PVP guide, "Lacerate" melee build

Figured I'd better chronicle how my build used to work in light of some changes that happened recently.



This WAS the corner stone of the builds damage, providing the base damage of attack as well as bleed on hit without any shenanigans involving rings.

Now for the real chess game. You want to maximize the reduced duration on your EA so that the explosion occurs the second you reach maximum pull back to swing the axe (Fig 1).


Fig. 1 Initial stage of EA skill use.

This will drive the axe forward and lock it in for the next EA while also releasing the characteristic wave phenomenon that is often mistaken for the lacerate skill (Fig 2).


Fig. 2 Offensive stage of attack. Note with enough aoe, the radius of the EA detonations can overlap (take note for knockback shenanigans).

The system is grimly effective, the explosion on the first swing hits directly behind you and the second hits forward left of the player, with enough aoe these can make it hard to approach. Using flamedash on cwdt set up allows you "stick" to the offending player and keep them in the explosion radius (Fig 3).


Fig. 3 Area of overlap with sufficient area of effect.

Empower is obvious enough, no need to explain that. Rapid decay and less duration just happens to cause EA to decay in sync with the attack animation in such a manner that allow the forward swing to coincide with the detonation of the skill. This leaves two slots open for life gain on hit for a safety net. Normally I'd like to drop excessive "flowery" gems like rapid decay and less duration in favor of more life gain on hit gems but without these gems the build does not function.


I've alternated between these two chests and a Cospri's will that as of posting has since been traded for precious exalts.


These are great they make you deal a bunch of chaos damage and make you resistant to it too. Recently got buffed.


Great for suddenly re-positioning yourself and chasing down runners. Disregard the enchant, I just can't get the EA damage mod, driving me nuts.

As a Berserker this combo is both glorious for chasing down runners and weaponize your leech, good luck with either of those things in arena.


I mean, you're getting bleed anyway from your axe, might as well maximize your returns. Bonus, they're new so you can get them without enchants so no one can accuse you of enchant shenanigans.

Tree's nothing particularly special, focus on attack speed and chaos damage/degen. Grabbed a few jewel slots as those are always handy.
https://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAABAECAAHcBZMFtQ5IE20UCRUgFe0WvxbpGbQhkCLqI_YkNyaIJpUsvy2DMHwyCTY9N9Q9_EZxRwZHfkkTTZJQQlFHUzVUvVhjXEBd8l85Xz9f0GHiYqxlTWwIbEZsjG1sbztybHWedoJ343gNeWh9dX_GgwmE2YfLieCNfY2_j_qTH5MnlouYV5stnaqhL6Iuo4qnm6lusKu0DLTFtNG1SLXytzC9Nr6Kvqe_CMAawQTBxcLswzrEWMbYyAzII8rTzxXQ0NN-1bnb593j5ljo1uoQ7BjtP-4O73rxivTm9kj2o_hf_ro=

Please note that this is not EXACTLY what my build runs like anymore, but with all the new stuff and changes in play, evolution was to be expected.

Nice pics, awesome tree. Just a little suggestion:
move quotes from
 "Lacerate" melee
to
  Lacerate "melee"

Nice work myg!

Haha yes on the repositioning of the quotes

Edit: have you ever hit a homerun and knocked an arrow out of arena? :D

Impressive, re-specing right now.

"

a_z0_9 wrote:

Nice pics, awesome tree. Just a little suggestion:
move quotes from
 "Lacerate" melee
to
  Lacerate "melee"

Explosive arrow is a legit melee skill.

"

Edit: have you ever hit a homerun and knocked an arrow out of arena? :D

I don't want to fuckaround with the powder loads, this build has some issues with finger loss.