Your guide download link now goes to some really sketchy malware page. You might want to remove that.
Zippyshare always had ads. But the website seems to have shut down. I need to update the guide for the new patch and will upload it after.
My usual online hosting site also changed their ToS, so that wont work anymore either.
The Carnival Guide updated.
Changes -
- Builds now updated to 1.1.9.8
- Removed Inanna and Skulls & Bones from the list since Blightfiends and Skeletons have been underperforming terribly for me compared to other pets.
EDIT - Updated AoM and Basegame only example builds as well and reduced the total number of pages to 208 
EDIT 2 - Some minor updates and stuff :3
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Unreleased Skeleton Ritualist that I forgot I had and am too lazy to create a dedicated thread for - Ritualist, Level 100 (GD 1.1.9.8) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
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PDF Guide updated. If you bookmarked the old link, do note that with the current host, every time I edit the guide, a new link is generated.
Changes - Skulls & Bones gets added back to the PDF since the current version of the build’s performance far exceeded my expectations.
Banshee & Atomic Emu are still left out of the PDF since they are altered versions of Ishtar & Fluffy Squishy.
Also, with their primary difference being made more defensive to facetank Callagadra and Zantai hinting changes to superbosses in the upcoming patch(es), I have decided to wait before adding them to the PDF.
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PDF Guide updated to include Emu and Banshee + some slight changes and updates to builds.
I was kind of waiting for news on the upcoming patch on the 10th but… yeah 
EDIT - Added the new budget chaos pet cabalist to the pdf guide.
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As someone on GoG, I can’t get into the Steam PTR and there doesn’t seem to be a way to do it on gog.
So, if anyone wants to playtest any of my builds and submit feedback, it will be much appreciated. Or, if you want an op geared char save of any of my builds to test against the PTR patch, let me know and I will send you the save as well (quests and a few other things will be messed up since I have edited and re-edited most of my test files like 100s of times by now).
Cleared out all my builds for v1.2 so will level up the Petwalker to see how the new patch works.
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Update -
A big thanks to @eardianm for testing out some of my endgame builds for me.
I can now safely say that pet builds will do more than fine in the upcoming patch (unless some drastic change happens). While super deep SR, semi-afk facetanking Superbosses, etc might no longer be possible, everything else should be ok 
Linking the Callagadra bullying because… well… a cally bully a day keeps yugol away.
Now, since this seems to be a rather hot topic…
Regarding Sunder, easiest way to deal with it if you are playing with Pets -
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If you have pets that can generate threat (or taunt) enemies for you, make sure to level up their aggro generating skills so that enemies focus on them more.
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Do not ignore your Pet resistances because the idea is to use them as shield so that they get sundered instead of the player (unless you are ok with kiting and avoiding the sunder skills)
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More Pets = easier to mess with the boss AI, which means less frequency of attacks and spells cast. So, stuff like Skeletons should not be bad even though they are not that sturdy. Just make sure to have some sturdy pets to act as tanks as well.
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While leveling, should not be an issue. Just remember to wait till your character is geared before tackling endgame challenges and do not be hesitant to go down a difficulty if you find it too difficult to farm for gear, especially if on Hardcore mode.
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I have never played an end game pet build and I spent about 2 minutes asking Maya about the setup before diving into a few SR75-76 runs, Ravager, and Cally, so this is super easy to play still. In SR Scarlet pulling big packs is a no no, especially with sunder spam in 1.2, but more so because the debuff stacking just murders pet dps, very quickly got muddy. Otherwise these were an easy play, although I disagree strongly on the player’s CC res here 
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just never get hit 
So I think the need for speed has finally bit Maya, maybe after my spamming of pet builds recently looking for quick Ravager kill tests, maybe from the toxic infusion to GD Discord in general. Scarlet has been revamped with the latest tech and feels like a top tier build in PT, with some final gear/devo testing still needed
edit: but in PT you absolutely replace the ring components with frozen hearts imo
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update - Atomic Emu, Pet Conjurer - Callagadra Facetank Edition is back on the list as being 100% viable in 1.2 (in terms of tanky laziness), courtesy of testing by @Snazzblaster 
I should add that stuff like SR 140 is probably not going to happen in 1.2 anymore, but that we will see once the patch goes live :3
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Hey Maya! Great to see you!
I’m coming back from a hiatus and I’m looking to make a fresh start. I noticed where you gave props to your Ishtar build as being very viable in the upcoming patch. I’ve always played your Fluffy Squishy…what’s your current recommendation? Is Fluffy still viable…I’m not 100% sure what’s changing.
Thanks!
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Welcome back
Regarding the current status of my builds in 1.2, they all seem to be viable.
I was mostly concerned about the new mechanics and how my builds might be affected. Since I play on GoG, I am not able to participate in the playtest (only available to steam users).
So, I was going with a relatively safe choice with Ishtar since Reap Spirit is pretty much immortal and the build itself is rather tanky. But, since making that post, people have been helping me test out my builds and it seems that they all perform pretty much same as they always did.
So, essentially nothing to worry about and Fluffy Squishy is 100% viable.
The change I was concerned for was mostly the Sunder mechanic, which is a debuff that bosses apply with some attacks and makes you take more damage for its duration.
I was worried that pets might die a lot more or that the tankiness of my builds might suffer too much, forcing me to change them into more DPS focused.
But it seems that with all the other changes happening as well, everything evens out and balances things.
2 Likes
PDF Guide updated. Changed some things in light of the upcoming update and expansions.
most notably - Will O Wisp is longer in there since the build has proven to be too unreliable despite everything I tried.
A new budget pet build added to the OP (will update the pdf some other time)
Edit - Got to try 1.2
Can safely say that pets are more or less providing similar performance to live version atm.
Time for rejoicing
Here is the regular cally bully screenshot -
(Facetanking is a different issue altogether, but having to move a bit more than usual is not bad 
)