This Ascendancy will be my starter!!
Summary
- Spirit Walker Ascendancy: A new Huntress subclass focusing on three spirit aspects: Vivid (Stags), Primal (Owl), and Wild (Bear).
- Key Mechanics: Includes the ability to tame bosses, summon a permanent bear companion that doesn’t occupy a slot, and scale companion damage through weapon stats.
- The “Zookeeper” Build: Utilizing the new unique scepter, Sylven’s Effigy, to remove the companion cap and lead a massive army of wolves, tamed beasts, and skeletal clerics.
- The “Stormbringer” Build: A projectile-focused build using “Twister” skills enhanced by owl feathers and shock-inducing spirit stags.
- Boss Taming: The Natural Order passive allows players to tame powerful bosses like the Silverfist monkey, scorpions, and sharks.
Introduction to the Spirit Walker
The Spirit Walker is a new Ascendancy class for the Huntress introduced in the Return of the Ancients (Patch 0.5) expansion. The class is themed around becoming a champion of nature spirits, drawing inspiration from the ancient Azmeri. The core of the Ascendancy is divided into three distinct animal aspects: Vivid, Primal, and Wild.
The Three Aspects of the Spirit
- The Vivid Aspect (Stags): Focuses on area coverage and movement.
- Vivid Stampede: Conjures stampeding stags when attacking, providing extra damage and movement speed.
- Note: There is a discrepancy between the video narration (10 meters) and the on-screen text (20 meters) regarding the distance required to trigger these effects.
- Morrigan’s Guidance: Further enhances the stags, allowing for more frequent stampedes and increased damage.
- The Primal Path (Owl): Focused on projectile enhancements.
- Owl Feathers: Provides boons that add extra projectiles to the next skill used. These feathers function with both attacks and spells.
- Mucker’s Gift: Allows the player to store and unleash multiple feathers simultaneously for a barrage effect.
- The Wild Protector (Bear): Grants a literal animal companion.
- The Bear: A powerful, high-health companion that can break enemy armor, maim, roar to intimidate, and leech life.
- Companion Synergy: Crucially, the bear does not occupy a standard companion slot, allowing players to have it alongside other tamed beasts.
Advanced Passives and Synergy
- Cathas’ Balance: Grants companions extra damage based on the player’s equipped weapon.
- Sacred Unity: A free passive that enhances all three aspects simultaneously. Stags gain the ability to seek out and turn toward enemies; owl feathers create ground effects; and the bear gains the ability to protect nearby allies. This node also provides a visual “sacred” transformation for all three spirits.
- Idolatry: Provides massive bonuses for minion-focused builds, particularly scaling with idols.
- Natural Order: This passive allows the Spirit Walker to tame bosses rather than just standard monsters. Notable examples include the scorpion, shark, and the “bird” boss from Ultimatum.
Build Showcase: The Stormbringer
This developer-created build focuses on a “Twister” playstyle utilizing Whirling Slash and Barrage.
- Mechanics: Uses Primal Bounty and Mucker’s Gift to generate owl feathers. These are expended during dodge-rolls to empower the next projectile attack, increasing the speed and quantity of Twisters.
- Utility: Vivid Stampede is used to generate shock ground via stag spirits, while also increasing movement speed through “Soaring Ground.”
Build Showcase: The Zookeeper
This build focuses on a massive minion army, emphasizing the “sit back and let the animals work” playstyle.
- Sylven’s Effigy: A unique scepter that completely removes the companion cap and summons an “Alpha Wolf” that buffs all other companions.
- Army Composition: Includes a pack of regular wolves, three different tamed beasts (including the Silverfist), the Wild Protector bear, and skeletal clerics for healing.
- Scaling: Uses the Idolatry node alongside Darkness Enthroned to stack idols. Damage is further scaled by Cathas’ Balance by wielding a high-stat spear.
Critical Analysis and Leveling Strategy
While the “Zookeeper” build appears strong, there are questions regarding its reliance on the unique scepter versus the potential damage gained from a high-DPS two-handed weapon. The interaction between Cathas’ Balance and the weapon choice is critical; if the companions scale effectively from weapon damage, using a “one-stat” or weak weapon may be a significant trade-off.
Current leveling experiments involve using crossbows and grenades, but the goal is to transition to minions as early as possible. The viability of the Spirit Walker as a league starter depends heavily on how early players can access tamed beasts, talismans, and calls.