Foreword (pretend like you’ve read it but really just scroll down for the actual build)
I am probably one of the fewer builders who has least amount of fun while playing Grim Dawn. Why? Well, because I just have to play my own build in one way of another. I can’t level a character, put on all the gear pieces/skills/devotions recommended by one of the better builds from this forum and be content with it. I just have to bash my head against the monitor, trying to invent a wheel. This, coupled with my less than mediocre piloting skills in Crucible, lack of time, min-maxing OCD, refusal to use GDstash for testing, make me spend few weeks on one build.
This conjurer lived through 4 different build iterations. Each time when new patch or expansion made previous build less than optimal, I changed setups completely. This last one is the one I am trully happy with. Inspired by all time jajaja’s classics, I made something that works really well.
Build Concept
Grandfather of all Hybrids
This is a Conjurer that does not use Possession (so no damage absorption) nor is a summoner. Class combo that is very fragile as a melee build and fragile as a kiter too: no CC-resists from skills except Slow, no dodge/evade/seal, no circuit breaker, no movement speed buffs, mediocre OA/DA buffs from masteries. What we do have though is a huge damage synergy because of double RR, huge crit damage and decent OA. But how do we apply all that damage and stay alive at the same time? Well we combine melee playstyle with kiting caster playstyle while applying huge dots of Electrocute damage and annihilate everything.
Monstrous AOE and decent single target damage
This build deletes screens of monsters in Crucible and does it fast. The beauty of it is that you don’t have to chop down every boss/nemesis till his last hp, you just have to apply enough DoT/RR and you can move on to the next target.
Running away does not mean you are not doing damage
Big problem of melee builds as opposed to casters in Crucible is neccessity to stand still to do damage. With this build you get to have all the fun and thrill of swinging Big Bad Two-handed Axe while escaping tight spots without losing huge chunk of your dps. You are never forced to take the fights that are unfavourable for you.
The Build
1.1.2.5 Update
I have reworked this build a bit so it can still consistently farm Crucible. Had to add revenant instead of Dying God. Now this build is completely green free.
>>>>>>>>GRIMTOOLS<<<<<<<<<
craft everything for stun resistance
Gear
The core of the build is Light’s Guardian set and Mythical Stormreaver axe coupled with Conduit of Wild Whispers that gives bonus to Storm Totem. Those are the key items. Judicator’s Seals are there for attack speed and OA/DA buff that works so well in Crucible. You can use Mythical Mark of Divinity for safer playstyle, although build is pretty safe to play as it is. Bis boots would be Thunderstruck Stoneplate Greaves of Featherstep (from Stoneplate Greaves recepie)coupled with adequately rolled pair of Kuba pants or a usual pair of Mythical Chausses of Barbaros. But you can make it work with Stormtitans too.
Craft everything at Angrim. This build can stack a very nice amount of armor.
Use offensive weapon augment if you are a good pilot and a cowboy like Superfluff.
Skills and Devotions:
When making a build I have one rule regarding devotion map: if build does not have cooldown reduction, I don’t take stuff with with long cooldowns (like Harp or Dying God or Charriot), I try to choose constellations that work here and now devotions procs with very low cooldowns. In this case it’s all pretty obvious, resist reduction, damage, Ghoul, OA/DA/resists. Skill point distribution is kind of obvious as well: we are stacking damage.
Leveling and Attribute points:
Level as a Shaman using Devouring Swarm first 20-25 levels, than switch to transmuted Primal Strike. That, coupled with RR from CoF will take you as far as you need to go till you can equip all the gear from the build.
The Showdown
How to Play
In Main Campaign it easy peasy, everything melts in seconds. Remember that you don’t have to facetank all the way when fighting Grava: drop totems, Wind Devils, CoF, engage, work up some dot, as soon as he starts his nullification animation, move out, dropping totems all around him, he should already have huge dot on him. Mad Queen is not facetankable unless you use Mark of Divnity or Aether Cluster, but she dies very fast with just few circles around the big pillar to her right.
In Crucible it is where it gets interesting, as the build was designed for it. This builds farms coins on waves 100-150 pretty safely without buffs or banners. Just remember to move around and play smart. In 150-170 with 4 buffs it’s where it gets interesting. With 25k hp and 12/12 Wendigo Totem and huge ADTCH that we have both from gear and from Feral Hunger we can take a lot of heat. However, some waves are dangerous for us. Try not to engage dangerous Nemesis combos at the same time: like Reaper + Ben’Jahr for example. Always move to the next spot when you feel you are about to take too much damage/debuffs, drop totems/wind devils, take a stand, when you see other nemesis caught up - time to change your position. Your dots and Storm Totems will do a lot of work for you. Storm Shard from Light Defender set can block paths for mobs, use it to your advantage! Remember, you are not fully melee build, don’t get too cocky. Spots where you get swarmed by tonns of heroes and get debuffed a lot are especially dangerous as we are susceptible to mass debuffs and can die if we get hit by massive RR/DA shred stack + skill distruption and/or get trapped.
Take stands when Ghoul is up, but not in the puddles of debuffs and stuff! As long as you don’t play reckless you are safe.
Stats:
with Savagery charges and rings proc (100% uptime in battle unless you are in a long fight with single target)
Videos (more to be added soon)
6:08 record run by user John Smith
7:40 1.0.7 test run w/Mark of Divinity NEW!
7 minute Crucible Gladiator 150-170 run 3 blessings/1 banner NEW!
8:40 run with 4 blessings no banner NEW!
3x runs with 4 blessings no banner, by Mercy Maker (safe setup, no green items used)
Three 7 minutes runs with 3 blessings/1 banner (by user MercyMaker) NEW!
Crucible Gladiator 150-170 4 buffs/no banners run (note that my devotions are only half-leveled as I show at the end of the video, fully leveled and with optimal gear I reckon this build can do Crucible under 11 minutes pretty safely) OLD
In Conclusion
Obviously thanks to the old time classics created by jajaja that created the concept this build relies on, if you haven’t seen it, check it out here.
i like it.