I am new(ish) to the game and have been working up a spellbinder focusing on aether and vitality damage. When I got around to checking the forum for its wisdom on the two skills, while there is no great love of either it seems Harbinger of Souls is particularly disliked. I am curious if something has changed or is there good reason to go with RP over HoS, especially given I have been focusing on both aether and vitality damage.
Not sure why Harbringer of souls is disliked, its one of the best exclusive in the game.
Rule of thumb - you go Harbringer if you need life leech. You go Reckless power if you need flat dmg.
I use Harbinger on my Budget/beginner Callidor Spellbinder http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80822
I agree but just wanna point out that if your build is life leech viable - uses weapon damage - then you need flat anyway.
Rule of thumb, I’d say, is pick the one that’s cheaper. Meaning you got more skill bonuses from gear to it and you can get the missing stat - flat or adcth - elsewhere. Usually Reckless is the one. Plus if you plan to use Devastation then you have to push Arcanist mastery to the max anyway which makes Reckless even cheaper (as without Harbinger you can stop Necromancer mastery at Blood Boil or even sooner if you need extra points). This is the reason why Reckless is more common on aether builds.
But as Malawiglenn pointed out, budget builds that don’t do enough dmg to survive with standard endgame adcth values might need that huge adcth from Harbinger.
Yeah, your guide is one I have read up on. 
My spellbinder went Reckless, and I have been fairly well satisfied with it, mostly wondering if I had been missing out by not going HoS. But year, I am enjoying the flat damage from Reckless.
Thing with that one is that I went with a 2H-weapon in the leveling up phase. The goal is to get caster offhand and go with devastation. Then you have the “issue” that ya_ discussed here, you do not have enough skill points to pick both Harbinger of Souls AND Devastation
My guide also discusses how and when to transition and shows some end-game decked builds. I do mention the crossover when you actually leech better due to the flat dmg from Reckless power compensating for the loss of life steal.
As you can see in my version https://www.grimtools.com/calc/aZqyBz4Z I do max necro bar to get reap spirit which I think is the best proccer for the Hourglass… So I could go for Harbinger here actually but I feel that my 13% life steal is already enough
Two exclusive from different masteries don`t work together. Even if you have points to pick both, its not a good idea 
I don’t think no one has ever claim that one could pick both? xD But hey your coffee cup can play grim dawn so
/10 char :rolleyes:
Thanks, I meant both Harbinger of Souls AND devastation 
Perhaps tell your coffee mug to use the quote function more often