Grim Dawn Build Compendium VIII
To all current/interested authors: Please give the ‘New players/Crucible (Special FAQ),’ ‘Rules for posting’ and the ‘Guidelines for posting’ sections a quick read. 
Credits
Let us give thanks for the providence the Dying God, Chthon, has shown us as we enter the 8th edition of the compendium.
May he return one day. 
I’m pretty much going to copy and paste most things as Compendium VII was near perfect, save for some minor changes. If you have any suggestions for improvements, feel free to reply to the post but DO NOT PM me.
Special Credit to Mirenheart who started the [thread=11180]Build Compendium[/thread]. Thanks to Mirenheart, Missing String, ibugsy, Cryodacry, Dikkiedik, and Chthon for their work on Build Compendium I, II, III, IV, V, VI and VII respectively.
Honorable mention : Superfluff, x1x1x1x2, veretragna, Chthon. More will be added as I’m certain I’ll end up bugging more members of our community when FG arrives.
I would also like to sincerely thank our wonderful moderators - the unsung heroes of the forum - for everything that they do. The forum would be dead if it weren’t for their diligence.
Table of Contents -
Each class is hyperlinked to its respective post. Please click on it to view its corresponding build submissions. Thanks for all the help with this eisprinzessin!
- Builds for beginners
- Apostate (Inquisitor + Necromancer)
- Battlemage (Arcanist + Soldier)
- Blademaster (Nightblade + Soldier)
- Cabalist (Necromancer + Occultist)
- Commando (Demolitionist + Soldier)
- Conjurer (Occultist + Shaman)
- Deathknight (Necromancer + Soldier)
- Deceiver (Inquisitor + Occultist)
- Defiler (Demolitionist + Necromancer)
- Druid (Arcanist + Shaman)
- Elementalist (Demolitionist + Shaman)
- Infiltrator (Inquisitor + Nightblade)
- Mage Hunter (Arcanist + Inquisitor)
- Purifier (Demolitionist + Inquisitor)
- Pyromancer (Demolitionist + Occultist)
- Reaper (Necromancer + Nightblade)
- Ritualist (Necromancer + Shaman)
- Saboteur (Demolitionist + Nightblade)
- Sorcerer/Sorceress (Arcanist + Demolitionist)
- Spellbinder (Arcanist + Necromancer)
- Spellbreaker (Arcanist + Nightblade)
- Tactician (Inquisitor + Soldier)
- Trickster (Nightblade + Shaman)
- Vindicator (Inquisitor + Shaman)
- Warder (Shaman + Soldier)
- Warlock (Arcanist + Occultist)
- Witchblade (Occultist + Soldier)
- Witch Hunter (Nightblade + Occultist)
How to search the compendium by skill -
To quote eisprinzessin:
You can use Search this Thread. If you use the Advanced Search, you can specify the author as sir spanksalot, and type in the skill of interest as the keyword. The result list will be sorted newest to oldest post, so that what you are looking for is most likely at the bottom of the list
New Players/Crucible (Special FAQ) -
[spoiler]Q. There are too many builds here, which one is most suited for beginners?
This is something suggested by veretragna, and is something I would really like to work on. I’ll be creating a subsection targeted solely for new players (e.g. stupid dragon’s ‘X for beginners’ series comes to mind.)
These builds are NOT for end game farming, but will instead be aimed at helping newer players build up a larger item pool.
This section may take awhile as I may have to trawl through the dozens of guides here to do so.
To the authors: It would be helpful if you could sieve out any beginner builds you’ve done, and reply to the thread using the format exemplified below:
- [li]BEGINNER BUILDS [/li]Beginner’s pre-krieg Deathknight (Stupid Dragon)
Q. Any tips for new players?
> New player Knowledge compendium - Ceruleansong
> Tips I wished I knew before playing - Elnawawi
Q. I want to farm Crucible 170. Which builds here can do that reliably?
Builds with “c+” tag are tailor made for this purpose. These builds include some of the best crucible oriented builds on the entire forum.
Builds with “c” tag are also very well made and I recommend trying them out as well.
Q. Are builds with “c” tag not reliable for Crucible 170?
Builds with “c” tag are very good for 170 as well but the main problem with builds with this tag is their speed.
See the most efficient way to farm crucible 170 is to use a maximum of 4 buffs and no banners and clear 150-170 under 12 minutes. Each buff lasts 25 minutes, so a 12 minute clear time means that buffs last for 2 farm runs. This makes this very rewarding.
There are many excellent builds wit “c” tag as well. Some builds in this category are much more safer crucible farmers than some builds in the “c+” category. It also houses builds that are weak in maps that don’t have many hiding spaces/choke points like Crucible of the Dead, Crucible of the Void, yet these same builds have 10 minute clear times on other maps.
So this category is a bit of a mixed bag and therefore I recommend trying out the builds in this category.
Q. LIES. I CAN’T CLEAR 170 WITH A C+ BUILD.
It’s probably due to poor piloting skills. Refer to this for some advice.
Q. A build I am following seems to be outdated. How do I know if it’s still viable?
Post in the respective build’s thread and the community will respond to your queries.
Q. Where do I read about Game Mechanics?
These might help -
> Guides and Tutorials section
> Game Guide
> game mechanics.
Q. Advice on creating my very own gladiator?
How to make your own gladiator: A guide - Veretragna
[/spoiler]
FAQ -
[spoiler]Q. Is this Compendium helpful to me if I DO NOT possess Ashes of Malmouth DLC?
If you are someone who DOES NOT possess ASHES OF MALMOUTH DLC then this compendium is all but useless to you. The builds you are looking for can be found in Build Compendium V.
Q. Why was my submission rejected?
If your build has been rejected then there probably has been an error in your submission. When something like this occurs DO NOT pm me and simply cross reference with the rules/guidelines for posting.
Q. Why hasn’t the Compendium been updated for days?
If I am unavailable for a few days DO NOT PANIC, it’s most likely because I am preoccupied with something IRL. When I return I will add your builds you don’t have to worry about anything. I won’t simply abandon this, if anything happens then I will inform you guys.
Q. What should I do if I have suggestions for the Build Compendium?
If you wish to speak to me regarding the build compendium then DO NOT pm me, rather post here.[/spoiler]
Resources
[ul]
[li]New Players should check the New Player Knowledge Compendium and ther other guides in the Guides and Tutorialssection[/li]
[li]Game Guide: Information on the game, game mechanics.[/li]
[li]Official Grim Dawn Wikipedia All the information you need about Grim Dawn[/li]
[li]Grim Misadventures: Development updates.[/li]
[li]Grimtools: A useful site in which you can create your build but also search for items[/li]
[li]Item Rarity Explained: An explanation of the different levels of items, including color coding. Also how to turn on item rarity filtering.[/li]
[li][thread=19056]How Many Attribute Points: A Guide[/thread]: Want to report your distribution of stat points, but forgot?[/li]
[li]Resist Reduction Cheat Sheet: Great guide for what stacks with what when it comes to Resist Reduction[/li]
[/ul]
Rules for Posting
RULE 1: CRUCIBLE TAG -
The crucible tag is the most important tag in the compendium. Make sure your build has this tag if it is a crucible build.
Earlier this wasn’t emphasized/enforced but in light of the recent changes to the crucible and the high influx of players looking for competent builds this is an extremely important rule now.
DO NOT DISREGARD this rule. Make sure your build has the accurate crucible tag provided it is a crucible build.
- c- : Can clear Crucible 150 on Gladiator Difficulty[/li] [li]c : Can clear Crucible 170 on Gladiator Difficulty[/li] [li]c+ : Can farm Crucible 170 on Gladiator Difficulty with up-to 4 buffs and NO BANNER under 12 minutes.
RULE 2: GEAR TAG -
The gear tag is EXTREMELY important especially for the newer players out there. Please double check that you are using the appropriate grading (i.e. G1 - G5) for your submission.
RULE 2: SUBMISSION FORMAT -
Any submission that contains a direct grimtools link instead of a build thread link won’t be accepted.
Just to be clear, if your build thread LITERALLY contains A SINGLE grimtools link and nothing else your submission is unacceptable. The point is to not directly submit Grimtools links.
The links you submit should lead to a dedicated thread for said build, the contents of the thread itself doesn’t matter (you can have a porno posted in it for all I care just make sure the build’s details or a grimtools link can be found in the thread)
IN ADDITION, PLEASE INCLUDE ONLY YOUR SUBMISSION IN THE REPLY TO THE COMPENDIUM. DO NOT ADD A LITTLE BLURP BEFORE/AFTER IT.
For example, ‘Hi spanks, here are a couple of builds I’d like for you to add. Thanks!’ is nice, but unhelpful as I can’t ctrl-A, ctrl-c, ctrl-v it.
I’ll just assume all submissions come with a wordless thank-you.
Please please please also indent your submissions. I know I haven’t done so in my previous submissions and am also guilty of this horrendous crime, but still. :rolleyes:
It would help tremendously. If you aren’t certain how to make indentations, please refer to this.
The following examples should clarify the distinction between acceptable and unacceptable submissions -
NOT ACCEPTABLE -
Sup fool. Add this bitch in pls.
[ul]
[li][Melee][1.0.5.1] Nephilim: Vitality Death Knight (gouldec)[/li][list]
[li]Damage: Vitality/Decay, Aether, Cold, Physical, Pierce, Bleeding[/li]
[li]Active Skills: Cadence, Blitz, Bone Harvest, Siphon Souls, Overguard, Mark of Torment, Reap Spirit[/li]
[li]Passive Skills: Harbinger of Souls, Spectral Binding, Field Command, Menhir’s Will, Military Conditioning, Veterancy, Decorated Soldier[/li]
[li]WPS Skills: Fighting Spirit, Reaping Strike, Necrotic Edge[/li] [/ul]
[/list]
ACCEPTABLE SUBMISSION -
[ul]
[li][Frostburn Caster] (g5)Nightblade and Chill - Frostburn based Infiltrator (Chthon)[/li][list]
[li]Damage: Frostburn, Cold[/li]
[li]Active Skills: Shadow Strike, Pneumatic Burst, Word of Renewal, Rune of Hagarrad, Chillspikes[/li]
[li]Passive Skills: Veil of Shadow, Aura of Censure[/li]
[li]WPS Skills: None[/li] [/ul]
[/list]
The unacceptable submission only has a GT link while the other one has a dedicated thread for said build. So basically don’t submit direct GT links, submit links to threads.
The reason for this rule is simple, every time a patch hits there’s a decent amount of chance that the build might need to be updated. So it’s very inconvenient to keep editing the compendium for a single gt link every patch. It’d be much more practical if the build had a dedicated build thread not to mention if someone had specific doubts regarding the build then they’d need to discuss it and to reduce the clutter in this thread build related discussions are generally avoided here.
If you wish to submit a beginner friendly guide, please refer to the above formatting in the ‘New players/Crucible’ section
Guidelines for Posting
[spoiler]Credit goes to Mirenheart and Missing String for coming up with these guidelines and to x1x1x1x2 & Chthon for helping out with the revisions to them.
HIGHLY IMPORTANT POINTS -
[ul]
[li]As already stated in the rules for posting. Start a new thread for your build, make your post neat and readable, and provide the link to your new thread. This allows:[/li] [list]
[li]for build discussions to be conducted in the build thread,[/li] [li]shows your build progression over time as new game builds are released, assuming that nothing major changes with classes and/or skills,[/li] [li]me to easily update the Build Compendium.[/li] [/ul]
[li]Providing a build name makes the build list easier to read and helps differentiate from other builds.[/li]
[li]Using colors, bold text, and/or spacing will help me notice the build you want added as I scroll through, but don’t go crazy with it.[/li]
[li]Make sure you have a GrimToollink to your build. This doesn’t mean you can directly submit a grimtools of your build directly, make a separate thread for it. It doesn’t matter if the thread only contains a single grimtools link.[/li]
[li]Try to skim through other builds in the list first before posting yours, in case you have something that’s exactly alike, or extremely similar to a build already there.[/li]
[li]If the build was originally created by someone else, please try to credit them.[/list][/li]
SUBMISSION FORMAT
[spoiler][ul]
[li][Playstyle] [Game Version] (c#) (g#) Build Name (Author)[/li] [list]
[li]Damage: (Damage Types in the Build)[/li] [li]Active Skills: (skills that require re-activation)[/li] [li]Passive Skills: (skills that are activated once and then left on)[/li] [li]WPS Skills: (Skills that activate off of default weapon attacks)[/li] [/ul]
[/list]
(Actual URL and not hyperlinked txt)
For those of you who may have some problem detecting which color it is. It’s YellowGreen, a lot of people here mistake it for Green or Olive
An Example of a good Submission
[Caster][1.0.5.0] (g4)(c+)(vid) The Deceiver - A Cataclysmic Non TD Elemental Pure Mage - Gladiator 170 Nuker (Superfluff)
Damage: Elemental
Active Skills: Word of Pain, Storm Fire, Curse of Frailty, , Rune of Haggarad (for proc&DA shred only), Bloody Pox ( for proc&OA shred),
Passive Skills: Word of Renewal, Aura of Censure, Blood of Dreeg, Arcane Resonance
WPS Skills: none
TAGS/CODES TO BE USED FOR BUILD SUBMISSION
Any build name may have codes preceding them. The codes are :
- [li]Melee - you deal damage to your enemy through a melee weapon. Your weapon physically connects with your enemy [/li] [li]Ranged - use Ranged Weapons, projectiles fired from your pistol/rifle deal damage to your enemy[/li] [li]Pet - self explanatory[/li] [li]Caster - your primary damage source are “spells”. Your weapon or projectiles from your weapon aren’t the source of damage. Spells however can be classified as projectiles and also have % weapon damage even if your weapon never physically connects with your foe[/li] [li]hc : Hard core character.[/li] [li]c- : can clear crucible up to wave 150 on gladiator difficulty [/li] [li]c : can clear crucible up to wave 170 on gladiator difficulty[/li] [li]c+: can farm crucible up to wave 170 on gladiator difficulty using a maximum of 4 Buffs and no Banners in 12 minutes.[/li] [li]vid : The build has a video associated with it. Check the build’s thread/post for the link.[/li] [li]l : The build has a leveling/progression guide.[/li] [li]g# : The build is dependent on specific gear with a value ranging from 1-5. The higher the number, the more gear dependent it is. Refer to the following for more details: [/li][list]
- g1 : beginner builds. Those that can be easily done on your first character. Builds that feature full or almost full faction gear are the ones that belong here. A build should only be rated as g1 if it features a faction gear setup cause those are the easiest items to find.[/li] [li]g2 : Flexible itemization or farmable set dependent builds. No fancy MIs required unless it’s self-found. Krieg builds and Dark One builds are good examples. Basically gearing has multiple options.[/li] [li]g3 : No MI, full legendary/set builds with craftable boots. Also includes +5 (skill) Badge of Mastery builds.[/li] [li]g4 : Builds one mandatory MI with fixed affixes, excluding crafted boots.[/li] [li]g5 : Same as above but with more than one MI
[/list][/spoiler]
Optional Details -
[ul]
[li]Provide details on Devotion skills taken within the build.[/li]
[li]Give a description of the build, and how it [/li]works. This doesn’t have to be long, but it would be good to describe how to use the skills, and how to play the build.
[li]Give a short description of what kind of equipment is needed for the build.[/li]
[li]Testing the build up to max level before posting is highly suggested.[/li]
[li]Tips and suggestions for leveling the build would be nice.[/li]
[/ul]
Arcanist
[ul]
[li][Caster][1.0.4.1] Pure Arcanist (sfbistimg)[/li][list]
[li]Damage: Aether[/li]
[li]Active Skills: Callidor’s Tempest, TSS, Devastation, Mirror, Nullification[/li]
[li]Passive Skills: IEE, Maiven’s Sphere, Star Pact, Citadel[/li]
[li]WPS Skills: none[/li] [/ul]
[/list]
Occultist
Demolitionist
Inquisitor
[ul]
[li][2H Ranged] [1.0.6.1] (g3)(vid) Inquisitor Solo Class Level 100 in 9 hours 32 minutes (Shopping)[/li][list]
[li]Damage: Elemental[/li]
[li]Active Skills: Runic Bolts, Rune of Hagarrad, Inquisitor Seal, Word of Renewal[/li]
[li]Passive Skills: Ranged Expertise, Aura of Censure, Artifact Handling, Deadly Aim[/li]
[li]WPS Skills: Bursting Round, Chilling Rounds, Storm Spread[/li]
[/ul][/list]
Nightblade
Necromancer
Shaman
Soldier