[1.1.8.0] Three DW melee Warlocks - aether, chaos and aether + chaos, SR 80+

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
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INTRODUCTION

I have decided to create another aether + chaos build using Twilight’s Veil daggers. It is a Warlock this time and with it I decied just for fun to try a pure chaos Warlock and a pure Aether Warlock as well. Warlock has no default aether or chaos RR so it is not easy to build it but I managed it with all three versions. Every version is good at something else. All are capable of doing SR 65-66. Reaper is fine with all three versions in SR 65-66. Twilight and chaos versions can even do SR 80.

I have other Twilight builds here. I have other aether melee builds here. I have other chaos melee builds here. All my builds are here.

Version 1 - Lord of Twilight - aether + chaos DW melee

This version is the best defensively. It has good AoE (best of them) and weaker single target damage (worst of them). Because of a lot of AoE procs it is fun to play. You kill packs of mobs OK but boss rooms are slower than the other two builds. I have managed to have nice RR between -90-100 % for both chaos and aether damage. First version I made was more conventional but had bad AoE so I had to redo it really unconvetinally for it to work.

GRIMTOOLS https://www.grimtools.com/calc/xZyLdGKV

Stats of the build

OFFENSE

good AoE, weaker single target

low critical damage 17 %

OK OA - around 3000 OA

55 DA reduction to enemies from Annihilation

OK chaos resistance reduction from Eldritch Fire, Revenant, Bloody Pox, Ravager’s Deathgaze and Combustion - up to 92 %

OK aether resistance reduction from Arcane Bomb, Revenant, Bloody Pox, Ravager’s Deathgaze and eternal Haunt - up to 94 %

DEFENSE

lower life - above 11 500 HP

OK DA around 2800 DA

up to 390 OA reduction to enemies from Bloody Pox, Arcane Bomb and Annihilation

OK CC resistances

capped disruption resistance with Possession

reasonably overcapped resistances

nice physical resistance 29 %

lower armor - above 1900

% damage absorption from Maiven’s Sphere of Protection and Possession

19 % lifesteal

healing on standby from Blood of Dreeg

Ghoul

Mirror of Ereoctes (saves the day when things go tough)

Nullification

Build uses one monster infrequent item - Chains of Ygraad. Crafting bonuses are to physique.

image from the game with passive buffs + Blood of Dreeg

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Version 2 - Lord of Aether - aether DW melee

This version is balanced but it has the lowest RR. It is good defensively (good in packs and weaker against bosses with big physical hits). It has OK AoE (in the middle) and OK single target damage (in the middle). It uses only few buttons and is fun to play.

GRIMTOOLS https://www.grimtools.com/calc/DV9DQYj2

Stats of the build

OFFENSE

OK AoE, OK single target

OK critical damage 25 %

OK OA - around 2950 OA

55 DA reduction to enemies from Annihilation

OK aether resistance reduction from Arcane Bomb, Scales, Bloody Pox and eternal Haunt - up to 85 %

DEFENSE

OK life - around 12 500 HP

OK DA above 2900 DA

up to 345 OA reduction to enemies from Bloody Pox, Arcane Bomb and Annihilation

OK CC resistances

capped disruption resistance with Possession

reasonably overcapped resistances

nice physical resistance 35 %

lower armor - close to 2000

% damage absorption from Maiven’s Sphere of Protection

18 % lifesteal

healing on standby from Blood of Dreeg

Bat + Ghoul and Scales

Prismatic Rage from component

Mirror of Ereoctes (saves the day when things go tough)

Nullification

Build uses three monster infrequent items - Heart of Theodin Marcell (2x) and Chains of Ygraad. Crafting bonuses are to physique. Alternative is stun res or slow res.

image from the game with passive buffs + Blood of Dreeg

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Version 3 - Lord of Chaos - chaos DW melee

This version is the best of them. It has great single target damage (best of them), OK AoE (weakest of them) and good defenses (in the middle - great one on one but weaker in packs). Boss rooms are easy. It has great RR of -127 %. First version I made was so squishy it could not do SR 65-66.

GRIMTOOLS https://www.grimtools.com/calc/RVvwbmvZ

Stats of the build

OFFENSE

good AoE, OK single target

OK critical damage 20 % (38 % with Hungering Void)

OK OA - around 2950 OA

up to 38 DA reduction to enemies from Curse of Frailty

nice chaos resistance reduction from Eldritch Fire, Revenant, Curse of Frailty, Mark of Ch’ton, Curse of the Void and Combustion - up to -117 %

DEFENSE

OK life - around 11 500 HP

OK DA around 2850 DA

up to 135 OA reduction to enemies from Bloody Pox

OK CC resistances

capped disruption resistance with Possession

reasonably overcapped resistances

nice physical resistance 27 %

lower armor - close to 1950

% damage absorption from Maiven’s Sphere of Protection and Possession

% damage reduction from Touch of Chaos

flat damage absorption of acid, vitality and chaos from proc on boots

23 % lifesteal

healing on standby from Blood of Dreeg

Guardian’s Gaze

Mirror of Ereoctes (saves the day when things go tough)

Nullification

Crafting bonuses are to stun res and freeze res.

image from the game with passive buffs + Blood of Dreeg

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image from the game with passive buffs + Blood of Dreeg + Hungering Void + Abominable Might

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SR, CRUCIBLE

I play SR with camera pointed away from enemies and I try my builds only in SR 65-66 and SR 80. I play around 10 SR runs per character.

Lord of Twilight - SR 65-66 is easy but it is slower in boss rooms than the other two. It can even do SR 80 relatively easily and slowly. Fighting Reaper in it is actually OK.

Lord of Aether - SR 65-66 is easy. It can even do SR 80 but it can’t kill Reaper so I can’t make it full SR 80 capable. Aether version is also good but it is not as defensive as the Twilight version (but it is more offensive). Use Rune of Fallen Kings for evasion in SR.

Lord of Chaos - SR 65-66 is easy. It can even do SR 80 relatively easily. Boss rooms are easy one on one but be careful in packs of mobs in first three shards. Reaper is easy. It can even facetank first half of Ravager without potions.

I don’t play Crucible so I don’t have a time number for it.

Images from SR

3 images from SR 80 for the Twilight version

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Lord of Twilight 2.jpg1920×1080 635 KB

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Lord of Twilight 3.jpg1920×1080 763 KB

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Lord of Twilight 4.jpg1920×1080 728 KB

image from SR 66 for the Aether version

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Lord of Aether 2.jpg1920×1080 714 KB

3 images from SR 80 for the Chaos version

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Lord of Chaos 3.jpg1920×1080 716 KB

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Lord of Chaos 4.jpg1920×1080 698 KB

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Lord of Chaos 5.jpg1920×1080 646 KB

2 Likes
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Krieg is good for a Warlock. I just have a problem with chaos damage overall. It is bad to build creatively around it. With aether it is easy.

I write that chaos WH is ridicouls so don’t nitpick!

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And single target nerfs.

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It is ridiculous on WH. I wouldn’t call it works. If it was only Warlock no. But it is yet another build where I find that aether is just fucking better than chaos. A pattern…

Krieg support for one mastery works. Krieg generally good.

Rah’zin suport for one mastery not as great as Krieg. Rah’zin is ridicoulous on WH and here not as great. Therefore the call for changes.

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Generally, @jawa has already said almost everything I wanted probably to, but this last statement.
Solo-damage is where Rah’Zin shines brightly but you still can have some AoE through Guardian’s Gaze, Eldritch pact proc etc.
And btw, Belgo is the same kind of high-solo-damage build.
And btw x2, there are some sets that work well on one combo and not very well on others as they’re intended for that very combo (like Rah’Zin is or WH)

1 Like
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I tried Guardian’s Gaze but Bat is better for survival. I just have a beef with chaos damage in general. Aether is just better to build around and play.

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Woah, my favourite class used in successful meme builds that have no issues with Reaper ? This is awesome :heart:

I remember I could almost take down Ravager with a crappy rah’zin warlock months ago, my best attempt was around 15% hp left with pure facetank and lots of potions, you should give it a try.

1 Like
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Thanks. No, the build can’t do it. And I am not good at fighting Ravager.

1 Like
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Would Mythical Screams of the Aether https://www.grimtools.com/calc/xZyLdGKV be worth considering to hardcap Fabric of Reality? You lose 10 aether RR but gain relevant racial damage and the last point of FoR has a ton of flat.

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I think that is a slight change that would not do much if anything at all.

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I tried the ring and no visible change. But the build is good. Clearing boss rooms is not that slow. It is just slower than the other two.

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I changed the chaos version for a version with Guardian’s Gaze + Bat for better AoE but I had to drop Ghoul. Build has now at least a bit of OKish AoE but losing Ghoul means one has to be really careful. Large packs of mobs with heroes (especially healing ones) are still tougher than boss rooms. It is a bit better now but still behind the other two versions because of general squishiness.

I can’t change relic to Eldritch Pact because of bonus to DA on Oblivion relic and also because of AS.

1 Like
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I now managed to get in the build Eldritch Pact as well and I am puzzled with the change. It is like night and day. Chaos version is finally good. But I don’t get the change only the relic made. It made first 3 shards fine finally. The relic doesn’t seem that great at first glance.

If someone would be able to come up with a devo version with Ghoul that would be awesome. Dying God, Abomination, Revenant, Bat and Guardian’s Gaze are mandatory though.

2 Likes
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highly doubt that it’s possible. you can make a devo route with Ghoul, DG and Abom but w/o Guardian’s Gaze, and with GG, DG nad Abom but w/o Ghoul.

1 Like
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I couldn’t do it either.

1 Like
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I am retesting my older builds for SR 80. I revisited these three builds and one can do SR80. It is quite unexpected but it is the Twilight version. One would say that this would be just meme. But only that version can do it consistently. I have in main post how they behave in SR 80.

I don’t like to play SR much but SR 65-66 and SR 80 are easily accessible. So I will from now on test my builds in SR 80 as well.

I also have now 4 builds that crush SR 80 but can’t kill Reaper in it. All are aether so I just want to say here - fuck Reaper :smiley: It is this Lord of Aether, Twilight Spinner and two of the Aether Spinners (Oppressor and Templar).

1 Like
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Hi, is the Dread Lord affix mandatory on the belt in the twilight warlock, does the build suffer much without the lifesteal?

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For SR 65-66 it is not. For SR 80 it would be against Reaper. Get resistances on the belt and change glove component for Restless Remains.

1 Like
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I have changed the chaos version and it can now do SR 80 relatively easily. I changed it for more lifeleech and it also received buffs this patch to Guardian’s Gaze and lower enemy resistance.

I will try to change the aether version so that it can kill Reaper and all three are SR 80 capable.

1 Like