[1.0.6.1] Rune of Corruption - Vitality Rune of Hagarrad Apostate

Rune of Hagarrad being a strong skill isn’t exactly new. So, here we’re not using it as a cold skill cause that’s boring :p. The good thing with this skill is that it can be converted to almost any damage type there is (all except bleed) so we have a good variety of choices. I already made afire RoH build that clears 170 gladiator quite fast (10 min with 4 buffs 1 banner). Sir Spanksalot also made a physical variant which is also cruci viable.

The build

Grimtools: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/a2EAbqJ2


Char sheet with all permanent buffs and Word of Renewal

Build can easily clear 170 gladiator with safety due to 17k hp and lifesteal from bat. I can clear 170 twice using one set of buffs (and no banners) so this is a good 170 farmer if you’re into that kind of stuff. I only did no banner to determine compendium tags and to get a general correlation between cleartime with and without banners. Just plant runes randomly and someone is bound to step unto it and die. I haven’t recorded any vids (will probably do if I feel like doing it) but here’s a pic of my second no banner run.

How does this compare to other RoH builds, then?

Haven’t tried spanksalot’s physical runes (the only non cold rune buildI know besides my fire one) but compared to the usual cold rune and my fire rune build:

  • Damage: Cold >>>> Fire > Vit - Nothing surprising here. Cold is what the skill supports naturally while Fire runes (purifier) has more relevant RR compared to Vit runes.
  • Survivability: Vit > Cold MH > Fire > Cold Infiltrator - Separated MH and Infiltrator for cold cause they got different types of defenses, and MH is obviously better at that because mirror. I am aware, though that there are some ultra minmaxed infils out there with great defenses.
  • QoL: Well, pretty much equal, with Fire on the low side cause thermites.

What’s the preferred damage type depends on you, of course.

Items, Skills and Devotions

Things are pretty much what you would expect to see in this build so I’ll just point out what seems to be my choices.

3 pc Radaggan instead of full: Haven’t really tried full Radaggan here but my math says converting the pierce to vit with conduit is better. Pierce is around 45% of rune’s base damage before conversion so it’s got a bigger effect on damage than an additional 25% RR and 6% damage multi from Spectral Binding.

Aura of Conviction: Phys res. More important than ~150 DA you get from Master of Death or the damage you get from Harbinger of Souls.

Not having full conversion by not using dual Decree: Tried it but castspeed sucks at ~115%. Makes me unable to cast shit in the middle of battle. Literally the only time cast speed mattered on a non spam build.

No Bone Harvest as complementary damage: With our abysmal weapon damage, maxed BH only deals half the damage of one rune projectile. Not worth it.

Purified Salt Spam: Sanctified Bone is trending now. Just taking it to the next level :p. I mean I needed at least one for aether capping. Just put two for the alex fast kill.

Belt and Devotions: Literally just copied it from Fluff’s Radaggan build. Those work well in this build too. Thanks Fluff!

Closing: Thanks for reading guys!

Land of Knives - Pierce Hagarrad Infiltrator

Cold RoH always had a lot of love, but it’s often ignored that around 45% of unmodded rune damage is pierce. Most cold builds convert at least 25% of that pierce to cold using Hagarrad gloves. This time, we convert ALL the cold to pierce using 2x Bladetwister Signets and Pack of Treacherous Means.

Grimtools: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/lV7M7W5N


Char sheet with permanent buffs, Pneumatic and Word of Renewal.

Build clears around 10 min pretty easily with 4 buffs and vanguard banner. Pretty sure it can do unli no banner runs too based on my other chars cleartime.

Cruci clear image:

Build explanation (Items, Skills, Devotions):

Build is simple, convert all cold to pierce using 2x bladetwisters and pack of treacherous means. GET AS CLOSE TO 100% TOTAL CONVERSION ON THESE THREE. I’m using unseeing eye set cause there’s no other pierce set that provides that much cdr. With full set,we get 30% CDR, which rivals that of even some starpact arcanists. Belgo relic is used to take more advantage of that huge CDR. An inq relic should also work. Vengeance (for pierce) or Bane (procs) would be great. Using an Inq relic gets chillsurge to 15/12, increasing rune damage considerably due to the extra projectile. What is better between CDR and the extra projectile will require testing. Hellforged Legplates were selected for the phys res, same with the components. 48% phys res with 2.1k armor (after Angrim bonuses) and you’re basically invulnerable against Reaper 1v1. If you decide to use an inq relic, you can go for Deathwhisper Leggings to cap rune and use any shoulder you want. Gloves for the RR on Ring of Steel. +5 BoM is mandatory, imo but you can use anything if you can’t afford it.

Most of the devotions on the right side are what you would normally see in a pierce build. The extra points were spent on Wayward Soul for the extra sustain and Blizzard cause it’s an awesome skill especially with rune.

Rocks and Runes - Aether Rune of Hagarrad + Devastation Mage Hunter

Rune and Devastation? What could go wrong? This one’s real EZ. Get 100% Cold (or elemental) to Aether, max rune, max devastation then reap the profits.

Grimtools: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/gZwgmobZ


Char sheet with permanent buffs and Word of Renewal

This is one of the faster rune builds I have. We compensate for the lack of RR and dots with a full aether devastation. Clears 9 mins if you play well, 10 mins if you suck. Clear picture below is for my first run where I sometimes drop devastations to empty space, making me start waves without it. Still 10 mins clear.

Items, Skills, Devotions

There are multiple options for getting full aether rune. I went Decree + Diviner Raiment + Magelord Band because (1) I wanted 15/12 Chillsurge, so we need Clair hat. Diviner Mask is out. Same with Reaper of the Accursed (2) I wanted Eternal Haunt RR, so double Magelord is out. Make sure you use Decree and not Allagast Scepter cause Elemental>Aether and Cold>Aether stack multiplcatively, making your conversion less than 100%. Arcane Harmony Leggings for the Disruption resist, cause it’s annoying if you wanna mirror and you can’t. Wyrmbone gloves for more artifact handling.

For Devotions, Imp over Fiend cause we don’t have Chaos>Aether conversion and our weapon damage is shit. Blizzard because it’s awesome. Ghoul for the phys res when in a pinch. Also, TD is bound to Aether Corruption because I can’t be bothered to add transmuted CT for another button when TD isn’t really that crucial to the build. Just spam aether corruption. If TD procs while Mirror and Devastation are on CD, good. If not, you won’t die anyway so it’s fine.

Only 45% cold-vit conversion or I don’t understand something?

Did you try 2x Decree by any chance? I posted a vindicator but I am thinking Apostate might be the way to go, that MoT mod looks sick but I am doubtful about the importance of Valguur’s set. 2x Decree would net you more free stat points

You forgot Radaggon’s Helm, total of 90% conversion on max rolls

Nice build, theorycrafted it in Grimtools long ago, but you have posted it before me (I have no time to level new char for it and test it anyway).

But I thought to use Aura of Censure and full set, since the buffs to it from 4 piece Radaggan look insane on paper (plus the incoming damage reduction outweighs physical resist by a lot imo).

EDIT: nice touch with double salt and double skull :slight_smile:

Radaggan hel has 30%, so it’s 75% on average (90% max rolls). I have 88% in mine.

I put it in the OP :p. I did dual decree at first but my cast speed sat at ~117% and with my lag and cruci slows it feels like I couldn’t cast anything. Literally the only time CS mattered on a non spam build.

It’s just damage (conduit) versus QoL (full set). You’ll have damage reduction with RE when using conduit, so the censure vs conviction thing comes down to phys res versus lifesteal (in full set), which probably comes out equal in terms of tankiness. Imo, the optimal build for full radaggan apostate is a WoP proc fiesta build, though runes should still come out good.

What about additional 25 RR and OA/DA debuff you get from full set? Is converting piercing damage on one rune that big? Like in my grimtools link you can utilize both runes and chillspikes to spam with more RR.

Counting only rune damage at 26/16, assuming both full set and conduit versions have similar %vit modifiers (and I’ll be using the rings on my setup for this calc to maximize rr):

Rune base damage:410 pierce, 475 cold, 319 frostburn per second.

Conduit version: 70 from conduit, 410 from pierce, 418 from cold at 88% conversion (my rolls) for a total of 897 vit, and 280 decay from frostburn conversion. You have 109% vit RR total, so agains a standard enemy with 25% vit res, you’ll do 897(1-(.25-1.09)) = 1650.48 vit dmg per projectile, with 515.2 decay per second.

Full Radaggan: 418 vit damage on rune with 280 decay, and you have 25 more RR for 134% total and 6% damage modnon spectrak binding, sondamage will be 418(1-(.25-1.34))(1.06) = 926.04 with 620.3 decay.

As you can see, conduit does a lot more damage than full radaggan, though dots are weaker. Other sources of damage are obviously stronger with full radaggan but considering rune does probavly 80% of your total damage, the other procs and chillspike doesn’t have that much of a chance catching up in damage.

Do note that the version you shared doesn’t have RR rings so full radaggan RR has a better effect on your damage compared to mine.

Good math. My version is a theorycraft only. I would probably use Mythical Cursebearer in my setup, but Signet of the Fallen seems to be a poor choice for RR overall (just one target, sucky stats, not easy to proc).

But what about damage from Rune of Kalastor? I mean, in my setup you can use it because you save points by using Aura of Censure instead of Decay. How much damage will it add with full Radaggan compared to your setup? I am just curious, really, you seem to know your shit very well :slight_smile:

Signet of the fallen works great at 160/170, where it’s only you and the nems.

Rune of Kalastor’s damage per projectile is actually on par with hagarrad without conduit. The problem is that it’s harder to shotgun things with it, so let’s say it’s at 75% effectiveness compared to hagarrad, add a dot that’s just a bit weaker than chillsurge. Yeah it’s worth it compared to harvest, I think.

Added pierce infiltrator version of the build. Feels great to pilot (as with all rune builds). At this point, any damage type for rune should work in cruci and the limiting factor will only be the survibability of the build.

Also, if a mod reads this, can I request a title change for this thread? Something like [1.0.6.1] Non cold Rune of Hagarrad Builds Compilation. I’m kinda trying out all possibilities for rune and would like to dump all the ones that work here.

Finished Pierce Infiltrator version and added Aether Mage Hunter version. Both are really good in cruci and can clear in 10 mins or better.

Also, if a mod reads this, How do you request a title change for this thread? Or can I request a title change here directly? Something like [1.0.6.1] Non cold Rune of Hagarrad Builds for 170 Gladiator Compilation. I’m kinda trying out all possibilities for rune and would like to dump all the ones that work here.

Just checked your new builds, both are pretty good, man, gratz! Also, seems like strongest crucible builds are based around runes :slight_smile:

Thanks! PB will probably contest rune as the build around skill for strongest builds. The bad thing with rune is that no matter the damage type, playstyle is just the same plant and clear. With PB you can do vit spam or cold multi shotgun or bleed hit and run.

Did someone mention PB? :stuck_out_tongue:

Jokes aside, this is my 3rd (or is it 4th?) time checking out this guide.

Really liked what you did here (if only because I had theorycrafted a spec almost identical to this one).

Have you considered getting manticore instead of fissure?

P.S. The hyperlink attached to the Fire RoH is to my physical octavius spec. Just a heads up.

Runes seem safer and more consistent then PB. And Rune Infiltrators don’t know how to die.

Aren’t rune infiltrators kinda squishy?

Then again, my infiltrator was using the Northern Wyrm, so my phys res was at a laughable 3%. So I could very well be wrong.

I actually wanted both along with blizzard. Forgot the reason why I settled with no manticore. I think it was a DA problem. Also, will fix the link to fire runes, thanks!

DW infiltrator is now great defensively since dual blades now gives phys res, so getting it to 17/16 is now mandatory for all dw builds going for cruci. If you’re pierce, you get double that amount so you’re even tankier.

I would argue that Infiltrators are the toughest mother**kers in Grim Dawn. Huge Dodge/Evade + double heal + circuit breaker + Inquisitor Seal + tonns of phys res or/and sick passive incoming damage reduction (+ racial damage reduction) + bunch of passive resists/cc resists. And if that’s not enough, you get literally tonn of DA from skills.

tfw you’re no longer only guy on the planet using blind ass set :smiley: Aether traps looks nice, but too sick of devastation to play it.

You hate living shadow enough to not drop 2 side nodes of assassin for crossroad+shadows?!