[3.26] Frost Blades Champion League Start Guide (and Warden)

Fortify - stacking with celestial brace + replica badge TLDR: NOT WORTH IMO CORNERED PREY BLEED WHEEL AND COLD CONVERSION: If you take the Cornered Prey wheel and you have 100% Phys-to-Cold conversion, you MUST use another skill to proc Bleeds. VLS as a utlity link to generate fast rage and Cull is a great solution for this. Before Heatshiver and 100% conversion, it's not a problem. Vaal Smite can be used for bonus damage, but with low chance to bleed (20%), it doesn't hit enough to reliably proc bleeds. PERSEVERANCE: TLDR: NOT WORTH IMO unless you can get Grace AND Determ from a Merc, then MAYBE Axe vs Sword: TLDR: BOTH GOOD, AXE = GETS RAGE, SWORD = GETS FRENZIES ON BOSSES BOTH HAVE PROS/CONS If you go Axes, getting Frenzy charge generation while bossing will be top-priority from a Mercenary. Pantheons - Brine King til Ailment immune, then Lunaris + Gruthkul Important Milestones (post-campaign) Getting a 5L -> add EDWA Getting a 6L -> add Added Cold Getting a Lethal Pride -> look for Rage on Hit + DD, bonus Crit Chance or Multi, Fire Res/ Melee Dmg /+1 max Fortify / Crit Reduction Getting a Taming -> High Res roll Getting Stun Immunity (5x Avoid Stun Tattoos) (maybe) Getting Eldritch Implicits ->+1 Strike/Pierce Gloves, Brittle boots are priority Getting Chaos Res Capped Getting Fury Valve (for map blasting) Getting +2 Strike Gloves Ailments: How to get ailment immunity You get 20% on tree - you can get the other 80 from a combination of Shield + Boot Essence Mod + Boot Eater Implicit + Chest Craft If you have Stormshroud or Ancestral Vision, you can use Boots with Avoid Shock or Avoid Ailments to cap easily. What to do BEFORE you have ailment immunity - use Brine King pantheon + Avoid Chill Movement Speed boot craft. A Freeze Immune Flask can help for Reflect Ailment mobs before you unlock the Pantheon. VLS: If Sword, VLS more important, you need rage more If Axe, still probably required to easily proc Bleeds for crit wheel Optional Leveling: TLDR: USE WHATEVER U WANT 2Hander are good in Act1-3 1h vs 2h - lategame 2h for EARLY campaign, later on Shields are too important/valuable 2hander is only - 25% more dmg movement skill options AXE = LEAPSLAM Sword = WB Shield charge if you are a psycho Suppression We get a lot of Suppression from the tree (62% in most cases) meaning we only need 38% on gear, or 2 rolls of 19%. Always use the Lucky suppress mastery until you're 100% without it, then change to prevent +3% or drop Accuracy TLDR: CHAMP DOESNT NEED ACCURACY BECAUSE OF WORTHY FOE If Accuracy while mapping (enemies must be taunted before "Hits cannot be evaded" applies) is a problem, accuracy may need to be added to the build for QoL WARDEN DOES You need some combination of the 2 accuracy clusters, 580+ on gloves/helmet, Blind, Lvl 1-2 Precision and even an Abyss Jewel in some cases Trinity Tri-Ele vs. Phys/Cold w/ Heatshiver BIG DIFFERENCES TRINITY AND HEATSHIVER ARE ANTI-SYNERGISTIC, DO NOT USE TOGETHER When you go Heatshiver, you need to switch Anger to Hatred, take the 40% phys-to-cold conversion mastery, and get on a weapon with phys/phys/cold prefixes to maximum Heatshiver scaling. Heatshiver's Fire damage alone will not be enough to proc Trinity anymore 3.26 UNKNOWNS: MERC POWER RUNEGRAFT OPTIONS TRARTHAN GEMS TRARTHAN MODIFIERS TLDR: ALL COULD BE BIG GAME-CHANGERS, DONT KNOW ANYTHING YET Merc Power: Frenzy charges, Auras, Curses, increased damage taken - tons of good stuff, too soon to say what's best. Tattoos: TLDR: 1 BLIND, MAYBE STUN AVOID, REST DMG/WHATEVER LEECH MAYBE Anoint Options Cheap, good early options: Divine Judgment High Voltage AMULET OPTIONS: FURY VALVE vs Yoke vs Rare Fury Valve is OP insane for mapping If you are bossing (Pinnacles), swap to a damage rare or Yoke if you have one Cluster jewel might be worth VERY late-game - POB it first