Facebreaker + Tempest Shield build?

It's really interesting how many different kinds of Facebreaker builds one can achieve. The Templar build the OP is making is just one example.

My other char build (still in progress) is a facebreaker Templar who uses CI, Vaal Pact, GR, and Resolute Technique to instantly heal ES to stay alive while dishig out major dps. Main skills are Frenzy and dominating blow. Dominating blow acts as a substitute for the lack of aoe. Frenzy is to hit hard and fast. With CI I can use blood rage, and with warlord's mark I can get something like 13% life leech not counting gear. With Facebreaker I can achieve 3-4k physical damage using frenzy. With increased attack speed and Frenzy I can achieve something like 3 attacks per second, leeching ~1k-1.5k ES per second instantly. Mana isn't an issue since I'll use the 2% mana leech passive plus warlord's mark. At 3-4k physical damage that's about 120-160 mana leech per hit. Should cover cost of skills.

As more skills become available to unarmed, I can see Facebreaker builds becoming more complex. It really adds another dimension to character customization. And that's really good for an arpg game like PoE.

Sidenote: sorry for hijacking thread. Not sure about supports that can work with tempest shield but skills that work with Facebreaker aka unarmed currently are: Frenzy, Elemental hit, dominating blow, and inferno blow. Hopefully more melee skills are enabled for unarmed in the future.

Facebreakers should ALWAYS use increased physical damage support, added fire damage support and faster attacks with their main attacking skill to boost unarmed dps. And the aura of choice? HATRED 100% of the time. For less mana than Wrath+Anger combined (since most Facebreakers don't have much mana) you get more than doubled the added damage.

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PhabEj wrote:

Getting physical damage is not a drop in the bucket at all. Facebreaker adds 1000% MORE unarmed damage. Let's say you get +20% physical damage an you have a base of 40-70 damage (with gear):

Without any +%physical damage your damage is:
40-70*(1+10)= 440-770

Now with the +20% physical damage:
40-70*(1.2) = 48-84
48-84*(1+10)=528-924

As you can see, a +20% physical damage makes a HUGE difference. Your dps went up 20%.

I respec'd 3 nodes removing about 28% physical damage I think, and barely took a hit to damage.


As far as quivers affecting melee, they mentioned they might get rid of that in the same video they mentioned allowing infernal blow to work with unarmed and removing anything with the word weapon from affecting unarmed (such as weapon elemental damage nodes). Yet the quivers still work. I'm hoping they left it in rather than not having gotten to it yet.

First - thx alot for the replies guys, I read everything with big interest.

The thing is - I like the graphics of Tempest Shield and I want to use it but you say that it doesn't worth it.

My idea was tempest shield + iron will (the support gem that gives the +% dmg to the spells) + added chaos dmg or something and + other shits and the shield to reflect alot of dmg so it becomes viable offensive skill.

About Facebreaker - interesting will they leave quiver working? If they don't atm it's not worth it to throw wealth into items and passives around facebreaker+quiver.

Can anyone link me a typical Facebreaker build passives?
And maybe some other, not that typical?

With tempest shield, max damage you would do is about 700-800 damager PER SUCCESSFUL BLOCK. That's tempest shield + iron will + added lightning + added chaos + etc.

It's not bad, but you could do that while using a good 1 handed weapon spamming LS, Cleave, Ground Slam, etc. By going Facebreaker you're limited to punching things 1 by 1 while relying on tempest shield to finish them off. Truth is, even with all that investment into tempest shield, you would still kill faster using default attack as a Facebreaker.

You won't always block attacks. Sometimes even with 75% chance to block it feels like you only block 50% of the time. Relying solely on tempest shield to do your killing will be very slow. I would suggest you turn on tempest shield and then forget It even exists and go about your way punching things with inferno blow or frenzy.

Going with your build really gives a Facebreaker the defense it lacks. But in the end, a Facebreaker still has to fight with his fist to make a living :/

A small tweak to your passives - if you take the +10 Strength over on the west side, you can either drop the 3 +10 IQs at the start or 2 +10 IQs just north of that. If you really need the IQ you can pick up the savant on the way down to to RT.

Tempest shield + increased crit stikes + increased crit damage + elemental proliferation

Molten shell + increased area + increased crit stikes + increases duration

Frenzy + faster attacks + added fire damage + cold to fire + increased physical damage

Hatred + warlords mark + reduced mana + vitality

Anger + grace + blood magic

That's the setup I would run as a life based face breaker build. Maybe use blood rage or rejuv totem if my armor had a sixth socket. Might also switch out a support gem for the other (rejuv totem or BR).

Facebreaker (with good items) does in fact do enough damage to allow you to build completely defensively and still trounce enemies.

I have a similar build which is a Minion-focused witch using Dominating Blow with Facebreakers and Tempest Shield for shock elemental proliferation. It's incredibly good.

Get a Crest of Perandus unique shield. That shield is very low level but it gives 48% block rate at 20 quality. You would only need +23% block rate from passives along with the 4% from tempest shield to have max block rate. This would save a lot of passive points. (Unless you really want an ES shield).

Personally, in my Vaal Pact Facebreaker build, Crest of Perandus would synergize very well. The high block would increase survivability while the 1% life leech gives me more instant leech.