mosspit

Thanks! Looks like I should be using a blunderbuss ranger, a weapon which I havent touched since the nerf on blunderbuss Ciphers. And nice info on the separate spell chance, thats pretty crazy!

Thanks Boeroer! As usual, you're a life saver Follow-up questions: - Can you advise on Stunning Arrows and Driving Flight for guns? I am going to assume Twinned Arrows don't work. If they work, what about the interaction with blunderbuss interaction (6 pellets and all)? - I remember that somehow Blunderbuss's 6 pellets does 6 separate DoT with Wounding Shots (provided they at least grazed). Is this still the case? - Any interaction between retaliation effects and Carnage for a barb? Excellent info on Priest's deity special weapon talents. Did not know that

Hey all, glad to see the usual veterans are still active. PoE is one of those games that I keep wanting to play again so here goes. Just need some info download as I am up-to-date with the latest state of the game. - For rangers, what are the skills/modals that work with guns? Going for powder burns as I have never tried this before - I wanna try either a barb or a monk who kills via retaliation mechanics (Flame potion, item retaliation etc). So is barbaric retaliation effective? (Consider it is gotten pretty late) - One Stands Alone synergy with retaliation mechanics? - Are soulbound weapons still benefiting from Weapon Focus Talents in a universal way?

How about Durgan Battery? I only have a save at Thaos so I cant test, but if Im not mistaken, Durgan Battery will have layout significant changes once WM2 content starts. If I remembered correctly the new transition will lead you straight to the various inner maps but I dont remember seeing the Basement Map. Also the Foundry map has the earlier rooms cut off. Just wanted to be sure. I could have remembered wrongly though.

Hmmm 18dex... Guess you are aiming for some atk spd / recovery break point later huh? And don't bother with Trenous Grasp. The only good thing about it is being able to cast out of combat, so to initiate combat with the target confused. But confuse status is very meh, you would have to bang on it to cause the target to attack its allies for the status to be most effective. And also no stats debuff. Tried it for a while until I had to restart, then didn't pick it subsequently. You might as well start the combat and use the focus to cast whispers.

What determines it is whether Heodan has been knocked out in the previous engagement. This is something I realize after restarting often thanks to Trial of Iron heh. Actually that is because I play with knockout injuries on. There are some dialogue options with ambush party leader that will incur injuries on Heodan and some that dont. If Heodan has an injury, he will suggest resting.

For me, Mind Blast is a strong contender. Mainly because of the speed of the cast - If you see an opponent preparing a skill you don't like, use it to interrupt the skill as Mind Blast is a "fast" skill. Or eyestrike if you don't have any other source of blind. I will take Antipathetic Field to synergize with Echoplasm Beam to take advantage of the 20% Beam dmg from AF. Also Apprentice Sneak Attack. Makes that dmg values using Bittercut more impressive.

@MaxQuest Nice comparison pre and post nerf! Particularly - SpiritOfDecay still increases weaponDamage of Bittercut even if it is dealing slash damage due to enemie's high corrode DR I always wondered if it was worthwhile to take up Spirit of Decay if it is purely for powering Bittercut(s), and I think it is a strong yes for me. @JereKruger I think Bittercut and Shield makes sense. Sword and Shield is admittedly a melee config I have not tried yet (although funny to say my melee wizard in the same playthrough has bittercut and supper plate on his secondary set). And as for moon godlike, I only tried it once on a Monk. Then I gave the Monk Shods in Faith. Then it got so ridiculous by trivializing most encounters that I never used the same combination again.

Well if you want to setup it that way, then of course weapon doesn't matter for survability since one can heal through everything. But Tidefall can be a good choice for surviability too if a char is built without the synergy on those passive healing effects. It depends on what you want.

@JereKruger: Heh misunderstood when you said interesting. At this pioint, I don't want to oversell Tidefall for a Cipher beyond it being at least a feasible weapon option. Many other posters with more knowledge of the game made better posts. @MaxQuest: I agree that playstyle and part make-up is big part in how effective the weapon choice is. You can of course use Silver Tide and Shod in Faith to substitute for the need for Draining to some extent. But that also widen the boundaries of the item selection to other equipment slots and racial abilities. I prefer to just limit it to the weapon selection. I mean one can also use Silver Tide and Shod together with Tidefall depending how much surviability is preferred. There are other minor aspects I took advantage of eg, Tidefall's Wounding to trigger Itumaak's Merciless Companion. But those aspects are too specific to include as a legit reason to recommend Tidefall.

I understand your skepticism. I personally have been in situations where the Cipher can't stand toe to toe against bosses in melee, or trying to recover endurance by potting at about the same rate as the bosses are dmging them, leading to situations where focus generation is low and the Cipher becomes deadweight. I am not saying a Cipher should go and tank dragons from the get go. But after some focus farming off weak mobs and getting the buffs up, my Cipher did wound up melee'ing bosses and can handle the collateral dmg that came off my main tank due to leech. This was unexpected for me based on my previous experience. So much so, I did contemplate getting Twin Sting and "cheat by going ranged" for big fights. But in the end I didn't have to. The only legitimate problem was that bog dragon.

Tidefall is a great weapon.But in terms of focus generation Blade of the Endless Paths is still the best 2H option (for cipher), due to the following reasons: - 5 extra DR penetration will increase your average dps by ~10-20%. (yeah Great Swords have dual damage type, but there is only one single non-boss enemy type that has pierce DR higher than it's slash DR by a value of 5, specifically Rain Blight; as for bosses it's Adra Dragon and Turisulfus, but cipher is not going to come close to them; he will hit and use as focus batteries their minions instead) - botep has speed enchant, it allows achieving 0-recovery so much easier, and that last extra mile has great increasing returns. Especially if you are going to wear plate armor. Also there is a thing to say about Tidefall's lash. As Boeroer already mentioned: it doesn't generate focus. Also it's best used on a character with maxed Might. Because it scales twice with it. First it takes 25% from your weapon hit (modified by might). And then, being a DoT it get's increased by Might again. Yes, BotEP will probably be a better dps Cipher choice based on what you mentioned. However, I wasn't suggesting Tidefall based on the best dps choice for the OP. I wanted to address the part where OP said his/her Cipher "inevitably spends a significant portion of his combat time taking a nap". That statement mirrors the issue I had when I played a dual wield Cipher, mine was also squishy. Tidefall made my experience of the current melee Cipher and previous vastly different. He had more staying power. In fact, there is a time he could tank an enounter till his HP was in the yellow, but somehow his END was still near full. Also my experience of signature fights is different from yours. Granted that Turisulfus was tough on all my melee except for Pallegina as in they took chunks of dmg when they tried to melee dmg it. But I used my Cipher on all other signature fights in melee (of course after properly buffed with Psychovampiric Shield, Borrowed Instinct, Wild Leech, DM etc). I am just curious, was it really necessary to put down my recommendation for Tidefall in favour of BotEP. I mean you even preemptively raised counter points and then countered them without me raising them in the first place. In any case, I am not forcing my suggestion down OP throat.

I'm not yet set on sabre, but it is hard to resist the temptation of Bittercut and if I go weapon and shield I'll want my weapon to do decent damage. I considered the Novice's Suffering route, but the fist damage there just didn't seem that good, and whilst staves are perfectly good weapons none of the staves in the game is "exciting" if you understand what I mean. If you can, I would strongly suggest you to consider Tidefall. At least bring it out for a test drive. Biting Whip new dmg increase + 2H talent 15% + Apprentice Sneak Attack 15% with the higher base dmg for 2H weapons. In my playthrough, Tidefall was giving me something like 17 focus per swing(and about 10 endurance back) on a char that has 12 base might. For tougher fights, you can also pop a DoAM potion at the start.

@OP: I have played a dual wield sabre/stilletos Cipher and I also recently completed a playthrough with a 2-Handed Cipher It is a matter of playstyle I believe. Focus generation is kinda top priority since it directly impacts the Cipher's spellcasting capabilities. So you should identify the weaker mobs within the group and use them as batteries. You can use different melee configurations, but in light of the changes to the starting Focus and adjustment of spell Focus costs, you ultimately need to at least land a few hits before you can gain access to the good stuff like Defensive Mindweb. Next part is the priority on Perception and Accuracy. It is doubly important as it affects the Focus Generation rate as well as chances for debuffs to hit. Tidefall was great on my melee Cipher. You get relatively early and the endurance drain helps with the Cipher's staying power on the frontlines.

Spell combos? Currently I am using Wizard's Double, Llenegrath's Displaced Image, Flame Shield and Acrane Veil (Hardened Veil). This char can hold the attention of end game bosses if my paladin is preoccupied. Speaking of Wizard's Double, any particular reason why the lvl1 Wizard's Double (+40 defl, no duration in description, until hit or crit) is more effective than lvl2 Mirror Image (+25 defl, limited duration, until hit or crit)? Edit Ok I think I got the answer or at least part of it. Mirror Image adds 30 defl and the bonus decreases by 5 defl everytime a hit or crit is scored. Wizard's Double is lost entirely if a hit or crrit is made.

Yeah I was typing that message just before I commute to work so I think I worded things wrongly. Level 7 is the level I normally go to Stalwart. By the time you made it through Galvino's and met up with the Ogre Matron, you probably would have leveled to 9. And yes that some ways away, but it is still within WM1 content. I mention about WM2 specifically due to the fact that WM2 enable you to bypass Longwatch Falls. In WM1, you had to transverse Longwatch to get to Durgan Battery. As for recommended items, I agree with Boeroer on the Supper Plate due to the interactions of Retaliation with Deep Wounds. In my build thread, jojobobo also mention about the retaliation interaction with Deep Wounds via Coat of Ill Payment. I would add that Supper Plate is nice also because it is a small shield so it doesn't incur acc penalties. However, Deep Wounds doesn't stack but refreshes now so multiple Retaliation sources doesn't equate to more Deep Wounds damage. So 1 source might be enough unless you really like Retaliation. I prefer Plate Amour especially at the early game, but stacking of the on prone/stun defences can be useful against certain enemy types. I still retain Ilfran Byrngar's Solace during end game on swap. For skills, Deep Wounds can be gotten earlier due to above mentioned interaction with Retaliation. Escape is very useful at different stages of the game. Aggro drop in the early game, initiation for the extra deflection in the mid/late game. Shadowing Beyond for "oh s%$#" moments.

That depends on what your party is lacking at the time. Barricade vastly improves the rogue's offensive capabilities via the shield's crit effects and riposte (full attack). Before that, it can still fill in the tank role as Barricade doesn't change its defensive capabilities much. Alternatively, you can also have it as a "poor man's version" of the standard dual wield rogue and potentially take the Weapon and Shield talent at the level in which you obtain the shield. You can ideally beeline for the shield at around level 7. WM2 makes it somewhat easier to get the shield too as you can go direct to Durgan Battery from Stalwart. Previously, you had to trek through Longwatch Falls. Think they made this change so that Devil of Caroc can be accessed easier.

Well time for shameless plug, but you can try a build I made here It is a shield rogue that equips barricade and uses riposte for extra damage. Don't know about flashiness, but it does have the word "flash" in the build name. Unlaboured blade was nerfed so unless you want the Healing Chain or Dimensional Shift spellbinds, you can try using Godansthunyr or Captain Viccilo's Anger for the main hand weapon.

I wasn't sure myself. I tried the priests from the looter camp in Whitestone Hollow but they didn't carry the spell. I tried lagufaeth redfins but they don't give any spells. Guess they don't qualify as proper spellcasters. Thankfully I skipped Endless Path 3 to come back at lvl15 and the only Matron on that level gave me Champion's Boon. It would be a shame if I couldn't upgrade steadfast to the last tier. The trigger for Sunlance on Pallegina was quite decent, giving about 60-70dmg per proc without a Priest's buff. And the immunities matches my playstyle in using her to engage bosses ahead of the group.

Just an update to the thread. I successfully upgraded Steadfast on Pallegina without a Priest. Did it by getting Major Grimoire Imprint on Zolla (Ogre Matron on Endless Path 3). The toughest part is probably avoiding killing enemy Priests or Ogre Matron until I hit lvl15 for the the imprint spell. Had to avoid the killing to maximise the chances to spell steal as I am playing on ToI (PotD). 12 (Base) + 3 (Gridle of Maegfolc Might) + 3 (Rest Bonus) + 10 (Stolen Champion's Boon) = 28 Thanks for help

I have always liked idea of a backstabbing rogue, but the way PoE implemented stealth is just a little too clunky for consistent use. I like Boeroer's direction of making stealth more accessible. For me, I also really like the idea of smoke cloud but the current implementation is really mediocre or even bad. If I may toy with the idea of revamping it I would suggest: - persistent cloud that last at least 20secs - distracts any enemies in it for the duration but make the affliction duration short. Something like how chillfog does it - when rogue is in the cloud, he/she becomes invisible automatically - every time the rogue breaks invisibility to backstab, the rogue needs to stay in the cloud for 2secs before it can become invisible again - range of the cloud needs to be decent, something like 4m - make it available at level 11 - per encounter The rogue really needs a really strong skill or some synergy in order to push it to the top of the single target dpser category again. It is after all what the class is meant to be good at anyways.

Feel rogues are weak? You can thank some of the posters from before that were raving about how powerful rogues are, especially in the single target department. I seem to remember at least 2 discussions with some strongly opinionated posters who were adamant about the strength of rogues while concurrently bashing other classes like barbs as subpar. Don't think they are actively posting already though. So somehow the developers took up the comments and when WM1 and 2 content came around, we have skills for rogues that aren't exactly dps oriented. Even the clearly offensive skill like Sap is not good. From what I remembered, the earlier skills like Blind Strike were full attacks and when Sap came around, it was just a primary weapon attack. The other WM skills were more about survivability and not that strong nor direct for dps. On the other hand, the other classes got buffs. Druids shapeshift used to suck and subsequently was patched. I believed it was level scaling and dmg? Ranger pets got a well needed level scaling effectiveness ON TOP of good WM dps skills. Barbs has HoF become per encounter with decent WM skills.... you get the idea. So I guess these also contribute to the state of rogues?

Assuming that your cipher is the MC, you can pick up Flick of the Wrist from the minigame for an extra +4 acc to daggers and stilletos. I tried a dual wield sabre/stilletos cipher during WM1 content release and it was quite fun. My main issue back then was difficulty in focus generation during signature fights. But that was when skills like Defensive Mindweb was not yet available so your mileage might vary. Currently doing a playthrough with a Cipher wielding Tidefall and I must say I am quite happy with the character. 2H weapon style + Improved biting and draining whip + Apprentice sneak attack is really doing work for me.

I didn't check thoroughly for chanter's abilities but my party currently doesn't have a chanter. So if I were to hire a chanter, I might as well hire a priest. And if I get "external help" this way, what about hiring them for some of the signature battles making use of their class specific abilities? In any case, the reason is not so much of RP as it is personal ground rules. I know comparing to modes like solo, not making use of "external abilities" will make it seem I am nitpicking. But breaking ground rules will make me less motivated to carry on. No amount of justification will help. If I can't use steadfast, I can use other alternatives like spelltongue.

Hmmm, to add to that Pallegina is a godlike so Malefoic Skull is unusable by her too. Guess spell steal might be the best way. Charming is slightly more unlikely as I will have to deal with RNG of the priest actually targeting the correct character on top of using the spell in the first place.