[1.1.6.2] Deathmarked reborn: Trickster + Blademaster, 5 mins Cruci, SR75+ cold DW melee

[ya1]

Will people stop saying cold is dead now?

They already did. Now they’re saying cold is dead unless converts from lightning.

Also I should add that discussion of clear time itself as a meta defining figure is pointless without attaching the time to the strategy used (tribute spend). Sub 6 via the old way is still sub 6 the old way. Sub 5 the new way is not sub 5 the old way. (or in godly plasmo hands versus someone like me)

This build is specifically designed for the new way.

Btw, what’s the difference between lvl2 beacon and lvl1 beacon? Is it really worth the satisfaction of being tribute sustainable?

[banana_peel]

It’s huge, 12 RR difference. Makes the performance more consistent as well. Not sure if it’s more profitable than 4+3 time-wise but it has faster runs

And since people already use unsustainable 4+4 i figured why not?

[mad_lee]

Damn, this is such an unorthodox angle for a classical melee build and it worked! I don’t like this belt and 2/10 Heart of the Wild (I think stacking hp is one of the Trickster’s strong suits beside damage) but damn, this works so well it seems! Gratz!

[Childe_Roland]

This is kind of close to what I was alluding to but I didn’t say in as many words. I think meta-creep is having a larger impact than power creep (aar aside). The playerbase is maturing in its mastery of the game moreso than elevated power levels relative to enemy power levels. Just my 2c anyway

I’m guessing that using that as a basis for nerfs could, in turn, hurt new players who can’t compensate as well. Would that be a reasonable concern?

[ya1]

I’m guessing that using that as a basis for nerfs could, in turn, hurt new players who can’t compensate as well. Would that be a reasonable concern?

Good point. Banana squished out this trickster quite a bit to afford for that SS.

[banana_peel]

Some folks have been saying Blademaster won’t work without this broken belt. So here is a 5:01 Crucible run with a Spellbreaker belt.

https://www.grimtools.com/calc/4NO0PbK2
The purple belt is, of course, a little worse, it’s just a better run. But it gives some good flat pierce which is not wasted on this build with it’s +1.5k% pierce and 54% pierce RR.

[RedGreen]

Hi banana_peel, im new in the game and in the forum, also im not an english native so please be kind with my horrible english.

Can you please put the order of the skill to lvl up and devotion? I dont know which skill I must lvl first and which path I have to make in devotion area. I will love you if you can!

Thx for this build! Looks awesome.
Saludos desde Uruguay//Greetings from Uruguay!

[banana_peel]

Hi and welcome to the forum! No worries, i’m not native too.

This is an endgame build that implies you already have most of recipes, and your status with the most important factions is close to be revered.

Sometimes people explain the leveling process in an endgame build post if the leveling has some quirks to it. But in this case there is nothing unusual, and explaining it would take unnecessary space.

What you are looking for is a guide for beginners. There are many of those on the forums, and Blademaster is one of the most common classes of choice for a beginner’s build (not sure about Trickster but you will probably find one as well). Here are some examples for Blademaster:

[DW melee] Beginner's Forgotten Blademaster

[image] Picture with all permanent buffs + Ulzaad’s Decree active Introduction Last review: patch 1.1.2.0 It came to my attention that many beginner players are interested in Blademaster. The class is actually not that simple – it requires some extra knowledge of gameplay mechanics to build efficiently. Furthermore, the way Blademaster is commonly built in high-end is reliant on particular enabling gear pieces, so attempting to translate that way to lower levels will likely fail miserably. T…

[1.1.4.2] American dream: from 0 to beating endgame with scrap metal and bare hands (For beginners, Faction gear, Pure DW melee, SR75, Crucible 150-170)

[rocky1] beaten-up player ready to quit Grim Dawn So you are near the endgame and your build just doesn’t come together, you are out of luck. In fact, you can’t catch a break: every big item you find is for someone else. The plan you had in mind (maybe you’ve been following some guide) falls apart because the game is almost finished and you can’t even farm lower shards or Crucible waves. Maybe you feel like trading is cheating or maybe you are just shy? Maybe you don’t like any of the existin…

When you follow one of the beginner’s guides for the class you want and get a grip on the game mechanics (this is a useful thread for that) you will feel more confident to proceed to any endgame build such as this.

Just a couple of quick tips: melee builds are not very easy to level with the skills they’ll use in endgame. I suggest to max out the Phantasmal Blades line early on and later, when your character will grow some meat, respec the points into Savagery (Trickster) or Cadence (Blademaster) and WPS (upper line of Nightblade). Also don’t forget to max out Night’s Chill and Veil of Shadows as early as possible, it’s a very useful skill on every stage.

Aproaching the endgame you will find a very powerful two-hander called Spite (recipe is available at lvl94 at one of the factions). It will be very easy to reach lvl100 with it (using Phantasmal blades) and level all your skills in the devotion map.

For early devotions i suggest to buff your resists and stats and respec them later the way it is shown in grimtools.

Cheers!

[ya1]

Hey Banana, how would you do devos for cold melee WITH flar rr?

[banana_peel]

Hey! Like this: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/p25daGyN
Some gear may need to be switched around to fill the CC res gaps, maybe Amatok boots -> Magelord.

This setup, despite losing Ghoul and some phys res, is actually tankier thanks to more leech and Skeletons. But it’s slower.

[banana_peel]

A little update on best times before the nerfs to celebrate new PC.

Trickster, 4:06

Blademaster 4:40

[Xervous]

Referenced nerfs being the expected storm banner nerfs and the acknowledged anguish bug fix?

[banana_peel]

Storm beacons nerfs. The belt isn’t required here as was shown, and it’s a fix, yes.

[b00tyy]

How is this build in 1.1.7.2?

[banana_peel]

It’s in a good shape, 1.1.6 version that is. I’ve changed it for 1.1.7.0 with good Ellena’s amulet (in game, not in the post). But then in 1.1.7.2 it was immediately shafted and is now practically pointless because it needs double rare rolls to beat the legendary one.

Sorry for not updating it but with so many radical changes to the endgame balance, updating and optimizing builds for every patch is simply not fun anymore and feels a lot like a job i didn’t apply to.

[b00tyy]

haha yea it is hard to keep up with all the builds. totally understandable I dont see any good DW melee cold damage for 1.1.7.2 sad af

[banana_peel]

Have this one (again, not updated for .2 but still works, of course):

Cold DW is one of the strongest melee bases.

[b00tyy]

awesome, thanks a lot.

[Steve_C]

how is this build with updated grimtool against ravager? or will i need more armor for that?

[banana_peel]

The build hasn’t been updated for two patches but should still be working. There was a brief time when the Ellena’s amulet was better than the legendary but it’s not anymore.

Ravager fight is standalone as with all the Celestials. If you change the augments to counter Ravager’s dmg and use some potions to stack more HP it should be possible.