[1.1.5.2] Purple Rain - Iskandra Fire TSS Sorc - 5:15 Crucible [cr+][vid]

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
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Introduction

Last time I made a TSS build it was a very strong pure cold glass cannon that pushed TSS further than it’s ever been. This time I’m doing the same thing with the element people don’t normally associate with TSS.

Thanks to @mad_lee for help polishing the build, and credit to @thejabrixone for the original Iskandra Sorc.

Details

https://www.grimtools.com/calc/pZrWq80N
@mad_lee’s tankier version for deep shards: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/lNkRRgdZ

No greens this time, so it’s attainable for everyone. You want to highroll the CDR to get up to 46% and you want to get 100% cold conversion and as close to 60% lightning conversion as you can.

Everything I said on my cold TSS applies here, it’s glassy, but that can be remedied by putting more points into physique. 12/12 Mirror with high CDR and Eternity allows you to use it pretty liberally for the damage buff, just make sure you have it up when you need it. Try not to overlap Ghoul and Mirror if you’re in trouble, you can have a lot of uptime with them on this build.

PNG

Character sheet with permanent buffs.

Devotions

The devotions on this build are incredibly flexible due to the conversion we have. There are fully functioning paths with Ultos+Phoenix+Ulzuin, Ulzuin+Phoenix+Watcher, and Seekers+Seru. They all perform pretty well but the devotion map in my GT performed the best for me. Chariot is an almost permanent buff with the high CDR, and seekers are almost fully converted to fire resulting in huge damage.

The devotion bindings are up for debate but the current setup worked best for me. You can swap thermite mines and TSS and it still feels comfortable. I think Stormfire on Seekers and BWC on Eldritch Fire is best though.

Performance

4:47 is my current best time with potential for about 4:40 I think. My average time is ~5:15 and I’ve never gone slower than 5:30.

@mad_lee’s 5:00 run. He can attest to the build’s power and surprising tankiness

@mad_lee’s SR85 run with the tanky version.

Feedback

Pretty much the same feedback I had for cold TSS. There’s no one thing here that’s broken, just conversion working really well due to the rings which I would really hate to see nerfed. Iskandra’s isn’t OP, but I suppose BWC/mines might be too strong but that’s not just limited to this build.

The build is a glass cannon (it’s not all that glassy actually) and I imagine most people would struggle to get similar results. No nerf pls Z

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The me of yesteryears is done a happy by this. TSS builds are always a joy.

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Oh purple rain!

Even you put the song in the video, damn. Impressive build and speed!

Also big spirit dump it’s present and I know you made pretty thorough test on devotions too.

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Solid build, although DA is a bit low for my taste, but you know me :stuck_out_tongue:

It’s probably fine with Ulzuin’s buff and perma Charriot. And by the way, I helped you polish it but you took your devo map in the end, so it’s all you :slight_smile:

And last thing, can you send me the save folder? I wanna give this bad boy a ride.

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You put me on to ravager’s eye and fixing my movement speed with vindictive flame so you did contribute.

_Sola.zip (397.1 KB)

Here’s the save file, be careful of health dropping to zero, it doesn’t end well.

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ah, forgot about that :slight_smile:

Damn, that’s a pretty specific piloting requirement, why can’t you just build something simple!

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Hmm… can’t find one thing to pick at… damn!

Maybe TSS to Witchblade, BwC to Fissure? Witchfire will proc on every TSS with no delay, and Fissures will pop up at will. Or not. Dunno. That TSS on Fissure just doesn’t “smell” right…:wink:

Have you thought of incorporating half-assed Mortars to the mix? With the gloves you could have 3 for about 20 points.

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https://www.grimtools.com/calc/1NXjgx8V

Like this? It’s a hard sell because the current gloves are so good and it’s hard to find the points. Maaaaybe though.

I tried that, the few runs I did were slower but it was a small sample size. I’m not 100% sure on it but it shouldn’t affect too much either way.

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I was thinking of dropping DoTs from Frozen Core and taking Heavy Ordnance to 12/12, and keeping Mortars just at 17/16 for the summon. Mortars without HO are def not worth it, and I feel like Mines should be at max on a sorc. Or instead Frozen Core (lots of DoTs there…) maybe conjuring some points from Vindictive, Conversion, etc.

About Frozen Core, not sure about how the +%cold works there. If it was full cold to fire conversion on the mod, it would change to +%fire. But it’s only 30%…

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I tried the first mortar version I linked and it was definitely weaker, maybe with more HO points it would be better but I’m not convinced.

https://www.grimtools.com/calc/a2Ew8yvZ

Maybe like that, there’s only 1 point in conversion and Vindictive is needed for the run speed. Going to 1 point frozen core loses almost half the burn damage on TSS though, so mortars will have to do some real heavy lifting.

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The function of Mortars here would be to pick up trash mostly, and for that you need radius from Heavy Ordnance. But if points elsewhere give more power, and they obviously do give quite a lot power, then probably it’s a fool’s errand.

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Trash dies pretty damn fast, if anything it’s killing nems that needs to go faster. I’ve also tried CT with maxed Inferno and Devastation but it wasn’t any faster and just felt worse to play. I think simplicity is best here and just focusing points in the crucial places. I’m already disappointed that I can’t max Flame Touched. Maybe there’s a case for dropping Frozen Core points for that.

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“I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain…”

Sounds like a perfect prelude for a backstab… :innocent:

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Took this bad boy (girl?) for a ride. I gotta say, what a fun and insanely powerful build to play. Despite looking a bit squish on paper it’s actually really close to being immortal with the rotation of 14/12 Blast Shield, 12-12 Mirror, Ghoul and Nullification. And you don’t even need mirror for surviving, you gotta use it as soon as it goes of a cooldown for that damage boost.

Ulzuin’s buff compensates build’s low DA as well. If it wasn’t for him, build would’ve had bit less damage and bit more hp and DA with more points invested into physique.

Out of 7 runs I died only once: it was a last run, and I got too brazen gathering Korvaak, Kaisan, Kuba, Fabius and Valdaran at the centre of the map while my Mirror and Blast Shield were on a cooldown. And I had “Resistant” mutator on top of it. Times vary from 5 minutes flat to 5:55 (first run and also “Resistant” mutator which I had every second run). Great build, super powerful and pretty consistent.

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Thanks Lee. Sometimes when you try to make a glass cannon it ends up being immortal anyway

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Some people have been talking shit about “glassiness” of some of your builds and best Crucible builds in general and how Shattered Realm is much more “hardcore” challenge, lol. So I have decided to take this Crucible build and without any changes try and farm Shards 75-76. Did four runs, died few times in the first run (was adapting to the builds), one time in the second run, few times in third or fouth. Later deaths were mainly me playing to brazen and taking too much aggro on boss chunks (I am not a good pilot in SR - I don’t care enough about this mod).

Results: 10-13 minute runs, no boss chunk is really impossible for this build. With good piloting it’s possible to avoid deaths altogether. And even if you die you can still make it without ruining the timer. Here are couple of the runs I made:

Overall it’s gotta be one of the best or the best TSS builds ever I think. It’s super strong and it’s super fun to play (I know that Cold or Lightning Druids are faster but this one is more well rounded). I would do it a bit differently and invest a bit more in defenses (probably take safer Fire devo map with Solemn Watcher/Phoenix/Magi) but even in this aggressive spec build feels really really strong.

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The build isn’t that glassy for such a glass cannon. I made it purely for crucible but even then SR75-76 is totally doable. A different devotion path and maybe more points in physique will make it super consistent in SR

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Is iskandra’s TSS still good? There are a few builds where discussion indicates that it’s super powerful, but most of them are buried and havent had comments in 6 months. Did it get nerfed?

I think this guide is the only one I could still find on the build compendium, everything else TSS is druids and especially warlocks are using trozan due to the secondary skill support (which makes sense).

I can see why Iskandra TSS would be preferred for mage hunter and sorcerer… Is still it worth using or is it overshadowed by all the other builds for those classes?

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I think this one is still very powerful. Personally I would chose a more balanced, fire devotions heavy devotions map which is better defensively (because it has Phoenix and Solemn Watcher). But overall build is still nutty.

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Do you know why it seems like nobody even touches these builds then? Is it just others are better or more popular?