Budget AAR spellbinder sustain issues

Grim Dawn Ideas and Feedback
1

I have been leveling an Aether AAR Spellbinder (SSF HC) with the goal of self-farming the gear needed for the Top 21 Clairvoyant AAR Spellbinder.

Here’s my level 70 spec: Spellbinder, Level 70 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator. I didn’t manually add affixes and augments (I’m on Xbox) but do have max resists in ultimate in game.

The glaring issue for this build while leveling is sustain: there are no sources of %WD for AAR, spellbinder has no support for scaling regen, and the only active heal requires another MI (death’s pendant) - for 15% heal on a 24s cooldown.

Which leaves Pulsing Shard as the only source of adcth. Except this conflicts with Fleshwarped Tome, the signature item that makes the whole build work! Without both the skill-specific elemental conversion and the global vitality conversion, you can’t reach 100% conversion and are also locked out of key items.

I’ve taken Call the Grave, as well as a few on hit recovery sources from random drops and devotions, but ultimate is rough going relative to similar strength builds for other spellbinders and classes. I don’t see a way for this spec to function as a viable budget build to farm the endgame until Mythical Essence of the Grim Dawn drops.

I happen to also be leveling a DE reaper modeled on the top21 chillwhisper reaper, as well, and the difference is night and day: Reaper, Level 76 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator. The builds have similar damage outputs and play style, but the Reaper gets massive adcth on the skill, PLUS weapon to benefit from global adcth, all without having to balance around items with conflicting damage conversions.

Suggestions:

  1. Add some adcth to AAR on Fleshwarped tome. Easiest, but not sure how it affects balance.
  2. Add some adcth to AAR on the level 65 craftable Essence of the Grim Dawn. BP is a random drop, but also shoppable from Vinelton, and since it’s level 65 it would be available around when greater sustain is really needed as you tackle ultimate.

Or almost anywhere, really. I’m not an endgame builder and there are only 3 MIs that modify AAR today, so I don’t really know how to suggest balancing it.

(I play on Xbox so can’t participate in the current test, but still wanted to surface this for consideration and testing if adopted; sorry if this should have been posted in general feedback)

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You should use Pulsing Shard until you have Mythical Essence of Grim Dawn, then you switch Pulsing Shard to Fleshwarped Tome. This is how i did.

No need to add adtch to AAR anywhere else, in my opinion.

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3

That’s certainly what the current itemization pushes you to do. But I’m unsure why it’s good and desirable for you to give up 2/3 of your damage to play using what I’d consider to be the signature damage type (it’s in the name!)? I’ve leveled dozens of other builds that don’t require similar sacrifices.

4

leveling to level 94 takes less time than writing complains on forums about something you will forget about after 4-5 hours of gameplay. SOrry if it’s rough, but this is how it is in my opinion.

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5

There are quite a lot of builds where you have only partial conversion while levelling?

I do agree that the Drain Essence is very easy to level (and very easy to play at every stage). Not as cool as AAR though - never has been, never will be.

At all events, I’ve always used Pulsing Shard for levelling AAR. Look on the bright side - at least it’s easy to get :slight_smile:

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6

you don’t need the conversion to level, it’s for peak dps, pulsing shard is for survival, - i guarantee you you will cream the entire levelling process/MC content even with shard until getting essence.
Alternatively you use different means of sustain during levelling like Bat, siphon souls, chariot/dryad/behemoth, or you use other items to convert part of AAR’s dmg while using pulsing shard.

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7

Thanks for the feedback, folks.

I still think it would make sense to support fully converting Aether ray to Aether damage in a budget/beginner spec (not dependent on random level 94 legendary drop) without sacrificing the only source of sustain for the skill, but I seem to be in the minority so I won’t try too hard to defend the suggestion.

I’ll also try revisiting a pre-endgame setup built around pulsing shard instead.

8

it’s a tradeoff thing
You don’t want conversion on pulsing shard because it ruins every other/non aether AARs,
Meanwhile Aether AAR don’t “need” to get lifesteal on tome (also likely way too strong for endgame) while getting the free conversion,
so you’re trading free “max” dmg for free sustain, ie make the consideration based on which you desire more at the moment, free healing or free dmg, but not getting both, and adjust accordingly (use different conversion items or different sustain methods)
Neither is currently detrimental to campaign nor endgame, but for endgame something would probably get nerfed if tome got lifesteal too (and we don’t want amulet lifesteal nerfed for end versions either since more than just aether use that too)

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9

Frankly, yes you are correct.
And AAR is not the only skill with this issue.

Panetti’s Replicating MIssile doesn’t get sustain without legendary drops.
Stun Jacks has one weapon and one amulet for a tiny bit of sustain, can’t really swap much there.

Any traditional “spell” with a cooldown (Trozan, Grenado, Canister, Doom Bolt) doesn’t usually even get sustain (maybe some weapon dmg after level 90).

Compared to those, AAR is living a life of luxury.

I think it would be nice, if more MIs had a sustain option.
But currently you have to build these skills with HP regeneration while leveling (Giant’s Blood, Harvestman devos, Gollus’ ring, Mending affix, components and whatever HP regen you can get from your class).
Or you include a second “main skill” that has sustain, like Sigils on an occultist.

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