Last verified against: 0.5.4b · updated 2026-07-09
Warrior Warbringer Totem & War Cry Build Guide
Overview
A totem-and-warcry ascendancy proven across multiple patches as a league starter. The Grenade Ballista Totem variant has been successfully played through 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 by the same build creator, a rare mark of consistency in an Early Access game.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Totems tank for you, making this one of the tankiest budget-friendly options in the game
- Warcaller's Bellow removes warcry cooldowns entirely once allocated, turning warcries into a spammable damage-and-buff tool
- Fully functional on a low budget, playable start to finish on 1-2 Divine Orbs of gear
Cons
- Clear speed is noticeably slower than meta speed-clearing builds
- Totem placement feels clunky in narrow corridors and tight boss arenas
Ascendancy Nodes
- Anvil's Weight — Break Armour equal to a portion of your Hit damage dealt
- Imploding Impacts — You can Break Enemy Armour below 0, increasing all damage they take from Hits
- Jade Heritage — Grants Encase in Jade, gain a stack of Jade every second, consume all stacks for a damage-absorbing buff
- Answered Call — Grants Ancestral Spirits, triggered when you summon a Totem, plus +1 maximum summoned Totems
- Wooden Wall — 20% of damage from Hits is taken from your nearest Totem's Life before you
- Renly's Training — Gain 35% base Block Chance from an equipped Shield instead of the Shield's own value
- Turtle Charm — Take 30% of damage from Blocked Hits, Maximum Block Chance raised to 75%
- Warcaller's Bellow — Warcries explode corpses for 25% of their life as physical damage, and ignore all Warcry cooldowns
Full Guide
Why This Ascendancy
A totem-and-warcry ascendancy proven across multiple patches as a league starter. The Grenade Ballista Totem variant has been successfully played through 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 by the same build creator, a rare mark of consistency in an Early Access game.
Putting It Together
Follow the passive tree priority and leveling guide sections above in order, most of this build’s power comes from hitting the right nodes at the right stage rather than rushing everything at once. Cross-check the ascendancy node names against the in-game tree before following this as a precise, click-by-click plan, especially for anything marked as not yet individually verified above.
Skill Gem Setup
Gear Priority
Increased totem damage, Stun duration
% increased Armour, Totem life
% increased Armour
Physical damage %, Warcry effect
Passive Tree Priority
- Early game: Totem damage nodes, Life clusters, Armour
- Mid game: Warcry effect clusters, Rage generation, Totem duration
- End game: Maximum totem count, Armour/ES hybrid clusters, Defiance nodes
Leveling Guide
- Act 1–3: Boneshatter + Shockwave Totem, Grenade skills become available from Act 2
- Act 4–6: Transition into the Grenade Ballista setup and add Rage support
- Mapping: Full Ancestral Warrior Totem or Grenade Totem setup, budget 1-2 Divine Orbs for endgame-capable gear
Frequently Asked Questions
Ancestral Warrior Totems or Grenade Totems?
AWT hits harder for a more hands-off playstyle; Grenade Ballista is cheaper to set up and safer at range. Both clear all content.
Can it do pinnacle bosses?
Yes, this exact archetype has been played through multiple patches into pinnacle content by its originating build creator.
Related Guides
Sources cross-checked: Maxroll.gg Boneshatter Warbringer leveling guide · PoE2Wiki Fextralife Warbringer page · Switchblade Gaming Warbringer rage-loop guide · aoeah.com 0.5 Tier List