PDF guide updated with my Blood Rose - Budget Dark One Pet build (with superboss kills :3) since it is best for farming SR with atm and follows same devotion route for leveling as well (so, no need to respec)
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Maya, tell me, please, which of your builds is currently the strongest, laziest and most suitable for the first character? xD
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Go for this - Blood Rose - Budget Dark One Pet build (with superboss kills :3)
and then transition into this once you have all the items for maximum laziness - The Fluffy Squishy - Pet Conjurer - SR 150 version :3
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From your current version of your Pet Guide:
“Mend Flesh is an Area wide Heal that targets only the player.”
“Mend Flesh requires the player to be in combat.”
Both sentences were accurate until the latest game update. The Familiar is targeting any wounded party member reliably now whether in combat or not.
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Yes, I kind of missed that it seems. Thanks for letting me know, will update the guide 
Original post updated with new link 
Update - most of my older builds have been removed from the OP due to being severely out of date by this point.
Sad times for fans of Skeleton centric builds. All links to any Cabalist builds have been removed from your list.
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Skulls & Bones - Pet Cabalist this still “works”, more or less…
It is just that the build uses 6 items with rather specific affix requirements and is still mediocre outside of Crucible.
I tend to go 
regarding builds that can’t reliably do superbosses. So, I am having a hard time justifying Skeletons Cabalist in the current patch when Conjurer and Ritualist (without Skeletons) seem to be so much better.
I have even changed the list from “my pet builds” to “my best builds”, because the best build I have atm is a Vitality Caster 
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I’m used to the bar set by the conjurer.
Here I still need to clarify, I am a very bad pilot. I have difficulty pressing many buttons and avoiding dangerous situations.
And my main character completely covers the content, and even does it with his face.
I’m currently trying builds, including those that are praised, that are in the top, and it’s difficult to kill Lokarr with them, and shards deeper than 80 - you can only fantasize about them.
And those heroes who can fight the Ravager and Callagadra must show miracles of balancing.
And I always have this thought in my head: “Oh damn, guys, are you serious? You’re setting the bar very low."
I’m glad your builds are consistently strong.
I want a facetanking of Callagadra and shards 100+
Today I will continue to realize my fantasies.
In the Name of the Mogdrogen, and of the Ravager, and of the Holy Crate.
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Hi Maya,
Which one is the vitality caster??
Im still trying to finish up with the fluffy caster!
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This is the Vitality Caster - Nocturne – "Pet" Conjurer
(though tbh, calling it a caster is a bit weird since it mostly relies on player scaled “pets” like totems and such)
Well, you do have to cast though to get them working so …
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ah! let me take a look and see if i have the time to do up another conjurer!
Thanks Maya!
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Thanks, this is very helpful.
For my first character I wanted to aim towards the fluffy squishy but after getting Salazar’s Blade and Og’Napesh’s grimoire I’m looking for a build with a lot of pets. Did you ever make a build like that?
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Ty and welcome to the forums
Regarding builds with lots of pets, the issue is that I mostly tend to focus on fighting superbosses and they tend to tear through pets. Item granted pets like Og’Napesh for example tend to have long cooldowns, so you would end up with it dead for most of the fight.
You can still go for those if you prefer though. And there is also Skeleton based Cabalist which tend to have like 15+ pets (but skeletons are rather fragile)
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Ok, so assuming Playtest doesn’t really see any pet nerfs, potential release changes and the new top 3 mayaTM pet builds -
- Fluffy Squishy - Conjurer, Level 100 (GD 1.2.0.5) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Obviously this was gonna be here, but going back to Elemental Trinkets instead of Beastcaller. No more crazy Tankiness sadly, but is lazy and comfortable to play still.
-
Ishtar - Ritualist, Level 100 (GD 1.2.0.5) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Everyone probably expected to see this one as well. Is still good old Diviner Reap Spirits, but is full on DPS mode now, with acceptable Tankiness. Can still kill superbosses comfortably, so no issues there. -
Inanna - Ritualist, Level 100 (GD 1.2.0.5) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Exploding Ghol Blightfiends making a comeback. It has been really good so far, so kind of had to put this here
__
Now, for those wondering what happened to Briarthorns, Skeletons and Hellhound, they are still fine. But…
Briarthorn and Beastcaller were both hit by nerf after nerf and the build no longer retains its past glory. If I try to make it tanky, it ends up severely lacking dps. If I try to go the dps route, then not enough tankiness to feel comfy. So, gonna have to remove it from top 3.
Skeletons have been doing pretty good to be honest. But… too much item investment to make them competitive (in the lazy maya way) against superbosses like Callagadra and Mogdrogen.
Hellhound still feels like it is being held back by Lost Souls set blocking all the good doggo items. So, while it is fun, it is unlikely to have a chance at making into the list anytime soon.
Generic pet question for Maya, not related to any specific build here, but I figured still the right place to ask…
I’m confused by Lightning strike.
It’s in the Summon familiar line of skills… but the description calls for % weapon damage.
Is that your weapon ? Does that skill scale with pet bonus but uses your weapon ? Or that skill scales with player bonuses ? or do pets have an internal “Weapon damage” value ? (And if so, is it different from “Pet base damage” ? )
Please help 
It is the flat damage that pets get from various sources, like say for example Storm Spirit, Mog’s Pact, Hellfire, etc. Nothing to do with player’s weapon damage.
It is also not unique to familiar and melee pets like Briar and Hellhound also have auto attacks with 100% weapon damage.
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So, just to make sure I understand correctly:
Pets have a “Base pet damage” which is the equivalent of any average weapon or something.
They then stack flat damage from various source on top of it.
And then their individual attacks are modified by things like “125% weapon damage” which is 125% of the base damage + the flat damage they get from elsewhere.
Is this correct ?
If so, what is the base damage ? (Surely, pets with no bonus at all still deal some damage ?)