Thinking about my apparently untenable plans for a cold Paladin relying on Vire’s Might (converted by Conduit of Divine Whispers) and Rune of Hagarrad, I began wondering on the Discord if perhaps a (fire) version that switched Runes could work. Response was generally positive. After some back-and-forth between me and TomoDaK, I have this version to offer.
Just remember that skill levels are not set in diamond. Especially since TomoDaK was concentrating on the Rune, I was concentrating on VM, and I’d forgotten until the end to consider Inquisitor Seal. Devotions are probably also a bit of a mess (don’t I wish I knew how to get Solemn Watcher in there without sacrificing Ulzuin’s Torch…).
Basic mechanism (after summoning Guardians of Empyrion) is to set a Rune and Seal, draw everyone in with Judgment, VM through them.
Note: TomoDaK suggested Anderos’s Amplifier for the weapon (Have Gun, Will Travel?). While that tilts the power levels away from balance and towards the Rune, at least if you just replace Cinderscorn, it is a markedly faster weapon, and opens up Ranged Expertise and Bursting Round. Even if you don’t expect to do much normal attacking…
So was TokmoDaK also using Vire Might or did he forgo that skill entirely? I might consider the gun route. But in the meantime, I’ll think I’ll be leveling using a combo of Vire Might and Judgment. Aegis is loosing its luster really fast on Elite (I started a level 1 on Elite rather than the Ultimate to make it a bit easier).
Points in Haven seem a bit of a waste without a shield.
I also still trying to decide on my 2ndary class, I keep wavering between Inquisitor and Soldier. Initially, I did Sentinel but I didn’t really like the synergy and Eye of Reckoning wasn’t as good as I hoped (only got my level to the high 40s though). Do you have any issues killing the difficult bosses/nemesis/etc?
He was using Vire’s Might, but the base skill only had one point in it; most of the points for VM went into Volcanic Stride. I, meanwhile, had initially included a shield (full Stonefather set) in order to access Volcanic Might to make VM pure fire. It was on TomoDaK’s setup that I noticed that the Tome of Atonement gives Rune of Kalastor resist reduction qualities.
Somehow, I missed that basal Vire’s Might is only physical, no fire. I thought it was mostly physical, a little fire. So I should probably look into reallocation of the basal points. Equipment that only boosts the source skill, and not anything else related to the needed skills, is also looking ripe for potential replacement.
EDIT: For now, at least (I still have to consider how important the reduced cooldown and flat burn for Judgment on Cinderscorn is), my chart is replacing Cinderscorn with Anderos’s Amplifier, and changing the relic to Honor. Adjusted GrimTools: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/dVbdJk8N
EDIT THE SECOND: And meanwhile, the plot thickens with a couple of MI shields–Fleshwarped Defender (bolsters fire damage, reduces Judgment’s cost, adds a damage reduction effect, and changes its physical damage to fire), and Obsidian Bulwark (global skill cooldown reduction, increases the Rune’s critical damage and has it reduce its targets’ resistances by 18…but doesn’t bolster fire damage unless it gets the right affix). Maybe one of these can justify shield use, and thus Volcanic Might?
Thinking things over, I wonder if VM and Judgment together could also work for a Shieldbreaker, replacing the Rune with Thermite Mine. This may open up more equipment options, as the Mine has resist reduction built in. The problem, of course, is what we’d be giving up on the Inquisitor side (Word of Renewal, Inquisitor Seal, Aura of Censure). Thoughts on this option?
EDIT: And while researching the Shieldbreaker version, I came upon Shard of the Eternal Flame. This actually fixes the problem of needing a shield to get Volcanic Might–with the Shard, you can just forgo Volcanic Might, and still have a fire-based Vire’s Might! The hitch is that the original amulet target, Tainted Ruby of Gar’dal, helps bolster Judgment (added flat fire damage, reduces cooldown by half a second) and gives +1 to all Inquisitor skills. Decisions, decisions…
Finally, finally got maximum resists, good OA/DA (at least when Ascension is active), and commensurate HP on my blueprint; this is officially an Ultimate-viable build. (I think.) Only problem is that it assumes a perfect Living Ring. (So, should I go back to the drawing board, or…?) The Obsidian Bulwark, at least, only really needs Chronomancer’s, or Supercharged with the right augments changed, although without some sort of fire suffix, the fire multiplier will go below 2000%.
Note, by the way, that at least as far as the shield is concerned, you can use Tome of Atonement instead, which has slightly increased resist reduction for the Rune, and instead of increasing its critical damage, changes its piercing damage to fire. You won’t be able to use Volcanic Might, though.