[1.2.1.3] A hunting witch - Dreeg's acid DEE Witch hunter [6 minutes Crucible+, SR34]

meme

Continuing my chosen build theme of “god why”, here’s a spam DEE Sentinel build s̶t̶o̶l̶e̶n̶ adapted for Witch hunter use. Credit to @grey-maybe and @thejabrixone for their respective builds setting me on this journey.

1.2.1.3 update: Our main skill got gigabuffed, with no performance losses anywhere else. This brings up both our damage and survivability, as we massively depend on leech. We can even afford some very careful sundered facetanking as high as SR36. Due to bonus changes on the Vestments (as of now not reflected in grimtools), 3 points should be reallocated from Blood burst to Vile eruption. No changes seem necessary otherwise.

GT link: Witch Hunter, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.2) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator

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Playstile: absolutely schizophrenic. Our main skill is ranged, we’re generally fragile and inclined to stay at distance, but support skills and health leeching demand melee range. Blast in with SS, apply Lethal momentum, cleave things with DEE and orbiting skills and retreat when things get scary.

Features:

Very strong AOE - native DEE area of effect combined with penetration from the set make the build thrive in multi-target environments. Both damage and lifeleech skyrocket with more enemies to hit.

Highly mobile - dodge, SS and mobility skill. Nuff said.

Relatively fragile - dodging sunder and avoiding other dangerous boss attacks is necessary. Our survivability hangs on Ring of Steel being a 1-point treasure, Guardian’s gaze devotion (under penalty of death do not unbind it from DEE) and careful rotation of heal pot and 2 healing skills. In other words, it’s not very good.

Itemization:

Relic - can be swapped with Serenity for reduced damage but more consistent survivability.

Those greens - offhand and medal are mandatory, and the ring can be replaced, but with other Shuroth. So we’re firmly in the fantasy gearing territory already. While there is no particular stat we’re plugging with double-rares here and you can, theoretically, fish for generic yellow OA affixes, the build isn’t really that good to bother. Just GDstash it and have fun.

1.2.1.3 endgame performance:

SR:

SR36 (old 90), with couple of deaths. Deathless is still problematic, and Zantarin in particular requires extreme care in rotating your healing. However, the build performs in a much more confident manner this high, where before it barely got by. Everything below should be consistently farmable deathless.

Crucible:

Outdated, pending time reevaluation.

Full buffs without extra spawn at 6.10. Uneventful and safe. Gained a minute over previous results!

Full buffs with extra spawn, at 5.58. Dangerous but doable, also a minute down from previous result. And still just the same time as no extra spawn.

3 Likes

1.2.1.3 patchnotes:

Class changes:

Occultist:

Bloody Pox: increased damage scaling with rank
Dreeg’s Evil Eye: increased Acid damage scaling with rank
Blood Burst: modifier now applies to the base skill rather than creating a secondary eruption. Values adjusted accordingly.
Terrifying Gaze: increased Vitality damage scaling with rank. Removed Radius bonus.
Vile Eruption: increased damage scaling with rank
Vulnerability: increased Defensive Ability Reduction scaling with rank to 150 by rank 10, 300 by max ultimate rank

Nightblade:

Devotion changes:

Item changes:

Vestments of Dreeg: replaced bonus to Vile Eruption with +2 to Blood Burst

Preliminary thoughts:

With the changes to DEE, damage of our hunting witch should be gigabuffed, with some marginal loss of AOE potential. Everybody on PTR was too busy testing PRM though, so build is pending reevaluation.

Minor build update and endgame reevaluation!

I completely missed any changes to DEE and the set since 1.2 got out, so really can’t say anything on that. Endgame performance is definitely up from before - whole minute faster in crucible, overall safer SR, and SR90 breach! Yay.