INTRODUCTION
The idea behind this build is to make aether Primal Strike work both as melee and ranged. It even works as a switchable melee/ranged build. It requires some greens because of lower item support. I chose Ritualist because of aether and vitality damage support. Vitality damage is also converted to aether. As a melee weapon I chose Scion of the Screaming Veil and as a ranged weapon I chose Vortex of Souls (it can pierce targets – so great AoE with it). I have never tried so many different variations like with this build before it started to work. You need the right amount of life/lifesteal/phys res/CC res and it was hard to find the correct combination. Build has great lifesteal but it is necessary to have large enough health pool to absorb attacks. All versions (melee/ranged/switchable) can do SR 80 easily.
I have other Primal Strike builds here. I have other aether melee builds here. I have other ranged 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.
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Dragonborn – great build, 2H melee physical PS, good offensively and very powerful defensively (best of my PS builds)
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Thor – great build, 2H melee lightning PS, offensively similar to Dragonborn, defensively noticably weaker than Dragonborn
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Aetheros Ranged – great build, 2H ranged aether PS, offensively a little weaker than Dragonborn, defensively a little weaker than Thor
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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
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Colderos – great build, 2H melee cold PS, offensively noticably better than Dragonborn (best of my PS builds), defensively a little weaker than Aetheros
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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)
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Aether Primate – great build, 2H melee aether PS, offensively similar to Aetheros Ranged, defensively a little weaker than Colderos Ranged
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Viteros – good build, 2H melee vitality PS, offensively a little weaker than Aetheros Ranged, defensively similar to Colderos Ranged
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Meme Striker – good build, 2H melee lightning PS, offensively similar to Colderos, defensively a little weaker than Viteros
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Chaotic Primate – good build, 2H melee chaos PS, offensively a little weaker than Viteros, defensively noticably weaker than Meme Striker
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Mental Primate Druid – good build, 2H melee elemental PS, offensively a little weaker than Chaotic Primate, defensively a little weaker than Chaotic Primate
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Storm Blitzer – OK build, 1H melee + shield lightning PS, offensively a little weaker than Mental Primate Druid, defensively a little better than Chaotic Primate
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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
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Storm Knight – OK build, 1H melee + shield lightning PS, offensively similar to Storm Blitzer, defensively similar to Mental Primate Druid
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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/pZrwY7jN pure melee/switchable version
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/lNkwaX6N pure ranged version
Crafting bonuses on amulet, ring and pants are to stun (2x) and slow (1x) resistance. Ranged version has also crafting bonus on weapon to freeze resistance. You want affixes on greens to OA, DA and resistances. Most affixes are interchangable. Prefix bonus for Primal Strike on medal is not necessary on the melee version (I just chose it as the best option). If you want it outside of the medal, you can get it with a second ring. Because of bonuses to PS from medal and amulet you have to equip the amulet last always for aether color of PS. At each new session you have to do this because it defaults to medal and not to amulet.
Stats of the build for pure melee
OFFENSE
nice DPS 180k - 210k
OK OA - above 2900 OA
up to 55 DA reduction to enemies from Annihilation
lower critical damage 20 %
good aether resistance reduction from Spectral Wrath, Arcane Bomb, ring, Ravager’s Deathgaze and Revenant - up to -111 %
damage from devotions – Spear of the Heavens, Arcane Bomb, Twin Fangs and Revenant
DEFENSE
good life above 15500 HP
OK DA - around 2950 DA
up to 150 OA reduction to enemies from Arcane Bomb and Annihilation
great lifesteal 33 %
good CC resistances with crafting bonuses to stun and slow
capped disruption resistance from pants
reasonably overcapped resistances
good physical resistance 28 %
lower armor - around 1850
% reduced damage to enemies from Ill Omen
at least +3 to all max resistances
Serenity
Bat + Ghoul
Stats of the build for pure ranged
OFFENSE
nice DPS 150k - 180k
lower OA - above 2850 OA
up to 55 DA reduction to enemies from Annihilation
lower critical damage 20 %
good aether resistance reduction from Spectral Wrath, Arcane Bomb, ring, Ravager’s Deathgaze and Revenant - up to -111 %
damage from devotions – Spear of the Heavens, Arcane Bomb, Twin Fangs and Revenant
DEFENSE
good life around 16000 HP
OK DA - above 2900 DA
up to 150 OA reduction to enemies from Arcane Bomb and Annihilation
great lifesteal 34 %
good CC resistances with crafting bonuses to stun, freeze and slow
capped disruption resistance from pants
reasonably overcapped resistances
nice physical resistance 36 %
lower armor - around 1850
% reduced damage to enemies from Ill Omen
at least +3 to all max resistances
Serenity
Bat + Ghoul
image from the game for melee version with passive buffs only
image from the game for melee version with passive buffs + Soul Harvest and Blood Pact
image from the game for ranged version with passive buffs only
image from the game for ranged version with passive buffs + Soul Harvest and Blood Pact
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. All versions can even do SR 80 easily. No boss is a problem. Ranged version is a little safer in SR but slower against single target. Killing Kuba is slower with it. I don’t push my characters higher but it can go higher if you are a skilled player.
I don’t play Crucible so I don’t have a time number for it.
I will look into it but build is solid this way.
