I want to do a series of streams where I play all the worst leveling builds. I’ve started today and did Gunslinger Warlord as my first one. But at this point I’m out of ideas. So tell me, which are builds are the hardest to level. If they sound interesting, I’ll play them.
Gonna make a list of candidates:
Upheaval
Cooldown Forcewave
Defiler Fire Pets
Purifier Ignaffar
Spellbinder Reap/Devastation
Demolitionist Spam Stun Jacks
Streams done:
Defiler:
ends up as fire pets or vitality gargabol gunslinger.
Gunslingers definitely suck when starting out.
Flames of Ignaffar? Should be annoying initially.
Reap Spirit build? Obv. good later with a proper set but probably sucks to level up with
Maybe anything retal? Since you need quite a lot of gear support for it to become feasible.
I always play my endgame build from level 1. So it would be helpful to have actual builds. I only want to use skills that are in the build. I’m sure a Reap Spirit build has other skills that are available earlier.
Retal Flames of Ignaffar: Purifier, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcuRvrgKoB8
Devastation / Reap Spirit Spellbinder: Spellbinder, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.3) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzcgUWohsvU
Okay I can work with this. It’ll be normal attack until level 5, and then it should be fine. Single target is gonna be rough on spellbinder.
not sure if allowed in your concept but maybe you could support yourself with Aether Tendril I mentioned already, it’s been buffed significantly. Might be “fun” to use such a gimmicky single target cooldown skill
Here few bad ones according to my SSF experience:
I know it myself. Single target basically w/o Light’s Defender radius bonus and huge energy consumption 
But damage is high
Is this recent cause they nerfed the shotgun mechanic last patch
No, it’s old, didn’t know about this nerf 
You can’t shotgun like this anymore spread radius is different
Isn’t rf good enough to save you there?
I’ve had a bad time with two handed-ranged cadence. (Leveling this guy: Tactician, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator ) but not sure how that compares to the others.
Most of my builds that are shit to level don’t get anywhere, because they’re shit to level 
and I do like @MagpieMcGraw where I always try to play the endgame skills from level 1.
For example, I had this concept: Infiltrator, Level 100 (GD 1.2.1.6) - Grim Dawn Build Calculator
Which is still at level 20 or so, because trying to play both gandarr and blade trap is torture early on 
I did briefly check the end result and it should be funny to play, just blowing your horn all the time. 
Axe and Shield Oathkeeper
An Aegis build might be quite annoying to level if you don’t support yourself with Fireball. Especially if you choose a late bloomer one like Retal (Lightning even more so than Acid) or Chaos / Vitality / Pierce etc. Although Pierce could start with WoP so maybe not.
Physical and aether pistols are probably the easiest though because you can farm MI so early and they scale along with you.
Pierce or elemental twin gunners (Tactician, Purifier, Paladin, etc) have a harder time imo because of the lack of good guns until endgame. Chaos and acid aren’t really a thing until mid game.
If you really want to go all in on a terrible gun experience, try physical rifles.
I guess it also depends on if you are gonna play them all from “scratch” i.e. no use of stash transfer etc.
I personally HATE to start out as oathkeeper, they always end up using fireball component skill until level 30-ish.
Maybe you do. I’ve never used that component skill until I tried HC Pet classless. Oathkeeper’s fine for starting out with Aegis and Righteous Fervor.
I max Smite ASAP since it hits hard and helps early on. Then I’ll respect out later to something else.
