[3.7] Pure Phys Spectral Shield Throw - Iron Fortress Strength Scaling

Why Berserker and Pure Physical
Berserker has the benefit of providing a nice damage boost to skills that are tough to scale. Spectral shield throw makes it hard to build around crit and compared to other attack skills right now, has a low ceiling on single target damage. With the recent boost in physical damage and taking advantage of zerkers high attack speed and impale, we can go above one mil with a basic setup and low investment.

Elemental conversion can probably reach higher numbers with zerker, but we have to sacrifice defences and invest much more currency. To get a better feel while clearing with a pure phys build, we can use a shaper mace with fire explosions as a 2nd weapon setup.

Budget explanation
The basics to get the build going and start mapping are pretty cheap and simple. A decent shield, the threshold jewel, and rare gear with life, resistances and intelligence. If you start without Blood Magic, you will need mana leech somewhere on gear. With Blood Magic, you will need either an Essence Worm for Dread Banner, or a Watcher's Eye with chance to impale with attacks while using Pride.

Things that will cost later are:
Iron Fortress with 3G 2R 1B
Helm with lab enchant (additional shard projectiles) and good stats
Good overall gear with strength, life, attack speed etc.

Damage and defences
Based on PoB, single target damage at close range (point blank), can be a minimum of 600k. No Berserk and without calculating Impale.

Defences are based on capping attack block chance, good physical reduction, high health pool and instant warcry with endurance charge generation.

Tree:https://www.pathofexile.com/build/VR15iW
PoB:https://pastebin.com/WRUw1MGF

ASCENDANCY:
-Aspect of Carnage
-War Bringer
-Crave the Slaughter
-Rite of Ruin

I would go with the above order.

BANDITS: Kill All

MANA LEECH vs BLOOD MAGIC vs "-# To Total Mana Cost of Skills"
Mana Leech: Mana Leech has the highest dps potential, as we can use more mana reservation skills. With 30 mana cost and around 15% unreserved mana, I just find it inconvinient on single target. Maybe it's a personal issue, so if you go with mana leech, use Flesh and Stone and Dread Banner along with Pride.
Blood Magic: Blood Magic solves all mana issues but needs some adjustments. We need Dread Banner on an Essence Worm ring, or a Watcher's Eye with 25% Chance to Impale while using Pride. The drawback is, that we can't use Flesh and Stone and that there are better options for Watcher's Eye than the one that gives Impale chance.
-Total Mana Cost: My least favorite option. With a unique chest, we have to use both rings and amulet just for that purpose, loosing probably good stats on life and more importantly, damage.

6Link:
Spectral Shield Throw - Brutality - Maim - Vicious Projectiles - Energy Leech - Impale

4Links:
Cast When Damage Taken (level 20) - Molten Shell - Increased Duration - Summon Lightning Golem

3Links:
Cast When Damage Taken (level 1) - Projectile Weakness (level 5) - Tempest Shield (level 7)

Leap Slam - Fortify - Faster Attacks

No Links:
Ancestral Protector
Enduring Cry
Pride
Berserk
Vaal Haste (level 10)

Optional Gems and Setups:
Blood Rage (level 11)
Dash (level 13)

Cast When Damage Taken (level 1) - Blade Vortex (level 8) / Ball Lightning (level 4) - Blind (level 20)

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Can Replace Impale with Fork or Chain for clearing.

Level limit on skills like Vaal Haste or Blood Rage, is there to lower dexterity requirements. You can level them more, depending on your attributes.

Molten Shell can be used outside of CWDT if you want more control over your defences.

The basic principle is to try and have at least 40 strength with 80~90 total life (including strength) on every item. Try to cover most resistances from Helm/Belt/Boots/Gloves. Intelligence can be covered from Helm/Boots/Amulet.

On pure dps stats, try to have attack speed on gloves/rings and if you can, keep an open suffix on rings/amulet to craft "+1 to mimimum frenzy charges".

HELMET:
Just a rare helmet with "Spectral shield throw fires # additional projectiles" lab enchant. Best option here is to craft it yourself, with some life/strength and decent resistance.


BOOTS:
Common boots with life/strength/resistances and movement speed.


GLOVES:
If you can, try to keep an open suffix to craft "increased attack speed".
They should look like this, with life-strength and one high resistance.


BELT:
We can either go for a stygian vise and a good jewel with life and attack speed, or an elder one with the "#% increased attributes" stat.


RINGS & AMULET:
Apart from life and strength, attack speed is good to have on rings. You should try and cover intelligence requirements from amulet, but if you get lucky, you can get an elder one with "1% increased damage per 15 strength". Open suffix on all three, can be used to craft "+1 to minimum frenzy charges".


CHEST:
Until you get Iron Fortress with the right colours, you can use any armour/evasion (for easy colouring) chest with life, strength and resistances.


JEWELS:
One "Divide and Conquer" threshold jewel and a rare one with life and attack speed. You can cover remaining resistances from the rare jewel aswell. Watcher's Eye with Impale chance will be needed depending on your Mana plan (see Build section). If you got that covered, Watcher's Eye with "Impales you inflict last 2 additional Hits while using Pride", gives probably the highest damage boost.


WEAPONS AND SHIELD:
Doon Cuebiyari is our main weapon. Prismatic Eclispe is also an option if you want better attack speed, but it locks you on 3 green gem slots. Any shield with higher armor than 2000 will do.


2ND WEAPON SETUP:
Get a second shield (no need to be as good as your main) and a shaper mace with fire explosions. This setup is completely optional, it just makes mapping more enjoyable for me.


FLASKS:
The usual life flasks with "removes bleeding" and "removes freeze", silver and sulphur flasks for dps.

Videos are from previous, unoptimized version. I will upload more in time.

T15-Summit
T16-Maze of the Minotaur