jintegrity

Thanks for the tips, help, and guidance.

... that's a crazy revelation. I didn't realize they'd so fundamentally changed the classes like that. It's kinda like the Engagement changes that I didn't realize but explains a lot about my first run. Read the guide. Amazed at how much has changed. Now trying to figure out what I want to do with all the companions now, and my MC. I know I want to be part Devoted (Sword for Modwyr), but unsure if I want to pair it with Soul Blade or Berserker. I considered Skald, but then I'd have issues with gear overlaps with Pallegina. I know I want Herald Pallegina w/ Sasha's Singing Scimitar to eventually do the Fire/Lightning Lash Invocations thing. I'm pretty sure I want pure Priest Xoti, pure Druid Tekehu (wasn't a fan of Theurge), and pure Barbarian Sarafen. It's Maia, Aloth, and Eder I've still yet to figure out. I did Scout, Swashbuckler, and pure Wizard last time. I don't like the concept of the Sidekicks, so I don't use them. Looking back over weapons now that I know some of the system better, I think I wanna try Spearcaster on Maia, Last Word on either Eder or Aloth, depending on who tanks, and probably liberal use of things like Tarn's Respite and the like across the party. Biggest issue I'm seeing is my desired build at the moment (Devoted + Soul Blade or Berserker) doesn't exactly lend itself to the resilient core I want.

Thanks Boeroer! This looks like a fantastic read. Hopefully this'll help me enjoy the game more because, despite preferring one so far, I'm finding that I end up "going through the motions" as it were while playing it as I know what builds I like, where the gear is for them, etc. While I want that level of familiarity here, I do hope the more varied itemization, once I fully understand the items I'm looking at, will lead to more varied setups in repeat playthroughs.

I recently played through PoE2 beginning to end for the first time, and was surprised by how different the game was. - and I'm not talking about multiclassing. I'm talking about how scarce sources of PEN are compared to PoE1, or how it seems gear was designed under a completely different design philosophy. I thought I'd come into PoE2 with a good understanding of the game as I've played PoE1 a lot, but I feel like my PoE1 knowledge only caused me to be unable to evaluate things as I was like, "There's nothing like this in PoE1..." What are some things I can do to better grok this game? - and how can I replicate my playstyle in PoE1: stacking DR, PEN, and overlapping sources of passive healing (Draining, Veteran's Recovery, Ancient Memory, etc.) to have a very consistent party throughout who can outlast most foes, consistently do their damage, and who rarely ever get burst down before I can react, if at all? I also tended to favor Paladin/Chanter/Cipher over Druid/Priest/Wizard because being able to go 100% every fight without having to rest > situationally higher highs for me. I know that the per-rest thing isn't an issue here, but even when I was playing I noticed how often Aloth would run out of slots to do anything where Pallegina could keep on contributing long after. I wanna give this game another chance, despite being rather disappointed in the ending. I just wanna feel like I know what I'm doing, rather than just trying to mimick PoE1 with only limited success.

Thanks for the answers. ^^ Sorry for the late reply.

Haven't touched this game in forever (prefer the first), but wanna try to give it another shot. However, before I can begin: what's the consensus on the best history/legacy options? I don't wanna impair my ability to enjoy this game because I missed something because of it. Yes, it will impair my ability to enjoy the game if I find out later I lost something I would have wanted to have otherwise.

Any chance the Spectacular Spetum could be good on him?

Fair, but I generally play with the stock companions (realize I should have mentioned that). XD

- so for the umpteenth time I rushed killing Darzir so I could get Maneha ASAP, and like every time before I won only through the intense micro-management of my Cipher, except this time I had two. This fight made me realize lacking a serious frontliner is a real pain in this game if you don't wanna micro-manage a bunch of casters, and I really, really don't. So how about it? What does a party that can do most/all content without needing a lot/any input from me look like? My brain says Fighter/Barbarian/Paladin/Chanter should be the core, but I can't seem to make a Fighter who doesn't just feel like dead weight, and the party never feels as robust as it seemingly should. Is there something I'm missing? I'd love to hear some tips and tricks on how to make effective parties with minimal micro required. Play on Hard.

- and here I am literally trying to plan a build around a Rogue that uses White Crest Armor and things of that ilk. Not saying this is gonna stop me, but it sure is discouraging.

Huh. That's a neat idea. I was actually wondering the opposite though: what about skipping the Interdiction Talents (or greatly delaying them), to take weapon/tanking Talents, wear appropriate armor for being on the frontline/off-tank position, and trade Iconic Projection spam for a cast of Consecrated Ground before fighting on the front line?

Slightly different take on the topic, but here goes: With Cloak of Minor Missiles (+5 Burn/Shock DR), Wyrwood Ring (+5 Freeze/Corrode DR), Blunting Belt (+5 Slash/Pierce DR), and Crush-Proofed Armor, you can have +5 DR to all damage types but Crush, which is +3 (there is not +5 Crush in the game) for maximum DR with minimal slots allocated. Deckhand's Uniform (+9 Deflection/Reflexes), Munacra Arret (+12 Will), and Father's Teeth (+18 Fortitude) for insane defenses. Little Savior can bring these up by 5. Noteworthy for not requiring ring slots (of keen interest to Wizards). Cloak of Comfort's +5 All Defenses stacks with other bonuses, so something as simple as Ring of Protection (+9 all non-Deflection defenses), Ring of Deflection (+9 Deflection), Little Savior, and Cloak of Comfort can be a whooping +19 to all defenses. Alternatively, you can save a lot of attribute points and gear slots by purposefully tanking (pun not originally intended) Deflection, as shown in concept by mosspit's The Untank. While Barbarian is a natural fit (and using Sanguine Plate to get around Maneha choosing Barbaric Yell at level 1 works wonders), this concept also works well for off-tank roles like Melee Ranger, or even bulky Rogue (Reckless Assault becomes pure upside). To add on to Boeroer's comments on Deathblows/Deep Wounds spell Rogues, because of their natural synergy with AoE Blunt/Pierce/Slash spells, they make great use of gear that procs them such as Sabre of the Seas, The Grey Sleeper, Echoing Misery, Swaddling Sheet, Siegebreaker Gauntlets, Nidhen's Finger, White Crest Armor, Bittercut, and The Colored Coat. The ones listed are AoEs, fixing one of the Rogue's "problem areas", and some, such as Nidhen's Finger and White Crest Armor, can make for extremely powerful openers as you inflict the entire enemy force (in some cases) with Deep Wounds. As mentioned in Boeroer's Zeblastian Hurtstacker Wizard's Phantoms can use Spellbinds on Rings, making them the ideal choice for things like Ring of Searing Flames, Ring of Unshackling, and Sigil of the Arcane. A Paladin with Outworn Buckler, and two party members with Little Savior can grant the whole party +15 to all defenses.

Love everything you said there, Boeroer. That said, most newer players who need these kinds of guides aren't going to know to do a lot of the things you've listed. Also, while Outworn Buckler/Little Savior stacking is really strong (unless you're doing the kind of things you're suggesting), I find it can be hard to find builds that actually want to use a shield (and specifically Little Savior over things like Badgradr's Barricade) rather than the alternatives. Since Dragon Thrashed tanks don't really need to worry about weapon damage as much, they're objectively good candidates for it. I actually think I'm going to use Raedric's castle to practice using White Worms then. Raedric himself may be dead, but there's a whole castle of dudes you are distinctly not, and I'm getting to the point where I can't get much deeper into Od Nua at my current level (where I have been acquiring my coin). Thanks for the heads-up.

Playing a Priest MC now. Typically I'm far enough back from the action that I don't get CC'ed if I'm allowed to initiate the engagement (and most of the time I am, in my experience). Could see the appeal of putting the Cap on a Priest, but I'm planning to just use less-desired items like Hermit's Hat to cover as many resistances as I can on my priest. With Kana's low initial DEX, and less than stellar PER, I needed S&S just to get his Reflex up for this version of him (ended up his highest defense). If you've got a big enough front line to have Kana be a second-row unit, then that could definitely work. The issue I usually have with that is early game he's usually taking Ancient Memory and Beloved Spirits, so he's not going to be very accurate. At that point, I find it's just better to make him a tank than transition to a second-row damage dealer that won't really come into his own until late. Though, with him not being a front-liner, I bet you could get away with dropping (or greatly delaying) Veteran's Recovery and just build for damage. Neat idea! Thanks for sharing. Pallegina always gets my Sun-Touched Mail of Hyran Rath. Good to know someone else loves that armor as much as I do. I think it's the lack of highlighting that gets me. I click the spell, get no indication it's going to do anything, and just opt for the "safer" option.

From Reddit to Steam to the Obsidian forums, I've seen people asking for companion builds for as long as the game has come out. There are a lot of threads with helpful guidance, and a few Youtube videos that are... alright. There are awesome builds, presented by the community, that, while not built for companions, that companions can do a good job of running themselves. That said, all of the above takes a lot more effort for a player than just having a guide for said character, so I'm going to do my best to slowly work towards making them. A few things about these builds: If a contender for BiS (best in slot) can be found in Act 2, and a marginally better item can be found in the bottom of Od Nua, late-WM1/2, or Act 3, I'm going to have the earlier item listed. I want you to be able to reliably use these builds for a playthrough. I will generally not have items that require RNG like Adventure or Azzuro items listed if it can be helped. Finally, my builds are not going to be the end-all be-all. If you see something in the guide, but your personal experience/playstyle has found something else to be more effective, do that, and please consider letting us know. I fully expect these builds to generate discussion, and to serve as a more centralized source of information than scouring years of threads on several different mediums in order to try and sift through the information, good and outdated, to make informed decisions. With all that said, let's get started. Kana Stats MIG: 16 (possible +3) CON: 12+2 DEX: 9+2 PER: 14 INT: 17+3 RES: 10+3 Talents 2: Ancient Memory 4: Beloved Spirits 6: Veteran's Recovery 8: Sword and Shield Style 10/12/14: Snake's Reflexes, Boar's Will*1, Bear's Fortitude 16 (Choose One): Weapon Focus Peasant or Adventurer, Superior Deflection, Cautious Attack *1 With the immunities granted by Company Captain's Cap, you may find you don't need as much Will. If this is the case, substitute it for one of the Talents listed under options for level 16. Abilities At Recruitment: "At the Sight of their Comrades, their Hearts Grew Bold", "Blessed Was Wengridh, Quickest of His Tribe", and "If their Bones Sleep Still Under that Hill, None Can Say". 2. "The Thunder Rolled like Waves on Black Seas" 3. "Come, Come Soft Winds of Death" 4. "White Worms Writhed in the Bellies of the Dead"*1 5. "Rime and Frost Followed the Footfalls of Karth"*2 6. "At the Sound of His Voice, the Killers Froze Stiff" 7-8. +#s 9. "The Dragon Thrashed, The Dragon Wailed" 10-14. +#s 14. "So Singt thy Biting Winds o' Eld Nary" 15-16. +#s *1 I've never personally gotten this to work, but I know it's good. Feel free to switch it with something else (like the Phantom summon). *2 For the Burning House event in Stalwart. Alright, let me get this out of the way: I know there are more ways to build a Chanter than spamming Dragon Thrashed. However, there are issues when we're specifically talking about Kana: he has a DEX of 9. Even if you give him Viettro's Formal Footwear and Gauntlets of Swift Action, and build him to be as fast as he can be, it's not going to be fantastic. Yes, you can build around "Sure-Handed Ila...". Yes, you can build around "Aefyllath Ues Mith Fyr". Kana just isn't necessarily the best candidate. I think he's actually got one of the better stat spreads for his class as far as companions go (high MIG and INT), and is competent at what is the strongest, easiest Chanter strategy available. In addition, a lot of your choices here will come down to personal preference. At level 8, Wurms, Will-o-Wisp, and "Rejoice, My Comrades!" all make sense depending on how you play your Chanter. I personally am just going to spam "the Killers Froze Stiff" most of the time, so I'd take Rejoice for emergency situations and use Figurines for my summons, but you might prefer a dedicated summoner. As long as you have Dragon Thrashed going on Kana (and or 90+% of Chanters) once you hit level 9, it really couldn't matter less what you take. I'm inspired to make some non-Dragon Thrashed Chanters now... Equipment Boots: Boots of the Long March Head: Company Captain's Cap Armor: Ryona's Breastplate*1 Neck: Voice of the Mountaintop*2 Belt: Belt of Bountiful Healing or Girdle of Maegfolc Might Ring 1: Ring of Overseeing*3 Ring 2: Ring of Protection Hand: Bracers of Deflection*4 Weapon: The Vile Loner's Lance, Little Savior*5 Weapon 2: Forgotten Tear of the Beloved *1: Earlier on, I recommend Äru-Brekr. It's easy to acquire and is pretty good, granting move speed and increased deflection versus ranged attacks. If Ryona's Breastplate is being claimed by another party member ( ), then He Carries Many Scars serves as a strong substitute. In the event both are claimed, consider Lost Meadow Mail or just staying with Äru-Brekr. *2: I consider the Neck slot a very strong slot, and it's unfortunate that the Chanter-exclusive equipment is in this slot. If you find yourself not needing the AoE, consider Cloak of Comfort for an additional +5 to all defenses, or Cape of the Master Mystic to free up your Hand slot and for the strongest Of Deflection enchantment. *3: We don't take Gathbin Family Signet here because its immunities are redundant with our Head piece, and another character could probably make better use of it. If you're not using Company Captain's Cap for some reason, strongly consider using this instead because you don't want your Dragon Thrashed spammer getting charmed/dominated and killing your party. On the other hand, if you don't feel you need the AoE, Frigid Claim, Ring of Unshackling, Ring of Deflection, and Wyrwood Ring are all considerations to replace it. *4: Bracers of Deflection is here instead of Glittering Gauntlets due to the latter being bugged (at one point?). If it's confirmed that you're no longer going to Daze your Priest for casting Withdraw on your Chanter, then that replaces this item for the slot if you manage to get them. Hands are usually a slot relegated to Forgemaster's Gloves and Gauntlets of Swift Action. However, we carry Little Savior, and don't care about our attack speed, so using this normally highly-competitive slot for Deflection isn't as painful as it appears at first glance. That said, if you can get the Deflection in the Neck or Ring slot, Mourning Gloves, Gauntlets of Accuracy, or Celebrant's Gloves (put this on and trade Ring of Overseeing for Ring of Deflection if you get them) are excellent substitutes. *5: Little Savior is BiS, and the main reason we're built the way we are. It is also a fairly late game item for most people. As you're leveling, consider Ilfan Byrngar's Solace and Redfield as placeholders. This is for a low-micro, low-effort Kana. We're not using many Spellbind items. The point of this character is to sit on the frontlines with 113 Deflection, 112 Fortitude, 123 Reflex, and 118 Will with good immunities before buffs at max level (you can get this higher with some gear substitutions listed above). Kana will live, and kill everything else around him. Forgotten Tear of the Beloved works well with our immunities, and makes up for our highly-contested Ring slots. You could even forgo The Vile Loner's Lance for it if you really don't care about trying to trigger Disorienting when we're not really trying to make him accurate with the weapon. Chanters get good use out Spellbind items because they don't interfere with Chanting, and the alternative is usually auto-attacking, so if you really want to use a certain Spellbind item, especially if it takes a less-important slot (looking at the Boot slot), go for it. He appreciates having a Paladin in the group equipped with an Outworn Buckler, or another S&S ally with a second Little Savior from The Helwax Mold. Every party appreciates a Priest for buffs. Due to the nature of defenses in this game, I would recommend this build if you're trying to build a tanky party with stacking Defense Auras and abilities that try to outlast their foes while Dragon Thrashed, Shining Beacon, and other such effects kill the opponent due to attrition. The support builds will not make glass cannons suddenly "tanky", but might make you feel the glass just a little less often. If your party is utilizing low-Deflection strategies to trigger things like Swaddling Sheet, Sanguine Plate, and Shod-in-Faith, you may need to make some adjustments to ensure you're not interfering with your party's overall game plan. - and that's pretty much a Kana build. This is probably the easiest companion to build simply because his stats naturally lend him towards the most meta build for Chanters anyway, so there wasn't anything crazy here. I'm hoping, as I build other companions, that things will get more creative. Hopefully this build helps you!