Level 98 Shield Crush Ascendant^3.25

Notes

make your body:
ilvl80+ redeemer body (any)
ilvl80+ warlord str armor (any)
one of the two body armors must be your armor item (preferrably astral plate)

alt + augment spam redeemer body until you get '21-25% increased effect of non-curse auras from your skills' (~250-400 alts)
NOTE: the redeemer body must only have 1 influenced mod!

alt + regal spam astral plate until you get '-15 total mana cost'  OR serrated / serrated + lucent fossil spam
Note: the warlord's body must only have 1 influenced mod!

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PRE-CLUSTER: Vulnerability at Level 2 since we have less unreserved mana. Lifetap instead of Pulverise for no mana issues when it comes to attacking.
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SHIELDS: Shields are shown with specific values to show damage at those armor levels. Uniques are shown with mid-roll modifiers unless the uniques are very cheap (max attributes Carnage Heart).

LEVELLING: Levelling trees are general recommendations. If you feel squishy or feel like your damage sucks, pick up damage/life nodes as needed. 

Make sure to keep upgrading your weapon with the weapon recipe as you progress through the acts. We level with steel skills instead of using Shield Crush the whole way. 

You can either change at Blood Aqueduct when you get a decent shield, or wait until early maps when you get a decent Colossal Tower Shield. Steel skills should work fine up to yellow maps with this passive layout.

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LEVELLING NOTES:

Make sure to have anywhere between 25-40% mana unreserved up to act 9 in order to not have mana issues. Run a mana flask as you'll likely need to use it early on. 

Once you feel the leech is enough (should be around Blood Aqueduct), you can use more reservation and start using Lifetap.

If you really feel like you need damage use Pride, otherwise Herald of Purity will be enough. If you feel like your life leech is enough, drop Vitality.

WEAPON CRAFT (use a 1H sword for accuracy rating): 1h white weapon + rare rustic sash + Blacksmith's Whetstone
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BANDITS: KILL ALL
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ASCENDANCY ORDER: Brutal Fervour > Bane of Legends > Impact > Headsman
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FINALIZED GEM LINKS AND PRIORITIES:
Shield Crush - Brutality - Impale - Multistrike - Melee Physical Damage - Pulverise/Lifetap
Pulverise or Lifetap is fine to use for the 6th slot. You can also use 'Damage on Full Life' as well.
When mana is no longer a problem, pull off Lifetap for Pulverise or Damage on Full Life. Once you no longer need Impale Support, put the other one (Pulversie/Damage on Full Life) 
DO NOT USE LIFETAP AND DAMAGE ON FULL LIFE TOGETHER - it won't work.
Ancestral Protector - Vaal Ancestral Warchief - Maim - Multiple Totems
Blood and Sand - Herald of Purity - Pride - Flesh and Stone
Leap Slam - Faster Attacks - Lifetap - Enduring Cry
CWDT - Vaal Molten Shell - Vulnerability
Blood Rage - Frenzy - OPEN/OPEN
UNSET: Dread Banner (move to CWDT section after Vuln Ring acquisition)

Having Mana Problems early on in maps? Drop Flesh and Stone or Blood and Sand. Either is fine.

Level Extra Shield Crush gems in second weapon set starting at Blood Aqueduct (Act 9) so you can try to 21/0 or 21/20 them yourself.
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PANTHEON:
Brine King until we have a flask with chill/freeze immunity (should have this by red maps)

Soul of Arakaali (Act 7 Boss) OR Soul of Solaris (Act 8)

Soul of Shakari (Act 9)
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ENCHANTS:
Helmet: increased blood and sand effect, attack speed with ancestral protector, attack speed with blood rage, attack speed/damage with shield crush
Boots: Increased attack speed if you've killed recently, stun avoid if you've killed recently
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HARVEST:

NOTABLE CRAFTS:
Defense (Blue Pods) - Shields
Physical (Purple Pods)- Rings, Gloves, Cluster Jewels
Life (Yellow Pods)- Rings, Gloves, Belts, Boots
Chaos (Blue Pods) - Rings, Boots
Caster (Blue Pods) - Warlord's Ring
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ENDGAME NOTES:

ENDGAME UPGRADE PRIORITY:
Shield (2000+) > Warlord's Ring > Shield (2200+) > +2 Body > Amulet +1 (for the breakpoint) > Shield (2400+) > 
Double Damage Watcher's Eye > Ryslatha's Coil > Rare Helmet > +2 Amulet > Impale Watcher's Eye > Circle of Guilt

Ryslatha's Coil is better damage than Circle of Guilt. Circle of Guilt can be grabbed after Ryslatha's Coil when Elemental Resistance isn't a problem anymore (requires min-maxing).

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