Deskrawl Warrior Build: Thorns into Half Moon

A Thorns plan is easier to understand when you separate its damage investment from its survival needs. In the early Warrior thread, Jnc described Vitality, Armor and Thorns-related talents, then singled out Thornheart Cuirass as the item that made the setup take off. Their skill example included Valiant Strike, Flame Strike, Rage Shield and Deadly Hook. It is a reported loadout, not a compulsory opening bar.

In the creator’s narrated example around 1:19–2:31, the starting priorities are health, armour, resistance and Thorns, followed by a choice between more protection and faster progress. Use that as a broad defensive starting point, rather than a point-for-point talent plan.

The retained Thornheart Cuirass effect increases damage dealt by Thorns by 500% while reducing maximum health by 15%. That second part matters when your next problem is surviving a hit. Do not evaluate the item purely by the larger damage number.

The official listing is specifically the Black Mist version and requires level 70. Jnc’s earlier example discusses a lower-level legendary item instead. Keep those versions separate: the effect explains the attraction of the route, but the displayed Black Mist requirements are not a low-level shopping list. A character without the relevant item effect should not expect the same performance.

The Half Moon discussion contains a useful disagreement. One player called for a legendary ring, while TheSmashedCrab recommended trying the attack even without it when ranged enemies became troublesome. Neither establishes a mandatory level at which every Warrior should change builds. Try the attack you have against the problem you are facing.

Mana is part of that transition. The level-27 thread includes both an early Half Moon user investing in Mana support and a reply warning that the route needs considerable talent investment in Mana. If the attack empties the bar, do not treat that as a reason to add only more damage. Keep the previous reliable farm while you make the new setup sustainable.

Harvest Moon has distinct breakpoints: two pieces add Strong Attack damage; four pieces let Half Moon Slash hits build Crescent Momentum for Mana regeneration and critical chance; six pieces make the blades hunt enemies near the aimed location for three seconds. Check which bonus is active before expecting its Mana support or altered blade behavior.

Patch 1.0.2 fixed a collision issue that let a Harvest Moon blade damage the same enemy twice during one pass. Earlier claims based on that extra contact should not be treated as a current damage target. Use the present interaction when judging the set, rather than trying to reproduce an old screenshot’s number.

Soulrender is a later option, not a requirement for starting Thorns. Its retained level-70 listing is restricted to Warrior and Sorcerer. Every hit builds Harvest of Souls, and Soul Impact is now a forward-travelling wave that applies Dazed to enemies it hits. Descriptions of an old chance-based stack gain or a surrounding explosion do not match that wording.

Finally, test survival after the kills. A Thorns Warrior in the on-death-effects thread was clearing enemies together and dying to their explosions; replies suggested changing attack range or adding health and magic resistance. A good idle setup needs repeatable survival through the whole encounter, not just quick kills.