Path of Exile: Mastering the Vaal Cleave Build for Patch PoE 3.25

The Vaal Cleave skill in Path of Exile offers a powerful combination of area-of-effect (AoE) damage and melee prowess, making it a formidable choice for players focusing on axes and swords. This guide provides a comprehensive look at how to build around Vaal Cleave effectively in the 3.25 patch.

Key Features of Cleave and Vaal Cleave

Cleave (Level 20):

• Attack, AoE, Melee: Cleave is a versatile skill that allows characters to swing their weapon in an arc, damaging enemies in front of them.
• Mana Cost: 13 mana.
• Attack Speed: 80% of base.
• Attack Damage: 511.2% of base.
• Effectiveness of Added Damage: 511%.
• Dual Wielding: Deals 60% damage from each weapon combined.
• Radius: +1 metre, with an additional +0.1 metres per nearby enemy, up to +1 metre.

Vaal Cleave:

• Souls Per Use: 25, can store up to 3 uses.
• Soul Gain Prevention: 4 seconds.
• Attack Speed: 80% of base.
• Attack Damage: 726.5% of base.
• Effectiveness of Added Damage: 726%.
• Dual Wielding: Deals 60% damage from each weapon combined.
• Radius: +2.4 metres, with an additional +0.1 metres per nearby enemy, up to +1 metre.
• Buff Duration: 20 seconds, with a secondary duration of 20 seconds.
• Additional Features: Culling Strike, cannot be evaded, grants significant bonuses to Cleave when certain conditions are met.

Building Around Vaal Cleave

1. Weapon Choice:

• Axes and Swords: Cleave and Vaal Cleave are restricted to these weapon types. Choose high-damage, high-attack-speed axes or swords to maximize your damage output.

2. Dual Wielding:

• Dual wielding is highly effective with Cleave, as it allows you to combine the damage from both weapons, albeit at 60% of each weapon’s damage. This setup benefits from the increased attack speed and damage output.

3. Passive Skill Tree:

• Focus on nodes that enhance melee damage, attack speed, critical strike chance, and area of effect. Specific clusters to prioritize include those near the Duelist, Marauder, and Ranger start areas.
• Consider pathing to the Retaliation wheel if you want to further augment your retaliatory abilities and enhance your overall damage output.

4. Support Gems:

• Melee Physical Damage Support: Increases physical damage.
• Increased Area of Effect Support: Expands the AoE of Cleave and Vaal Cleave.
• Multistrike Support: Increases the number of attacks, ensuring more hits within the skill’s duration.
• Brutality Support: Increases physical damage but prevents elemental damage.
• Fortify Support: Adds defensive capabilities, reducing incoming damage when active.

5. Armor and Accessories:

• Look for gear that boosts your strength, dexterity, and melee damage.
• Prioritize items with increased attack speed, critical strike chance, and life leech.
• Consider gear that enhances your survivability, such as those with high life, resistances, and armor.

6. Flask Setup:

• Life Flasks: For quick healing during intense battles.
• Mana Flasks: To manage the mana cost of your skills.
• Utility Flasks: Such as Diamond Flask for increased critical strike chance or Quicksilver Flask for increased movement speed.

Combat Strategy

1. Engaging Enemies:

• Use Cleave to engage groups of enemies, utilizing its AoE to damage multiple targets. The increased radius with nearby enemies helps to maximize the skill’s effectiveness in crowded situations.

2. Utilizing Vaal Cleave:

• Activate Vaal Cleave during tougher encounters or when facing Rare or Unique enemies. The increased damage and AoE, combined with the culling strike, make it a powerful tool for quickly dispatching high-health targets.
• The buffs from Vaal Cleave significantly enhance your damage output and AoE, making it ideal for clearing large packs of enemies or dealing with boss fights.

3. Managing Buffs and Debuffs:

• Take advantage of the buff duration and secondary duration from Vaal Cleave to maintain a high level of damage output. The ability to steal modifiers from Rare enemies can provide additional temporary boosts to your capabilities.

Conclusion

The Vaal Cleave build for Path of Exile 3.25 offers a robust and versatile playstyle for melee enthusiasts. By focusing on maximizing damage, attack speed, and area of effect, players can effectively dominate both single-target and group encounters. Proper gear selection, passive skill tree planning, and strategic use of Cleave and Vaal Cleave will ensure that you unleash the full potential of this powerful skill. Equip your axes or swords, prepare your flasks, and dive into the fray with the devastating power of Vaal Cleave.