[v. 1.0.0.5] Sorcerlinger (sorcerer+gunslinger) Build

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
1

Left - without procs | Right - with procs

  • procs : elemental balance

  1. This is my first build that I post and I always welcome for your advice and suggestion.
  2. English isn’t my native language.
  3. I’m trying to make it best at my knowledge.
  4. I’ve test many things in this build and spend >70 hours in 2 weeks in game(and 1+ hour/day in new ideas and searched for items then combine it in sheets). I may headstrong due to my hard work, but I accepted that hard work may cause less creativity. So talk and discuss with reason.

Introduction
I want to play ranged so bad and Dual Wield ranged looks awesome. I’ve seen many pyromancer with bang bang! with fire and there’re good builds out there. So I want to try another way of DW ranged then I got an inspiration from jajaja’s tri-element sabotuer. That’s make me want to test out elemental attacks and I find that Demo+Arcanist may work.

I’ve searched for available builds about going DW ranged in sorcerer and only found Mad sorcerer posted in Jan, 2016 and it seems unfinished and not updated yet.

I began the build by an idea of “Barrelsmith’s Twin”, “Ulzuin’s Avatar”, and “Elemental Balance” and those work well, but I’m not satisfy with them. So I seek out somethings make 3 elements work together more than just focus only fire then finally got this build.

Focus on

  • Dual Wield Ranged
  • Auto Attack component (Dmg/hit and attack speed)
  • Fire, Cold, Lightning Damage
  • I realized when at high amplifier (>1000%), flat damage affects more than %damage. So having about 800-1200% is enough for each element. Then try to increase flat damage
  • reduce enemies resistance
  • Gain life by life leech attack & devotion
  • has 2 life saver skills, 3 secs each (from mirror of ereoctes and mark of divinity)

I’ll write the build for 2 style

  1. Arcanum Elemental(as in the pics)
  2. Barrelsmith’s Twin

1. Arcanum Elemental

Gear
Head: Mask of Infernal Truth + Prismatic Diamond
Chest: Ulzuin’s Chestguard + Kilrian’s Shattered Soul
Pants: Legwraps of the Tranquil Mind + Silk Swatch
Boots: Golemborn Greaves or Footpads of the Grey Magi + Mark of Mogdrogen
Gloves: Icekorn Talons + Consecrated Wrappings
Shoulders: Ulzuin’s Shoulderguard + Silk Swatch
R-Weapon: Arcanum Sigillis + Hell’s Bane Ammo + [Creed’s Cunning]
L-Weapon: Arcanum Sigillis + Imbue Silver + [Creed’s Cunning]
Amulet: Empowered Essence of Beronath + Dread Skull + [Survivor’s Ingenuity]
Ring1: Ruby of Elemental Balance + Mark of Illusions + [Survivor’s Ingenuity]
Ring2: Sapphire of Elemental Balance + Mark of Illusions + [Survivor’s Ingenuity]
Belt: Ulzuin’s Torment or Equilibrium Sash + Antivenom Salve
Medal: Mark of Divinity + Dread Skull
Relic: Plunderer’s Talisman (for flat elemental dmg&speed with WPS)

Grimcalc without anybonus : http://grimcalc.com/build/We8GLdP
Grimcalc with skill+bonus, devotion, stats : http://grimcalc.com/build/ohR6lpS

My Opinion about it

  • have (Fire/Cold/Lightning) dmg bonus for (13XX%/999%/13XX%) [forget to take the screenshot]
  • have resistance reduction
  • from LV7 Olexra’s Flash Freeze : - 60% Fire Resistance
  • from LV7 Thermite Mines : -34% Fire & Lightning Resistances
  • from Max LV Rowan’s Crown : 30 Reduced target’s Elemental Resistances
  • from Max LV Viper : 20% Reduced target’s Elemental Resistances
  • I’ve reason why not to invest point in these skills from my experience
  • BWC line : benefit from last 2 skills are small for me, and due to low radius.
  • Stun Jack line : 1 point for stun AOE is fine(but small radius). If you easily do CC, don’t wasted the point.
  • Canister Bomb line : this is very useful stun AOE with good radius and has 2 steps stun in an exchange with long cooldown. Almost use for large group CC disable. Worth 4 points for going sure stun AOE. (I don’t know if someone play it as dmg skill, mostly use in stun AOE)
  • Flash Bang : I saw many people say it’s good, essential skill. But I’ve test it and get the result that it may useful for some builds but not for mine. I easily do CC. The time I spend to throw Flash Bang until it explodes, I can kill entire group of enemies.
  • Grenado Line : Very good dmg skill with high knockdown chance(but small radius). I take the points out of it when I think I can do as much dps as this skills can do. It may hard to target or throw where you want at beginning, but It’s very good dmg skill.
  • Mortar Trap : Tried once, then never want to use it agian. Slow shot, need luck to be effective shot, large radius but I think combination of your other skills and your dps are far more better than use this single skill.
  • Maiven’s Sphere of Protection line : 3 points for the most efficient investment, last skill line is ok. (0 or 10+, if you really wanna use it)
  • Active Skills other than Olexra’s Flash Freeze : I’m not a caster, I want to be DW gunslinger dude.
  • Reckless Power : As good as Star Pact but for different purpose. Max it instead of Star Pact if wanna go deeper in Aether, else go Star Pact for Skill Cooldown Reduction and good cold&lightning amp.(Meh, I hope dev will buff Starpact by replacing frostburn with flat cold dmg // dps from frosburn isn’t that high enough to be main dmg)
  • Inner Focus : I feel my OA is ok at 25XX, and spirits affect small for me
  • Arcane Will : I’m insufficient skill points (and my %elemental dmg is also high, so I’ll go with more important skill before invest in it)
  • Nullification : It should be one of the best unique skill with 1 point, but I rarely use it.
  • 2 passives left : I’m not a caster, and %dmg bonus from fire&aether isn’t that much I think it’s not worth to put many points in it except you’ve huge bonus from gears.

Video
Valderan Fight
Moosilauke Fight
Still Uploading…

2. Barrelsmith’s Twins

to be continue

Gear Change
Gloves: _ + Consecrated Wrappings
R-Weapon: Barrelsmith’s Crossfire + _ + [Creed’s Cunning]
L-Weapon: Barrelsmith’s Salvo + _ + [Creed’s Cunning]
Amulet: _ + Dread Skull + [Survivor’s Ingenuity]
Ring1: _ + Mark of Illusions + [Survivor’s Ingenuity]
Ring2: _ + Mark of Illusions + [Survivor’s Ingenuity]
Relic: _

Grimcalc with skill+bonus, devotion, stats :…

My Opinion about it
…

Leveling Guide
Though I had a hard time in experiment and kind a rush +10% to 2X% exp bonus from gear at early until lv72. I don’t know which way exactly easy and not bored you since beginning. But I guess starting with any class and put the point in flat dmg skills then buff with %dmg later should enough, or play caster at beginning is also fun.

Problem I met

  • Cannot facetank some bosses and nemesis
  • Ranged weapon’s cons like it can be deflected & impaired aim debuff
  • Low bleeding & aether resistance
  • Very hard to kill Fabius // I’ve changed with many supplies gear I have to fix it but can’t fix yet(I also don’t find any ranged weapon kill him smoothly too)
2

Im in the process of fine tunning a similar battlemage build but focused around 1h, offhand. My suggestion is to focus more on fire damage, and get more -% resist.

I cant link so. grimcalc.com/build/URj5iLf

Reckless Power over Star Pack for Flat Aether damage, %Fire, and Arcanum skill bonuses.
Thermite mine/Hellfire for alot more -% resist reductions.
Drop BWC and Temper shouldnt be doing much physical damage.
Some points in Devastation for aoe clear.
Maxed Blast shield one of demos best skills.
Pickup Flashbang good cc, has DA reduction.

Widow, Solaels Witchblade for more -% resist reduction.
Chariot, Behemoth, turtle for OA, Regen, Hp to help on nemesis.

Use Pyroclasm Mark to dual wield and get Necrosis relic for more -%resist reduction. Judicator’s signet rings will help alot for nemesis fights.

3

Thank you for your advice :smiley:

I made this build for DW ranged, I know that it may be better if goes melee or 1H w/ off-hands because they have some weapon with unique ability to make various usage and convert dmg type.

about the dmg type. I will follow your suggestion and test out aether again. I’ve tried Reckless Power once but my dps didn’t change much and only fire with outstanding high % (about 1500%). That time I forgot to change devotion and think about flat cold dmg I lost (from 100% elemental dmg it divide for fire, cold, lightning about 1/3 or 33% each = my 33% from cold may be loss). This time I decide to convert less to Elemental damage and focus on flat fire, lightning and aether with devotion to increase % dmg to 1000%+ each

about skill

  • Thermite mine : I’m ok with it at lv7+, I’d want to max it when I’m better at facetank (Hellfire mine’s chaos bonus is too low for this build. So I don’t put a point in it)
  • BWC : I use it for reduce 25% phys dmg and trigger meteor shower. I think I’ll drop it all and find other skill instead
  • Temper : I invest only 1 point in it. Its high lvl because of bonus and give flat physical that I can convert to elemental later.
  • ฺBlast Shield : I think It doesn’t help me that much and has 12sec CD. It triggered when I don’t need but when I need it still on CD. I just spend points to maximize my resistance, but I’ll try max it and test.
  • Flashbang I don’t have problem with CC. So I don’t use it much because I just run’n shoot all the time. I think invest point in stun skill is better.

Devotion

  • Chariot : I used it before. Then I take it out and find that it doesn’t different much because it’ll trigger fast and may in the same time of Behemoth then in CD when I need it like blast shield.
  • Behemoth : Still use it 'till now.
  • Turtle : I’ve plan to use it, I’ll fix my devotion for it as soon as possible.

Item

  • Pyroclasm Mark & Necrosis : I’ll craft them when I’ve mats, then test as soon as possible. (I wanna try Mark of Anathema too)
  • Judicator’s signet ring : These may be my hard time to find it due to many demand and low supply. I saw people need it and have more valuable legendary to trade with. :cry:
4

Im not sure if 1h w/ off-hand would be better with this kind of setup. My suggestions kept in mind a DW style of play for you. I was just using my build experience as reference to give you some ideas, as I too set out to DW in mine. I had alot of trouble on nemesis and found this setup to help quite abit. I can now face tank fabius (mostly) in this albiet on a elemental cadence battlemage and different gear setup.

Flash bang was more about the DA reduction, essentially 260 Oa for more crits/crit procs, elemental balance.

Blast shield is still amazing with good damage mitigation, regen it has great synergy.

keep bwc i forgot about the phys damage reduction change silly me.

Nullification is a great 1 point wonder for farming certain nemesis ( fabius, mad queen are the only things that comes to mind).

Now its not always about sheet damage esp in ult/nemesis encounters. A loss in sheet damage for better resist reduction will net you more actual damage.

That is where my suggestion for fire damage came from you will get more stacking resist reduction sources for fire via; solael’s witchblade, thermite mine, necrosis. Then you get the X%reduction from viper, and the X reduction from elemental storm. This results in 5 sources for fire the most out of your elements. Plus all the synergy between gear and demo skills. So dropping tempest for widow, losing points in static strike (been nerfed and my understanding not worth maxing past 1 pt from community) for maxing vindictive flame, thermite, or blast shield.

Thermite Mine I was told does decent damage at max ranks and since hellfire gives bonus fire damage, and gives some flat chaos along with chaos resist along side of brimstone giving flat chaos is why I suggested testing it also (solaels witchblade helps here also).

Chariot was more for the OA benefit to help with on crit procs, but you’re right sometimes the procs happen at the wrong time and you don’t really have any on crit procs outside of using pyroclasm and elemental balance synergy. but you still get relief from them and the DA lasts 7 seconds. So if you combine turtle, behemoth, chariot procs along side of mirror, blast shield you should have alot better time face tanking things you cant run from.

Also I forgot to mention to try Haunted Steel over hells bane ammo. ADCTH is all the rave and great addition to all around defense/sustain combo. And since you would lose revenant in my setup you kinda need it. Also it gives another oh shit button along mirror.

So with all that combined you should have good all around defensives to help you survive, and the sheet damage loss would be made up in actual damage via resist reduction stacking. All food for thought as im still a noob here and I don’t have crucible but, I hope you find some help or improvement thru it. Nice build tho, glad to see a elemental dw arcanums setup working well hope to try it out someday. cheers :smiley: