PoE Vaal Double Strike Build 3.25 – Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur

The Vaal Double Strike skill in Path of Exile offers a powerful melee attack that combines high physical damage with bleeding mechanics and the ability to summon attacking doubles. This guide provides a comprehensive look at how to build around Vaal Double Strike effectively in the 3.25 patch.

Key Features of Double Strike and Vaal Double Strike

Double Strike (Level 20):

• Attack, Melee, Strike, Physical: Double Strike performs two fast strikes with a melee weapon.
• Mana Cost: 13 mana.
• Attack Speed: 80% of base.
• Attack Damage: 409.6% of base.
• Effectiveness of Added Damage: 409%.
• Weapon Requirements: Requires Level 70, 155 Dexterity, and a Melee Weapon.
• Bleeding Mechanics: 25% chance to cause bleeding, 20% chance to deal double damage to bleeding enemies.

Vaal Double Strike:

• Souls Per Use: 30, can store up to 2 uses.
• Soul Gain Prevention: 8 seconds.
• Attack Damage: 101.7% of base.
• Effectiveness of Added Damage: 101%.
• Duration Mechanics: Summons doubles for a base duration of 6.00 seconds, with skill effect duration modifiers applying to soul gain prevention.
• Additional Features: Doubles have 57% increased movement speed, can’t be evaded, 25% chance to cause bleeding, 20% chance to deal double damage to bleeding enemies.
• Summoning Mechanics: Maximum of 8 summoned doubles.
• Corrupted: Cannot be modified but offers significant power.

Building Around Vaal Double Strike

1. Weapon Choice:

• Daggers, Claws, One-Handed Swords: Choose high-damage weapons with added physical damage, increased attack speed, and critical strike chance to maximize your damage output.

2. Passive Skill Tree:

• Focus on nodes that enhance melee damage, physical damage, attack speed, and critical strike chance. Specific clusters to prioritize include those near the Duelist, Ranger, and Shadow start areas.
• Consider pathing to nodes that increase bleeding effectiveness and duration to enhance the damage-over-time effect.

3. Support Gems:

• Melee Physical Damage Support: Increases physical damage.
• Brutality Support: Increases physical damage but prevents dealing elemental damage.
• Multistrike Support: Increases the number of strikes, ensuring more hits and faster attack speed.
• Ruthless Support: Adds significant damage on every third hit, which synergizes well with Double Strike’s fast attacks.
• Chance to Bleed Support: Enhances the chance to inflict bleeding and increases bleeding damage.
• Maim Support: Increases physical damage and slows enemies, making them easier to hit.

4. Armor and Accessories:

• Look for gear that boosts your dexterity, physical damage, attack speed, and critical strike chance.
• Prioritize items with high life, resistances, and evasion for increased survivability.
• Consider gear with bleeding bonuses to maximize the effectiveness of your attacks.

5. Flask Setup:

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

Combat Strategy

1. Engaging Enemies:

• Use Double Strike to engage single targets and small groups, leveraging its high physical damage and bleeding chance to deal significant damage over time.

2. Utilizing Vaal Double Strike:

• Activate Vaal Double Strike during tougher encounters or when facing large groups of enemies. The summoned doubles provide additional damage and crowd control, making it a powerful tool for both single-target and AoE damage.
• The buffs from Vaal Double Strike significantly enhance your damage output and crowd control, making it ideal for clearing large packs of enemies or dealing with boss fights.

3. Managing Buffs and Debuffs:

• Take advantage of the increased physical damage and bleeding mechanics to maintain a high level of damage output. The summoned doubles provide excellent coverage and ensure that enemies are hit multiple times.

Example Builds

1. Duelist Slayer Double Strike Build:

• Focus on high attack speed, physical damage, and life leech for sustained damage and survivability.
• Utilize Double Strike and Vaal Double Strike to deal massive physical damage and control enemies.
• Invest in bleeding damage and life leech nodes to maximize the effectiveness of your attacks.

2. Shadow Assassin Double Strike Build:

• Prioritize critical strike chance, critical strike multiplier, and evasion for high damage and survivability.
• Use Double Strike and Vaal Double Strike to clear large packs of enemies quickly.
• Enhance bleeding and critical strike damage with appropriate support gems and passive skill nodes.

Conclusion

The Vaal Double Strike build for Path of Exile 3.25 offers a robust and versatile playstyle for melee enthusiasts who enjoy high-speed, high-damage combat. By focusing on maximizing damage, bleeding capabilities, and crowd control, players can effectively dominate both single-target and group encounters. Proper gear selection, passive skill tree planning, and strategic use of Double Strike and Vaal Double Strike will ensure that you unleash the full potential of this powerful skill. Equip your weapon, prepare your flasks, and strike down your enemies with the devastating power of Vaal Double Strike.