As a new player, I tried out the Retaliation build Warder on the forum, on Hardcore, and unfortunately lost my Lvl 57 character trying to complete Lvl 100 Crucible on Aspirant difficulty.
So my question is: What would be the most efficient/fastest Lvling guide/build you can come up with, that can later be respecced into a competitive build for endgame. I assume the last Lvl’s from 70-85 can be done whilst trying to farm items.
Any referral to current builds out there in the Build Compendium is fine as well.
1.Please keep in mind that the gear requirements should be low, as new players will definitely use Self found gear.
2. This character can ideally then be used for farming other items, which would enable new players to try out some of the suggested builds out there.
3. I would like to do this without any mods,and if this is doable in Hardcore mode, even better.
4. I am usually one the type of players that believe I should clear everything - is this good/necessary or am I wasting my time. ( obviously completing all quest, and side quest is mandatory )
Thank you for anyone trying to contribute to such a guide / or guides !
Generally anything can be made to solo at least 1-50 pretty efficiently. There are no special cases imo.
A lot of popular leveling builds usually focus on your main mastery and pumping points into one attack and then a couple support skills here and there. In many cases you can even forgo an attack and use components as your main attacks and focus your skill points elsewhere.
For example, many players level arcanist and demolitionist with greater fireblast and fire aura components in their weapon and offhand. Then, depending on your mastery, fill your bar up and pick up some auras or debuffs and usually one “burst aoe attack.”
Arcanist
Max OFF, 1 point in Mirror, 1 point in IEE, and just make your way up to devastation. Maybe stop and hit Maiven’s Sphere if you need some defense.
Demolitionist
Bee line to canister bomb, max it, max flame touched, put a few points in Vindictive flame, go to blast shield, drop a few points in that. You can toss a point into temper and ulzuin’s wrath too.
Both of those leveling specs use greater fireblast as their main attacks. And the fire aura toggle you get from enchanted flint is really nice.
Obviously this game is meant to be played however you want. That is just how I usually level those two builds quickly through normal/vet. Once you get to elite (or even before if you want!), start filling in the other tree or maybe even respec out of the component based builds.
Edit: To clarify, those examples are two different builds. You don’t want to do that with both trees in one build if you are leveling a sorc (Arcanist/Demo).
All classes have ways to level fast tbh. If you’re looking for a fast leveling char that will do well in hardcore then try out a sword n board witchblade, leveling with blade arc and forgoing a shield early on. Primal strike elementalist is awesome, very tanky and great aoe, can switch to savagery later on for single target damage. Caster problem a sorcerer, max flash freeze, spam fireblast from weapon component, bumrush devastation.
You are 100% wasting your time by full clearing btw, the ideal strat is to only kill heroes and what is getting in your way
Kill heroes/bosses ignore trash
Only do mainquest or side quests along the main path. Shit that makes you go out of the way is a waste of time cause main quest gives so much fast/easy exp and lets you get to next difficulty faster
GO ZOOM ZOOM. Stack movespeed from boots/devotions, rushing Sailor is legit as fuck. If your class has a dash grab it asap, if it doesn’t then put a riftstone on your weapon immediately when you hit level 25 or hell even use two
Every class has some abilities which melt trash with big aoe to level fast then you can respec later. They are the best abilities because they kills bosses fast enough but ALSO one shot trash while you walk by, so you dont need to skip them. Gap closer abilities actually make you go way faster, blitz and such.
Demo: cocktail, cannister bomb
Soldier: blade arc, no transmuter. The cast speed version
Occultist: bloody pox with transmuter (best!!!) and sigil of consumption
Arcanist: limited heavily by max energy but aether ray does insane dps
Shaman: the bug swarm one i forget its name
Start the game and get lv3 or so and a weapon, switch to crucible. Play that until you are about lv15. Use all crucible points for devotion points. You will now get 50 points in the middle of elite.
Switch to campaign. On veteran you only put skill points in damage. Both devotions and skills. Attributes you cant change so probably physique, but put your planned spirit points FIRST so that you have more energy to keep clearing. I choose veteran over normal becuase you get more exp and if you are melting everything it doesnt matter how many hero monsters are there, you just get more exp and rep. Get another character to buy you all the reputation boosters
I personally do every convenient side quest and shrine until you have 50, you need reputation and points anyways
On elite it’s now worth your time to put components on stuff. You can put a few points in defensive skills at this point. By the end of elite you should be lv70 with this strategy and can respec once you can wear the gear yoy gave laid out