Single Target Boss Build

[Pash]

Hi All,

I am planning on playing DH in a group with my mates from way back in our little dungeon exploring crew. I was thinking about the maximum damage output I could go for on what would be considered a standard boss fight.

A standard D3 boss fight as a DH would be a fight involving movement and avoidance while laying out the heaviest dps possible over a sustained period. This is the build http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/demon-hunter#aZijkT!Ybe!ZZZYcZ

I plan on rolling with a bow for overall dmg output increase (check passives). Everyone likes big numbers but its the overall damage that counts people!

Explanation:-

Hungering Arrow with Cinder Arrow - This is the hate generator. Cinder arrow ensures a dot like dps again on any short movement bursts. Swap with devouring arrow on any fire resistant bosses.

Impale with Chemical Burn - This is the main dps ability in this build and hatred spender. Chemical burn again ensures some kind of small uptime dot for additional sustained damage. I am not sure there will be bleed resistant mobs at any stage of the game? Who knows.....

Strafe with Drifting Shadow - Why Strafe? Well some boss fights will undoubtedly require fast movement with some dps on the move required. Some bosses might summon mobs alla SK, hitting stuff while remaining mobile is essential in a boss fight. This should only be used as a hatred burner when impale isnt an option and you really cant stand still long enough to even think. Drifting shadow keeps you moving at full run speed, time will tell if this is needed but I think maximum mobility when using strafe makes it useful in given situations.

Marked for Death with mortal enemy - This is a big awesome debuff for a single target fight. 12% additional damage is massive for you and your group. I have gone for mortal enemy to ensure that while MFD is up I am gaining extra hatred on each attack. MFD should always be up in this build, dont forget to renew when up!!!

Sentry with Guardian turret - This is the other discipline spender which should always be up. Providing a nice constant damage output and a buff in guardian turret to you and your group which reduces dmg taken.

Companion with bat companion - Again, constant dmg done even if I am moving. The bat rune ensures hatred regen at 3 per second which imo is essential. You will need hatred to spam impale at the boss to maximize dmg output.

*Note* Assuming 1 Disc per second regen MFD, Sentry and Companion should always be up every 30 seconds. Companion doesnt note any uptime figure so assuming its alive and working you should be hunky dory. In the event companions die lots in fire this might need to be looked at again, time will tell when we are retail

On to the passives:-

Steady Aim - This is a boss fight, if you are a ranged dps class and within 10 yards you are probably doing it wrong or you have the last foothold in the room between the pockets of fire and the ground falling away! Steady Aim assumes you are fighting at a distance greater than 10 yards on your boss target for a 20% damage increase, lets assume we are because 20% is huge

Vengeance - An extra impale on a full hatred bar at the start of the fight??? YES PLEASE. In all fairness there are other options, but increasing your hatred maximum isnt a bad option if you get an extra impale out of it right?

Archery - As mentioned I am planning on playing with a bow, why? Because they will also provide me with another 15% dmg increase which takes my passive increases at > 10 yards to 35%. This means even non critical attacks are hitting like trucks and you have to do very little except stay 10 yards away from the boss and use a bow...

I hope this build makes sense to people, any critique is welcome but please don't be rude about it, I am open for discussion not for flames.

Anyone whom is assuming I wont skill swap due to Naphalem Valor Buff I can honestly say I haven't considered this yet. I am trying to think if this build is useful on the majority of a dungeon run through, I assume it is when in a group, I dont need much snaring or trapping so....

Anyway happy hunting, enjoy.

[beingmused]

Here's the build I would use for boss fights:

http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/calculato...jkl!Ybe!bcaccc

You'll want a way to get out of the way of boss attacks - even the SK shows this, and I'm sure later bosses will have much quicker, more damaging attacks that you can escape from. But running away at regular speed won't get you out of nearly as much as vault will...sure, you're shooting some weak arrows while you move, but you'd do more DPS and escape from more attacks if you vault instead, and then get back to shooting with your good DPS abilities that much faster.

I think you have way too many hatred generating abilities. Hungering Arrow has some very high damaging runes, and you won't have to resort to it all that often if Impale is your only hatred spender. Mods on bows and quivers will have hatred generation. If you aren't in risk for dying you could resort back to the hatred rune for Mark...but I think the life leech for the whole party will do more good, especially the first times you're encountering bosses.