PoE Determination Build 3.25 – Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur

The Determination build in Path of Exile is centered around maximizing your defensive capabilities by using the powerful Determination aura. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of how to optimize a Determination build in the 3.25 patch, ensuring you maximize your armor, survivability, and overall defense.

Key Features of Determination

Determination (Level 20):

• Aura, Spell, AoE, Physical: Determination is a spell that casts an aura, significantly boosting armor for you and your allies.
• Mana Reservation: 50% of mana.
• Cooldown Time: 1.20 seconds.
• Cast Time: Instant.
• Quality: +20%.
• Requirements: Requires Level 70, 155 Strength.
• Aura Effects:
  • Grants +1.9 metres to radius.
  • 40% increased Area of Effect.
  • Grants 1026 additional armor to you and nearby allies.
  • Grants 49% more armor to you and nearby allies.

Building Around Determination

1. Armor Choice:

• High Armor Items: Prioritize items with high base armor to maximize the effectiveness of the Determination aura. Look for armor pieces that also provide life, resistances, and other defensive stats.

2. Passive Skill Tree:

• Focus on nodes that enhance armor, life, and defensive capabilities. Specific clusters to prioritize include those near the Marauder, Duelist, and Templar start areas.
• Consider pathing to nodes that increase aura effect, life regeneration, and elemental resistances.

Ascendancy Choices

1. Guardian:

• Radiant Crusade: Provides increased damage and defense when you have at least five allies.
• Unwavering Crusade: Increases the effects of auras from your skills.
• Bastion of Hope: Grants a block chance when you or your allies are critically struck.
• Time of Need: Provides life regeneration and removes ailments every few seconds.

2. Champion:

• Unstoppable Hero: Grants increased attack speed, damage, and immunity to stuns while you have fortify.
• Fortitude: Grants fortify, providing damage reduction and increased defenses.
• First to Strike, Last to Fall: Provides Adrenaline, increasing damage and survivability when on low life.
• Inspirational: Enhances the effects of your banners and provides increased damage and defense.

Support Gems

1. Main Skill Setup:

• Determination: Primary defensive aura.
• Support Gems: Generosity (to increase aura effect on allies), Increased Duration, Enhance (for increased quality), Empower (for increased levels), and Enlighten (to reduce mana reservation).

2. Secondary Skill Setup:

• Leap Slam / Shield Charge: For mobility.
• Support Gems: Faster Attacks, Fortify, and Endurance Charge on Melee Stun (if using Shield Charge).

3. Utility Skills:

• Steelskin / Immortal Call: For defense.
• Blood and Sand: To switch between Blood and Sand stances.
• Dread Banner / War Banner: Additional banners to provide various bonuses.

Armor and Accessories

1. Armor:

• Body Armor: Prioritize armor with high life, resistances, and physical damage reduction. Consider options like Loreweave for increased resistances and overall survivability.
• Helmet, Gloves, and Boots: Look for items that boost armor, life, and resistances. Consider using items with increased armor and defensive attributes.

2. Accessories:

• Amulet and Rings: Focus on items that enhance armor, life, resistances, and critical strike chance. Look for mods that increase defensive attributes and mana reservation efficiency.
• Belt: A Stygian Vise with life, resistances, and increased armor is ideal.

Flask Setup

1. Life Flask:

• Instant Recovery: For emergency healing.

2. Utility Flasks:

• Granite Flask: For increased armor.
• Basalt Flask: For physical damage reduction.
• Jade Flask: For increased evasion.
• Quicksilver Flask: For increased movement speed.

Combat Strategy

1. Engaging Enemies:

• Use your melee attacks to generate Valour and place the Determination banner to provide powerful aura effects to you and your allies. Maintain high Valour levels to maximize the banner’s effectiveness.

2. Utilizing Ascendancy Passives:

• Leverage the Guardian or Champion passives to enhance your defenses and support capabilities. Use Guardian for increased aura effects and defensive support, and Champion for fortify bonuses and enhanced banner effects.

3. Managing Buffs and Debuffs:

• Maintain high uptime on Blood and Sand stances and leverage the increased damage and control provided by each stance.
• Use your flasks to boost damage, resistances, and survivability during combat.

Example Builds

1. Guardian Determination Build:

• Focus on aura effects and defensive support.
• Utilize Radiant Crusade and Unwavering Crusade to maximize aura effects.
• Use support gems that enhance aura effects and duration.

2. Champion Determination Build:

• Focus on fortify and banner effects.
• Utilize Unstoppable Hero and Inspirational to increase damage and defense.
• Use support gems that enhance banner effects and fortify bonuses.

Conclusion

The Determination build for Path of Exile 3.25 offers a powerful and supportive playstyle for players who enjoy combining melee combat with strong defensive auras. By focusing on maximizing aura effects, attack speed, and physical damage mitigation, players can effectively support both themselves and their allies in combat. Proper gear selection, passive skill tree planning, and strategic use of ascendancy passives will ensure that you unleash the full potential of this powerful support skill. Equip your weapons, prepare your flasks, and rally your allies with the formidable power of Determination.