OneFiercePuppy: No, I suck at these games. I play a Battlemage (Soldier + Arcanist) which ends up being an *extremely* survivable class, with enormous self-heals and multiple invulnerability options. So if you're crap at action games - like I am - and want a simple, straightforward build, go ahead and go sword+board Battlemage, max out Menhir's Will, Cadence, and Rush (for battlefield mobility plus general zoominess) once you've thrown a bunch of points into the Soldier Mastery bar, and spend your Devotion points up and to the right from center, toward either Shieldmaiden + whatever that tower is called, or higher, toward Empyrion's Light, picking up Turtle Shell and Dryad's Blessing along the way. Eventually put just barely enough points into Arcanist Mastery bar to unlock Maiven's Sphere of Protection plus whatever the actual immortality skill in Arcanist is called.
Do not invest in the passive Arcanist elemental ability. Do not invest in the Cadence transmute skill that creates elemental damage. Focus on doing physical damage. The most complicated thing by far about Grim Dawn is understanding how damage stacks, converts, modifies, and multiplies. So for a first go, just tank it up. You'll die a little bit, from time to time, as you learn the basics of the game but once you're comfortable with not standing in fire, you won't die again as a Battlemage. They're eternal.
Failing that, Warder (Shaman + Soldier focusing on 2-hand weapon) is a popular choice and gives you a spiky pet to draw attention away from you while you crush skulls, but nothing matches the durability of a Battlemage.
I want something melee and fast. Something Warrior/Nightblade.
