[1.1.6.2] The Rune Dragoon - Runebinder based, RoH+BS Infiltrator

The Build

image
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/aZqko962
Screenshot with all permanent buff + Word of Renewal, Pneumatic Burst, Deadly Aim, Lethal Assault, and Sitting on Inquisitor Seal.
DPS shown is Chillspikes

Build Feature

Upside:

  • Your lovely rune of hagarrad.
  • Massive AoE with 12sec dummy kill.

Downside:

  • Not really comfortable in campaign with rune gameplay (subjectively).
  • Performance depend a lot in how much conversion you got.
  • Non WD spell as main damage dealer, need to play smart
Build Overview I finally got an RoH build that I like, here comes the runebinder with Northern Wyrm!!!

The build concept is simple, almost pure cold RoH build with Northern Wyrm + Chilling Grip of Hagarrad. Utilizing the conversion, we have 3x blade spirit and chillspikes for additional damage sources. The build play similarly like chillwisper infiltrator with the same moveset.

At first I tried chillwhisper + northern wyrm, but turn out to be quite squishy due to no leeching Blade spirit, lack of point to inquisitor, and no phys res in the set. Then I used my old dusty Runebinder set, perfect fit. Runebinder gives a bit more phys res, more RoH damage, and more point to inquisitor. Overall better in offense and defense. Downside is less cast speed.

The build depend a lot in how big of conversion you got. Maximum pierce>conversion we can have in this build is 90% with northern wyrm + hagarrad gloves, mine got 86%. you can have full pierce>cold conversion with nightscorn or alkamos purple rings, but plus skills to RoH is more important.

The build still need smart play though as it used non WD skill as main damage dealer. To increase the tankiness of this build, you can:

  • Use biting blades as opposed to chillspikes to have better leech
  • Invest the rest of attribute points to physique
  • Integrate Twin Fangs devo proc somehow
Equipment Choices

Notes:

  • Craft all for +%physique if you can.
  • Get as much pierce > cold (at least 85%).
  • Get max casting speed.

Core Items:

  • 4pc Runebinder Set without the bow.
  • Main/Off Hand: Mythical Northern Wyrm. [Up to 60% pierce>Cold conversion, Fitting stats, craftable]
  • Gloves: Mythical Chilling Grip of Hagarrad. [Converting up to 30% pierce to cold, relevant skill bonus, and good stats overall]

Supporting Items:

  • Pants: Reaper’s Legguards. [Giving the required plus skills to blade spirits. Just get the one that gives a lot of stats and res]
  • Boots: Mythical Amatok’s Step. [Lovely Cold boots with chillsurge bonus, nice proc, and stats.]
  • Belt: Mythical Mythical Chains of Nightfire. [The conversion makes bane more damaging, but it’s not critical element. We just need its skill bonus.]
  • Rings: 2x Mythical Band of Black Ice. [Fitting bonus skills and stats.]
  • Medal: Mythical Mark of Dark Dreams. [Extra range, damage, and rank to night’s chill. Also very good stats.]
  • Relic: Bane. [Giving a bit of leech, good stats. Get plus skill to Rune of Hagarrad as completion bonus]
  • Movement Rune: Use whatever you like. I use Rune of Amatok’s Breath currently.
Devotions

Cold based Devotion with Leviathan (for more phys res)

Rumor > to Chillspikes
Elemental Storm > to Blade Spirit
Whirlpool > to Rune of Hagarrad
Hand of Ultos > to Inquisitor Seal
Ghoulish Hunger > to whatever permanent buff

Gameplay

Keybind:

  • LMB: Chillspikes
  • RMB: Point to Move
  • Mouse scroll up/down: Inquisitor Seal
  • Keyboard 1: Movement Rune
  • Keyboard 2: Rune of Hagarrad
  • Keyboard 2: Amarasta’s Blade Burst
  • Keyboard 3: Ice Wyrm’s Breath
  • Keyboard 4: Word of Renewal
  • Keyboard 5: Pneumatic Burst

Standard procedure:
Summon 3x Blade Spirits before action
Always have Word of renewal and Pneumatic Burst active
Movement rune in
Summon inquisitor seal below you
Hold your Chillspikes button while still mashing RoH + Amarasta Blade Burst + Ice Wyrm’s Breath button.
If you want, you can cast RoH as a trap for incoming enemy, but remember to be always in your RR range.

YOU CANNOT FACETANK MADQUEEN’S RAGE MODE BECAUSE THIS BUILD HAS A FREAKIN LOT OF PROJECTILES

Finish wave 161 near her spawn range. Deal with her a bit with chillspikes and 1-2 cast of RoH. When she’s gone mad, kite and movement rune out to the center of arena. Finish her after her aura run down.

Build Performance Crucible:

video with 3 buff, 3 L1 storm beacon, and 1 L2 storm beacon:


5:08 clear time.
Current fastest, slowest is 5:30. Depend a lot in your positioning and rune play.

Shattered Realm:
Haven’t played SR for a very long time.

Enjoy the true full set Runebinder! :sunglasses:

10 Likes

Are Runes good again? WIee!

Not really, just the conversion from pierce to cold on Northern Wyrm synergies well with Runebinder set. Also RoH can be used in Chillwhisper in deadly duo with Blade Spirits. But outside of sets RoH is average skill, RoK is sadly bad.

Nice build @thejabrixone ! You get superb results and I like the buffed Northern Wyrm!

1 Like

I suppose it was just like deathmarked being dead. Nice to see the round peg fits the reshaped hole.

Like Nery said, wyrm provide easy big pierce>cold conversion which wasn’t possible before. Allowing us to get proper level in RoH with more dedicated itemization.

I think you should be able to squeeze more than 5:08 out of this. It’s superb synergy of everything even with the Rune of Gimparrad.

Have you tried this devos: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/q2Mrb1lV? Might be that 300-400 oa is worth Leviathan proc… Bunch of frostburn more, too.

@thejabrixone thats exactly what I said would happen lol

OA is low yup, that’s a problem but RoH have inbuilt DA shred. Leviathan proc is nice AoE booster.

I am not sure about times, did few runs, couldn’t squeeze faster time than 5:30 and that’s with ok mutators/combos.

It should be, will need more run and maybe testing some other things, but I just want to move on to other builds and come back some other time.

That’s a lot of OA indeed. Here is mine, adjusted with that devo:
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/bVA9MBBV
A bit more frostburn but a bit less %cold due to less spirit dump.
Problem will be less energy regen and phys res. The later is actually very crucial and it’s the one that make me decided to pick leviathan route.

On your silver sent, you will probably need to switch to biting blades for more life and energy leech, it also synergies with your conversion.

Currently, I find that OA just need to be around 2.7k before deadly aim. With biting cold, it’s even more comfortable. More OA doesnt hurt though.

Maybe it’s me being a non-native speaker, but I have no idea what does this mean… :laughing:

Oh, were you testing this build?

Love that final polish, and even green pants are somewhat realistic! Gonna be hard to make a better RoH build, imo.

1 Like

Thanks Madlee! :wink:

Of course, I have it in my stash and been using it quite a lot.
Have a lot of good MI pants and shoulder by doing lots of cruci run… :rofl:
Good nemesis MI are quite easy to get these days from cruci/SR.

1 Like

Even still, one set that lets RoH work isn’t much by this game’s standards. Though with crate seeing just one build where RoH ‘works’ (not seeing many comments about consistency) crate may be hesitant to opt for broader imrpovements.

Previous comments in the community about deathmarked set often described it as a dead set/build up until recently when some devotion, gearing and skill swaps have pushed it back to being deemed a strong performer in absence of any major buffs to the set. It just took some time for builders to puzzle out a new approach.

Not a bad idea. But meme-ing with Silver Sentinel makes little sense when Runebinder is plain better now that Wyrm exists. The only advantage of Silver is Starfury Emerald. What’s your cd on the Rune, btw?

Also I strongly believe that Hydra should find its way to Northern Wyrm builds. It’s got buffed a few patches ago and it’s supergood. 75% all dmg, 45+4% oa, 4% adcth, what more could you want from a T2? Isn’t this better https://www.grimtools.com/calc/a2doPyJN? Oa is worth it imo as Rune hits with 70% crit here. Or fit in Hawk as apart from good oa/crit gains it saves points on cunning? https://www.grimtools.com/calc/YVWjDre2 Phys res got a little hit, though…

And those very rants about cold dmg might have had something to do with recent Winter Banes, Northern Wyrms, Morgos, etc. So I would not discard them as stupid. Up until recently the only way to make a good cold build was to convert from lightning. Now we have a decent variety of top tiers, and cold is back on top. As it should be :fist:

About 1.76 sec I believe.

I have no doubt that Hydra is good. I tried also to fit it in my rimetongue blade trap before, but it just can’t have all the T3 proc I wanted.

I think if you want to fit Hydra, you will surely need at least bat or biting blades for consistency.

Posted a competition [1.1.6.2] Silver Wyrm (c+) :smiling_imp:

I think Hydra contributes nicely to consistency with the 4% adcth and 20% slow res.

Pierce runes with no set are very powerful, even with RoK. I think RoH is pretty decent but yeah RoK kinda sucks

1 Like

It is decent. Now with the Wyrm it’s actually a powerhouse - even more than it was before the point blank nerf imo.

It’s just that it’s hard to get it in decent shape. Both this build and my Silver Sentinel version (btw check it out, I’m just about to remake it by ripping off jabrix’s items, and it just might be one of the fastest builds this patch) have to go to crazy lengths to get it working at this level.