strange and unusual venator (mostly annotated)

Item order

Stages top to bottom, items left to right

1. 1

   Laning

   11,200 Souls

   cant do much yet so focus on gutshot to do damage. look at healing optionals or counterbuilding if youre struggling to stay alive. L -> R until you get your 4.8k

   1. Extended Magazine
   2. ›Rapid Rounds
   3. ›Recharging Rushprocs pretty easily with a gutshot. damage and ammo is nice too. never sell this
   4. ›Slowing Bullets
   5. ›Tesla BulletsFor debuffing with bullets. this and your traps are your only source of spirit damage so don't sell it.
   6. ›Extra Staminabuild this into your favourite horse later
   7. ›Mystic Expansionif youre rich, skip to greater expansion
   8. ›Duration Extenderif you're rich, skip to superior duration
   All item notes

   • Recharging Rush — procs pretty easily with a gutshot. damage and ammo is nice too. never sell this
   • Tesla Bullets — For debuffing with bullets. this and your traps are your only source of spirit damage so don't sell it.
   • Extra Stamina — build this into your favourite horse later
   • Mystic Expansion — if youre rich, skip to greater expansion
   • Duration Extender — if you're rich, skip to superior duration
2. 2

   Laning

   Optional2,400 Souls

   look at your lane opponents and look at Counterbuilding

   1. Restorative Shotremember to sell this later if you take this, but it can boost you to your 4.8k in the early game
   2. ›Healing Rite
   3. ›Extra Regen
   All item notes

   • Restorative Shot — remember to sell this later if you take this, but it can boost you to your 4.8k in the early game
3. 3

   Core*

   14,400 Souls
   1. Superior Durationyou need this
   2. ›Greater Expansion*if you're falling behind or suck at aiming you should take this. otherwise go for divine barrier and ballistic enchantment
   3. ›Transcendent Cooldown
   4. ›Quicksilver Reload
   All item notes

   • Superior Duration — you need this
   • Greater Expansion — *if you're falling behind or suck at aiming you should take this. otherwise go for divine barrier and ballistic enchantment
4. 4

   Choose One

   6,400 Souls

   You can buy the other later

   1. Burst Firethe faster you fire, the more you get out of recharging rush and the slide distance gives you infinite bullets.
   2. ›Escalating Resilience
   All item notes

   • Burst Fire — the faster you fire, the more you get out of recharging rush and the slide distance gives you infinite bullets.
5. 5

   Grenades

   Optional11,200 Souls
   1. Ballistic Enchantmentrange and damage for you
   2. ›Guardian Wardtake this for the range or if you want a little bit of green
   3. ›Divine Barrierincreases your range more, and is a better debuff remover that you can use on your allies as well.
   All item notes

   • Ballistic Enchantment — range and damage for you
   • Guardian Ward — take this for the range or if you want a little bit of green
   • Divine Barrier — increases your range more, and is a better debuff remover that you can use on your allies as well.
6. 6

   Snap Trap

   Optional16,000 Souls
   1. Rapid Rechargethis will lower the time between charges so you can spam these even quicker. don't really need extra charge
   2. ›Magic Carpetokay hear me out. this is actually a great escape option and one of the only items other than superior duration that gives you more duration. i dont blame you for skipping this though.
   3. ›Mercurial Magnummore damage and procs your debuffs more too. its also one of the only other sources of spirit damage youll get
   All item notes

   • Rapid Recharge — this will lower the time between charges so you can spam these even quicker. don't really need extra charge
   • Magic Carpet — okay hear me out. this is actually a great escape option and one of the only items other than superior duration that gives you more duration. i dont blame you for skipping this though.
   • Mercurial Magnum — more damage and procs your debuffs more too. its also one of the only other sources of spirit damage youll get
7. 7

   Debuff Options

   Optional12,800 Souls

   get tesla bullets and give them the plague

   1. Bullet Resist Shredderwith tesla bullets, youre basically buffing yourself with this and anyone else who happens to also do gun damage.
   2. ›Spirit Shredderuseful for other teammates who have better spirit damage than you, and also procs off of your tesla bullets.
   3. ›Healbanefor silver or victor. your traps are the only skill that procs this but tesla bullets will help. might be a little overkill unless you're having a horrible time against a tank
   4. ›Spirit Rend
   5. ›Alchemical Fireyou have extra range and duration. might as well pick this up to turn the floor into lava.
   6. ›Suppressorthey shoot less so you also die less
   All item notes

   • Bullet Resist Shredder — with tesla bullets, youre basically buffing yourself with this and anyone else who happens to also do gun damage.
   • Spirit Shredder — useful for other teammates who have better spirit damage than you, and also procs off of your tesla bullets.
   • Healbane — for silver or victor. your traps are the only skill that procs this but tesla bullets will help. might be a little overkill unless you're having a horrible time against a tank
   • Alchemical Fire — you have extra range and duration. might as well pick this up to turn the floor into lava.
   • Suppressor — they shoot less so you also die less
8. 8

   Horses + a guy

   8,000 Souls
   1. Kinetic Dashgood for a gun pivot. also gives you a bit of gun investment in the early game.
   2. ›Stamina Masterymobility will save you from bad positioning, and will give you a boost to vitality. highly recommend.
   3. ›Arcane Surgei mean. yeah. this is a choice you can definitely make. increases your ability range for your bomb or trap
   4. ›Enduring Speedthis item plus any tier 3 green will get you your 4.8k
   All item notes

   • Kinetic Dash — good for a gun pivot. also gives you a bit of gun investment in the early game.
   • Stamina Mastery — mobility will save you from bad positioning, and will give you a boost to vitality. highly recommend.
   • Arcane Surge — i mean. yeah. this is a choice you can definitely make. increases your ability range for your bomb or trap
   • Enduring Speed — this item plus any tier 3 green will get you your 4.8k
9. 9

   Gun Pivot

   Optional19,200 Souls

   30 minutes in and you need the game to end

   1. Lucky Shotmore damage!
   2. ›Glass Cannoneven MORE damage!
   3. ›Spellslingerim not sure about this one
   All item notes

   • Lucky Shot — more damage!
   • Glass Cannon — even MORE damage!
   • Spellslinger — im not sure about this one
10. 10

    Counterbuilding

    46,400 Souls

    don't ignore this - your tier 4s will probably be from here

    1. Reactive Barrierbebop grab, graves green line, paige sword, seven stun, etc. if you anticipate cc hell, this is a must have early on.
    2. ›Spirit Shieldingdoorman bells, bebop bombs, pocket in general, pretty good against burst spirit characters.
    3. ›Debuff Reducerif youre in debuff hell against things like infernus or toxic bullets, its a good buy,
    4. ›Counterspellbebop bombs, gt bird, knockdown, or if you panic just press parry and pray to god
    5. ›Bullet Resiliencetake less damage from weapons
    6. ›Spirit Resiliencetake less damage from (most) abilities
    7. ›Spellbreakerits like if spirit resilience and debuff reducer had a baby
    8. ›Plated Armor
    9. ›Juggernaut
    10. ›Cheat Deaththeres better defensive choices for venator but if you like this item go gettem
    11. ›Witchmailyour cooldowns are short enough that you don't need this, but if you're under heavy fire from spirit damage it doesn't hurt to have
    All item notes

    • Reactive Barrier — bebop grab, graves green line, paige sword, seven stun, etc. if you anticipate cc hell, this is a must have early on.
    • Spirit Shielding — doorman bells, bebop bombs, pocket in general, pretty good against burst spirit characters.
    • Debuff Reducer — if youre in debuff hell against things like infernus or toxic bullets, its a good buy,
    • Counterspell — bebop bombs, gt bird, knockdown, or if you panic just press parry and pray to god
    • Bullet Resilience — take less damage from weapons
    • Spirit Resilience — take less damage from (most) abilities
    • Spellbreaker — its like if spirit resilience and debuff reducer had a baby
    • Cheat Death — theres better defensive choices for venator but if you like this item go gettem
    • Witchmail — your cooldowns are short enough that you don't need this, but if you're under heavy fire from spirit damage it doesn't hurt to have
11. 11

    Counterbuilding - Active

    19,200 Souls
    1. Metal Skinsilver
    2. ›Disarming Hexproblematic vyper, haze, wraith, etc.
    3. ›Knockdown"Personally, I don't think you should waste souls on buying knockdown for Vindicta" - Vindicta
    4. ›Dispel Magic
    5. ›Vampiric Burst
    All item notes

    • Metal Skin — silver
    • Disarming Hex — problematic vyper, haze, wraith, etc.
    • Knockdown — "Personally, I don't think you should waste souls on buying knockdown for Vindicta" - Vindicta
12. 12

    maybe dont

    Optional10,400 Souls
    1. Close Quartersviable in laning for increased damage to gutshot, but it doesn't have enough stun duration for a safe heavy melee afterwards
    2. ›Point Blanksame thing as close quarters but later in the game. gutshot is going to be better off being used for pushing people into traps
    3. ›Cursed Relicit's not really your job to use this item but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and just take the damage penalty
    All item notes

    • Close Quarters — viable in laning for increased damage to gutshot, but it doesn't have enough stun duration for a safe heavy melee afterwards
    • Point Blank — same thing as close quarters but later in the game. gutshot is going to be better off being used for pushing people into traps
    • Cursed Relic — it's not really your job to use this item but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and just take the damage penalty