Sacred Shieldbearer
Eos build

Beta build for Patch 1.0.0

As you know, it is your weapon that determines what Spells and Abilities you can use. This means that you can't just throw in Sacred skills into your standard Melee Build... but you actually can. There is a very interesting Unique Shield, called Quintet of Sundowns, that "allows the bearer to cast Sacred Spells", which opens up many very interesting build possibilities; with it, you can become a true Warrior of Light/Holy Paladin who will purge the world and burn demons and heretics with holy flames (on top of that, having a shield that basically counts as a Staff/Catalyst is very, very convenient because shield can block enemy attacks). If becoming a Warrior of Light is your thing, this build will suit you well. 

You can check all the best Wolcen builds made by our team here: Best Wolcen Builds by Odealo

Important note: This is a beta version of our Sacred Shieldbearer Eos Build that we have just recently started working on. It breezes through the campaign and its kill speeds are among the highest we have seen to date. As mentioned earlier, we have just started this "project" so we are still far away from determining the perfect mix of active and passive abilities (it is possible that we will swap some of them around in the foreseeable future). Despite being in the early stages of development, the build shows great promise and performs at a very high level. However, it is possible that combos/mechanics that the build uses will get tuned down in future patches which will make it less outstanding. As it stands, this is one of the most dynamic and engaging builds you can currently run. 

1. Gameplay

This build offers a very dynamic and challenging playstyle that forces you to pay attention to your positioning if you want to maximize its effectiveness. It offers one of the most mobile Melee ability setups thanks to the fact that Bulwark of Dawn and Bleeding Edge can be Modified in a way that allows them to move together with the caster. This means that, with this build, you don't have to stop; just running around, with these skills active, makes your enemies burn and bleed. As for the build's other active abilities: Flight of Gaavanir, the build's main DPS ability, is what makes it feel engaging - it allows you to throw and then recall hammers that damage everything on their path; the recall part makes positioning important (you want your enemies to always be between you and your thrown hammers so that recall causes the hammers to damage enemies). Wings of Ishmir allow you to quickly engage and obliterate groups of enemies and also serve as an emergency getaway option. Despite being focused on relentless offense, the build does not forgo defense (mainly because the defense becomes offense with this build's setup); the Juggernaut is its main defensive ability that, thanks to some over tuning, also works wonders during boss fights - it seems that damage reflection is slightly too good at the moment. 

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Attributes

For this DPS build you want to focus Ferocity for increased Attack and Spell Critical Strike chance, and the highest DPS bonus. The higher your crit chances are the better. Thanks to the build's Active Ability setup, you can leave Toughness and Agility at base levels (Abilities, like Juggernaut and Bulwark of Dawn, more than cover our defenses with this build) - bonuses gained from gear will give you enough of these stats. When it comes to Wisdom, you can allocate some points into it, but only if you find it necessary. In reality, allocating every point into Ferocity will work. 

4. Passives

Below you will find the recommended Passives for our Sacred Shieldbearer Eos build. It primarily utilizes Ferocity Classes, but also ventures into the Warlock Archetype to increase the Rage cap, which synergizes with the Warmonger's Manic Slaughter. Build's Passives are allocated in a way that maximizes Damage, Crit Chance, and Block, but they also provide Life Leech that greatly increases build's survivability (high DPS combined with Life Leech is simply overpowered). 

5. Skills

[PRIMARY DPS] Flight of Gaavanir
	Flight of Gaavanir is a very interesting ability that, in essence, turns your character into Thor. It allows you to throw a flying hammer in the direction of the cursor and then recall it with the next use of this ability. The hammer damages all enemies along its path.
	Howl of Battle generates Rage for each enemy hit along the hammer's recall trajectory. This is a very strong Modifier, but it requires some good positioning on the player's side to truly shine.
	Blazing Fury allows you to burn heretics with the holy fire as it converts the Flight's of Gaavanir base Physical Damage into Fire Damage.
	Stones Casting Shadows is the most powerful modifier for the Flight of Gaavanir as it allows you to throw two hammers instead of one, but it also reduces hammer's damage by 54%. Despite the damage penalty, this is very strong because it doubles all other effects the hammer has on enemies.
	Standing Boulder is a very synergistic Modifier that works wonders in this build. It increases the Flight's of Gaavanir crit chance, based on the character's block chance (which is high). In this build, Standing Boulder provides a 100% Critical Chance to thrown hammers!

[SECONDARY DPS] Bleeding Edge
	Bleeding Edge makes you throw axes that orbit around you dealing additional damage to all enemies. This ability supplements the Bulwark of Dawn (as both of them follow you around and supplement your DPS with nice AoE damage) and provides you with a great source of AoE/DoT damage.
	Unstoppable Momentum causes the Blades to continue spinning after you throw them. This makes the skill much more efficient.
	Astral Orbit causes the blades to follow you around wherever you move, which allows you to deal maximum damage without stopping.
	Upright Fury can be used so that it doesn't consume too much Rage and Rage is important in this build; saving it increases your DPS (thanks to the passive build).

[UTILITY] Bulwark of Dawn
	Bulwark of Dawn is an area Skill that blesses an area around the caster with the light of dawn. The light heals allies who stand in it over time. It is usable only with Catalysts and Staves; this is where our Unique shield comes into play.
	Everlasting Aura is a simple modifier that increases Bulwark's duration. This makes it much more cost-efficient.
	Sacred Grounds turns this defensive AoE HoT ability into a potent AoE Damaging one. With this mOdifier, Bulwark's area of effect also deals damage to enemies in range. Thanks to this, Bulwark of Dawn becomes one of the most versatile skills available.
	Blade of Truth makes you deal additional sacred damage with your attacks while you remain in Bulwark's area of effect. This, combined with the Divine Omnipresence provides you with a constant Damage buff.
	Divine Omnipresence is what makes the Bulwark of Dawn truly amazing. With this Modifier, Bulwark's area of effect follows the caster (which converts it from a simple AoE into an aura-like effect around the caster). Thanks to this, you can get Bulwark's full benefit without ever stopping.

[UTILITY] Juggernaut
	Juggernaut a defensive Skill that gives you a protective shield that absorbs incoming damage. Upon receiving a set amount of damage, it will explode damaging nearby enemies. What makes this ability special is the fact that it is slightly overtuned and allows you to obliterate bosses with its Damage Reflection Modifier.
	Grudges Collected causes you to generate Rage when you receive damage while the Juggernaut is active. a very convenient Modifier that nicely synergizes with the build.
	Crushing Wall inflicts a portion of your character's Weapon Damage to all enemies attacking the shield. This minor retaliation effect ramps up Damage surprisingly quickly.
	Prideful Deflagration converts Juggernaut's Physical Damage into Fire Damage, which is much more flavourful.
	Perpetual Osmosis which increases the maximum possible damage absorption at the cost of emptying the Fore Shield.
	Cold Steel reduces the cooldown, making the ability even more powerful.

[MOBILITY] Wings of Ishmir
	Wings of Ishmir allows you to perform offensive (and defensive) Leaps. It allows you to engage groups of unsuspecting enemies quickly and provides you with various powerful buffs. Moreover, it can be used to jump away from danger.
	Noble Bearing reduces the Skill's cooldown, for each enemy slain with this ability, allowing you to Leap again more quickly and benefit from the Skill's bonuses more often.
	Berzerker's Onslaught increases the amount of Rage generated by Wings of Ishmir. This Modifier synergizes with the build's passive setup, which makes it even better than usual.
	Stunning Apparatus grants you an additional buff for each enemy hit upon landing, which allows you to defeat groups of enemies much more easily.
	Meritorious Crew which is the most important modifier for Wings of Ishmir, giving you (and your allies) a very high damage bonus after landing.

5. Recommended Gear

This section is still in "construction" as we don't have enough data to give you exact item proposals. We can't provide too detailed gear suggestions right now as there aren't many Unique and Legendaries revealed. However, below you can find the recommended Stat priority for items used in this build, which should help you get through the campaign. In the following days, we will try to update this section. 

Note: This build is based on a level 8 Unique Shield "Quintet of Sundowns" that allows the bearer to cast Sacred Spells (the shield basically counts as a Staff or a Catalyst). Please be aware that the build will not work as intended without this item! 

If you have any other build requests please let us know in the comments section below. We are going to continue our work on Wolcen characters to fill up the list with all major build archetypes in the following weeks. Stay tuned. 

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Wolcen Studio.