[1.1.8.0] Thor - 2H melee Primal Strike Warder without Savagery and greens, easy SR 80+

INTRODUCTION

The reason behind this build is to create a 2H melee Primal Strike build without using Savagery. Build is strong and capable. Soldier was chosen because of bonuses to OA, DA, armor absorption, life, physique, some resistances and general tankiness that soldier provides. Build does SR 80 easily.

I have other Primal Strike builds here. I have other lightning melee builds here. All my builds are here.

Here is a list comparing all my Primal Strike builds from best to worst. All are at least SR 65-66 capable.
  1. Dragonborn – great build, 2H melee physical PS, good offensively and very powerful defensively (best of my PS builds)

  2. Thor – great build, 2H melee lightning PS, offensively similar to Dragonborn, defensively noticably weaker than Dragonborn

  3. Aetheros Ranged – great build, 2H ranged aether PS, offensively a little weaker than Dragonborn, defensively a little weaker than Thor

  4. Aetheros – great build, 2H melee aether PS, offensively a little better than Aetheros Ranged (and a little weaker than Dragonborn), defensively a little weaker than Aetheros Ranged

  5. Colderos – great build, 2H melee cold PS, offensively noticably better than Dragonborn (best of my PS builds), defensively a little weaker than Aetheros

  6. Colderos Ranged – great build, 2H ranged cold PS, offensively a little weaker than Colderos, defensively a little weaker than Colderos (actually only when facetanking bosses otherwise you can take out enemies from distance)

  7. Aether Primate – great build, 2H melee aether PS, offensively similar to Aetheros Ranged, defensively a little weaker than Colderos Ranged

  8. Viteros – good build, 2H melee vitality PS, offensively a little weaker than Aetheros Ranged, defensively similar to Colderos Ranged

  9. Meme Striker – good build, 2H melee lightning PS, offensively similar to Colderos, defensively a little weaker than Viteros

  10. Chaotic Primate – good build, 2H melee chaos PS, offensively a little weaker than Viteros, defensively noticably weaker than Meme Striker

  11. Mental Primate Druid – good build, 2H melee elemental PS, offensively a little weaker than Chaotic Primate, defensively a little weaker than Chaotic Primate

  12. Storm Blitzer – OK build, 1H melee + shield lightning PS, offensively a little weaker than Mental Primate Druid, defensively a little better than Chaotic Primate

  13. Mental Primate Conjurer – OK build, 2H melee elemental PS, offensively a little better than Mental Primate Druid (but a little weaker than Chaotic Primate), defensively a little weaker than Mental Primate Druid

  14. Storm Knight – OK build, 1H melee + shield lightning PS, offensively similar to Storm Blitzer, defensively similar to Mental Primate Druid

  15. Savage Stormrender – weaker build, DW melee lightning PS on cooldown + Savagery, offensively noticably weaker than Storm Knight, defensively similar to Storm Knight

GRIMTOOLS https://www.grimtools.com/calc/r2BbjBB2

Crafting bonuses on helm and medal are to slow resistance and armor.

Stats of the build

OFFENSE

nice DPS around 210k

87 % crit damage

OK lightning RR from Wind Devils, Arcane Bomb and Revenant - up to - 93 % + Hand of Ultos

OK base OA - around 2900 OA

55 DA reduction to enemies from component

DEFENSE

huge life (you don’t have to worry to take some damage) - close to 20 000 health

good base DA - around 2900 DA

150 OA reduction to enemies - 55 OA reduction from component and 95 OA reduction from Arcane Bomb

lifesteal is 24 % (with Wendigo Totem)

maxed resistances with reasonable relatively decent overcap

decent physical resistance 25 % (builds with Savagery have higher)

good armor around 2500 with crafting bonus

important CC resistances are high (trap resistance is not that important, Benny is easy)

capped disruption resistance

damage reduction from War Cry

Ghoul

Menhir’s Will

image from the game with passive buffs + Blood Pact

Thor%201

SR, CRUCIBLE

I play SR with camera pointed away from enemies and I try my builds only in SR 65-66 and SR 80. I play around 10 SR runs per character.

This build does SR 65-66 very easily. It can also do SR 80 easily. Always use War Cry in SR! Fighting Grava is actually OK after recent changes. Skilled players can go higher with it.

I don’t play Crucible so I don’t have a time number for it.

Images from SR 80



7 Likes

2 x 8% (Pierce + Chaos) augment instead of 12% (Pierce + Chaos) though :slight_smile:

2 Likes

You are right. I missed that.
Edit: link changed to corrected version

Build looks cool! Could you elaborate on which path you took in the devotion tree?

blue crossroads, eel, green crossroads, spider, remove green crossroads, kraken, widow, solemn watcher, remove eel, purple crossroads, empty throne, remove purple crossroads, rhowan’s crown, chariot of the dead, yellow crossroads, scythe, remove blue crossroads, ghoul, ultos

I was going through my stashes looking at some greens that I had and thought that changing boots to any stoneplate greaves “of insight” (+ a prefix with some resistances that can be matched with armor augment replacements). It gives neat energy regen and also a nice dmg boost. This should render soul shard in ring obsolete and can thus be changed back to bloodied crystal. For instance: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/a2E39elZ

It is a nice option. But I wanted to make it greenless. I have a theorycrafted build for primal strike with no ultos set and no savagery using just two greens (they can be only single rare, even one of them can be single rare and the other only magic, but rare affixes make it a lot better). I will play it in the near future and post it.

1 Like

Korvan strom halberd and Ascendend Epaulets? as greens :wink:

Korvan and valaxteria chest.

1 Like

I was considering including valaxteria armor for my beginner guide on PS warder, but I thought the armor was too thin

Chest is not that bad. But phys res is a problem on such a build I have managed to get 18 % there and 1700 armor. It is an elementalist with massive lightning RR but squishier. Perhaps conjurer or vinidicator might be sturdier.

Unfortunately, without Savagery charges Ultos build becomes severly handicapped. Also itemization and devotions here are rather sub-optimal and look like re-inventing the wheel more than anything. I recommend checking existing Ultos builds (there are quite a few, especially Warders) and taking some pointers on gearing/devotions from there.

It works fine, can do SR 65 easily. Not everybody likes using savagery charges.

2 Likes

I understand, but at least on Devo and items front there are some gear choices that have proved to be essential for any Ultos build out there. Like for instance this ring:

%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5

Spear of Heavens is also too good to pass up. Passive adtch plus very decent damage from the proc and 180% to Lightning from the nods.

Nice ring but I will lose 4 % OA if I will use it or you will lose pierce res.

I am not making standard type builds. There are enough of them. What I did works for what I want - SR65. Others can do it their way.

Build has about +2800% lightning damage. And extra + 180% more is about 7% dps increase. Getting spear (and maintain Ultos) would mean giving up harvest and thus back at low energy regen again which I believe was one of the bottlenecks the build author had. Perhaps one could find another way to maintain energy and grab spear simultaneously.

1 Like

Just giving the advice on how to make it better, man.

https://www.grimtools.com/calc/1NXXKkgN

Without breaking your “No savagery” concept. Better everything.

Loosing 3k life, almost 100 DA, not really better. Problematic energy regen. DPS is slightly higher. Not better for me. Better lifesteal tho. I am going away from PC for couple of hours.

OA and adtch are more critical to Ultos’ build’s survival, trust me. You need to capitalize on that fat crit.

HP does not scale well if your other defenses (like in your case - phys res and overcaps) are lacking. But if you insist:

https://www.grimtools.com/calc/YZeR3WdN

1 Like