Path Of Exile Resource #21 - Berek's Grip Unique Item Review

Berek's Grip in Path Of Exile is a unique two stone ring that when equipped grants the player up to 30 percent increased cold damage, up to 1 - 70 added lightning damage to spells and attacks, up to 40 increased maximum life points, and the unique modifiers "1 percent of damage leeched as life against shocked enemies" and "1 percent of damage leeched as mana against frozen enemies". Berek's Grip has a implicit modifier of up to 16 percent increased cold and lightning resistance. This unique has changed since it's introduction into the game in October of 2013.

Item Usefulness Information - This unique is best suited for spell based character builds that focus on mainly dealing lightning and cold based damage due to it's unique modifiers. The up to 30 percent increased cold damage granted by the unique is great for mainly cold damage focused spell based characters, however if a Call Of The Brotherhood unique two stone ring is used, the cold damage buff would be great for lightning damage focused spell based characters as well. The up to 1 - 70 added lightning damage to spells and attacks is mainly useful for increasing the damage output of lightning damage focused spell based characters. The up to 40 increased maximum life points is useful for any character build that mainly utilizes and scales life effectively. The unique modifiers "1 percent of damage leeched as life against shocked enemies" and "1 percent of damage leeched as mana against frozen enemies" are great mainly for lightning damage focused spell based characters that utilize the Call Of The Brotherhood unique two stone ring, as you will obtain the full bonuses of both modifiers often if your build is setup correctly. The up to 16 percent increased cold and lightning resistances granted by the unique's implicit modifier is useful for basically any character build. You can use this unique in the early stages of the game, since it's level requirement is level 20. In the late stages of the game, this unique is great for spell based character builds that are focused on dealing both lightning and cold damage, and is great for increasing potential survivability against all enemies.

Informative Links -
https://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Berek's_Grip - additional information regarding the Berek's Grip unique
https://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Call_of_the_Brotherhood - additional information regarding the Call Of The Brotherhood unique

Path Of Exile Resource #20 - Indepth Fireball Build Guide

Skill Gem Information - Fireball is a fire, projectile, and area of effect based spell. The base cast time for the fireball spell is .85 seconds. The base critical strike chance for the fireball spell 6 percent. The base projectile speed for the fireball spell is 1040. The base radius for the fireball spell is 9. The fireball spell can be used at any point in the game, since it's level requirement is level 1. At level 20 with a maximum of 20 percent quality applied, the fireball spell has a base mana cost of 26, a base 39 percent chance to ignite enemies, a base minimum usage level requirement of 70, a base minimum usage intelligence attribute requirement of 155, and deals a base 739 to 1109 fire damage. This skill gem has changed many times since it's original introduction into the game in 2010.

Character And Ascendancy Class Selection - The two most potent characters and their ascendancy classes to pick would be the Templar - Inquisitor and the Witch - Elementalist. Taking all possible variables into account, I do believe that the Inquisitor is better than the Elementalist for this build in terms of clear speed potential and damage potential.

Note - All example passive skill trees will be oriented to enhance Chaos Inoculation energy shield based characters. If you decide to go a life based character instead of a energy shield based character, spec out of the energy shield nodes on the passive skill tree and instead use them towards acquiring life nodes.

Example Passive Skill Tree For The Templar - Inquisitor -
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Example Passive Skill Tree For The Witch - Elementalist -
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Note - These example passive skill trees are general examples of what you should be building around. Your personal passive skill trees can be modified specifically according to the gear you have or the play style you desire.

Examples Of Desirable Endgame Gear -

Doryani's Catalyst - This unique weapon is best in slot for any character builds that deal fire based damage, considering that fire based damage "double dips", which means that the damage is scaled on the initial hit of the attack or spell, dealing a set amount of damage at first, and if it ignites the enemy, also scales the burning damage over time. This scepter provides up to 132 percent increased elemental damage, more than any other item in the game, and also provides a decent amount of global increased critical strike chance, increased cast speed, and increased attack speed.

Skin Of The Lords - This unique armor is incredibly beneficial for Chaos Inoculation energy shield based character builds if the correct modifications are attained on it. This item grants +1 to socketed gems, which is great for spell based skill gems, 100 percent increased global defenses, which effectively doubles the energy shield of all other items granting energy shield, and thus essentially doubles your current total energy shield, and one random keystone passive skill. The best keystone passive skills to attain for your fireball spell based characters are as follows - Unwavering Stance, Ghost Reaver, and Elemental Equilibrium (only for Witch - Elementalist based characters).

Victario's Acuity, The Blue Dream, and The Green Dream - All of these unique items provide frenzy or power charges on kill. Frenzy and power charges are essential to boosting the flat damage and critical strike chance of your fireball spell.

Berek's Respite (only for Templar - Inquisitor based characters) - This unique ring is fantastic for Templar - Inquisitor based characters due to the fact that it has built in ignite proliferation, similar in effect to the Witch - Elementalist ascendancy passive skill Beacon Of Ruin. Equipping this ring on Templar - Inquisitor based characters will see their clear speed go up significantly, assuming that they have attained proper gear.

The Red Dream - This unique jewel passively grants endurance charges on kill. Endurance charges grant physical damage reduction taken from enemies and all elemental resistances, which greatly increases the defensive capabilities of your fireball spell based character.

Doryani's Invitation (Fire Damage Base) - This unique belt grants up to 30 percent increased fire damage, 0.2 percent of fire damage leeched as life, and the modifier "your flasks grant 10 percent chance to ignite while using a flask". As a result, this unique belt is currently the best in slot option for damage output potential and survivability for fire based characters.

Skyforth - This unique pair of boots grants a 25 percent chance to gain a power charge on critical strike, 6 percent reduced mana reservation for auras, 30 percent increased movement speed, up to 120 flat additional mana, and a form of stun immunity. This unique pair of boots is best in slot for most spell based and elemental based types of character builds, including this particular one.

Rolling Flames - This unique jewel grants up to 15 percent increased fire damage as well as the modifier that "with at least 50 intelligence allocated in radius, fireball projectiles gain area of effect radius as they travel farther, up to 50 percent increased radius". These jewels can stack, and are incredibly useful for clearing packs of enemies quickly due to their area of effect explosions upon impact.

Optimal Endgame Rare Gear - All rare gear you decide to equip should have the following baseline general modifications - A high amount of total energy shield, a high amount of elemental resistances, a high amount of attack speed, a high amount of global critical strike chance and critical strike multiplier, and a high amount of elemental damage and / or specifically fire damage. You should consider a hubris circlet for the helmet slot, sorcerer boots for the boots slot, a titanium spirit shield for the shield slot, an imperial skean, platinum kris, or ambusher for your off hand weapon slot, opal or diamond rings for the ring slots, lapis or blue pearl amulets for the amulet slot, and sorcerer or fingerless silk gloves for the glove slot, as these particular items have the highest baseline energy shield ratings or utility ratings in the game at the current moment.

Optimal Endgame Skill Gem Linking -
Optimal 6 Link Setup For Maximum Clear Speed Potential - Fireball, Increased Area Of Effect, Spell Echo, Faster Casting, Greater Multiple Projectiles, And Empower.
Optimal 6 Link Setup For Maximum Damage Potential - Fireball, Concentrated Effect, Spell Echo, Faster Casting, Slower Projectiles, And Empower.

Optimal Endgame Auras, Heralds, And Golems -

Herald Of Ice, Herald Of Thunder, Ice Golem, Temporal Chains Blasphemy Curse Aura, Enfeeble Blasphemy Curse Aura, Purity Of Fire, Purity Of Elements, Haste, Vaal Haste, Discipline, Vaal Discipline, Clarity - Options For Both Inquisitor And Elementalist

Fire Golem, Lightning Golem, Elemental Weakness Blasphemy Curse Aura, Flammability Blasphemy Curse Aura - Options Primarily For Elementalist

Optimal Endgame Movement Skill Gem Linking -

If equipping two of the Doryani's Catalyst unique weapons - Lightning Warp, Faster Casting, Less Duration

If equipping the Doryani's Catalyst unique weapon and nonspecific shield - Shield Charge, Faster Attacks, Fortify

If equipping the Doryani's Catalyst unique weapon and generic dagger based weapon - Whirling Blades, Faster Attacks, Fortify

Optimal Endgame Flask Setup -

Dying Sun - This unique ruby flask grants 30 percent increased area of effect during flask effect and 2 additional projectiles during flask effect. These two modifiers both affect your fireball spell, greatly increasing your spell based character's total damage and clear speed potential. In addition, the base ruby flask grants 6 percent to maximum fire resistance, increasing your survivability against enemies that reflect elemental damage.

Kiara's Determination - This unique silver flask grants onslaught as the flask's base effect, and immunity to freeze, chill, curses, and stuns during the flasks effect. This flask is best in slot for providing defensive measures against enemies, especially for Chaos Inoculation energy shield based character builds.

Witchfire Brew - This unique stibnite flask grants the player 100 percent increased evasion rating and creates a smoke cloud on use as the flask's base effect, which inflicts the blind debuff upon enemies, reducing their chance to hit by 50 percent, and grants 70 percent increased damage over time during flask effect, as well as a level 21 vulnerability curse aura during flask effect. This flask is best in slot for this specific type of build due to the fact that your fireballs will ignite frequently, and the burn damage that stems will be enhanced significantly by the flask's unique modifiers.

Atziri's Promise - This unique amethyst flask grants the modifiers "gain up to 15 percent of elemental damage as extra chaos damage during flask effect", and "2 percent of chaos damage leeched as life during flask effect". As a result, this flask is great for survivability in this elemental fire damage based character build, as the chaos damage leeched as life is substantial once you have a large amount of elemental fire damage.

Optimal Endgame Magic Flask Setup - All magic flasks you decide to use in your fireball spell based character should have the following baseline modifications - They should provide bleed immunity, shock immunity, ignite immunity, freeze immunity, and increased movement speed during their flask effect. As a general rule to note, flasks used for increasing clear speed include the quicksilver, diamond, and silver flasks, while the flasks used for increasing defensive capabilities include the stibnite, ruby, topaz, aquamarine, granite, jade, sulphur, and basalt flasks.

Comprehensive Pros (assuming all completely optimized gear is used) - Incredible clear speed potential, can clear all content in the game at the current moment, has incredible defensive capabilities with a large amount of energy shield, can successfully run physical reflect maps safely, entertaining build to play.

Comprehensive Cons - Cannot successfully run elemental reflect maps safely, can become fairly expensive to optimize gear during endgame content, limited effective ascendancy class choices (largely limited to Templar - Inquisitor and Witch - Elementalist), can have certain difficulties against ignite immune enemies.

Path Of Exile Resource #19 - Varunastra Unique Item Review

Varunastra in Path Of Exile is a unique vaal blade that when equipped grants the player up to 60 percent increased physical damage, up to 45 to 100 added physical damage, up to 3 mana gained for each enemy hit by attacks, the unique modifier "counts as all one handed melee weapon types", and 18 percent increased accuracy rating from the vaal blade's implicit modifier. 3d art for the Varunastra unique was added in June of 2016. This unique has not changed since it's original introduction into the game in March of 2016.

Item Usefulness Information - This unique is in the current moment best suited for certain range based character builds and melee based character builds due to it's unique modifiers. The up to 60 percent increased physical damage granted by the unique is great for both range and melee based character builds that fully utilize and scale physical damage to eliminate enemies. In order to fully utilize the potential of the Varunastra unique weapon as a range based character, you will need to use the skill gem Spectral Throw as your main damage source, as no other range based skill gem will work with a melee based weapon. The up to 45 to 100 added physical damage granted by the unique is a large source of flat physical damage and is useful for character builds that mainly deal and scale physical based damage to eliminate enemies. The Varunastra unique weapon's physical damage stats are considerably high compared to other unique weapons or most rare weapons. The up to 3 mana gained for each enemy hit by attacks is an incredibly useful utility stat, as most range and melee based character builds do not have high enough mana regeneration to consistently use their main damage skill, and instead have to rely on mana leech and mana gained on hit in order to sustain the usage of their main damage skill. The implementation of the mana gained on hit being on the Varunastra unique weapon means that you do not have to invest into mana leech or mana gained on hit anywhere else on your range or melee based character, be it on your skill tree or your main gear. The 18 percent increased accuracy rating granted by the unique's implicit modifier is useful for increasing your chance to successfully hit enemies and thus dealing damage to them. The unique modifier "counts as all one handed melee weapon types" is certainly unique in the game at the current moment and is exceptionally powerful if used and scaled correctly. This unique modifier allows for the taking of the most powerful passive skill nodes on the passive skill tree and feeling their powerful unique benefits stack up. For example, the most efficient passive skill nodes to take and utilize while wielding the Varunastra unique weapon are the Deadly Dilettante, By The Blade, Soul Raker, Adder's Touch, Fatal Blade, and Claws Of The Falcon nodes. All of these passive skill tree nodes affect and enhance different types of melee weapons, however since the Varunastra unique weapon counts as all one handed melee weapon types, it receives all of their unique benefits. The best character class to pick when deciding to fully utilize and maximize damage output with this unique is the Ranger. The best ascendancy class to pick when deciding to go Ranger is the Raider in the current stage of the game. You cannot use this unique in the early stages of the game, since it's level requirement is level 64. In the late stages of the game, this unique is a great physical damage based weapon for both certain range and melee based characters and has great versatility and utility in regards to passive skill tree node pickings.

Informative Links -
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Varunastra - additional information regarding the Varunastra unique
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Accuracy - additional information regarding the accuracy mechanic
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Spectral_Throw - additional information regarding the Spectral Throw attack skill gem
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Raider - additional information regarding the Raider ascendancy class