Build suggestion wanted [First-time Playthrough]

Hello, fellow adventurers!

I started this game wanting a pet build and I have been following Maya’s “Will O Wisp” build. I’m at lvl 70+ and it is just not a good build for me - I am far too squishy and enemies/aoe/tight spaces are becoming a real hassle. As a first time player I also have to look up everything the build recommends me and I am having a hard time deciphering simple things such as what skills I am meant to use to be effective to get to endgame (levelling up I am lacking so much of what is recommended, even in the budget version). I play with a friend, but of late we’ve started splitting up to do Skeleton Key areas so one of us dying won’t mess it up for the other (having to continue the fight alone, but scaled for two).

I would love an easy, ranged build - preferably with pets to tank for me. I’m a simple player and enjoy myself as long as I don’t feel I am a burden to my partner. With the pet build I tried I also felt I was lacking aoe for the mobs. Can anyone recommend me something that better suits my needs and can compensate for my lack of experience? Any input is welcome! Thank you!

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have you tried to read and follow @Maya beginner builds? Or did you just look at his end-game build?

here are the beginner builds The Carnival - A Guide to Pets

and The Carnival - A Guide to Pets for the complete guide for them (click on The Carnival - A Guide to Pets (Formatted by @Ceno)" then on 4.Beginners guide" )

Instead of giving up and chaning builds all the time, try to ask for help and learn about why it doesn’t work as expected for you

btw it is extremely hard to make “hybrid” builds in Grim Dawn, even with good gear. You need both players and pet stats, player and pet skill points, and by attacking mob you will draw aggro etc.

Yes, I have read those, but thank you! :slight_smile:

So what’s the problem, those guides are very popular and successful for new(er) players.

Perhaps if you post your build in that thread, and say where in the campaign you are at and at what difficulty we can help you improve.

I have help quite a few people progressing. Several have just bounced back and forth between new builds several times / week. I then when I have asked to have a look at their build etc, I can fix it for them. One dude had neglected simple things like resistances (oh are they important?) :stuck_out_tongue:

My point is, if you are struggling with one build that there is a guide for, you will struggle with the next one, and the next and so on.

I guess I’m not playing it right or I need more handholding along the way levelling up. I’ve been following it as closely as I can with the points I have available - putting them all in the precise Devotion order and into the skills listed, but I am still a good way off lvl 90-94 where much of the recommended gear would be available. Several of the skill will not be available for a good while as I’m lvling up for points and I’d hate to stumble through the game for another 20 levels. For one I don’t really know what my main atk is supposed to be - if I am to melee with the dagger or use a skill. Or if I can just as easily swap the dagger out for a gun to range.

Build so far: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/eVLpOvGV (I’m still on normal)

Use lower tier recommended gear i.e. faction gear often comes in two variants.

Where in the game are you?

To me, it just seems you are equipping the first Epic and Legendary item you can get hold of without thinking about getting any resistances and health etc for you and pet stats. Look for green items that drops.

Drop the rifle and get a good pet scepter/weapon and off-hand (or shield with physical resists and other stuff)

Quests: image

I have not gone into the Skeleton Key area of Port Valbury yet. I have trouble on The Shattered Realm and Cleanse the Corruption. I think I have uncovered all of the map and all rifts. I have gotten all shrines available on normal.

what difficulty? :stuck_out_tongue:

Skip the skeleton key sections

Sorry, I’m confused. I’ve stated I am on normal, is that not the difficulty?

The only reference to normal I see is that you said that you have taken all shrines.

You are running a pet build, but you do not seem to focus on the pets judging from the gear you are wearing.

In order to get higher level and higher faction rep, you need to move on to Elite. Level 71 in normal, I usually start ultimate at level 75 :slight_smile: The recommended gear is mostly faction gear, and you need to do quests to get reputation

So you are saying I can use the scepter and still be ranged? What should I use as my main atk (aside from my pets)?

You should not do any attacks, you should just relax and let the pets do the work :stuck_out_tongue: Your attacks will do 0 damage compared to the pets.

btw it is extremely hard to make “hybrid” builds in Grim Dawn, even with good gear. You need both players and pet stats, player and pet skill points, and by attacking mob you will draw aggro etc.

Wow - that is really important information! Thank you - I had no idea!

That is the whole idea of a pet/summoner build. Just sit back and let pets do the work and you just debuff monsters and make sure your pets are healthy and happy

Perhaps this thread can give you some insights Looking for non-passive pet build

I did not see that anywhere in the build I was looking at - I have been stressed searching what was supposed to go on my skillbar and main atk. It’s probably common knowledge for more familiar players that pet builds don’t main atk with weapon, but knowing that solves a lot for me now! I have been struggling trying to wield a scepter/dagger and not die when attacking - hence why I have a rifle equipped to be able to range and stay away from death.

Regarding gear - I have been equipping what has dropped for me for lack of other info available. I have a list of items I will buy/craft when I get to the appropriate lvls, but have been winging it until such a time (again - in part where I could have used some handholding). I have been too low to get anything but the helmet and I was only just able to equip that 3 lvls ago, but I can get two more pieces now that I hit lvl 70. The lvl below the lvl 70 items is 35 for those pieces and I thought that too far off to be the best option.

Thanks for the input - I will adjust my playstyle and see if I fare better now! :sunny:

idk perhaps it is kinda understood that a pet build needs pet stats on gear and that a pet player let the pets attack for him :wink:

And generally speaking, if you are leveling similar as the goal build (some builds have different leveling shecme) you should try to mimic gearing but lower tier “versions” of them. I.e. if you are aiming to do a fire damage build, you should use items that gives +to your skills you are using, +% fire damage and the regular stuff (OA, DA, armor, resistances, health).

If you want to try an other build, where you have a more active role, try this one ; Fire birb pet pyromancer

When I leveling I do 50 to 70 with my hellhound and I’m a little nostalgic^^

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Thank you, agraf! I might try that out - it looks pretty fun! :slight_smile:

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yeah but same applies, you need to get items with defensive stats for you and both offensive and defensive stats for them pets :wink:

will probably take a few hundred hours before one has that kind of gear, one can probably do a budget variant of it though.