My Pure Soldier Build - Looking for ways to increase spirit

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
1

Hey all, been playing since B29 (steam winter sale), and so far this is my favorite build. Noob build architect here, so please bear with me. This is my favorite build mostly because it can survive pretty much everything while most other builds I’ve tried get pwned in elite. However beyond discussing why the build itself is good (to me), or maybe not (to you), I’m having an issue with spirit, in that for equipment I’m using Markovians set, but don’t have enough spirit to use Markovians Amulet. I was wondering if you guys could help me figure out what to do to get enough spirit to wear the amulet and finish the set after I’m done breaking down the build. I need 230 spirit to wear it.

This build is focused on 1 hand/shield and defense. It maxes both Cadence and Blade Arc to get rid of that issue that people usually have with pure soldier builds sticking to one or the other, I decided to go with both for both AoE and single target damage. Whether or not this was wise I do not know, but it works for me. Currently not using Blitz/blindside but that may change. until level 65, I was using a 2:1 or 3:1 physique/cunning ratio, no points in spirit. Then from 65-75 I invested 10 points into cunning, because as is inherit with all pure soldier builds their damage is just so weak and I decided I needed to do something about it, Even with maxed Cadence. This build can survive nearly everything, including SoT in Ultimate solo (pre 1.0.0.2, havent tried since patch and defensive devotion nerfs), but when it comes to fighting a hero or boss mob it just takes forever to beat them. Obviously a build like this will need massive attack speed buffs/physical damage % increase to become viable. Recently have put 3 or 4 points into spirit because I noticed how far off from being able to use Markovians Amulet I was.

This build will struggle to damage much until level 75 and Markovians gear can be equipped. Offensive ability is an issue throughout. Markovians will significantly boost DPS to a point where it is usable. With or without Markovians, this build is best used as a tank in multiplayer while DPS characters are behind you dishing it out. Solo it takes patience and is quite boring, but you can survive pretty much everything.

Skills/devotion without gear: http://grimcalc.com/build/Cba7RU

(real character stats after points so far)
Physique: 949
Cunning: 491
Spirit: 149

OA: 1482
DA: 1882
DPS: 4484
AR: 1945 (100% AA on all pieces)

Not sure how to do skills/devotions with gear as this is my first attempt to explain a build, and I run out of points when I try to show the buffed skill levels by Markovians. If anyone would care to explain I’d appreciate it.

As you can tell, I went for straight defensive devotions with this build, which to my dismay has been nerfed recently. The repercussions weren’t too bad though, and I still have 9k health with markovians. I just figured this was the best way to go as I wanted him to be tanky as possible, and you can definitely feel free to change or give suggestions to devotion trees as you see fit. The list of of active devotion trees are as follows, and were used for physique, resist, health, shield, and general tankiness buffs:

Turtle, Anvil, Scales of Ulemea, Shieldman, Obelisk of Menhir, Solemn Watcher, Ulo the Keeper of the Waters

The playstyle is pretty straight forward. Activate Menhir’s, counterstrike, field command. Spam Warcry and Overguard as much as possible. Keep Cadence on left click and Blade Arc on right click. Pure tank.

All gear currently equipped (legendary): Beronath Reforged, Hammerfall Girdle, Hellforged Legplates, Boneshatter Treads, Grasp of Unchained Might, Juggernaut Relic, Markovians Visor, Markovians Vanguard, Markovians Platemail, Markovians Bulwark

So any suggestions? Any way you’d change the build to a more practical form? And how can I change things to get to the point where I can use the Markovian sets’ amulet? I’m 80 points off in spirit. I’ve thought about going to a second class, but not sure which one would be practical for this build.

Thanks y’all, love this game!

2

Stop trying to be a pure Soldier. Pick Up Arcanist Put points in mastery and Inner Focus and this will cure your Spirit issues.
Otherwise you just need to find gear with Flat Spirit and or some with % Spirit.

There is zero benefit for being a single class archtype. Literally no benefit, but lots of benefit in dual classing.

3

False, you get a big fat +50 skill points for choosing to say single mastery. Whether the stat loss is worth it or not depends on your build, because of how easy it is to stack stats from items especially in B31+. It’s a lot easier to stack health these days.
Also, note that the current trend is that the devs are working on buffing most skills, from giving them massive OA bonuses to giving them extremely rare bonuses like +physical resist. Skillpoints are getting more and more valuable. If they keep doing that we might see more and more builds not going all out on mastery points.

Sources with +spirit are easy enough to find, and a single affix (“of Pysche”) can give you as much as 60-80+. The tricky part is getting that affix to spawn with another useful affix.
If you’re going to pick a second mastery, don’t pick one just for stat points. Those are extremely easy to stack in ultimate. Pick one with skills that best complements your build.

4

Nothing I said is false. Show me a benefit he has for being single class. There is none, Nada zilch. I never said you couldn’t go single mastery, I said there is zero benefit in doing it.
We get it you like single mastery classes, but just cause you like something doesn’t mean it grants you any benefits. You personally gimp your characters stats and gimp your choice in gear.

5

I don’t need to prove anything, I already ran a single mastery class through the game with more handicaps than people playing dual mastery classes have to deal with, and it wasn’t hard.

You don’t seem to understand just how easy it is to actually stack stats with items, or just how powerful some of the new buffed skills are. Mastery bar bonuses are trivial compared to what you can achieve with item stat stacking. You pick a second mastery for the skills it offers. The mastery bar bonuses are just that - bonuses. They help sweeten the deal, but that’s it.

You want math?
16 points in Nightblade gives you 52 Physique, 64 Cunning, 40 Spirit = 156 total stat points. You also get 400 health and 200 energy.
16 points in Blood of Dreeg gives you +138 OA, which is equivalent to 276 Cunning. It also gives you an AoE: 28% heal, 106 health regen per second, 38 bonus acid damage and 152 acid retaliation damage.

And it’s a growing trend.
The bottomline is that if you’ve reached your breakpoints for health/energy, which is now pretty easy to do with items, skills win out over mastery bar points.

6

Again no you don’t understand and actually seem kind of slow.

No where did I say you cant do it? Try to keep up sport. The bolded part of your stupid post is the exact same thing I have been saying to him when you said I was wrong.
Keep up Bud.

No Benefit to playing Single Class is what I said
you said I already ran a single mastery class through the game with more handicaps than people playing dual mastery classes. Hence confirming my no benefit to doing so.
Are you caught up yet?
I’ll Wait a second…

All right glad were both on same page now.

Single classes are doable, but there is zero benefit in doing so.

7

You’re behind, actually.

And you also don’t seem to get this part:

…the game with more handicaps than people playing dual mastery classes have to deal with, and it wasn’t hard.

…so let me explain that in plainer terms. I was playing with handicaps that could very easily cripple dual class builds, like only 25 stat points in physique and zero legendaries. And the build pulled through with flying colors.

I assume you’re living in some alternate universe if all that means to you is that the build is viable. Because in this universe, it means the build is not only viable but it actually excels. Considering how quite a few occultist/x builds have to work pretty hard just to survive in ultimate, it follows then that some benefit for playing single mastery classes exists, doesn’t it?

8

I can walk from my house to work every day but it is more beneficial to drive my car to get there in 30 minutes instead of walking for four hours.

Sfbmistimg brings up some very good points. Picking a second class that will boost your Spirit and OA from a passive skill will alow him to still play with mostly Soldier with his attacking skills. If he needs more Spirit, Pretty Great Pants are very nice.

9

I 50/50-ed a witch hunter and a conjurer, I can still max rank all my essential skills.

Playing a single class is just for challenge or role playing purpose. If there is actual benefit of doing so, why we don’t see many people playing single class? Stop spreading misinformation please.

10

Misinformation? You’ve obviously never even played a single mastery build, and you call me out on misinformation?

And why does it matter if not a lot of people play single mastery builds? According to the “What is your favorite mastery?” poll, a mere 13% of forum goers consider Arcanist as their favorite mastery. Does that mean that Arcanist is a weak mastery?

Stop advertising your opinions as facts.

11

yes, but I don’t enjoy driving my car through traffic. I do, however, enjoy playing this game.

12

You are forgetting a pretty big handicap of going single class. Getting the annoying window of choosing your second class each time you open your skill windows. I’d say, just because of this, it’s not worth it.

:stuck_out_tongue:

13

actually when you build a single class, it only does that for a few levels. eventually the game picks up on the fact that your not going to choose one any time soon so it leaves you alone about it.

Geez guys, stop arguing. I think you’re both right, and wrong. The reason I kept this build as pure soldier is because when I made the character I wasn’t sure what kind of dual class I wanted, I just wanted a pure melee build that’ll tank, without having to study online builds too much. and because the soldier tree just has so many awesome skills and is so good by itself, I just kept it that way and so far have not made up my mind about what second class I want to pick. That’s also the nice thing about pure builds, is once you decide what second class you want, you can just simply remove the points from x skill and do that. Again, I’ve been indecisive about a 2nd class so it’s worked out for me.

Also, having a pure soldier build is nowhere near as crippling and dumb as having, say, a pure nightblade or demolitionist, of which I have both and there is zero point to it because they get owned. Actually, because Soldiers’ skills are all basically so awesome, and as mentioned earlier crate is gearing towards max levels in skills being way better than before, I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that there isn’t really much of a point in investing in another skill tree for this build aside from stat points. It’s already established that Soldier is the best class for ultimate. While every one else gets owned in SoT Ultimate, I survive easily and dish out plenty of damage with Markovians.

But I do agree, most single class builds are not doing you any good, but I do feel like pure Soldier is an exception to the rule you are discussing

But anyway, what do you all think would be a good 2nd class/skill to add to this build?

14

I beg to differ bud. I ran a single soldier class and he’s fking rekting faces. The game gives you option to stick to one class and the option to make it as effective as dual class.

Pure soldier works and works amazing well

15

^^^^

exactly.

other classes? not so much

16

Nightblade is actually in a pretty good place right now if you get Tree of Life. If you read around, you’ll see that quite a few Nightblade/x builds are relying mostly on resists and regen to survive in ultimate, and they manage to pull it off despite being point-starved. I fail to see how someone who can actually to sink 50 extra points in Nightblade could do worse, defense-wise at least.
Arcanist has always been pretty solid, which I suppose is the reason why people can’t help but pair it with another mastery. It’s hard not to. Same for Shaman.

Demo seems to be of the black sheep of the GD masteries family atm. If the current skill tweaking trend continues, though, then it might finally be able to stand on its own in the future.

17

He did, +50 skill points.

18

The answer to your question which was how to get enough spirit to equip an amulet with higher spirit requirement than your current spirit is obvious, either put on gear with +spirit on them, go dual class and get some spirit through mastery points or use attribute points on spirit.

19

I think a devotion (Dryad?) also has a minus % spirit requirement for jewelry that is also very nice.

20

That’s not a benefit every class combo can get that many + skill points.

Hell my Frenetic Throw Spellbreaker has +115 Skill Points not including any individual skill points from gear.