PoE Flesh and Stone Build 3.25 – Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur

The Flesh and Stone build in Path of Exile leverages the unique mechanics of this versatile aura skill to provide both offensive and defensive benefits. By switching between Blood Stance and Sand Stance, players can adapt to different combat situations, enhancing their damage output or reducing incoming damage. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of how to optimize a Flesh and Stone build in the 3.25 patch, ensuring you maximize the benefits of both stances and effectively manage your mana reservation.

Key Features of Flesh and Stone

Flesh and Stone (Level 20):

• Spell, Aura, AoE, Stance, Physical: Flesh and Stone is an aura skill that provides different benefits depending on whether you are in Blood Stance or Sand Stance. It affects nearby enemies differently based on your stance.
• Mana Reservation: 25% of mana.
• Cooldown Time: 2.00 seconds.
• Cast Time: Instant.
• Quality: +20%.
• Requirements: Requires Level 70, 98 Strength, 68 Dexterity.
• Aura and Stance Mechanics:
  • Base Aura radius is 2.8 metres.
  • 60% increased Cooldown Recovery Rate.
  • While in Blood Stance, the aura makes enemies take up to 20% more physical damage from hits.
  • While in Sand Stance, the buff makes you take up to 19% less damage from enemies in the aura.
  • Switching between stances changes the effect of the aura on nearby enemies.

Building Around Flesh and Stone

1. Weapon and Armor Choice:

• High Physical Damage Weapons: For maximizing the offensive benefits in Blood Stance.
• Defensive Gear: Focus on armor with high life, resistances, and defensive attributes to capitalize on the damage reduction in Sand Stance.

2. Passive Skill Tree:

• Focus on nodes that enhance aura effect, physical damage, life, and resistances. Specific clusters to prioritize include those near the Marauder, Duelist, and Templar start areas.
• Consider pathing to nodes that increase aura effect and duration to maximize the benefits of Flesh and Stone.

Ascendancy Choices

1. Champion:

• Inspirational: Increases the effect of non-curse auras from your skills.
• First to Strike, Last to Fall: Provides increased damage and survivability.
• Unstoppable Hero: Grants increased attack speed, damage, and immunity to stuns while you have fortify.
• Fortitude: Grants fortify, providing damage reduction and increased defenses.

2. 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.

Support Gems

1. Main Skill Setup:

• Flesh and Stone: Primary aura skill.
• Support Gems: Enhance, Empower, Increased Area of Effect, and Generosity.

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.
• War Banner: For increased accuracy and physical damage.
• Pride: For increased physical damage to enemies.
• Dread Banner: For increased chance to impale and increased damage.

Armor and Accessories

1. Armor:

• Body Armor: Prioritize armor with high life, resistances, and physical damage reduction. Consider options like Belly of the Beast for increased life and resistances.
• Helmet, Gloves, and Boots: Look for items that boost life, resistances, and defensive attributes. Consider using items with increased armor and defensive mods.

2. Accessories:

• Amulet and Rings: Focus on items that enhance life, resistances, and defensive attributes. Look for mods that increase aura effect and life regeneration.
• Belt: A Stygian Vise with life, resistances, and increased life regeneration 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.
• Quicksilver Flask: For increased movement speed.
• Jade Flask: For increased evasion.
• Silver Flask: For increased movement and attack speed.

Combat Strategy

1. Engaging Enemies:

• Use Blood Stance for increased physical damage output when engaging enemies directly. Switch to Sand Stance when you need to mitigate incoming damage and survive tougher encounters.

2. Utilizing Ascendancy Passives:

• Leverage the Champion or Guardian passives to enhance your defenses and damage output. Use Champion for increased fortify and aura effects, and Guardian for enhanced auras and defensive support.

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. Champion Flesh and Stone Build:

• Focus on fortify and aura effects.
• Utilize Inspirational and Unstoppable Hero to maximize survivability and damage output.
• Use support gems that enhance aura effects and duration.

2. Guardian Flesh and Stone 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 Warcry duration.

Conclusion

The Flesh and Stone build for Path of Exile 3.25 offers a versatile and dynamic playstyle for players who enjoy combining offensive and defensive strategies. By focusing on maximizing aura effects, physical damage, and defensive capabilities, players can effectively dominate both single-target and group encounters. Proper gear selection, passive skill tree planning, and strategic use of ascendancy passives will ensure that you unleash the full potential of this powerful skill. Equip your armor, prepare your flasks, and adapt to any combat situation with the dual stances of Flesh and Stone.