Okay I’m pretty sure I’ve found the worst build in the game to level with. It’s Cadence. It should actually be removed from the game entirely.
Because of it’s mechanics, no matter how good the damage is, you still need 3 hits to kill even the weakest enemy.
Now try with two-handed ranged 
It’s hilarious how many people will come out to defend Cadence for levelling.
It’s total trash (I’m putting it on Oathkeeper level) for levelling until you get Voldrak’s stick and even after that and a bunch of skill points it’s still just OK.
HC Classless and Pet HC Classless?
I don’t think these types of builds are even competing for worst build to level. Classless leveling is a very different approach under different rules so imo you can’t really compare it to normal leveling.
I guess you could ask which HC Classless build is the worst to level. I completed the challenge with pets, it was hard at first (but fun) and once the mandatory items became available it was easy going (and still fun). I only did the challenge once so I don’t know how pets compare to retal or some kind of proccer build. But I guess they are far from the worst since it’s a relatively safe playstyle.
Safe until you get one shot by Zaria the Carver that is…
With a good amount of pets and some decent piloting Zaria’s damage should be avoidable. I don’t recall that fight being particularly hard. Just keep your distance and use the pet command button.
Death of a pet build, classless or not, is usually a result of pilot error. My successful run was actually my 2nd attempt, the first one was cut short at around level 20 after rushing headfirst into a mob of skeleton archers. Not the build’s fault, I was just carelessly yoloing my way through Rolderathis’s optional side area, damage was pretty good so I got overconfident. Lesson learned.
Searing Ember > Cadence
Classless HC Zaria pets - killed by Zaria (twice!). I realize I am probably a moron navigator but both times it was this particular boss who got me. One time (the second time) I thought I had won the lottery because I actually had the blightshard amulet for an additional pet (additional to Hysteria crab) along with a single marrow band and still running greater fireblast. Didn’t matter. Once the chaos shard was up I tried to boogie away and the chaos lightning or whatever it is bounced right off the crab and onto me for an IK (insta kill).
This is why I suggested doing physical 2-hand ranged as a candidate for worst leveling experience, which I see is now in the list.
It’s still doable of course but just abysmal compared to other options. There are no supporting MI’s and only one crappy Rover crossbow until you can get the Lvl 84 Malmouth Rifle. The only other viable drop other than vendor farming something is the Sangvinar crossbow which does drop quite often. Or get lucky with a korvan wyrm at Lvl 50.
Searing Ember is low key one of the best early game levelling skills. Chuck it on a good 2-hander for decent weapon damage and you can level with just it.
Can level as solo necro pretty easily, so atleast imo, pet defiler isnt hard to level. Its issue is at endgame.
Yes, Skeletons are squishy. But, can easily go through normal without any issue and by the time you end up on Elite/Ultimate, you should have some decent choices for gear, skill points and devotion points to make up for that.
Sounds a bit like you were running a Hybrid build, which usually doesn’t work that well in Grim Dawn. Fireblast won’t do much damage if you don’t have the gear to support it, and the same is true for pets.
Also sounds like you were playing SSF (which adds a ton of extra challenge to an already challenging endeavor)? I didn’t do that, I grabbed most of the necessary items for this build from my stash, only for a few items like Salazar’s Blade and LunalValgoth’s Girdle I had to switch to another char and farm a bit.
I went full pets with 2 Marrowbands, Hysteria (later Dirge) relic, Grimoire of OgNapesh and the Salazar dagger (later Black Scourge scepter). The only active skills I used were Solael’s Flame for Vitality RR and to proc Bysmiel’s command, and a movement rune. After the debacle in Rolderathis tomb I learned to stop using the movement skill offensively and to keep it ready for escaping tight situations when needed. I won Zaria’s fight by staying far away from her crystals and letting my pets do all the dirty work.
It was 4am when I stumbled across this topic.
One quick read before going to bed, what could possibly go wrong?
It’s 5 am and have read the entire thread.
@Gnomish_Inquisition hats off to you, I enjoyed reading such an articulate expression of confusion and request for details. Even though most of them were the same thing over, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
“Let’s define the rules” — “Let’s define “define” for starters”.
Let’s define “starters”
I enjoy leveling with autoattackers like cadence or savagery for at least melee. Just invest heavy into wps and so every hit is aoe asap.
2h Ranged savagery druid maybe the roughest leveling experience I’ve had one though…
And just for really early on don’t rush eye of reckoning first chance you get, it works for aether ray, but with EOR I once had a ten minute fight against milton hart as I could only just barely outdps his healing lol.
All WPS are not AoE skills though
I just killed him at level 10 with a naked char + hevills greatsword. Had 2 points into EoR. Normal thought, might be harder on veteran
Normal doesn’t count. It’s balanced for classless.
Worked ok in veteran too. Needed some res gear though 
Normal is balanced so you can start ultimate with decent gear and res asap The game starts in ultimate
Then why are you playing normal? 