And by that I mean: a build that revolves around Slash (Zeal) + Fanaticism.
I know this would be entirely unviable, but just for fun I’m just curious how it might be built – probably similar to Sweep Attack build. I’m not super familiar with the class or items, but I jotted down some ideas. Please feel free to add your thoughts!
Other Active skills
Akarat’s Champion
Condemn (Vacuum)
Iron Skin (Charged Up)
Shield Glare (Divine Verdict)
Steed Charge (Draw and Quarter)
Other Passive skills
Fervor
Holy Damage
Finery/Indestructible/Lord Commander (depending on current activity)
I actually did that… went a slightly different route than the maxroll Invoker… used Heart of Iron and maxed out Vitality on everything. Tanky as all get out but runs out of steam around GR120. But it was quite safe playing that level even in Hardcore.
The D3 invoker set is the D2 zealot. The invoker set is a thorns set, but you do 99%+ of your damage by delivering thorns through an active skill, in this case slash. The S28 altar theme strongly supports all crusader builds including invoker because of the empowering shrine potion proc greatly increasing CDR. Having this shrine buff on top of 50%+ CDR from gear itself, and Akarat’s awakening legendary shield (decrease cooldowns on successful block) should give you 100% uptime in at least two buffs at a time.
The important part of this build is keeping monster density near you by spamming condemn vacuum. The maxroll guide does not emphasize this and instead recommends steed charge for some reason, even when not using the norvald set.
With the “zeal” rune on slash, “echoing fury” in your weapon cube slot, pig sticker as your weapon, and a few attack speed rolls on your gear (weapon, gloves), you will be slashing stuff around you quite fast. You can go even faster with an attack speed pylon, or the attack speed shrine buff from your S28 potion proc. Again, it is important to maintain monster density around you with condemn vacuum so the slash AOE doesn’t go to waste.
Technically, the primary skill slash itself does negligible damage in an invoker build, and there is no reason to equip primary skill boosting equipment (e.g. depth diggers), but the outcome is the same → all of your damage is delivered by actively attacking, not by being hit.
The crusader is one of two classes (wizard is the other) without a viable pushing build where a primary skill itself does most/all of your damage.
The best ring combo is generally justice lantern and compass rose, with the latter pairing with traveler’s pledge necklace for that 2 piece set bonus. Justice lantern provides added block chance, which synergizes with the akarat’s awakening legendary shield (faster cooldown reset) and the “hold your ground passive” (+30% block). A higher overall block chance overall then further increases your damage reduction through the justice lantern legendary bonus.
There is no other worthwhile second ring to use, so the traveler’s set is the best choice. Both CoE and squirts provide little use for a constant spam build like invoker. Thorns receives no benefit from crit chance or crit damage or area damage (area damage does affect thorns from bombardment barrel of spikes, but invoker build doesn’t rely on that).
The invoker build is largely locked up for skill slots in GR pushing:
slash
akarat’s champion
laws of valor
iron skin
bombardment
sixth skill choice here will be steed charge or condemn
Technically, steed charge “draw and quarter” can provide some monster density gathering, but you can’t attack while mounted, and the gathering speed is poor compared to condemn vacuum. Now, if you go this way, you won’t have a mobility skill, but this is simply not an issue in S28 because:
passability through mobs
CC immunity
+25% movement speed (uncapped) that stacks with gear + paragon movement speed
If I don’t like a current portion of a GR map I simply keep walking to the next area. Any time lost from walking instead of mounting is easily gained back (and then some) by constantly gathering mobs with condemn vacuum. Time spent running to an enemy is time wasted compared to bringing the enemy to you.
The invoker build generally prefers to kill yellow and blue elite packs, but you still need a sufficient density of lesser trash around you to keep up “echoing fury” frenzy stacks from your weapon cube slot, since the faster you attack with slash the faster you deliver your thorns damage to the enemy.
Hack is useless for invoker because it has no interaction with the 6p bonus. The +67500% multiplier on this bonus ONLY applies to thorns damage delivered through slash. This multiplier does NOT affect the thorns damage delivered through the hack legendary effect. Pig sticker is the ideal choice because it’s a 1.50 weapon and simply the fastest way to deliver thorns damage through slash. It also spawns with an extra primary roll over other 1 handed weapons.
The useless nature of hack for the invoker set also applies to the 'sanguinary vambraces" legendary bracers from the act 1 bounty bag, which can trigger 1000% of your equipped gear thorns to enemies when being struck. Again, this bonus does NOT get affected by the invoker +67500% multiplier, so the damage is irrelevant even in farming rifts.