Build Compendium Organized by Skill (Version 1.21 Newly Added: Updated for 2022)

I’ve been able to further polish this thread over the past few days, and I think it’s really beginning to take on a more mature form. I know this thread was initially rushed, but it’s very difficult to get the time and space and look through the seemingly endless threads and videos posted. Version 1.0 can’t be too far along now; I’d like to tidy up the Oathkeeper section a bit, and then it’s a final check-through to make sure I’m not selling any of the skills short.

I’ve edited the update page with a list of skills I’d like to see more builds - I’m sure people have already thought up concepts. NOTE: If there are any unlisted videos with more updated builds, I can’t view the videos without finding the video link itself, which will probably involve wading through the Discords to find them.

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If no one else does, I have plans to test/update this next major update with the Ember’s Calling set so I don’t think it’ll be abandoned.

Most of the time it’s a secondary damage source/support spell but beyond generalised Vitality casters that pick it up for that reason, there are a few builds that try to make it and other Pox-style skills or ailments the major focus that might be worth mentioning:


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yes, it’s the best damage source paladin has acces to. (apart from converted RoH)

I’ve updated the thread with the above suggestions, including adding Judgment and Fevered Rage Bloody Pox as skills.

I’ve also went through the Chinese Grim Dawn forums and found multiple build collections from the 1.1.8.1 patch. From what my simple Google translating is worth, the builds I’ve seen go to SR76, and I’ve been updating the builds from the previous Chinese Community thread (which only go up to 1.1.6.0) with builds I’ve found from those threads.

I haven’t found anything particularly crazy that would shake up the end-game spreadsheet, but if there are builds that are particularly outdated in that thread, I can try and find updated ones that meet that thread’s criteria.

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This will be the last update before the next patch hits. I’m waiting to see how certain skills and equipment get tweaked before moving around or removing any builds from the Compendium.

Thanks to everyone who continues to submit builds - I now see a total near 280 endgame (my requirements are more lax than the endgame sheet, but certain damage types are always going to be too meme to reach higher SR and I like to promote every conversion I can) builds. I wouldn’t be surprised to reach 300 builds by the time people play around with the new SR equipment.

Further note: If anyone has Crucible videos that are unlisted, I can’t search for them. I’ve dug through over a month’s worth of the Russian discord and I was able to find a few builds I missed before. If any of your builds feel like they should be up there, I’d be glad to reconsider my current placements.

You can add this one to your list: [UPDATE][1.1.8.1] Blitzer Physical Warlord: The Tank Who Hits Hard and Fast :smiley:

I appreciate the suggestion, but Physical Blitz is already covered by the Markovian Set Warlord, which is specifically designed around Blitz. I keep the builds limited to one per damage type, as there are many ways to build around a particular skill, and I don’t want to bloat the compendium too much with multiple builds using the same damage type.

I am adding builds from 1.1.9.0 into the Compendium - I want to say that I’ve removed most of the outdated builds to show that each damage type is viable in the most current patch, but with around 300 builds in my posts, it’s hard to keep track of all of them.

I’ll spend the next few days reviewing all the new Crucible videos from the 1.1.9.0 patch to see if there are any new builds I should keep aware of. If there’s nothing glaring, I will call my Compendium the official 1.0. Thanks to all who gave me the kick in the pants necessary to turn it from the rushed thread it initially was to the more polished version it is today. I wanted to do this as a gift to showcase Grim Dawn’s fountain of creativity and as a thank you to all the experienced builders for making really amazing builds.

EDIT: With nearly all of the builds posted in the Compendium updated to at least Patch 1.1.7.0, I’m going ahead and deeming this the official 1.0 release. The only skill I’m really missing is a good build to showcase nuke DEE; the official forums only have spam DEE, and Youtube makes it impossible to do a good search for nuke DEE. Outside of that, all skills in the game is now paired with a very cool build so that players can search for what to make for an end-game build.

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No Ring of Steel builds?

It’s not a skill that really gets built around often since -cd for it is pretty scarce so you almost always have to pair it with something else like a replacer/AA filler. But if you’re curious, the ones I’m aware of are:

Cold Ring of Steel

Pierce Ring of Steel

Basically any Bleed Nightblade.

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@Archmagister This thread is very close to what you were looking for :slight_smile:

Have you even read the original thread?

I was just trying to help, no need to be so caustic…

For what it’s worth, I thought that having a list of all the skills with a build for each element it has been done in was what you were looking for.

From your thread:

How is that not exactly what’s here ?

I referred to this thread, and the OP posted his thread in mine. Did you really not see that?

Btw, ‘caustic’… I like that :wink:

I guess I forgot this was the thread in question. It has been a few weeks since.

Nevermind then.

A long, overdue update.

  • Most Physical converted skills will be deleted unless videos are after the 1.1.9.X Physical damage overhaul to ensure that the armor changes are not too catastrophic
  • The post with the Component skills (Seal of the Night Chillspikes, Acid Purge) is deleted because of the great Nerfening which effectively deleted these components as build-enablers. Not that there’s anything wrong with the builds, the components are simply more supporting cast than the main star of builds.
  • The main purpose of the update was to add the new Aegis Spam that was introduced by 1.1.9.4.
  • The Arcanist section is more or less complete with my new formatting. It would be nice to have more videos for Devastation (especially Vitality Devastation), but there shouldn’t be too much of a need to update that section any more.
  • I will need much more time to complete the other classes with the same formatting as the Arcanist class, but it will get done. Eventually.
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Thank you for all the work

Acid Purge hasn’t been nerfed at all, it has been buffed. As for the rest - Crit damage loss is not that big (how often does one Crit on bosses + if you already have Crit damage it’s even a smaller loss). A few % nerf at best, might be even 2% against a boss. I recommend the calculator for estimating the nerf. This is not Diablo 3 where %Crit damage is such a huge deal for every build in every scenario because Crit chance is high and independent of anything where it would be a 15% damage loss I guess.

In this build [1.1.9.0] I can't believe it's not FoI! Chaos "Acid Purge'' Warlock Acid Purge is not only in the title but also deals most damage if you calculate it. And it has more AoE than Doom Bolt which is another contender.

I haven’t done a lot of math but I believe for example you could make a very strong Pierce Chillspikes build (max casting speed and 2hander) where it can be the main damage source, at least for single target, so might not be build defining in Crucible but on bosses - sure.

Let’s not forget standard component skills can be cast up to 3 times per second and channeling ones can tick up to 6.66… times per second (ideal scenario, less in practice) if I’m not mistaken and this damage adds up.

I don’t mind you deleting this section if you so prefer - just stating my opinion as probably the main component / item skills enthusiast in the Grim Dawn community :wink:

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Cold 3 x 26 / 16 Blades Spirits vs Chillspikes test

  • full Pierce conversion
  • 176 casting speed I believe

Result:

  • Blade Spirit dummy reset - 1 min
  • Chillspikes dummy reset - 30 s

Btw I also tested Blade Spirit against ~ 26 / 12 / 0 Shadow Strike and results were similar.
I might have had some mods for Shadow Strike though.

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bss are fine, the chillspikes are broken

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Based on my limited casual non-endgame experience with BS, I’d say they were nerfed unnecessarily due to very well optimized Pierce / Bleed builds in Crucible. The Bleed part didn’t even feel that good to me in Act 2 Veteran after I got 18/16 in BS + Scarab Shield and I abandoned the character https://www.grimtools.com/calc/bVAAd0DV but it was my first Bleed build. Also they are dumb and slow and don’t seem to proc devotions as well on dummies for me as I thought. I don’t feel like maxing Nightblade mastery for them (in a Cold build at least). I’m open to be wrong about it though. I’d give them additional base Frostburn damage :wink: