V1.1.7.1 Build Discussion

Grim Dawn Ideas and Feedback
88

Okay, hopefully this is the right place for this. Let’s talk about the green alkamos weapons:
Alkamos Warsword https://www.grimtools.com/db/items/8774
Alkamos Scythe https://www.grimtools.com/db/items/8768

I’ve never seen a build with these on here, and honestly I think they’re terrible. Especially if you compare to the Korvan halberds (!) which have so many awesome modifiers. They both focus on movement skills which is almost cool, except its a gimmick because shadow strike is far better for cold than blitz and vire’s might. Blitz’s issue is the cooldown and Vire’s is low damage, SS solves both and along with movement augments, it’s redundant. Also there’s almost NO cold support for these, so I had a better idea.

Change the skills to support cold conduits, which also need support. The warsword is aimed at 2H cold dervish, so have it support cold Righteous Fervor from the oathkeeper conduit. The scythe is aimed at 2H cold blademaster, so have it support cold Blade Arc from the soldier conduit. Or maybe even cold FW, I guess? Blade arc is cooler :slight_smile:

Both conduits don’t have much if any support at all and neither do the weapons, so let’s marry them. Reminder that 2H weapons often breaks NB sets so you can’t just slap on deathmark, or even SR set for that matter (conduit). Another big issue is that 2H cold blademaster and 2H cold dervish need RR, but I guess that’s a different topic. Thanks for reading :slight_smile:

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89

Blitz and Vire Might modifiers are cool as they are but if you consider to make a build around those skills, your build would probably use more like hit&run rather than static attacking. So I believe both of the items need flat frostburn damage in order to create the opportunity to frostburn dot builds with them. And maybe adding conversion to physical>cold to both oleron’s rage and divine mandate to convert all those trauma damage to frostburn would be cooler.(ofc Divine Mandate conversion is for Warsword and Oleron’s Rage conversion is for Scythe)

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90

How sad, the sheer +% physical required to get more than 30% value from many of these flat physical sources (including WPS, Blade Arc etc.) is crazy.

Using spam blade arc on Spellscourge must be very ineffective compared to Clean Sweep and Blitz then.

91

Adding some more support for the skills works too, I suppose. I still think it’s a little redundant to have 3 move skills (SS, augment, skill) but I guess it’s doable.

My issue when I tried to make a build from these two weapons was +skills and damage. There just isn’t any relevant gear almost at all. You can try for +skills but then you get 26/16 physical blitz and no %cold. Or something silly like 19/16 Vire’s might with a little cold damage. And compared to 26/16 SS with almost 3000% cold, well… that’s why I’m posting feedback :slight_smile:

92

Just they’re exist doesn’t mean that you have use them all together. Most of the time if I’m not building my damage around mobilty skills, instead of giving them 1-2 points I just use the augment and spare those point to some other skill. If the cold and frostburn damage(along with better aoe) of blitz or vire’s might is higher than shadow strike, then just don’t spend your points to SS, use them somewhere else.

93

Can’t speak on the Scythe but here’s banana_peel’s Cold Vire’s Might meme.

Cold Blitz has plenty of item support, it’s just that Shadow Strike or Bone Harvest are going to be stronger and more consistent. You’re right that Cold Vire’s Might lacks item support though, Alkamos’ Warsword doesn’t even support the offensive skill it features which I find odd. +4 to Vire’s Might and possibly Volcanic Stride instead of Ascension would be a big help to it.

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94

Oh wow, there’s a build! Thanks for sharing. Vanquisher’s seems hilariously out of place but I guess it works with good rolled MI’s. I also don’t see any extra RR, that’ll be fun with bosses. Oh well, I just wish these weapons were more than just meme builds.

95

Likewise, I just feel it’s a bit hasty to cut a unique playstyle so quickly when there’s already item support for it, Cold Vire’s Might could just do with a bit more in the right places.

96

Witch Hunter with Venomblade Set: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/L2JGBmjV

In my opinion the Venomblade Set could use a slight buff in damage, specifically when using the full set. The build works fine overall, I have tuned it for the Hardcore game mode, so high phys res, slow res capped, general resistances well overcapped, good amount of Life leech. This is a legit build that was extremely expensive (Boots, Relic with nice bonuses, well rolled Rings) and time intensive (Zantarin Shoulders, ressource farming for all the crafting) to create. Yet a Witch Hunter with 2x Mad Queens Claw and generic SR Set (example: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/d2jo604V) performs just as well when it comes to damage but with superior defense (because of all the CC res).

Again, this comes from the hardcore perspective. On Softcore where dying doesn’t really matter I could switch at least the boots to squeeze out a bit more damage.

My suggestion would be to buff either the weapons or the full set bonus. Maybe increasing the % Acid damage on the weapons would already be enough?

97

imo, the offensive part of the set is pretty fine.
I also have Vileblade Wh https://www.grimtools.com/calc/DV9LWQQ2 and it’s pretty okay (like 6 mins Crucible and SR75-76).

98

I wouldn’t say it’s weak but lacks the single target dps it once had.

GT link: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/xZy8kEkV

The build is stil quite fun, just slower against bosses than before yet clears trash somewhat faster. Still can tank almost everything, though I think the less RatA in savagery diminishes the life leech sustainability. I wasn’t asking mutch btw: just +2% of RatA to the mace and more lightning retal to savagery.

99

Try Honor + Callagadra helmet for burst, it may help vs some mage bosses and enemies.

I am always up for buffs, I just did not agree with words “overnerfed and weak” :wink:

100

It‘s not necessary to nerf the droprate.Personally the droprate of current version is appropriate to most people.’

3 Likes
101

Dear Zantai, i play your game for very long time and want to talk about some character skills experience. Today we have like 2 different stages in terms of balance - before 94 and after 94. But i think starting game experience is actual face of this game for most of playerbase and/or new players. (Complete Forgotten Gods on Ultimate Difficulty - only 2.1% of players got this steam achievement)

So i want to provide my opinion about most unsatisfying skills in current patch and some balance addition.

Soldier.
Terrify (Warcry modification) - why would you even waste 3 skill points here? 10 reduced target resistance is too low compared to all other sources of this type reduction - just pick up some constellation of this type and you’re fine. As i know this skill do not stack with constellations like Manticore and other of same type. Looks like it need to be buffed.

Forcewave with Shield. You create new character and want to play with shield? Oh its bad idea to waste your skill points here. Its very weak compared to all other Soldier attack options in order to invest. And Aegis of Menhir completely outshine his little brother when you start to compare them. It takes too many time to reach actual item skill modifiers and make it serious. I think we need another buff for main skill (without Tremor) and for compensation cut some damage from Two-Handed Melee modifiers. I know we had this before, but i feel its not enough.

Demolitionist.
Stun Jacks - this skill always stuck somewhere, between textures etc. It can work fine on flat area, but on some heights it just can stuck like old Forcewave (before it was fixed with pathing problem) and never reach your enemy,

Grenado - its not bad skill at all, but make it at least 4m Radius, current one is too small for explosion imo. Also radius numbers in game is very strange if you compare them to game model sizes, in real life 3 meter radius is not bad explosion, but in game it never close to this, feels like its only 1/2 of actual size. Base Mortar Trap is 3m too, it can be changed to 4m also.

Nightblade.
Phantasmal Blades - this skill always trying to hit much closer than you want - throw blades to ground. Some component skills with same effect always try to pass through all targets in front of you, but PB works different and you need to click much further than actual target if you want to hit many targets in front of you.

Blade Trap - is always useless, because of enemy resistance to this kind of skills, but for targets where it works - it never deal good enough damage or provide something good enough to waste skill points here.

Arcanist.
Devastation - For skill with such big recharge time it deal unproportional low damage, you need to invest 50 skill points in mastery to just get disappointed. It can devastate only your feelings, but not your enemy.

Olexra’s Flash Freeze - most of time it never works on actual targets, but if you want to do some fun against little targets - radius is never enough especially for skill with big cooldown. I think it must be 7m for first point of skill and 19m for 12 point. This skill must be true massive freezing option for good feelings.

Shaman.
Grasping Vines - feels like it need more damage on base skill, especially on 12 level and higher.

Inquisitor.
Horn of Gandarr - Radius of this skill is too small for any acoustic reasons, even War Cry have 16m on 12 level. Weapon damage is also can be higher for skill with 5s cooldown.

Artifact Handling - must have more total damage modification on level 10 and higher.

Aura of Conviction - higher % Pierce Damage will be good addition. 90% on 12lvl Exclusive skill is too low.

Necromancer.
Dread - must have more Meter Range bonus with leveling, especially on level 12 and higher.

Master of Death - higher Defensive Ability will be good addition.

Oathkeeper.
Shattering Smash - can have higher damage for such rare trigger which require melee + shield.

Safeguard - must provide more % damage bonus on level 12 and higher to worth invest in.

Judgment - feels like it need more physical damage for skill without weapon damage, especially on level 12 and higher.

With all item skill modifiers we start to forget about base skill stats, but they must be more important.

102

Are you serious? Every player has more than 250 hours experience with the game should be able to do that with or without following build guides. I believe, if he chooses the right build to follow a newbie can do this achievement even with his first character.

103

Most people don’t spend more than 10 hours on any game, much less finish it. This is not surprising at all.

1 Like
104

Been playing pet build lately I found that the components Binding of Bysmiel are a bit lacking on the pet stat that by the time the build reach 55 devo point and full pet gear support, the component effect is not much and removing it don’t have much difference, and I found changing that component to ancient armor/titan plating/hallowed ground is better. I found that pet damage are easier to come than pet health, so maybe increase the pet health bonus to 20% or both of health and attack to 25% can make the component more appealing.

On the other hand I agree with others that the Mark of Mogdrogen component buff is nice but compared with mark of traveler it still loses as mogdrogen is more expensive and traveler is random drop and give slow resistance. So to make the mogdrogen more unique, I think it’s good to add freeze/trap/slow resistance for pet in there, the number can be in range of 15-25. What do you think?

105

https://steamcommunity.com/stats/219990/achievements/

Even if we forget about players who never pass through Loghorrean on normal difficulty (only 24.2% do that) and multiply it by 5.
2.1 x 5 - still near 10% of players.

106

Yet again folks, please stay on topic.

If you have other suggestions then please make a new thread.

2 Likes
107

Could Mythical Black Scourge finally use the ultimate love?
I mean, changing it’s proc to “on attack” as pet builds doesn’t kill anyone by themselves and thus this proc is absolutely redundant. :slightly_smiling_face:

Also, can M. Beastcaller’s helm use some love too? Like aether/chaos res as it has zero resists now.