[3.25] Lazy Susie: Explosive Warcry Scion (Budget-Friendly Tank) - Endgame viable

PoB (lvl 96, Uber Elder snapshot): https://pobb.in/ItIwCz9Nu6sd
PoB (theory-crafted*): https://pobb.in/I2KadqZNBfeG
Includes multiple trees and explanations.
* Updated: Revised version, +2 Endurance Charges

Just in case PoB once again won't save the applied Tattoos:


Do not use more Tattoos, because the next breakpoints require 3 instead of 2, which is just not worth it.

The build primarily scales global increased and increased Physical Damage where possible. This is because Corrupting Cry deals Physical Damage over Time and the corpse explosions deal Physical Damage.

Unlike Bleed or Reap/Exsanguinate, the ceiling for this type of build is considerably lower overall because we can only scale it on so many axes, but we can still reach enough damage to complete endgame encounters. The main advantage here comes from the fact that a.) we can deal damage while moving, and b.) it has a duration, so it's much easier to have damage uptime on bosses.

Once an enemy dies, Kaom's Command allows us to explode their corpse, which can create a cascading effect with multiple enemies, clearing entire packs with ease. This chain reaction can also be used to deal with tanky rares that hide in the enemy ranks.

For tankiness, I opted for Ancestral Cry (for +4% max res), Immortal Call, Endurance Charges, Cloak of Flame and Ruby/Sapphire/Topaz flasks, paired with Redblade Banner for infinite Warcry Power and increased Cooldown Recovery Rate. Life Recovery is achieved in the form of Life Regen, mainly from Enduring Cry.

Skill Effect Duration scales basically every aspect of the build, so the Duration cluster near Scion is perfect for this, as we also need a bit of INT.

Pride, Summon Skitterbots, Natural Authority and Vulnerability are used to amplify the damage enemies take. The Chill from Skitterbots also adds another minor defense layer in the form of Action Slow.

To counteract enemy Physical Damage over Time - which is otherwise not easy to mitigate - I use Endurance Charges and Cloak of Flame, paired with Immortal Call and the Ralakesh Pantheon.

Speaking of which, Cloak of Flame is probably one of the strongest items currently in the game, despite its relatively weak appearance. The damage shift is actually quite powerful, as it also applies to Physical Damage over Time that you take. This is normally not the case, as damage shift usually applies to hits only. It's what makes that chest armor very unique.

There's a lot of leeway in how to scale this build and how much it costs, however, Corrupting Cry is very level dependent and thus a corrupted Cloak of Flame with +2 +2 levels to Warcry/Duration/AoE gems is best-in-slot, hands down, but also difficult/expensive to obtain. Said level dependence also makes the build at times feel a bit lackluster early on, because the single target damage isn't quite there until you have access to higher level gems/more expensive gear.

You can always try and win the war of attrition, though. Quick sidenote: Early on, you might want to incorporate a Frost Bomb gem into your setup to deal with rare enemies that have high Life and Regen.

That said, I made it all the way to Shaper with scuffed/garbage gear mostly not suited for the build at all, so it's entirely possible and feasible to reach endgame on a lower budget.

I leveled with Splitting Steel for a while and later switched to Exsanguinate, though I did so too early in my opinion, so stick with what you know and switch to Reap later. You can scale it with % increased Spell Damage you can find on wands.

Purity of Elements is used to gain a massive boost to Resistances to alleviate pressure on gear, and it also makes us completely immune to Elemental Ailments. That means no Shock that increases the damage we take, or Sap that makes us deal less damage.

Spiritual Aid is the best anoint because Minion Damage is easier to aquire and some nodes offer good damage for relatively little investment.

There's not really much else to say here, as the build is mechanically rather simple and straight forward.

Your best course of action early on is to pick up damage nodes ASAP, as tankiness just kind of comes naturally. I added leveling trees in the PoB that you can follow. You can respec those nodes later for Life and whatnot once you have enough damage that it feels comfortable.