Preface: This is not the standard build post on these forums. I’ve noticed everything is very modern gamer focused, e.g. end game tunnel vision and absolute efficiency or gtfo, with the word unviable tossed around for anything that does not fit the former criteria. After spending a few years on one of the larger D2 single player sites, I am much more interested in the journey to max level, the choices made along the way when you don’t have every epic and legendary in the game found/spoofed in, and a (sometimes silly) theme for a build that you roll through most of its lifetime. So that’s my goal with this post, and if I’m not lazy future posts. Normally this kind of writeup would be posted when the journey has ended, but I’m doing this to force myself to see it through.
And this isn’t to say that there is anything wrong with the other build guides on the forum or that having gladiator crucible farming as a baseline criteria is wrong, just that there appears to be a stranglehold on the build post market.
I tend to pick a specific item or skill and try to work with that. For this build it happens to be dual Havoc pistols. I have a Silverbolt Blademaster also leveling, and will probably try remaking my dual wield Empowered Immaterial Edge guy because the weapon looks amazing and is worth another shot.
Goal is to finish Ultimate with any build. Nemesis farming or Hidden Path/Daila quests are outside of basic scope, but do include SoT and BoC. I tend to do close to full clears, killing everything in front of me without much skipping of areas. Veteran depends on how quickly I want to get through normal.
Mix of self found and my slowly growing stash on GDIA. I have a smattering of Legendaries but no full sets or anything introduced since 1.0.0.3, a good selection of epics and empowered epics, and random other junk I’ve saved along the way.
The Start (1-25)
Quick history, I was a very early backer of the game, spent a good chunk of hours playing early access when it was only Act 1, then kept away until launch. Played for a few months, took a 6 month break, and now back again just before 1.0.0.7 (my usual pattern for games, especially arpg. Poop sock a few months followed by 2x play time away to regain interest). In the midst of leveling a specific BoC farming Blademaster using Silverbolt, I realized I had a pair of Havoc pistols and briefly tried them out. Pass through Cadence is still new and shiny to me, and after a couple minutes of ALL THE BULLETS fun due to Havoc’s proc, decided to make the new (fotm) Witchblade to best take advantage. Focus will be physical damage, with unavoidable pierce conversion and internal trama mixed in.
I’m unfortunately missing early screenshots since I just recently decided to try one of these posts. Next round should be more detailed as I play through.
As dual wield pistol is not available to me until level 20 with the Gunslinger’s Jacket, I allowed dear Hobo Inquisitor to start life with a different path. In this case, briefly DEE followed with a change over to 2handed Forcewave until I hit level 20. DEE lasted until around the Flooded Passage when I fell out of love with it and changed to Forcewave, which I hadn’t really tried before. There is some Z level wonkiness that occurs with Forcewave that will probably be stop be from ever trying to focus a build around it (definitely on hills/stairs, but sometimes even flat ground the wave would appear to pass over enemies until I repositioned). Along with a 1 point Blitz, skill points were otherwise dumped to climb the Soldier tree after initially focusing on Occultist side. Attribute points are mostly cunning with a few physique mixed in.
Clear times were decent and Hobo Inquisitor was able to dispatch the Warden without any major issue.
More of the same as I went through the start of Act 2. Combining Blitz with Forcewave spam works pretty well as an early game clearer, and I dropped a chip claw on the 2handed mace for an additional big hit skill on hero mobs. Level 20 was reached just before heading into Cronley’s Hideout, allowing the character to finally start down his true path.
All Forcewave and Blitz points were unspecced (no melee weapon where we’re going), Cadence points reentered with focus on Fighting Form to maximize my pass thru chance, Gunslinger’s Jacket was equipped so dual guns could go, and…uh oh. The best pistol options I have are The Slugger and 3rd Company Revolver. Not exactly burning down the world with my DPS, but the 3rd Company along with Explorer’s Hood and Boots at least makes me move around faster. Cronley’s Lair was cleared out, but kill times have taken a hit. I don’t have much to work with in the stash until Marauder’s set in the late 20s, and that’s not a perfect fit for physical based pew pew anyway. Lots of repositioning as I fight groups in an attempt to maximize my Cadence shot, which helps but is still pretty slow. Skeletal Knights in particular are painful and take a few cycles unless I get a lucky crit. Otherwise gear is focused on OA and physical damage, flat then %, but low level drops haven’t been especially kind so far.
Screenshots taken at level 24 as I’m heading into the second half of Act 2
Occultist tree is pretty much ignored at this point until I climb a bit further in Soldier. Solael’s Witchfire will probably get points soon though for the attack speed and additional flat damage. It’s off spec but anything will help for the time being until better guns can be sourced. Level 35 will gain me access to those sassy Devil’s Crossing faction pistols.
Level 25 also included finally equipping the Gunslinger’s Talisman. The extra dual wield proc and stats made a noticeable difference, but killing Kilrian still involved a lot of kiting and slowly chipping away. He did drop a small upgrade in a magical Superior Iron Derringer of the Rifthound which replaced The Slugger.
Chipped Claws on both guns for the cheap physical damage bump and the skill when I need to kite and just want to quick pop, they are like mini cadence strikes for solo mob killing. Otherwise I’ve been pretty lazy and haven’t leveraged my large component stash (roiling blood on jewelry, mark of traveler on boots), but that will probably change to help speed kill times up, mostly likely when Marauder’s Justice set comes into play.
Devotion tree is not especially interesting. I picked up Falcon early for the additional AoE (although Forcewave rarely procced it) and otherwise focused on Physical and Pierce damage. Will have an updated screenshot at level 30/35. I’m still behind on changes that took place this summer to devotions so I need to spend some time relearn the trees.
My goal will be to update this every 10 levels with changes and play experiences.
