First time posting a build so do not expect a Shakespearean post
Why This Build
Experimenting with a lazy, casual, few buttons to press, potential hardcore build.
I judge how good a potential hardcore build is by what level I need to use the first 'Tonic of Mending" (red potion) or “Elixir of Spirit” (green potion).
I got to level 100 and defeated the Ravager of Flesh.
I never needed either potion for the entire game and never died, so this build is OK for hardcore play.
I DO use all other consumables when evaluating a potential hardcore build.
Play Style Is Simple
No need to direct pets, just have them follow you until you see a threat, cast “Curse of Frailty”, let the monsters come to you as your pets kill them.
“Blood of Dreeg” should ALWAYS be “on” when outside of a town.
Energy is not a limiting factor, you have far more than you need.
This is NOT a fighter build, so mainly just curse the enemy and stand back as pets fight.
Leave nothing alive behind you, so if things go bad you can always retreat to empty “safe” ground.
Pets rarely die; because they have lots of health, high resistances, and are being healed by “Blood of Dreeg”.
Game progression
Start in “Normal Difficulty” and skip shrines until level 10, then go into the Crucible until you get 10 Devotion points.
You are using these Devotion points for the Devotions “Fiend” (bind to “Raise Skeletons”) and “Panther”.
Just keep doing the first 10 levels of the Crucible over and over (Farming it for the Devotion points) (you need to do it 14 times to get 10 Devotion points).
Then return to the game and get the shrines you skipped.
Farm “Warden Krieg” until you get a decent “Warden’s Judgment” mace (you can use this weapon the entire game).
Leave “Normal Difficulty” once you have found every faction.
Do “Elite Difficulty” as fast as possible, then start “Ultimate Difficulty”.
Attributes
Put 20 points in Spirit (so you can wear items with high Spirit requirements) and put all other points into Physique.
Skills
Build up Necromancer Skeletons until they are maxed (Max “Raise Skeletons”, then Max “Undead Legion”, then Max “Will of the Crypt”).
Do NOT put more points into “Undead Legion” unless doing so will increase your “Summon Limit” of Skeletons (the skill points are better spent elsewhere).
Get “Curse of Frailty” put between 6 and 9 points into it (cast this at everything, this gives you something to do while your pets fight)
Get “Blight Fiend”, Familiar, and Hellhound (1 point is enough, they rarely die)
Get “Blood of Dreeg” to level 16 (any higher is a unneeded, the skill points are better spent elsewhere)
After this fill in as you want.
“Aspect of the Guardian” and “Possession” only need to go to level 12 (any higher is unneeded).
Max out Vulnerability and “Storm Spirit” (they compliment each other at Elemental damage)
Max out “Hellfire” (compliments Fiend’s “Flame Torrent”)
Max out “Spectral Wrath”
Max out “Call of the Grave”
Max out “Bonds of Bysmiel” and “Manipulation”
Prefer “Rotting Fumes” over “Infernal Breath” for the extra Threat
The order you choose to assign skill points is based on what you need at the time, so assign as needed.
Relics
Guile → Ancestor → “Primal Instinct”
The attack area of “Curse of Frailty” is large and it tics often, so it triggers "Primal Instinct"s “Swarm Mind” calling forth Swarmlings.
I tried “Bysmiel’s Domination” and “Dirge Of Arkovia” but neither was as good as “Primal Instinct” for THIS build.
Devotions
Fiend’s “Flame Torrent” is Bound to “Raise Skeletons” because other wiser Pet users do this, so I defer to their wisdom.
"Ulo The keeper of the Water "s “Cleansing Waters” is bound to “Curse of Frailty” because this way monster buffs and curses are removed as soon as possible (this makes doing the “Forgotten Gods Expansion” MUCH easier).
Pet Resistances
“Light of Empyrion” devotion has a star that gives “+5% Maximum All Resistances” to pets, so most pet resistances will be 85.
The pet resistance that is hardest to find is Pierce resistance; so if you ever find it on an item, keep it.
“Seal of Might” is needed on both weapon and shield to get the harder to find resistances covered.
Mouse Setup
Left mouse button for movement and bashing doors and crates
Right mouse button is for “Curse or Frailty”
Thumb button upper is for “Blood of Dreeg” mapped to “1” keyboard key
Thump button lower is for “Call of the Grave” mapped to “2” keyboard key
Helpful Potions
“Wrath of the Beast Tincture” from the Rover faction
“Courage Tincture” from Homestead faction
“Cursed Tincture” from the Coven of Ugdenbog faction
" Vile Tincture" from Barrowholm faction
Money is plentiful, so buy a lot of these and use them often.
Helpful Gear
BarrowHolm sells “Wendigo Conjuring Seal” rings when you are at Honored status.
Rovers sell “Elite Rhowari Cuirass” at Revered status.
These items have variable attributes so check back with the sellers to see if item attributes have changed.
Farm Wendigos (hunt mainly between “Gloomwald Rift” and “Coven’s Refuge Rift”) until you find a decent “Wendigo Gaze” medal.
“Titan Plating” added to Head and Chest armor gives a good boost to your armor rating .
How To Kill The Ravager Of Flesh On Ultimate Difficulty
The Ravager has two major weaknesses:
- Either does not heal or does so very slowly
- Sticks to his hunting ground (a set maximum range radius around his starting point)
He loses to a war of attrition.
Use the potions shown above, “Curse of Frailty”, and keep resurrecting all pets as soon as available.
You can almost keep up with him killing Skeletons by continuously resurrecting them.
The Ravager moves very erratically, so pay attention and keep away from him.
Stay behind a tree or a wall so he can not immediately get to you.
Find out his maximum range and fight near there, so if things go bad you can just run out of range.
Ravager has a HUGE amount of health; so the fight takes a long time, but it is a “relatively safe” fight.
Link To The Build
Here is my Hardcore Build based on the above (with small changes) that I built over Christmas Break:
Last save of the Hardcore Build before I died in the Shattered Realm:
July 4th 2023 Break: