Build Video and Gameplay Showcase:
Build Details:
Grim Tools:
Level 35-40: Conjurer, Level 40 (GD 1.1.9.3) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
An example of optimized skill and gearing choices for the early-mid game.
Level 50-75: Conjurer, Level 75 (GD 1.1.9.3) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
An example of optimized skill and gearing choices for the mid-late game.
Level 100: Conjurer, Level 100 (GD 1.1.9.1) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator (w/o Monster Infrequent)
This is the version of the build showcased in the video. I’m purposely trying to avoid MIs due to their rarity and being unrealistic gearing choices.
Level 100: Conjurer, Level 100 (GD 1.1.9.1) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator (w/ MI)
This is the ideal version of the build. This version of the build is stronger, but it uses a couple of MIs with specific double affix combos that are pretty unrealistic to obtain without GD Stash.
Dahbadu’s Generic Leveling Advice:
- Generally when leveling you one-point-wonder most active skills, spreading your skills out while you rush mastery ranks. So instead of dumping all of your points into your “main” skill before you can sustain the energy cost, you one point wonder it, and rush mastery ranks. Mastery ranks increase all of your stats, so consider increasing mastery as a minor buff to all of your skills. It will also let you equip more gear that drops because you have higher attributes, giving you more flexibility with itemization. Being able to equip any item you want to while leveling is usually important.
- Although initially you’re not investing into skills like Devouring Swarm that will eventually be your “main” skills, Devouring Swarm is still proccing Rend (a devotion) and Rend will level-up and do more damage without you spending skill points.
- This will lend itself to a “piano-style” gameplay while you level, because your hotbar will be filled up with a bunch of different skills. So instead of using the same skill 8x, you’re using 4 different skills x2 in the same time frame. Due to early game scaling, you generally get the most “bang for the buck” this way. Importantly, it’ll let you test out a bunch of different skills and find synergies you like. Eventually you’ll retrain out of some of those skills.
- The exception to this are skills that provide flat damage absorption or armor, such as Oak Skin (applies to this build). 100 armor or flat damage absorption is very strong during the early game, but in the late game it’s not as powerful by itself. Your belt slot is important because flat armor there applies to your entire character, and components that add flat armor to your belt are the best RoI at the beginning.
- Don’t worry about equipping items for damage increases. Percentage increases to attributes and offense/defense are also less worthwhile. Focus on armor, resistances, health, health regen, and enough energy/regen to allow you to spell spam. A nice proc like Brawler’s Exhaustion (see early-mid game Grim Tools) can be very powerful too. Ectoplasm (a component) is key to sustaining high energy costs early-mid game.
- Support/Debuff skills that change game mechanics can also worth being investing in, bringing them to AoE or other breakpoints to improve your action economy. Curse of Frailty, Grasping Vines (both apply to this character), War Cry, Flash Bang, Flash Freeze, and Word of Agony are examples of these types of skills.
Skill Investment Priorities:
Use the Grim Tools links above for guidance.
- With this character (There Will Be Blood), I one-point wondered most skills while rushing mastery plus new active skills for both classes. I eventually retrained out of skills I wouldn’t use after I “grew out of them.”
- The first skills I invested in moderately were Curse of Frailty and Grasping Vines to hit some AoE breakpoints so a single cast could reliably cover a group of enemies.
- Then I rushed to Oak Skin and maxed it.
- I invested in Aspect of the Guardian for acid resistance as needed.
- After filling out my masteries, I brought Aspect of the Guardian and Blood of Dreeg to breakpoints first, then Curse of Frailty, then Grasping Vines.
- For devotions, if the character uses Wendigo’s Mark and relies on it for sustain (like this character), you generally want to rush it. So blue point > Eel > red point > Jackal > Wendigo’s Mark on your best proccing/reliable skill. Buy other devotions after you do that.
Gear Drops:
Gear: Most of the gear can drop anywhere and you’ll naturally acquire it through play
Valguur’s and some Mythical Gear: Requires Ashes of Malmouth (AoM)
Amulet: Spawn locations - Gannar'vakkar, King of the Sands - Grim Dawn Monster Database
Notes:
- The Wildblood set really makes this build shine, but it’s not necessary. This is a good starting build because you don’t really need any items and it’s great for SSF. You can use one-handed weapons or two-handed, whatever is the best option for you at the time.
- You’re mostly a caster, but you have the tankiness to melee because your insane life leech, healing totems and regen. You basically melt the screen in a million DPS of life leech and blood. You’ll see in the gameplay showcase what I’m talking about.
- This build relies on casting essentially AoE DoT spells that are excellent for proccing devotion spells that have zero cooldown, which will constantly trigger. Exploiting devotions and procs is very important to building powerful characters, and this build showcases that neat aspect about GD.
- I understand I’m touting this is a starter build. If there’s interest, I plan to update the OP with Grim Tools links for a low-mid leveling milestone and a mid-high leveling milestone, both gear appropriate.
How does the build play?
You mostly let enemies come to you, and while they’re running at you, you carpet bomb them with Curse of Frailty, Grasping Vines, throw out a couple Devouring Swarms to tag an area while dropping a Wendigo Totem. Keep in mind that it’s usually not worth re-casting CoF/DS on the same enemy if it’s still ticking, unless you want to force a proc – your action economy is best used for something else.
Basically you can Facetank several nemesis bosses while blowing up the screen in glorious procs. You can smash stuff with your hammer just to feel cool and to get the defensive buff from Savagery.
Weaknesses:
This build does suffer from piano key syndrome, but I find it really fun to play and pretty to behold. Also, I kinda like piano key builds, so I’m slightly bias.
You do not have a built-in way to cure yourself of debuffs. Luckily you’re very tanky, so you can tank through most debuffs, but sometimes you’ll run into trouble as showcased in the video. If that’s the case, you’re looking at jumping away with a disengage skill. It’s not too bad, because usually the monsters have a bunch of DoT life leech effects on them, so you heal up quite quickly.
Notes:
If you have any feedback, questions or want clarification on something, feel free to reply. I’ll try to keep this OP updated and answer any questions.
If people seem to appreciate and there’s interest in this content, I’ll be posting more.
Other Builds by Dahbadu:
