Video is level 73 Drox on a 5-link. I am level 86. I also forgot to use Vaal Warchief.

POB: https://pastebin.com/D9fEQVRg -- The first jewel has the line from Crown of Eyes since POB doesn't support Battlemage's Cry yet.

This is my league starter and the first build I've posted here. I see several threads on here about Earthbreaker totems, and wanted to share my theorycraft. This build plays like reverse Bladefall/Bladeblast, but a little slower. My gearing needs some upgrades (6-link, +1 totem shield, and clusters) but I've managed this on about a 3ex budget since start.

The build is weak at projecting damage (clear), but strong in bossing and the league mechanic.

Each totem can have their own spikes, so you get lots of smaller, overlapping hits. You trigger these spikes with your own slams or warcrys. The best two slams to trigger with are Sunder and Conc Path. Sunder seems to trigger the spikes multiple times when traveling through the area, Conc Path has consecrated ground for you and the totems. Conc Path is more fun to use, but Sunder is probably superior.

Strength stack with Brutus Lead Sprinkler for flat damage (400 - 700 at 1000 strength). We start to scale this with the Iron Fortress increasing our strength melee physical bonus by 50% (to .3% per point). Then apply the melee physical bonus to spell damage with Repentance and global Iron Will. This spell damage bonus is then converted back to general attack damage (meaning our flat fire damage from BLS) thru Crown of Eyes at 150% of spell damage values. If we have 1000 strength, we get 300% increased spell damage from Iron Will, boosted to 450% by Crown of Eyes.

Then comes Battlemage's Cry. I'm not 100% on how all these numbers actually work, but I went for it. We can get the same bonus as Crown of Eyes on a warcry, and with some investment. Thinking about a boss fight, where a single boss is 20 power. This is 100% of spell damage as attack damage, but with 30% increased power (26 power now for 125% attack damage) and 30% increased buff effect from the tree (125% x 1.3 = 162%) we get 162% spell damage as attack damage. I'm not sure if it's possible to go above 150% (as the gem says up to 150%), but either way its equal to or better than Crown of Eyes. Which lets us pick Abyssus for even more damage. But there are other options too.

The damage pairs well with the totem's fast delivery of spikes (thanks Multistrike).

For Ascendancies, I originally went Cheif/Heiro. I found Heiro to be not worth the totem (at least at my level of investment) and the 8% MoM required additional investment just to feel ok. I wanted to reserve mana on this build. I went Champion instead at a damage loss, but lots of quality of life for me and the totems. Heiro is probably the better pick for high investment, as you can get a lot of what Champ offers through cluster jewels. I'm sure straight Chieftain is a good pick, or Inquis for straight damage.

I don't have cluster jewels. Sleepless Sentries and some placement speed would be amazing. I couldn't get the right other clusters to make the setup worth it to me. The only thing I'm really missing is the 20% movement speed, as we can get attack speed with less investment. Also, resummoning totems versus single target is a DPS loss for me, as it deletes their spikes. Onslaught on warcry is probably better.

There are a lot of ways to take this archtype of character. Could even do some Replica Alberon's Warpaths and do chaos totems. Elemental Equilibrium would be strong in the right build. A hardcore viable template is in here too.

I think the build is fun to play and I like it. If you have any mechanical suggestions, let me know.