Please suggest a passable summoner + ranged weapon build

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
1

Hi!

(Where I come: I had the chance to test Grim Dawn a couple hours before the final version came out years ago, but then I totally forgot the game. Some days ago I run into it and I remembered quite likeing it (unlike Torchlike 2, Diablo 3 and The Incredible AVH games) so today I bought the game (just the basic game), read wikies/forums and watch some videos about basic builds aaand…got overwhelmed, because there are soo many combinations and literature (I’m not a hack and slash type, only played Diablo II in the prehistoric ages).

My main question:
Is it possible to create a hybrid build: mainly fun and lazy, pet summoning type, but with a not too useless (not dual pistol) ranged weapon (without coop, on PvE)?
Ok, it IS possible, but is it passable at high levels? (I don’t want to restart/reallocate the build).

I don’t have the time or passion to minmax a character or hunt/grind for specific items, I hope I can just submerge in the game’s colorfull aesthetic, pick up the loot and go along the ride.

So:
(if you read that far, it’s too bad endurance isn’t a skill in the game, but at least +2 for your hunglish resistance).

Could you suggest a build like this (not extremly detailed, just a basic rundown)?
(like: go Pyromancer, but concentrate the points on the occultist’s summonings, like hellhound and 1/3 vs 2/3 on the vitality vs I forgot what are the other options.

My primary fear is: in higher levels, I might run into a brick wall, because as I red pure glass ranged builds not really viable.

(I remember playing with a pure ranged Demolitionst without the zodiac signs worked fine on easy in the first half of the game. Except in the tiny boss arenas and other small spaces - there I got obliterated countless times, since I couldn’t run and gun from the edge of the screen).

Also - is the summoning Conjurer too boring? As I see, it works fine (and I can choose rifle or pistol+shield), but people don’t really firing in videos, just resummoning the pets and harvest the loot.

But I could be wrong, my experiences mainly brought from pre-1.10 Diablo II, where ranged summoning necromancers worked fine. Untill Diablo, where got hammered.

Anyway, (in advance) thanks for the suggestions.

2

I can’t say much for pet users in other games, but summoners in Grim Dawn are far from boring. Only the most defensive pet builds can afford to be lazy and let your pets run the show - for everything else you’ll be balancing temporary damage buffs, keeping your pets alive, and focusing on the enemies that need to be defeated the fastest.

I see that you only bought the base game and not the expansion. That will make things a bit more complicated. I would highly recommend buying the expansion as your options are a lot better with it than without it.

I would recommend sneaky parrot’s Witching Hour Cabalist as the rifle is arguably the best pet item in the game (it’s somewhat passable without the expansion, but it really shines with the expansion). I’ll emphasize that you’ll barely have time to use your regular attacks, but with how powerful your pets are, you won’t have to worry about not attacking.

I should mention that Legendary items are largely a function of RNG, and finding the Witching Hour will be a toil. If you want to be able to use your Ranged Weapon throughout the game, I would recommend one of my own builds: Wretched Army - Poison Pet Cabalist. It has a slight advantage over the Witching Hour build in that you can grab the ranged weapon and the amulet (the major build components) early on in the game and as MIs, they have a far easier chance of dropping than a single Legendary item (and before you ask about the prefix/suffix hunting, the most important part of these items is the conversion, which you’ll get regardless of what sort of affixes you get). As a Cabalist, you can always re-spec from the Poison build to the Witching Hour build if you’re fortunate enough to get the rifle.

3

Since you just have the base game Build Compendium V is where you’ll find pre-AoM builds. I found this one which may be worth trying - a pet based Pyromancer.

http://grimdawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52622

There’s also JayNyne’s supposedly Lazy Pokemon Summoner original base game build.

http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24703

You’ll need to scroll down to the bottom of the first post for the old build link.

Don’t let the title fool you, you’ll be doing plenty of attacking yourself with Curse of Frality, Grasping Vines and Doombolt.

Neither of these builds use a gun though.

4

Thanks for the suggestions, I take them into consideration.

Hope months later I will be grateful for asking advices before jump into the game.