[1.1.9.2] THE FOUR PIERCEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE - Pierce Rimetongue Infiltrator - <4:30 CR, SR80

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
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THE FOUR PIERCEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE

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CC builds got a bump during this patch which enabled both rimetongue and mageslayer (on their full sets) to apply their cc on 99% of enemies 100% of the time no matter the mutators. This made cc builds, Rimetongue more so than Mageslayer (tho I believe Mageslayer was just tested less) consistent instead of being the roller coaster that they were before this patch.

On the Rimetongue side, both cold and pierce builds exist, all centered on the fact that Blade Trap can apply consistent RR and DA shred to boost your main skills, while making your char safe with the trap and lifesteal and horn DR.

Don’t be fooled, though. In this build the real damage comes from Blade Spirits and especially Word of Pain. The entire set is used to give adequate support to your main damage skills, instead of the usual “use the set to directly boost your main skills”.

The Build

GRIMTOOLS

Build explanation

Build concept is pretty simple actually. Take your usual pierce wop/spirit caster and add rimetongue to get trap and horn, boost your damage and be safe. It doesn’t have the same monster stats as the custom, nonset build but the cc is a worthy trade.

Place WoP, spam trap, horn and chillspikes and everything dies. If in danger kite a bit and cast trap to get distance. That is basically the gameplay.

Gear

  • Rimetongue set - no brainer

  • Messenger Repeater - Boosts your main damage (WoP), makes your RR radius wider and has conversion. If farming legit, then Heart Piercing/Sinister/Relentless of Spines should be good. I don’t recommend getting the yellow pierce prefix cause it doesn’t have %pierce which is more important than flat.

**There are a few other options on the weapon slot but I believe Messenger is best for pierce. It’s also the only one I tested but I saw noctirn+janitor head by @nofika4u and there’s also Gildor’s pulverizer which is okay on paper (worse than single rare messenger but it’s okay) but not tested. **

  • Reaper’s Legguards - +3 for the build’s second best damage source. Prioritize pierce damage and stats on affixes if resists can be fixed by augments, otherwise get whatever suits you.

  • Rings - as long as you get two rings with +2 blade spirit then it’s fine. My choice allows for maxing death sentence while also having better stun resist than if I had 2 runefathers.

  • Gloves and boots - best general use for those slots on pierce.

  • Belt - conversion. Make sure you get 100% total with the gun.

  • Medal - autoinclude for pierce infiltrator.

Crucible

1.1.9.2 Final patch - I kept getting shattered mutator so I’ll just post this decent run:

For now enjoy test patch vids. The only changes that affected this build after the posting of these vids are - increased pierce res for Fabius and Nerf to Unstoppable mutator. The first one isn’t really a big deal, and the second is a buff to this build (and all cc builds)

My average timer is around 4:30 (tho i need to get used to it everytime cause I stop playing GD for weeks before coming back again)

My fastest run after 5% RR messenger nerf

3:55 (!!!) by @nofika4u

Shattered Realms

SR80 is easy. I was only able to record boss room but it should be clear with the timer that I didn’t die on mob rooms.

I tried SR 85 and 90 but wasn’t comfortable on mob rooms. 85 should probably be easy if you’re comfortable with kiting but in 90 there’s a lot of random oneshots so I guess an adjustment for the build is necessary at that level.

Closing

Thanks zantai for buffing cc and not listening to the haters during the test when it came to this matter. At best, these skills are supporting an even stronger skill snd at worst they don’t even work.

Shoutout to nofika4u for testing the build, @grey-maybe for the save file I used (used your custom messenger save file lol cause it had a perfect gun), the guys in the discord for keeping on testing stuff and being active which made me not lose interest in GD despite my sparse playing time, and to mad_lee who made some suggestion about the build’s casting speed a while ago which I can’t even remember and thus can’t test.

19 Likes
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DAMN I HIT SUBMIT BEFORE FINISHINg

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Four piercemen of the apocalypse, this build is holy! Even have Inquisitor’s class in it.

Nice to see Rimetongue working well and these particular skills being used to full effect.

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Literally the first word I said when I played this build back in the beta. The second word being “fuck”, cause holy fuck thus build is good!

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Solid build. Though it can push further in tanky challanges, I bet. How do the conversions go? Belt and gun go before single element conversions from teh set?

Mageslayer is good and dandy, though lacks pure defensive stats accessible to this, and leans more on cc. I might be posting soon.

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I had to retest this cause I was sure single element went first but WoP is actually full pierce here, so yeah 100% ele to pierce conversion without losses from single ele converts. single element converts do go first but in this build doesn’t matter cause only fire and lightning damage source is wop and it’s fully converted by messenger skill mod.

Hmmm. I only know of Foilexra that was tested. Makes sense that Mageslayer has less defenses tho. Freeze is a stronger form of cc than trap.

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Added new cruci vid (average run) and SR80 run!

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@x1x1x1x2 There’s no general rule that single or elemental conversion go first.

Ele → Pierce works first because the first instance (according to the order below) is in slot 1.
(7 belt conversion is added to it ).

If gun was 13 for example, that Ele → Pierce on the gun and belt would work after Rimetongue conversions which would be bad.

credit to grey-maybe for telling me this once

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^ Grim Dawn magic :grin:

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Also, aren’t ranks in Shadow Dance better than WoR beyond 5?

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Wtf is this sorcery?

I feel like I need the healing more than DA/dodge. Unless I phys dump, I won’t be able to achieve meaningful amounts of DA for it to matter.

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@x1x1x1x2 Chillspikes underrated again. Understandable though because in Crucible AoE is king.
I still think it should be the 5th Pierceman. I estimate 7 times more damage than WoP on single target assuming 2 casts per second.

Btw don’t want to get at minor / not important details but I happened to notice that you constantly mash that WoP button. I understand that new enemies are approaching but for example during the fight with the trio that last 10 seconds you pressed it 6 times. Maybe the 1st press could be linked with trash approaching. Nofika pressed it twice less frequently I’d say. Maybe you’d kill a tad faster (more Chillspikes casts) if you eliminated that. You could use GI feature of little debuff icons if unsure whether your spells are on enemies.

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uhm,so I was farming the gun for this build,but my gun has only 33% ele converted to pierce for word of pain,not the global convertion,that one is at 50%,but the actual Mi to word of pain…what the heck?

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Grim Tools says that the low level versions (20 and 40) are like that.
Maybe :crate: balanced it this way so that it’s not OP on lower levels?
Working as intended™ ? You can make a bug report if you care to do so.

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I see,thanks,it just seems weird as I can’t recall any other Mi acting like this

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There’s just no space for a 5th horse :rofl:

I know. Sometimes i just can’t stop it but honestly the best runs are when I’m conscious of that. Dunno which run of the two you watched but the faster run I had I definitely mashed wop less I think.

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Yes, you’re right. I watched the slower run. In the faster you press less and more deliberately.