This is exactly how the build works for me now as well. This is just a terrible nerf hidden behind “pets are now less reliant on sets”. Builds from Maya worked for years, and they were the only reason I kept playing the game. Why was it necessary to nerf them in the last patch in a single player game?
5 Likes
As someone who was looking forward to playing a pet build after I farmed up the required gear, I would love to see Crate release a 1.1.9.1 patch that mitigates these nerfs enough to restore some of the former glory to builds like Fluffy Squishy, or perhaps at least provides a spark in the way of tweaks or itemization that could inspire Maya to craft a Conjurer build successor to Fluffy Squishy that still adheres to the birb’s high standards and predilection for lazy builds.
I won’t pretend to have anywhere near enough experience with the game or with pets to understand how hard the nerf really hit pet builds, but it would be a shame for Grim Dawn’s development to end on a note that crushes pet builds, especially when Grim Dawn has been one of the better ARPGs for playing pet builds. (For example, how many other ARPGs besides GD and TQ allow you to directly control where your pets move and what they target?)
2 Likes
This is my build. I managed to clear SR80 on HC Ultimate so SR75-76 should not be an issue. All end game dungeons and Lokkar cleared as well (Killed him in less than 30 seconds with slight kiting).
https://www.grimtools.com/calc/a2E0vg3N
I’m still experimenting with certain off hands (hopefully they drop for me) but Mythical Grimoire of Og’Napesh dies way too easily hence i decided to use Stormbringer of Malmouth for that added lightning damage for the Familiar to do more damage. Will be killing Ravager and Callagadra in the coming days , which I am sure it is able to with slightly more kill time.
2 Likes
Have you tried with mythical mantle of the patron and/or Mogdrogen shoulder?
My chaos resistance will be hard to cap at 80%, and since I am short of points to max out Bonds of Bysmiel , the added +10% health imo is pretty useful , so does the +3 to Briarthorn.
Mogdrogen Shoulder will be BIS but I have yet to grow a pair to kill him 
as I only play HC. Once I get his shoulder , then that offhand can be changed to something else.
Do him in Elite first
1 Like
Just killed Ravager in HC Ultimate : ~12 mins.
3 Likes
Update:
3 Likes
Something Weird is going on…
Just finished SR 90, without using even Tonic of Mending (it was needed previously)
I am starting to think that my game is bugged because the player seems much more sturdier than before. SR 90 was easy as hell. But perhaps it has to do with the new map, although bosses seem to aggro much less on the player and go for the pets instead.
On the topic of Cally, I was literally standing inside Callagadra’s Tornadoes, without using any consumables or pots and pets killed Cally as if it was Ravager.
SR 120 however is no longer possible, atleast for me, due to to the new scaling. Don’t think old Fluffy would have any better chances either.
So, um… what I am trying to say is… Fluffy is back. No changes to the build though since this still seems best for lazy mode even if theoretically one might be able to tune it more for damage if needed.
Nothing makes sense…
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But is he your #1 again
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Will need to test the other 2 to be sure, but laziness wise, seems to be.
Ishtar for eg is not a lazy build comparatively since it plays like a caster more than pet.
Ok… I can now confirm one thing. Pets don’t make any sense to me anymore…
I remember saying Ishtar would now be my strongest, but it remains same as it was before the patch. Not buffed or nerfed (atleast Cally wise).
Tried Will-O-Wisp. It seems too weak defensively now that I am having trouble surviving against Callagadra for the first time in a long time. It has pretty leveled up Familiar skill line, but the dmg isn’t there either. Can’t be because of lack of RR since it uses Widow to make up for the RR loss from not having Wind Devils.
And Fluffy, the one build that I was ready to pronounce dead, the build that should lack a good deal of damage with all the changes, not to mention it never did have much to begin with as I built it around the concept of being a slow tank… actually remains my strongest both defensively and offensively.
And I am not sure where the power is coming from. Because I stacked physical res on the build? because of Lightning Strike buff?
Completely unrelated. But obligatory “Nice!”
Did you not notice the pets dying more than before? My results were skewed, as calla got healed by half at one point and, so my time is invalid, but I noticed that my pets felt too squishy
On my Will O Wisp, yes (regarding Birbs)
But on Fluffy, pets felt tankier than before.
One thing to note is that since I GDStash items and go for the best possible ones I can, Values on things like Resistances, Health etc would be different.
But patch wise, only HP on set bonuses got nerfed. There is however an easy way to test if HP% reduction is the culprit.
Do this: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/eZPw49BV
Check if they feel sturdier with that.
Yeah I’ll test a few things. I made mine SSF on HC but I should make a SC stashed version too lol
2 Likes
So… it has been a while since I last did Cruci with the build.
And haven’t done it since I ditched Shepherd’s Crook for even more defensive oriented playstyle.
Was hoping to atleast get 2x runs within 1 round of Blessings, but surprisingly enough, was able to get 3x with time to spare.
Compared to the 4min builds this might seem slow, but the Fluffy was never built for speed. You can do it comfortably without worrying about dying, take Aleksander’s meteors to the face etc 
So, for my purposes atleast, Cruci test was a success since you can get back all your tributes spent 
SR is still better for farming, but Cruci has the advantage of using Tributes and not needing to craft Waystones (and also enemies come to you instead of you having to go to them).
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Ok… so decided to fight Ravager and Mogdrogen as well. Just to see how much faster I could kill them.
Ravager of Flesh was 1:30 mins faster. Previous time was 5:30 and atm can be done in 4mins. Pretty good.
Mogdrogen was 12 mins previously. Expected like 10 mins now.
Took 20 mins…
Also that was the 2nd try since he killed me on the first with a surprise Shotgun…
Tfw Mogdrogen of all things suddenly becomes even worse than Callagadra by a huge margin…
2 Likes
I kinda felt the same with my lightning builds vs mog. Was he buffed? 
No idea on Mog, but regarding Fluffy Squishy, it is more that the last time I faced him, I had Shepherd’s Crook. Took it out to go for a meme 80% phys res (Also may have been before the RR nerf to masteries). It did do wonders against stuff like Cally and Ravager. But… yeah, what the meme says 
how was your lightning res overcaps?