[1.0.0.8]Sorcerer-Want to play ARR that pierce trough? or What to do with all those skill points?

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
1

Want to play ARR that pierce through? or What to do with all those skill points?

Some time ago GeneralCash gave me pretty interesting idea on using Tome of Arcane Wastes granted skill (Obliteration) as a main attacking spell, so I decided to go for it and here we are.


So, Want to play ARR that pierce through?

As you can see from picture above obliteration have ability to pierce through and that alone gives it nice upper hand when compared to AAR that doesn’t have ability to do so. Ok, it has less dmg than AAR but its elemental/electrocute based so you have better resist reduction options for it and it costs you exactly 0 skill points and much less energy than AAR.

What to do with all those skill points?

Aside from the 0 skill points cost of obliteration this build has exactly +6 to all demo skills and +4 to all arcanist skills. You just cant get more than that in any case. So answer to question what do do with them is do what ever you want you have abundance of them :smiley:

Personally I decided to add Grenado to it, not that you have to, you can take devastation or something else or even noting its up to you.

Why grenado? You can transmute it to be lightning based, it has short CD (specially on this build :)) and it hits really hard, so it adds much to your single target dmg output, cuz lets face it 3m radius doesn’t provide much AoE.

Picture of the build with constant auras:

2nd sheet and grenado tool tip breakdown:

You can see from picture that granado hits pretty hard especially with that nice +50% crit from shattering blast. And is almost all lightning/fire based, two types of dmg with highest resistance reduction available to this build.

About obliteration

Obliteration is elemental/electrocute based skill similar to AAR, with a difference of being able to pierce through enemies and thus hits multiple targets at once. To take most advantage of skill dmg types and resistance reduction available, build uses items that are primary supporting lightning/electrocute and secondary fire dmg. Also to convert cold part of elemental dmg to more preferable fire it uses warpfires cold to fire conversion.

Obliteration tool tip breakdown:

Concept of the build

As mentioned earlier build uses Obliteration skill (granted by item) as a main attack coupled with grenado as a secondary, but powerful, source of single target dmg. For AoE/trash clear tempest/mines and ulzuins pyroclasm relic procs are used. Since both of them are on crit based we have to make sure to have high enough OA and enough CDR to keep reckless tempest perma up.

With high enough OA it should look like this:

What can you do with this build?

You can easily finish all main game content, facetank and drop all nemesis, like for most casters MQ is excluded from facetanking but due to extreme tankines of this build it requires minimal amount of kiting and can be reliable brought down in bit less than 30 sec.
I didn’t tried this build in crucible but Im sure it could work nicely and finish gladiator with not to much issues.

2

Attribute points

Since this build is lacking in HP department go all to physique.

Grim calc

http://grimcalc.com/build/1008-AqU4XK

Since demo mastery tends to bug on grim calc from time to time, or from patch to patch here is a picture of demo skill mastery:

Devotion binding: Reckless tempest - Termite mines; Arcane bomb - Flashbangs; Elemental storm - Obliteration; Healing rain - any aura

Why so defensive devotions? With recent changes to the game, to be able to perform in crucible almost all builds are pigeonholed to use defensive devotions. If you dont plan to do crucible with this build you can use more offensive setup but I still recommend taking tree of life because of energy regeneration it provides.

Why star pact and not reckless power? Dont you need casting speed? Casting speed is nice but with taking reckless power instead of of star pact you will not get almost any dps boost, cuz star pact gives bonus % dmg to lightning and electrocute, your primary dmg types and that bonus fully compensates for casting speed bonus of reckless power. Also whit out starpact you would lose fear chunk of your tankynes.

How does exactly star pact makes this build more tanky? - Star pact beside of giving % dmg bonuses to certain types of dmg gives CDR reduction to all skills, not just active ones. So with the help of star pact you have pretty low CD on skills like blast shield and mirror of ereoctes and no CD at all on healing rain proc. That makes this build extremely tanky.
Not to mention that you also have reduced CD of your offensive procs like elemental storm and specially reckless tempest that is perma up.

Some pictures to see CD on certain skills/procs:

Is this build going to be nerfed in upcoming HF? Well Zantai promised it will not, but since he has some strange nerfing fetish one can never know :stuck_out_tongue:


Alternative less gear dependent setup of the build

Since most of people here aren’t hard core players ready to spend hundreds or even thousands of hours farming for gear I prepared less gear dependent setup for them. This setup doesn’t require any hard to find/craft MI/green item:

Skill points distribution is same as for setup with MI items. If you want higher stun resistance invest some more points into conversion.

Important thing for you to know is that there is not to much difference in overall performances of those two proposed setups, no MI setup can do the same things like MI setup tho bit slower but its also a bit tankier than MI setup.

Gearing

Offensive vise you are searching for items that are primary giving % to lightning/electrocute, casting speed, OA, % dmg to fire is also welcome.

Defensive vise try to cap resistances, get enough armor, HP, DA,…

I find 3pc light defender set to be the BiS cuz its giving offensive and defensive vise excellent stats and it helps a lot in energy management.

Currently equipped gear

I will list the gear used for no MI setup of the build cuz I find it more newbie friendly and people that played enough to have good MIs will know how to make MI setup with out me helping them.

Head: [Clairvoyant’s Hat](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Clairvoyant’s Hat) ([Leathery Hide](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Leathery Hide) / [Mogdrogen’s Touch (Devil’s Crossing)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Mogdrogen’s Touch))
Shoulders: [Light’s Defender Epaulets](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Light’s Defender Epaulets) ([Scaled Hide](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Scaled Hide) / [Mogdrogen’s Touch (Devil’s Crossing)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Mogdrogen’s Touch))
Chest: [Light’s Defender Plate](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Light’s Defender Plate) ([Kilrian’s Shattered Soul](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Kilrian’s Shattered Soul) / [Kingsguard Powder (Black Legion)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Kingsguard Powder))
Main hand: Warpfire ([Imbued Silver](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Imbued Silver) / [Creed’s Cunning (Black Legion)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Creed’s Cunning))
Offhand: [Tome of the Arcane Wastes](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Tome of the Arcane Wastes) ([Purified Salt](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Purified Salt) / [Creed’s Cunning (Black Legion)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Creed’s Cunning))
Hands: [Light’s Defender Gauntlets](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Light’s Defender Gauntlets) ([Unholy Inscription](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Unholy Inscription) / [Mogdrogen’s Touch (Devil’s Crossing)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Mogdrogen’s Touch))
Waist: [Ulzuin’s Torment](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Ulzuin’s Torment) ([Antivenom Salve](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Antivenom Salve) / [Mogdrogen’s Touch (Devil’s Crossing)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Mogdrogen’s Touch))
Legs: [Empowered Legplates of Valor](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Empowered Legplates of Valor) ([Scaled Hide](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Scaled Hide) / [Outcast’s Warding Powder (Outcasts)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Outcast’s Warding Powder))
Feet: [Golemborn Greaves](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Golemborn Greaves) ([Antivenom Salve](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Antivenom Salve) / [Mogdrogen’s Touch (Devil’s Crossing)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Mogdrogen’s Touch))
Amulet: [The Peerless Eye of Beronath](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=The Peerless Eye of Beronath) ([Focusing Prism](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Focusing Prism) / [Survivor’s Ingenuity (Devil’s Crossing)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Survivor’s Ingenuity))
Rings: [Invoker’s Shocking Touch](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Invoker’s Shocking Touch) ([Corpse Dust](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Corpse Dust) / [Kymon’s Vision (Kymon’s Chosen)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Kymon’s Vision))
Rings: [Invoker’s Burning Hand](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Invoker’s Burning Hand) ([Corpse Dust](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Corpse Dust) / [Kymon’s Vision (Kymon’s Chosen)](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Kymon’s Vision))
Medal: [Mark of Divinity](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Mark of Divinity) ([Arcane Spark](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Arcane Spark))
Relic: [Ulzuin’s Pyroclasm](http://www.grimtools.com/db/search?query=Ulzuin’s Pyroclasm)

Click here to view equipment configuration

In closing

Since release of crucible dlc and due to its nature AoE capabilities and specially tankines of the builds became much more important than single target dmg output. That resulted in shifting meta to tanky builds specially S&B soldier incorporated physical dmg builds. But due to latest nerfs, I will be free to say, to most melee builds meta largely shifted in casters/hybrid casters direction.

There is not even single melee build left that can measure with casters/hybrid casters in overall performances (crucible and vanilla game included).
Ofc there are still some melee builds that, when it comes to single target dmg output, outdps casters but not for much and when you look at overall performances of those builds they are lacking in tankines or AoE or in most cases both.

This build is template of tanky caster with superb AoE and decent single target dmg output and its giving you the freedom to build it to your liking w/o losing much of its performances. So feel free to experiment with adding some other skills like devastation, TSS or even BWC to it. Also you can try with different classes combos ie elementalist, warlock or druid, you just cant build it wrong and it will be functional no mater what.

Welcome to new GD casters meta!

AoM update

Since I got some nice gear from reacent farming runs its time to update a bit this fella.

In original post I mentioned that you could take w/e skill you want to supplement obliteration and that I picked up grenado, well for this update and AoM expansion I decided to pick up other skill, this time picked skill is Devastation.

WTF fire/aether based skill with elemental electrocute obliteration?

Yes, boys and girls, game had moved on and is giving you much more dmg conversion possibilities that it was back in time when this build was made.

With some nice items we are now converting all aether and part of fire dmg in lightning.

It looks like this:

Constant auras, Obliteration on RMB

Constant auras Devastation on RMB

You can move around some components to get more cast speed and thus more dps, but I felt that armor is, in this case, much more needed cuz build doesn’t shine in that aspect and dont have to much phys resistance.

As mentioned earlier this build converts all aether and part of fire dmg to lightning. Conversion is achieved with following items:

  1. 2x Invokers shocking touch, mythical or non mythical it doesn’t matter much until they have some decently rolled conversion %. I have one mythical and one non mythical one.

  2. Aether storm amulet same story as with rings. I have mythical.

  3. Temporal tempest dagger again, like with rings. I have mythical one.

  4. Cindertouch try to get one with highest possible conversion fire to lightning, mines are 29%.

Dont do this build if you dont have first 3 listed items, you can be ok w/o Cindertouch, but first 3 are must imho. Also try to combine them to achieve 100% aether to lightning conversion.

Grim tools: http://www.grimtools.com/calc/O2GW19n2

I didnt tested this build in cruci, but with CDR it provides it shouldn’t be to hard to finish gladiator, tho tankines of this build is not on the level of triple devastation/BWC sorc, but it has more dps.
Other than that I facetanked Alex and took down Kupa few times with little to no issues, tho Kupa is not facetankable.

Have fun :wink:

Peace out!

3

Better wait for this build to get nerfed before i start making a character for it :rolleyes:

I do have one question though: why three items from Light’s Defender set? I’m most likely missing something but i’m just curious.

4

Well Zantai promised he wont nerf it, at least not in upcoming hot fix :smiley:

Everything else will be explained :wink:

P.S. LD is really good set, heavy armor wit energy regen with bonus to lightning and electrocute, what would you ask more :wink:

5

Oh, shi… JoV got to Tome of the Arcane Wastes :slight_smile:

6

better start doing it now, than later when devs think its SLIGHTLY over-performed. :stuck_out_tongue:

7

Elaborate please on how exactly you have aquired your offensive ability value. Is it your monster infrequents, or devotion, or both?

8

You can bet Mi’s help with that:p

9

Thx for the build JOV. Some of us appreciate that you didn’t wait for the hot fix :smiley:

10

Both, plus really god rolls on gear and in some cases Ethram bonus :slight_smile:

With slight change I could get even more:

But decided to have more dps at the cost of OA.

For extra defense/survivability I have this setup also:

11

For someone like me who hates AAR, this could be a great alternative, thanks for finally posting this one:rolleyes:

12

another build to try, thanks !

13

Made me laugh.

14

Updated some stuff.

15

this looks cool! Do you mind breaking down the gear options/choices cause I only recognize a few of the items used.

16

Hey, JoV, may you add affixes description into your post??

17

just a newbie guess…

he could be using an incorruptible cronley signet of attack, warding dreeg sect of kings and a stonehide boots of the kings! :rolleyes:

18

Etram-crafted and with perfect rolls.

19

thx, Captain Obvious)
I was not sure only about prefix on the legs.

20

I’m trying it with ulzuin 4 pieces (don’t have light guardian yet :confused: ) and it looks good, beside some issues with health and energy regen :smiley: