Help with tanky bleed build

Hi everyone,

i got a litte question. I am interessted in a very duarble bleed build that isnt played with lascerate. It would be very cool if this build is using a shield. I imagined something with earthquake for example.

I fiddeled a little with path of building a did this:

https://pastebin.com/sVpVaXXi

Is this going to work or is this too little damage? Is bleed and one hand shield totally unrealistic?

Sorry but im not very good at tinkering my own build together because i dont know all interactions and connections of the game mechanics.

Im open for an alternative if something like a really tanky bleed build exists out there.

Tank you all in advance

A few things to start. You've made a level 99 character, are you sure that you want to invest that much time into it? I typically make trees for level 90, and any levels after that are bonus. You should also equip gear on your character, as well as set it to the level that the tree requires. Accuracy and armour rating degrade as you level, it's important to see what mitigation you have at your intended level. You're not using jewels. If a jewel can give you 7% life, then it often isn't worth traveling a long way to get to life nodes.

If you want to get serious about blocking, then you should take Versatile Combatant instead of Violent Retaliation. This will match your spell block to your attack block, and with a Rumi's flask, you simply won't take damage from 75% of all hits.

But those are just hits. There are a lot of ground effect DoTs in path of exile. You will want some way to mitigate this damage. There are many ways to do this now (fortify, fortify effect, vaal molten shell, endurance charges, etc), and a high life pool isn't the end-all-be-all (if you check out my character GladiatorWithABow, it only takes 3-4k damage from a high rolled shaper slam).

Another thing to note about block is that there is a shield, The Reckoning. This shield has recently made the Reckoning skill almost not a meme (it can't do shaper/UE without help), but more importantly, it gives 150(?) life gained on block. With this shield, 75% of all hits heal you.

I played a lacerate build last league, and was caught off guard by one thing, the character has gets no dexterity. Make sure you can actually equip the sword that you want to use. In fact, if you switch to axes, you'll see that there are quite a few damage nodes along the pathing that you have taken.

You also have more than 100% chance to bleed, and you're using nodes that only give bleed chance. The Chance to Bleed gem is the 5th or 6th link for this build, it's not a bad damage gem (I think it's better than maim).

Look at my char I_Strike_You_Die on Blight SSF, exactly the type of build you are looking for. Killed Uber Elder with him on 1st attempt ever, died 2 times due to absence of expeirence, could easily do deathless if avoided damage over time pools, so great build overall - and it's on SSF!


The key parts are:

1. Use high armour shield (Surrender if in trade league is not BiS but very good and affordable) and all those increased defence from shield nodes on the tree.
Use granite flask of iron skin + (vaal molten shell + increased duration) to become almost immortal, do not cast it on damage taken, self cast it before dangerous moment.
The only thing that can kill you is damage over time.

2. Your attack time (1 / attack speed) should be a little higher (0.01 sec) than EQ cooldown, so you won't miss any aftershocks.

3. Fossil crafted axe is great improvement but i smashed everything except UElder without it easily, tried UElder only after i crafted it and damage was plenty (could do UElder without fossiled axe).

4. Oh, and Vaal EQ is MVP in clearing and blight encounters, extremely fast recharge and the same clearing (for melee).

Overall it's the most successfull build i've ever played, even in trade leagues i never killed UElder before and played for that long on one char. I play mostly melee.

I thank you both for your insights and infos. They will help alot. I think i will try something like your build MaxGor31.

One idea came into my mind some minutes ago.

What about a Scion staff earthquake bleed build? As Ascendant we take Slayer for overleech, culling strikes and bigger AOE and Juggernaut for endurance charge generation and more damage while maintaining them.

Staff for the bigger 2Hand Damage compared to one hand and the better possibility to block frequently.

This should be very tanky while doing hopefully enough damage.

What do you think?

Glad has:

1. 78% to block everything except damage over time AND to gain 5% of max hp on block - this is HUGE. Basically this and high armor + vaal MS makes you almost godlike tanky.

2. Shitload of % chance to bleed from ascendancy AND more bleed damage.

3. Bleeding enemies explode dealing 10% of their max life <-- this thing + vaal EQ = easy fast clearing. You can get something similar (but worse) with Haemophilia gloves but it's glove slot.


Glad is block and bleed ascendancy, so if you wanna make blocking bleeder you go glad. Easy!

Overleech is not needed here cause you don't need leech at all, hp gain on block is the key, just make sure you're hit frequently and have enough mitigation and HP in case you get the hit through your block. You'll still need good life flask (not instant!) for damage over time mitigation. I used half-instant life flask and just now undertood that was a mistake that costed me several deaths.