Herald of Agony Juggernaut Necropolis 3.24 Guide

Build Overview

The Herald of Agony Juggernaut build, stemming from its roots in the Path of Exile’s 3.4 Delve League, has consistently demonstrated its prowess and adaptability within the game's ever-evolving meta. Initially captivating players with its blend of durability and damage, the Herald of Agony (HoA) build has seen various iterations, including dodge-focused Raiders, robust Juggernauts, and energy shield-reliant Guardians. Despite adjustments in the 3.10 Delirium League to balance its strength, the build has only grown more formidable with subsequent updates and the ingenuity of the PoE community.

What sets this build apart is its incredible synergy of defense and offense, boasting upwards of 200,000 Effective Health, over 500 Life Gained on Hit, and significant Life Regeneration. Its damage output, while variable, can peak between 3 to 8 million Pinnacle DPS, ensuring 100% uptime—a feat not easily matched by other builds that must often sacrifice damage for evasion.

The ease of play is another hallmark of the Herald of Agony Juggernaut, primarily requiring the player to navigate through battles with Cyclone, manage flasks, and optionally cast Molten Shell for an extra defense layer. This straightforward approach does not just simplify gameplay but also enhances the enjoyment and efficiency of mapping and boss encounters.

Emphasizing the Juggernaut's inherent tankiness, the build incorporates a Glorious Vanity jewel with Divine Flesh, converting a portion of elemental damage taken to chaos damage, and synergizing with Saffell's Frame for elevated maximum chaos and elemental resistances. This foundation of elemental and physical damage mitigation makes the Herald of Agony Juggernaut an ideal choice for tackling PoE's most challenging content, from high-tier bosses to demanding maps, making it an attractive option for both newcomers and seasoned players within the Necropolis expansion.

Pros and Cons

The Herald of Agony Juggernaut build shines as a beacon of accessibility and effectiveness in Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion. Designed with both new and hardcore players in mind, it simplifies gameplay without compromising on the thrill of overcoming the game's most formidable challenges. While it may not offer the fastest gameplay or direct damage output, its strengths in durability, ease of play, and versatility make it a formidable choice for any adventurer looking to delve deep into the darkest corners of Wraeclast.

Build Main Mechanics

The cornerstone of the Herald of Agony Juggernaut build lies in the nuanced interplay between the player's actions and the Agony Crawler minion's response. The Herald of Agony skill itself does not summon the minion; it merely provides a chance to inflict poison, which is pivotal for generating Virulence stacks. These stacks are crucial for summoning and empowering the Agony Crawler, making the management of Virulence a central aspect of gameplay. The use of Cluster Jewels can increase the maximum number of Virulence stacks, thereby enhancing the Agony Crawler's effectiveness.

An ingenious strategy involves utilizing The Golden Rule jewel, which allows the player's self-inflicted poisons to contribute to Virulence stacks, effectively doubling the rate at which these are accumulated. Despite the self-poisoning, the build's substantial tankiness and chaos resistance mitigate any negative impacts, ensuring sustained combat effectiveness.

The build employs a Cyclone and Cast While Channeling setup, pairing Cyclone with Ball Lightning to maximize poison application and Virulence stack generation. The addition of Lifetap Support ensures mana sustainability, while strategic gear modifications can allow for a switch to Life Gain on Hit, further bolstering the build's resilience.

Manual inputs are minimal, mainly involving the occasional use of Molten Shell for added defense. This simplicity, combined with the Agony Crawler's relentless offense, makes the build both accessible to newcomers and potent for veterans. Additionally, the option to incorporate Aspect of the Spider via gear enhancements offers a balanced boost to both offense and defense, provided the player can adeptly manage resistance levels or rely on Endurance Charges for resistance caps.

In summary, the Herald of Agony Juggernaut build thrives on a symbiotic relationship between player actions and minion performance, characterized by strategic poison application, meticulous Virulence stack management, and judicious skill and gear choices. This foundation allows for an engaging playstyle that is both forgiving to new players and rewarding for seasoned adventurers in the Necropolis expansion of PoE.

PoB, Passives and Gem Links

To fully grasp the intricacies of the Herald of Agony Juggernaut build, we recommend consulting an optimized Path of Building.

The Herald of Agony Juggernaut build leverages the Divine Flesh keystone, obtainable from the Xibaqua Glorious Vanity jewel, as a cornerstone for its defensive strategy. This keystone transforms half of all incoming elemental damage into chaos damage, which the build counters with exceptionally high chaos resistance, obtained through Saffell's Frame and specific Cluster Jewels, maximizing damage mitigation. While Divine Flesh plays a significant role in the build's resilience, the build remains robust even without this mechanic, thanks to its versatile gear choices and passive skill setup.

For Gem Links:

• Pre Poison / Faster Attacks Gloves: Initially, Cyclone is linked with Chance to Poison Support, Lifetap Support, and Faster Attacks Support, prioritizing poison application speed. A setup with Withering Touch Support and a Spell Totem is recommended for additional damage.
• Post Poison / Faster Attacks Gloves: Upon acquiring gloves with embedded support gems, the Cyclone setup evolves. With mana cost reduction and a source of Wither from gear or jewels, Cyclone links shift to Awakened Cast While Channelling Support and Ball Lightning, with Life Gain on Hit Support enhancing survivability.
• Herald of Agony 7-Link in Lioneye's Vision: This armor piece enables a 7-link setup for the Agony Crawler, incorporating Vicious Projectiles Support, Damage on Full Life Support, Minion Damage Support, and Empower Support, among others. Upgrading to Awakened versions of these supports and a level 21/20 Herald of Agony gem maximizes the Crawler's damage potential.
• Convocation / Utility: Includes Convocation, Flame Dash, and Molten Shell for mobility and additional defense.
• Auras: The build utilizes Defiance Banner, Determination, and Enlighten Support to enhance defenses and manage mana efficiently.
• Curses: Sniper's Mark and Lifetap Support are linked to optimize curse application without straining mana resources.
• Automated Buffs: A Cast when Damage Taken setup maintains the Spirit Offering buff, further augmenting the Agony Crawler's effectiveness.

This comprehensive approach to skill and gem links ensures that the Herald of Agony Juggernaut build maintains a balance between offensive potency and defensive durability, allowing players to navigate the challenges of PoE's Necropolis expansion with confidence.

Ascendancy, Pantheons and Deal with the Bandits

For the Herald of Agony Juggernaut build, the Ascendancy path chosen within the Marauder's Juggernaut subclass plays a critical role in fortifying its defensive capabilities and enhancing its overall resilience.

Ascendancy (Marauder – Juggernaut):

• Unflinching: Provides a foundational increase to tankiness by offering a consistent generation of Endurance Charges upon being hit, with a chance to gain maximum charges, aiding significantly in early-game progression and survivability.
• Unbreakable: Augments the build's defense by mitigating both physical and elemental damage, establishing the Juggernaut as the apex of tank classes within PoE.
• Untiring: Enhances life regeneration, contributing to the build's sustain. Players may consider swapping this for Unrelenting for improved Chaos Resistance if not already capped.
• Unstoppable: Grants immunity to chill, freeze, and stun effects while ensuring action and movement speeds are not reduced below their base values, optimizing mobility and resilience in high-stakes encounters.

Deal with the Bandits:

The optimal choice for this build is to eliminate all the bandits in favor of receiving two additional skill points from Eramir, as the specific benefits offered by aligning with any of the bandits do not align well with the build's requirements.

Pantheons:

• Major God: Soul of Arakali is selected for its reduction in damage over time, aiding in mitigating self-inflicted poisons and providing additional defense against lightning damage.
• Minor God: Soul of Yugul, once upgraded, is essential for its enhanced protection against curses, effectively bolstering the build's resilience in curse-heavy environments.

While upgrading Pantheon powers is generally beneficial, it's advised to avoid upgrading Soul of Shakari for this specific build, as it could inadvertently impact its performance negatively. Pantheon powers can be upgraded through the use of Divine Vessels in conjunction with the Map Device, offering not just enhanced abilities but also deeper insights into the game's lore through interactions with Sin in Oriath.

This combination of Ascendancy choices, strategic decision-making in the Deal with the Bandits quest, and judicious selection of Pantheon powers significantly amplifies the Herald of Agony Juggernaut build's survivability and effectiveness across the varied challenges presented in the Necropolis expansion of PoE.

Gear

Optimizing gear is crucial for maximizing the performance of the Herald of Agony Juggernaut build. The recommended items below synergize to enhance both the survivability and offensive capabilities of the build, ensuring a smooth progression through the Necropolis expansion of PoE.

Each piece of gear has been carefully selected to complement the Herald of Agony Juggernaut build's strengths and mitigate its weaknesses. The combination of Lioneye's Vision for the 7-link setup, unique items like The Stampede and Cold Iron Point, and specifically crafted pieces like the Titan Gauntlets and Stygian Vise, ensure that the build achieves its potential for both durability and damage output. Moreover, the Circle of Nostalgia rings play a pivotal role in enhancing the efficacy of the Herald of Agony, further elevating the build's performance across the challenging environments of Wraeclast.

Summary

Wrapping up, this Herald of Agony Juggernaut guide offers everything you need to master one of the most resilient and powerful builds in Path of Exile's Necropolis expansion. We've covered the build's overview, its pros and cons, key mechanics, essential gem links, the best gear choices, and more, ensuring you're well-equipped to take on the challenges of Wraeclast. Remember, whether you're new to the game or a seasoned veteran, this build is designed to be user-friendly, offering a satisfying blend of tankiness and damage.

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