Regardless of whether I win or not I want to share this build as I feel it will perform extremely well not only for leveling but for hardcore endgame. The premise is simple; Long range damage/control. The basic concept is to control the field through slows and stuns without having to truly sacrifice damage. Each ability save for one has an inherent slow or stun and the passives play off of this.
Here is an overview:
Primary: Entangling Shot: This in conjunction with your secondary can set up some massive AoE slows. I have selected the Chain Gang rune to increase the number of potential slows from this ability to 4. This is also you're lone Hatred Generator but I will show you how I compensate for that. Spamming this is highly recommended. If you aren't having problems with applying slows then change the rune to either Chain Lightning (additional Lightning damage over 2 secs) or Heavy Burden (increase slow duration).
Secondary: Elemental Arrow: The low Hatred cost of this ability makes it the ideal spammable secondary. I chose the Frost Arrow rune as it not only applies another slow but, after hitting it's initial target it splits into multiple arrows hitting even more targets. Combined with Entangling Shot this gives you great control through AoE slows and some decent group utility. Once again if you aren't have problems with slows then I recommend Screaming Skull (chance to fear affected enemies) or Nether Tentacles (percent damage lifesteal)
Defensive: Fan of Knives: I went with Fan of Knives not only because it is another slow, but because of the rune choice. I went with the Fan of Daggers rune because of it's HIGH chance to stun. 80% chance to stun for 2 seconds is extremely strong and will give you the chance to regroup yourself and begin reapplying those slows. Even if it doesn't stun, it still applies a slow which works in favor of this build. If you are still having trouble then replace this skill with Evasive Fire for it's mobility and synergy with Steady Aim.
Archery: Rain of Vengeance: I went with Rain of Vengeance in the Archery slot because I feel it fits the click and move pace of the game. The Flying Strike run choice gives this spell some utility. It allows you control of the damage area and adds a stun to the spell. Being able to AoE stun from a distance is extremely powerful and is clutch for Solo or Group play. The high Hatred cost and long cool-down restrict this spell slightly so try and use this in situations where you will get the most out of it. If you center more around Group play and don't need the AoE then I recommend taking Marked for Death with the Valley of Death rune.
Devices: Cluster Arrow: This spell is another one of your AoE choices and one that provides focused control. The Dazzling Arrow rune adds a 65% stun chance to the grenades that explode after the initial impact. Another AoE stun in your arsenal, this has no cool-down but, is the highest costing ability, so be careful with spamming this one. This is also one of your highest damaging abilities so I recommend using it after applying slows to really up the damage ante and take advantage of your passives.
Shadow: Preparation: Here is the answer to some of your resource questions. The Punishment rune on this ability removes the cool-down and instead of instantly restoring Discipline for free, it restores all your Hatred for the cost of 20 discipline. This is your Ace in the Hole if you will, and is the perfect compliment to this build. With only 1 Hatred generator and some high Hatred cost on some of your skills, this spell essentially quadruples your Hatred pool. If you have 100 Hatred and 100 discipline at start (let's just say, I don't know the exact numbers), then you get 5 uses, barring basic discipline regeneration, refilling your lost Hatred. This essentially increases your Hatred pool from 100 to 500. You can use this sparingly to just refill Hatred as needed or spam this skill so you can keep spamming Cluster Arrow and Elemental Arrow, essentially allowing you to mow down the impeding horde of evil. This skill set up also allows you to take purely offensive passives.
Passives: Cull The Weak: This is the staple of the build, it's heart, it's everything. 15% damage increase for simply slowing and controlling the battlefield is hard to argue, and even harder to flat out deny. It's essentially free damage and is what makes this build continue to work through later difficulties. Spend the early difficulties practicing set-ups and combos (i.e. Apply a slow then use a high damage ability right afterwards). Because of this passive, you can spam Elemental Arrow (Frost Arrow) to not only AoE slow but do good damage as well.
Steady Aim: This is another free damage passive. It is more difficult to maintain then Cull The Weak which is why I opted more for runes that provided stuns. If you are properly controlling the battlefield then your enemies are going to be no less then 10 yards away, netting you a 20% damage increase. This is probably the only passive I would suggest changing if you are having trouble keeping enemies at bay in Solo. For Group play, keep this passive and just keep your distance, that's just a no-brainer.
Archery: This is another free damage passive, with no real drawback or cost. Simply equip a weapon you were already gonna use and enjoy a free damage boost. I do recommend using a Bow as the flat 15% damage increase will ultimately win the day. This passive is the easiest to benefit from and there should be no substitution.
Conclusion:
Overall I can't wait to try this build out as I think it will be a lot of fun and can essentially cater to all walks of the game (PvP, PvE, Hardcore, Softcore, Solo, Group). The passives are obtained at fairly early levels (15, 13, and 22 respectively) and the core slows are also obtained fairly early making this ideal for early levels, giving you a smother leveling experience while also transitioning fairly well into the harder difficulties.
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Sir Dougles Demon Hunter Build
Regardless of whether I win or not I want to share this build as I feel it will perform extremely well not only for leveling but for hardcore endgame. The premise is simple; Long range damage/control. The basic concept is to control the field through slows and stuns without having to truly sacrifice damage. Each ability save for one has an inherent slow or stun and the passives play off of this.
Here is an overview:
Primary:
Entangling Shot: This in conjunction with your secondary can set up some massive AoE slows. I have selected the Chain Gang rune to increase the number of potential slows from this ability to 4. This is also you're lone Hatred Generator but I will show you how I compensate for that. Spamming this is highly recommended. If you aren't having problems with applying slows then change the rune to either Chain Lightning (additional Lightning damage over 2 secs) or Heavy Burden (increase slow duration).
Secondary:
Elemental Arrow: The low Hatred cost of this ability makes it the ideal spammable secondary. I chose the Frost Arrow rune as it not only applies another slow but, after hitting it's initial target it splits into multiple arrows hitting even more targets. Combined with Entangling Shot this gives you great control through AoE slows and some decent group utility. Once again if you aren't have problems with slows then I recommend Screaming Skull (chance to fear affected enemies) or Nether Tentacles (percent damage lifesteal)
Defensive:
Fan of Knives: I went with Fan of Knives not only because it is another slow, but because of the rune choice. I went with the Fan of Daggers rune because of it's HIGH chance to stun. 80% chance to stun for 2 seconds is extremely strong and will give you the chance to regroup yourself and begin reapplying those slows. Even if it doesn't stun, it still applies a slow which works in favor of this build. If you are still having trouble then replace this skill with Evasive Fire for it's mobility and synergy with Steady Aim.
Archery:
Rain of Vengeance: I went with Rain of Vengeance in the Archery slot because I feel it fits the click and move pace of the game. The Flying Strike run choice gives this spell some utility. It allows you control of the damage area and adds a stun to the spell. Being able to AoE stun from a distance is extremely powerful and is clutch for Solo or Group play. The high Hatred cost and long cool-down restrict this spell slightly so try and use this in situations where you will get the most out of it. If you center more around Group play and don't need the AoE then I recommend taking Marked for Death with the Valley of Death rune.
Devices:
Cluster Arrow: This spell is another one of your AoE choices and one that provides focused control. The Dazzling Arrow rune adds a 65% stun chance to the grenades that explode after the initial impact. Another AoE stun in your arsenal, this has no cool-down but, is the highest costing ability, so be careful with spamming this one. This is also one of your highest damaging abilities so I recommend using it after applying slows to really up the damage ante and take advantage of your passives.
Shadow:
Preparation: Here is the answer to some of your resource questions. The Punishment rune on this ability removes the cool-down and instead of instantly restoring Discipline for free, it restores all your Hatred for the cost of 20 discipline. This is your Ace in the Hole if you will, and is the perfect compliment to this build. With only 1 Hatred generator and some high Hatred cost on some of your skills, this spell essentially quadruples your Hatred pool. If you have 100 Hatred and 100 discipline at start (let's just say, I don't know the exact numbers), then you get 5 uses, barring basic discipline regeneration, refilling your lost Hatred. This essentially increases your Hatred pool from 100 to 500. You can use this sparingly to just refill Hatred as needed or spam this skill so you can keep spamming Cluster Arrow and Elemental Arrow, essentially allowing you to mow down the impeding horde of evil. This skill set up also allows you to take purely offensive passives.
Passives:
Cull The Weak: This is the staple of the build, it's heart, it's everything. 15% damage increase for simply slowing and controlling the battlefield is hard to argue, and even harder to flat out deny. It's essentially free damage and is what makes this build continue to work through later difficulties. Spend the early difficulties practicing set-ups and combos (i.e. Apply a slow then use a high damage ability right afterwards). Because of this passive, you can spam Elemental Arrow (Frost Arrow) to not only AoE slow but do good damage as well.
Steady Aim: This is another free damage passive. It is more difficult to maintain then Cull The Weak which is why I opted more for runes that provided stuns. If you are properly controlling the battlefield then your enemies are going to be no less then 10 yards away, netting you a 20% damage increase. This is probably the only passive I would suggest changing if you are having trouble keeping enemies at bay in Solo. For Group play, keep this passive and just keep your distance, that's just a no-brainer.
Archery: This is another free damage passive, with no real drawback or cost. Simply equip a weapon you were already gonna use and enjoy a free damage boost. I do recommend using a Bow as the flat 15% damage increase will ultimately win the day. This passive is the easiest to benefit from and there should be no substitution.
Conclusion:
Overall I can't wait to try this build out as I think it will be a lot of fun and can essentially cater to all walks of the game (PvP, PvE, Hardcore, Softcore, Solo, Group). The passives are obtained at fairly early levels (15, 13, and 22 respectively) and the core slows are also obtained fairly early making this ideal for early levels, giving you a smother leveling experience while also transitioning fairly well into the harder difficulties.