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Marauder Sentry Demon Hunter Guide
Last Updated: April 11th 2024
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Introduction
The Embodiment of the Marauder Demon Hunter is one of the oldest builds for the class, reaching all the way back before Seasons. It dominated the leaderboards during Season 1 thanks to the auto-firing Sentries in combination with the "Slowball" Ball Lightning, before the set lost this ability. This however didn't prevent Marauder to shine during Season 2, using this time around Cluster Bombs with wall-bouncing strategies.
While it supports variety of different skills, it is most effectively used with Multishot and Cluster Arrow, which are performing at nearly equal levels.
The basic idea is to set up a Sentry line of defense that will boost your and their damage and fire your skills when you do. With the changes introduced in Season 25 giving the set back its auto-fire ability and boosting Sentry damage through the (6) Bonus, the main source of damage done became once again the turrets instead of the Demon Hunter's attacks. Unfortunately, this change also killed the Cluster Bombs build as Hellcat Waistguard does not work with Sentry attacks.
This build is an Area Damage (AD) build, since Sentries, and most importantly their Cluster Arrow or Multishot attacks can proc it. This build develops a completely unique playstyle with intriguing interactions (see Mechanics), where you become a tactician, deploying Sentries in strategic spots and letting them wreak havoc on the battlefield at your signal.
Huge AoE coverage ✔
Unique pushing playstyle ✔
Summons an army of pets ✔
Different competitive builds ✔
❌ Low mobility
❌ Difficult to play
❌ Requires positioning
❌ Long recovery after death
Core Setup
Items
- Embodiment of the Marauder provides a 47,500% damage multiplier to Multishot, Cluster Arrow and Sentry with 5 turrets up.
- Yang's Recurve provides an amazing 50% Resource Cost Reduction bonus for great synergy with Captain Crimson's Trimmings.
- For Multishot setups, the bow is also an important damage multiplier, adding a 200% damage bonus and 50% Attack Speed and Dead Man's Legacy adds another 200% damage multiplier and double damage against targets below 60% life.
- For Cluster Arrow variants, Manticore is the alternative cube choice for 400% extra damage and 50% Resource Cost Reduction.
- Bombardier's Rucksack gives us two more Sentries, adding 66.6% extra damage from the set (from 28,500% to a 47,500% multiplier) and roughly doubling the damage done by Sentries from its stats. For Cluster Arrow variants it also adds another 200% damage multiplier.
- Captain Crimson's Trimmings provides additional Cooldown Reduction, Damage, Resource Cost Reduction and Damage Reduction.
- Ring of Royal Grandeur is required to combine the two sets.
- Zoey's Secret provides 63% damage reduction from having all 7 pets.
- Wraps of Clarity gives another 50% damage reduction after using a Generator.
Season 31 Forbidden Archives
For the duration of Season 31, the slots in Kanai’s Cube that allow you to equip three additional Legendary Powers will not be restricted to their usual categories. While normally a player can equip one power each from the Weapon, Armor, and Jewelry categories, Season 31 players can mix and match between all three! This might allow you to run two Weapon powers with one Armor power. Or perhaps you might choose to run three Amulet powers instead.
Unfortunately, this build cannot really make a good use of this Season Theme because the choices offered to Demon Hunters aren't very impactful. This build already uses all of the most important damage multipliers and can't gain any noticeable power from swapping cube slots around.
Global Stat Priorities
The offensive stat priorities are Sentry Damage > Critical Hit Damage > Fire Damage > Cluster Arrow/Multishot Damage > Critical Hit Chance > Area Damage = Attack Speed = Damage > Dexterity = Cooldown Reduction (at higher Paragon and for Speedfarming more Dexterity should be replaced with CDR such as rolling mainstat off on Gloves/Shoulders). All remaining affixes go towards defense in the following order: All Resistance > Elite Damage Reduction > Vitality > Life % > Armor. Make sure to roll at least one item with Life per Hit (ideally Bracers) to get a bit of recovery.
While most skill bonuses are in the additive damage category, Sentry counts as a pet skill and thus provides a multiplicative damage bonus for all their attacks.
Variants
Nephalem Rifts
Speed GRs
GR Solo Push
GR Group Push
Echoing Nightmare
Concept
This setup focuses on going super fast and doing most of the damage with the Demon Hunter's attacks, using Sentry mostly as a buff for the set.
We add Goldwrap along with other typical T16 items like Avarice Band (on the follower) and Boon of the Hoarder and Bane of the Powerful.
Preparation Focused Mind ensures a consistent high Discipline pool together with Blood Vengeance so that we can spam Shadow Power and Smoke Screen.
Gameplay
Set up your turrets and blast away with Multishot.
Setups
For more consistent damage reduction, Goldwrap can be replaced with Zoey's Secret.
In groups, swap Warzechian Armguards with Nemesis Bracers and Pandemonium Loop with Avarice Band. If you want to get more Death's Breath, also swap Captain Crimson's Trimmings with Sage's Journey.
It's also possible to play a T16 Embodiment of the Marauder build with Cluster Arrow Maelstrom at a similar pace. For that, replace Yang's Recurve and Dead Man's Legacy with Manticore and Echoing Fury and roll Cold instead of Fire on your items.
Select Build Version
Multishot
Concept
For speedruns, the only important change to make is droppingCull the WeakforTactical Advantage. Additionally, (Area) Damage rolls should be dropped in favor of more Cooldown Reduction. You can playFireLoaded for Bearwithout rockets,ColdMaelstromorPhysicalShooting Stars. In the latter cases, you want to replaceSteady AimwithBallistics. The difference betweenMultishotandCluster Arrowis marginal, they are able to reach almost exactly the same levels.
Gameplay
As described in the gameplay section above: Keep up your buffs (5xSentry,Wraps of Clarity,Bastions of Will) at all times. When you find a pack of enemies, place aSentryor two, mow down enemies withMultishotand move on. ActivateVengeancewhen needed for bigger bursts.
In general, place your turrets in corners with a good vision of the battlefield so that they hit the most targets possible with their cone-shaped AoE and kite enemies around in front of them. One turret in the center makes sense for the slow to keep them in place and activate your damage multipliers.
Setups
For more consistentSquirt's Necklaceuptime you can replaceZoey's SecretwithSt. Archew's Gage, but you will be much squishier when the shield is down.
When playing theColdversion you can also runFrostburn(which double-dips for a total of 40%Colddamage increase withSentryattacks) to squeeze out more DPS.
Concept
For speedruns, the only important change to make is droppingCull the WeakforTactical Advantage. Additionally, (Area) Damage rolls should be dropped in favor of more Cooldown Reduction.
The difference betweenMultishotandCluster Arrowis marginal, they are able to reach exactly the same levels.
Gameplay
As described in the gameplay section above: Keep up your buffs (5xSentry,Wraps of Clarity,Bastions of Will) at all times. When you find a pack of enemies, place aSentryor two, mow down enemies withMultishotand move on. ActivateVengeancewhen needed for bigger bursts.
In general, place your turrets in corners with a good vision of the battlefield so that they hit the most targets possible with their cone-shaped AoE and kite enemies around in front of them. One turret in the center makes sense for the slow to keep them in place and activate your damage multipliers.
Setups
For more consistentSquirt's Necklaceuptime you can replaceZoey's SecretwithSt. Archew's Gage, but you will be much squishier when the shield is down.
Concept
For speedruns, we dropGrenadierforTactical Advantage. Additionally, (Area) Damage rolls should be dropped in favor of more Cooldown Reduction.
In groups, you are usually tanky enough and have a Support DH that providesWolf Companionto the party so thatSt. Archew's Gageis better thanZoey's Secret. We also run withPreparationPunishmentinstead ofCompanionfor more Hatred.Cluster ArrowLoaded for Bear is usually the way to go for groups butMultishotworks just fine, too.
Gameplay
As described in the gameplay section above: Keep up your buffs (5xSentry,Wraps of Clarity,Bastions of Will) at all times. When you find a pack of enemies, place aSentryor two, mow down enemies withMultishotand move on. ActivateVengeancewhen needed for bigger bursts.
Setups
To gain back some extra toughness, you can swap back toCompanionandZoey's Secretbut you will lose yourSquirt's Necklacebuff much more often.
Select Build Version
Cluster Arrow
Concept
This is the main push version described in the main sections of the guide. The setup focuses on high damage with a strategic playstyle. The power difference between Cluster Arrow and Multishot is marginal, they are able to reach almost exactly the same levels.
Gameplay
As described in the gameplay section above: Keep up your buffs (5x Sentry, Wraps of Clarity, Bastions of Will) at all times. Gather enemies with Evasive Fire and mow them down with Cluster Arrow when you have made a large pull. Activate Vengeance when needed for bigger bursts.
Contrary to the Multishot variant, focus on placing your turrets in the middle of a large pack so that the explosions hit the most targets possible.
Setups
Instead of Bastions of Will and Squirt's Necklace, you can also play a more relaxed version with Endless Walk and Convention of Elements. In this case, you can use your Wolf Companion as early as mid-Physical cycle to gain the benefit throughout all of Cold and Fire, too.
Concept
This is an alternative push build very similar to the Cluster Arrow variant. The power difference between the two is marginal, they are able to reach almost exactly the same levels.
Gameplay
As described in the gameplay section above: Keep up your buffs (5x Sentry, Wraps of Clarity, Bastions of Will) at all times. Gather enemies with Evasive Fire and mow them down with Multishot when you have made a large pull. Activate Vengeance when needed for bigger bursts.
In general, place your turrets in corners with a good vision of the battlefield so that they hit the most targets possible with their cone-shaped AoE and kite enemies around in front of them. One turret in the center makes sense for the slow to keep them in place and activate your damage multipliers.
Setups
Instead of Bastions of Will and Squirt's Necklace, you can also play a more relaxed version with Endless Walk and Convention of Elements. In this case, you can use your Wolf Companion as early as mid-Physical cycle to gain the benefit throughout all of Cold and Fire, too.
Concept
Other than in solo, the higher damage numbers of Cluster Arrow Loaded for Bear shine above other options when supported by a team that buffs and brings enemies to you.
Gameplay
As described in the gameplay section above: Keep up your buffs (5x Sentry, Wraps of Clarity) at all times. Find a place to set up your turrets and place all of your Sentries exactly on top of each other. Ideally, they should be exactly in the center of a monster group.
Stand still as much as possible to increase the damage buff of Endless Walk. As the Fire cycle of Convention of Elements approaches, try to spawn an Oculus Ring and jump in to nuke during the buff. Activate Vengeance exactly in that moment for bigger bursts and survivability.
If a Support DH is present, avoid using Companion as you will unnecessarily taunt enemies with Boar Companion and the Wolf Companion buffs don't stack. All it does is make it harder to group enemies.
Setups
When no other Rift Guardian Killer is available, replace Zei's Stone of Vengeance with Bane of the Stricken. To increase your toughness, use Evasive Fire Hardened, which makes Hatred management slightly more difficult.
Concept
For Echoing Nightmares we use a build similar to the Multishot Push variant, just with Smoke Screen and more Resource Cost Reduction. For more information check out our full Echoing Nightmare Guide and take a look at our Echoing Nightmare Build Tier List and META post for the best builds and strategies!
Gameplay
Click Speed Pylon as soon as the challenge starts and all the other Pylons at around wave 90. At wave 122 you can stop attacking and run to the corner to let the timer run out.
Keep up your buffs (5x Sentry, Wraps of Clarity, Bastions of Will) at all times. Mow down enemies with Multishot whenever you see them and activate Vengeance when needed for bigger bursts. In general, place your turrets in corners with a good vision of the battlefield so that they hit the most targets possible with their cone-shaped AoE and kite enemies around in front of them. One turret in the center makes sense for the slow to keep them in place and activate your damage multipliers.
Video Guide
Mechanics
Summary
- Keep up important buffs (Wraps of Clarity, Bastions of Will) at all times.
- Set up your Sentry line of defense to benefit from your set bonus and mow down enemies.
- Enjoy a variety of different setups at equal performance using either Multishot Arsenal / Full Broadside or Cluster Arrow Loaded for Bear / Shooting Stars / Maelstrom.
I hope you enjoyed this guide and have fun with this classic Demon Hunter build.
Good luck!
Credits
Guide & updates by wudijo
Contributions by Northwar, Raxxanterax & Chewingnom
