I used to be a humble peasant but around a year ago I made a pact with a demon and now they call me Eksperyment. To this day I exist in Smuggler’s Paradise (p2p server) as a member of guild called Avarice. Others say I’m a damage dealer but I prefer to say I just like to torment and spread chaos amongst enemy ranks. I love demonologist because it is unique class with many hidden features like possibility to slow bosses, charging with flags and until recently 70 yards range on skills.
10.1 Changes
Recent patches brought big nerfs to demonologist burst.
Invasion damage was reduced by around 70-80% to 1-1.5kk dmg per cast, thus using it reduces your damage per second because you can do more than 1.5kk dmg in 7seconds.
The Soul Devourer damage was also nerfed but it is still good addition to your damage and really good defensive skill in PvP.
Temptation duration is now 4 seconds instead of 6.
Biggest nerf for PvP was a change to Astral Mutation which increases your melee skill range by 30 instead of increasing range of your ranged skills by 30. Good bye times when you could kill people before they could get to you.
Faces
One of basic mechanics you have to learn when playing demonologist is using appropiate face. You should also note that some skills require certain face to work or work differently under different faces.
- Tempting predator - inreases your damage by 40%, reduces damage taken by 15% and increases armor by 15%. You should use it to damage in situations when you are in danger of receiving damage.
- Giant - inreases your damage by 10% (you can increase it to 70% with hero killer rubies), reduces damage taken by 20% and increases armor by 35%. This face provides a wide set of defensive skills and good passive reductions.
- Fury - inreases your damage by 40% and increases movement speed by 50%. It is your primary damage face.
- No face - makes your skills ranged area of effect type.
PvE build
Build that allows you to do all PvE content, from Kingdom of Elements, Al-Rihat to Hard Mode Observatory and level 25 heroics.
Skill Rotation
single target > start on Fury face > before fight starts use Quiet Step (if target can be crowd controlled and is attacking in melee make sure you aren't closest target) > use Shadow flight to get close to enemy and receive some Obsession > Desecration > Mania > Dark Fire > now you have to decide if fight will be long enough to get 10 Knowledge of Strength stacks with Seal of Chaos if not than spam Torment as long as you can
multiple targets > start without face > Desecration > Mania > Dark Fire > Torment (until it goes on cooldown) > Ataxy > Seal of Chaos use as long as you have obsession
Remember to use Dark Fire as often as you can and learn to manage your Obsession so you will have to use Desecration as least as possible. It is hard to determine how exactly your rotation will look since demonologist is heavly dependant on random cooldowns and resource gain and it will take time until you will learn how to deal damage correctly. You should also try to have 10 stacks of Knowledge of Strength so always use Seal of Chaos if it ending soon.
Why I am not using Demonic Onslaught?
Demonologist is fast enough to ignore charge. Another reason is you can't benefit from 15% damage increase granted by Shadow Hunter ruby because you have to be on Tempting Predator or Giant Face.
You don't need challenge it's for tanks.
It allows you to help your tank with bosses that have mechanics that require to switch aggro. Thanks to insane movement speed you can also outrun most bosses and challenge allows you to keep aggro.
PvP build
Gameplay is similiar to PvE. Main difference is usage of faces, you will be using Giant more often and spend most time as Tempting Predator.
Stats
Demonologist is critical hit class that highly depends on RNG mechanic based around double attack. This is because highest damage skill is torment which has 36% chance to
reset cooldown if you double attack with it. This chance increases to 50% with 250 double attack and around 52% with 300 double attack. In practice you can sometimes spam torment for minutes and sometimes it goes on cooldown all the time. Same goes with knowledge of strength (15% dmg buff) stacks 40% with 250 double attack or 45% with 300 double attack to get double stacks and if you are really lucky you can get buff with just 5 seals of chaos.
PvE – group content
Offensive
Critical Change: 250 ( you can use 210 since victory cross gives 40 but you will more RNG to your burst dmg)
Critical Damage: keep it around 250-300
Double Attack: keep it around 250-300
Proficiency& Determination & Brutality: 20% & 55% & 25% or follow stats suggested by addon MBRStatHelper available for free on alloder.pro
Defensive
For defensive stats many classes take protection stat but almost all demonologist defensive skills are about your health points so don't neglect vitality and remember that
you have permament damage reduction: on predator 30%, giant 35% and fury 15% and extra armor on predator and giant which makes demonologist quite resistant to physical damage.
Caution: 300
Concentration: 120-200 (this is only stat that you should reduce with gear progression because it’s effectiveness depends on your dmg)
Vitality: 250+ (on p2p server 82k hp is usually enough to survive all content)
Physical Protection: 200-250 (this should be enough to survive some unexpected basic attacks or to help tank with stacking debuffs)
PvE - solo content
Offensive
Same as group content
Defensive
Get 200 concentration and at least 300 bloodlust, you can reduce physical protection
PvP
Offensive
Critical Change: 210- 250
Critical Damage: keep it around 250-300
Double Attack: keep it around 250-300
Proficiency& Determination & Brutality: 55% & 0% & 45% (take more brutality if you want to focus on finishing people)
Defensive
Caution: 300
Vitality: 250+ (you should remember that your best defense is more health points)
Physical Protection: 200
Survivability: 150 (take natural or elemental protection if you are focused by classes with this damage type)
Artifacts
You will usually run with three setups: Victory Cross + Pilgrim’s Crown + Dragon Aspis in PvE group content, Victory Cross + Pilgrim’s Crown + Grail of Awakening in PvE solo, Victory Cross + Pilgrim’s Crown + Freedom Mirror in PvP.
Dragon Aspis helps you reduce dmg received and is a substantial sirvivability boost.
Victory Cross increases your damage, required when your are focused on dealing damage.
Pilgrim’s Crown increases your movement speed, reduces cooldown on charge, shadow flight and freedom banner from freedom mirror, increases duration of tonics and potions, removes slowing effects. This makes Pilgrim’s Crown a good choice for demonologist.
Freedom Mirror provides much needed crowd control protection in PvP for you and your team.
Grail of Awakening increases amount of loot and rewards.
Racial Skills
Astral Mutation - increases your range by 30 yards, really useful if you can't come close enough to your target
Dark Mirror - additional damage over time, usually Astral Mutation is better choice
Other racial skills are too weak compared to those two and I suggest to not use them.