Hello, my first serious try to make efficient build completely by myself. I wanted to make pure braindead tanky one-button ray build. Checked items and find out that there is a new one: Mythical Hallanx Head that gives nice lifesteal to spell.
Build overview
It’s a one-button build using pure vitality Albrecht’s Aether Ray. Easy and fast clearing of high Shattered Realms on Ultimate.
This build requires Clairvoyant set, so it can’t be your first build. Key item - Mythical Hallanx Head can be easily farmed once you have set.
Grimtools (previous version): Templar, Level 100 (GD 1.3.0.8) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Grimtools (current version - much more OA): Templar, Level 100 (GD 1.3.0.8) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Screenshot with stats (previous version)
Performance
Viable for Ascendant mode.
Can reach SR32 on Ultimate without Shrines.
Video showcase with SH32: https://youtu.be/z2ut9zUNYTM
Celestials on Ascendant mode:
Lokarr: 4 mins
The Dread: 10 mins
Leveling
- Until 94 you play as aether/elemental Arcanist with focus on aether.
- You can start with any spell you want, until you get Albrecht’s Aether Ray.
- Put couple point in Devastation - it will be a nice boost to damage.
- Mana regen: use components with mana regen and level-up Mental Alacrity.
- Sustain: use items from Apothecary set, items with healing on hit and Pulsing Shard.
- Pulsing Shard: dropped from Amalgamation (main questline in Homestead). Key item for sustain.
- Voidplume Crest: medal dropped by Void birds in FoA DLC will give you second beam.
- Multiple beams don’t stack damage. Only one beam can deal damage to same target. Several beams are useful for additional AOE.
- The Clairvoyant set: on 68 you can put it on and from this point game becomes breeze. You can max your resistances and go to Ultimate.
- Key devotions: Aetherfire (first on Albrecht’s Ray, later on Guardians of Empyrion), Arcane Bomb (on Albrecht’s Ray once you get Guardians of Empyrion).
Aether → Vitality conversion:
- Once you’re in Ultimate go to the Vanguard of the Three in FG DLC. From there you have to farm Hallanx the Forgotten to get Mythical Hallanx Head for Vitality conversion. It has ~4% drop chance. If we use some probability theory then we get ~50% drop chance after 17 runs, ~75% drop chance after 34 runs.
- After that you can completely change your skills/passives and devotions to mentioned in grimtools.
- Key devotions: Twin Fangs on Albrecht’s Aether Ray, Will of Rattosh on Guardian of Empyrion, Healing Rain (I just love it, on max level it’s active almost all the time).
Conclusion
- Build is tanky and can facetank most things in Ascendant even some nemesis bosses.
- It can be changed in several ways: you can use Lifegiver Signets for extra sustain, you can try to get more OA or damage, etc.
How to play it
- Call Guardians of Empyrion, use Albrecht’s Aether Ray on enemies.
- If elite enemy hits you hard, wait until healings from devotions is over and use Mirror of Ereoctes. Or just use Mirror of Ereoctes, usually 3 seconds it’s active is enough to kill most elites.
- Use Ascension vs enemies with lifesteal and vs tough guys (because it increases you crit chance).
- Use Nullification to remove Sunder or nasty buffs from enemies.
- During boss fights dodge sunder/dangerous attacks.