Recommended Build
A high level can mean nothing if your skill point distribution is poor and your armor/weapon loadout doesn’t compliment the character. To increase your chance of survival in The Crucible, use this recommended build to reach the end of the arena quickly with few scratches.
Focus on Boosting Strength and Critical Damage: Death is quick and agile. As such, it’s important to focus more on increasing strength and damage to really bring the pain. Since Death can dodge and outmaneuver most enemies, defense can be thought of second since a solid player will know how to avoid each enemy’s predictable attack set.
Equip a Heavy-Hitting, Slow Secondary Weapon: Be sure to choose a mace, axe or hammer as your secondary weapon. These large weapons may move slower, but this is usually balanced out by unmatched damage ratings. Death’s scythes already cover the swift weapon option, so balance out your arsenal with a slow, heavy-hitting weapon for those times when you have a few extra moments to lay some devastating blows.
Skills to Invest in: Death’s skill tree is comprised of two sections: Harbinger and Necromancer. We will look at what the best skills are and what each can offer.
Harbinger – Telport Smash: Max out Teleport Smash for maximum damage and health regeneration. This move is not only effective in healing small section of health, but also reposition Death to find an enemy’s opening or avoid a fatal hit.
Harbinger – Immolation: This power adds on to Teleport Smash and adds the chance to set enemies ablaze when passed through. The extra fire damage can really add up. It is recommended that at least one point be spent here.
Harbinger – Unending Fury: This ability also adds on to Teleport Smash, making it even more useful by adding Wrath regeneration. Be sure to max out this ability to maintain a constant supply of Wrath during battle.
Harbinger – Inescapable: Just like Immolation, this power augments Teleport Smash with elemental damage. This time, it’s ice. Ice’s ability to slow and freeze opponents makes it a useful tool and, as such, makes this skill worth maxing out.
Harbinger – Rage of the Grave: Finally, we reach Rage of the Grave. It increases the Critical Strike Chance following the use of Teleport Smash (you should now see how important that base skill is). Max out this skill and you’ll be dealing critical damage often.
Necromancer – Exhume: By using Exhume, Death will summon Ghouls to his aid. This helps take some of the focus off of Death, especially in those larger battles. Not to mention that the Ghouls will be whittling down the health of enemies, allowing you to focus your assault elsewhere. Be sure to max out this skill to make the Ghouls as strong as possible.
Necromancer – Undying: Here’s another one that’s worth maxing out. Undying simply increases the health of the summoned Ghouls. More health means they can stay in the game longer and hold enemies’ attention for more time.
Necromancer – Enervation: The summoned Ghouls are going to be a reliable tool with this ability maxed. Any damage dealt by the Ghouls awards Death with more Wrath. With their increased health keeping them on the battlefield longer, you can expect a steady flow of Wrath coming your way.
Necromancer – Death’s Allure: Using Death’s Allure causes enemies to be drawn to the summoned Ghouls. With enemies focusing on the Ghouls, Death can take a breather or reposition himself for another attack. Definitely max out this power.
We’ve given you all of the information necessary to boost your odds against the formidable foes awaiting you in The Crucible. The rest is in your (hopefully capable) hands. Take this newfound knowledge and go forth and become the new champion of The Crucible. If you happen to succeed, you’ll be rewarded with the “Is There Anyone Else?” Achievement/Trophy as well as the Death’s Mask Avatar item.