What does Forcewave leveling with some Battlemage has to do with what is talked about here?
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Like I said. The whole thing.
If you really can’t be bothered: the /12 is interesting for a definitive treatise on component skills at very early levels (tldr: they are both more efficient and more effective).
The larger discussion on CT specifically (and about Arcanist in general) starts at /27, with the main point explained in /29.
If you really, really can’t be bothered with such a pedestrian thing as reading through a forum thread…
…and you’re OK with skipping the figuring-things-out-for-yourself bit (you know, the fun part)…
…last warning…
Use component skills until you reach roughly Burwich or thereabouts. I would go with Lightning Nova (or whatever it’s called), to get used to the playstyle of CT.
For skill points first concentrate on the mastery bar, so you’re comfortably over-leveled compared to your environment.
For items go pure OA. Set the item filter to OA and your mastery skills only. Don’t ignore yellows, your goal is getting a few Aggresive (whatever) of Attack pieces with nice fat OA numbers.
For devotions at first also go for the OA (Panther, or green crossroads plus purple crossroads plus Hawk or Spider). Once you switch to CT, since you’re essentially a DoT build (as all Arcanist leveling builds are), first stop is Owl, then I would go for Spider.
As the Lightning Nova seems to be loosing it’s oomph (like I said, around reaching Burwitch… you should be level 16-ish), and you have acquired enough skill points, switch to 1pt CT + pump Inferno. There’s no need to ge excessive, three of four points to start, then back to 1pt Inferno + 2pt something else useful (usually mastery bar, EB, Overload) on each level up. Other than increasing range, there’s no need to put more than 1 point into base skill for a good, long while (and also there should be some skill bonuses on equipment, like the Skull MI).
At level 20 you get access to Enchanted Flint for weapon and off-hand/shield, that’s another nice fat boost to your damage.
Don’t ignore your cheat buttons (both of them), don’t forget Elemental Balance, max out Overload for at least the rest of Act 1.
Attuned Lodestones if you got 'em, stick to yellows for the higher numbers in OA department.
You’re a DoT, so operative word is “infector” (in other words, once you’ve infected something don’t stand around and give the bastard(s) a chance to clobber you). If your OA development is adequate the trash should die immediately on first contact anyways, usually before they even react to your presence. And the heroes should take 2 to 3 seconds at most, just Tempest them until you get the crit.
If beefiness is a concern, consider taking the other class early and pump it’s mastery bar to stay overleveled. But if your goal is learning I’d advise sticking to pure Arcanist until end of Veteran/early Elite, this setup should carry you there without issues.
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r/woosh much?
the hole fn point of the post is for that novel to not be a thing, but for CT to be more efficient or “efficient enough” to not come dead last/“be actually decent early levels”… 
talk about missing the forest for the trees
Kudos on being aware of other skill scaling tho
*FYI, since dragon’s guide is “old” Sudoku’s notes is more interesting in the light of recent CT buffs overall, and it still falling behind
likewise with the proposed tweaks that merely shifts dmg to earlier levels without actually adding dmg direct on the skill, curious indeed
fwiw, “in general”, there is a large sentiment among some players, that a skill you can take from the start, shouldn’t be massively outdone by a free lvl 5 component skill, let alont to the degree you shouldn’t take your skills until 15-20 levels after, and that early “main” skills should, funnily enough, be decent enough to take right out the gate
PRM, Drain Essence etc have been other examples that’s been done similar feedback/request on
“what’s the point in giving the player a starter skill that ends up being just a trap and makes you feel like an idiot for taking it” is something i’ve seen mentioned, semi paraphrasing
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Get back from a week’s vacation, find exactly as expected to find in this thread.
Imagine a complete and utter lack of surprise.
Yes, as already stated. Doing it wrong.
Nobody’s giving the player anything. One is supposed to figure things out for themself, which includes the (most common btw) outcome of “this doesn’t work”.
No such thing.
That something is positioned near the start of the mastery bar doesn’t have any specific meaning. That’s one of the first things a new builder is supposed to figure out.
See above.
That’s the point, and it’s not a bad thing but something a new builder should embrace. (Also, if one is smart, it’s not “feel like an idiot” but rather “feel like a learner”.)
You need a mirror, an empty room, and a good, long while.
Also, since I’m getting too old for this… Should you feel the need to comment on another of my (very infrequent) posts, please also remember to go ahead and put a sock in it.
What’s wrong with CT being viable for leveling? We need more skills for leveling, not less. Leveling should have variety, maybe not at the same level as endgame, but it should have an healthy amount.
Honestly getting kind of tired of leveling with Ravenous Earth, Forcewave, Blackwater Cocktail, Devouring Swarm and so on. Make more skills like CT, PRM and DEE viable for leveling.
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no, again
good job 
yes, literally
yes, it is, there shouldn’t exist dud skills that are horrible to level with throughout
you should take your own advice, and use that time to recalibrate, when you’re both being so obviously wrong, doubling down on it, and still missing everything meaningful being mentioned here
you’ll find that not happening, so perhaps keep the nonsense extra infrequent, if you don’t like it being called out?
^ this is everything that is necessary for your post to be off
it’s amazing you not only don’t see that, nor can identify why it’s both bad and wrong to tell a potential player, new (or old), that “hey, you’re playing/levelling wrong, and you shouldn’t actually pick this main skill or max it, you should only play/level like this”
it’s beyond facepalm
especially for a game like Grim Dawn
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Follow your own advice bud, it’s actually sad how hypocritical you’ve been in this topic while also missing the entire point of CT’s issues in the first place
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Lol three years later casedeck is still telling people they don’t understand jackshit in Arcanist 
The actual peak conclusion of this story from three years ago is page 51 of that thread.
Basically, it’s possible to level with CT and have a good time without using the crutches much. But a beginner has no chances to discover it on their own.
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Instead of rushing for Mental Alacrity I think it might be better to level up Arcane Will instead. This All damage bonus is huge. And then CT / IEE accordingly. I leveled CT to 50 or so on Vet but I don’t remember what I did and lost my notes.
I think I ran 8 CT main node right out of the gate and it was manageable. I don’t disagree with OP’s feedback though and I agree with the suggestions. I couldn’t put more points into it because then I one-shot enemies and didn’t leech energy. Veteran instead of Normal was needed for the same reason.
Also I found maxing PB totally valid and the skill is more energy efficient (dmg/energy cost) the more points you put into it [1.1.9.1] Beginner's Vitality Reaper - #46 by tqFan I leveled 2 times this way. Without “Of Insight” even which so far I’ve always found till Krieg in my leveling journeys (between 1-3 pieces) without any additional farming.
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I leveled SSF with Lightning CT to 100 now.
My conclusion: CT is just a bad SSF skill.
It has a brief moment between level 20 and 40, when it actually feels decent.
Then you get into the DLCs and eventually Elite and Ult and the skill just falls apart again.
It’s technically possible to play with it, yes, but it feels so much worse than other skills, I had to stop multiple times and seriously reconsider if I wanted to keep playing this, or respec into sth else.
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There just isn’t enough damage on CT, to use it as a main skill. Trash clear is fine, but most other skills do that anyways and deal decent single target on top.
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130-140% weapon damage is not enough to build for it.
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The damage is split between 3 damage types, in a class, which has no native RR.
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As a result, all MIs convert the damage, meaning you can’t really use 2 MIs to boost the skill.
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Getting skill bonuses to CT is hard, I ended up on 23/16 at level 100, despite +4 to all skills in Arcanist and using nearly every item with bonus to CT. Only Aether/Fire damage types seem to get enough to max it.
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The access to instant AoE is nice at low levels, at higher levels ideally you’d need more though.
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You have to stay very close to bosses as a result, and build a tankier build, rather than build for damage.
I ended up with 3300 OA on a SSF Warlock, and despite that, the best thing I can say: It was okay for clearing totems.
I have since respecced the build into Cold spam Doom Bolt, and even without leveled devotions, it’s already sooo much better, on basically the same gear.
I recently leveled with CT utilizing only the aether component of damage (with devo choices).
Can’t recall having clear issues.
Sustain is an issue without play experience. It was a balancing act to max CT, build to alacrity (cast speed, energy, -cost right IIRC), energy regen components in jewelers/helm, gear, etc. I got it to the point (rather quickly) that I could energy pot on CD and keep the spam up.
Everything I play is basically SSF/HC until 94 where I can strap on everything.
I would say that the skill has a higher threshold of playing effectively compared to most skills like say Blade Arc or PB.
If anything was to change, a smoother energy cost transition might help. As for damage. I won’t touch that as I feel it’s fine but my playstyle is okay with slower killing builds and more tankiness.
In the end, I found it fun to level because there was a mini puzzle to solve (sustain).
I always find these thinly disguised “git gud” comments amusing. 
What, would you say, allows you to express your skills better with an non-targeted, non-directional, spammed AoE skill?
Over a skill like PB where positioning relative to the monsters is important, or a skill like Stormbox, which mandates cooldown management and target-selection?
Absolutely not what I was thinking when I typed it. It is/was as it says. Knowledge through playing. Nothing more.
Reading into things = bad. If a post required a “get gud” from me I certainly wouldn’t veil it. Projection much?
IMHO:
PB is just simpler to use compared to CT. More range, pierce, leech, easier sustain, and feels like it hits harder.
As for SBoE. Early use just obliterates the initial mob. I feel like I am just waiting for the cooldown to come up. I have leveled with it and I just target the highest priority target and anything else after that still standing.
Warlock might be the issue here idk. I recently leveled Lightning CT Druid HC SSF and just breezed through literally the entire game on all difficulties. I think its a great skill. I found myself nullifying and mirroring just to press other buttons. If you really went Lightning CT while leveling I assume you got yourself a Kymon’s Badge asap right?
Yes, I got a Kymon’s Badge asap
Yes, Druid would be the stronger choice, not a doubt in my mind.
Druid gets carried by Wind Devils and Storm Totem (or whatever else you use) and doesn’t even needs CT, basically. Imo, it’s the 5th best offensive Arcanist skill you could use with Druid, after Devastation, TSS, PRM, AAR.
If you have SSF HC viable easy-breezy playthroughs, add them to the beginner guides topic. Because there are Zero CT-builds in there, and I reckon it’s for good reason.
Did you learn something, when it was your turn?
Yes, and as you “discovered” it is a completely viable skill for leveling. It can even be comfortable.
It’s not a beginner challenge to figure out leveling with CT. But I still wouldn’t say “no chances”.
I learned to worry less about opinions of randos on the web.
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I think Aether should be good at least but I only leveled it to 50 or so. I stopped because I had many theorycrafts and was too lazy to test them all. You could push the leeching to some crazy levels with Haunt relic, Rattosh, Scales and Harbinger of Souls if needed.
Here’s some build by @mad_lee before the recent Aether damage buff with not crazy gear (hopefully weapon can still be vendor farmed, you can get most lev 60 relic bps if you farm totems near this level, for Magelord the transmutions seem to work) although perfect affixes. It uses 2h mace but from what I heard Fleshwarped Carbine is bis now.
I had an idea to use Aether RE conduit with Aetherfire bound to it for some more damage but didn’t test it.
Spellbinder, Level 100 (GD 1.1.9.8) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
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Starting leveling a CT build and it’s been surprisingly not too bad. Using Kyzogg Skull to make it fire CT since you can get it very early.
Definitely agree that the energy cost scaling should be more biased towards the first handful of levels, meaning it should cost less energy in the earlier levels and then eventually get to the current energy cost.
Lightning Nova and Empowered Lightning Nova also have issues with energy cost.