Merciless Gauntlet Full Guide - Earthshatter Ancestral Commander - PoE 3.26 SotA Mercenaries

==================================================================================================================== GENERAL TIPS ==================================================================================================================== -Bandits : Help Alira -> respec for extra skill point late The items in this guide are are a GUIDELINE, listed with the main core stats you're looking for. More/higher stats (resists, attributes, etc) are always better! It doesn't matter which piece of gear you get your resistances on as long as you cap them. You want overcap for Exposure, which is 25% resistances over the maximum. Major Pantheon : Brine King, then swap to Lunaris when you pick up Ancestral Defiance ascendancy node + Unwavering Stance Minor Pantheon : Garukhan until shock effect implicits, then swap to Ralakesh for mapping / Ryslatha for bossing ==================================================================================================================== ASCENDANCY ORDER ==================================================================================================================== 1- Call of the Ancestors 2- Toughened Skin 3- Ancestral Endurance 4- Ancestral Defiance ************************************************************************ WARNING *************************************************************************************************** ***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Avoid running Element reflect maps if you start using Infernal Cry as the combust effect can potentially kill you depending on monster pack size ==================================================================================================================== ENDURANCE CHARGES ==================================================================================================================== We generate Endurance Charges with Enduring Cry. However this means you could just forget to keep them up which could be dangerous. To prevent this I recommend replacing a support with Endurance Charge on Melee Stun support until you unveil a ring from Betrayal with the Endurance Charge on kill suffix if you want to be safer. I do not think it is that important early on since we do not have that many charges, but as soon as we start investing in Endurance Charges it is important to not let them fall off, by either being accustomed to casting Enduring Cry regularly or using one of the above solutions Here are support links in order if you choose to ensure good Endurance Charges uptime : - Fist of War - Fortify - Pulverize - Endurance Charge on Melee Stun You can also simply choose to not invest into Endurance Charges until you have one of the above solutions for better and more reliable uptime. Later on, we get the Gain an Endurance Charges every 11 seconds eldrtich implicit and weapon swap to RedBlade Banner to use enduring cry at the start of a new zone. The implicit will maintain the charges until we leave the zone. ==================================================================================================================== LEVELING ==================================================================================================================== Regex to type in vendor search : g-g-r|g-r-g|r-g-g|g-g|g-r|r-g|nne|r-r-r -=WEAPON CRAFTING=- It is very important to keep upgrading your weapon bases from lvl 12 onwards by either : - Using an Essence of Contempt - Using Rustic sash recipe The recipe is done by vendoring Weapon + Rustic Sash + Blacksmith's Whetstone. You can also use a magic Rustic Sash if you do not have a bad essence available to get a rare one. Do not use Alchemys on Rustic Sashes, you want to keep those to buy gems or to get better gear before maps. NOTE that you only start using recipe from lvl 12 bases onwards, it isn't worth doing on early weapon bases. Here are the weapon bases you want to look for (prioritize swords until lvl 23): 1-8 : Corroded Blade 8-12 : Longsword - Jade Chopper 13-23 : Woodsplitter (First bases you want to rustic sash recipe or essence) 23-33 : Double Axe 33-49 : Shadow Axe 49-60 : Labrys 60 : Sundering Axe 64 : Vaal Axe You start seeing these bases at the town vendor 1 level before you can use them, so if you haven't dropped one make sure you check vendors 1 level in advance to get your base ready. You should always try to use rare axes from Shadow axe onwards as you can craft %physical damage, so either use Contempts essences, or Alchemy orbs if you're desperate and feel weak. The reason we try not to use Alchemy Orbs is that you need them to craft on your gear to enter maps, as well as buy gems and maps. Also keep in mind that when upgrading weapons it might not be worth to change it at the next tier if your current tier is very well rolled. In that case you just skip the next tier and upgrade only at the following one. As you get closer to maps and 62+ bases you also want to avoid wasting Contempt Essences if possible since they will very easily make your early mapping weapon once you have the base. -=ACCURACY=- Versatility notable takes care of it until we can get Resolute Technique -=LEVEL 1-12=- We use Spectral Throw up until Merveil where we swap Sunder instead and use it until we get Ground Slam of Earthshaking in Merc lab. Make sure you have 1 sapphire ring and upgrade flasks to make Merveil a lot easier. -=LEVEL 12-Merc lab=- Sunder should take you all the way to merciless lab. The gems in each category are listed in order of importance so use that as referece point for which to prioritize if you have socket issues. Also use your own judgement on what is most valuable to you at the time. ==================================================================================================================== AXE CRAFTING ==================================================================================================================== GOOD BASES : Vaal Axe, Karui Chopper I recommend crafting on Vaal Axes and you can use a Sundering axe early if you're weapon needs upgrading before you get access to Vaal axe, they should be the best middle ground between high base damage and not too low attack speed for gameplay to feel bit smoother The item levels you are looking for : T3 : 73+ T2 : 77+ T1 : 83+ Make sure your filter differentiates between these item levels, it is important to have a decent amount of axes to craft on. -= Entering Maps =- Your first Axe is very straight forward, we'll craft on a Sundering Axe or a Vaal Axe. Your options are : - Use an Essence of Contempt and craft %physical damage if there's an open prefix, craft attack speed if it already hit %phys. - Just alch it and if it has decent mods, crat %phys or speed and go with it - If you have a Regal orb, alteration spam until you hit a decent flat phys roll, then regal and craft phys. ONLY DO THIS IF YOU HAVE LOTS OF ALTERATIONS, average of 40 to hit something good. You do not need a very good axe at all to start mapping so don't worry too much about your first axe, just pick whichever option works at the time -= Mid Tier Axe =- Once you start mapping Contempt essences should help you get a mid tier weapon pretty quickly. Use Contempts on the base of your choice until you get something good It's very simple, big physical number = good. Just make sure you press alt to check if there is a free prefix to craft %phys or free suffix to craft attack speed. Also use all your Screaming Essences of Contempt as well as any Zeal Essence on your weapons to get your mid tier Axe. If you have Regals and Granite Flasks you can also alteration spam and use the recipe (Weapon with flat phys + Granite flask + 1 Orb of Augmentation). It will give you a magic Axe with a higher tier of flat phys which can go up to Tempered (T2 flat phys), next steps are : - Aug + Regal - Veiled orb to try to hit Phys prefix - Craft attack speed -= Late game Axe =- Now once you get a decent mid tier axe which should be the type of axe I have listed in the basic gear set, you can work on a bigger one. There are 4 stats you want to be rolled decently : %phys + %phys/acc hybrid + Flat Phys + Atk speed -- Once you hit 3 of these you can craft the last one (except hybrid, which makes it the most valuable one to hit) Here's the process to craft the ENDGAME axe from the pob : 1- Spam Essences of Contempts (Defeaning ideally) until you hit a decent hybrid %phys roll, tier 4 roll is good enough for a first endgame axe, with an open prefix (attempt to annul if it isn't) 2- Craft Prefixes cannot be changed 3- Veiled orb 4- If it hits a Prefix and you unveil %phys proceed to the next step, if not restart 5- You can finish right there by crafting attack speed, or if you want better : - Prefixes cannot be changed ---> Reforge speed until you hit T2/T1 speed in 3.25 we also have access to recombinators which are an extremely good way of making your Axe : 1- Alteration spam until you hit Flaring on one axe, and Dictator/Emperor/Conqueror on another one, then recombine them. If you get both prefixes on the result you can finish from step 3 on the previous crafting process. 2- If you want even better you will have to also alteration spam for Merciless another Axe to recombine with the result from step 1. Refer to the updated recombinator guide if you do not know how to maximize your changes for this step: https://www.reddit.com/r/pathofexile/comments/1exyavx/325_updated_guide_to_recombinators/ ==================================================================================================================== BELT CRAFTING ==================================================================================================================== Fertile catalyst ilvl 84+ Stygian vise then : 1- Spam Shrieking+ Essences of Dread until you hit T1 life with a free prefix 2- Prefixes cannot be changed ---> Reforge Chaos or any element depending on what you want 3- If the prefixes fill, restart 4- If the suffix hits a good resistance, Prefixes cannot be changed -> Veiled orb 5- If it unveils a prefix or removes the resistance, restart. If it unveils a resistance, proceed 5- Block suffix (by crafting anything) -> Hunter exalt and hope for %life 6- Craft suffix Minimum cost : 4 divines The abyss jewel should be craft with Harvest (Reforge Life and Reforge Lightning) ==================================================================================================================== CHEST / GLOVES / BOOTS / HELM ==================================================================================================================== Hit up your boy Rog or spam essences on stuff until it hits For boots spam Screaming+ Essences of Torment The rest are just basic life and resists items so use essences, harvest reforges, pick them off the ground or buy them off trade for a few chaos For most of the Endgame items, recombinators are the best way to make them, which are explained here : https://www.reddit.com/r/pathofexile/comments/1exyavx/325_updated_guide_to_recombinators/ =================================================================================================================== BETRAYAL =================================================================================================================== Most important unveils to look for (in no particular order) : - Phys/impale - Chaos hybrid resistances - Mana cost reduction => Target Elreon - Movement speed / Avoid chill => Target Rin - Damage while leeching => Target Vorici Members you can kick early on to get Gravicious and Rin in : Guff, Haku, Tora, It That Fled, Cameria, Janus, Jorgin, Vagan =================================================================================================================== UNIQUES =================================================================================================================== Good early uniques to look out for : - Sinvicta's Mettle - Belt of the Deceiver To target farm Hinekora's Sight and Writhing Jar : - Riker in Fortification - Elreon in Research - Pick up all Unique amulets to use Ancient orbs on them ( cannot do this for Writhing Jar ) - Ghosted Exiles are also a good way to get more uniques, but it can be dangerous (can do them in lower tier maps to be safe) ================================================================================================================ WATCHER'S EYE ================================================================================================================ Pride : Impale Chance / Inc Phys