PoE Ancestral Cry Build 3.25 – Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur

The Ancestral Cry skill in Path of Exile offers a powerful warcry that enhances melee strike attacks and provides significant defensive buffs. This guide provides a comprehensive look at how to build around Ancestral Cry effectively in the 3.25 patch.

Key Features of Ancestral Cry

Ancestral Cry (Level 20):

• Warcry, AoE, Duration: Ancestral Cry performs a warcry, taunting all nearby enemies to attack the user and exerting subsequent strike attacks. The user and nearby allies gain a buff that grants elemental resistances.
• Mana Cost: 19 mana.
• Cooldown Time: 8.00 seconds.
• Use Time: 0.80 seconds.
• Requires Level 70, 155 Strength.
• Buff Duration: Base duration of 3.40 seconds.
• Warcry Speed: 38% increased warcry speed.
• Cooldown Recovery Rate: 40% increased cooldown recovery rate.
• Buff Mechanics: Counts total power of enemies in range.
  • Buff grants +5% to all elemental resistances per 5 power, up to a maximum of 30 power.
  • Buff grants +1% to all maximum elemental resistances per 10 power, up to a maximum of 30 power.
• Exerted Strikes: Exerts the next 8 melee strike attacks you perform.
  • Exerted strikes target 2 additional enemies.

Building Around Ancestral Cry

1. Weapon Choice:

• One-Handed or Two-Handed Weapons: Choose weapons with high physical damage and attack speed to maximize your damage output. Swords, axes, and maces are all excellent choices.

2. Passive Skill Tree:

• Focus on nodes that enhance melee damage, attack speed, warcry effectiveness, and elemental resistances. Specific clusters to prioritize include those near the Marauder and Duelist start areas.
• Consider pathing to nodes that increase warcry speed, warcry cooldown recovery, and maximum elemental resistances.

3. Support Gems:

• Increased Duration Support: Extends the duration of the Ancestral Cry buff.
• Increased Area of Effect Support: Expands the AoE of Ancestral Cry, affecting more enemies.
• Multiple Totems Support: Allows you to place additional totems, enhancing your melee strikes.
• Ruthless Support: Adds significant damage on every third hit, which synergizes well with exerted strikes.
• Fortify Support: Adds defensive capabilities, reducing incoming damage when active.

4. Armor and Accessories:

• Look for gear that boosts your strength, melee damage, attack speed, and elemental resistances.
• Prioritize items with high life, armor, and resistances for increased survivability.
• Consider gear with bonuses to warcry speed and cooldown recovery to maximize the effectiveness of Ancestral Cry.

5. Flask Setup:

• Life Flasks: For quick healing during intense battles.
• Utility Flasks: Such as Basalt Flask for physical damage reduction or Granite Flask for increased armor.
• Elemental Resistances Flasks: Such as Ruby Flask, Sapphire Flask, and Topaz Flask to boost fire, cold, and lightning resistances.
• Quicksilver Flask: To enhance movement speed, improving mobility and positioning during fights.

Combat Strategy

1. Engaging Enemies:

• Use Ancestral Cry to taunt enemies and apply the elemental resistance buff to yourself and nearby allies. The exerted strikes will enhance your melee attacks, allowing you to target additional enemies and deal significant damage.

2. Utilizing Ancestral Cry:

• Activate Ancestral Cry before engaging groups of enemies or during boss fights. The taunt effect will draw enemies towards you, while the increased elemental resistances and exerted strikes will enhance your survivability and damage output.
• The increased warcry speed and cooldown recovery rate will allow you to use Ancestral Cry more frequently, maintaining the buffs and exerted strikes for continuous effectiveness.

3. Managing Buffs and Debuffs:

• Take advantage of the increased elemental resistances and maximum resistances to mitigate elemental damage from enemies. The exerted strikes will help you clear packs of enemies quickly, reducing the pressure on you during combat.
• Utilize your flasks to further enhance your resistances and survivability during tough encounters.

Example Builds

1. Marauder Juggernaut Ancestral Cry Build:

• Focus on high health, armor, and endurance charges for maximum survivability.
• Utilize Ancestral Cry to enhance your melee attacks and provide significant elemental resistance buffs.
• Invest in warcry effectiveness and cooldown recovery nodes to maximize the uptime of Ancestral Cry.

2. Duelist Slayer Ancestral Cry Build:

• Prioritize life leech, attack speed, and critical strike chance for sustained damage and survivability.
• Use Ancestral Cry to enhance your melee strikes and taunt enemies, drawing them into your attacks.
• Enhance melee damage and elemental resistances with appropriate support gems and passive skill nodes.

Conclusion

The Ancestral Cry build for Path of Exile 3.25 offers a robust and versatile playstyle for melee enthusiasts who enjoy combining powerful strikes with significant defensive buffs. By focusing on maximizing damage, attack speed, and elemental resistances, players can effectively dominate both single-target and group encounters. Proper gear selection, passive skill tree planning, and strategic use of Ancestral Cry will ensure that you unleash the full potential of this powerful skill. Equip your weapon, prepare your flasks, and lead the charge with the warcry of Ancestral Cry.