I have 38% CDR and still have trouble making Ascension permanent. The problem is it requires too much micro management. Sometimes I forgot to press Judgment in time (or it just won’t press because of lags or something) and then when I need it it doesn’t proc Aeon for some reason. Or i’m just dumb and can’t get how to press the buttons correctly. Need video tutorial 
Just watch my latest videos, I made the build as simple as possible. I sometimes too mess up and play without Ascension few seconds here and there.
The build is great. It is just my lack of skills
What do you mean by Craft Helmet for Energy Regeneration ? We should craft helmet with a blacksmith who gives %energy regeneration? Not Angrim?
yep, it’s the skeleton smith at Necropolis or skeleton smith in Crucible.
Ok . Another question - isn’t Hound better than Sailor’s Guide? %armor is very nice in this low armor build. %phys resistance only works after armor as far as I know.
Nope, resistance works before armor. Sailor’s guide is infinitely better than Hound here, that I am 100% sure of.
Maybe but if you take Hound you can then take Jackal (2% phys resistance, cast speed) and Hawk (crit. OA). Instead of Rat. Why you need Rat at all? So maximum you lose 1% phys res.
This is what is written in Malawigenn game mechanics guide
Summary
All of the above mechanics will work together with your resistances, armor (for physical attacks) and shield damage blocked (if you have a shield), in a specific order:
Fumble, Dodge and Projectile Deflection
Chance to hit via Offensive Ability vs. Defensive Ability
Damage blocked by shield
% Reduced Damage
% Less damage taken from a specific monster type/race.
Armor (for physical attacks)
Resistances
Flat Reduced Damage from Monster Types
% damage Absorption
Flat damage Absorption
So it states resistances work AFTER armor. Either him or you are mistaken I guess.
Refer to the Game Guide
https://www.grimdawn.com/guide/gameplay/combat/#q18
Order of Defense
The enemies of humanity are relentless, but there are many methods available to keep yourself alive. It is important to know how the various levels of defense stack up. In order for an attack to land, it must make it through the following defenses:
Fumble, Dodge and Projectile Deflection
Chance to hit via Offensive Ability vs. Defensive Ability
Shield
% Reduced Damage from Monster Types
Armor
Resistances
Reduced Damage from Monster Types
% Damage Absorption
Damage Absorption
Because flat damage absorption occurs only after damage has gone through all your other defenses, it can be a very powerful tool in your survival and should not be underestimated.
Yes, this is viable if you want to go more offensive. You will get more OA/Crit/Casting speed, bit more armor and trade off is less DA (because you lose spirit from Rat), 1% less phys res, less Lightning and Acid overcap. So fair trade-off.
What about physical resistance and armor, I am confused here. Does armor really comes first - before physical resistance?
%phys resistances are still resistances and according to the Game Guide come after armor. 7% armor from Hound is huge (especially for low armor builds like this). Besides a bit of Physique there too.
%6 cast speed from Jackal is survivability too cos you have capped %cast speed only with BattleCry which still is not 100% uptime at least for me.
Yeah, viable trade off. I might even test it today, thanks for pointing that out.
As for physical resistance and armor, I am very confused. With other resistances it’s resists than flat absorption. Armor works as flat absorption, so I always thought it comes after physical resist.
Can someone clear that up? @Zantai @Ceno @Superfluff
That’s part of the info from the Game Guide. I assume physical is just the same as all the other resistances.
After asking around discord it seems that Physical resist comes before armor. Noone that I have tagged responded, lol.
Someone supposedly tested it and it turned out phys res comes before armor despite what game guide says. But I wouldn’t be able to find that thread. Maybe it wasn’t true.
Anyway, Hound itself is a terribad devotion but that trade-off is very good, I think. If you don’t miss the res from Sailor it’s perfectly droppable. BTW, have you revisited the idea of Revenant? 
I think it is true. It makes sense.
To test again something that I have already tested? Why? 
If only someone who knows this game better than everyone could respond!
Sure except that phys res is usually in the negative when it matters. So it would actually multiply dmg before armor had a chance to subtract from it (hypothetically). Makes perfect sense for armor to be applied last.
If you really wanna get an answer to that riddle, mod some gear, go to Tyrant’s Hold and test it on the spike traps. IIRC they deal a constant of phys dmg.
@Garfunkel So I have tested your suggestions, made three runs with Jackal + Hawk + Hound instead of Rat + Sailor’s Guide. And results are 6:01, 5:52 and 5:57. So pretty much the same as with initial setup. It can probably be chalked up to my piloting mistakes or luck, but it felt the same. I guess at this level of killing power small margins like that are hard to notice and with Phantasmal Blades it depends more on your piloting and your ability to herd mobs together.
Which is weird because casting speed + crit + some OA should be a decent boost.
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