Has any of you tried them?
I know JoV has a Soldier, there’s a Demo. I myself made it work with Shaman and Soldier
Frankly it’s a pain in the ass to play this way so eventually most people would respec (i know i did) but my question isn’t whether you still have the builds but rather any of you have tried them?
I tried and failed (miserably) with Nightblade.
Solo Arcanist is a hello no. Curious if anyone made solo-Occultist work around DEE?
I play as solo Occultist all the time, usually up until elite though I have a few end game Occultists. They make excellent measuring sticks for my end-game builds and are just really good at tackling content because the mastery has a heal and a ton of innate resistances.
All of them are summoners though, about half the skills in the class were designed with multiple damage sources in mind. DEE obviously makes you rely on using it as your main damage source, perhaps unless you took Focused Gaze, but there are just so many other useful utility poison skills which require zero skill point investment.
I played a Nightblade until elite once, but as more of a caster. He was really good it.
Solo Arcanist is actually one of the most viable. You’ve got plenty of CC, you’ve got plenty of screen wide damage(if you know what you’re doing), you’ve got an “oh $%&/” button…it just takes patience to see what really works. When you find it…almost any other class will feel kinda weak tbh.
I’m always up for solo builds. Unless there is an archetype that interests me that is gained via dual classing(example: Witch Hunter, Witchblade, Battlemage etc). And yes, those names do influence me. As they would any self respecting RPG player.
Soldier shouldn’t be hard.
Nightblade COULD work, but more as a caster imo.
Shaman and Occultist can both work as summoners(though this bores me)
Occultist in particular is rather easy what with all those self heals, resists etc
Arcanist is very easy.
Demolitionist…Demo is very overrated imo. I could conceive of a way, but it is not terribly original or fun.
I have a Soldier, level 82. It is quite decent dps wise, but could be more sturdy. OA is a problem, only 2150 at the moment. Luckily I found Aggressive Cronley’s singet of Attack, which boosts my OA by 200.
I deal 60k damage with Blitz and about 45k trauma DoT crits. My pants and helmet are turdy, both green with not that useful affixes. Once I can take advantage of some resistance boosting affixes, I can boost OA some and benefit from crits by activating Assassin’s Mark and Blind Fury more.
Very solid throughout veteran and epic. Crushed bosses like Zarthuzellan in a few seconds both times. In ultimate you start needing decent items.
Solo Arcanist is actually one of the most viable. You’ve got plenty of CC, you’ve got plenty of screen wide damage(if you know what you’re doing), you’ve got an “oh $%&/” button…it just takes patience to see what really works. When you find it…almost any other class will feel kinda weak tbh.
I bet it takes a lot of patience to run away from every single ethereal bully that is imune to CC. How much life solo Arcanist can scratch by the end of ultimate?
Lol /10char
Well, how’s this any different to Demo? With a notable difference that Demo does not have your clutch skills. Even Nightblade is less effective at surviving than you(but if you go around throwing knives…). Or on par, but I’d say slightly less so.
Anyhow, what’s the reference for this question? 80? End of Ultimate? What?
Well, how’s this any different to Demo? With a notable difference that Demo does not have your clutch skills. Even Nightblade is less effective at surviving than you(but if you go around throwing knives…). Or on par, but I’d say slightly less so.
Anyhow, what’s the reference for this question? 80? End of Ultimate? What?
Level 85 ofc.
Demo provide Flashbang with searing light and it work even on nemesis, cutting incoming dmg by half. Demo has a lot of cast and forget spells. You can drop BWC/mines/mortar and just run around, you will stil deal dmg. Demo has Firestrike and if he invest heavily in ADTCH, aka vortex soul 12%+lifegiver ring 7%+revenant 9%+ hollowed steel 5% he can facetank the whole content, excluding nasties nemesis and MQ . Blastshield is not much worse that miror. 250 OA reduction from BWC help a lot, you can actualy hit 2.2k effective DA with Solemn watcher and no one would ever crit you. And you have up to 50% RR from mines and up to 30 flat reduction from BWC. And 150 flat armor from Temper, and movespeed from VF.
What Arcanist can offer? No DA, just not a single point. No armor. No reliable CC. 2 DoT source with diferent elements - burn from Inferno and frostburn from frosen core, both mediocre at best. No reliable RR.
Well, Arcanist has access to some of the best gear in the game - 4 slots Iscandra, Fateweaver`s leggins, Warpfire, immortal sage belt, that give him 30 phyz res and 25% dmg absorbtion, that might work.
It’s not uncommon to hear about people playing pure Arcanists all the way into elite, you basically just nuke things to death and as long as your armor and resists are decent you’ll be fine with just Mirror and Maiven’s.
Ultimate is another story, but from theory standpoint possibly very doable with things like Aldanar’s Vanity/Hourglass and lots of cooldown reduction (for Mirror spammage). Devotion-wise you are also in proximity to a lot of survivability constellations like the Tree of Life.
Then you just need to stay mobile and pick nukes which you can cast while kiting. I’ve seen lots of people get by using that combo with skills like Devastation, I don’t think it’ll take a lot tweak it a bit so it works for pure Arcanist. The details will need work though.
I have to say, for me there isn’t even an Single-Class-Build to begin with, or better say Multiclass-Build, because for me there are only Single-Class which are build by two Masterys. Everything which involves you only use “one” Mastery is for me an “Half-Class”-Build or single Mastery-Build. So no, i hadn’t the chance yet to focus on one Mastery, except if i can count that i picked an second mastery mostly for stat-points(which than again makes it to an class and not single-master-build).
I attempted to do it with a summoner occultist but it ended up just falling through… You just don’t get enough base stats to support yourself especially with the end game requirements on gear you just fall flat.
edit
Wouldn’t it be nice if we gained base stats as we level instead of through mastery so all builds/specs would be viable ?
This is somewhat of a “painful” subject for me, for lack of better words. Ideally, for me, both dual class builds and single-class builds should be viable.
This has to do with class fantasy, because I’m not always interested in playing a “Blademaster” who, in fact, uses a rifle. This games’ dual class system motivates me to look for somewhat quirky but immersive combinations.
Take this for what you will, but I believe that the fact that single-class builds cannot compete with dual-class ones is one of the few bad design elements in Grim Dawn. I know I am in the minority, however.
Single class builds ARE viable stat-wise, you just need to realize that there are other items in the game besides blues/purples. This is especially important for summoners due to the sheer power for +pet bonus yellow/green affixes. It was already possible to reach 10k HP on a single class character EVEN BEFORE the great +HP giveaway post-B31. In ultimate, especially, a single affix can grant you as much as +80 points to any particular stat.
It’s actually incredibly ironic that you’re arguing that single class Occultist summoner needs more stats. The one thing that makes single class masteries unique is that they’re sitting on a 32 skill point advantage over a character that has to max two separate masteries, so as an Occultist summoner with lots of extra skill points you can divert your choice of item bonuses purely towards survivability bonuses like physique, health and resistances. Subjugator’s (the affix that grants the highest +%pet damage) only spawns on rings, amulets, belts and medals, so other than those you’re free to wear anything you want.
As far as what other single class builds really need, increased availability of end game gear with +stats/resists is enough like faction torso/pants/gloves/feet gear with +100/100 to two different stats and bonus resists/HP/Energy Regen or the equivalent legendaries - note there are already actually a few empowered epic versions of items that mostly focus on stats and resistances, like the Herald’s Regalia.
What makes planning a single class build tricky is that the build needs to have all the skills it needs from one mastery, as one might be able to deduce from our previous discussions above. I would argue that a DEE Occultist, for example, badly needs a second mastery because it relies too much on one particular skill that simply doesn’t cover everything you need to beat the game (besides, you’ll eventually run out of acid/poison and buff/debuff support skills to level). In comparison, an Occultist summoner basically has all the skills it needs (and more) - why would you bother borrowing skills from another mastery?
hey, I also have 82lvl pure paladin. Really like it but really struggle in ultimate. Killing hero’s/bosses/nemesis took so long. Since i based this character on def (have 15k hp and all but one resist up 65-85%, 2600 DA) i have poor offence… only 1600 OA and 10k dps… Can you show screen with your gear? I really would like to see how you got all that OA:)
I tried solo arcanist - AAR; workable to lvl 50 or so, just entered Elite didn’t pick a second mastery yet.
Now doing a nightblade (to spec with necromancer later on), at lvl 40 build around bleeding, frost and pierce, so far no problems there.
Single class builds ARE viable stat-wise, you just need to realize that there are other items in the game besides blues/purples. This is especially important for summoners due to the sheer power for +pet bonus yellow/green affixes. It was already possible to reach 10k HP on a single class character EVEN BEFORE the great +HP giveaway post-B31. In ultimate, especially, a single affix can grant you as much as +80 points to any particular stat.
I was forced to put points in spirit to wear magic off-hand as a Battlemage with 50 points in both masteries and maxed inner focus.Barely hit 12k HP with it with maxed Military conditioning and one item “of the Kings”. I cant imagine what do i need to wear as solo Arcanist to reach at least 8k effective HP.
The game is designed to be viable for dual class characters.
And, therefore, a painful subject for me, because its one of the few design decisions that I dislike.
It was not designed to be viable for dual class characters, it was simply designed to support and encourage dual classing.
If you can’t figure out how to make your character work from a stat pool of items, components, devotions and masteries, then you probably shouldn’t be attempting a single class build anyway. That’s where the dual classing support comes in, because with a dual class character you hit baselines easier and are free to forget that the rest of the game is actually also quite complex (though just because you can hit baselines easier doesn’t always guarantee that your character is going to work better - on a terrible build, for example, it just delays the inevitable).
I mean seriously, your job is already MUCH less complicated from the mastery end, as a single class character. You’d think an interested player would have more time to study item affixes and the like and have their own “Hey, this can actually work” moment.
I was forced to put points in spirit to wear magic off-hand as a Battlemage with 50 points in both masteries and maxed inner focus.Barely hit 12k HP with it with maxed Military conditioning and one item “of the Kings”. I cant imagine what do i need to wear as solo Arcanist to reach at least 8k effective HP.
How would you ever know if you won’t even tackle the problem? Components alone can easily get you to 8k FYI, with a high enough base (pre-%) HP pool.
If you go the Tree of Life route 8k+ is already pretty much guaranteed, which you probably should as solo Arcanist. The fact that you can get Hourglass and possibly even Viper along the way is just a bonus.
Again, this is an Issue which in my Opinion is made by the Advertising to the Game as well by the Game. If we would talk about an “REAL” Dual-Class System, it would feel completly different to what they offers us in Grim Dawn(as well Titan Quest). If you look as example Torchlight 2 or Diablo 2- each class offers three whole Skilltrees - and the class alone build alot of variety. If you play Druid as example, you can play him as shapeshifter, as elementalmage or petmaster, or mix everything. So an Dual-Class System would mean for me, that you pick two full-fleshed-out Classes like as example again if i could pick Necromancer PLUS Druide in Diablo 2. However Grim Dawn(or Titan Quest) - each Mastery doesn’t feel like an complete or full “Class” - but moreover simply an partly Class.
That’s way (in my opinion) this whole Dual-Class Wording so misleading ist. For the difference about Diablo 2 and Grim Dawn isn’t that actually can pick two “Classes” in Grim Dawn and in Diablo 2 only one, for me the real difference is simply, how you pick your class. In Diablo 2 you pick beforehand your Class, in Grim Dawn you pick your Class while you play, as you Pick your two Masteries.
Maybe the Real Intention behind Crate/ironlore was really to offers an Dual-Class System, however if it goes by my, if that is the Case, than i myself have to agree with you; than i would find it as well an “weak”(bad sounds so harsh) design decision. However in my Perspective, even if intended by the devs or not, its not even the Case to begin with, because after i played into Titan Quest back than, i understood (or at leas saw it like this) that isn’t meant as a game - where you play two classes at the same time, but moreover you pick TWO SKILLTREES (AKA MASTERIES) to build your Class.
And at some certain point, i don’t even understand the complain to begin with. Let’s say you want to play focused on Arcanist, than an second Mastery for Stats wouldn’t change that you still play an Arcanist. It seems people are so too focused in this stupid Nametag instead. Maybe Crate should consider to change the Nametag System, that the “Dual-Class” name is only shown when you actually spent Points in the Skills/Passive and not already if you pick your second mastery and spent points in the Mastery itself. Of course i understand how nice it sounds if you play an “Druid” or “Elementalist” or even one of this Single-Class names as “Arcanist” however in the End even this doesn’t tell about how this class are played. I mean alone Shaman you can play in so different ways, that “Shaman” itself tells nothing about your Class. So it’s moreover an “Title”…
/edit: I mean, whats the Difference? If they would make “Single-Class”(i go now by your wording) more viable, than the only thing what they could do is, so that you spent more Points in the Mastery Statwise as long as you don’t pick an second mastery. What would that Change? The can’t simply buff the Mastery double (i heard that as suggestion) - because it would kill the complete Balancing. (by buff double means - you still have only spent 50 Points into the Mastery - but as long as you don’t pick your second Mastery - your stats are doubled) because that would mean that you access to way more Skillpoints than People who pick 2 Classes. Than we would talk about how viable 2 Classes are. The only thing they possible could do so you can spent in an single-mastery up 100 Points in the Masterytree, but than i want to know - whats the difference between when you pick two classes and spent 50 in both - or 100 in one? The only thing is(like i mentioned) the Nametag, and that with the two Class Pickup you are more flexible due the different Statpoints both masterys offer for each upgrade. So in my opinion the better solution would be(like i mentioned) that the classtag only changes when you put Points in the second skilltree in Skills/Passive. So as long Aracanist+Shamane you only put Points in Mastery of Shaman, but skill on Arkanist, your classtag still will be “Arcanist”… however i don’t know how easy it is to implement that…
@Tyr:
Nope - maybe i might be wrong in the Case of "Dual-Class"System and the Devs really intended to offer that. However it doesn’t change the fact either if you pick TWO CLASSES or build your ONE Class out of two Masteries, that the whole concept of Grim Dawn intents you to pick BOTH. So you could say - your “Single-Class-Mastery-Build” thing is the thing which is “Supported” here. The Mainfocus on the Game is clearly that you pick two Classes/Masteries…
I mean - as example - you can Speedrun Games - even such like Dark Souls within few Hours - however the actuall intention behind the Game is that you actually PLAY it and not speedrun it. That People workaround or find other ways to enjoy the Game, doesn’t mean that Core Features etc automatically are only “supported”. So it’s a cool thing if “you” can make single-class viable and fix stats issue Itemwise etc - but that doesn’t mean the Game is intended to played this wise. It simply means you found a way how to fix the “downside”.