Yo. New account here, finally got around to playing Grim Dawn ages ago and I’m loving it. Only I’m clearly not cut out to do it on my own because I’m not even done with Normal and I have a sneaking suspicion I ruined my build. Mostly because I was basically two-shot by the endboss of Steps of Torment with the final chests right in sight which made me want to die.
I’m playing a Demolitionist who’s essentially single-class because despite all my best efforts I simply can’t decide what to pick for my subclass (kinda torn between Arcanist and Occultist). Maxed my Mastery bar first chance I could and am currently level 47, Flame-Touched and Fire Strike paths completely maxed (bar the transmuters, didn’t like the look of them) and working on Canister Bomb now, and I have one point in the three Mortar skills because I’m eternally grateful for the damage it does for me while I frantically kite bosses around level geometry. I also have errant points in Vindictive Flame, Ulzuin’s Wrath and Blast Shield which I’m considering respeccing. I don’t remember exactly what I was doing with my Devotions but I do remember picking the ones that gave me more Cunning and elemental damage, like the fox and the magician and the candle.
I had hopes of dual-wielding but DPS is my drug so I stuck with my Brimstone Rifle for 17 levels or so. I have 33 points in Cunning which I hear was bad so I’ve been putting all subsequent points in Physique. I finally stopped being a baby and started throwing on components recently and it seems to have helped but I’m still taking hideous amounts of damage.
Next time you can post your character screen and skills for others to view.
I recommend Occultist for your second class. You’ll need 3 skills: Solael’s witchfire (DPS boost), Blood of Dreeg (healing, def boost), Possession.
For Demolitionist, try using Flashbang for crowd control. You’ll find it easier to survive.
Try to keep range with mobs and bosses and avoid hits.
If you want to build a gunslinger, try looking at this guide http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31535
The blacksmith can craft some good green guns for you.
Good luck have fun
Pyromancer is definitely easier than Sorcerer for DW Gunslinger builds. You have more resist reduction through CoF, you have an actual heal, the synergy with chaos damage is better, and you have better legendary guns for your class late game.
I personally think Gunslinger Sorcs are one of the biggest noob traps in the game, although maybe I’m just bitter because it was the first class I made. I did beat ultimate with it (barely), but I died something like 300 times and I still can’t beat Rashalga (although to be fair I’m certainly far away from BiS gear).
The survivability is just such a huge issue. Sorcerer has no innate heal and their HP pool is one of the lowest in the game, but it’s supposed to be made up for by Mirror and Blast Shield. Since your damage comes from your attacks, you need to be standing still (aka facetanking) in order to deal damage, ESPECIALLY since your only class-enabled resist reduction comes from Thermite Mines. You CAN facetank while Mirror or Blast Shield are up, but the rest of the time you’re basically forced to kite while waiting for them to be up again, and if you’re fighting a boss you can’t kite you can kiss your ass goodbye. ADCtH would have been a possible alternative, but in the new patch they essentially made it so you’ll have to compromise damage to get it.
Speaking of damage, it’s horrible. Mainly because of lack of RR. And don’t expect devotions to help you; aside from Elemental Storm you’re going to need all your points for defensive constellations or heal procs. The build does clear trash fairly quickly, but if a monster is resistant to your CCs have fun kiting, and if it’s faster than you have fun dying.
This all only applies to DW Ranged Sorc though. Pyromancers will be much better =)
Yeah that was lazy of me, I’ll make sure to include screencaps if I need to do this again.
Try to keep range with mobs and bosses and avoid hits.
Been doing that. Sometimes even successfully. When I can get a boss hung up on level geometry or casting some skill or another I can lay some serious hurt on them but the buggers just keep catching up to me and twoshotting me. And health potions cooldowns are so long!
Mm, I heard. I lurked on here a little to try and pick up the tips I needed, which was enough to stick to the aforementioned Brimstone Rifle for ages. Really dodged a bullet there, because I really did select Arcanist as my second class a couple times. It’s just that I never spent points there so the game kept deselecting it and letting me pick again.
ADCtH would have been a possible alternative, but in the new patch they essentially made it so you’ll have to compromise damage to get it.
Sorry, what’s ADCtH?
Mainly because of lack of RR.
Rest and Relaxation?
This all only applies to DW Ranged Sorc though. Pyromancers will be much better =)
How much better? Or how idiot-proof I should say? I was tempted just for the auto-attack enhancer. I love me some attack speed buffs.
Advice on that front seems pretty unanimous so far. How should I be levelling it? With Demolitionist I beelined for Mastery 50 with only sprinkled points in skills, but doing that I’d probably beat Normal before I ever got anything good. Should I just put in enough for what I need then focus on those?
In the guide I included earlier there is a lvling guide. For lv50: https://grimcalc.com/build/GYWkzL
Don’t use too many skills. In Demo Fire strike is the only skill worth maxing early because it causes serious damage. Vindictive flame for defense and Flashbang for CC. Flame touched is a good buff but not so effective in early game.
Pyromancer (Demo + Occultist) is a really good class to start with. If you’re already lv50 and have no points for Occultist, no problem. Just do reallocate some skill points in Demo, and put next points into Occultist.
Weapons to aim for: Deviltounge, Exterminus.
No I meant the Occultist passive, Witchfire. Stacks with Flame-Touched for delicious DPS.
Right, right. So I should respec most of my Demolitionist points (I’m keeping my maxed Flame-Touched and Temper dammit), pick up Flashbangs, then go Occultist and max Witchfire and Blood of Dreeg ASAP. Right?
I started with 2H rifle as I got Hellborne but decided just for kicks to give DW guns a go and I absolutelty love it Sheet DPS is lower with dual guns then with rifle but clearing speed is just the opposite…I don’tget it but Im a noob - only played one toon DW Blademaster who is now farming for my Demo She just got him the Exterminus.
I am still on the fence as to second mastery - arcanist looks really nice but the general consenus on the net is it will be not best - might be this “noob trap” after all.
I will most probably go occultist then.
Speaking of Flash bang - I have both at 7 - 7 and it is absurdly amazing It works wanders in 95% f the cases /with some exeption of bosses and elite monsters/ - i did not try OFF which might be better bur let me say it again Flashbang is pure awesome
I am also a little confused about stat distribution as some say 1:1 physique :spirit, others say all physique - i just pumped 10ish point into physique.
Equipment is nothing fancy but thanks god or socketables - now i have haunted steel in one gun and it does provide some noticable difference in survivability. Maybe I will up Flametouched and go for 2 x Haunted stell.
I wnader how he will perform in Elite and what 1.o.o.8 will bring - I did not installed it yet. I will wait a fe days.
If Flashbang doesn’t help for bosses and elite monsters then I probably won’t bother, because I have enough DPS to make anything less melt before it can even scratch me.
Sheet DPS is lower with dual guns then with rifle but clearing speed is just the opposite…I don’tget it but Im a noob - only played one toon DW Blademaster who is now farming for my Demo 
hence flashbang. I will get soon better pistols then I will see