- [skater] [1.2.1.6] Furiosa, HC SSF beginner fire skater paladin + leveling guide (Ralfhskz)
- Damage: Fire, Burn
- Active Skills: Word of pain, word of renewal, Vire’s might, wendigo rush, ascension
Greetings, Grim Dawn family!
I’m happy to be posting yet another leveling guide for newcomers to this fantastic game! I have to admit that I’m extremely excited about the upcoming DLC release, and to help ease the anticipation, I decided to level a class and playstyle that I had never covered in a guide before.
This character truly lives up to her name: she’s fast, she’s aggressive, she’s 
FURIOSA .
I decided to make a guide for this gameplay style that tends to divide opinions—some players love it, others hate it. Personally, I think it’s incredibly exciting and satisfying to rush your character all the way to level 100 while practically running over everything in your path.
The gameplay is very straightforward: we use word of pain to apply debuffs and trigger the dryad’s proc, then we charge through enemies with Vire’s might. Ascension is used mainly in dangerous situations and to boost CC resistances.
This build requires very few buttons, so I consider it controller-friendly as well.
I designed this theorycraft with HC SSF in mind, meaning the character focuses more on balancing damage and survivability rather than maximizing damage output alone.
This character was leveled without using mandates, merits, or any other leveling assistance items.
All gear pieces can be obtained either from faction vendors or from specific bosses and monsters, so you won’t have to rely on random drop luck.
Now, enough talk—let’s get to the part that really matters!
This time i started by choosing the Oathkeeper mastery.
Lvl 1-10: Oathkeeper, Level 10 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
I used Righteous Fervor during the early levels until I unlocked Volcanic Stride in the Vire’s Might skill line. If you’d like to speed things up a bit, you can also use either a two-handed melee weapon or a ranged weapon.
Put one skill point into Righteous Fervor and two points into the mastery bar every level-up, and you should be able to reach Volcanic Stride around level 10 or 11.
Once you unlock volcanic stride, respec the points from righteous fervor, put one point into Vire’s might and invest all remaining points into volcanic stride.
Lvl 10-20 Oathkeeper, Level 20 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
With each level-up, invest one point into volcanic stride and two points into the mastery bar until you unlock tectonic shift. After maxing out volcanic stride, put one point into Tectonic Shift and continue investing two points into the mastery bar every time you level up.
Once you have restored your first six devotion shrines, spend a point in primordial (crossroads) and complete the Imp constellation, binding its granted skill proc to vire’s might.
Lvl 20-30 Paladin, Level 30 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
After defeating the Warden and shortly thereafter dealing with Cronley and his gang, it’s time to farm the first item for the build: the Zarthuzellan’s Archive.
You can farm this item from the boss of the same name, located near the entrance to the Steps of Torment dungeon, on broken hills.
As for skill points, i invested one point into tectonic shift and two points into the mastery bar until reaching the end of the Oathkeeper mastery bar. Once you achieve that, spend one point into summon guardian of Empyrion and two points into celestial presence.
Afterward, I started investing one point into celestial presence and two points into the inquisitor mastery bar.
For Devotions, put one point into Chaos (crossroads), then complete jackal. Next, put one point into eldritch (crossroads) and then complete Behemoth.
Lvl 30-40 Paladin, Level 40 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Keep running over all of Cairn’s poor souls at full speed!
Also, don’t forget to activate Monster Totems whenever you find them, upgrade your gear regularly to keep your resistances covered, and sell the valuable loot they drop.
Once you reach Homestead, before proceeding to bastion of sorrow, you’ll be required to choose between the Kymon’s chosen and order of death’s vigil factions.
It is IMPERATIVE that you choose Order of Death’s Vigil, since one of the build’s mandatory item is farmed from a boss belonging to kymon’s chosen.
Another very useful item that we can use all the way up to level 94 is Bolvar’s Pendant, which can be farmed in Blood Grove.
After defeating Karroz and beginning your journey toward Fort Ikon, make a stop at the Tomb of Korvaak, near the Asterkarn Valley riftgate, to farm another item that will remain useful well into the endgame: Mark of Harvoul.
Now, back to skill points:
Once celestial presence is maxed out, start investing all your points into the Inquisitor mastery bar. Put one point into word of pain, one point into word of agony, and one point into death sentence. When you reach aura of censure, start maxing it out ASAP.
For devotions, complete Solael’s witchblade, then remove jackal, remove eldritch (crossroads), invest one point into Order (crossroads), complete dryad (bind its proc to word of pain), complete wraith, and then start investing points into harvestman’s scythe.
Lvl 40-50 Paladin, Level 50 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Upon reaching Fort Ikon, I took a break from the vanilla campaign and headed into the Forgotten Gods DLC.
For your first faction choice, side with the Cult of Bysmiel. Continue progressing through the quests and restoring devotion shrines, and don’t forget to activate every monster totem you come across!
Once you reach the area before the DLC’s final boss (the Astral Fields), spend some time farming the belt we’ll be using in this build. It drops from the Gargoyles found in that area.
After completing the DLC, I returned to the vanilla campaign. Once I defeated Loghorrean and finished the main story, I made a stop in Ugdenbog to farm the weapon we’ll use throughout the leveling process.
You’ll get it from Bargoll, who can be found in a hidden area to the right and slightly below the Ugdenbog riftgate.
About Barrolholm: Choose to be friend with them, we’ll need a item from their shop.
On skill points, after maxing aura of censure, spend a point in presence of virtue then start maxing haven.
For Devotions, complete Harvestman’s Scythe, then complete Crab. remove wraith. Complete solemn watcher and then start investing points into Eel.
After that, I completed the Ashes of Malmouth DLC and then moved on to Elite difficulty.
Lvl 50-60 Paladin, Level 60 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
As for Elite difficulty, it won’t even feel like you’ve progressed in difficulty. You’ll keep steamrolling through everything with ease.
Don’t forget to check your gear and upgrade it whenever necessary. Also, keep an eye on your resistances and continue activating every monster totem you come across.
Spend one point into word of renewal and start maxing out vigor and deadly aim in the inquisitor mastery.
For your devotions, complete eel first and then finish Light of Empyrion.
Lvl 60-70 Paladin, Level 70 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
By now, you should already have honored status with some of the friendly factions. check which ones you’ve unlocked and purchase their writs to reach revered reputation more quickly.
As with several of my recent builds, I reached revered reputation with the Malmouth Resistance faction during elite difficulty. This gave me access to their Potions of Clarity, allowing me to reach level 100 much faster once I moved on to ultimate difficulty.
A little tip: you can buy the wendigo guardian cuirass on Barrolholm’s shop and the bysmiel arcane spaulders on the cult of bysmiel’s shop when you reach LVL65. They should help you more easily than relying on random drops.
About skill points, once you maxed out vigor and deadly aim, it’s time to start maxing steel resolve and vire’s might.
Lvl 70-80 Paladin, Level 80 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
You should be playing on Ultimate difficulty around this level range. Don’t forget to make adjustments to your gear to cap your resistances and cover any weaknesses. Also, keep activating every monster totem you come across—we’ll be needing plenty of iron bits soon.
From this point onward, you should focus on reaching revered status with the Cult of Bysmiel, Malmouth Resistance, Coven of Ugdenbog, and Barrowholm factions.
Don’t forget to spend some points in ascension and clarity of purpose.
Lvl 90 -
I want to apologize to those of you who have been following the guide level by level. I completely forgot to upload the build link when I reached level 90, but it wasn’t all that different from the level 80 version.
Once you reach this level range, you can upgrade your amulet to the one I’m currently using, the Heart of Malmouth. You’ll be able to purchase its blueprint from the Malmouth Resistance faction vendor.
If you’re luckier than me and manage to drop an shard of the eternal flame, don’t think twice and use it. It is BiS for now.
While you’re there, buy two Malmouth Aetherblaze Seals. You can use them until you find better rings (I managed to get some interesting ring drop during my farming sessions).
Next, stop by the Cult of Bysmiel faction vendor and purchase the blueprint for the medal I’m using, the Mark of the Shadow Queen.
While you’re there, pick up the shoulder armor as well—the Bysmiel Arcane Spaulders—which can serve you well until you farm a better replacement.
If, like me, you haven’t found a stronger pair of gloves yet, a reasonable option is the Elite harvest grips, which can be purchased from the Homestead faction vendor.
Regarding your weapon and off-hand: you can simply farm for strong endgame versions of them (look for fire-oriented affixes). In the case of this character, however, I decided to test the Blazerush (you will find its blueprint on coven’s faction shop), which provides solid stats, useful conversions, and a weapon damage bonus to Vire’s Might. Although you lose a bit of cooldown reduction and burn damage, I liked the increase in overall damage and the improvements to the character’s general stats.
That said, this is entirely optional. I believe the build will perform very well while continuing to use Bargoll’s weapon and Zarthuzellan’s off-hand too.
For the leg armor, I originally planned to use the Mythical Hellforged Legplates, but I haven’t managed to drop them yet. As a result, I farmed a decent piece of the ever-popular and highly effective Dreeg-Sect Legguards instead.
I also planned to use the ever powerful Mythical Boots of Primordial Rage, but I still haven’t been lucky enough to get them. Fortunately, I found another viable alternative that works quite well. You can also use Elite Legion Greaves, which will do the job nicely if you haven’t found anything more interesting.
Don’t forget to pay a few visits to Sister Bravna to farm an endgame version of your helmet.
You should also stop by Barrowholm to purchase the Elite version of your chest armor.
Finally, spend a few hours (or not,if you’re lucky enough) farming a decent version of your belt. Another options is crafting a dreeg venomspine girdle if you’re feeling lazy.
After a day or two of farming, this is how my char looked like on LVL100
Paladin, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
I did some tests like Rashalga, Kra’vall, Korvaak and Theodin Marcell:
Furiosa X Rashalga
Furiosa X Kra’Vall
Furiosa X Theodin Marcell
Furiosa X Korvaak
Next thing I did was testing her on the SR26-27 challenge and it proved to be a fast and safe farmer.
Furiosa X SR26
Ended up dropping some better components blueprints so I did a little update.
Actual build with better components:
Paladin, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Later on i did some runs on the skeleton key dungeons:
Furiosa - Ancient Grove
Furiosa - Steps of Torment
Furiosa - Tomb of the heretic
Furiosa - Port Valbury
Furiosa - Bastion of chaos
Last but not least, I decided to test the build against Lokarr and the Bourbon clones. I’m happy to report that you can defeat both of them with ease.
Furiosa X Lokarr
Furiosa X Bourbon Clones
Alright, I had a lot of fun steamrolling everything in my path! So, what’s next?
Well, if you’d like to further optimize the build and take on some of the toughest challenges in the game, such as the Celestial bosses, you can farm for the Vanquisher set.
I believe it can give you a more solid chance of coming out victorious.
And if you’ve grown tired or bored of the skater-style gameplay, you can always transition into a different build. This class has plenty of other options available in the compendium or on the website grimtools.com
Thank you for reading this guide!
See you next time!
