[1.1.9.7] Expelliarmus! 4:37m Crucible 150-170, SR 75-76 facetank PRM Mage Hunter by mad_lee [c+][sr+][vid]

This is a build made by @mad_lee.

*a picture of a famous ex-mage resorting to dual-wield autoattacking out of anguish and despair

Foreword

So someone in Russian Grim Dawn discord asked me if I ever tried making a Panetti’s Replicating Missile build. I never did. In fact, I have never even touched Mage Hunters and PRM used to be below mediocre before last patch. So after quite a bit of testing and a lot of failed or sub-par specs I made a spec that is what I believe an ultimate PRM build - a very fast and consistent Crucible farmer that facetanks everything and utilizes only legendary and epic items, so it’s basically dirt cheap to assemble compared to most builds and has only one drawback: its clear times really rely on your computer power.

The Build

<<<< GRIMTOOLS >>>>

 
1.1.7.2 Update

That means it’s time to update this old classics! Build is competitive once again.

1.1.5.1 Update

Decided to take a long hard look at the build and to assemble it from another angle. Got rid of Tsunami/Storm Box for Crucible spec for a sturdier devotion map with Solemn Watcher which allowed us to invest into Spirit. Result: spec is stronger than ever. Updated Grimtools links and added videos of Crucible and Shattered Realm (75-76) runs.

1.1.4.0 Update

Build is still extremely strong despite monsters’ buffs across the board and Invoker’s RR nerf. It benefited quite a lot from Arcanists buffs so in my opinion it’s still one of the strongest casters in the game if not the strongest. Changed up Crucible spec a bit and it became even more fun. Bat on Stormbox was not needed for this build to survive, so I decided to spice it up. Now it has Tsunami on Storm Box! Extremely fun and powerful!

1.1.1.2 Forgotten Gods update

New expansion made this build much much stronger. Build now has up to 14% more Physical resist, more PRM damage and more OA as well as better cc-resists to tackle Shattered Realm. And Rune of Displacement takes the build to a whole new level. Updated Grimtools and added a video of an easy Shard 66 run.

Build can complete 75-76 if you can aggro bosses 1 by 1 and play smart (also with some vitality/poison overcap with potions).

Why Lightning PRM?

I have tested Elemental version (Ultos + Seekers) and it was just ok. Clearing times were average, kiting was required sometimes, and sometimes build could die. I have also tested Fire Version which turned out to be pretty miserable (at least in my hands). Stats with fire devotion route were always awful, proccing both Seekers and Meteor was a choir, survivability was shit. So since Invoker set doesn’t allow for a cold version, I have came to my last resort. Suffocation, no breathing but this Lightning mage delivers hell of a beating (ugh, my guides are becoming lazier every time).

How is it compared to other casters?

It’s very flashy and very easy to pilot. This Mage Hunter is pretty relaxing and very forgiving spam-caster kind of build, you don’t need to think about positioning or about skill rotation or about kiting.

But what of the era of melee/ranged builds?

This build is comparable in speed to some of the best ranged builds and some medium top-tier melee builds, like Belgothian BM/Infiltrator or Korba Trickster. It’s definitely much cheaper and more accessible than those mentioned builds tho.

Gear

Getting resists capped without green gear is not easy on a Mage Hunter. OA/DA is also somewhat painful to get to a decent level. Nevertheless, current gear set is optimal, imo. All resists are covered, physical resist is at okay-ish level for a caster with a Seal, belt was a last minute change from Scales of Beronath and it turned out to be pretty huge damage boost for this build (hard cap of important PRM nods + 3k OA on a build with 90% crit damage). New Iskandra relic is pretty great. Cindertouch gloves is what pushed this build into top-tier category (conversion and proc are pretty big deal).

Skills and Devotions

Devotions are pretty self-explanatory - standard lightning route + a little twist in a form of Bat devotion for SR version. You can swap Bat for Fiend for a tiny bit more damage, but I think Bat is what really pushes the build closer to immortality. Skill points distribution is standard, best way to proc Bat in SR spec is Storm Box, hands down.

Gameplay

Stay in seals, cast debuffs and spam, use Nullification generously. Save mirror for the really rainy day. Place more Inquisitor Seals around to move freely - they have very low cooldown and live very long because of the mods on the wand. Only somewhat dangerous Nemesis combo is double Reapers. But just stay in seal and keep your cool, if they already procced your ghoul, don’t use mirror untill Ghoul is up, after that, use mirror and after mirror use Nullification. During that time, you can kill dozen of Reapers.

Stats

Permanent buffs + Word of Renewal (before Deadly Aim)

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Defense

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Panetti’s Replicating Missile damage breakdown (with all the procs up)
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Videos

1.1.9.7 Lightning PRM MH vs. Crucible 3 cons. runs (4:39, 4:37, 5:00)

1.1.9.7 Lightning PRM Mage Hunter vs. SR 75-76 (7:56 run)

1.1.7.2 Crucible Gladiator 150-170 banana_peel’s 4:40 run

1.1.7.2. Crucible Gladiator 150-170 4:48 run

1.1.7.2 Shards 75-76 9:59 run

1.1.6.2 banana_peel’s 5:02 run

1.1.6.2 patch Crucible 150-170 run (5:26 run, Tainted Heart instead of Seal Annihilation)

Crucible Ultra spec vs. Crucible 150-170 (5:17 run)

1.1.5.2 5:18 lucky run (good mutators)

1.1.5.1 5:33 run (good mutators)

1.1.5.1 Shards 75-76 run (SR spec, 11:50 minutes)

1.1.4.0 6:08 Crucible 150-170 faster run by me

1.1.2.5 John Smith’s Crucible 150-170 naked run with extra spawns (8:30)

Shard 76 run

6:40 Crucible 150-170 run piloted by me (I think it should be considerably faster on a good pc).

1.1.1.2 Easy Shard 66 run

My 7:50 run on a slow PC

Mercymaker’s 6:36 run

John Smith’s 3x runs (older spec but still sub-7 minutes runs. Should be faster with the final spec)

Mad Queen 13 seconds kill (meh single target damage)
Lokkar fight (literally lost a track of him mid-fight)

In Conclusion

Thanks to John Smith (Arthur Petrov) and Firozo from Russian Grim Dawn discord (which is in fact Russian Twitch streamer Safarel’s discord) for testing the build and discussing different ways PRM build can go.

Special thanks to user Ornedan for providing me a with a saved updated version of this build to help with restoring it after forums rollback.

14 Likes

I can’t tell if you’re my biggest fan or my biggest hater.

Whatever it is, this relationship seems abusive. :eek:

2 Likes

1500+ hours invested in this relationship and you have never once bought me dinner or made me a compliment! Abusive indeed!

4 Likes

One of the best features is the 3-4 button (or so) build. The PRM numbers have improved quite a bit with the last couple of patches.

The tanking part comes primarily from the GD default Inquisitor skills, with PRM has 16? adcth with the helm - and Mirror/Maiven. So not a lot of moving parts.

So Nice! is my tldr.

(But I do get sick of seeing Inquisitor in most everything - even of late - although it is understandably the logical choice in the current mechanics/support… Deathmarked being the exception.)

Thanks! It’s a indeed a very simple and powerful build, no cooldown reduction or mirror chaining magic tricks, just hold mouse one (and cast seal + debuffs) untill everything dies.

Well, actually…

My only thing would be the weapon, isn’t Arcanum sigilus or w/e its called better? It definitely is as far as survivability is concerned, but im not sure if its more or less damage than panetti r wand

I think 22% weapon damage would be a bit overrated in this build. Survivability is already top-tier, this build doesn’t die, you can get through Crucible without a single mirror cast pretty much, so little extra leech won’t do anything. Damage-wise I am pretty sure Panetti Wand is better. And it’s definitely adding quite a bit to surviviability too with its mod to Inquisitor Seal.

Added a Mad Queen video and Lokarr video to the op.

yah if you could go ahead and never post again that’d be great

I’m pretty happy about this.

Nice build you’ve got here.

But for me personally this is not a caster, it’s just an auto-attacker that scales of CS rather then AS. It just doesn’t feel like caster, maybe it’s my bias, but I like to mash buttons and feel the impact form skills.

Anyway sorry for my little rant, keep good builds coming.

But it might cut my life into pieces…

You are losing your sight, you are losing your mind.

Where is Devastation 0_0 Why do you push Elemental balance instead of Arcane empowerment? Why do you push Deadly aim instead of Arcane empowerment? Mirror just don’t worth the effort atm.
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/pZrqmg5V this should perform better.
BTW panneti onepointer - 135 elemental dmg. Panneti maxed 325 elemental dmg. 190 dmg from 13 skill points.

Actually good point about Arcane Empowerement vs. Elemental Balance. I guess it’s because I have so many points in Arcanist it’s easier to push Arcanist skills. Mirror soft-capping is a force of habbit, just feel safer with it, although this build rarely uses it. Didn’t want to use Devastation, but it might be the most obvious boost to the build. Care to test your suggestions and my original build? Because on my computer it’s gonna lag even worse.

I just don’t like the skill.:eek: In my books mage`s must Nuke. Blow. Rain death or drain life, something around these lines. In worst case - shoot the laz0r.
But the nukes mages are best mages https://youtu.be/ZMnU3Ejuxm4?t=19 :wink:

Christ, are those girls even of legal age? :slight_smile:

Well, I thought more about your suggestions, here is what I think. Devastation without Star Pact or Aeon and with just barely third of it’s damage doubled dipped in RR and and one third of it barely supported (just 774% Aether damage). For this I have to sacrifice a lot of ehp and actually casting speed. (By the way, without maxing Mental Alacrity you are gonna have mana problems, especially with Devastation cast). Also, not sure why you are hating on a deadly Aim, I have almost 4k OA with Deadly aim and banner, and with ~120% crit damage shit hurts.

So probably it’s gonna be very close in performance and if survivability takes a hit build will kinda stop being what it is: risk free farmer with no weaknesses. I would rather farm it in 7 minutes 3 times 100% of the time than 6:30 3 times but just 95% of the time.

Have a 6:36 run video

//youtu.be/7kgjTknMAI0

Hey lee, why Iskandra and not Ignaffar or Bane?.

Damn it. 6:30. I just remade an aether PRM build to beat this one and you ruined it for me. :wink:

Making my builds shine, as per usual, man! Thaks a lot. How did you find was it as consistent as I thought it would be? Any problems against certain Nemeses?

I actually saw it in someone’s PRM draft in discord (I think it was Firozo). It kinda fits the build very well (spirit and reduced cast cost are actually big for this build, without it I think it wouldn’t be able to sustain itself), +1 to Arcanist lets us get this very important hardcap in Proliferation and Distortion (or Supercharged? whatever two nods that matter). I liked this relic so I just went with it. I wish some kind of Malakor build could use it tho, maybe Malakor Mage Hunter? :smiley: