Crush (Sadge) Lvl 2 onwards: Shield Crush (R) - Momentum (G) - Fortify (R) / Any reasonable damage support until you get Fortify from Library or Lily - Any reasonable damage support General's Cry Shield Crush: (Requires Library or Lily to get Desecrate for consistent corpse generation on a boss, you just use it once at start of fight by casting at bosses feet) Once Library or Lily (Almost always Lily): Earthshatter (R) - General's Cry (R) - Autoexert (R) - Maim (R) / Melee Phys (R) [Maim gives more damage for main skill if target is maimed, melee phys is better damage for Gen Cry mirages] Reservations and Utility: Required: Herald of Ash (R) until you have source of flat fire damage for fire mastery. This is also just a good reservation, so I usually keep Precision (G) to meet accuracy needs for PT. Level it as required. Don't overlevel if not needed due to it being a mana hog with its flat mana reservation Nice to have: Can use Blood and Sand (R) early and through campaign for extra damage in blood and utility of more AoE in sand. Can drop entirely once you start using Flesh and Stone in second half of campaign Second half of campaign: General's Cry Autoexert (R). If you're mana sucks or your defenses suck, can drop this. Boss fights will take longer, but it is only for a single target supplement anyways. If dropping for defense reasons, use Arctic Armour or Flesh and Stone Flesh and Stone (R) - good defense and offense; defenese in sand while clearing/traversing zones, offense for single in blood stance Optional and only with multiple reservation nodes (usually in second half of campaign): Arctic Armour (G) Curse: A2 onwards: Poacher's Mark (G). If green sockets become a problem, can drop poacher's mark for Vulnerability (R), be warned sustain on single could be annoying if you do so. Utility: A1 onwards: Decoy Totem (R) use to help setup to help soak damage in dangerious scenarios/single target A2 onwards (through entire campaign): Blood Rage (G) Lvl 12 onwards: Intimidating Cry (R). Can drop this once you get Intimidate from Rage Mastery OR if you start using Multistrike (R) on Shield Crush as you cannot exert multistrike attacks. Library or Lily (Usually Lily): Desecrate (G) for corpse generation on single target for General's Cry Movement: Lvl 4 onwards: Shield Charge (R) - Faster Attacks (G) - Momentum (G), fit momentum when can - Any 4th QoL link if you have an extra socket like Lifetap (R). Whenever you can fit and have int: Frostblink (B). You do not need to level frostblink up. It is not a big deal if you only use Shield Charge and skip frostblink. Frostblink just adds some nice animation cancellation, flexibility with positioning, allows to skip some gaps Shield Crush cannot, and some additional speed. Note Frostblink doesn't have enough range to skip some gaps like the bridge gaps in Temple of Decay in A7, so you might want to use Flame Dash instead for that or navigate on the unbroken bridges (always will be a diagonal in the Temple of Decay zones that contain unbroken bridges). ---- Comments on Passive Pathing Order ---- Use +30 strength node near PT (Beef) and Wisdom of Glade (+30 int) as needed. We can often spec into out of Bee at various points depending on strength requirements. Later in run can respec out of the 2x 16% physical attack damage nodes on left side OR 2x 6% attack speed nodes on right side of Duelist starting path to the two small health notables nearby for 4% life and 6% armour/evasion depending on which path you choose to keep and which you choose to respec out of as we will take both left and right side of duelist starting nodes early. Usually, I will respec the left side to get shield nodes or rage nodes in second half of campaign Take Graceful Assault when possible BUT only if your damage feels good, you defenses/health level feels good, AND you accuracy is higher than your health for PT. Usually Graceful Assault will come sometime around late first half of campaign to early second half of campaign for me. Once you click PT, check your accuracy. You may need to equip precision right away or go back to A1 and buy precision to do so. Anytime you equip new armor that has life rolls check accuracy and life values again ----- Gem Acquisition ----- Will need to do one of Library or Lily. Recommend doing Lily as gems/stuff we get from Library or Lily can wait until second half of campaign when you can access Lily Ranger Mule/Hillock Kill/First Town Enter Rewards/Buys: - Quest Reward: Take Frost Blades (G). This is useful if you CANNOT get a goathide buckler from vendor on ranger and vendor on duelist, as you can use frostblades for Mudflats and Tidal Island and get another shot at getting shield from vendor. Very, very rarely will you be unable to buy ANY shield at all after both Lvl 2 vendors after killing Hillock and the Lvl 4 vendor after tidal island Duelist First Town Enter Rewards/Buys (1 wisdom for vendor buy): - Quest Reward: Doesn't matter, take whatever - Buy Shield Crush (R) Hailrake/Mercy Mission Rewards/Buys (1 wisdom): - Quest Reward: Take Chance to Poison (G) OR Take Second Momentum (G) for movement skill Note: RUTHLESS does NOT work with Shield Crush - Buy Blood and Sand (R) Submerged Passage Open/Cracking Some Eggs Rewards/Buys (1 wisdom for optional buy): - Quest Reward from first set of rewards: Take Decoy Totem (R) - Quest Reward from second set of rewards: Take Shield Charge (R) - Optional: Buy Frostblink (B), if didn't buy here, buy at return from Fairgraves Lower Prison Enter Rewards/Buys: - Quest Reward: Take Faster Attacks (G) - Optional: Can buy Added Fire (R) or Maim (R) if you have extra transmutes Brutus Kill Reward/Buys: - Quest Reward: Intimidating Cry (R) - Optional: Buy precision (G) if extra transmutes. If not can try again after Fairgraves OR upon return to A1 for Way Forward turn in from A2 Merveil Cavern's Enter Reward/Buys [Need 2 transmutes, 1 wisdom; additional 1 transmute and 1 wisdom for optional buys]: - Quest Reward: Take Earthshatter (R) and level in off hand on weapon swap. - Vendor Buy: Sunder (R) and Intimidating Cry (R) for 2 transmutes, and Blood and Sand for 1 wisdom - Optional: If you have extra transmute, buy Precision (G) now for PT in A2. Buy Frostblink (b) if you don't have yet Fidelitas Kill/Intruders in Black/Baleful Gem Collection Reward/Buys: - Quest Reward: Take Blood Rage (G). If only have red socket avaible, take Herald of Ash (R) instead - Buy from Yeena: Herald of Ash (R) and Poacher's Markl (G) Weaver Kill Reward/Buys: - Quest Reward: Take Melee Physical (R) The Way Forward Act 1 Return Buys: - Buy Precision (G) from Nessa (doesn't have to be now, only really need if accuracy for PT is cursed, but becasue we don't get PT until A4, you can delay buying until like 28 so you can have some insurance against accuracy issues once we eventually get to spec PT, we want to buy before 28 to avoid precision having too high of a flat reservation cost since almost all melee builds don't scale mana at all) Lost in Love/A3 Tolman Reward/Buys: - Quest reward: Doesn't matter Opening Mines Reward in A4: - Quest Reward: Doesn't matter, take any gem you prefer Opening the Harvest Reward in A4: - Quest Reward: Doesn't matter. Can take Multistrike (R), but I typically dont use mutlistrike until like way later (ie like 85+) Libray/Lily Buys (1 Chance Orb, 4 Alterations; currency requirements vary for later trips which you make as needed): - Buy Fortify (R). Can take as reward if did Library. Would recomend skipping Library and just doing Lily - Buy Autoexert (R) - Buy General's Cry (R) - Buy Desecrate (G) - Buy Flesh and Stone (R) - Buy gems as needed to fill out damage links/reservations for second half. Such as life tap for convenience for Leap Slam. Buy Flesh and Stone (r) at some point during A6, for defensive option while clearing by using sand stance ---- Solving Attributes and Resistances ---- Attributes: Try to buy an Lapis Amulet (Intelligence) so we can equip Frostblink and Heralds in A2. Can drop for Jade Amulet once you get +30 intelligence node near PT. We will be taking the Jade Amulet from A3 quest for turning in the Ribbon Spool to Dialla. Make sure you have +30 Intelligence node before switching Lapis for Jade. We will use a heavy belt (strength belt) by about mid A2 to help with strength issues as Tower (Str) shields require a good amount of strength. Beyond that we will various attribute nodes on trees as needed. The +30 nodes for strength and intelligence near PT come in clutch here. Resistances: We will help alira to get the 15% res to make campaign easier/smooth on resistance. Additionally, we will get weather hunter and cloth and chain before start of A6 to help ensure we have capped resistance and/or can reach it with crafts after the A5 Kitava resistance penalty applies. In terms of rings, I typically like having a Sapphire Ring with crafted fire res and a Topaz ring with craft fire res. I will replace these with rare rings if they drop if said rare rings have a resistance on them already with an open suffix or have giga life and an open suffix. Otherwise, I won't replace and just keep going with the crafted sapphire and topaz ring. Usually, I obtain the sapphire and topaz ring from the iron ring + blue/green gem recipe respectively if I cannot get them as a drop. Occassionally, will buy straight from vendor. ----- Some Questions and Answers ---- Work in progress still