[3.12 HC] Dominating Blow Guardian (Mayhem HC #3 Guardian, #1 solo build)

My Guardian Supporter and Minion heart could cry :°(

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Unwavering Crusade
Added

Nearby Allies have 20% increased Attack, Cast and Movement Speed


Removed

Nearby Allies deal 30% increased Damage
Nearby Allies have 15% increased Attack, Cast and Movement Speed

But well everyone get nerfs,
for minion build maybe 5% ats and ms is better.
Also more def things: faster charges, better def vs curses

We have to see.

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ShoveMoneyDeeper wrote:

Wait a minute...:D
Just trying to level with them. They disappear??:D In act 3 trying to hit someone with crappy weapon and kill is amusing and when faced General Gravicius they are gone mostly.
So ALL boss carry throughout game does 4L Skeletons only?

Not all Bosses and not 4L:

Any boss you can stand in melee with comfortably, you will eventually summon dominance sentinels just by swinging at them enough.

Late game, you will also look for a 5-6L Elder Helmet for the vaal Skellies with one or more of the following mods:

+2-3 levels to minion gems
Supported by Minion Damage
50% phys added as lightning for socketed gems

The first two are most easily crafted using bound fossils, the last via essences of insanity. An insanity Crafted Elder helm with the supported by minion damage mod is equivalent to a 6L. Once in all my time playing these sort of builds I even crafted a 7L helm. Only once.



-O

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V1re wrote:

My Guardian Supporter and Minion heart could cry :°(

"

Unwavering Crusade
Added

Nearby Allies have 20% increased Attack, Cast and Movement Speed


Removed

Nearby Allies deal 30% increased Damage
Nearby Allies have 15% increased Attack, Cast and Movement Speed

But well everyone get nerfs,
for minion build maybe 5% ats and ms is better.
Also more def things: faster charges, better def vs curses

We have to see.

My sense it that we were spared the worst of the nerf bat. The trade of 30% inc damage for 5% inc speed is definitely a small net loss, but nothing that I suspect will be particularly noticeable. The buff to time of need, otoh is significant both in terms of regen (25% more) and curse resistance--I expect it will be quite noticeable in actual play and give the build an even tankier feel.

Pending the actual patch notes, build looks gtg for 3.13.

-O

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Schnuedde wrote:

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Orion72 wrote:

Re: Herald of Purity

To make room for a 4 link HOP, we probably have to give up Pride (for mana reservation) and either Vaal summon skeletons, spectres, or some of the defensive utility skills for the link space. I would be very reluctant to give up the skellies, as they fill 2 key purposes that HOP cant replace:

1. Getting the first few sentinels summoned in a new area
2. Bossing without standing still in melee range

I also don't want to give up any of the defensive/Utility skills, as they are (in my mind) important defensive layers.

That leaves the spectres. As to whether a 4 link HOP > Spectres+Pride POB tells me that the dps is actually fairly comparable, with perhaps a moderate edge to HOP. The downside is that HOP requires you to personally be killing things or hitting Uniques to maintain, while pride and Spectres remain up at all times. For that reason, My preference is against HOP in this build.


Re: Patch
I still need to see the patch notes, but build is looking solid so far.

-O

Thank you for the detailed answer. I think I will test both until league start and then define what I will do. I will not play HC, therefore some death are not a problem for possibly more DPS :-) I´m currently leveling with 4L DomBlow and 4L HOP and it is running really smooth. Will you play this build as league starter on Friday?

I look forward to seeing the results of your testing!

I had indeed been planning to play this build at league start, but then I made the mistake of looking at the ascendancy changes, saw that GGG decided to un-nerf a mechanic that I very much enjoyed using in the distant past (9 leagues ago or so?) and was transfixed by a new idea using that mechanic with a skill I believe will be further buffed in the coming patch notes. [Not trying to be coy about it, just don't want to get too far off-topic]

So instead I plan to begin the league running a different brand new experiment, which I will probably write up if it goes well. My mission to discover and bring to my community entertaining HC builds continues!

-O

So what's that old build in a gist?:)

I'm trying out now this build with DB and was sceptical, but excited, one of the few skills I haven't touched at all. Then when I found out that they don't stay, like regular minions (zombies, spectres), was a bit disappointed.

Only in Act 6, maybe will get into maps tonight, but it feels better than I expected, quite fun skill. Damage is off the charts, in comparison even to some pure damage skills(at least now, at this point in campaign. Curious how it will scale to later game, if it will).

I guess, the only thing that's really bothering me, is that skeleton thing for bosses, they can die fast. Those bosses that you can face thank, don't matter, but late game ones can just delete them.
Next league is going to be boss league and with 5-10 bosses at a time can be not very cool, without spawning Bois and hitting melee can be not a thing, with all stuff flying at you.

Have you done 100% Delirium late game? Definitely feels tanky, but so far not much courage to just eat every single bombardment.

Besides that, amazing build. Simple, perfect, as cheap - as it can be. Easily SSF viable.

BTW can Writhing Jar or Breach Portal spawn bois too? That would be not a bad solution for bosses.

The old build was Ascendant chi/slay ele hit totems. The key mechanic that was nerfed was Ascendant-Slayer overleech. (Duration was cut in half) Ascendant rework undoes that nerf for 3.13, making the chi/slay totem ascendant a viable play style again. I'm thinking crit impale shrapnel ballistae (which I believe may get buffed in tomorrow's patch notes) We'll see how it goes.

Didn't do 100% delirium during the Mayhem race, so unable to comment on that, regrets.

Can confirm damage stays roughly at that level relative to mapping (as opposed to bossing) all the way through at least T17.

Skellies definitely do die fast, but they also re-summon on the run very easy. Additionally, Vaal summon skeletons starts its cool down as soon as it is used. The result is that you can usually have 100% uptime (or close to it) during bossfights. I have high hopes for that part of the build to do well in the upcoming multi boss scenarios.

Writhing jar/vaal breach are definitely options for summoning sentinels. Choice to use a flask/gem slot that way entirely a matter of taste, but definitely nothing wrong with it imo.

Otherwise, very glad you are enjoying the build and wishing you well with it!

-O

Patch notes reviewed. Skelly mages buffed (increases power of vaal summon skellies, small positive for bossing) otherwise no additional nerfs. Build looks gtg for 3.13.

Good luck!

-O

Hey man, grats on your #3 in Mayhem.

I believe I've used one of your builds a bit ago, the quill rain jugg? It was my first shaper kill in HC. Thanks for that.

I will probably try this build as a leaguestarter, or maybe 2nd character for 3.13 as I have never rolled a guardian.

Quick question regarding the spectres, I know you mention you're not a spectre expert, but why are we trying to get those tanky spectres from A3? Do they have a tanky ability they use, or just a lot of life / meatshield? Have you tried carnage chieftains or the Drox drum / speed buff spectres? Just wondering if there is a reason not to use those to buff the skeles / sentinels.

Thanks again!

"

pbrayer wrote:

Hey man, grats on your #3 in Mayhem.

I believe I've used one of your builds a bit ago, the quill rain jugg? It was my first shaper kill in HC. Thanks for that.

I will probably try this build as a leaguestarter, or maybe 2nd character for 3.13 as I have never rolled a guardian.

Quick question regarding the spectres, I know you mention you're not a spectre expert, but why are we trying to get those tanky spectres from A3? Do they have a tanky ability they use, or just a lot of life / meatshield? Have you tried carnage chieftains or the Drox drum / speed buff spectres? Just wondering if there is a reason not to use those to buff the skeles / sentinels.

Thanks again!

QR Hoag Jugg was indeed one of mine--very glad it worked well for you. :)

As to specters, it is almost guaranteed you know more than I do. I am a spectre newb. I liked the idea of a couple of super-tanky extra meatshields, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with choosing utility specters instead, as long as you don't have trouble keeping them alive.

Luck!
-O

Will you update this build for 3.13?