[1.1.2.3] AAR Spellbinder (cdr + clairvoyant) - 170 crucible

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
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Hello there!

EDIT. Changed devotions and some gear, thanks to @AyyyLmao and @ya_

150-170 crucible in ~10minutes, no buffs: https://youtu.be/Eiu6Bb5hfEk
~10sec MQ: https://youtu.be/HS6eHEUFjy4

New GT: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/bVAzEX7Z

150-170 with 2 buffs: https://youtu.be/GJCMaeOxQ48

Old GT: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/vNQYojRN

I just wanted to share my attempt at building around “BUFFED” AAR.
The idea was to stack CDR% and procs (offhand/relic/devotion) to have the most possible uptime on buffs. With perfect timings it’s managable (nearly) to have either Mirror or MoT up all the time.

Notes on gear

Depending on the rolls you can have up to 31% CDR (5%MH + 7%Helm + 19%Offhand).

To cap 80% stun res you need blacksmith bonus on boots or amulet(or both). I got 4% on amulet only, forgot to add it on boots in GDStash:p
Alternatively, you can use 2x Seals Of Resonance, or change amulet for Kaisan’s Eldritch Eye https://www.grimtools.com/db/items/12148

If you don’t mind dropping Devastation even lower, Screams of the Aether ring can be replaced with Albrecht’s Duality for more OA and 22/22 Disintegration https://www.grimtools.com/db/items/9043

CDR procs setup works best when it’s stacked, so i wouldn’t drop either Aldanar’s offhand/Eternity relic - that would be another build. Same for Time Dilation, even though overall devotion setup is questionable.

About Clairvoyant and AAR buffs.

[SPOILER]I used same setup before the patch, and, apparently, it went better BEFORE the buffs, atleast for this particular build.

What this build got from the patch:
1. 10% OA perma buff. This is a nice change indeed, thats why i was able to go more defensive devotion setup w/o having OA too low.
2. Slightly higher mana sustain. This is barely noticeable, since the regen is already pretty high and mana pots still exist.
3. Piercing AAR. Yes, this one is nice too, helps a ton with clear etc etc. Obviously deserved.
4. 100% fire to aether to AAR, some phys res on gear.
5. 3 new xx reduced resistances sources from devotions. Revenant or Scales seem better, but I went for Bysmiel’s Bonds because i wanted to have both Aeon and Ishtak.

What this build lost:
1. +5 skill levels to devastation. It’s not a big deal to not have it 26/26, but still feels not so good.
2. %all damage from clairvoyant, ofc having vitality damage% instead worths nothing.
3. AAR damage numbers are adjusted (downed)

More buffs than nerfs ha? Probably yes, but vs one foe damage went down significantly, can’t see any reason for that “adjustment”[/spoiler]

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Um,is this a build?Do you have Crucible video?

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Uploading video right now

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i Like AAR, how does this fare in SR?

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SR takes quite a while to push, so i will get there once i have time. ATM i’m at 25

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Look I mean no offence but this setup is a mess and your cruci vid shows it perfectly.

First CDR on binder is dead. Period. You can’t rely on those random -cd procs to build your defence layer at least in my eyes. One reset from Aeon should be more than enough to kill some priority targets.

Your weapon damage is very low basically rendering conduit useless. Switch to recless power get some weapon damage if you want to get some boost form it.

No RE + Decay is a big mistake.

Relying on flat rr from hound is a mistake also. Without pet bonuses pets live until first mob decides to fart at heir general vicinity.

I get that you tried to build tanky devo setup, but build needs damage. It needs damage to tank via lifeleech, it needs damage to close fights fast to not rely on some random cd resets.

I think and tested usual Aether devo path and it works wonderfully. No need to in tanking up.

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Thanks for suggestions, i know how it looks, but i just wanted to see if any Decent player can manage this cd reset strat (i’m RMB PoE player, that’s why the vid is a mess, i just felt that such amount of CDs have potential). Probably i did it wrong, but it seemed that AAR just doesn’t have enough dmg to finish targets like Kaisan etc fast enough w/o any defence.

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Congrats on making it to 170. Imo binders in FG are for advanced players only.

There are some questionable choices but nobody’s perfect. Going for yellow devotions seems the oddest. Imo binders will never be tanky. Gotta play aggressively. And holes in Mirror-MoT gotta be patched with good piloting not random cdr.

I’m posting a guide to my own setup soon. Essence of GD and Flashwarped Tome works best. Vit to aether on the Tome empowers Bat which makes up for no 6% adcth from Pulsing Shard. But with the conduit you gotta use Pulsing Shard.

On the boots you gotta focus on health not res from Stonehide affix which you got more than enough. Ancient or Survivalist’s would work. Cleric’s is best. And due to Reaper being a weakness for all binders two Sanctified Bones are recommended for racial dmg. Which also is supported by Revenant that is the best source of flat rr now for non-elemental/acid.

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Thanks for suggestions, i decided to make some changes and build is working way better now, gonna push some SR once i got time.

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This is second on the week withouth maxing fabric of realty, mental alacrity and no devastation. Over max inner focus. Overload why, 1 point doesnt do anything and add only elemental %dmg.

Alberths duality (100 Oa) (disintegration will be overcapped) would be better then, Screams of aether. 2700 OA nad DA wich is low. Here is mine from my thread. https://www.grimtools.com/calc/0V0Rr5MN

I thought if i made AAR vs FoI thread than who want to make one first search for similar builds.

IMO nulffication is uselees. I am good without it in SR 75.

Don’t get me wrong the build in first is great.

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You only need MA if you lack casting speed to reach 200%. Your entire MA is utterly wasted since you are 30% above cap and the paltry few % of energy cost reduction is whatever. Your stun resistance is poor. Fabric of Reality adds a tiny bit of damage at the cost of what? Most people have around 3k aether damage bonus. If we assume that you get 100% more damage, and that is generous, you would add about 3.2% more damage.
Nullification is great. 33% reduced elemental damage and getting rid of buffs and debuffs helps noticably. Situational for sure but certainly not useless. Overload gives some extra aether resist for overcap. Optional but not useless.

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Sure MA gives 600 energy + skill energy cost wich u need energy for AAR too. U need kill fast not stun resist and i don’t use green items. Fabric of reality not just give % dmg flat dmg too so give some better boost too.

Overload aether resist he has 70% more so even if he get RRd then he still have plenty to avaoid serious dmg. It still useless.

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Yeah, initially the build was somehow different, but i couldn’t get it to decent level so now it’s just the same as yours, my bad(

1 point in overload should be removed, yeah. Albrecht’s Duality is nice, tho I like the proc on Screams of Aether, imo it’s better.

And, again, nulification is just personal preference.

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Screams of aether selling point is racial damage,but very cheap potion-aetherward oil can replace it,Albrecht seems better,especially cause you need OA.Nullification is actually very helpful in Crucible,just remember to not waste it on trash,but on Alex and healers.Nullification removes auras from bosses,thus increases survivability and also remove mirror from nasty healers.

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Not using Null at 10/10 is criminal. It’s the last real advantage of arcanists over other masteries.

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I have been playing AAR for 3 years and not once did I feel the need to even soft cap MA. To me it is a 1 point wonder and I only dump some more points into it if I need extra when I am just short of hitting 200% cast speed. Otherwise it is useless since the options for cost reductions have massively increased since Grim Dawn release, more energy is hardly helpful when you get massive energy from masteries, Clairvoyant and Conduit. Also regeneration is far more important than total pool.
Wait, you say you need to kill fast instead of being prepared for the occasional stun, yet you bother to get 80% skill disruption, one of the rarest types of CC in the game, far less than stun, freeze, slow and entrapment by orders of magnitude.

As to Overload I was speaking in general, not specific for his build since that was the impression I got from you.

Fabric of Reality 1 pointer vs soft cap vs maxed:
With the usual +4 to arcanist 1 pointer gives you 10, soft cap 21 and the usual hard cap at 16 gives you a whopping 29 flat. So in essence you gain 11 and 19 extra flat damage over a 1 pointer. Multiply this with your x% aether damage, usually around 3k, and we have a multiplicator of 40. 4011 and 4019 give us 440 and 760 extra flat. Sounds good? Not so fast, they get mutliplied by wd which is at 24%. So now we have to quarter this and we get a little less than 110 and 190 extra flat. My AAR on my mediocre geared Spellbinder deals over 17k flat, with 110 or 190 extra I would deal a bit more over 17k. Whoopedee doo!

Yes I agree, Nullification is great. Removing all those nasty damage auras, defenders auras, debuffs on yourself, reduce enemy elemental damage, etc. helps noticably. It is almost a swiss army knife and the CD is pretty decent at soft cap.

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So u are playing 3 years and not posted a build? Further more i did sr75 with this setup yeah disruption is important but the dmg more. I did 3 AAR builds not one and that is one. Every char can do sr75.

Yes I agree, Nullification is great. Removing all those nasty damage auras, defenders auras, debuffs on yourself, reduce enemy elemental damage, etc. helps noticably. It is almost a swiss army knife and the CD is pretty decent at soft cap.[/QUOTE]

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So u are playing for 3 years and not posted a build? And as i said my char can do sr75 with this setup not horrible not having 100% skill disruption further more.

Yeah nullification great, but it is unnoticeable if it’s work. U don’t see the buffs on nemesis wich would be in this case crucial to use it and if u fucked up u have to wait. Only one is the mirror arcanist guys and reflect heroes.

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What does that have to do with anything? Few people post builds for a variety of reasons. It is not an argument whatsoever.

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To see how ur build works maybe? How nullfication various sitution work? How ur build work in SR?

If we are still chating about improvements and i didn’t see the fact, it just theory or suggestion for me.

IMO i don’t have time to use when i facing reaper and 4 heroes or i just fucked up. I can’t measure it does anything.