INTRODUCTION
I wanted to create another build with my favorite weapon Scion of the Screaming Veil. I went for Fire Strike with Defiler because I have not seen it done yet. Core of the build is Bonemonger set. You get aether RR and AS from both masteries + ADCtH and damage reduction from Necromancer. Build has fire, vitality and chaos conversions to aether. After finishing with this build I tried just for fun ranged versions with Dreadscorcher and Vortex of Souls and I found out that they performed well also. Both ranged and melee versions are similar in performance and they can do SR 80 but having 2-3k more life would be better. They can be squishier because of this sometimes. Best way to play is ranged against groups and melee against bosses. Both ranged versions can be played as switchable with melee.
I have other aether melee builds here. I have other ranged builds here. All my builds are here.
GRIMTOOLS
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/wV1e3yDV pure melee version
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/62amgW32 ranged/switchable with Dreadscorcher
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/0V0eO81Z ranged/switchable with Vortex of Souls (with piercing)
Build has one monster infrequent item - Mark of Plagius. You want affixes for aether damage and OA, DA. Crafting bonuses on helm and Vortex are to freeze resistance.
Stats of the build for melee version
OFFENSE
good DPS 140k
OK OA - above 2900 OA
lower critical damage 20 % (35 % for FS)
good aether resistance reduction from Thermite Mine, Spectral Wrath, Arcane Bomb, Siphon Souls and Revenant - up to -126 %
damage from devotions – Spear of the Heavens, Arcane Bomb and Revenant
DEFENSE
OKish life around 12500 HP
OK DA - around 2900 DA
95 OA reduction to enemies from Arcane Bomb
great lifesteal 29 %
good CC resistances with crafting bonus to freeze
reasonably overcapped resistances
good physical resistance 30 %
lower armor - around 1800
% reduced damage to enemies from Ill Omen
Serenity
Ghoul
Mark of Torment
Stats of the build for Dreadscorcher version
OFFENSE
good DPS 150k
OK OA - above 2900 OA
lower critical damage 20 % (35 % for FS)
good aether resistance reduction from Thermite Mine, Spectral Wrath, Arcane Bomb, Siphon Souls and Revenant - up to -126 %
damage from devotions – Spear of the Heavens, Arcane Bomb and Revenant
DEFENSE
OKish life around 12500 HP
lower DA - above 2800 DA
95 OA reduction to enemies from Arcane Bomb
great lifesteal 29 %
good CC resistances with crafting bonus to freeze
reasonably overcapped resistances
good physical resistance 30 %
lower armor - around 1800
% reduced damage to enemies from Ill Omen
Serenity
Ghoul
Mark of Torment
Stats of the build for Vortex version
OFFENSE
good DPS 110k with piercing
OK OA - close to 2900 OA
lower critical damage 20 % (35 % for FS)
good aether resistance reduction from Thermite Mine, Spectral Wrath, Arcane Bomb, Siphon Souls and Revenant - up to -126 %
damage from devotions – Spear of the Heavens, Arcane Bomb and Revenant
DEFENSE
OKish life around 12500 HP
lower DA - above 2800 DA
95 OA reduction to enemies from Arcane Bomb
great lifesteal 29 %
good CC resistances with crafting bonus to freeze
reasonably overcapped resistances
good physical resistance 38 %
lower armor - around 1800
% reduced damage to enemies from Ill Omen
Serenity
Ghoul
Mark of Torment
image from the game for melee version with passive buffs + Soul Harvest
image from the game for Dreadscorcher version with passive buffs + Soul Harvest
image from the game for Vortex version with passive buffs + Soul Harvest
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.
All versions can do SR 80. No boss is a problem but some can be dangerous. Ranged is better in first three shards and melee is better in boss rooms. Because of lower life it is squishier but it has great lifesteal. Play carefully and you will be fine. Use Mark of Torment when necessary. I managed to kill Reaper even with mutators for lower life for me and more crits to enemies but it was not easy. With these mutators you can get oneshotted.
I don’t play Crucible so I don’t have a time number for it.
