Arcanist + Demolitionist - too squishy

[Ral]

I die alot going this build on my first playthrough. All I can do is kite bigger enemies and swarms. I tried maxing out my Maiven's Sphere of Protection, but that is lack luster.

The only thing I have haven't done is look at all my reagents and infuse my gear, plus my gear isn't the best, though I am mostly in blues.

I am wielding a two-handed axe cause I was going a FireStrike/Iskandra's Elemental Exchange, Arcane Will/Vindictive Flame build. So sort of a Gernade throwing pyrotechnic arcane wielder who can rip apart reality... while smashing your face in with an axe.

I don't think having a shield would help much though when all is said and done.

I have 370 Physique with 2200 hp and I'm currently level 34, and am playing on Veteran difficulty. I just got done with killing the abomination quest in Homestead.

[Ceangailte]

Grim Dawn will become alot easier when you understand how the Monsters attack. You can Avoid so much dmg and use movement and target prioreties.. My first selffound Veterand build (squishy) were very problemetic too but now Veteran is with every build so easy (selffound). Only because i learned how to play.

Take youre time, learn how the game works. Later on Elite you need to have some good items and keep an eye on you resists. Monsters patters are more important now too. But Elite is a cakewalk if you compare it to Ultimate. My actually Build kills everything on Elite while Im brain afk. In Ultimate most fights, even with Normal mobs can Kill me if im not carefull with my movement and my desicions wich moster i need to kill first and so on.

For sure you cant handle the Mobs like in D3. Its another kind of flow and playstyle. Im sure you will figure it out and when even a squishy build will work for you.

Good look and have fun.

[inovade]

since youre using arcanist, invest at flash freeze
just as name implies, it's FLASH FREEZE, not very damaging but freeze most enemies on screen!!
should be easy enough

dont know about demo though

[Aelies von Saladir]

Well, Unless you invest very heavily on Physique, a Sorceror would be much too squishy to go melee. I mean, Demolitionist is mostly ranged and Arcanist is a caster. How does Ranged+Caster = Melee? Even though it can be used with axes, Firestrike skill icon still features a GUN. That's how you make the most out of this skill.
My Sorceror uses a pistol and a book, with Firestrike and Devastation as main skills. And he's awesome. He's level 60 and halfway through Elite now with only 3 deaths.

[Ral]

Originally posted by Aelies von Saladir:

Well, Unless you invest very heavily on Physique, a Sorceror would be much too squishy to go melee. I mean, Demolitionist is mostly ranged and Arcanist is a caster. How does Ranged+Caster = Melee? Even though it can be used with axes, Firestrike skill icon still features a GUN. That's how you make the most out of this skill.
My Sorceror uses a pistol and a book, with Firestrike and Devastation as main skills. And he's awesome. He's level 60 and halfway through Elite now with only 3 deaths.

I'm greedy and want to play everything all in one character. Though, I haven't come across any awesome guns my level yet. I look at the damage output of this blue axe and I'm like it's too good to pass up.

[Marine King]

Yeah, that isn't a good class combo for melee. The fire strike upgrade only adds AOE to ranged weapons.

That said , I also play this class combo and there are some skills you have to have (especially for melee). Blast shield procs the damage absorbtion on every hit. Max it. And put a point into shield of relfection. Of course flash freeze is also a great idea if you're melee as the above poster said.

[Aelies von Saladir]

Originally posted by Ralavik:

I'm greedy and want to play everything all in one character. Though, I haven't come across any awesome guns my level yet. I look at the damage output of this blue axe and I'm like it's too good to pass up.

Damage dealing capabilities isn't everything, my friend. You have to survive long enough to atttack in order to deal damge. Surviving long enough is much easier if you use ranged attacks.

But if you're really insisting on going down this path, then the only thing I can advise is do what Inovade said and get yourself Olexra's Flash Freeze, as well as pumping every attribute points you'll ever get into Physique. Use Flash Freeze on the enemies and hit them with Firestrike and Grenade. That's not the best build I've ever heard of but it MIGHT be survivable.

[Skaarphy]

Originally posted by Inovade:

since youre using arcanist, invest at flash freeze
just as name implies, it's FLASH FREEZE, not very damaging but freeze most enemies on screen!!
should be easy enough

dont know about demo though

What he said. And put one point in Mirror of Ereoctes. Makes you invulnerable for 3 seconds. For demo you can use Stun Jacks to stun mobs.

[DarkStarClassic]

Both classes range so i don't understand the choice of double handed axe it make no sense?

I'm btw pure arcanist not even second class lvl68 and i survive(not easy btw but i like difficcultty).

As someone already said learn how mobs behave and your ok.

[Kal]

Also, stupid question, but have you maxed out (or at least put a significant number of points into) your mastery bars? Or at least one of them?
Because 2200 HP seems a bit low. I have 320 physique and 400 more hp than you, with the same class combination.

Like you said, you can use components to boost your survivability. See if you can get your hand on some Leathery Hide (%hp, armor, less stun duration), Corpse dust (%hp, vitality resistance, health regeneration), mutated scales (%hp and flat hp) or ancient plates (armor and physique).

There are probably more, but those are the ones I found in my inventory, and since I'm level 33, I'm guessing you should be able to find them as well.
If you're going to keep playing melee, you should prioritize survivability on your gear. Demolitionist and Arcanist both pack a punch, so you should be able to do decently even if your equipment doesn't give much in term of damages. Like the other said, to deal damage, you have to be alive.

[Narcslayer]

maxing the sphere also takes away a significant amount of dps. I think at 12/12 it's around 10% or thereabouts.

[Timeraider]

If you want to get hit while using a combination of 2 squishy magey/ranged classes and then combine it with using a 2-hander to melee... yeah.. get Maivens maxed regardless, only wear heavy armor and probably put 1 point into both Mirror of Ecteos or something and Nullification

[Ficelle]

Arcanist+demo is one of the squishiest combination.

Going melee 2H makes it even worse.

Im playing one right now in ultimate but ranged (dual pistols) and the only way i can survive is because of ranged + huge DPS + very heavy CC + almost all defensive devotions.

Your PV are way too low (100 Pv / lvl is the min you want and i would aim for 150 200 for a melee).
Try to max your resistances. While 60% sounds great, the guy with 80% is taking 2 times less damage (I wont even speak about lower than 60%....especially in melee).

Concentrate on defensive/debuff devotions, everyone like damage, but running away or lying dead is not exaclty doing damage.

As said before, maxed sphere and at least 1 point in mirror are mandatory.
Dont bother about the DPS loss from sphere, remember each sec you run away, you do exactly zero DPS.

Flash freeze is great, you should aim for a quite high investment here.

Some point in flashbang and/or stun jack would help too.

This char cant play like a soldier, you simply dont have the defense, play it to its strengh, freeze/stop/stun the whole screen, destroy everything, repeat if needed.

Only things you should have to kite are named (many of them can still be CCed).

[abcismasta]

I'm running this pair, but I use a pistol with a magic off-hand. The great thing about this build is you can get a ludicrous amount of ranged damage, but still wear decently heavy armor. For skills though, I don't invest anything in the sphere, my only self protection skill is mirror, and it is completely maxed right now (I'm at your level). I focus on my pistol with fire strike (with some points in explosive rounds), and the toggled damage buff from both classes for my raw dps, it maxes between 4-500 at the moment (this is including some aether damage buffs from items). I also use a level 1 grenado and tier 3-4 skyfall with frozen core for trash mobs and cc.

I have about 6 points into the aether beam attack, and it is just rediculous how quickly it can drain health, especially if you get the wrathstone (I think, its whichever component can be crafted at the blacksmith that gives an aether damage buff to caster offhands) and the aether rounds (same but for guns). The aether rounds component also gives a skill with about 2.7 cooldown, which does upwards of 1000 damage to a single target, which is rediculous when chained into your storm of firestrike attacks. I also try to get +fire damage buffs on my various equipments.

For constellations, I've gone with the rat and then the ghoul for survivability (it works). I also tend to go with armor that ups health regeneration, because it effectively negates a large portion of the enemies dps, plus you don't have to wait as long between engagements. My hp/ep regen per second are both a little above 40 with my various components and such, my total hp is 2200+, I found a way to get 100% armor absorption (its a component from the blacksmith, some kind of scales, apply a full one to 3 pieces of armor), and my ep is around 1900 with energy reserves.

Using this setup, you can use the mirror every ~20 seconds(ish), for when bosses or strong mobs charge you, you can do ludicrous amounts of damage with your skyfall and grandados to weak groups, you can focus with your aether beam when you have the chance, and take pot shots with your pistol when you can't. The skyfall can freeze bosses mid charge, which can save you the brunt of some of their attacks, and as long as you keep moving, you should be able to avoid most of the rest. The biggest struggle I've had is that I will be mowing through most of the enemies, taking almost zero damage due to my regen/armor and the fact they are mostly dead before they reach me, then all of the sudden my health bar will disappear because an unexpected damage type will appear. This is mostly due to my almost non-existant elemental/secondary damage type resistances. As such, I'm usually not expecting the sudden drop in life, and I might die before I realize I need to react. When I do manage to react, a combination of the mirror and a single health potion is usually all I need, I haven't purchased any, and I currently have 100+ sitting in my inventory from just random drops. A small aside, when using the beam, ep runs out hella fast, so only use it if there is one enemy left, or in short bursts.