Facebreaker Earthshatter
Champion Build

Updated for Patch 3.18

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Facebreaker is an item that will give you up to 800% increased Physical Damage but under the condition - you're not allowed to wear any weapon. It's such a significant boost of damage that relinquishing your weapon is a valid option, it scales really well with flat added damage so you'll need to pick up as much of it as you can - for example from Steel Rings and any Rare Item able to provide it. Rigwald's Curse is a Unique Amulet that will increase your Critical Strike Chance and Damage only when you're unarmed, so it's a good match. The build, however, can be non-crit - with Resolute Technique - it can be adjusted easily with only a few tweaks. This guide is about the Critical Strike version of the Build.

The build is really cheap - Ryslatha's Coil Studded Belt is a Unique item that costs twice as much as the rest of the build but it's absolutely not mandatory, you can use Replica Soul Tether or any other rare belt - the build is versatile and there are only two cheap Uniques you have to obtain. You can for example use Unique Shields such as Lycosidae - so you won't have to worry about Accuracy Rating, Great Old One's Ward - for more Damage in general, or Saffell's Frame - for more Elemental Resists and Chance to Block Spell Hits. Your Defences will mainly consist of Maximum Life - around 7k, Armour, permanent Fortify, Adrenaline Buff from Ascendancy, and a small amount of Evasion Rating. 

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1. Gameplay

Earthshatter is a Slam type of Attack - it's slow with considerable AoE. It creates Fissures - structures that can be detonated using another slam, or in this case - a Warcry Skill. When choosing to use Slam as your main clear speed Skill be prepared for it to be sluggish, that's why it's important to have at least some Attack Speed increases on your Skill Tree and Gear. Master of Metal is probably the single most impactful Ascendancy Point - it gives you flat physical damage for each Impale - a quite complex mechanics, a debuff you inflict on your enemies that basically increases your damage with each hit by a lot on its own. The amount of damage you can scale goes really high, reaching Millions of DPS.

This video was recorded on a level 93 Champion on Standard League. We had no exceptionally expensive Items used with the Ryslatha's Coil being the most pricy one. The build had a lot of potential spots for improving the DPS with more Added Damage from Abyssal Jewels and possibly using Abyssus if you wanted to farm less challenging content faster

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Equip any Facebreaker at level 16, use Lycosidae Unique Shield with it - with that by level 16 your damage will be already off the charts. You can use any Slam Attack: Earthquake, Groundslam, Sunder - it doesn't really matter at first, but it's good to get used to Earthshatter from the start. Deidbellow is a very good helmet for leveling with this build. Look for resistances and Attributes on Iron Rings, Belt, Amulet and Gloves

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Earthshatter setup
	Earthsatter - use Earthshatter as your main DPS Skill
	Melee Physical Damage Support - best in slot Support Gem to increase your damage
	Impale Support - gives your Attacks a chance to Impale and improves their effectiveness
	Fist of War Support - Every few seconds your Slam Attack will be enhanced with more Aoe and increased Damage

Curse setup
	Vulnerability - enemies take more Physical Damage and have a chance to Bleed on a hit

Aura and Banner setup
	Pride - offensive aura for more Physical Damage
	Dread Banner - increases Fortify and Impale Effect and provide a chance to Impale
	Precision - for Accuracy Rating and Critical Strike Chance

Warcry setup
	Enduring Cry - regenerate your life and gives you endurance charges
	Seismic Cry - empowers your next Slam Attacks and makes enemies easier to stun
	Intimidating Cry - enemies take more damage
	Second Wind Support - allows you to use your Warcries a second time

Bandits:

Kill all three Bandits for two additional Skill Points

Leveling Skill Trees:

32 Points Skill Tree
Go for the Call to Arms as shown, allocate Warcry Clusters and some Maximum Life

73 Points Skill Tree
Get some Accuracy Rating, more Life, more Physical Damage, and more Armour

Recommended leveling items:

Lycosidae - You can use this Shield from level 11 until you're ready to invest in Accuracy Rating. Some variations of this build never actually swap it and use this Shield in the finished version.

+(10-20) to maximum Life +(120-160) to Armour +(30-40) to maximum Life Your hits can't be Evaded +(3-5)% Chance to Block Adds 250 to 300 Cold Damage to Counterattacks

Redblade Tramplers - this Pair of Boots will give you all the important stats you need, including added flat Physical Damage

Adds (2-5) to (7-10) Physical Damage to Attacks (5-10)% reduced Enemy Stun Threshold (150-200)% increased Armour +(50-70) to maximum Life +(20-30)% to Fire Resistance 25% increased Movement Speed Unaffected by Burning Ground

Deidbellow - adds flat Physical Damage to your attacks, increases your melee damage, gives you Attributes, Armour, and it synergizes well with your Warcries.

+(20-30) to Strength +(20-30) to Dexterity Adds 10 to 20 Physical Damage to Attacks +(200-300) to Armour 20% increased Melee Damage Cannot Leech when on Low Life If you've Warcried Recently, you and nearby allies have 20% increased Attack, Cast and Movement Speed

Tabula Rasa - outstanding Body Armour for leveling, can be used even up to level 90 or maybe higher

Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Item has 6 White Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden)

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

99 Points Final Skill Tree (doesn't include Cluster Jewels)
121 Points Path of Building (PoB) link
 

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Unstoppable Hero
2. Fortitude
3. Master of Metal
4. First to Strike, Last to Fall, or Inspirational

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of Lunaris: 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%; 1% increased Movement Speed for each
nearby Enemy, up to 8%

Minor God: Soul of Ryslatha: Life Flasks gain 3 Charges every 3 seconds if you haven't used a Life Flask Recently

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Earthshatter setup
	Earthshatter - the main reason for using Earthshatter over any other Slam Attack is its synergy with Warcries - your spikes are detonated dealing even more damage. It's a solid choice for the main Skill overall
	Brutality Support - your Elementa Damage is negligible, take Brutality for extra Physical damage
	Melee Physical Damage Support - more Physical Damage - pretty straightforward
	Pulverise Support - more Aoe and more Damage for AoE Attacks at the cost of Attack Speed
	Fist of War Support - every few seconds your Slam Attack will be enhanced with more Aoe and increased Damage
	Impale Support - very Important to have it - Impale is extraordinarily powerful mechanics, and your Ascendancy pushes it to its limit

[UTILITY] Warcry setup
	Enduring Cry - regenerate your life and gives you endurance charges, use it when you expect to receive a big hit.
	Seismic Cry - empowers your next Slam Attacks and makes enemies easier to stun, use it after Intimidating Cry
	Intimidating Cry - enemies take more damage, use it as your first Warcry
	Second Wind Support - allows you to use your Warcries a second time

[UTILITY] Aura setup
	Pride - offensive aura for more Physical Damage. Its' effect is increased the longer an enemy stays in radius, so it works best against Bosses
	Precision - for Accuracy Rating and Critical Strike Chance. Depending on your Mana Pool, you can use a lower-level Precision
	Determination - more and increased Armour, one of the best defensive Auras in the game
	Enlighten Support - Linked Spells reserve less Mana

[UTILITY] Stance and Banner setup
	Dread Banner - increases Fortify and Impale Effect, it also provides you with an additional chance to Impale
	Blood and Sand - use Blood Stance for more Damage and Sand Stance if you want to feel safer. In case of serious Mana issues, you may want to drop this Aura entirely

[MOBILITY] Dash
	Dash - used for increased mobility, it allows you to dash

[UTILITY] Blood Rage
	Blood Rage - keep it at level 10, it gives more Life Leech and Attack Speed. It also allows you to generate Frenzy Charges on kills

[UTILITY]  Vulnerability
	Vulnerability - The best Curse for this build that increases your Physical Damage. It should be triggered automatically.

[UTILITY] Guard Spell
	Steelskin - It's recommended to keep it under your Left Mouse Button so that it's triggered nearly automatically as you play. You can also swap it for  Molten Shell if your Armour is high enough.

[UTILITY] Totems support
	Ancestral Warchief - summons a Totem that increases your Melee Damage
	Ancestral Protector - summons a Totem that increases your Attack Speed
	Multiple Totems Support - you can have two of the Ancestral Totems summoned at once

6. Gear Setup

The only items necessary for this build to work are Facebreaker Unique Gloves, the rest is purely optional, that's why I'll list more than one item per gear slot so you can compare its pros and cons. Bury in mind that the skill tree presented here is for a Critical Strikes enabled version so if you wish to alter the build according to your needs, be sure not to blindly follow the path presented in it.

Our recommended items will:

1. Cap your resistances at 75%
2. Provide you with enough DPS and Life to start mapping

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - Your best, most balanced option for a Helmet. There's no special mod you should look for, maybe with an exception for the increased Physical Damage taken by your opponents but that's pretty much it. Look for Life and Resistances.

Min. requirements: +90 to Maximum Life +80% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Increased Global Accuracy Rating +(3–5) to maximum Fortification Nearby Enemies take increased Physical Damage

(Helmet) Abyssus - this is the "fun" Helmet. It switches your character from a decent tank into a complete glass cannon. The amount of flat Physical Damage it gives is ridiculous but it also makes you take much more damage. You can equip it to deal with Conquerors you're familiar with or use it all the time if you don't mind dying too often.

+(20-25) to all Attributes Adds 40 to 60 Physical Damage to Attacks +(100-125)% to Melee Critical Strike Multiplier (100-120)% increased Armour (40-50)% increased Physical Damage taken

Helmet enchantments: Earthshatter or some of your Warcries related enchantment

(Shield) Rare Shield - the best option if you are struggling with capping your Resistances. You can also get the 15% Reduced Mana Reservation Cost and socket your Auras here

Min. requirements: +100 to Maximum Life +80% to Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Increased Armour Socketed Gems have 15% reduced Reservation Attributes

(Shield) Great Old One's Ward - The default Shield. It gives you flat Physical Damage and Attack Speed which are really good stats you should prioritize. However, it lacks Elemental Resistances.

3% increased Movement Speed (8-12)% Chance to Block Spell Damage Adds (8-12) to (15-20) Physical Damage to Attacks (6-10)% increased Attack Speed +(50-70) to maximum Life

(Shield) Saffell's Frame - A decent budget and defensive option for a Shield. You cannot Block Attack, but it's not a big deal for your Fortified Champion. In return, you're able to Block Spell Damage and have more Maximum Elemental Resistance. For generic defenses such as these consider a Rare Shield as well

+4% to all Elemental Resistances (15-20)% Chance to Block Spell Damage (20-30)% increased Spell Damage +10% to all Elemental Resistances +4% to all maximum Resistances Cannot Block Attacks

(Shield) Lycosidae - With this Shield on you won't ever have to worry about Accuracy Rating, you will always hit enemies (unless they block or dodge). The other stats are minuscule. It is recommended for leveling, but consider switching later in the game.

+(10-20) to maximum Life +(120-160) to Armour +(30-40) to maximum Life Your hits can't be Evaded +(3-5)% Chance to Block Adds 250 to 300 Cold Damage to Counterattacks

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - A regular Body Armour is your best option. it's the only place for your six-link so Kaom's Heart is off the table. Look for Maximum Life, Elemental Resistances, and Armour.

Min. requirements: +100 to Maximum Life +80% to Elemental Resistances Attacks have +1% to Critical Strike Chance Optional affixes: Increased Armour Maximum Life % You Can Apply Additional Curse Attributes

(Body Armour) Loreweave - It's another valid choice. It has decent stats, provides you with enough Life, Attributes, flat Physical Damage, Critical Strike Chance, and sets a new cap for Maximum Elemental Resistances. Don't use it with Saffell's Frame.

Has 6 Sockets +(8-24) to all Attributes Adds (4-10) to (14-36) Physical Damage to Attacks (20-60)% increased Global Critical Strike Chance +(15-50) to maximum Energy Shield +(20-60) to maximum Life +(20-50) to maximum Mana (6-30)% increased Rarity of Items found (15-50)% increased Elemental Damage Your Maximum Resistances are (76-78)%

(Boots) Rare Boots - Rare Boots is what you're looking for. look for Maximum Life and Elemental Resistances. It is also mandatory to have a respectable Movement Speed mod there.

Min. requirements: +70 to Maximum Life in total +80% to Elemental Resistances +25% increased Movement Speed Optional affixes: Increased Armour You have Tailwind if you have dealt a Critical Strike Recently #% chance to gain Onslaught for 4 seconds on Kill Attributes

(Gloves) Facebreaker - It's so easy to get Facebreakers with a good roll on them that you should consider looking for Corrupted versions of it. Be wary: if you already have Curse on Cast When Damage Taken - look for an Additional Curse mod on your Body Armour or replace the Curse Skill Gem with something else.

+30% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier 10% reduced Enemy Stun Threshold (600-800)% more Physical Damage with Unarmed Attacks Extra gore Optional Corrupted Implicits: Curse Enemies with Vulnerability on Hit Attacks have +#% to Critical Strike Chance  #% increased Attack Speed #% increased maximum Life +2 to Level of Socketed Warcry Gems +2 to Level of Socketed Aura Gems

(Belt) Ryslatha's Coil - This item will cost you a small fortune, but it's worth every Chaos Orb you're willing to spend on it. Not only does it give you flat Physical Damage and a lot of Maximum Life, but it also widens the range of your Minimum and Maximum Damage. It translates to a lot more damage. It's even better when your opponents are cursed with Vulnerability - The Bleeding will always be overwritten by the highest roll from your Attack.

(20-30)% increased Stun Duration on Enemies +(20-40) to Strength (30-40)% more Maximum Physical Attack Damage (40-30)% less Minimum Physical Attack Damage Adds 1 to (15-20) Physical Damage to Attacks +(80-100) to maximum Life Gain 50 Life when you Stun an Enemy

(Belt) Soul Tether - A much cheaper substitute for a belt. It grants an extra defensive layer to your build by providing you with Energy Shield that is based on your Maximum Life. Life Leech will apply to your ES when you're on full life, so it allows you to use Damage on Full Life Support Gem instead of Fist of War Support or some other Skill Gem. Immortal Ambition is optional.

(15-25)% increased Stun and Block Recovery +(20-40) to Intelligence Gain (4-6)% of Maximum Life as Extra Maximum Energy Shield Immortal Ambition (Energy Shield starts at zero Cannot Recharge or Regenerate Energy Shield Lose 5% of Energy Shield per second Life Leech effects are not removed at Full Life Life Leech effects Recover Energy Shield instead while on Full Life)

(Amulet) Rigwald's Curse  -  This Amulet is considered one of the best for this build, it gives a lot of Crit. Chance.

+(24-36)% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier +7% to Unarmed Attack Critical Strike Chance Modifiers to Claw Damage also apply to Unarmed Attack Damage Modifiers to Claw Attack Speed also apply to Unarmed Attack Speed Modifiers to Claw Critical Strike Chance also apply to Unarmed Attack Critical Strike Chance Corrupted

Recommended Anointments: Essence Sap Spirit Void Tenacity - if you have Mana Leech from another Source

(Ring) Rare Steel Rings - both your Rings Should be Steel Rings with added flat Physical Damage as Implicit, and additionally - the same mod as a Prefix.  The numbers are surely unimpressive, but thanks to your Facebreaker they are increased. That's why Added Physical Damage is so important.

Min. requirements: Adds 9 to 15 Physical Damage to Attacks Attributes +60 to Maximum Life Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances Accuracy Rating

(Jewel) Rare Jewels - you won't have many of these, but try to get ones with Maximum Life, Elemental Resistances, and Attributes. It's good to have "Corrupted Blood cannot be inflicted on you".

Min. requirements: +30 to maximum Life increased Physical Damage to Attacks Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Attributes

(Jewel) Watcher's Eye - The crown jewel of your build. Your auras are Precision and Pride, try to obtain a Watcher's Eye with at least one mod that'd have these as modifiers.

(4-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield (4-6)% increased maximum Life (4-6)% increased maximum Mana <Two or Three random aura modifiers> Recommended Aura modifiers: Impales you inflict last 2 additional Hits while using Pride (40-60)% increased Attack Physical Damage while using Pride (40-60)% increased Attack Damage while affected by Precision

(Flask) Lion's Roar - Use Lion's Roar more Armour. It's a great defensive Flask:  it adds a Knockback effect, causes Enemies to Flee, and increases your damage.

+1500 to Armour Adds Knockback to Melee Attacks during Flask effect Knocks Back Enemies in an Area when you use a Flask 75% chance to cause Enemies to Flee on use (7-10)% more Melee Physical Damage during effect

(Flask) Bottled Faith - It's one of the best flasks in the game, quite pricey at that. Use Bottled Faith for more Critical Strike Chance, More DPS, and Life Regeneration.

40% increased Damage Creates Consecrated Ground on Use (30-15)% reduced Duration Consecrated Ground created by this Flask has Tripled Radius Consecrated Ground created during Effect applies (7-10)% increased Damage taken to Enemies (100-150)% increased Critical Strike Chance against Enemies on Consecrated Ground during Flask effect

Other suggested Flasks: Quicksilver Flask with Bleeding immunity/removal Life Flask with random ailment removal Diamond Flask with random ailment removal

If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below. We are always open to suggestions and constructive feedback.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games.