Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking: A Comprehensive Guide to a Devastating Skill

The Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking is a powerful melee skill in Path of Exile that unleashes a devastating impact upon the ground, sending shockwaves that shatter nearby enemies. Introduced in the Forsaken Masters expansion, this Vaal skill has swiftly become a fan favorite, renowned for its immense destructive potential and ability to clear large groups of enemies with ease.

Understanding Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking

Mechanics

Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking requires 25 Vaal Souls to cast. Upon activation, the player character slams the ground with 100% of their physical weapon damage, creating a massive impact zone. Enemies within the impact zone take 50% less physical damage for 4 seconds.

However, the skill's true destructive power lies in the shockwaves it generates. These shockwaves travel outward from the impact zone, dealing 30-42% of the initial slam's damage to enemies they pass through. The shockwaves also stun enemies for 0.2-0.3 seconds.

Scaling and Synergy

Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking scales primarily with physical damage and area of effect (AoE). Investing in passives that increase these attributes enhances the skill's damage output and area of coverage.

The skill synergizes well with items and gems that grant additional physical damage, AoE, or stun duration. Some notable examples include:

• Ascendancy classes: Juggernaut, Berserker, Chieftain
• Unique items: Rigwald's Curse, Dancing Dervish, Red Trail
• Support gems: Increased Area of Effect, Increased Physical Damage, Fortify

Benefits and Why It Matters

The Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking offers numerous benefits that make it an invaluable skill for many Path of Exile builds:

• Massive area damage: The skill's shockwaves can reach far distances, clearing large packs of enemies with ease.
• Crowd control: The skill's stun effect can help control dangerous enemy groups and prevent them from overwhelming the player.
• Physical damage scaling: The skill scales well with physical damage, making it a potent choice for many melee builds.
• Versatility: Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking can be used as a primary skill or a complementary ability to help clear large groups of enemies.

Stories and What We Learn

• A Juggernaut's Triumph: A Juggernaut ascendant used Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking to dominate the Uber Atziri fight, showcasing the skill's immense damage output and crowd control capabilities.
• A Berserker's Fury: A Berserker ascendant employed Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking to clear the Breachlords with lightning speed, demonstrating the skill's potential in high-paced combat scenarios.
• A Chieftain's Dominance: A Chieftain ascendant utilized Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking in conjunction with Totemic Mastery to create an unstoppable force that swept through the Abyss League.

These stories illustrate the versatility and power of Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking, highlighting its effectiveness in a wide range of character builds and endgame content.

Tips and Tricks

• Position carefully: Aim your Ground Slam strategically to maximize the number of enemies affected by the shockwaves.
• Use the stun wisely: The stun effect can be used to interrupt enemy spellcasting or prevent them from activating dangerous abilities.
• Link with utility gems: Support Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking with utility gems like Fortify or Ruthless to enhance its defense or damage potential.
• Consider cooldown reduction: Vaal skills have a long cooldown, so investing in cooldown reduction items or passives can help increase the skill's availability.
• Combine with other Vaal skills: Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking can be used effectively in conjunction with other Vaal skills to synergize their effects and maximize damage output.

Tables

Table 1: Damage Scaling

Table 2: Area of Coverage

Table 3: Cooldowns

FAQs

1. Does Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking work with dual wielding?
Yes, the impact zone damage is based on the combined physical weapon damage of both weapons.

2. Can Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking be used to generate corpses for Necromancers?
Yes, the skill deals physical damage, which can kill enemies and create corpses.

3. Does the stun effect from Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking affect bosses?
Yes, the stun effect can affect bosses, but its duration is scaled down based on the boss's stun threshold.

4. Can Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking be used to clear the Breachlord encounter in the Breach League?
Yes, Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking is an effective skill for clearing the Breachlord encounter, as it can hit multiple Breach Minions and Breach Lords with its shockwaves.

5. Does the Increased Area of Effect support gem affect the area of coverage for Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking's shockwaves?
Yes, the Increased Area of Effect support gem increases the area of coverage for both the impact zone and the shockwaves.

6. Can Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking be used to cheese the Shaper fight?
Yes, Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking can be used to bypass the Shaper fight's Zana projectile phase by clearing the Zana clones with the skill's shockwaves.

7. Does the Fortify support gem affect Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking's shockwaves?
No, the Fortify support gem only affects the initial impact damage of Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking and not the shockwaves.

8. Can Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking be used to clear the Uber Atziri fight?
Yes, Vaal Ground Slam of Earthshaking is a viable skill for clearing the Uber Atziri fight, as it can deal significant damage to both Atziri and her Splitting Divination minions.