3.10 Chad - from rags (Facebreaker Cyclone) to riches (Saviour Flicker Strike)

The idea of this build is that you can do it with one ascendancy, start from the super-budget, go through different skills and end up with a fun build.

I managed to get 40/40 challenges by myself, with the exception of Uber Elder. Degen is our enemy and after bricking one set just before killing Elder, I decided it being more economical to source out the kill. With a bit more patience, I am positive you can kill UE. I, however, lacked the patience, or the interest after farming UE with a Baronmancer in Blight.

How many monies did I make? I sit on 80 EX (excluding any other currency or assets), 16 EX sword, 10 EX body armour, 10 EX rings (* 2), 8 EX boots, 3EX sword, 3 EX belt, 1 EX amulets (* 2). My gloves would cost more than 1 EX but given I crafted them myself, I leave them out of the equation. Next to this, I have four awakened gems for (8 * 2, 6 * 2) a subtotal of 28 EX. Leading to a grand total of 170 EX by no farming strategy and focused on getting 40/40. These items are expressed in what I paid for them, they might have appreciated or deprecated in time.

I did a mash-up of Face Breaker Gladiator builds. You can use any of these builds. My advice from these, just get the best Face Breaker for 1 Chaos. Get a decent rolled Abyssus for about 30 Chaos and the cheapest Surrender you can find. Your main damage will come from your six link Cyclone anyway. Get twice enchanted when you do the uber lab for your Abyssus, any melee skill enchant will net you some monies. I sold my Sweep enchanted for 6 EX. I went for Impresence and resolute technique, critical hit versions do more damage but this just a stop for us and we will end up using our Impresence till the end.

During this time, I invested in 2 circles of guilt with good rolls on buff effect and more Phys damage. They went for 10 EX each, so that was my big boi upgrade. But it doubled my DPS.

When did I stop? After killing Sirus AL6 with this build.

Main skill: Cyclone < Infused Channelling < Brutality < Melee Damage < Fortify < Impale Support

It is time to say goodbye to your Face Breaker and get a Paradoxica. Get one with damage, quality and impale for about 3 EX. Attack speed is sweet but expensive. I never bothered to upgrade my 3 EX version. With the advent of Paradoxica, Resolute Technique is no more, and you will need to invest in some sword nodes.

With flexibility in gloves, my recommendation is a rare hunter influenced one with culling strike. Spiked is bae, but it was out of my budget at the time and didn’t feel the need to upgrade later on.

Main skill: still Cyclone

Time to get some frenzy charges. Which means forking over another 10 EX for Farrul’s and finding an item to craft aspect of the cat on. My recommendation is gloves, so you are flexible in which tailwind boots you end up buying.

Since you have a sword now and frenzy charges generation, it is time to switch to flicker strike. This can be a bit of trial and error though, as damage might feel lacklustre against some bosses. Your clear speed will skyrocket though. Some people go for double strike 6l / flicker strike 4l, I didn’t bother.

One tip is to have two amulets. One with the assassination enchant and one with the +1 strike enchant. In the beginning, I switched to the former for conquerors.

Main skill: Flicker Strike < Multi Strike support < Brutality < Melee Damage < Fortify < Impale Support

Once you are comfortable with the style, it is time to farm the monies for your tailwind boots. For the next league I participate in, this will be my number one priority. Having this for any build (except minion) is so satisfying. Ideally, you get +30 ms on your boots, but that can get expensive, so you might need to settle.

Once you had the Saviour to drop (or buy one by selling your awakener orbs or the fight itself) it is time to go dual wield. You will need to buy the red nightmare and respect your tree to the dual wield block nodes and remove any shield nodes. My faith in the Gladiator faltered at that moment and I was tempted by the high damage of the Champion. After dying many times without block, I went back to Gladiator.

Get your woke gems (not multi strike, because the price is insane) and go for a nightmare as a headpiece. You’ll miss out on some damage, but you’ll be a bit less squishy and move faster.

At this point, you’ll average 2 – 3 minutes per map if you clear with less than 30 mobs remaining. Map Boss will take you about 10 – 15 seconds under delirium influence (without phases). Conquerors take about a minute, Sirus AL8 is doable with two deaths (each time the degen). Cortex usually takes one death and Cat 83 is doable deathless.

I have one spare four-link slot. I used it initially for Riposte. Then to level gems. I was thinking of putting in an animated guardian with meat shield, elemental army and minion life. For kingmaker, ephemeral and Victario bonuses, but then I hit 40/40 and wanting a break.

4k EHP and still you managed to get to level 96?
Block is the strongest defence of them all.

Things you would do differently?
Just settle for the belt of the deceiver, this build is low on-resistance and the added resistance saves you some skill points. It is a little bit of less damage but that is only noticeable during end game encounters.

How is simming?
You might occasionally die during one of the twenty waves. I did manage to beat two bosses at the 20th wave a few times. Did 500+ waves solo and got one large voices to drop.

Cluster jewels or anything else?
Not worth it if you go for block. We are too skill point starved, unfortunately.