[1.1.9.0] [Pyromancer] Entropic Retribution

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
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Stats shown with passives, Blood of Dreeg, Hungering Void and Abominable Might active. Sheet DPS is Chain Lightning.

Grimtools
Setup I use

The above also doubles as an affix-less setup, just be wary of the Conduit resistance suffix I use and shift armour augments around accordingly. Stun resistance can be patched up more than what I have via crafting bonuses at Kaylon in the Steelcap District or by swapping the Runeguard Greaves in for some well-rolled Stoneplates.

See this post for the archived v1.1.7.2-1.1.8.1 build link.

Build Concept

  • Vindictive Flame is the main building point of the character - Ember’s Calling, Pagar’s Betrayal and the Blood Orb are taken to increase it’s damage, lower it’s cooldown and convert as much of it’s damage to one damage type as possible. In this case, Chaos.
  • On the side, we have Chain Lightning and Blackwater Cocktail for extra damage and AoE.
  • The Blood Orb of Ch’thon is noteworthy here as it also converts all of Ulzuin’s Wrath, Chain Lightning, BWC and almost all of Vindictive Flames besides any Burn/Electrocute to Chaos damage. Voidrend Talons also convert a portion of Acid to Chaos in places like Guardian’s Gaze as well.
  • Health recovery comes from above average health regen of ~1 200 per sec going up to 2-3.2k with Giant’s Blood/Abominable Might. Vindictive Flame, Guardian’s Gaze and Ulzuin’s Wrath provide spell-based life steal.

Abilities

Blood of Dreeg: Provides Offensive Ability, health regen as a buff and on use provides an on-demand heal.
Blackwater Cocktail (Guardian’s Gaze): Lowers all damage enemies deal, their Offensive Ability by a bit and makes them weaker to all damage we deal.
Thermite Mines: Makes all enemies stood within it’s radius weaker to our Chaos damage.
Chain Lightning (Eldritch Fire): A filler skill to use while you’re not casting anything else. Converted to pure Chaos and with our surprisingly high weapon damage for a caster, it’s not bad.
Blazing Eruption (Abominable Might): Nice chunk of damage and a way to proc Abominable Might for us as we have nothing else.
Solael’s Flame: Provides some additional damage and Chaos RR.

Possession: More damage, resistances to Chaos, skill disruption and damage absorption.
Solael’s Witchfire: Provides a chunk of flat Chaos damage and some Vitality resistance between the base skill and modifier. Consecrated Blade converts some of the Physical damage on Vindictive Flame and our weapon for us.
Vindictive Flame (Giant’s Blood): Provides health regen and casting speed passively. While toggled, every attack you receive triggers an AoE nova centred on you. Enemies outside the nova’s area when it triggers and at least 1 enemy is hit are targeted by tendrils of orange lightning. The damage it does under Abominable Might is pure Chaos, is quite strong and triggers often. All of it life steals and the tendrils CC weaker enemies with knockback.
Flame Touched: Increases our Offensive Ability and Chaos damage when the flat Fire damage is converted through Blood Rite.
Blood Rite: Converts all Elemental damage everywhere to Chaos and alongside our Gloves converts all Acid damage everywhere to split Vitality/Chaos.

Resist Reduction

Agonizing Flames: Provides 29 reduced enemy resistances while enemies are stood inside of the flames.
Eldritch Fire: Provides -35% Chaos resistance as a debuff that spreads from enemy-to-enemy like a contagion.
Hellfire Mine: Provides -39% Chaos resistance as a debuff to enemies that are stood in or in close proximity to the flame jets.
Solael’s Flame: Provides -10% Chaos resistance as a debuff.
Voidheart: Provides -10% Chaos resistance as a debuff.
Combustion Band: Provides -8% Chaos resistance as a debuff.

In total, we are able to apply 29 reduced enemy resistance and -102% Chaos resistance, effectively -131% Chaos resistance.

Attributes

Our Physique, Cunning and Spirit are tuned to just barely be able to equip our armour, sword and off-hand.

Playstyle

Keep Blood of Dreeg active at all times. Keep enemies coated in Thermite Mines, Blackwater Cocktail and Solael’s Flame. Mines last a while so shouldn’t need to be recasted often unless new enemies approach or it needs to be relocated, BWC will need to be recast on cooldown to maintain it’s debuff. Use Blazing Eruption until Abominable Might procs and proceed to cast Chain Lightning while you’re not doing anything else. For long encounters, keep an eye on your energy bar.

Achievements

Lokarr

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12 Likes
2

Really looks good, I’ve been looking for ages for a Pyro build that’s accessible with the gear I have, and a poor character started a year ago at a dead end. I’m terrible at making my own builds so I really appreciate this.

1 Like
3

Fantastic build, chaos builds are my favorite builds !

1 Like
4

Good job with this build!

Chaos Vindictive flames and nice idea to use Blood Orb for full elemental to chaos conversion.

Also I like the build presentation.

1 Like
5

1.1.7.2-1.1.8.1 version: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/O2Gq6E6Z

Build is updated and mostly re-written for 1.1.9.0. Some things I can note on it are:

  • Defense is solid. I was impressed with it after the Demo changes in 1.1.8 improving Blast Shield and adding damage reduction to Ulzuin’s Wrath. Despite the gear shift to Ember’s Calling, it remains just as good, if not better and is more comfortable with ADCtH on Vindictive Flame replacing previous use of Sigils perfectly.

    • Demon Fire is taken alongside Ulzuin’s Wrath partially to make up for lost damage from Sigil of Consumption and partially because Ulzuin’s Wrath mechanically does not target enemies hit by Vindictive Flame. So now, we can reduce the damage on enemies close to us and crowds at a distance with both sources.

    • DA has also improved by 100-200 because Ember’s set is loaded with it on it’s 2 and 3-piece bonuses.

    • The only downside I can think of is the increased cooldown on Prismatic Diamond so we don’t get it more than once in prolonged fights but I can live with it.

  • Damage has improved by a good chunk. Ember’s set adds even more damage to Vindictive Flame than before and lowers the cooldown down to 0.5s now. Being able to redistribute the points in Sigils has also allowed us to add in more damage. Despite the mastery RR nerf, we maintain just as much before. OA has also improved again thanks to the set bonuses on Ember.

5 Likes
6

Nice update! I might try this, I put this on my “to do list” :slight_smile:

7

This is 100% my kinda build, I love it. Not sure why I missed it. It’s very refined. Pleasing to the eye visual aspect and detailed explanations assured me in my new resolution to stop liking guides that lack them, that are only focused on test results and written in a hurry: “Imma drop these screenshots and vids on you quickly and go right to a next build.”

3 Likes
8

I try to write some stories and details to my build posts but sometimes I just post GT link and some results. idk maybe doing these SSF build journals has worn me out a bit

9

I don’t usually do mini-build updates but this one and the Gandarr Purifier are one of my absolute favourite builds ever posted so why not:

1.1.9.1 Changes
  • Armor of Ember’s Calling: increased % Aether Resist to 28% and updated % Conversion to 30% of Cold dealt as Fire
  • Mantle of Ember’s Calling: increased % Pierce Resist to 28%
  • Mask of Ember’s Calling: increased % Elemental Resist to 36% and added 20% Vitality Resist, removed % Conversion
  • Guardian’s Gaze: reduced % Weapon damage to 15% and reduced % Attack damage Converted to Health to 10%
  • Component - Consecrated Wrappings: increased Chaos damage to 3-8 and % Attack Speed to 8%. Replaced % Chaos damage with 8% Chaos Resist.

All i want to say on these changes is:

  • Conversion changes don’t concern us but I know quite a few people on the Fire side on the set asked for them :+1:.
  • Small nerf to Guardian’s Gaze damage/health recovery. I already thought it was giga-strong when it buffed some time ago so I don’t mind it getting pulled back in line a little. It’s also only 1 part in our means of healing.
  • Resistance buffs mean armour augments can be shifted around. Could squeeze out some more health/DA if wanted but 3k with DA shred is already way more than enough.
  • However, the resistance buffs do mean Consecrated Wrappings could be fitted in for a little more flat Chaos damage on Chain Lightning if nothing else.
1 Like
10

Lookin good brother! I originally had the ~same setup, but different weapon before the pagar changes. My suggestion would be to try a setup that includes torch if you haven’t. The build was borderlinne unkillable with this setup which is nice, but the sizeable oa boost + additional proc put the damage where I like and it’s still quite a tanky boy.

2 Likes
12

I’ve farmed gear in SR 75-76 with it for fun though this was before Ember’s set got some of it’s health removed and health regen was nerfed. I haven’t tried since. As for going further, how skilled or patient are you?

1 Like