Maces offer a unique playstyle in Path of Exile (POE) due to their inherent focus on physical damage and the types of skills they excel with. Here’s a breakdown of effective mace skills and considerations for building around them:
Skills:
Single-Target:
Crush: A powerful strike that deals high physical damage and benefits from increased attack speed and critical strike chance.
Earthshatter: A heavy slam that deals massive area-of-effect physical damage, useful against groups of enemies.
Sweep: A wide-sweeping attack that hits multiple enemies in an area, good for clearing trash mobs.
Movement Skills:
Leap Slam: A leap attack that allows for repositioning and damaging enemies in the landing area.
Shield Charge: Charges forward, damaging enemies in the path and generating endurance charges (if using a shield).
Utility Skills:
Fortify: Provides a defensive buff that reduces damage taken.
Summon Carnage: Summons temporary spectral berserkers to aid in combat.
Build Archetypes:
Strength-based Physical Damage:
Focus: Prioritizes high physical damage output, attack speed, and life leech. This is a classic approach that utilizes maces’ inherent physical damage potential.
Block Chance with Maces:
Focus: Combines high block chance with skills like Crush or Earthshatter for a defensive and offensive playstyle.
Maces with Elemental Damage:
Focus: Scales elemental damage (Fire, Cold, Lightning) with attack skills that benefit from maces’ raw physical damage base. Skills like Molten Strike (Fire) or Frost Blades (Cold) can be adapted for mace builds.
Resources for Build Research:
Official Path of Exile Forums: Search for "mace build" threads specific to your desired playstyle (single-target, area-of-effect, or elemental damage).
YouTube Channels: Many Path of Exile content creators showcase mace builds and provide detailed explanations.
Example Build:
Here’s a brief overview of a popular Crush Physical Damage Juggernaut build:
Skills: Crush (main attack skill), Leap Slam (movement), Fortify (defense), auras (depending on preference).
Gear: High physical damage mace with attack speed and critical strike chance, high armor gear for defense, life regeneration on gear and passive tree.
Ascendancy: Juggernaut (focus on Ascendancy nodes that enhance physical damage, life regeneration, and survivability).
Important Note: Build guides are subject to change due to balance adjustments in Path of Exile updates. Refer to the latest information and adapt the build accordingly.
Additional Tips:
Understanding Mechanics: Grasp core mechanics like physical damage scaling, attack speed, critical strike chance, life sustain, and accuracy (for some skills).
Passive Skill Tree: Allocate points efficiently to maximize physical damage, life regeneration, and attack speed (or critical strike chance if applicable).
Link Setup: Link your main attack skill with support gems that enhance its damage, attack speed, area-of-effect (for some skills), or other desired aspects.
Here are some additional considerations for a successful mace build:
Maces vs. Other One-Handed Weapons: While maces excel in physical damage, other weapons like swords or axes might have advantages depending on the build’s focus. Consider exploring options based on available gear and desired playstyle.
Strength Stacking: Strength is the primary attribute for mace builds due to its influence on physical damage. Invest heavily in strength on the passive skill tree and through gear.
Life and Armor: Prioritize life regeneration and high armor values for survivability, especially for builds focusing on close-quarters combat.
Remember: Maces excel in delivering heavy physical blows and offer a distinct playstyle in Path of Exile. By understanding the core mechanics, exploring different skill options, and focusing on maximizing physical damage and survivability, you can create a powerful character built around maces.