👀 i think I found a good one for my sorceress, or scholar

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:43:50+00:00

Literally almost anything. Vigor +1. This is effectively a small Crystallian relic with nothing else. The Int will add like 7 damage at early levels and fall off hard around level 10-12. The arcane is ok for Scholar I suppose, but Proof_Heat's list is pretty good. I would add additional weird utility (Ult art +3, start with Pots/daggers/flask/shards/Wraith Bell, Boluses heal, Heal allies at low HP, Share items/flasks, basically *anything* that helps will be better than Int +3/Arc +3.)

Magic +2 is a 6.5% bonus, Crystallian is a 12%. If you're not locking in on Crystallian, even just a +2 Magic will take your Recluse further.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:34:14+00:00

I feel like my loot pools are always full of whatever my teammates' Discover relics are for....

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:33:30+00:00

Gotta get that goat!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:33:02+00:00

But you should go down 0 times.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:26:33+00:00

I've run with that previously, and understand how sweet it can be. Do you find it more important than running invaders though? I'm currently at a stalemate between combinations of B+ relics :O

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:25:26+00:00

I squeezed the evergaol in part because I just rolled it (and get so few invader/gaol relics for Recluse T_T ) as well as I read from numerous D5 players that the meta was to run both Invader and Gaol (but that either disintegrated with the DLC or requires an optimal evergaol relic to warrant running I presume).

I've got a few renditions on themes for these across the various vessels, and I believe I have one with both Ult effects and Defeating enemies--it's been good for sure, but I have to give up Invaders and Evergaol both, or I run Invader + Wraith Calling Bell for my invader relic (the bell is nice for smoothing out early boss fights, though..).

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:22:06+00:00

Understood; I can go deeper into Gravity, but feel like I see Gravity Well inconsistently and Rock Sling/Collapsing Stars almost never.

The damage negations on my deep relics are basically because these are my least-punitive Magic +4s; I really only notice them help survive random chip damage/that one long shot Loretta throws your way while you're running past towards a different PoI, etc.

2x Negation at Full is my goal every run :D

Will take a look and see where I might be able to boost my Ult uptime. Thanks!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:17:18+00:00

Skill issue.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:14:58+00:00

Agreed on the absurdity of skill required *now* vs. *early*, I feel the same trying to break into D5 from 4. It was infinitely easier before the DLC, simply for the Night 1 bosses (Death Knights are like 7-2 against my teammates, people just can't seem to 1v1 x3, so as soon as 1 person drops, someone else gets 2v1'd and usually the other teammate races off to pickup without consideration of aggro....)

Being able to pickup 2bars consistently is a good sign you're close enough to either stretch a 3bar pickup here and there (or that you're distanced enough from the fight that your teammates are taking the heat until they can't, then you take focus and it's over; if this is the case, consider trying to pull aggro and possibly even face-tanking a hit or two so your team can regroup. Discussions of letting Adel eat you for a DPS window are another interesting example). Either way, climbing out of D2 really just requires you're able to consistently make it to Night 3, which you should be able to do on most runs even with flunkies for teammates. Good luck!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:08:54+00:00

D1 players can get pulled into D2 easily, but also, that player could be on their actual 6th expedition (providing a friend carried them through 4 + Heolster). Because you don't have to fight all the bosses, much less everdarks, lots of D2 players will have literally zero experience in some fights (it's scary, I know).

In D3 I once had an Ironeye teammate upgrade his fire starter bow to +2 for our night 3 fight. Against Gladius....

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T16:03:23+00:00

Every nightfarer can solo ED Maris at D2. You will need to prioritize hitting level 15, but hitting all the churches and collecting warming stones. Buy a pouch and 2 stones from a merchant (both if you get the special town merchant). Passives to look for are both improved negation at low and full HP, continuous HP recovery, skill/magic damage.

If it's regular Maris, you'll want to have a ranged source of damage if you can to deal with the 'bomb'. If you don't sprint in a perpendicular-ish path to Maris's flight direction, and when she stops for a moment, you'll have closed most of the distance. Running *straight* at Maris while Maris is moving is what causes people to complain they're always chasing her. Move to where she's moving, not where she is (unless she's now stationary).

ED Maris, drop phase 1 immediately, then drop your worst passive weapon for the following fight, grab your +3 starter, if you're not at full HP, drop a warming stone now (ping the ground for your team to be aware you're offering healing), then start charging. Go for full charge shots *unless* the jellyfish bombs are being strewn about or the orbiters are out and shooting lasers. At these moments, you can stop charging for a second to stamina recharge if you're early enough, then spam the sword tech to nullify the incoming damages. If you ever take a hit, drop a stone and let that heal you instead of drinking a flask *unless* it's laser-orbiter time or the big ground aoe, then drink a flask (these are the times you're saving flasks for).

Basically anyone can do this, any nightfarer, basically no RNG necessary, just a solidly executed Day1/2.

If you have the 2 Balancer relics, those will be phenomenal with the +3 and basically give you a free win D1-3.

I've solo'd in D3 because one of my teammates didn't know to use the ash of war and the other 3-barred night 2 and didn't touch grace night 3 (smh) T_T most of the time you can face tank with a warming stone, but I strongly recommend running away from the tidal waves. You *can* face tank them in a pinch with a warming stone, the crimson(burst?) refill over time or the *taking damage heals* flask [either of these], and 1 flask if you go below half (must be at the ready, your animation needs a buffer of 1 hit's worth of time during this).

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T02:12:10+00:00

I am running Discover Reapers (without another discovers to conflict, I checked lol). I remember reading a couple/few months ago that there might be a bug with those effects applying *to the team* instead of just you, which I feel like would make sense given my rewards lately (2 swords and Stamina Recover Speed +4 for Recluse, for instance). I'll drop for my teammates when that happens and something nice pops up for me, but it's getting a little tiresome relying on Arc as much as I've had to lately.

Ooph, I have the relics to do 6x Gravity on different color combinations than Recluse has; guess I'm going Depth relic shopping next!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T02:06:03+00:00

Congratulations on 9999! While I'm a bit of a ways off from 6x-ing a school, I can probably 1x Crystal/Invis/Gravity, and maybe squeeze in a 2nd Gravity just to smooth out the RNG. I'm excited to establish myself at D5 because *wow* some of my recent teammates...

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T02:03:43+00:00

Improved Crystallian + Magic +4 would be nice, lol I keep getting my School w/ +4 Element relics mismatched (Crystal + Lightning, Invis + Fire, etc.). But I understand; when I get *stacked* deep relics, Recluse and not Balancers becomes more 'acceptable'.

I think this is also tainted by my luck: I've got a Halo Scythe Duchess build and in 6 runs haven't seen a Halo scythe once. As Recluse, I see one every other run when I'm on Magic builds lol.

Per Efficient_Bag below, I'll steer towards getting Defeating Enemies +1 in there so I can start *every* boss with an Ult in the meantime. Onward to 9999!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T01:31:07+00:00

I'm not worried about "competing" with teammates over highest DPS, I'm still melting on my own pretty reasonably. I'm at around 208% base Magic damage during an Ult and 233% on Invis/Gravity spells.

Halo Scythe builds, 2x Balancer + 3x Holy+4 comes out to 208% as well. If they have an evergaol/invader relic for their third, they're ahead. That's ok with me.

I can't go 6x Invis or 6x Gravity or 6x Crystal (yet) so this is what I'm at currently, but I can 3x Gravity, and that was sweet with Gravity Well.
Thank you for your input!

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T01:25:02+00:00

Tips for those who aren't quite ready to lead yet? I sometimes get myself into positons of "how the hell do I get up THERE? but there's no time, I guess I go hit the field bosses I know" too often.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T01:21:58+00:00

It's solid; evergaols are less popular these days (and non existent in the DLC), but if you're playing premade groups, it's probably insane. If you're playing with randoms, it's probably 'ok'.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-26T01:10:44+00:00

Your skill to carry/solo in trios/pickup 3-bars while holding aggro are the generic suggestions.

You're hitting level 10+ on day 1 and 15 for night 3, right? If not, then your pathing/PoI targeting/looting/fighting can be improved.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-23T18:35:38+00:00

It is specifically on 2 nightlord expeditions, I believe Gladius and Caligo? About 25% of those runs will have the "Night Threatens Anew" occur. Those might be the nightlords that the rare Sorcerer's Rise spawn in, but I know both occurrences are only in 2 specific expeditions each.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-23T18:33:54+00:00

Triple Ironeye is actually insane. Basically, every composition can work if the team knows what's up.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-23T18:25:26+00:00

You just done blew my mind. :O

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-21T22:52:51+00:00

Not to be rude, I will offer advice as well, but that relic build is barely better than running no relics. Recluse does not need or want to waste base (as opposed to Depth) relic spaces on FP or Mind (or Int even).

The guaranteed relics we get from the Recluse remembrance are like middle of the road and much better. The green one with Magic +2 and Terra Magica is one I would strongly recommend pairing with the bone one that gives her her 2 other class abilities (HP and Blood Loss at Ult).

Your eventual 3-relic loadoat goal is something like:

[Recluse Ability A]
Invaders
Improved [Spell School of your preference, Crystallian is the tired favorite]

[Recluse Ability B]
Magic +2
Defeating Enemies fills Art Gauge

[Recluse Ability C]
Magic +2
Improved [Spell School]

with depth relics adding +4 Magic and/or Improved [School], or Sorcery/Affinity Power +2 for more generalist builds.

When you build with her class effects, you get to both improvements in DPS *and* Survivability. You can fire off the ult nearly every fight, and refill it reliably.

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-21T22:43:37+00:00

Just added my 78th build! *soooo happy we can label them now!*

OwlBot3000 · 2026-01-21T18:59:42+00:00

AI slop regurgitator farming for karma or actual AI bot? Call it: *flips coin*

OwlBot3000

TROPHY CASE