Gauntlet Success with Earthshatter: Your Complete Guide to the Ancestral Commander Build
Path of Exile is renowned for its brutal challenges, and among the toughest is the Merciless Gauntlet. Players from all over the world prepare to face this ultimate test of skill, strategy, and endurance. One of the builds that stands out as an excellent choice for surviving the Gauntlet, especially for newer players or those looking for a straightforward yet powerful approach, is the Earthshatter Ancestral Commander.
If you’re aiming for success in the Gauntlet, or simply looking to add a new challenge to your Path of Exile experience, this guide will provide an in-depth look at how to approach the Earthshatter Ancestral Commander build, along with useful tips to navigate the perils that lie ahead. Whether you’re new to hardcore or looking for a reliable Gauntlet build to push past your limits, this Earthshatter setup should be at the top of your list.
Introduction to the Earthshatter Ancestral Commander Build
Path of Exile is a game that rewards creativity, skill, and, most importantly, preparation. As the Gauntlet rules are designed to test every aspect of a player’s gameplay, it's crucial to select a build that can withstand the trials of this merciless mode. The Earthshatter Ancestral Commander build stands out as one of the most effective and straightforward builds for this particular challenge.
This build utilizes Earthshatter, a skill known for its ability to deal significant damage with powerful shockwaves, combined with the Ancestral Commander ascendancy. This setup is a powerhouse, allowing you to both dish out damage and tank hits with ease, all while remaining accessible for those new to the Gauntlet or hardcore playstyles.
The key to success with this build is balance: managing your survivability while maximizing damage output, all within the limited and unforgiving confines of the Gauntlet.
Understanding the Ascendancy: Ancestral Commander
In Path of Exile, your choice of Ascendancy plays a massive role in shaping your gameplay experience. The Ancestral Commander Ascendancy is particularly powerful for the Gauntlet, offering a unique set of benefits that align perfectly with the playstyle of Earthshatter. This Ascendancy focuses heavily on endurance charges, action speed, and defensive capabilities, giving you the perfect combination of offense and defense.
Key Benefits of Ancestral Commander:
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Three Endurance Charges: This is crucial in tanking high damage hits in the Gauntlet. Endurance charges provide physical damage reduction and are essential to surviving tougher enemies and bosses.
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Freeze Immunity: The Ancestral Commander Ascendancy provides an important bonus of freeze immunity through the doubling of armor from equipped body armor. This ensures that your character can keep moving without being hindered by freeze effects—vital for staying mobile during combat.
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Warcry Cooldown Speed: This helps your Warcry abilities trigger more frequently, which in turn boosts the performance of your Earthshatter. Warcry cooldown recovery and action speed are key to staying at your peak performance in any Gauntlet challenge.
Together, these benefits help make the Ancestral Commander one of the best options for melee builds in the Gauntlet, especially when paired with Earthshatter.
How to Approach the Gauntlet with Earthshatter
If you’re unfamiliar with the Gauntlet challenge, it’s crucial to understand that you’ll need a strategy that focuses not only on killing enemies but also on avoiding damage. The Earthshatter skill is powerful and allows you to deal massive area-of-effect damage to groups of enemies, but it’s not a set-and-forget skill. You’ll need to manage your positioning, timing, and cooldowns to maximize your effectiveness.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of how to approach the Gauntlet using the Earthshatter Ancestral Commander build:
Surviving the Early Gauntlet Stages
As with any hardcore mode, the early stages of the Gauntlet can be brutal. The build starts with Ground Slam, which offers a good base for leveling. You will need to get accustomed to the pacing of this skill before transitioning into Earthshatter for map-tier content. Spectral Throw is another viable option, but Ground Slam is far more efficient in clearing early stages.
Once you reach the Earthshatter skill, it’s critical to ensure you have 20 quality on your Earthshatter gem. You can farm this by completing the normal, cruel, and merciless lab stages. The added quality will help you deal significantly more damage, and given that Earthshatter relies on shockwaves, you’ll want to maximize its impact. You’ll also need to farm the normal lab regularly to gain useful gear, additional gems, and quality on your existing gems.
Overleveling: Your Secret Weapon in the Gauntlet
The Gauntlet doesn’t just challenge your combat skills—it tests your ability to level efficiently. The ideal approach is to overlevel by 10-15 levels before taking on harder bosses. This will give you the cushion needed to survive damage spikes and aggressive mechanics that could otherwise wipe you out.
Tips for Overleveling in the Gauntlet:
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Farm Every Zone Thoroughly: Don’t rush through the campaign. Focus on fully clearing each area and gaining experience before advancing. The more you level, the easier your progression will become.
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Complete the Labyrinth: Many players opt to complete the lab on all difficulties. The labyrinth not only provides gems and gear but also offers valuable quality for your main gems, including Earthshatter. This could make the difference between surviving and dying in the harder stages of the Gauntlet.
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Level in Normal Lab for Quality: Farming the normal lab is one of the easiest ways to get gem quality and essential gear. You can easily reach levels 75-80 here, giving you a solid foundation before facing Kitava.
The Importance of Warcry Cooldown and Quality
In the Gauntlet, the Warcry cooldown speed is vital for ensuring that your Earthshatter performs optimally. If the cooldown on your Warcry abilities isn’t correctly set, you risk missing crucial Earthshatter triggers. It’s highly recommended to have different cooldowns on your Warcry abilities.
By doing so, you'll trigger your Earthshatter more reliably, as each Warcry will have a different timing. This avoids situations where all Warcries are on cooldown at the same time, leaving you vulnerable.
Crafting and Gear Choices
A build is only as strong as its gear. When preparing for the Gauntlet, crafting becomes one of the most important parts of your journey. It’s vital to focus on a high DPS axe early on, and you can gamble with gold to acquire excellent high-tier axes. For added insurance, you can also use chests and other items to improve your chances of obtaining a five-link or even a six-link.
Weapon Crafting Tips:
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Axe Bases: The ideal axe bases for this build are the Valaxe or Curry Chopper. These axes provide the best balance of damage and speed, allowing you to hit hard and fast. While Curry Choppers are slightly lower in damage, their attack speed makes them an excellent choice for mapping.
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Maximize Gem Quality: Always aim to get 20 quality on your gems. This will enhance your Earthshatter, making it even more deadly. Farm the normal lab if needed, as this is a prime location for gathering both quality gems and important gear.
Maximizing Tankiness in the Gauntlet
With the Gauntlet's higher difficulty, tankiness is a must. Fortunately, the Ancestral Commander ascendancy provides you with several ways to boost your defenses. Freeze immunity through the doubling of armor from equipped body armor is a huge advantage, especially against enemies that can easily incapacitate you with freeze effects.
Additionally, consider using Decoy Totem to distract enemies during difficult fights. Decoy Totem is invaluable, especially when fighting challenging bosses, as it allows you to focus on your attacks without worrying about incoming damage. You can even support your Decoy Totem with Multi Totem for more control.
Late-Game Considerations and Mana Management
In the late game, mana management becomes a key concern. Early on, you can use Life Tap for your skills, but once you reach the later stages, you’ll want to focus on obtaining fist leech or mana on gloves, amulet, or jewels.
Managing Mana Costs:
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Aim for a minus 7 mana cost on your jewelry to sustain the auto exert mechanic. This is crucial for keeping your Warcries and Earthshatter active without running out of mana.
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Consider using Spirit of War until you can acquire the necessary mana leech from your jewelry.
Conclusion: Why Earthshatter Ancestral Commander Dominates the Gauntlet
The Earthshatter Ancestral Commander build is one of the most effective and beginner-friendly options for the Gauntlet. It offers high damage potential, survivability, and ease of execution. With the right gear, leveling strategy, and some practice, you can conquer the Gauntlet with this setup, even in the face of its extreme difficulty.
Remember to farm wisely, use your Warcry cooldowns efficiently, and take advantage of crafting opportunities to boost your character’s power. Most importantly, don’t forget to overlevel before diving into the Gauntlet’s tougher zones, as it’ll give you the advantage you need to stay alive.
Good luck, Exile, and may your path lead to victory!
FAQ: Earthshatter Ancestral Commander in Path of Exile Gauntlet
1. What is the Earthshatter Ancestral Commander build?
The Earthshatter Ancestral Commander build in Path of Exile combines the powerful Earthshatter skill with the Ancestral Commander Ascendancy. This setup offers high damage output, survivability, and is perfect for tackling the challenging Gauntlet.
2. How does the Ancestral Commander Ascendancy help in the Gauntlet?
Ancestral Commander provides several key benefits such as endurance charges, freeze immunity, and faster Warcry cooldowns, making it ideal for the Gauntlet's difficult conditions.
3. What is the main focus of the Earthshatter skill?
Earthshatter is an area-of-effect (AoE) attack that creates shockwaves, dealing significant damage to enemies. It is highly effective for clearing groups and controlling the battlefield.
4. How can I survive the early stages of the Gauntlet with this build?
Focus on using Ground Slam during early levels, farming for gem quality, and making sure your Earthshatter skill is fully upgraded. Overlevel by 10-15 levels to handle tougher bosses.
5. What should I focus on for gear when using Earthshatter?
Craft or acquire high-damage axes with attack speed and quality gems. Additionally, look for armor that boosts your physical damage reduction and mana leech for sustainability.
6. How important is Warcry cooldown speed?
Warcry cooldown speed is crucial for ensuring that Earthshatter triggers consistently. Having different cooldowns for Warcry abilities helps maintain uptime on the skill.
7. What is the role of Endurance Charges in this build?
Endurance Charges are essential for reducing physical damage taken. The Ancestral Commander Ascendancy grants three Endurance Charges, providing significant tankiness for tougher encounters in the Gauntlet.
8. How should I manage mana with the Earthshatter build?
Using Life Tap early on works well for conserving mana, but later in the game, aim for mana leech on your gear to keep your Earthshatter and Warcry abilities active.
9. Should I complete the Labyrinth in all difficulties?
Yes! Completing the Labyrinth at all difficulties helps you gain essential gems, gear, and upgrades. Make sure to focus on getting 20 quality on Earthshatter.
10. What are the best strategies for late-game content?
In the late game, focus on optimizing your mana management, using Decoy Totem for crowd control, and keeping your armor high for tanking damage during boss fights.
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