Aether Ravenous Earth Apostate
Hello fellow grimmers, in patch 1.1.8.0 the acid damage modifier to Ravenous Earth on the Necromancer conduit amulet was changed to support aether instead.
I have not seen a build using this so I thought let’s try to make one I did physical and acid RE here. Now what class should we use? The obvious go-to choice is spellbinder because spellbinder is … spellbinder, it’s awesome. But why would you do aether RE with spellbinder when there are 69 other skills available? My approach was then to make a good meme build with apostate instead
I already hade an apostate leveled up from [1.1.8.1] Uroboruuk - a build journal and guide for SSF Drain Essence Apostate so I thought hey let’s do this! I did change the name of that char in GDstash to something more suitable for this mission.
The conduit changes the color FX on RE
Here you can see more skill color FX changes Visual changes of skills through items
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Alternative version with Scales of Beronath belt https://www.grimtools.com/calc/r2Bv9bW2 “tankier” due to 22/12 Inquisitor seal.
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Earlier theory-craft https://www.grimtools.com/calc/lNkQPwRV using 4-piece Krieg set.
For information regarding 1.1.9.0 updates: read here consider using Sanctified bone in helmet now that Prismatic Diamond got longer cooldown, to help against Reaper (undead racial dmg bonus).
Stats standing on seal & Word of Renewal, not activated Deadly Aim. Stupid me forgot to toggle on seal of blades skill

Skills and Devotions should be almost a no-brainer with some exceptions: Storm Box deals meme damage, perhaps more points into Foul Eruption for a bit faster trash clear could be used. Maybe one could go for Rattosh instead to get better sustain against nemesis…
Items, I consider these two MI’s to be mandatory:
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Magi Visage you will find plenty of these when you farm for those elusive Magi Rings
I happened to have “overseer” prefix and a somewhat non-garbage suffix, but other well rolled such helmets works too. You might wondering about the conflicting conversion, but we will not add any flat acid damage to RE, it only has poison that is not gonna convert into aether. So with the conduit, we are left with RE that deals Aether damage and Vitality decay (and some poison damage).
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Medal Basilisk Crest to make us cast RE faster and thus stacking them. Also makes energy a bit easier to handle. I used one with the most OA that I had found basically. Alternetive medal Mark of Nacrathan might be interesting choice to have easier time to get Inquisitor seal up to ranks and/or combined with full Bonemonger set to use Inquisitor seals in an offensive manner. But idea with my build was to focus on RE.
Some alternative gearing I considered for the other slots (you can also have a look at the alternative versions of build above for more ideas).
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Belt: I wanted to get RE as high as possible so a +1 necro belt was used. If you struggle with getting vitality to aether conversion, you always have the green Arcanist belt as a (somewhat misplaced) option. Finally Mythical Scales of beronath, +1 inq skills and +2 inq seal, I used this on my alternative version. Mythical Spiritseeker Cord could be option too, but offers neither DA or OA
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Weapon Bonespike with aether dmg affixes could be used, but I think Mythical Wrath of the Ascendant gives too much to ignore, +1 necro and vit to aether conversion which will make your bat and wendigo devotion heal you a lot & a very nice proc.
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Krieg vs Bonemonger set items. My first theorycraft used 4 pieces of Krieg set but I settled for 2 piece set of Krieg and Bonemonger for a more allround build (bonemonger shoulder has vit to aether conversion). A full bonemonger set build would also use Inq seals in an offensive manner.
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Instead of magelord rings you could use Ring of Tawrot which will free up other item slots for vit to aether conversion. But, I don’t have these rings, and I think the magelord ring set is worth for its +5 inq seal bonus. (Note, now conduit give vit > aether converison!)
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Pants, sick rolled Anasteria’s Legguards or Mythical Wraithborne Legwraps could work too. These pants gives rank to RE Mythical Scorchrune Legwraps but I did not consider them defensive enough compared to the Mythical Leggings of Arcane Currents.
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Shoulder, I was considering a well rolled Ascended Shoulderplates for its armor bonus, but decided to scrap that idea.
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Belt: Mythical Arcanoweave Cord very good belt.
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Caster off-hand Mythical Codex of Lies the proc should be really good for damage. Never tested it, perhaps I will soon.
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Component, note that I have seal of corruption but I am not using its skill, too lazy to cast it
Seal of blades is used for armor and more life steal for Spear of the heavens proc. One idea I had was to use chain lightning as spam, but nah costed too much energy (you have to pop energy pot now and then as it is already).
Performance
SR65-66 farming is very easy, SR75-76 is doable too but you have to focus a bit more and play somewhat good. High aether resistant monsters (like Reaper and Aleksander) can be though but if you play good you will survive - I did die one time each session at first but now I can do 75-76 farming very consistently without dying

Most in the Main Campaign is a joke, though I have not done Ravager, Crate or Calla (I am not tryhard enough to do them on weak casters )
Crucible I have no idea, I don’t find that game mode interesting these days
This concludes build, thanks for reading let me know if you have made an attempt of making Aether Ravenous Earth build
Thanks to @MergosWetNurse whom I know is working on Aether RE build, looking forward to read about your results
Probably my last build this patch… see you in 1.1.9
A great build that uses Aether RE conduit, that also happen NOT to be a spellbinder is this one [1.1.8.1] [HC] Clairvoyant Cabalist ( SR 85, 6 min Crucible, Ravager of Flesh, Crate of Entertainment) check it out!