Lampros

Yes, pierce is rather frequently resisted

Thanks for the comprehensive answer! Now, are there any modders on this forum who'd be willing to make a mod that makes summoned weapons instant casts?

Ah, ok. I forgot that there is cast time delay after you cast. Damn. That really means it'd be difficult to crowd control! How come then did folks keep complaining the pre-nerf Relentless Storm let you trivialize turn-based mode? Got it!

Hmm, unfortunately Citzal's is not free cast in turn-based, I just noticed in-game Is the build still functional? If not, then are there any other reach weapons that can work here? I recall that there was a really good reach weapon on PoE 1; it's too bad nothing jumps out here

I found it: https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/106389-how-to-import-and-export-premade-characters/ I guess I didn't precisely recall the wording though. The operative words were "unforeseen consequences," and it doesn't necessarily mean instability. It probably means some quests may get broken, if the items are obtained from quests. Here it is:

Got it. I will go Helwalker, then if I choose the Wizard/Monk route. Now the harder decision about Monk or Fighter...

Awesome; that makes the build even more appealing.

Okay, I am narrowing to Wizard/Monk and Wizard/Fighter. Two more questions about this build type: 1. Will the mage spells be used at all - or is this guy strictly a melee? I will also have 2 other melees, and I'd like to have some back-line support/nuke functions for this guy. 2. For turn-based, wouldn't Shattered Pillar be better than Helwalker - assuming you have a lot of crowd control and thus won't get hit all that much? Or is Shattered Pillar still useless? (I vaguely recall people saying the early nerf killed the sub-class way back...)

Amazing post. Does Citzal count for the purpose of Devoted?

Can you clarify what you meant by "they still can"? Also, I am not quite understanding the wording of the change. Does it mean Relentless Storm will only stun when it crits - and otherwise it will daze?

Thanks for the comprehensive answer! But aren't the huge, AoE crowd control effects fairly widespread across classes? For instance, I plan on using a War Caller as the main tank (unless someone persuades me that a Swashbuckler is better), and even he has a ton of AoE stuns. Good point about using stealth to initiate combat. I guess I hate to micro-manage, and I didn't even think about that. Like the simple brute I am, I just wade in!

So who is better for turn-based tanking?

I am reading a lot of threads - on this forum and in other sites - that you should dump dexterity in turn-based mode. I don't understand why. Sure, recovery is irrelevant now. But since turn-based sounds like a crowd control war, isn't it paramount that your crowd controller goes first? And virtually every class has some crowd control ability. Or are people really just saying that non-crowd control characters should dump dexterity, rather than all characters?

It doesn't seem like the main question was really answered: 2H or sword/board for the War Caller in turn-based mode?

Hmm, I will try to find that quote. I'd been only exporting characters with non-uniques thus far. Of course, there is also that concern with balance indeed if I start importing uniques, too

Addendum: Now that Relentless Storm is nerfed, would you say that the Fate Testarossa main is no longer optimal for the turn-based party?

Hmm, my understanding is that unique items have the chance to cause game instabilities when they are spawned through imported characters. Or so I recall the devs warning. Has this been changed?

Note title. Also, is a Druid worth taking to turn-based as a primary crowd controller, given the nerf to Relentless Storm?

Is the Arcane Archer sub-class necessary for this build? Or can any other Ranger sub-class with Bleak Walker work? The reason I ask is because I do not like unfamiliar or complex classes, and Arcane Archer was not around when I stopped playing. I am also having a difficult time understanding what it exactly does by simply reading the description. Also, going with the simple multi-class theme, what generally works better as a multi-class complement to the Ranger - Devoted Fighter or Rogue? Seems to me both possibilities are simple enough for me not to need baby-sitting much in turn-based. I've used Ranger/Devoted Fighter but not Ranger/Rogue combination. 1. Same question I asked Boerer: Does the Spearcaster multi-class build require Arcane Archer? Can other Ranger variants do? 2. Do you have the Devoted/Sharpshooter build written out elsewhere? I'd very much like to use it. I've done Devoted/Ghost Heart before, but I figure I can manage pets in turn-based! That build also used Aamina's Legacy - rather than a war bow - and I'd want a harder penetrating weapon for this run. 3. What approach among the ones you've listed would do the most damage over time in turn-based?

Hmm, so still viable then? I recall I never ran 2H builds. Perhaps I will do 1 of each and just compare. 2 years is a long time in game development time, and I've already forgotten three-quarters of what I knew!

I see. I feel (fear?) that I have to almost prepare for a different game. I will also likely switch from Aanima's Legacy to a war bow as well for my Ranger multi-class character. Further, I am wondering whether I should forgo dual wield melees and convert them to 2H builds.

Ah, ok; I am planning on my return run being a PoTD run, too. So I guess I should take it slow. Thankfully, however, I recall that you can get to level 20 with a lot of the base game content still left. So I'd still be able to utilize DLC content...

I actually didn't play the last 2 DLCs, though I bought them. Are there gear worth bee-lining to from those DLCs? And when should I do those contents in general anyways?

I recall no one really used them during real-time mode; are they now worthwhile though, given that slow weapons are more useful in turn-based?

Oops! I haven't played in over two years, and I guess it shows in my ignorance! Pretty counter-intuitive though. I recall that I really disliked Barbarian, because of the low Deflection causing him getting constantly hurt and needing baby-sitting. But perhaps the issue won't be as severe in turn-based, I guess. Devoted/Monk, however, sounds very attractive. Wouldn't Devoted/Shattered Pillar work better though in turn-based, since you will get hit less often if you set things up right? Also, one question about Clear Out though. I read in another thread that Clear Out clears engagements: Does this mean essentially that I'd need a main tank to lock down enemies while the Devoted/Monk goes to town?