[1.1.8.1] Mental Primate - 2H melee elemental Primal Strike Conjurer and Druid with Scion of Arcane Force, SR 65+

INTRODUCTION

I noticed that it is possible to make fully elemental Primal Strike build if you use Scion of Arcane Force. Obvious choices are Conjurer, Druid and Elementalist. I tried to theorycraft all three class combos but I wasn’t able to do it with Elementalist because it doesn’t get any bonuses from the Scion of Arcane Force. Conjurer looks like the best of these three classes because of elemental RR, physical resistance, AS and OA but Druid is the best one actually despite Arcanist having no RR. It is because even with larger life Conjurer is squishier because of no damage reduction or absorption. Conjurer kills faster but it is glassier. Druid is not that much slower and has the benefit of Maiven’s Sphere, Mirror and Nullification and that makes it the better build. I used items with +1 to Shaman skills (relic, helm, belt) and with bonuses to Primal Strike (shoulders, ring, medal). The rest of the items is to fix other stats in the builds. In devotions I went for Revenant and Blind Sage. Both builds can do SR 65-66. Druid can sometimes do even SR 80 but not consistently enough.

I have other Primal Strike builds here. I have other elemental 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/0V0eoQJZ Druid

https://www.grimtools.com/calc/RZR1EGjV Conjurer

I have two bonus ranged versions. One with more single target damage here and one with pass through here. I have not tested them but I think they should be able to do SR 65-66.

Crafting bonus on medal for Druid is to stun resistance. Crafting bonus on amulet for Conjurer is to slow resistance. You need affixes for Primal Strike, OA and DA. Bonus for Primal Strike can be also obtained with Signet of Astral Ruminations ring.

Stats of the build for Druid

OFFENSE

nice DPS around 200k

OK OA - around 2900 OA

55 DA reduction to enemies from Annihilation

good critical damage 64 %

OK elemental resistance reduction from Wind Devil, Ravager’s Deathgaze and Revenant - up to -69 % + Viper

damage from devotions – Blind Sage and Revenant

DEFENSE

good life around 14500 HP

OK DA - around 2900 DA

55 OA reduction to enemies from Annihilation

OK lifesteal 19 %

good CC resistances

capped disruption resistance

reasonably overcapped resistances

OK physical resistance 24 %

lower armor - above 1600

% damage absorption from Maiven’s Sphere

Ghoul

Mirror of Ereoctes

Nullification

Stats of the build for Conjurer

OFFENSE

good DPS around 170k

OK OA - around 2900 OA

55 DA reduction to enemies from Annihilation

nice critical damage 90 %

OK elemental resistance reduction from Wind Devil, Curse of Frailty, Ravager’s Deathgaze and Revenant - up to -109 % + Viper

damage from devotions – Blind Sage and Revenant

DEFENSE

good life around 14500 HP

OK DA - close to 2900 DA

55 OA reduction to enemies from Annihilation

OK lifesteal 21 %

mostly OK CC resistances

capped disruption resistance

reasonably overcapped resistances

good physical resistance 28 %

lower armor - above 1750

small and inconsistent % damage reduction from chest proc

healing on demand from Blood of Dreeg

Ghoul

Druid - image from the game with passive buffs + Blood Pact

Mental%20Primate%20Druid%201

Conjurer - image from the game with passive buffs + Blood Pact and Blood of Dreeg

Mental%20Primate%20Conjurer%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.

Both builds do SR 65-66. Druid is better in it and has no problems with any boss. Conjurer is a little squishier but kills fast. Grava is tougher with Conjurer but doable. Druid can sometimes even do SR 80 but not consistently enough and it is squishier in it.

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

Images from SR 66

Druid


Conjurer

Hey there,
Sorry, I seem to overlook something. How does this Scion convert lightning and physical to elemental damage?

You don’t need to convert lightning - it is elemental. Its base damage is elemental and conversion from physical is on Druid 40 % (IEE + component) and on Conjurer only 10 % (and 15 % to lightning from Stormcaller’s Pact). As you can see DPS is 200k with Druid and 170k with Conjurer (with nice RR of -109 %). You get conversions from vitality, aether and chaos - this flat is used in PS.

Hi - any insight on how to level this build? I’m fairly new to the game and wonder if you can help with level order for skills and devotions. Maybe some gear advice as well?

Thanks.

This is a meme build. Be warned :slight_smile: I would not recommend it if it is your first character (not even second). You will need helm from Ravager for this build (tough to kill him). You can level it as a lightning PS build. Leveling with lightning PS is easy and fun. Just pick a lightning 2H weapon and smash things with PS.

If you are starting with GD then search the forum for ‘beginner build’ or ‘beginner friendly’.

OK. Thanks.