- [2H melee] [1.2.1.6] Braddock - The fire commando (Ralfhskz)
- Damage: Fire, burn
- Active Skills: Cadence, blitz, thermite mine, blackwater cocktail
Hello friends! Older players like me will probably connect more easily with this character’s name. After the passing of the action movie legend (and meme icon) Chuck Norris, I decided to level up this class with a very suggestive name, so you can consider this a “tribute build”.
About the build: This character is very strong and can take A LOT OF DAMAGE from enemies without much trouble or danger. If you want a facetanker, this is a solid choice!
It’s a very easy character to equip, as all items can be obtained from specific enemies (MI= monster infrequents or green items) or faction vendors. For the endgame stage, the items are also easily acquired in a single place.
The gameplay is quite simple: we use Blitz to engage enemy hordes, then thermite mines to apply debuffs and deal damage, followed by blackwater cocktail to reduce their damage. After that, we smash them using Cadence.
This build also requires very few buttons to work, so I consider it controller-friendly.
It was leveled from scratch, without using mandates, merits, potions of clarity, or any other leveling items.
This build is capable of farming all skeleton key dungeons very easily and can facetank all faction nemesis bosses, even being able to defeat Mogdrogen without much investment.
(yeah, those bastards like kuba, grava and moosie are NOTHING to this badass commando)
Here’s a brief guide to the leveling process:
Lvl 1-10 Soldier, Level 10 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
I started the game choosing the soldier mastery. Look for a two-handed weapon right from the beginning. If you don’t drop one, you can buy one from the shop in Devil’s Crossing or pick up Hevill’s Greatsword in a small house in Lower Crossing.
I spent my initial points on the mastery bar with each level-up until reaching Tremor.
Then I started investing points in Forcewave and in the mastery bar. Spend one point into menhir’s will and one point into fighting spirit. As soon as you unlock Blitz, spend one point into it as well.
When you reach rending force in the forcewave skill line, start putting one point into it and one point into forcewave, and then one point into the mastery bar at each level-up.
Lvl 10-20 Soldier, Level 20 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
The first item to farm for this build is the Shambler’s Heart. You will obtain one by defeating the Ancient Shambler in the Flooded Passage while progressing toward Burrwitch.
When you reach 6 devotion points unlocked, spend a point in primordial (crossroads) and complete the imp and bind its proc to the forcewave skill.
Lvl 20-30 Commando, Level 30 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
After defeating Warden Krieg, i headed to arkovian foothills to obtain the Bone Talisman relic—just lie when completing the quest (say you didn’t find it with the Lost Rover Elder).
The skill it grants is very useful for energy regeneration and to increase damage early in the game. After that, i went straight to the forgotten gods DLC. The reason for this is to farm our main weapon for the build as soon as possible: the Sunherald’s Claymore. You can farm it from Astros the Sunherald, in Sunward Spire.
While you’re at it, you should also take the opportunity to farm the helmet we’ll use all the way to endgame: the Chosen Visage.
You can keep using forcewave for a while if you want, but I switched my main skill to cadence as soon as I got the weapon (respec your points in Devil’s Crossing, don’t forget to spend 3 points in discord to convert cadence physical damage to elemental damage).
About skill points: You should rush to menhir’s bulwark in soldier’s mastery. After reaching squad tactics, spend a point in field command and a point in it. Then you gonna spend 1 point in squad tactics and 2 points in the mastery bar until you reach menhir’s bulwark. Spend a point in it.
After that, we’re gonna all points in the demolitionist’s mastery bar at each level up.
For devotions, spend one point in chaos (Crossroads), complete Jackal, spend one point in eldritch (crossroads), and complete behemoth. Then remove chaos and eldritch from crossroads and start investing points into solael’s witchblade.
Lvl 30-40 Commando, Level 40 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
After finishing the DLC, I went back to the vanilla campaign.
When you’re in Cronley’s Hideout, take the opportunity to farm the medal we’ll use in the build, the Martin’s Crest from the henchman “Moneybags” Martin.
Continue progressing normally, and when you reach Homestead, you can farm the rings for your build — Gollus’ Ring. You’ll find him in the Den of the Lost while doing the quest to kill the Dermapteran Queen.
You can farm your shoulder armor the Fleshwarped Pauldrons near Homestead; they drop from Fleshwarped mobs. If you’re having any difficulty, go farm the Conflagration area or the Port Valbury Outskirts.
Regarding skill points: put at least one point into flame touched and one into vindictive flame. After that, continue investing in the Demolitionist mastery bar until you unlock thermite mine. The next goal is to get this skill to at least 16/16. After that, start distributing points into cadence modifiers, menhir’s bulwark, flame touched, blast shield and vindictive flame.
For devotions: complete Solael’s Witchblade (attach the proc skill to Cadence), then complete Viper. Remove Jackal and complete Kraken. Spend one point in Order (Crossroads), then complete Lotus. Remove Imp and complete Tortoise. Remove primordial (Crossroads). After that, start investing points into Alladrah’s Phoenix.
lvl 40-50 Commando, Level 50 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Don’t forget to always activate Monster Totems to collect loot and sell it, as they can also drop great items to improve your stats and resistances.
After defeating Loghorrean (which should be very easy — full facetank), you should farm the belt for your build, the Ugdenbog Girdle when you reach Ugdenbog. The enemy Carraxus Foul will always drop one every time you kill him.
After reaching malmouth, you’re gonna farm your chest armor, the Galakros Dread Plating neat the entrance to malmouth sewers,
If you didn’t dropped Blueprint: Relic - Juggernaut until now, it’s a good idea doing the reset shop trick on hyram’s shop after completing malmouth’s resistance quests.
On devotions: complete Alladrah’s Phoenix (bind proc to blitz) , then complete hammer, and then crab. Spend one point in ascendant (crossroads), then remove hammer. Start investing points into Rhowan’s crown.
lvl 50-60 Commando, Level 60 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Time to start Elite difficulty. Check your resistances, and don’t forget to upgrade essential gear (like your weapon, for example).
For your skill points, put one point into blackwater cocktail and one into High Potency, then start maxing Demon Fire.
For devotions, complete Rhowan’s crown (attach the proc to Thermite Mine), remove ascendant (crossroads), complete raven, spend one point in chaos (crossroads), and then invest your remaining points into Ulzuin’s torch (attach the proc to blackwater cocktail).
LvL 60-70 Commando, Level 70 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
By now, you’re probably already honored with several factions. Don’t forget to buy faction writs to significantly increase reputation gain and speed up the process of reaching revered status with them. Farm every Monster Totem you can.
When i reached Malmouth, i took the opportunity to reach revered status with them ASAP, in order to buy potions of clarity. This will make it much faster for you to reach level 100 on Ultimate.
LvL 80-90 Commando, Level 80 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
There’s not much more to say other than you should upgrade your gear and check/improve your resistances when you reach Ultimate difficulty.
Once you reach level 90 and above, you can start farming the items for our “budget” version of the build, which we’ll use to farm our endgame set.
lvl 90-100 Commando, Level 90 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
It’s time for the real grind — which is basically the essence of our beloved ARPG 
You should spend a few hours farming a strong endgame version of your weapon (look for fire-based affixes and ones that grant increased attack speed).
While you’re in Forgotten Gods, take the opportunity to farm a decent version of your helmet as well.
Make a few visits to our “rich friend” in Cronley’s Hideout until you drop a good version of your medal.
You should also spend some time farming Gollus’ rings (I spent around two hours or more).
I ended up doing a run in the skeleton Key dungeon at Port Valbury to find a decent version of the shoulder armor (if it doesn’t drop from enemies, you can reset the shop inside the dungeon a few times).
I managed to drop the Mythical Leggings of Arcane Currents pants while finishing the campaign, but if you haven’t found anything good by then, you can farm the very popular and efficient Dreeg-Sect Legguards.
Don’t forget about the amulet as well.
For the gloves, i dropped the very common Mythical Turin’s Grips, which will serve you well until you get something better. I later dropped another legendary Mythical Handguards of Justice that turned out to be much more appealing. If you don’t have either of those, you can use Elite Rhowari Grips or any random drop until you get something better — there’s also the option to craft Plagueguard Grips if you’ve found the blueprint.
For boots, I used the efficient Elite Legion Greaves until I dropped this beauty Mythical Boots of Primordial Rage while farming for a good chest armor (ugh, that one took a while to get something actually decent. Hopefully you’ll have better luck ).
Lastly, don’t forget to farm our little crab friend in Ugdenbog for a good version of your belt.
After a few hours dedicated to grinding, my character ended up like this:
Note: if you’ve already achieved 100% physical-to-fire damage conversion, you can remove the points invested in the discord modifier of the cadence skill. As @Jason_the_Iguana demonstrated using a mod to display the real damage, the difference in DPS proved to be significant!
I then did an initial test with this budget version by facing the DLC’s bosses, Mad Queen and Kra’vall.
They didn’t stand a chance.
Budget setup x Theodin Marcell
Budget setup x Korvaak
Budget setup X Rashalga
Budget setup X Kra’vall
This version can comfortably push up to Shard 26 of the Shattered Realm! We will transition to the more tanky and resilient version of our Commando after completing Shards 26–27. (You may lose some damage, but the gain in health pool, physical resistance, and the increase in overall survivability, resilience, and toughness of the build make it worth it!)
After claiming the reward, go to the Shattered Realm vendor and purchase your legendary set.
Here’s a video showing the performance (not bad at all) and the acquisition of the set:
Build actual setup Commando, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Now you’ll be ready to tank (almost) everything with ease.
Here are some videos of the build in action with the Shattered guardian set:
Steps of torment + nemesis fight
Port Valbury run + nemesis fight
Bastion of Chaos run + nemesis fight
Ancient Grove + nemesis fight
Tomb of the heretic run + nemesis fight
This setup can also deal with lokarr, bourbon clones and avatar of mogdrogen
lokarr (just beware of his sunder waves, don’t try to facetank him more than you should lol)
John Bourbon clones
Avatar of mogdrogen (used a stormshroud ointment to be safe and remember to dodge his sunder clouds)
thank you all for reading, and Chuck. rest easy, legend!!
now, that’s more accurate 
