Lampros

Rogue and Ranger moves do not actually attack your enemies like Charge does, no? I have to test the Barbarian moves though - thanks! So as I expected, the Ranger one does not close the distance and melee attacks the enemy? The ranger ability can attack the enemy if you upgrade it, but I strongly do not recommend upgrading it since it is static damage despite needing a ranged weapon. The rogue, ranger, and barbarian mobility moves are ground targeted so in that sense you can "close" the distance if you wish to or run away with it. Ah, so you cannot really script it then but must manually control it? Then I am not as interested, since I do almost no manual control in combat except when I need to use consumables or heal/BDD/etc to save a life.

On PotD, is heavier armor worthwhile? I noticed that if I put Platinated armor on, then it gives me +3 armor and increases recovery on Modwyr only from 2.1 to 2.5 or something like that. I think that's acceptable?

I am planning on eating the +2 penetration food at all times. I will also have a Priest along, though since I automate everything, he/she might not hit every member with buffs (especially if the melees have moved far away already with CHarge or the Barbarian approach moves). Explain?

Rogue and Ranger moves do not actually attack your enemies like Charge does, no? I have to test the Barbarian moves though - thanks! So as I expected, the Ranger one does not close the distance and melee attacks the enemy?

It takes away the main disadvantage of being a melee: Inability to immediately engage your enemies outside the melee range. Further, it also stuns! Both of these things make me nostalgic about my World of War Craft days as a PvP Warrior. Anyways, is there another melee class with a Charge-like ability that can close the gap instantly and stun or daze or do anything to temporarily immobilize? Having exploited it so much in my first run, I cannot imagine playing another melee class without a Charge-like ability

Realistically, how quickly can Glacierbane or any Beast of Winter DLC items be acquired in PotD? Level 15? I don't know if I can beat the Messenger earlier at that difficulty - though I have never even tried in PotD.

Yeah I figured as much thanks! Basically pistol modal on and pistol in mainhand+ blunderbuss offhand is the best dps on a shadowdancer streetfighter, as you chain stunning surge pretty fast. Pistol and blunderbuss have different range. Wouldn't that come into conflict, if you dual wield? For instance, if your initial pistol target is 8 meters away, then you'd have to walk forward to hit the same target with the blunderbuss. I am imagining you'd waste some time walking to and fro from targets. But I have no experience dual wielding different distance weapons.

So if you crit, then you will do decent damage even if your weapon's normal penetration is lower than the target's armor? If you crit your overall PEN will be multiplied by 1.5 which usually is enough to at least penetrate properly. So if enemies' AR is 13 and you only have 10 PEN (leading to a horrible dmg reduction) but crit, your PEN will be 15. Enough to easily penetrate the 13 AR. Ah, ok; so crits multiply penetration. Very good to know. Looks like my DPS-ers have about 30-40 percent crit rate in the current Classic game I am running to learn the game. But I assume in PotD their crit rate will go down too, I guess (though I will have more optimized builds that do not involve story companions).

I am going to run two ranged together and compare Essence Interrupter/Aamina's Legacy build v. Red Hand build eventually!

What about Amra?

The title was deliberately meant to be funny, but it was also a "fitting" one, given the topic!

So if you crit, then you will do decent damage even if your weapon's normal penetration is lower than the target's armor?

Is it doable for newbs like me? And do I need to be level 20 to be sure of passing? I haven’t tried it with a party yet, so I don’t have a good feel for how difficult it would be party-wise. (Though the above commentaries suggest it’s pretty hard!) But on solo upscaled PotD it’s excruciatingly hard, at least for the builds I’ve tried so far. As in: I’m somewhat doubtful that I’ll be able to do it... (Though maybe that just shows that I’m not hardcore enough!) Yeah, I don't ever plan on doing solo anything

Is it doable for newbs like me? And do I need to be level 20 to be sure of passing? having done some more of the challenges, i think the difficulty spikes a bit. it is certainly challenging for a level 18-19 upscaling POTD, but there have been some challenges that are relatively easy compared to others (but still not a pushover). And while I said my party is underoptimized, I definitely play to my fullest. if you're playing at less than level POTD, I don't know what the scaling is like. Some of the difficulty I encountered was because some of the enemies had just sooo much health that normal tricks wouldn't work because they could just outlast them, so just being able to sustain was more important. It might be the case that outside of PoTD upscaling high health isn't as big of a deal. (For reference, in the final boss, I got lucky and hit with two crit Inner Deaths off of Xoti... one for ~250 and the other ~350... and that combined did not even take the boss down a single health category (i.e. "blooded" to "near death"). I even hit with a Resonance off like 40x stack for ~800 damage and that wasn't enough to do a full quarter-slice of health in on its own (though it was closer). So we're talking boatloads of health, all while the boss is constantly terrifying you, stunning you, grabbing you, and applying dots and afflictions. I don't know how much of that is PotD and upscaling and how much of that is just the boss being a hard nut to crack.) That sounds nuts. I am planning my next run to be PotD, but I don't plan on ever scaling it. As for the need to sustain: I plan on running 1 Zealous Endurance Paladin multi-class and 1 Ancient Memory Chanter multi-class for sustain though. Is the spike damage so much where I do need a dedicated Priest?

Is it doable for newbs like me? And do I need to be level 20 to be sure of passing?

Didn't Twinned Shots used to be a modal in PoE 1? I never played Ranger in PoE 1, so I cannot be definitive, but that's what I recall. If so, then that makes a pure Ranger even less attractive for me.

Any idea on what level is optimal to start the latest DLC content? Should it be later than the old DLC content?

Just tested; they stack.

I re-read the description, and you are right. I thought you apply the mark once, and that's it; but it looks like it stacks only when you use the active ability. As for the accuracy buff itself: WTF? I use Zeal of Focus and Devotions of the Faithful anyways. So I'd only gain 5 Accuracy with Hunter's Claw? Not as useful then.

What about skills though? First decide what you want to play. I enjoyed play testing the builds I wanted to try. Then refine it down. Still debating - I've narrowed it down to Ranger/Paladin (more likely) or Ranger/Fighter. I think Hunter's Claw may get nerfed, so I want to take advantage of it now I don't think it should be nerfed. It's cumbersome to use and has a huge opportunity cost (you don't use other Ranger active abilities). It only shines after several encounters... when you may not meet that many enemies from a given race anymore. Also it doesn't stack with other "big" accuracy boosts. Personally I'd probably use it with something like a monk (can capitalize on accuracy->crits with free attacks, provides speed, damage lashes, blade turning melee defense, decent special attacks) or trickster (can stack high defense, deal solid sneak+ability damage, terrify enemies and riposte) - to have more damage dealing capability in the other half of the character. Or go nuts and go pure for Whirling Strikes/Twinned Arrow/Heartseeker. Huh?and what you mean by saying that "you don't use other Ranger activities." Can you explain? And what does it not stack with?

What about skills though? First decide what you want to play. I enjoyed play testing the builds I wanted to try. Then refine it down. Still debating - I've narrowed it down to Ranger/Paladin (more likely) or Ranger/Fighter. I think Hunter's Claw may get nerfed, so I want to take advantage of it now

What about skills though?

I usually "run into him" around level 10. By run into him, I mean brutally murder him for his shiny stiletto. You could probably do it right away though. It's not a terribly difficult fight, but it is a pretty interesting combat encounter. Hmm, do dual stiletto builds work well?

But high Penetration won't matter versus pure immunes, no? By the way, how do you compare Darryn's Voulge vs. the Amra Axe as for PotD on a Barbarian/Fighter or Barbarian/Ranger hybrid? But you don't run into immunes much. When you do, it's not a huge deal to switch to a blunt weapon. As for the comparison, difficult to say. LDV is very cool on a Barbarian. But I also like Amra's effects a lot, particularly aoe killing enemies below 50 hp on crit. It's really nice to trigger on kill effects, such as fighters Cleaving Stance or barbarians blood thirst. I did not consider the on-kill effects. Hmm, I am leaning toward Amra now. What's your preference personally? But high Penetration won't matter versus pure immunes, no? By the way, how do you compare Darryn's Voulge vs. the Amra Axe as for PotD on a Barbarian/Fighter or Barbarian/Ranger hybrid? Amra only becomes better once it is Legendary/Mythical grade until then LDV is better. Amra slightly better as Legendary to LDV but only on single target , on multitarget ldv is still better even there. At Mythical vs superior sure there is no question Amra overtakes it. So it partly depends on how available Adra Bans and the Mythical ingredient will be...

aoe damage from mortars - but you would have to be streetfighter to take advantage of a blunderbuss. also aamina's legacy with fast attack modal on is very close in terms of dps to red hand and does best of slash/pierce. I am going to run 2 ranged characters and see who prevails: One Red Hand-er and another with Aamina's. I guess Ranger/Rogue is the best DPS combo for ranged characters? Can anything be better?