Thunderous Strike is finally good now thanks to a recent update and so I decided to build around the MI Rifle that gives it Crit damage.
Since my focus was crit damage I use Hungering Void inspired by jajaja’s old build.
Screenshot (with Inquisitor Seal, Deadly Aim and Hungering Void)-
Grimtools-
My setup - https://www.grimtools.com/calc/YZe1kKvZ (My setup isn’t BiS as I lack gear but it’s pretty close)
Newbie Friendly setup - https://www.grimtools.com/calc/RZRRLgrZ (Boots are craftable. Can’t get rid of the rifle as it’s the core of the build :D)
BiS Setup (By PrinceXavier) - https://www.grimtools.com/calc/JVlk8wR2
Screenshot (with Wayward Soul, Battle Cry, Inquisitor Seal, Deadly Aim and Hungering Void)-
FAQ-
How do I level this?
Follow tips from this thread- http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56243
If you still have doubts then post in the build thread and I’ll respond to them here.
Where do I get this MI Rifle?
While Ugdenbog Golems can drop it, I’d recommend running Ancient Grove to check on the MI Vendor (it’s a Carnivorous Plant). The Vendor will sell Ugdenbog MIs including this rifle
Does the MI need specific rolls?
Yes, to be precise you need a Lightning Prefix on the MI i.e a prefix that grants you Physical To Lightning Conversion. Anything else is a DPS loss as you’d be unable to make use of the flat Physical damage on Primal Strike and Steel Resolve
Anything else is a bonus tbh
“Skyfallen” Prefix is BiS and I don’t have it yet and “of Alacrity” or “of Fury” are BiS suffix.
Don’t get too greedy, just focus on getting a prefix with Physical damage converted Lightning stat
Spear of the Heavens vs Tempest vs Hungering Void?
Among the three I went with Dying God for the Hungering Void proc. Of course SoTH/Tempest are a much safer option as you won’t have to deal with the HP drain. Whatever you do just don’t drop Shepherd of Storms devotion, it’s BiS for 99% Lightning builds.
For those who are not interested in the Crit Damage route I’d suggest you to go with Tempest instead of SoTH. While it’s true SoTH is an excellent constellation but the route to get both it and Ultos isn’t worth it on this particular build. Since Ultos is necessary the only option is to drop SoTH in favor of Tempest. The extra points you save from not going for SoTH should be spent on Chariot or Behemoth for the extra heal skill
Why not max Wendigo Totem?
Wendigo Totem is used only when I need to stand still which is very rare. Even in boss fights I have doubts regarding putting more points into on a ranged build
Of course one might have similar arguments regarding Inquisitor Seal but Seal has a higher summon limit meaning more than 1 can be active at a time and therefore augmenting your kiting abilities. Not to mention its flat damage absorption is very useful against Damage Over Time effects which AoM has plenty.
Raka’jax vs Sparkthrower vs Evoker of Elgoloth?
For Raka’jax, no idea tbh. I distinctly remember throwing away my Mythical Raka’Jax at some point as it was taking up inventory space. As at the time I thought they’d never buff Primal Strike so, yeah…bad call.
But as observed in the comments in this thread from experience players such as Norzan, Superfluff and Ceno it seems Raka’jax is inferior (don’t let sheet dps fool you).
Lastly, PrinceXavier has confirmed that Raka’jax is inferior to Sparkthrower.
Evoker of Elgoloth is a straight up DPS loss, the weapon itself is suited for Ranged Savagery Vindicators and wouldn’t fit here.
Are Arcane Tempest Rings BiS?
The purpose of the ring slot on this particular build is to help cap resistances and for OA, so use whatever you can find. I could’ve used MIs and gotten better performance but I went with the Arcane Tempest rings cause this set is very good and very underrated on these forums.
Glyph Rings are BiS on all auto-attack lightning builds but they cannot be equipped w/o using MIs to cap resistances and other stats.
Why not overcap Mogdrogen’s Pact?
If you have “Skyfallen” Rifle you should consider capping the skill as you have much higher physical to lightning conversion. I personally can’t test how effective it would be as I lack the appropriate rifle to test it. On a “Charged” Rifle, it’s just not worth it
Why not use Light’s Defender’s Gauntlets?
My current gloves give me more DA but more importantly they allow me to equip my rifle.
If I remove them then I need to remove points from Physique to pump up cunning thereby loosing DA in the process. Of course I can avoid this if I use Really Great Pants but ADCtH from Solael’s pants is too good to give up imo
In Closing:
Shout out to jajaja, hope you get over your WoW addiction
Credits to PrinceXavier for taking the time to do videos of the build
I personally enjoyed this build, it’s everything I wanted it to be - it has good clear speed, impressive visuals and very convenient to play. I hope you guys do as well