Unhallowed Essence Grenades Demon Hunter Speed Farming Variation

Last updated on Jan 08, 2024 at 09:00 by Deadset 11 comments
Build Variations Updated for Season 30, Patch 2.7.7 Main Build Solo Greater Rift Progression Nephalem Rift Farming
1.

Speed Farming

The Unhallowed Essence Grenades Demon Hunter deals with regular Rift farming decently all the way through the highest Torments, making it a viable build for the task. We have solo speed GR rankings and solo speed T16 rankings if you want to know more about which builds are best for speed farming.

Within the limited scope of regular difficulties, the necessary damage and toughness to triumph over the enemy is significantly smaller. Thus, your best course of action is to improve utility and speed.

Active Skills
Left Mouse Button Grenade Icon Grenade Cluster Grenades Cluster Grenades Right Mouse Button Shadow Power Icon Shadow Power Shadow Glide Shadow Glide 1 Vengeance Icon Vengeance Dark Heart Dark Heart 2 Vault Icon Vault Tumble Tumble 3 Companion Icon Companion Wolf Companion Wolf Companion 4 Preparation Icon Preparation Invigoration Invigoration
Passive Skills
2.

Adapting Rotation

When you are speed farming regular rifts, parts of your playstyle will adapt to the lowered challenge and focus more on speed and utility.

In the place of the protection-oriented Fan of Knives Fan of Knives Bladed Armor Bladed Armor, the farming build takes the speed buff of Shadow Power Shadow Power Shadow Glide Shadow Glide, and dives headfirst into the fray. The basics of the build are still the same — destroying the monsters with Grenade Grenade Cluster Grenades Cluster Grenades, while under the permanent protection of Vengeance Vengeance Dark Heart Dark Heart. Vault Vault will interplay with Tactical Advantage Tactical Advantage to allow you unparalleled movement speed. You will keep your resources in check with a mixture of Avarice Band Avarice Band-augmented pickup radius and its interaction with Blood Vengeance Blood Vengeance, and the worn Danetta's Hatred set.

3.

Adapting Skills

Parts of the skill and passive selection will overlap with the base Greater Rift progression build, but others will have to change according to the task at hand. Ability to cross over great distances faster and more efficiently take precedence.

  • Your DPS skill of choice remains Grenade Grenade Cluster Grenades Cluster Grenades, due to its superior damage dealing potential.
  • A swap from Boar Companion Boar Companion to Wolf Companion Wolf Companion is preferred during Torment farming.
  • Vault Vault is still a necessary addition, perhaps even more so during speed farming. Your best rune option to cross great distances is the cheap Tumble Tumble.
  • Vengeance Vengeance Dark Heart Dark Heart is an omnipresent self-buff in all versions of the build; so is Preparation Preparation Invigoration Invigoration in an Unhallowed Essence set build.
  • Fan of Knives Fan of Knives Bladed Armor Bladed Armor will be a defensive overkill in regular rifts, and is best replaced by the short movespeed buffs of Shadow Power Shadow Power Shadow Glide Shadow Glide.
  • During speed farming Cull the Weak Cull the Weak, Numbing Traps Numbing Traps and Awareness Awareness lose their progression-oriented luster, since Torment difficulties are limited in challenge. They are better replaced by utility and speed-oriented picks such as Tactical Advantage Tactical Advantage, Ambush Ambush and Blood Vengeance Blood Vengeance. Grenadier Grenadier is universally useful in a Grenades build.
4.

Adapting Gear

During Torment farm it is recommended to swap away from the Endless Walk set, as it promotes a static fighting style unfit for normal rifts; use the more offensive combo of Avarice Band Avarice Band and a The Flavor of Time The Flavor of Time. Avarice Band Avarice Band's pickup radius bonus is an incredible boon during speedfarming, as it benefits not only your movement speed through a socketed Boon of the Hoarder Boon of the Hoarder, but also negates downtime picking up progression orbs and gold. While any well-rolled amulet can fulfill the role for Torments, Squirt's Necklace Squirt's Necklace brings an additional damage multiplier to the table, helping you with one-shotting enemies even more easily.

The tactical and timing-oriented nature of Convention of Elements Convention of Elements should also give way to the convenience of the permanent damage increase from a Fire-rolled Stone of Jordan Stone of Jordan.

In speed farm, it is advisable to abandon the damage reduction from the Wraps of Clarity Wraps of Clarity in favor of Warzechian Armguards Warzechian Armguards, for the environment destruction speed buffs that are easily provided by the AoE of this build. The former favorites, the elite spawning Nemesis Bracers Nemesis Bracers, are still very valuable, but they can now be equipped on the follower while still getting their bonus via the Emanate mechanics. You should still equip them in groups, where you cannot have a follower with you. The Nemesis Bracers Nemesis Bracers value comes from the additional loot — not to mention progression — coming from the extra elite spawns. They let you finish standard rifts that much faster, and acquire the coveted GR keys in greater amounts.

Lastly, you should switch away from the toughness and utility-oriented weapon setup described above, and equip the Danetta set — Danetta's Revenge Danetta's Revenge and Danetta's Spite Danetta's Spite instead. This hand crossbow duo provides unparalleled mobility by making Tumble Tumble a Hatred spender instead of Discipline, which is vital for normal rifts, and especially bounties.

Slot Pieces Stat Priority
Head
  1. Dexterity
  2. Socket
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Vitality
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Pickup Radius (Secondary Stat)
Shoulders
  1. Dexterity
  2. Area Damage %
  3. Cooldown Reduction
  4. All Resistance
  5. Pickup Radius (Secondary Stat)
  6. Health Globe Healing Bonus (Secondary Stat)
Torso
  1. Dexterity
  2. 3 Sockets
  3. Max Discipline (Important Secondary stat)
  4. Vitality
  5. Reduced damage from Elites
  6. Melee or Missile Damage Reduction (Secondary Stat)
Wrists
  1. Dexterity
  2. Critical Hit Chance
  3. Fire Damage %
  4. Life per Hit or Vitality
  5. Melee or Missile Damage Reduction (Secondary Stat)
  6. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
Hands
  1. Dexterity (replaced by Area Damage at High Paragons)
  2. Critical Hit Chance
  3. Critical Hit Damage
  4. Cooldown Reduction
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Pickup Radius (Secondary Stat)
Waist
  1. Dexterity
  2. Increased Grenade Damage %
  3. Vitality
  4. All Resistance
  5. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat)
Legs
  1. Dexterity
  2. 2 Sockets
  3. Increased Grenade Damage %
  4. Vitality
  5. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat)
Feet
  1. Dexterity
  2. Vitality
  3. All Resistance
  4. Armor
  5. Pickup Radius (Secondary Stat)
  6. Health Globe Healing Bonus (Secondary Stat)
Amulet
  1. Critical Hit Damage
  2. Critical Hit Chance
  3. Socket
  4. Fire Damage %
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Melee or Missile Damage Reduction (Secondary Stat)
Ring #1
  1. Socket
  2. Critical Hit Damage
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Area Damage or Average Damage
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat)
Ring #2
  1. Socket
  2. Critical Hit Damage
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Area Damage or Average Damage
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat)
Weapon #1
  1. Socket (preferably from Ramaladni's Gift Ramaladni's Gift)
  2. High Weapon Damage
  3. Dexterity
  4. Max Discipline (Secondary stat)
  5. Damage %
  6. Area Damage
Weapon #2
  1. Socket (preferably from Ramaladni's Gift Ramaladni's Gift)
  2. High Weapon Damage
  3. Dexterity
  4. Max Discipline (Secondary stat)
  5. Damage %
  6. Area Damage

To help you with farming the gear you need for your builds, we have two very useful guides that you can access by clicking the links below: a Salvage Guide to help you quickly check whether or not you can safely salvage a piece of gear and a Legendary Farming Guide to help you efficiently farm legendaries and set items.

4.1.

Altar of Rites

The former Season 28 theme, the Altar of Rites, has been revised and re-added to Diablo 3 as a permanent character progression mechanic. — For virtually all builds and players of all skill levels — from casual to advanced — we recommend progressing through the Altar tree using the path outlined below. The suggested path is geared towards maximum quality of life first, then amplifying damage, and then mopping up the tree with defensive and edge case utility nodes.

Note that while they require reaching them with a Seal, Legendary Potion Powers are not part of the Seal cost system; Potions unlock with a separate resource called Primordial Ashes, obtained from salvaging Legendary or Set items of Primal (red bordered) quality. Upgrade them as soon as possible, and in the order shown below (courtesy of Caleko's Altar of Rites planner).

Altar of Rites Planner

You can read more on the Altar of Rites, Seals and Legendary Potion Powers in our dedicated Altar of Rites Mechanics guide.

5.

Adapting Gems

Bane of the Trapped Bane of the Trapped and Simplicity's Strength Simplicity's Strength both still bring excellent damage multiplication value to the build in speed farming.

In normal rifts, the third gem slot should be taken by Boon of the Hoarder Boon of the Hoarder. This high utility gem feeds you practically infinite gold and gives you a massive short-term speed boost while picking it up, automated via Avarice Band Avarice Band.

5.1.

Season 30 Soul Shards

In Season 30, your helm and weapon sockets will be taken over by the supremely powerful Soul Shards. For this variant, we recommend the following:

  • HelmShard of Hatred with "You now deal 10% increased damage for every enemy" as its Rank 3 power. For optimization benefits, aim for Dexterity or Melee/Ranged Damage Reduction on its Rank 2 roll.
  • WeaponStain of Sin with "You gain an additional Rift Progress Orb when you kill an elite pack" as its Rank 3 power. For optimization benefits, aim for Elemental Damage Increase or Weapon Damage Increase on its Rank 2 roll.
Slot Gems
Jewelry
Helm
Torso and Pants
Weapon

For more information about gems, please refer to our guide on gems.

6.

Adapting Kanai's Cube

During speed farming, the extra damage from Echoing Fury Echoing Fury will be redundant, and you will do better to cube a Dawn Dawn for the myriad bonuses of the permanent Vengeance Vengeance form.

In order to maintain the valuable generator attack bonuses in the build, you will have to retain the progression setup in the armor Cube slot — either Hellcat Waistguard Hellcat Waistguard or Hunter's Wrath Hunter's Wrath, depending on your worse rolled item. The same goes for Ring of Royal Grandeur Ring of Royal Grandeur in the jewelry slot, as it allows you to keep Depth Diggers Depth Diggers alongside the Unhallowed Essence set bonuses.

The Kanai's Cube can be used for much more than simply extracting Legendary powers from items. Please refer to our Kanai's Cube guide for more information.

7.

Follower

The recommended follower for this build during standard rift farming for keys is the Enchantress due to her numerous utility bonuses, allowing you to smooth out your speed runs even further.

For more information regarding followers, we advise you to read our Follower Guide, which contains detailed advice for choosing the skills and the gear of your follower.

8.

Legendary Potion

The preferred potion for this build is Bottomless Potion of the Leech Bottomless Potion of the Leech due to its Life per Hit bonuses, which synergize perfectly for the high attack speed and sustain-through-attacks playstyle of the build.

9.

Changelog

  • 08 Jan. 2024: Revised guide for the permanent addition of the Altar of Rites, and added Season-specific Soul Shard recommendations.
  • 13 Sep. 2023: Added Season 29 Paragon Cap and Gearing recommendations.
  • 22 Feb. 2023: Added Season 28 Altar of Rites recommendations.
  • 26 Aug. 2022: Added Season 27 Angelic Crucible recommendations.
  • 13 Apr. 2022: Guide reviewed for Season 26.
  • 09 Dec. 2021: Added Season 25 Soul Shard recommendations.
  • 21 Jul. 2021: No changes required for Season 24.
  • 01 Apr. 2021: Minor gearing revision and added follower recommendation.
  • 18 Nov. 2020: Added S22 Cube recommendation.
  • 30 Jun. 2020: No changes required for Season 21.
  • 12 Mar. 2020: No changes necessary for Season 20.
  • 21 Nov. 2019: Overhauled the page for Season 19.
  • 23 Aug. 2019: Flavor of Time is now the recommended amulet.
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