[Non Starter] 69 Fortify Stacks Delirious Perforate of D. Champion (Uber viable)

Keywords: Champion, Perforate of Duality, Impale, Crit, Fortify stacking, Low-Life, Delirious Bloodline, Uber Viable, Beacon of Madness, Stance Swap, Piano, Warcry-less, Spectres, Animate Guardian, Weak to DoTs

Words from Showmaker

Champion👤69 Fortify💦10 Endurance charges💪91 Evade Chance🤷‍♂️Unstoppable🚫Kills Ubers🧱Has Adrenaline🌪Delirious🤪Madness debuff is only☝☝seconds too🕐Perforate costs 21 Mana🧙‍♂️

Starting words

This build started with the idea of creating a character around the Beacon of Madness boots and using the Delirious Bloodline, and managing to do Uber Bosses with it, thinking that I may rely on my skills to survive, waiting for Mania stacks. I never thought that this build would do so well, as the showcases may display. Since people are interested in the new Fortification Viscera, I am sharing this guide.

This is not a league starter!!

Gameplay footage

Uber Eater of Worlds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lH5qOMqKuc
Uber Shaper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn0gNI4dd18
Clunky mapping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg2NZQI7AiA

POB

poe.ninja: https://poe.ninja/poe1/profile/imetalink02-2457/allflame/character/PkEmbrasserLaFolie

Optimal setup (466M DPS !!!!! OMG): https://pobb.in/VHK-lNFBsHNQ
Worst setup (4M DPS, Sand Stance, no Rage, no Mania, no Adrenaline, initial Pride effect, no Intimidate, no Charges stacked) : https://pobb.in/oGNrMslLlTt1
Average mapping situation (27M DPS): https://pobb.in/5LxiI-bdOlyA

Why this build

Pros	Cons
Fun build puzzle to solve	Specific breakpoints to minimize Madness debuff
Uber Viable	Many expensive mandatory uniques
Fortify stacking will be even better with Visceras	Horrible resistances with our uniques, must be fixed with Rings, Helmet, and Tattoos
Good framework with multiple skills especially physical Slams or Strikes	Spectres or AG will often die
Really tanky against hits	Really weak to DoTs
Has space for one Herald = big Herald of Ash MTX	Needs to remember to activate Delirious
No Warcry (I prefer the feeling of Multistrike)	Piano gameplay (if using Perforate of Duality)

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TL;DR

How to play

• Toggle Embrace Madness when entering a new instance
• Leap Slam, Attack, Leap Slam, Attack
• Stay in Sand Stance against weak enemies
• Swap to Blood Stance against strong enemies
• Don't stay too long in Blood Stance, it weakens after 4 seconds
• Pop Life Flask to trigger Adrenaline buff
• Against boss without ads, use Enduring Cry nearby

Defensive Layers

• 100%+ Damage Taken Recouped as Life
• 60+ Fortification Stacks
• 6+ Endurance Charges
• Permanent Adrenaline
• 40K+ Armour
• 60K+ Evasion Rating (91% Evade Chance)
• Immune to Elemental Ailments
• 234+% Debuff Expiry Rate
• Instant Leech with dozens of hits per second
• Stuns
• Enemy Reduced Action Speed
• Temporal Rift panic button

Skill gems

Equipment	Gems
Weapon	Perforate of Duality, Impale, Pulverise, (Greater) Multistrike, Ruthless, Endurance Charge on Melee Stun
Body Armour	Precision, Blood and Sand, Purity of Elements, Petrified Blood, Pride, Flesh and Stone/Enlighten
Helmet/Gloves/Boots	Raise Spectre (Lv. 21), Empower (Lv. 3+), Animate Guardian, Meat Shield
Helmet/Gloves/Boots	Temporal Rift (23% Quality), Enhance (Lvl 4), Enduring Cry/Convocation, Leap Slam/Frostblink/Flame Dash
Helmet/Gloves/Boots	Herald of Ash (costly MTX)/Herald of Purity (better DPS option), Arrogance (Lvl 21), Assassin's Mark, Mark on Hit

Items, spectres, misc.

Must have

Equipment	Recommended Item
Weapon	A good pDps Axe
Gloves	Celestial Brace
Amulet	Replica Badge of the Brotherhood
Belt	Perseverance
Body Armour	Stasis Prison
Boots	Beacon of Madness

Nice to have

• Lvl 21 Raise Spectre + Helmet with +2 Minion Skill Level + Empower Lvl 3 for 3 Maximum Spectres threshold, with:
  • Perfect Primal Thunderbird (Grace)
  • Perfect Guardian Turtle (Determination)
  • Perfect Warlord (Endurance Charges)
• Animate Guardian with Garb of the Ephemeral
• A good Lethal Pride with Maximum Fortification (use this calculator)
• Watcher's Eye with "Impales you inflict last 2 additional Hits while using Pride"
• Forbidden Flame and Forbidden Flesh for one of Champion's Ascendency Notables:
  • First to Strike, Last to Fall
  • Unstoppable Hero
  • Master of Metal

Achieve 233%+ Debuff Expiry Rate (as for why)

• Soul of Arakaali: 20%
• Window of Opportunity passive (anoint with Indigo, Opal, Opal): 15%
• Runegraft of the Warp: 30%
• Delirious Bloodline small node: 15%
• 23% Quality Temporal Rift + Green Socket + Lvl 4 Enhance: 57%
• Stasis Prison: 96%+

Other solutions to lower Stasis Prison requirement

• 7 skillpoints instead of anoint to take Duration Mastery: 15%
• Gem quality with Visceras
• Socketed level corruption in Gloves
• Higher Enhance level
• Or stay only above 150% breakpoint, worse debuff stacking but easier to achieve

How to scale further

• A better axe (please upgrade your weapon)
• Infamous Modifier on Helmet, "Nearby Enemies take 1% increased Physical Damage per two Fortification on you"
• Vestigial implicit Frenzy Charge on Beacon of Madness from Darkray Vectors
• Better Lethal Pride with more Fortification
• Rings with Maximum Frenzy Charge (Precursor's Emblem, Synthesis Rings, Corrupted Implicit)
• Higher Fortification on The Celestial Brace
• Maximum Frenzy Charge corrupt on The Celestial Brace
• Volatile Vaal Orb Beacon of Madness for up to +18 Maximum Fortification

How to fix your horrible Resistances

• Ring, Helmet mods
• Passive Skill points
• Save Alira
• Purity of Elements
• Corrupted implicits on Belt
• Tattoos (Cold Resistance, Lightning Resistance, Fire Resistance)
• Watcher's Eye with "Chaos Resistance while affected by Purity of Elements"
• Lethal Pride with Fire Resistance
• Light of Meaning with Chaos Resistance
• Cluster Jewels

How to fix your stats

• Ring, Helmet mods
• Craft on weapon for Crits + Strength + Intelligence
• Cluster Jewels
• Lethal Pride with Strength
• Intrinsic Catalyst on your amulets or rings

How to fix your Mana

• Instant Mana Leech (Clever Thief Passive skills Wheel)
• Ring with "Non-Channeling Skills have -X to Total Mana Cost"
• Life Mastery with "Skills Cost Life instead of 15% of Mana Cost"
• Lower Precision Aura level
• Thrill of Battle Mana Efficiency passive wheel
• Cluster Jewels with Reservation Efficiency

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How it works

Fortification stacking

The goal is to stack as much Fortification as possible to increase our defenses through the base effect, but also to increase our attack speed and damage thanks to our items.

Taking into account Unstoppable Hero Ascendency passive, The Celestial Brace, Perseverance and Steadfast notable passive skill, each maximum Fortification point that we can get in our build gives:

• 1% less Damage taken from Hits
• 4% increased Attack Speed
• 3% more Armour and more Evasion Rating (that scales with Grace, Determination and Perseverance's "1% increased Attack Damage per 200 of the lowest of Armour and Evasion Rating")
• Regenerate 0.1% of Life per second

With our build that achieves 69 Fortification, it means, considering that Champion's Ascendency only considers Fortification above 20:

• 69% less Damage taken from Hits
• 216% increased Attack Speed
• 147% more (!) Armour and Evasion Rating
• Regenerate 6.9% Life per Second

Fortification synergies

Frenzy Charges

Thanks to Replica Badge of the Brotherhood, each Endurance Charge gives +1 to Maximum Fortification, and your Maximum Endurance Charges is equal to your Maximum Frenzy Charges. So the goal will be to stack as much Frenzy Charges as possible. As we also use Endurance Charge on Melee Stun Support, putting everything together with Fortification and our passive Skill Tree, each Maximum Frenzy Charge will now give:

• 10% increased Attack Speed (base effect + Fortification synergy + Skill Tree)
• 8% more Damage (base effect + support)
• 16% increased Damage (Skill Tree, Frenzy + Endurance Charge synergy)
• 4% Additional Physical and Elemental Damage Reduction (Endurance charges)
• 1% less Damage taken from Hits (Fortification)
• 3% more Armour and more Evasion Rating (Fortification)
• 5% increased Armour (Skill Tree, Endurance Charge synergy)
• 9% increased Evasion Rating (Skill Tree)
• Regenerate 0.1% of Life per second (Fortification)
• 2% increased Movement Speed (Skill Tree)
• 3% increased Area of Effect (Skill Tree, Endurance Charge synergy)
• 5% increased Stun Duration on Enemies (Skill Tree, Endurance Charge synergy)

Seeking Maximum Frenzy Charges should be one of our main ways to scale our character, defensively and offensively.

Charge uptime

Because the charges are not permanent and need to be stacked, we have to create as much Frenzy and Endurance Charges as possible. Our maximum Fortification will be lowered if our Endurance Charges are not up. Increased Charge Duration through Charge Mastery is a good QoL to have.

For Frenzy Charges:

• Mark Mastery "10% chance to gain a Frenzy Charge when you Hit your Marked Enemy"
• Disciple of the Slaughter notable passive skill point for "8% chance to gain a Frenzy Charge on Kill"

For Endurance Charges:

• Disciple of the Unyielding notable passive skill point for "8% chance to gain an Endurance Charge on Kill"
• Enduring Cry against bosses
• Perfect Warlord Spectre
• Endurance Charge on Melee Stun Support

Because we hit so much with Perforate of Duality (15 hits per attack in Blood Stance, and 6+ attacks per second), Frenzy Charges are relatively easy to keep up against bosses. During mapping, charge on Kill is enough.

Endurance Charges against bosses is another story. Perfect Warlord's warcry is not increased by our Charge Duration, it has a 10s CD, and only gives 3 charges, which means we cannot rely on it. Because it is significantly harder to stun bosses, the Support Gem does not proc as much, so we must rely on Enduring Cry.

Perseverance

With Grace/Determination Spectre Auras and no Flasks, our Unique-locked equipment, and with a 600 Armour/600 Evasion Rating Haunted Bascinet and our current Passive Skill Tree, we can achieve 44K Armour and 78K Evasion Rating, which means that this belt gives 220% increased Attack Damage. With flasks, it goes up to 63K Armour and 102K Evasion Rating, which means 315% increased Attack Damage, plus free Onslaught.

Beacon of Madness and Delirious Bloodline

Benefits

If we can achieve the 234% Debuff Expiry Rate (see this thread), it means that we can mostly freely toggle Embrace Madness from Beacon of Madness. Which means, 20% chance to deal Double Damage, and +15 to Maximum Fortification, which means in total, when active:

• 20% chance to deal Double Damage
• 15% less Damage taken from Hits
• 60% increased Attack Speed
• 45% more Armour and more Evasion Rating
• Regenerate 1.5% of Life per second

Because You're the crazy one! Delirious Bloodline Ascendency also uses Embrace Darkness, it is a free scaling debuff on enemies, if they ever stay alive for up to 15 seconds:

• +4% increased Damage taken per second
• +2% reduced Action Speed per second
• +10% reduced Life and Energy Shield Recovery Rate per second

In reality, this debuff is mostly cosmetic and monsters will die way before the 15s cap.

Reduced Action speed mitigation

Due to the randomness of Embrace Madness stacking debuffs, even though we achieved a big breakpoint, there may be spikes of Reduced Action Speed on our character. This can be mitigated thanks to Garb of the Ephemeral on our Animate Guardian, if he ever stays alive.

Useful gimmicky layers

Spectres and Animate Guardian

Thanks to Champion's Fortitude Ascendency Mastery, Fortification is shared between allies. It means that our Spectres and Animate Guardian can share our 60+ Fortification Stacks, plus Warlord's Endurance Charge sharing, our summons can relatively stay alive without investing a single point in Minion Health. In reality, they sometimes die because of corpse explosions and ground DoTs. A Life Flask with Life Recovery to minions may be enough to keep them alive, or during mapping, we can also swap Enduring Cry with Convocation as Endurance Charge sustain is easier.

For a basic Animate Guardian equipment:

• Garb of the Ephemeral (mostly mandatory)
• Kingmaker (Dying Breath if on budget)
• Leer Cast
• Southbound with a curse corrupt implicit (Vulnerability, Temporal Chains, Punishment, Enfeeble)
• Windscream so that the curse can be applied

First to Strike, Last to Fall

The First to Strike, Last to Fall Champion Ascendency Mastery gives a long lasting Adrenaline buff if we ever get to Low Life. We can achieve that with Petrified Blood and 49% Life Reservation. By using a Life flask that ignores Petrified Blood cap, we go up to 51% Life, then by using any skill, we go back to Low Life, triggering the Adrenaline buff (100% increased Damage, 25% increased Attack, Cast, and Movement Speed, 10% additional Physical Damage Reduction).

Having a bit less than 50% Life Reservation can be achieved thanks to a Lvl 21 Arrogance Support linked to any 25% Mana Reservation Skill (Heralds, or Pantheon Aspects), and taking the Champion of the Cause notable passive skill.

Perforate of Duality, or any other skill?

My character uses Perforate of Duality because I love the feeling of that skill, I like piano-ing stance swaps, plus as a mono-target option, it shreds through any Pinnacle Boss. But any skill may potentially work! This build only lays down a framework that can be used with any physical skill. I may be curious to see how it works with Boneshatter, as there is a 100%+ Life Recoup thanks to Stasis Prison. Another synergy to seek with Boneshatter would be using Aspect of Lunaris instead of an Herald, as Boneshatter triggers the Less Physical Damage.