Every league, the Path of Exile community finds new ways to break the game. But every once in a while, a build evolves in a way nobody expected-not because of a new skill gem or a patch change, but because a few players experiment, collaborate, and stumble onto something wild.



This article breaks down the discovery, the mechanics behind it POE currency, the gear changes, the new tree setup, and why this "Gladiator-but-also-Elementalist" hybrid works at all. Strap in-because the sheer weirdness and power of this update is exactly what makes POE theorycrafting so fun.



How the 99% Block Gladiator Became an Explode Build



If you've been following the build, you already know the Gladiator's identity: massive block, massive regen, full ailment immunity, and steady damage scaling through fire DoTs and detonate setups. What you didn't expect was for the build to suddenly start blowing up packs like an Elementalist equipped with a God-tier synthesized weapon.



The missing ingredient?

A bizarre but powerful unique: Venerius Astroblade.



The Venerius Astroblade: The Key to "Being an Elementalist"



Normally, Barracks' Spite creates explosions based on shocks and ignites-but Gladiators don't naturally access Elementalist mechanics, and ignite/shock interactions don't mix cleanly on a pure physical block build.



But Astroblade changes the rules.



The amulet's wording:



"If you have six different influence types among your equipped items, the stars align: you gain Elemental Conflux."



Elemental Conflux does everything:



Every hit ignites

Every hit shocks

Every hit chills

All elemental ailments apply from all damage



So if you meet its requirement-six influenced items-the Gladiator "double-dips" and functions as both a tank and an Elementalist. That means your ignites now shock, your shocks ignite, and Barracks' Spite's explode chain becomes consistently triggered on every pack.



The result?



Explosions everywhere-just like an Elementalist with full Conflux uptime.



The Mapping Experience: From Slow Burn to Full Detonation



Once the new setup was crafted, the difference in mapping was immediate.



Walking-not even sprinting-into an Ultimatum, mobs simply combust. Rares die and trigger chain explosions. Packs evaporate before skills even fully animate. Even mini-bosses inside mechanics detonate and wipe out surrounding enemies.

Damage, as Travick puts it, "went straight to the moon."



Best of all:



The Gladiator's core defenses stayed intact.



99% Lucky Block

90 max res across the board

Bleed, shock, ignite, and poison immunity

High recovery and tankiness even in Ultimatum

Fire, shock, and explosion scaling all layered



The only downside is slightly reduced regen due to gear shuffling-but even that only matters in Ultimatum when all three "worst possible" modifiers appear simultaneously.



Gear Overhaul: Turning a Tank Into an Elemental Explosion Engine



The biggest changes came from adapting the build to meet Astroblade's six-influence requirement while preserving survivability.



Let's break down the upgrades, left to right.



Amulet: Venerius Astroblade



This is the centerpiece.



Grants Elemental Conflux when six influenced items are worn

Enables shock-ignite synergy for explosions

Replaces the Anvil (meaning you must recoup block chance elsewhere)



This one change redefines the entire build.



Rings: Barracks' Spite + Valyan



Barracks' Spite: Provides the explosions. Enough said.



Valyan: Still essential for "Cannot Be Poisoned."



However, since gear is changing, there are alternatives:



You can influence a ring and roll poison immunity on the Topaz Flask instead.



This opens up more flexibility if crafting becomes expensive.



Weapon & Shield



Weapon remains unchanged, though a Nebulis now provides massive scaling due to the build's stacking elemental damage.



The shield got a notable upgrade:



+1% Max Block Chance corruption

Purchased for 10 divines (budget alternatives exist)



If you lose max block from not using Anvil, you can make it up:



On tree

With corruption

With block tattoos

With crafted prefixes



Chest: Doppelganger's Guise



Still best-in-slot.



The only gem change:



Detonate Dead of Scavenging → regular Detonate Dead

Why?



Because the build now needs actual corpses for explosion chains, provided via Desecrate in the shield.Influence Gear Crafting: Helm, Gloves, Boots



To achieve six total influence types, Travick rebuilt his armor slots. The crafting choices here are not perfectly optimized-but they work.



Helmet: Arc Demon Crown (Elder + Redeemer)



Mods targeted:



+2 to socketed skill gems

Ignites deal damage faster (elevated)

Increased burning damage



The ignite-faster mod is a massive multiplier. Burning damage could be improved further depending on preference.



Gloves: Shaper + Warlord



This combo allows:



Elevated Fire DoT Multiplier (huge)

Increased Damage over Time



Downside:



You lose Eater/Exarch implicit ignite spreading.



Solution:



A Fan the Flames medium cluster or Megalomaniac jewel.



Boots: Hunter + Lightning Influence



These boots are scuffed but functional. Ideally, you'd craft:



Ignite mod (Hunt)

Life regen suffix

Resistance suffix

Lightning prefix for Astroblade synergy



Current setup still works, but Travick plans to recraft them.



Flasks



Still using:



Ruby

Sapphire

Topaz

Cinderswallow Urn

Mageblood to automate everything



A new Amethyst Flask fills chaos resistance gaps until gear can be rebalanced.



Skill Setup Changes



The gem links remain similar, with the main changes being:



Desecrate added to shield

Regular Detonate Dead in chest

Flame Wall, Burning Damage, and Wave of Conviction unchanged

No more Frostblink (socket pressure increased)

Enlighten added to support reservation after tree changes



The New Passive Tree: Cleaner, Stronger, and Conflux-Optimized



Switching to Elemental Conflux eliminated the need for ignite chance tattoos. This opened new routing options and freed points for juicy damage clusters.



Key upgrades:



Unnatural Instinct



Placed in the Templar wheel, granting:



Life regen

AoE

Fire damage

Utility from small nodes normally unreachable



Light of Meaning (Fire version)



Placed to make nearby small nodes scale fire damage significantly.



Tattoo Strategy



Since ignite chance is no longer needed:



Strength nodes become life regen tattoos

Block nodes become block tattoos

Resist/Crit tattoos used where needed



Fan the Flames Cluster



Since gloves lost the ignite spread implicit, this medium cluster restores proliferation.



Megalomaniac Jewel



Travick's version included:



Fan the Flames

Surging Vitality (huge burst regen every 4 seconds)



Defensive Adjustments



Because regen dipped due to gear swaps, the build temporarily invests in Hardy for recovery rate. Once boots and gloves are optimized with regen rolls, these points may be freed for more damage.



Headsman: The Unexpected MVP



A surprising addition is the Forbidden Flesh + Forbidden Flame pairing for Slayer's Headsman node.



Benefits:



AoE while mapping

Culling strike

Massive damage boost

Makes explode chains even more reliable



And the best part?



The pair only cost 10–24 div total when discovered.



Final Thoughts: A Build That Shouldn't Work-but Absolutely Does



This version of the 99% Block Gladiator is the perfect example of community-driven innovation in Path of Exile:



A tanky league-start-ready build

Transformed into an Elementalist explosion engine

Without losing survivability

Without requiring synthesized explode weapons

By leveraging obscure uniques and influence stacking



It's weird, powerful, flexible, and genuinely fun to play.



There's still room to refine the gear and tree, and Travick openly invites feedback from anyone who finds even better crafting routes.



But in its current state Path of exile currency for sale?



This is one of the coolest, most unexpected evolutions a Gladiator build has seen in years-and a reminder that POE is at its best when players experiment wildly.