Tectonic Slam
Slayer/Duelist
Patch 3.2 Build

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Estimated budget: high (30-40 Exalted Orbs)

Slayer is one of the most DPS-oriented classes in Path of Exile. It focuses on maximizing raw DPS when wielding a two-handed weapon and provides increased Life Leech for more sustainability. This build revolves around the newly added in patch 3.2 Skill Gem - The Tectonic Slam. This is a powerful area/melee attack skill that is a successor to the nearly forgotten Earthquake. It deals very high  

We expect this build to be fully Uber Elder viable with proper end-game gear, including Atziri's Disfavour unique axe.

For the full list of our Path of Exile builds you can visit the following article: Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List

1. Gameplay

Tectonic Slam is an area melee attack skill that can also deal damage from a distance, making several end-game's encounters much easier. It also provides one of the highest melee DPS which makes this extremely viable choice for Patch 3.2 and the Bestiary League. We suggest to use it with high physical damage axes, as they provide the highest base damage, good weapon range, and the best passive nodes from the Duelist/Marauder's part of the Skill Tree. Tectonic's Slam damage is based on high Fire damage conversion.

0:06 Tier 8 Armoury Map 0:18 Tier 9 Arachnid Tomb Map 0:42 Tier 11 Spider Forest Map 0:56 Tier 14 Double Boss Palace Map This video was recorded on a level 86 Slayer on Bestiary SC League

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Leveling with Duelist/Slayer may feel a bit slow on lower levels, but if you can afford to upgrade your two-handed axe every 5-8 levels it will be a piece of cake. You can use a wide variety of melee Skill Gems, depending on your personal preference, but still, Sunder remains one of the best leveling skills that provide good area damage and clear speed. Other than that it's all about upgrading your damage through flat added physical DPS gear and following the suggested Skill Tree's path.

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Molten Strike setup (up to level 12)
	Molten Strike - good melee DPS ability that is the first skill you can get after killing Hillock
	Ruthless Support - grants increased damage with every 3rd hit
	Added Fire Damage Support - adds additional damage as a percentage of your physical weapon damage

Sunder setup
	Sunder - this skill provides better DPS and amazing AoE for leveling. It's advised to switch to Sunder at level 12
	Added Fire Damage Support
	Faster Attacks Support
	Melee Physical Damage Support

Utility Gems
	Flame Golem - increases your damage
	Ancestral Warchief - summons a Totem that deals additional Physical Damage as well as increases your own melee damage
	Punishment - recommended leveling curse for this build
	Leap Slam - great mobility skill that can be used with two-handers equipped

Bandits:

We recommend killing all bandits for the extra 2 passive points

Leveling Skill Trees:

31 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Art of the Gladiator 2) Destroyer 3) Butchery 4) Splitting Axes

63 Points Skill Tree
1) Barbarism 2) Devotion 3) Catalyse 4) Elementalist 5) Amplify 6) Discipline and Training

Recommended leveling items:

Blackheart - amazing leveling ring that has no level requirement
Adds 1 to 4 Physical Damage to Attacks 5% increased 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

Limbsplit - cheap and powerful two-handed unique axe
+1 to Level of Socketed Strength Gems (80-100)% increased Physical Damage Adds 5 to 10 Physical Damage +(15-30) to Strength Culling Strike

Wideswing - this axe will work wonders with your Sunder skill and help you get through the leveling phase
Socketed Gems are Supported by level 20 Increased Area of Effect (120-160)% increased Physical Damage +10 to Strength +(50-80) to Accuracy Rating +10 Mana gained on Kill +2 to Weapon range

Meginord's Girdle - amazing leveling belt. Provides insane damage boots at early levels, and can be used during early 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

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

115 Points Final Skill Tree
115 Points Path of Building link
This is the final tree at level 92. You should always prioritize major nodes and leave the jewel sockets and small life nodes (the 5% ones) as the last passive points you are planning to take

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Headsman
2. Bane of Legends
3. Endless Hunger
4. Brutal Fervour

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] Tectonic Slam setup
	Tectonic Slam - your main DPS ability. It is a melee/area attack that deals very high elemental damage. It also consumes one endurance charge for increases damage
	Melee Physical Damage Support - grants additional physical damage, which also increases the elemental damage dealt thanks to damage conversion
	Physical to Lightning Support - converts 50% of physical damage to lightning and adds extra lightning damage. Core Gem for the elemental conversion setup
	Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - increases all elemental damage dealt by the supported skill
	Chance to Bleed Support - grants flat added physical damage. Amazing Gem for melee/conversion builds
	Added Fire Damage Support - grants additional fire damage

[UTILITY] Ancestral Warchief setup
	Ancestral Warchief - spawns a Totem that will increase your melee damage. It also deals a fair amount of damage on its' own
	Brutality Support - greatly increases melee physical damage of your Totem
	Melee Physical Damage Support - increases Ancestral Warchiefs damage
	Culling Strike Support - increases damage dealt, and makes your Totem instantly kill low life enemies on hit

[MOBILITY] Leap Slam setup
	Leap Slam - your main mobility skill
	Faster Attacks Support - increases the movement speed of LS skill
	Fortify Support - grants a nice damage reduction buff on hit with supported skill (the Leap Slam must hit enemies upon landing)
	[1L]Stone Golem  - Stone Golem provides increased Life regeneration per second

[CURSE/AURA] Warlord's Mark / Hatred setup
	Warlord's Mark - recommended curse option for this build. Increases your Life and Mana Leech and provides endurance charge generation for Tectonic Slam's increased damage
	Blasphemy - will make Warlord's Mark work as an aura around you
	Enlighten Support - reduces the amount of mana reserved by Hatred and your curse/aura
	Hatred - this aura provides the highest damage bonus out of all Path of Exile's auras available

5. Gear Setup

In this section, you will find all the suggested items for this build. We always try to include optional gear in our listing and all the stat. requirements are also included.

If you have a smaller budget, but would still love to try this build, we are delighted to invite you to our own Path of Exile market where you can find cheap PoE currency offered by regular Path of Exile players. 

Keep in mind that our recommended gear will:

1. Cap your resistances 
2. Give you enough DPS and Life to map efficiently
3. Save you at least a couple of hours, as it's already planned out for you!

(Helmet) Abyssus - the best in slot item for this build. It provides the highest flat Physical Damage bonus out of armour slot items

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) Devoto's Devotion - another good helmet option. It provides additional Attack and Movement Speed which is great speed-farming low and mid-tier maps

10% reduced Physical Damage +(50-65) to Dexterity 16% increased Attack Speed (150-200)% increased Armour and Evasion +(15-25)% to Chaos Resistance 20% increased Movement Speed Mercury Footprints

(Body Armour) Kaom's Heart - best in slot armour for this build. Provides the highest flat Life bonus out of all Path of Exile items (except for the Kaom's Heart Legacy variant of course)

Has no Sockets +500 to maximum Life (20-40)% increased Fire Damage

(Body Armour) Rare Life/Res. body armour - just use this piece while collecting currency for Kaom's chest. Sockets are irrelevant here, you may want to take 3 linked ones though, and put the Immortal Call/CwDT/Inc. Duration setup in it

Min. requirements: 80 maximum Life 20% Fire Resistance 20% Cold Resistance 20% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: Attributes High Armour

(Weapon Slot) Atziri's Disfavour - one of the best in slot items (putting Tier 1 mirrored gear aside)

+2 to Level of Socketed Support Gems Adds (220-235) to (270-290) Physical Damage (12-16)% increased Attack Speed +2 to Weapon range 25% chance to cause Bleeding on Hit

(Boots) Rare Life/Res. boots - pick the pair with the highest Life and movement speed bonus you can afford

Min. requirements: 75 maximum Life 25% Fire Resistance 25% Cold Resistance 25% Lightning Resistance 25% increased Movement Speed

(Belt) Rare Life belt - leather belt or vanguard belts are both perfectly viable options. Getting one with increased Elemental Damage should be your goal, but will surely depend on your available budget

Min. requirements: 95 maximum Life 30% Fire Resistance 30% Cold Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills increased Physical Damage

(Amulet) Carnage Heart - great DPS amulet. Increases your Life Leech and damage while Leeching, which is just perfect for the Slayer class

+(10-16) to all Attributes +(20-40) to all Attributes +(10-20)% to all Elemental Resistances (1.2-2)% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Life 50% increased Life Leeched per second (30-40)% increased Damage while Leeching Extra gore

(Amulet) Rare Life/Res. - rare amulets can provide much better stats than Carnage Heart, but such piece will cost a fortune

Min. requirements: 65 maximum Life 20% Fire Resistance 20% Cold Resistance 20% Lightning Resistance Added min. 9 Physical Damage to Attacks Optional affixes: Added flat Elemental Damage to Attacks Attributes

(Rings) Rare rings with Life and Elemental Resistances - both Steel and Opal Rings are good

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 15% Fire Resistance 15% Cold Resistance 15% Lightning Resistance Added min. 7 Physical Damage to Attacks Optional affixes: increased Elemental Damage increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills Attributes Attack Speed

(Gloves) Rare Life/Res./Melee Damage gloves - as this is the last item you might want to adjust the Resistances. After that, simply choose the pair with highest life/attack speed combination and within your budget

Min. requirements: 75 maximum Life 20% Cold Resistance 20% Lightning Resistance 20% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: increased Melee Damage

(Jewels) Rare jewels - simply find jewels the highest values of the following recommended stats

Recommended affixes: % increased maximum Life % increased Generic/Physical/Melee/Area/Elemental Damage Optional affixes: % increased Attack Speed

(Flask) Atziri's Promise - one of the best Flasks in Path of Exile. Provides additional damage, defenses and Life Leech

+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 - gives great defensive and damage bonuses

+3000 to Armour Adds Knockback 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 on Flask use

(Flask) Taste of Hate - provides decent damage boost and amazing defensive utility

+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 30% chance to Avoid being Frozen during Flask effect

Other suggested Flasks: Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Heat (immunity to chill and freeze effects) Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching (bleeding immunity)

We hope that our guide will help you enjoy the upcoming League. We will appreciate your feedback. If you have any suggestions about which build should we work on next let us know in comments below.

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