Build Summary
Soldier + Demolitionist
“Hurt me and I will hurt you back” is the moto of this build.
With a 0 CD on Vindictive Flame and Counter Strike you can simply walk into enemies and they will kill themself on the engulfing chaos flames.
Pros:
- can do everything.
- Extreamly easy to execute.
- Kill everything while standing still, collecting items or even afk. (not superbosses)
- Can be played with only “Move to” button to a decent success, everthing else can be detached.
- No affixed legendary gear needed.
- The more enemies the more damage will be dished out.
- on max zeke the game will die before this build does.
Cons:
- weak against single enemies with high damage single attacks (e.g Mogdrogen, Ravager)
- requires decent investment in Reflected Damage Reduction
- needs filler skills from time to time to speed things along. So you might have to reconnect the keyboard at some point.
- when all enemies are dead, leftover ground damage could be fatal.
Build
Character will do chaos damage, lots of it, very frequently when surrounded. Some fire and lighting is sprinked in.
Devotions are focused on a mix of chaos damage and HP regen so that the build does not die from ground damage when everything is dead.
Against enemies with reflect the build enters a take damage massive damage, do massive damage loop. With enough enemies around and blast shield this means we simply kill things faster. Beware of enemies that reflect and are invunerable. See Game Plan section for some detail.s
Items:
All items can be easily aquired by using crafters (purchased at Devil’s Crossing faction vendor) and the shield can be shopped for in steel cap disrict.
- Chest, Helm, Medal, Shoulders: Ember’s Calling set. The beating heart of this build. Allows the build to heal back on each hit. (GD Crafter)
- Shield: Colossal Fortress. Gives us damage and CDR to the main skills. Shop for it in Steel Cap district. Get somethihg with physical resistance. I got Keeper’s affix for the HP regen and armor on proc skill.(MI Shop in Steel Cap)
- Weapon: Mythical Pagar’s Betrayl. Gives us damage and convets Vindictive Flame to chaos. (GD Crafter)
- Amulet: Conduit of Waring Whispers with chaos Counter strike. Get it with either pierve/acid/aether resistance. Available from GD legendary crafter from the get go. Can be crafted once, after which point the reroll recipe can be used. (GD Crafter)
- Rings: Mythival Entropic Coil and Voidheart. (GD Crafter)
- Gloves: Mythical Voidsteel Gauntlets. Preferrably with high cast speed because that is what oblivion skill scales off. (GD Crafter)
- Legs: Mythical Bishop’s Legwraps. Free chaos RR, yes please. (NCFF crafter)
- Boots: Funk Threads. +1 to all skills, no way to pass this up. (D2 crafter)
- Belt: Mythical sash of the bloodlord. Converts vitality to chaos and boosts for a few skills. (GD Crafter)
- Relic: Oblivion. Provides the build with a filler skill that can speed things along. This is the hardest item to get for the build. Tyrant’s Fist is an alternative tha can be crafted at any time. (GD blueprint drop or TQ crafter).
- Ring and Amulet components: Modifier Rune of Colossal Fortress x3 (Remodify crafter)
Non-vanila augments can be purchased from summanable shops (Devil’s crossing faction vendor sells the summon items)
End game Devition and Skill set up: Commando, Level 100 (GD 1.2.0.3) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Devotions are far from optimized with this chaos + regen focus. Building around Dying god and no regen will likely give better results.
Devotions skills are assigned in the grimtools link.
End game Attributes: 18 to 20 in physique to wear items. Everything else goes to spirit.
Complete item set up: https://imgur.com/a/Vp90Fcr
Leveling
Leveling will not be covered much. Any vanila leveling guide can be used (e.g. BWC demolitionist or Forcewave soldier). Only take advange of DoM components such as Perfect Diamonds and +to all skills.
Alternatives
Depending on which resistace you get on the amulet you will have head,hand and shoulder augments to fill in the resiance gaps. Same slots can be used to switch to lighning if you want to fight mogdrogen.
The build actually needs only 2 of the Modifier components to reach 0 CD (give you have 26 points in Vindictive flame). You could place a “lighing damage conveted to chaos” component on the amulet which will convert Ulzuin’s Wrath.
Instead of 1 Seal of Might you can use D2 runes, either for flat RR or preventing monster healing.
Taking RR will mean you can pick something else rather than the Scales devotion.
Taking Prevent monster heatl will make it easier in beast areas which can have lots of healers. Current setup does have enough damage however.
You can take one point in blitz to move around faster, instead Veterancy but you might need more points in physique.
Game Plan
- Against Crowds. Walk in. Collect loot.
- Against Reflect at any point. You will deal and take massive damage. Blast shield will save you here so pay attention when it is on CD. Take more reflect resistance to your liking. For me 33% felt enough.
- Against Super Bosses. These are slow and hard hitting, so the build is not the great against them but with some manuvering it can take them down. Crate of Entertainmetn being an exception.
- SR completed up to 95. Not much issues. Mainly related to pulling all the bosses together and some of them having high life leech resistance. SR 75 is a walk in the park.
- Diablo Bosses. No issues. Adria gets a bit hard at SR 90+ and can kill you if you stand in too much ground damage.
When farming Zeke this would be my prefered areas in order.
- Ancient Grove, Flodded passage and other beast ares. Kubacabra is naturally weak agains the build as we do more damage the more ground effects there are. Some heroes are reflective but with enough density we heal back up and kill things quicker.
- Crounley’s Hideout: damage to humans as completion bonus helps alot here. Enemies have reflect but with enough density this only means we kill things faster. Be warned thaf fabius becomes invunerable and reflects damage. Usually blast shiled comes off CD wihile you loot items.
- Darkvalle Gate and chthonic areas. Not many reflect monster and a lot of damage instances. Beware of Grava that can nullify you. If this happens blast shield is enough to save you and reposition till auras are back up.
- Arkovian under city and undead areas. The nemesis has two stages and is slow hitting. Many healers and same heroes damage relfect.
- Tomb of the Eldritch Sun. Not many reflect monster and a lot of damage instances. But many enemies apply sunder and Morgoneth has a massive reduction to out damage.
- Tomb of the Archon (Kymon/Death’s vigil). Only regular enemies in here but if it is ever fixed to spawn heroes/nemesis this might be a top 3 spot.
- Aetherial areas. Absolutely the worst on any character not only on this. Ninja Loxmore will strip away your auras. Too frequently aetherial bosses spawn that drop no loot, slow to kill and buff allies on death (council members). In AoM areas you get multiple boss spawn that drop meteros and can be fetal when combined with sunder. Archmages a frequent enemy becomes invunerable with damage reflect.
Build in Action - Videos
VS Crate and Maggots
https://youtu.be/l811zQB1Axg
VS Max Zeke in Cronley’s Hideout.
https://youtu.be/3YxG1A9Lczs