Build Guide
Rathma Scythe of the Cycle Singularity GR120+ , My Necro: https://eu.battle.net/d3/en/profile/Cherry-2866/hero/100105920
UPDATE: Bones Spikes-Sudden Impact, changed to Bones Spikes-Frost Spikes. Bone Spikes (Frost Spikes) provide a much better survivability by slowing down ennemies and it actually triggers much better "Bane of Trapped" compared to Sudden Impact rune. Sudden Impact rune has RNG variability and this incontrolable nature couldn't trigger "Bane of Trapped" permanently. In addition, Phylicatery "Lost Time" provide an additional +30% reducing movement speed to ennemies affected by your cold skills, in our case "Bone Spikes-Frost Spikes". This is a MAJOR damage boost and for me now I can finish GR95 2 person (1 afk or hanging behind me if low paragon) without ANY death (if good map, or very ocassional death @1200 para) !
Wrists "Lacuni Prowlers" are subject to change, as many Greater Rifts showed me that "Nemesis Bracers" are superior to gain additional % in your Greater rift progression as it spawns Boss. Especially good if Pylons are Shield or Channelling (remove cooldowns). Lacuni Prowlers still an amazing source of additionnal damage. Probably if doing pushing starting from 98-99, Nemesis are better to gain additionnal time.
I'm doing further testing about Bones Spikes-Sudden Impact and Bones Spikes-Frost Spikes It seems if pushing higher GRs,Bones Spikes-Sudden Impact are offering better damage, under investigation.
My records with this build :
- 19 november 2017, Season 12 : GR102 14:39min, 832 paragon (only 1 +250 intel caldessan despair, done only for Season Journey protrait objective, the rest dont have a single caldessan despair, no Primal)
-Leaderboards 8 november 2017 : GR104 13:10 , paragon 1231 Cherry
-GR91 at 705 paragon during Season 11
-GR105 1147 paragon normal (locked leaderboards)
-Can carry low paragon friends up to GR90 4 persons if you are 1050+ paragon (3 person AFK or help you to find pylons). 2 person can do up to GR95/98 (1 person is AFK or help you). This build is an easy access to T13 very early, even at 300paragon during season. A friend of mine with 2500 paragon cleared GR121 with this build.
NOTE: after GR99, it's also a kind of fishing because if you get a bad map you are not going to make it, unless if you have high sheet damage in your inventory.
Extremely powerful build, the best damage dealer build in the game combining 400% damage from Scythe of the Cycle and Reilena's Shadowhook (gives you between 120%-160% damage outside of simulacrum, and during Simulacrum +310% damage.
How this build is working:
-When you start a Greater Rift, go in first pack of ennemies and activate in the order : 1) Bone Armor (to get+400% damage thanks to Scythe of the Cycle), 2) Land of The Dead, 3) Simulacrum, 4) All the time press quickly on Devour to get essence (all the time!!!) 5) Producing Skeletal Mages, who will annihilate everything. During this phase its important to run and produce at full essence Skeletal Mages, then find a first elite in begining of Greater Rift and one shot it. I STRONGLY suggest when you used Land of the dead + Simulacrum while pressing quickly Devour, to kill elite BOSS immediately by clicking with your right click mouse (Skeletal Mages) on this Elite Boss from distance. They will target him directly and kill in 1 shot or few seconds depending on your gear. This "sniping technique is extremely important because Land of the Dead is only lasting for few seconds and you need to "snipe" Elite boss click on him when you have full essence and he is DEAD. I can one shot Elite Boss even in GR100!!!
This build requires you to stay ALWAYS behind your mages, they are your wall and protection, if you see an archer shooting an arrow even with low essence just put in front of you skeletal mages to protect you, or simply run away go to left/right. Avoid all potential danger such as arrows, Magic Balls from Succubus. Watch Everytihng on your screen. It's a Glass cannon build and anything will kill you in 1 hit. However your damage is SO STRONG that being so squishy is doesn't really matter. Don't waste to increase Vitality on your gear or Resistance to element, just don't bother.
REQUIRED:
1) +40% Physical Damage (Amulet + wrists) or at least 30% as minimum. Alternative : Critical hit chance + Critical hit damage on amulet instead of 20% physical damage is offering an equal damage, however you gain a higher sheet damage.
2) +30% Skeletal Mage damage (Boots + Head). You can try out +45% Skeletal Mage damage (possible on Phylactery) with Bone Ringer which always gives you Critical Hit Chance.
3) +30% - 45% Attack speed is very important. More you can get = better.(This will INCREASE THE ATTACK SPEED OF YOUR SKELETAL MAGES, YES IT DOES, DON'T LISTEN OTHER NOOBS ON DIABLOFAN WHO SAID IT DOESNT AFFECT YOUR MAGES, YES IT DOES!!!!!! Proof : Try legendary gem "Pain Enhancer" and you will see how fast Skeletal Mages will attack.. it's crzay !) Also Attack speed will restore MUCH faster your essence and you can quickly get essence with Bone Spikes to Full essence. However stacking a lot of attack speed will not greatly improve the attack speed of mages, but very very little and it really hard to notice an actual improvement. You also can stack Critical Hit chance + Critical Hit Damage instead of full attack speed! 30-31% of attack speed is more than enough
4) 32% - 40% CDR, doesnt required to go to values such as 55-60%+...
5) Area Damage is very important, I recommend at least 50% Area damage to have nice overall damage, because in higher Greater Rift you will have a lot of ennemies attacking your skeletal mages, Area Damage is amazing feature.
6) if Low Paragon or begining, in "CORE" you need to get 50/50 Maximum essence FIRST. then you can improve MOVEMENT SPEED. AFTER 50/50 MAX ESSENCE + MOVEMENT SPEED, you can start to invest in Intelligence.
7) CoE , COnvention of Elements
8) Krysbin's Sentence in Kanai, if you have Primal version or 100% with socket, you can equip it and place Circle of Nailuj' Evol in Cube.
Always check your Bone Armor active and better X10 stacks, Produce your Skeletal Mages, stay behind them, Use Bone Spikes to restore essence. When you see Elite, quickly find Elite Boss, activate Land of the Dead + Simulacrum, press continuously "Devour" (to get full essence) right click on elite-BOSS to use Skeletal Mages to quickly kill it. Don't forget to always press on "Devour" when everything is frozen, you will need about 10 active mages to kill elite Boss fast and efficiently.
Rift Guardians are really easy to kill with LoD + Simulacrum, pretty much in 1-3sec , even at GR100+. For that try to manage your cooldowns, lets say when you have 98% of progression, you can start to use LoD+Simulacrum, kill a big pack of ennemies then your Skeletal Mages will kill Rift Guardian because you still have Simularum active (thanks to Haunted Visions Amulet)
NEVER USE :
-Land of the Dead + Simulacrum if you encountered a difficult boss and you had "FINAL SERVICE" activated. JUST DIE or try to go back and produce skeletal Mages, however if elite is THUNDERSTORM, just die.. don't waste time. IF you had Final Service and you activate LoD + Simulacrum, you will die and waste your precious cooldowns... That's why it's better die and wait your cooldown ready. Once you released, quickly use Bone of Armor then LoD +Simulacrum, snipe Elite boss kill it in seconds (at full essence put cursor on Elite Boss and right click Skeletal Mages, he is fucking dead) and then take care of minions.
-Can't skip monsters unfortunately...might be not suitable for public teams. However it's amazing in well coordinated teams, sup barb takes pack by pack, you kill pack, then kill another, snipe Elite Bosses...everything is fine.
Why drop life for death passive?
I've had mixed results with this build. Not going to lie - I'm a relatively new, casual player. This is my first seasonal character and I'm able to clear most 80 maps with 500ish paragon points. The main problem I have is stuff dies so fast when I'm rocking 10 full powered mages that I have a difficult time refreshing bone armor, which forces me to move in and out of trash packs. This leads to a lot of deaths because I'm made out of paper.
In all honestly, I'm using this build because my Cycle and Leger's are both ancient, while my Jeseth's set are not. This is the most new player friendly of the Cycle/Rathma builds. Maybe I'll die less with more practice.