Spellbinder Build - Want suggestions

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
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[u]Grim Tools link[/u]
www dot grimtools dot com/calc/RZREKKVD

Introduction
I’d like to start off saying that I bought this game in beta. Played a bit but am finally deciding to really put time into this game. So although I have had this game for quite some time, I am still rather new. The post is rather lengthy because I hope to communicate my original intent of the build and then why I made the decisions I did. I’m hoping that if I elaborate, then someone can come along and have a discussion with me about things I may have missed or don’t have experience with and set me straight or give me solid feedback. I appreciate you guys taking the time to read this and help me understand. I really want to commit to this game but in order to do so I need to find something I really enjoy. I hope this is it.

Build Goal
The goal of the build is to be able to play “late game” whatever that may mean. I’m not quite sure what that means yet with this game. Originally I had wanted to be a bloodmancer utilizing both Siphon Souls + Drain Essence. The goal was to boost my aether and vitality damage as much as possible and I assumed that would be pretty fun and strong. Attempting to level with those abilities made it too difficult on my mana pool though. Siphon Soul was still a realistic option, the problem was the cool down time. And although I feel like that can mostly be solved late game with CDR I would still need to find a solid main ability to go alongside Siphon Soul.

I really like the ability so I’d like to stick with it. I’m not sure Siphon Souls is end-game viable but I’m hoping it is. I was watching a video by WolfOverclocked and he mentioned how strong Panetti’s is. I’m not sure what kind of commitment Panetti’s requires in the skill tree or in the devotion tree but the idea is I use Panetti’s for my main ability and Siphon Souls on cooldown. Any advice, suggestions, criticism, changes would be tremendously appreciated. Especially if you can explain why. I want to understand the game, skills, and the types of decisions builders make so that I can make better decisions in the future.

The next issue I have is the devotion tree. I’ve played Path of Exile and I get that tree. It’s pretty straight forward to me. However, I’m completely lost with the devotion tree in this game right now. I’m not really sure where to start. I’ve spent a few hours trying to figure out different trees but haven’t come up with something that I’m confident or happy with. I figured since I’m going into two different damage tree’s with very little toughness that I may have to focus on that in the devotion tree. Though I’m not sure. So any help or suggestions as to what constellations I should focus on would be appreciated.

I’m open to a discussion. Thank you for the help ahead of time.

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I completely understand what you mean about the confusion with the Devotions tree. I play PoE as well, and though the skill tree there is overwhelming initially, its logic comes to you fast as you get used to it. devotions here are an entirely different level of complexity.

Here’s a guide to some basic devotion builds:
Devotions Guide

Its pre-Malmouth, so a bit dated, but the principles still stand, and it’s a good way to get used to the devotions. It has 3 generic templates to build on depending on which direction you want to go, and once your used to that, you can explore on your own.

It also helps to follow a guide for a particular class (new classes are a notable exception as there are few guides out there atm). the guides will often go into detail as to why they pick certain devotions. it just takes time. keep in mind that each color represents certain categories of damage/powers, and you can usually count on each devotion in that category to enhance that particular element. There’s plenty of crossover in each one, but you can still count on each having their niche. Example: if your doing a posion build, Eldritch(green) will have the better posion buffs. If you want some defensive skills, Order (white/yellow) is where you go.

On the note of your build: something Id also consider for your build are some more defensives in the Arcanist tree. Maiven’s Sphere of Protection is one of the better defensive passives in the game, and Mirror of Eroectes is an amazing oh S$!t button. it saves my life more then I can count on my sorc gunslinger. I would put at least one point in Mirror (more if you have spare to dump at the end of the game), and I would invest a decent amount of points in Maiven’s.

Conversion (Maiven’s buff skill) can be a 1pt wonder, but its worth 1pt minimum, as it absorbs energy and feeds it back to you. less Energy issues. End game here (or Ultimate progression really), is all about hard hitting mobs, so you’ll find that as you transition from Elite to Ultimate, those defensives will mean the difference between dying and surviving.

Plus Id take a look at putting a point in some of the passives in each tree. this game gives you allot of + skill points on higher tier gear, so 1pt in a passive ends up being quite a solid boost to your toon. Things like inner focus and mental alacrity as examples.

also, most skills have certain thresholds where the value of each point becomes less the higher you go, so many skills don’t need to be maxed. Play with your build in the build tool and see where each skill gets to that, and adjust accordingly. Most your primary skills are worth maxing (or near max) just for the benefit, but sometimes it’s worth dropping a point in even a primary skill to pick up a passive, especially if you have bonus skill points.

As an example, my Sorceress (Arcanist/Demolitionist) gunslinger has +5 skill points to all Demo skills, so a single point in a passive actually gets me 6 poitns in that skill, which is quite a bit more then just pushing my main attack from level 15 to level 16. Hope this all helps!

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Working on this now myself. I’ll post up any recommendations I feel are worthwhile if it pans out.

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I’m working towards an AAR build with Bone Harvest/Siphon as secondaries. Not quite level 30 yet and I’m still messing with things to see what works and what doesn’t. Original plan was skelly bouncers keeping the riffraff away but frankly they were too fragile and too weak to keep up with the Bone Harvest pain train.

I seriously hope AAR works with this build. I love the look and feel of the skill. It’s just the numbers that tend to suck. My Chaos Ray warlock just wasn’t good at anything.