Newbie questions on End Game Progression

[Fish_Gaming]

I am fairly new to the game. I first of all wanted to say thank you to everyone on the forum for being so far so helpful and friendly. It’s nice to have an inviting group when learning a game for the first time. As someone who likes to go into a game knowing as much as possible, I had a few questions regarding the end game progression.

To start I will post the links to the builds I am looking to try, but with the caveat that I’m really just looking the more general answers regardless of the build I’m doing:

Beginning build I’m starting to follow:

[1.2.1.6] [Melee] HC SSF The matron's wrath - Beginner physical blade arc warlord leveling guide

[Melee] [1.2.1.6] The matron’s wrath (Ralfhskz) Damage: Physical, internal trauma Active Skills: Blade arc, blitz, war cry, overguard, ascension. [image] Greetings again, GD community… If you’re new on the game and wanna a good ol’ sword n’ board gameplay, this build’s for you! This char has a very simple gameplay: Stand your ground while you facetank and destroy almost all enemies the game throws at you. Skill rotation is very easy: Approach your enemies with blitz, debuff them wi…

Final build I’m considering to do (# 3 sledgehammer):

[1.2.1.6] (Sledgehammer Edition) 2H Warborn Cadence Warlord(Ravager of Flesh: 1m 08s; Callagadra: 1m 19s; Mogdrogen: 1min 25s; no-MI, no-doping; SR 35+; All 3 superboss Killer)

Subsequent to my no-MI/no-doping all 4 Superboss killer pet Conjurer https://forums.crateentertainment.com/t/1-2-1-6-resurrection-edition-elemental-bleeding-bysmiel-pet-conjurer-ravager-of-flesh-1min-14sec-mogdrogen-1min-15sec-the-crate-15sec-calla-1min-51sec-no-mi-no-doping-all-superboss-killer-sr-37/132539/11 and Subsequent to my no-MI/no-doping all 4 Superboss killer WitchBlade, https://forums.crateentertainment.com/t/1-2-1-6-the-crate-edition-leviathan-witchblade-ravager-of-flesh-1m-6s-ca…

My main questions circle the progression of end game. Most leveling build guides, although absolutely amazing, stop around sr25-26.

Questions on End Game Activities:
1.) First question what all do I do to grind outside of shatter realms? I know of bounties and SR. I don’t have the crucible DLC, is there anything else recommended to do?

2.) I’ve read that you can do certain bounty paths until around even SR 55 until they are not as
useful as SR. Is that true?

Start of questions on End Game Progression:
What is the standard progression look like? I have noticed that most starting leveling guides introduce the easier to obtain MI, while the end game SR75+ builds appear to have a lot of Legendries that are set pieces.

Five questions more focused on the gearing from SR25 up:
1.) Do I look immediately at SR25 for these set pieces to drop? Do they have lower tier versions you get along the way or do they only drop at the higher tiers?

2.) If I obtain one do I throw it on or do I wait until I have more of the set to make a difference with the set bonus?

3.) Or do I look for gear that is just better in slot at the moment?

4.) If I’m just looking for “better” gear what do I look for to continue my progression? Will it be clear or do I look for certain stats?

5.) Base on the build do I look for certain synergies or are stats the better thing to focus on as it is easier to obtain them than getting the random synergy you need?

I understand these questions may be different for each build, but if there are any previously posted material on this subject that can thoroughly cover it as well as cover it for each build I would greatly appreciate being directed to it!

And if I am thinking about this completely incorrectly please advise! I’m here to learn as stumbling through the dark making mistakes is not fun for me in these type of games.

Questions on stats in end game:

What is the standard end game progression look like that most want to achieve?

1.) What are the levels of SR you are trying to achieve for the next “tier of grinding”.

2.) When do you attempt a super boss?

3.) Are there any good recommended rotations of things to do and when I should be thinking about doing something more?

4.) Does anyone have information on stats needed (health, damage ect) needed before taking on any of the super bosses?

As many of you will be able to tell by now, I’m looking for a guide much like the amazing leveling guides that progress me more step by step through the game so I can better understand the mechanics and not miss out on things for my first playthrough. As well as not get stuck as I cannot stand the feeling of being stuck and not knowing if what I’m grinding is the right thing for me to do.

Thanks again for anyone who stops by to help with this.

[Jason_the_Iguana]

Answering your questions out of order in a way that makes sense to me:

@Fish_Gaming

What is the standard progression look like? I have noticed that most starting leveling guides introduce the easier to obtain MI, while the end game SR75+ builds appear to have a lot of Legendries that are set pieces.

You assemble the starter build with the easy items. Then you farm stuff (see below) to find legendaries and replace gear when you have enough, and shift to an end-

2.) If I obtain one do I throw it on or do I wait until I have more of the set to make a difference with the set bonus?

3.) Or do I look for gear that is just better in slot at the moment?

Builds are a jigsaw puzzle of stats and resistances. If you replace one item, you will likely lose something you need and gain too much of something else. So I’d recommend replacing all/most gear in one go and ensure all gaps are covered then.

In the meantime just keep using the starter gear you assembled, it should be a more complete package.

@Fish_Gaming

5.) Base on the build do I look for certain synergies or are stats the better thing to focus on as it is easier to obtain them than getting the random synergy you need?

This thread in general and in particular the amazing breakdown by @Ceno I link here are the best writeup I’ve seen on how builds are made and designed.

How do you approach creating builds?

As Bas said, I don’t 1-point the whole mastery, just what I think I’ll use. Words time? Words time. OK so we’ve decided on a Chillheart EoR build. The next thing I’ll do is search other skill modifier slots (offhand, head, medal, amulet, hands) for “to Eye of Reckoning”. Chillheart provides EoR flat Cold Damage and Phys->Cold. So if I can find some Physical Damage to EoR or more Cold Damage to EoR, that will look to me like a worthy item for consideration. Searching the offhand for EoR bonu…

I hope it will make it a lot clearer what to look for in items and when tweaking builds.

@Fish_Gaming

1.) First question what all do I do to grind outside of shatter realms? I know of bounties and SR. I don’t have the crucible DLC, is there anything else recommended to do?

Bounties are for farming faction rep. By the time you reach endgame, they are not at all required and won’t give you anything useful. Things to farm are:

• Monster totems - only when starting out, good for finding blueprints and legendary items, but not very efficient or interesting
• Crafting ingredients - You can never have enough Ugdenblooms and Aether Shards. Not very exciting but useful. You can design runs to collect them quickly.
• Monster infrequents - either for a specific build or in general, it can be nice to have a stockpile of some useful ones for future characters. There are also various rare legendary monster infrequents that drop from certain bosses, often in skeleton key dungeons. (For example: Morgoneth’s rings, the Nightbringer, Krieg’s Set) Those are worth collecting.
• Nemesis bosses. These drop good monster infrequents and rep items to help future characters, as well as legendaries. And learning to fight them and their attack patterns is VERY helpful for Shattered Realm.
• Skeleton key dungeons (tomb of the heretic etc) - Good sources of items and many of the aforementioned legendary monster infrequents, and also a nice transitional level of challenge before shattered realm. Nemesis bosses will also show up during them.

End game challenges:

• Secret bosses and Celestials - Clones of Bourbon, Mogdrogen, Lokar, Ravagar, Calagandra, Crate of Entertainment. Ravager and Calla are very tough and drop some neat items. There are also three variants of the ravagar to fight, though you’d need 3 different characters for that. Crate is very tough for many builds and drops mostly joke item.
• Speedrun shattered realm 30-31 - Best for farming gear, and also something you can optimise builds for
• Deep shattered realm 35+ - for the challenge, no real rewards, requires more focus on survivability
• Crucible I suppose, but you don’t have it and I don’t like it.

Note that Shattered Realm also drops green monster infrequents.

Final activity

• Start a new character. That’s what most people end up doing sooner or later. Shattered realm gets old pretty fast.

Oh, and one very important point:

the end game SR75+ builds

You are looking at OLD guides, there is no SR75 anymore. Levels have been collapsed, 75 is comparable to the old 25, new SR 40 is equivalent to old SR90? 100? Something like that, I believe. (I was not around for the old shattered realm so don’t quote me on exact numbers, just remember that the top 20 build thread is balanced around SR30-31, nothing higher.)

@Fish_Gaming

4.) Does anyone have information on stats needed (health, damage ect) needed before taking on any of the super bosses?

This link is NOT up to date for the latest patches, things have changed a bit. But it does still attempt to answer the question you’re asking.

Guide: Recommended stats for end game

Introduction Different players have fun playing the game in different ways. Being primary a single player game, your real opponent is just yourself and whatever self imposed challenges your create. But when you finally reach the max level, what should be stats you are aiming and how you decide why a build isn’t satisfactory. That’s what I am trying to create, guide with some baseline advises about the details on the character sheet panel. Of course universal stats for all character classes don…

From the top of my head, changes include:

• Phys res is no longer as important. Armour is still helpful, though the range to aim for is more 2K-3K
• Much higher HP is recommended, 20K for anyone trying to facetank
• Much higher OA (3500-4000 on many builds, some even higher) and focus on crit damage is current meta, though the old recommendation of 3K OA will still get by.

[MagpieMcGraw]

There’s not that much to endgame farming. If your build is a bit weak, farm totems and nemesis. If it’s strong, farm SR. If you need cash and your build is too weak for SR, farm treasure troves. I usually go to Tyrant’s Hold for that.

If you run out of aether crystals/ugdenblooms/cthonic seals, do some totem + nemesis runs.

[Bas]

@Jason_the_Iguana

Bounties are for farming faction rep. By the time you reach endgame, they are not at all required and won’t give you anything useful.

I think you are forgetting about the resistance augments. They’re quite important to patch any holes in your resistance and you can only get them from factions if you have max rep. Bounties are still the fastest way to farm rep (depending a little on the bounty).

@Jason_the_Iguana

You are looking at OLD guides, there is no SR75 anymore. Levels have been collapsed, 75 is comparable to the old 25, new SR 40 is equivalent to old SR90? 100? Something like that, I believe. (I was not around for the old shattered realm so don’t quote me on exact numbers, just remember that the top 20 build thread is balanced around SR30-31, nothing higher.)

The old levels are times 2.5 or something from the new ones, so SR 20 → old SR 60. 26->65, 30->75, 40->100.

[Jason_the_Iguana]

@Bas

I think you are forgetting about the resistance augments. They’re quite important to patch any holes in your resistance and you can only get them from factions if you have max rep. Bounties are still the fastest way to farm rep (depending a little on the bounty).

Sorry, I was unclear. I meant “By the time you reach endgame (and have max rep with all factions) bounties are useless.”

But yes, maxing out faction rep itself is very important, and getting to nemesis status can also be sped up with bounties.

@Bas

The old levels are times 2.5 or something from the new ones, so SR 20 → old SR 60. 26->65, 30->75, 40->100.

Thanks, that’s a much easier formula to remember.

[CaiusMisus]

Not much to be honest:

1. Get level 100 and 55 shrines.
2. Get the Ultimate only skill points
3. Get all the gear pieces for your build.
4. Grind non-stop for marginally better rolls on those same gear pieces.
5. Try your build in the Dungeons or Shattered Realm pushing. Alternatively, Celestials.

Then, probably roll a new character. Character progression halts completely after 2), Item progression gets extremely tedious after 3).

About 90% of my GD play time is spent leveling characters and planning builds (never followed a single build guide), as that’s where the fun of ARPGs is for me. In GD, that just stops on level 100. Arguably, even 90-94, as at that point, the 1 measly skill point you get gets easily overtaken by the enemy scaling.

[Gnomish_Inquisition]

skip step 4 and you’re there

[Jason_the_Iguana]

I’d add a different step 4:

4. Tweak your build’s skills, augments, specific gear affixes etc. to optimise it, running shattered realm in between to see what works best.

My initial ideas for a build always get refined by seeing how they perform in practice.

I also have a step 6, which I fortunately do not encounter often.

6. Discover your original build concept sucks and/or is boring and figure out what ELSE to do with this character.