Facebreaker Ice Crash
Shadow/Assassin build

Updated for Patch 3.5

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Facebreaker is the most popular and the most powerful item for Unarmed builds in Path of Exile. It grants insane Physical Damage Bonus when you are not using any weapon, which scales extremely well with certain unique items like Abyssus Helmet, Loreweave Body Armour and Abyss Jewels. This build utilizes the Ice Crash Attack Skill which deals the highest percentage of your base DPS with every hit, and on top of that, it can be used while Unarmed.

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1. Gameplay

This build feels like a typical Melee build, however, when you obtain all the recommended items, you will notice the damage is completely out of ordinary. The build can one-shot everything with approximately 1 Million DPS on every Hit. For the defenses, this build utilizes high Life bonus (approximately 5,000 total Life) and Dodge Chance and Evasion Rating. With all the recommended gear listed below this build can clear all the content including Shaper and Uber Elder.

0:06 Tier 13 Mineral Pools 0:40 Tier 15 Sunken City 1:08 Tier 16 Hydra Guardian 1:40 Tier 16 Minotaur Guardian This video was recorded on a level 90 Assassin on Delve Softcore. It uses Consecrated Path for mapping/farming and Ice Crash for maximum DPS against bosses

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Leveling with Facebreaker is one of the easiest kinds. You can use Consecrated Path while Unarmed, and you should start using it right after you obtain Facebreaker and two Iron Rings. The skill itself deals high AoE damage and grants very good mobility, so you can use Consecrated Path all the way to level 80+ with the same equipment and Skill Gems, while you level Ice Crash in one of your free sockets. As you progress, and more Added Physical Damage gear becomes available the leveling gets even easier and faster. You only have to keep a proper balance between offense and defense. If your maximum Life is too low you may get one-shotted by some of the Bosses in the campaign mode.

Suggested leveling Gem Setups:

Consecrated Path setup
	Consecrated Path - one of the best leveling Attack Skills for this build. Provides high DPS and amazing mobility on lower levels
	Melee Physical Damage Support - grants increased Physical Damage with supported skills
	Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - increases Elemental Damage you deal with Attacks
	Physical to Lightning Support - grants 100% Damage Conversion and greatly increases your DPS

Utility Gems
	Shield Charge - great Movement Skill which makes you move faster when there are no enemies you can teleport to. You should also link it to Faster Attacks and Fortify Support Gems
	Herald of Purity - grants increased Physical Damage
	Hatred - grants additional Cold Damage based on your Physical Damage

Bandits:

We recommend helping Alira for Crit. Multiplier and Elemental Resistances

Leveling Skill Trees:

36 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Trickery 2) Claws of the Pride 3) Soul Raker 4) Claws of the Magpie

64 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Forces of Nature 2) Herbalism 3) Primeval Force

Recommended leveling items:

Facebreaker - one of the best leveling items in Path of Exile and the core item of this build. You can start using it at level 8 with Consecrated Path Attack Skill
+30% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier 10% reduced Enemy Stun Threshold (600-800)% more Physical Damage with Unarmed Attacks Extra gore

Blackheart - amazing leveling Rings for this build. They grant insane DPS buff compared to regular Iron Rings
Adds 1 to 4 Physical Damage to Attacks 5% increased Global Physical Damage Adds 1 to 3 Chaos Damage to Attacks +(20-30) to maximum Life (2-4) Life Regenerated per second 10% chance to Cause Monsters to Flee

Meginord's Girdle - one of the best Belts for this build. You can use it during the mapping phase as well
+(25-35) to Strength Adds 5 to 15 Physical Damage to Attacks +25 to Strength 10% increased maximum Life +(10-20)% to Cold Resistance 25% increased Flask Life Recovery rate

Lycosidae - the recommended Shield for this build. It can be used during leveling phase and it grants high DPS bonus
+(10-20) to maximum Life 3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) +(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

Foxshade - one of the best Armours for this build. It grants very high bonus DPS and increased Movement Speed
3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) Adds 5 to 12 Physical Damage to Attacks +(20-30) to Dexterity +500 to Evasion Rating while on Full Life (50-70)% increased Evasion Rating 10% increased Movement Speed

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

115 Points Final Skill Tree
115 Points Path of Building(PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Opportunistic
2. Unstable Infusion
3. Deadly Infusion
4. Ambush and Assassinate

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 Gruthkul 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each Hit you've taken Recently up to a maximum of 5%

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Ice Crash
	Ice Crash - your primary Attack. It deals insane damage in an area around your character
	Elemental Damage with Attacks Support
	Melee Physical Damage Support
	Physical to Lightning Support
	Concentrated Effect Support - grants flat attack damage bonus with each point of quality, as well as amazing damage boost with every third attack. Considering this Raider's attack speed this procs frequently giving amazing results
	Ruthless Support - greatly increases the Damage of support skill with every third attack
Optional Attack Skill Gem:
	Consecrated Path - which is much faster for farming and leveling but deals approximately 25% less damage

[MOBILITY] Shield Charge
	Shield Charge - Movement Skill which grants very good mobility
	Faster Attack Support
	Fortify Support - grants Fortify buff which reduces your damage taken

[UTILITY] Herald of Purity and Hatred
	Herald of Purity
	Hatred

[UTILITY] Golem setup
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - will auto-cast your Golem Spell
	Summon Lightning Golem - Lightning Golem increases your Attack and Cast Speed

[UTILITY] Blood Rage and Vaal Haste
	Vaal Haste - grants increased Attack and Movement Speed for the duration
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - use at max. level
	Blood Rage - grants increased Attack Speed and Frenzy Charge generation
	Ancestral Warchief - summons a Totem which grants you increased Melee Damage

[UTILITY] Phase Run and Vaal Grace
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - use it at level 7 in this setup
	Phase Run - grants you increased Movement Speed and lower visibility to enemies for the duration. While you use any Skill it instead increases your Melee Damage. Use this Gem at level 9
	Vaal Grace - Vaal Aura which grants increased chance to Dodge Attacks and Spells
	Increased Duration Support - increases the duration of supported spells

5. Gear Setup

Let's get down to the most interesting part of our Guide - the Gear.  Below you will find all the recommended items for this build. We do not recommend making adjustments, as this build requires quite a few specific items and may not work as intended otherwise. 

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Our recommended gear pieces will always:

1. Cap your resistances
2. Grant sufficient Life for mapping
3. Give you more than enough DPS to clear Maps of any Tier

(Helmet) Abyssus - mandatory Helmet for this build. It grants the highest flat Physical Damage bonus in the game

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

Helmet enchantment: 40% increased Ice Crash Damage

(Body Armour) Loreweave - definitely the best in the slot. It grants all the critical stats for this build

5% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) Has 6 Sockets Adds (4-10) to (14-36) Physical Damage to Attacks +(8-24) to all Attributes (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 (76-80)%

(Shield) Lycosidae - a must-have. All the items in this build rely on Lycosidae and grant you no Accuracy Rating at all

+(10-20) to maximum Life 3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) +(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

(Belt) Rare Stygian Vise - another important part of your equipment. Every Abyssal Jewel grants very high bonus Damage which make a Stygian Visse the best option

Min. requirements: 55 maximum Life 30% Fire Resistance 30% Cold Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance 30% increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills

(Boots) Rare Boots - with the highest defensive stats you can afford

Min. requirements: 80 maximum Life 30% Fire Resistance 30% Cold Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance 25% increased Movement Speed

Boot enchantment: 16% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've Killed Recently

(Gloves) Facebreaker - a build-defining item. It greatly increases your Unarmed Physical Attack Damage which scales extremely well with other recommended gear on this list

+30% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier 10% reduced Enemy Stun Threshold (600-800)% more Physical Damage with Unarmed Attacks Extra gore

Glove corruption: Curse enemies with level # Elemental Weakness on Hit

(Amulet) Rigwald's Curse - mandatory Amulet for this build

+(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

(Rings) Rare Rings

Min. requirements: 50 maximum Life Added 12 Physical Damage to Attacks 25% Fire Resistance 25% Cold Resistance 25% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills increased Critical Strike Chance

(Jewels) Rare Abyss Jewels - with Maximum Life and Added Physical Damage as the core stats on each Jewel, and one of the extra affixes depending on your needs

Recommended affixes: maximum Life added Physical Damage to Attacks Optional affixes: a chance to grant Onslaught on Kill Critical Strike Multiplier All Elemental Resistances

(Flask) Taste of Hate - grants high bonus DPS and very good Physical Damage mitigation which is very useful with Abyssus equipped

+50% to Cold Resistance +6% to maximum Cold Resistance 20% of Physical Damage taken as Cold Damage during Flask effect Gain (15-20)% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage during effect 30% chance to Avoid being Chilled during Flask effect

(Flask) Atziri's promise - a very powerful and inexpensive Flask

+35% to Chaos Resistance 2% of Chaos Damage Leeched as Life during Flask effect Gain (15-20)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect Gain (10-15)% of Elemental Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect

(Flask) Lion's Roar - grants a high Melee Damage bonus

+3000 to Armour Adds Knockback to Melee Attacks during Flask effect 75% chance to cause Enemies to Flee on use (20-25)% more Melee Physical Damage during effect Knocks Back Enemies in an Area when you use a Flask

Other suggested Flasks: Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching (immunity to Bleeding) Ample Diamond Flask of Heat (Freeze and Chill immunity)

We will appreciate all suggestions regarding this build. Also if you have a request for a future guide please leave it in the comments below. 

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