Retaliation Warlord - 100% block

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
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The Build:

  >>[https://www.grimtools.com/calc/r2BAb0WN](https://www.grimtools.com/calc/r2BAb0WN)<<

I have evolved this build into something else, see update section below for the evolved build.

I have crafted a Retaliation Warlord Tank build that relies on 100% block rate with a high block amount and 100% reduced block downtime during Overguard. Basically this build maximizes shield + retal damage. It also goes for high regen and phys resist reduction, with a bit of life leech at the side.

It is a Righteous Fervor attacker. Playstyle i try to keep it simple, seeking to automate things rather than active presses insofar as i can. You just walk into packs and start attacking and stuff explodes in aoe from all the proc and things. It is intentional to keep DA low so they can actually hit you.

NOTE: Build has not been adjusted since nerf so it’s just below 100% block and since i later experienced resistance overcap is essential for good ability to high SR i can see now it’s also missing that. And same minor tweaks. Something for someone to improve if they want.

Devotion Abilities:

Targo’s Hammer
Messenger of War
Assassin’s Mark
Shield Wall
Stone Form
Turtle Shell
Healing Rain

Leveling Tips:

Generally super easy and safe to level.

  • Use cadence for lower levels, swap to fervor when it gets better(around 65?)
  • Don’t underestimate retal for lvling, you can get a ton from counterstrike and other passives like bulwark + devotions so you can start oneshotting trash mobs that hit you even while leveling - Keep a lookout for retaliation gear
  • I would recommend get shield chance up early + get Targo’s Hammer devotion proc asap
  • Remember use random components/augments for weak resistances
  • The weakest point of build is between start and before retal starts picking up later, maybe 45-93 - good items can help a lot

UPDATE:

I evolved this into another more offensively focused build that doesn’t fit title but is far more optimized, leaving it here. https://www.grimtools.com/calc/RZRzpPBZ, can’t remember if there are stats missing from crafts - well i do remember at least 12% physique lost i ended up exactly on required 1035 in game with 0 points. Just know this posted build is based on my actual item rolls for better or worse, not grim tools stats.

Here is a video post-nerf for the updated build, until i maybe make its own thread it is hidden in here.

Video disclaimer:

This is me, testing the build unadjusted after nerf. This is my first time fighting on this character for what 1-2 weeks, i barely even remember controls. I just wanted stroll in there see coz i promised video. As for the SR it was kinda mediocre, if i had better spawns could be faster as well as lacking grim internals could have speed it up also. I also didn’t get that hard bosses, but i’m not playing grim dawn atm not gonna redo till i get a nasty combo i just wanted show the power. Still, as it is, this is more than 1 legend/minute farming. Think final count was 15 in inventory after, can’t see all at the screen at the end, too much loot.

I can barely control my character with this lag, you see me not using important abilties for over 5 seconds sometimes, almost dying to it. It’s not because i am not spamming them, it is because i got so much lag the game doesn’t register it! My settings are on minimum and still it’s like this when recording, so expect super uuugly video.

//youtu.be/i-rL__YAhUY

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You’ll have to put enough points into spirit so that you have 394 to use your jewelry, but otherwise geeze.

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Dum dum dumti duum.

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since so much of your gear is boosting it I’d recommenced picking up aegis to give you a ranged attack and while you’re at it you may as well put a point into warcry as well.

Also you may want some more OA as well

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The main issue is: you have no RR except shattering smash.
Your OA is way too low.
Ascension is a nice ability for retal’.
What’s the point of being invincible if you can’t kill stuff ? You have no damaging ability but RF.

I think you can cut points from RF as your main source of damage will be retal’. Take Ascension and/or find a way to get GoE for much needed RR. Also, Assassin’s Blade and Targo should be picked. You need as much RR and procs as you can grab, because your only damaging ability is RF. Not sure about the rings either: Menhir + Matriarch or Judicator Set should be better.

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Here’s a tweaked version of this build https://www.grimtools.com/calc/a2E89GJN others can probably do better but it should be an improvement.

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Sorry if I’m harsh but I’m afraid you’re doing it wrong, guys. Let me explain. You got 39% overcap on block chance and 76% on recovery (still 45% when Overguard is down), yet you put more points to shield training investing everywhere you can to max it. In the meantime things like Safeguard are not even taken, main damaging skills are not even softcapped, there is no rr (where’s the Guardian?), you take Warcry transmuter which terrifies and make mobs move away from you instead of taking retaliation damage, you stack da to crazy values making you ever harder to hit, oa is at the level of lvl 60 character… It will take forever to clear some content - literally forever. You won’t kill Fabius or Kuba with this (they heal).

Again, sorry if I sound harsh… I know retaliation meta has not been well developed yet, and there’s little to take inspiration from. So good job trying to figure it out.

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hey =) i think block chance have cap i think its 60% or something if zantai would add caps to the gameguide i could say it in a more accurate way^^

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no caps… i used the word overcap as a shortcut. he’s got 139% block chance on grimtools. it’s like a 39% overcap as 100% chance is maximum chance. nothing can be more likely than certain. as there i know of no debuffs that affect block chance it’s absolutely no use ever pushing it over 100%. I don’t know why it’s even possible on the tooltip.

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Part of the reason block was so high in my tweaked version was keeping with OPs 100% block chance all the time (it was the relics skill pushing it that high) after all it’s in the title, but I personally think having around 75% block chance and using absolution push it to 100% would be better.

Here’s a version where I’ve taken that philosophy to the build and tried to push OA up more https://www.grimtools.com/calc/D2p4q4a2 (note aside from the relic and components/augments I haven’t touched the OPs gear)

And on the damage skills themselves well their level is irrelevant as all damage is coming from %retaliation added to attack

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10 chars…

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You don’t really need 100% block unless you just like the idea. I also recommend investing much more into OA. The new FG retal is not like the old one. You should have a minimum of 500 more OA. You can start with the rings for achieving this. For reference I have 3K OA

Maxinf RF is literally not worth it. It;s all bout retribution. You will get very little damage per skill point on a very skill starved char.

Not using Ascension is a shame. The Retal you get from it and OA from clarity of purpose(at least lvl 7) really fleshes out the build

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OA do not matter for retal builds, since retal dmg can not miss or crit (at least pre-FG)

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This is a FG build and OA very much matters

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@Fluff

How, in general, does stacking retal for retal-added builds compare to stacking flat for classic autoattacks?

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Can I read about it in the game guide? :wink:

I understand that OA will matter for Rigtheous fervor, but for general retal?

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I’m interested in this as well although I gave up on my own retaliation build after spending 1/2hr in a infinite loop with port valbury’s boss.

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I’ve answered this question before to you idk why you are skeptical. Also i’ve played this build…a lot… % Retal is added to attack and can crit and lifesteal as well. Not to mention that at 1800 OA you won’t hit anything.

The total retal on you is same as ever. It won’t crit and if you get hit you bite back. Proificient melee enemies will go down faster ofc. Guys like Fabius evaporate

They compare very well. They have consistent moderate damage with huge surprising spikes here and there. This is how they feel different. Like if Shattering smash crits in this case cause it’s also modded with even more retal. Or Honor relic shirgun 33% retal x5 will bring big bois to their knees close up

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So should I hire a private detective to find the answer? It is not like you type these things in big red letters :wink:

Ok then I was pretty correct, you do not need OA in FG unless you use “retal dmg added to attacK”

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You are not correct unless you want to deliberately gimp your build and simply don’t accept the retal is different now then force yourself to play vanilla retal.

Retal dmg to attack is everywhere now for every class one way or another in skills, mods. You only have to ignore everything to be correct. It’s like saying I don’t need damage if i don’t swing my weapon