[Witch Hunter] Run, Forrest, Run! - Kiting, cooldown-based DoT build

Grim Dawn Classes, Skills and Builds
1

INTRODUCTION

I wanted to share with you guys the build that emerged while I was trying to complete the crucible achievements. I leveled this guy up in build 30 and 31. In the latest patch, I changed his gearing a little bit for more tankiness to be able to tackle higher crucible difficulties.

The gameplay of this here may not appeal to everyone, but it is very safe and effective. You quickly apply poison DoTs on the enemys, and run away. Rinse and repeat until everyone is dead.

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My priority was to max all resistances, including CC resistances. While I still struggle with Trap resist, everything else seems to be ok.

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SHOWCASE

[1.0.0.5 HF1] Crucible on challenger difficulty, waves 121 - 150.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT50D0lHTX8

[1.0.0.5 HF1] Bastion of Chaos + Shar’Zul.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU_zvzTm3xk

[1.0.0.5 HF1] Fabius.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijreVgXzB6o

[1.0.0.5 HF1] Mad Queen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTGIuSYc2us

[1.0.0.5 HF1] The Sentinel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_T4PUf7MOc

BUILD

Grimcalc without gear
Grimcalc with gear and devotions

I have +1 to All skills from Helm and +1 to Occultist from Relic. Main goal is to boost Dreeg’s Evil Eye and Nidalla’s Justifiable Ends to the maximum.

Devotion assignment:
Acid spray -> Dreeg’s Evil Eye
Scorpion Sting -> Shadow Strike
Tainted Eruption -> Dreeg’s Infinite Gaze (skill from Mark of Dreeg component)
Wayward Soul -> Veil of Shadow
Giant’s Blood -> Possession

Gameplay:
Keep Blood of Dreeg and Pneumatic Burst buffs up, while saving them for an emergency heal.
Curse of Frailty should be cast before applying DoTs, otherwise it doesn’t work. Also use it to slow groups of enemies.
Use Shadow Strike as gap closer and escape tool as well as one of the main damage dealers.
Dreeg’s Afflicted Spines (from relic), Dreeg’s Infinite Gaze and Dreeg’s Evil Eye to apply as many different sources of poison as possible.

For single targets, the usual rotation is:

  1. Curse of Frailty
  2. Shadow Strike
  3. Dreeg’s Evil Eye (2 and 3 can be swapped)
  4. Dreeg’s Infinite Gaze
  5. Dreeg’s Afflicted Spines
  6. run away until you see that DoT tick are getting smaller
  7. repeat from step 1 until monster is dead

GEAR

Head: Clairvoyant’s Hat + leathery hide + 7 Aether / 7 Chaos augment
Shoulders: Decorated Pauldrons + silk swatch + 7 Aether / 7 Chaos augment
Hands: Viperfang Grips + unholy inscription + 7 Aether / 7 Chaos augment
Boots: Golemborn Greaves + mark of mogdrogen + 7 Aether / 7 Chaos augment
Chest: Vestments of the Great Guardian + silk swatch + 10 Aether augment
Leg: Wraithborne Legwraps + silk swatch + 7 Aether / 7 Chaos augment
Belt: Incorruptible belt + dense fur + 10 Aether augment

Ring #1: Ultimate version of Slith Primal Ring + corpse dust + mogdrogen’s sanctity augment
Ring #2: Ring of Eternal Rot + corpse dust + mogdrogen’s sanctity augment <-- empowered version should be better but I still don’t have it.
Neck: Avatar of Mercy + corpse dust + breath of life augment
Medal: Badge of Mastery + aether soul <-- Ideally should have a bonus to Dreeg’s Evil Eye, otherwise use something else will probably be better
Relic: Dreeg’s Affliction

Weapon #1: Venomlash + mark of dreeg + outcast’s venom augment
Off-hand: Fiend’s Resolve + imbued silver + outcast’s venom augment

2

Fuck, 70k crit ticks on Fabius. GG, nice build. Mad Queen seems to have more poison res, but that seems alright considering her nature.

3

I played similarly for my first poison build except using dual wield only for shorter PB heals

4

I like the cooldown reduction that off-hand provides.

5

I still don’t understand how DoT crits work. Seems like after the first crit tick, all subsequent ones are always crits too.

6

That’s how they work.

Edit: If the first application of a DoT crits, the entirety of its ticks will crit. If the first application does not crit, none of the ticks will crit.

7

So then if one component of the DoT crits (for example, Shadow Strike DoT), then combined damage number will be shown as crit, even if other components are not crits?

8

Edit: If the first application of a DoT crits, the entirety of its ticks will crit. If the first application does not crit, none of the ticks will crit.

Does a repeat application of a DoT that didn’t crit overwrite the DoT that did crit?

9

Yes

I don’t think so, but I’m not 100% sure on this one.

10

Yes, it will overwrite it. That’s why he only applies it once, and constantly monitors the dot ticks to ensure he’s ready to reapply.

11

Actually, I don’t think DoTs with smaller damage per tick will override the previous application. I have never seen the damage of the DoT get smaller after reapplication. I just don’t reapply them because there is absolutely no point in wasting energy and cooldowns.

12

looks very nice :slight_smile: how should i start ? for leveling.

13

im guessing you only wear those pants for the vit/bleed res? if so there are a better pair out there that i use way more bleed/vit res and nice hp bonus

edit - sorry mine are pierce/bleed >_<

14

I leveled with DEE with Focused Gaze. Then at level 15 put Mark of Dreeg component into the weapon for additional poison skill. But it has a little unorthodox playstyle which I quite like nonetheless. You gather mobs in big packs and then throw DEE into the middle to kill all of them. But when you get a few devotion skills, things become pretty easy, just stack +% Poison Damage.

15

Well, it’s the best pants I have. Some resistances and 6% OA.

16

My gears selection, skill points distribution, and devotions are a bit different from OP.

Calc with gear & devotions

Head: Shroud Dreeg set helm
Shoulders: Zantarin’s Shoulderguard with Impenetrable + Kings
Hands: Same
Boots: Same
Chest: Shroud Dreeg set chest
Leg: Solael-Sect Legguard with Maniacal + Mountain.
Belt: Tinker’s Ingenuity
Rings: Judicator’s sets (No other suitable stuff. Plus, it increases survivability a lot.)
Neck: Shroud Dreeg set necklace
Medal: the same, but with +3 Shadown Strike & +2 DDE
Relic: Same
Weapon (main hand) : Plaguebearer of Dreeg (Don’t have Venom Lash. However, the proc of PoD seems better??)
Off-hand: Shroud Dreeg set Dagger (I found this build doesn’t rely on CD and casting speed much. So I trade that off-hand for more damage.)

Here are some of data of my char status with such set when 6 consistent buffs on:
HP: 9034
Energy: 2622
OA: 24k
DA: 1871
DPS (DEE’s): 8214 (Dmg: 32761~32953)
Armor: 1002

Resists:
Elementals - 80%
Acid/Poison - 95%
Pierce - 80%
Bleed - 87%
Vit - 80%
Aether - 35% (Since it’s not important one in end game…:P)
Stun - 52%
Chaos - 86%

Poison build is really strong. With such op Damage over time survival is actually rather easy.