PoE 3.13 Duelist Champion Ground Slam easy to build melee character that's not afraid to tank some hits and does big damage. Running into packs and slamming them flat feels amazing, plus we can stun nearly anything with Vaal Ground Slam including awakener 8. Easy leaguestart and progression with big power coming from our ascend points. With balanced gear you should hit around ~5500hp and ~10mil DPS.

 

Quick Jump

Pros & Cons

+ Leaguestart and scaling: Just pick up ground slam and go, big impales and fort+armour from our ascend makes levelling a breeze and jumping into maps easy as well.

+ Stunning Durability: Ground Slam puts out some big stuns meaning enemies don't get to attack you, and what does get through has to penetrate several layers of defences.

+ Low Stress: Few required items and light on skills to use, this is a very laid back build to play

- Stat budget: The build uses a lot of uniques with low/zero resist, plus we cannot equip gloves or a shield. It's not terribly hard to pack enough on belt/rings but gets expensive if you want damage mods as well

- Chaos/Degens: I personally just run near -60 and deal with it, but there is room for some in the build if you can afford it.

 

Skill Tree

Ascendancy: Master of Metal-> Unstoppable Hero-> Fortitude-> Conqueror (Please note that the 3.13 update)

Pantheon: Solaris or Lunaris and Gruthkul

Bandit: Kill All

Passive Tree & PoB

Path of Building Link

Leaguestart: https://pastebin.com/1C4UFMS4

Midrange: https://pastebin.com/gnDSibDz

Endgame: https://pastebin.com/EueGgGZu

 

 

 

 

Gems Setup

Vaal Ground Slam - Impale - Pulverise - Awakened Brutality - Awakened Melee Physical Damage - Awakened Multistrike

Pride - Flesh and Stone - Blood and Sand - Enlighten

Blood Rage - Dash - Cast when Damage Taken - Ancestral Warchief

Dread Banner

 

Gear Setup

Helmet

+52 to Dexterity
+16 to Armour
98% increased Armour
+115 to maximum Life
+35% to Chaos Resistance
Nearby Enemies take 9% increased Physical Damage

Armour base with 9% increased phys damage taken and high life. Until this, Fractal Thoughts is a fantastic helm just make sure your strength is higher than intelligence.

Chest

Wildwrap

15% increased Dexterity
10% increased Attack Speed
+659 to Evasion Rating
+30% to Cold Resistance
5% increased Movement Speed
20% increased Mana Recovery from Flasks
1% increased Damage per 15 Dexterity

Wildwrap gives us massive DPS for very cheap, and also makes a great double corrupt target. It's not required, but theres nothing better.

Boots

Garukhan's Flight

+38 to Dexterity
340% increased Evasion Rating
30% increased Movement Speed
Immune to Burning Ground, Shocked Ground and Chilled Ground
Regenerate 100 Life per second while moving
+2 to Maximum Life per 10 Dexterity

We get a ton of health from these with our high DEX, and combined with everything else they offer its an easy choice.

Jewellery

+17% to Cold and Lightning Resistances
+44 to Dexterity
22% increased Melee Damage
+79 to maximum Life
+50% to Fire Resistance
Curse Enemies with Vulnerability on Hit, with 32% increased Effect
Non-Channelling Skills have -9 to Total Mana Cost

Has 1 Socket
+52 to Dexterity
18% increased Melee Damage
Adds 8 to 13 Physical Damage to Attacks
+76 to maximum Life
+47% to Fire Resistance
5% increased Attack Speed

One ring needs Vulnerability on hit, and we want big DEX plus flat phys and melee damage if we can get it. I used an unset ring because the build is tight on sockets but you can use whatever fits. One -9 mana craft will be needed.

Astramentis will be your amulet for awhile because crafting one can get expensive.

Belt

Has 1 Abyssal Socket
+58 to Strength
14% increased Attributes
18% increased Global Physical Damage
+50 to maximum Energy Shield
+77 to maximum Life
13% increased Attack Speed during any Flask Effect

Ghastly Eye Jewel
+13 to Dexterity
+25 to maximum Life
+12% to Cold and Lightning Resistances

Cyclopean Coil is fantastic damagewise plus it gives us freeze immunity and a good amount of HP. You can get one corrupted with resistance to make balancing easier, or go uncorrupted then add attribute catalysts

Jewels

Adds 8 Passive Skills
2 Added Passive Skills are Jewel Sockets
Added Small Passive Skills grant: 12% increased Attack Damage while Dual Wielding
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Added Small Passive Skills also grant: +5% to Lightning Resistance
Added Small Passive Skills also grant: +2 to Maximum Life
1 Added Passive Skill is Heavy Hitter
1 Added Passive Skill is Martial Momentum

Adds 4 Passive Skills
1 Added Passive Skill is a Jewel Socket
Added Small Passive Skills grant: 5% increased Effect of your Curses
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Added Passive Skill is Evil Eye
1 Added Passive Skill is Exploit Weakness

Watcher's Eye: 8% chance to deal Double Damage while using Pride

Small Cluster Jewel: 1 Added Passive Skill is Enduring Composure

Fluid MotionSplit PersonalityOne With Nothing

Flasks

Find Immunity to Freeze and Chill, Curses, Bleed Mod

Quicksilver Flask: Movement

Instant Recovery Life Flask

Lion's Roar

 

Leveling

Act 1

Attack: Ground Slam - Onslaught Support - Added Fire Damage

Auras: War Banner, Blood and Sand

Movement/Misc: Dash, Ancestral Protector

We get quite a few useful gems early on, with 2 auras and a totem DPS shouldnt be an issue. I used vendor recipe blue 1H axes for my playthrough but GS can be used with a few weapon types should you happen to find a good rare.

Act 2

Attack: Ground Slam - melee physical damage - faster attack

Auras: War Banner, Blood and Sand, Flesh and Stone

Movement/Misc: Dash, Ancestral Protector

Find the cave in Old Fields and kill the bear for a Rustic Sash quest reward, use it to craft a new weapon. Grab a new aura and new supports then kill both bandits and move on.

Act 3

Attack: Ground Slam - Melee physical damage - Impale - Fortify

Auras: Dread Banner, Blood and Sand, Flesh and Stone

Movement/Misc: Dash, Ancestral Protector, Second Wind

Use the first 2 ascend points on Master of Metal. Pride is available at this point but has a large reservation and can cause mana issues while levelling.

Act 4-6

Attack: Ground Slam - Melee physical damage - Fortify - Brutality - Multistrike

Auras: Dread Banner, Blood and Sand, Flesh and Stone

Movement/Misc: Dash, Ancestral Protector, Second Wind

CWDT: Steelskin - CWDT - Summon Flame Golem

Make sure to grab the Ground Slam jewel in act 5.

Put second labs ascend points in Unstoppable Hero.

Act 7-10

Ground Slam - Melee physical damage - Impale - Brutality - Multistrike -  Pulverize

Third lab points go into Fortitude.