The Warbringer Ascendancy in Path of Exile 2 is a powerhouse for Shockwave Totem builds, particularly when it comes to AoE (Area of Effect) damage. This build shines with its ability to deploy multiple totems, unleashing devastating damage over large areas. In this guide, we'll walk through the essential stages of leveling a Shockwave Totem Warbringer from Act One to Act Three and beyond, highlighting the best skills, passive nodes, and gear for a smooth progression.

Act One: Establishing the Foundation

In the early stages, the Shockwave Totem build won't come online immediately. Instead, you'll need to rely on a combination of skills to handle damage while you prepare your totems for later use.

Early Equipment:

Weapons: You can choose between a one-handed weapon with a shield or a two-handed weapon. While a one-handed weapon offers the bonus of blocking, a two-handed weapon provides increased damage, which can be beneficial for early game clear speed.

Armor: Prioritize gear that boosts armor and mana regeneration. This build is mana-hungry, and managing your mana pool is crucial for sustained totem deployment.

Skills in Act One:

Rolling Slam: A solid skill for both clearing and dealing damage early on, especially before you unlock totems.

Boneshatter: Use Boneshatter for added physical damage and crowd control.

Shockwave Totem (unlock at later levels): This is the primary skill of the build, and it takes center stage once you gain access to it.

Support Gems to Consider:

Increased Area of Effect or Concentrated Effect to boost the AoE damage.

Mana Leech to help sustain mana as you use Shockwave Totem frequently.

Skill Rotation:

Once you unlock Shockwave Totem, the general rotation will involve placing the totem twice, followed by Rolling Slam and Boneshatter as often as possible.

For boss fights, place the Shockwave Totem on the opposite side of the boss to prevent both you and the totem from being hit simultaneously.

Act Two: Skill Refinement and Support

In Act Two, you'll refine your Shockwave Totem build, adding utility skills and improving damage output.

Skills in Act Two:

Perfect Strike: If you're struggling with single-target damage, consider adding Perfect Strike. It's great for bosses or tougher enemies.

Earthquake: Adding Earthquake provides extra AoE damage through Jagged Ground, a powerful synergy with your totems. Earthquake's eruption boosts the damage to nearby totems when well-timed.

Support Gems for Earthquake:

Fire Infusion to add fire damage.

Execute and Window of Opportunity are both ideal for Perfect Strike, enhancing damage against low-health enemies and when executed at the right time.

Support Gems:

Increased AoE: Boosts Shockwave Totem's reach.

Mana Regeneration: Keep your mana pool topped up for uninterrupted totem casting.

Act Three and Cruel: Totem Synergy and Further Expansion

In Act Three and Cruel, you'll unlock more totem abilities and truly capitalize on the totem synergy.

Skills in Act Three:

Sunder: A powerful AoE skill that complements your Shockwave Totem, adding extra damage to your rotation.

Ancestral Warrior Totem (unlocks in Cruel): This totem provides additional utility and amplifies your overall damage output when combined with your Shockwave Totem.

Skill Rotation:

Sunder on your Ancestral Warrior Totem can work wonders for both AoE and single-target scenarios. Swap Sunder into the Ancestral Totem for an additional source of damage.

Boneshatter should still be in the rotation to maintain consistency with physical damage.

Passive Skills and Ascendancy

As you level up, the passive skill tree becomes more important. This build heavily focuses on totem enhancement and AoE damage.

Key Passive Skills:

Carved Earth: Boosts totem damage and attack speed after summoning a totem. This is a crucial node, as it buffs your totems every time you summon them.

Devastation: Increases AoE and damage, benefiting both totems and your other skills.

Ancestral Artifice: Increases your totem limit and offers additional support for your totems.

Ancestral Mending and Ancestral Unity: These provide healing and defense to your totems, making them more durable.

Watchtowers: Increases totem capacity and grants a chance to summon an additional totem for free.

Supportive Ancestors: Provides a damage boost while your totems are active, scaling with the number of totems deployed.

Hardened Wood: Increases totem durability, allowing them to withstand more damage.

Ascendancy - Warbringer:

The Warbringer Ascendancy focuses on enhancing totem skills. Two standout Warbringer passives are:

Ancestral Spirits: Increases totem damage significantly, especially important as the totem-based build's main damage source.

Wooden Wall: Increases your survivability, reducing incoming damage while your totems are active.

Conclusion

The Shockwave Totem Warbringer build in Path of Exile 2 is a powerful totem-based strategy with strong AoE damage and good scalability. Early on, your focus will be on building up your totem mechanics, with Shockwave Totem as the centerpiece. As you progress through Acts Two and Three, you'll bolster your totem damage with Earthquake, Sunder, and Ancestral Warrior Totem, while also picking up vital passive skills and the Warbringer Ascendancy to solidify your totem dominance.

If you're looking to speed up your progression or need specific items to push through challenging acts, purchasing Path of Exile 2 currency and Path of Exile 2 items from trusted third-party sources can be an efficient way to enhance your build.