Lampros

The Red Hand - oh my f-cking God! I am testing a few builds with Maia, and the DPS is ridiculous. I haven't seen anything like it. Why would I use double blunderbuss or anything else in terms of ranged DPS?!!!

Awesome; thanks!

But does Power Levels on items automatically or passively power up your attacks? Or do I have to manually do it myself?

Damn, Rogues have such high utility in every game. And Boerer, while you are here: Are Paladin/Ranger melees (Aragorn) viable now after the patch as a DPS class? I don't want the pet, so it will be Ghostheart. Weren't they viable before? Lots of Full Attacks with very high accuracy sound viable to me. Bonus tip: FoD is an ability that has the keyword "Fire", so everything that boosts fire abilites also works with FoD. THis includes the Ring of Focused Flame (+10 ACC on top), Magran's Favor (Battle Axe, +2 to fire Power Level) and Sun and Moon (Flail, +2 to fire Power Level). +4 Power Level is a huge boost to the base damage of FoD. Combined with Scion of Flame you will do great FoD attacks with very high accuracy (crits which lead to even higher PEN) and even Spirit of Decay adds +1 PEN if you take Bleak Walker. @bombs & grenades: no idea, I never use them (except Sparkcrackers). I hardly use any consumables at all (besides drugs with Nalpasca and kith meat food with a Corpse Eater). I thought they were basically ranged specialists and never thought of using them as melee! Thanks for the fire booster tip. By the way, what does "power level" mean when I see them in gear? Does it mean that fire attacks will be boosted passively without me manually empowering those attacks? I have no idea how to use empowerment in combat. I tried as the Wiki describes, but I think I failed.

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?

Does anyone have a Ranger multi-class build that incorporates the new melee skills that Rangers got? Something that obviously deals DPS but is also sturdy, please. So something like Ranger/Paladin or Ranger/Fighter or even Ranger/Barbarian hybrid?

Yeah, I will choose poleaxe or battleaxe for Gimli as Devoted/Barbarian. How does the damage compare to 2H - and did you play on PotD? I am a bit nervous about the high penetration requirement of PotD, because Darryn's top out at Superb, not Legendary. I'm playing PotD, and I haven't run into any problems so far. I'm at work, so I can't remember exactly, but I think fully upgraded, LDV for a Devoted is base 14 PEN, not counting food or active abilities? But that's dual slash/shock. Usually when enemies have ludicrously high armor values, it'll be for one or two damage types, often slash/pierce. Berserker gets +2 PEN with Frenzy, so I'm at 16 during tough fights, and I can't think of many (any?) enemies who would have more than 16 armor on both slash and shock. And if you use the food that raises you another two points... Plus, standard poleaxe is slash/crush, so I keep a second poleaxe in my other weapon slot, giving me three different damage types while still maintaining Devoted bonuses. Generally if an enemy has high slash and/or pierce armor, their crush armor will be lower. Hmm, I thought Darryn's is actually slash/crush/lightning. Now I am having second thoughts, especially because the only other poleaxe is Wahai Poraga, and that looks pretty bad for single target DPS.

Yeah, I will choose poleaxe or battleaxe for Gimli as Devoted/Barbarian. How does the damage compare to 2H - and did you play on PotD? I am a bit nervous about the high penetration requirement of PotD, because Darryn's top out at Superb, not Legendary.

What about bombs/grenades? Are they useful in PotD at all - given that they have 7-8 or lower Penetration?

Yes, but single damage type

Damn, Rogues have such high utility in every game. And Boerer, while you are here: Are Paladin/Ranger melees (Aragorn) viable now after the patch as a DPS class? I don't want the pet, so it will be Ghostheart.

So Darryn's Voulge can be an end-game weapon even on PotD? Hmm. I need a weapon for my Gimli, and it has to be some type of an axe. And Darryn's being dual damage type means I can stick a Devoted in there, too? (I am thinking Barbarian/Devoted.)

I looked at the photo again, and the weapon's default penetration is 13, but the character has 17 with it. How?

By the way, how much more armor do PotD enemies have relative to Veteran and Classic? Is it 1 per difficulty - or something more drastic?

Thanks for the list! Going through the skills for the characters I am using now, I just did notice that the Priest buff includes a group Penetration increase. And I have been casting it all along - though I didn't realize that it does not stack with weapon modals. Thanks for notifying me! I've been using both and wasting one of them then. As for Monks and Barbarians, I guess I have to re-think my dislike of both for future PotD runs then. And I did not realize Crippling Strike also gives extra Penetration, though I've been using it the whole time. And I will have to seriously consider getting Strike the Bell as well. So it looks like most of the DPS classes do have some extra Penetration. But what about Rangers? I am particularly interested, since I want to try a Paladin/Ranger multi-class as a main next to take advantage of the most recent patch changes to the Ranger. And I will definitely go with dual Blunderbusses on someone next, too! But even then even most legendary weapons do not give more than 12 or so though. But I will definitely have to learn more about various debuffs. Speaking of which, what are the main armor debuffs then? Ok, I will definitely have to make sure look for penetration foods now. I do have Tarn's Respite on Eder, but I am not sure I like sabers as a weapon all that much. I know very high damage, but I am too lazy to weapon switch when I run into slash immunes. In terms of Rust's Poignard: Does the extra penetration compensate for the low overall damage? I will definitely run a Chanter now, too. Is your Chanter a pure Chanter or a multi-class? If multi, then what mix? Elemental dots don't ignore armor at all. Combusting Wounds, Brand Enemy, Dragon Trashed, etc. are completely useless against enemies with high burn resistance. Good to know. Another reason not to use Dragon Thrashed any more.

I have been reading that getting penetration on PotD is a nightmare, because the mobs there have such high armor. In fact, someone said that you need at least 15 and in some cases 18 for the tougher mobs (!!!)? So how do I it? In my current "ease-in" first run, I see that my main can only do 12/12 as a dual wielder by default with 2 legendary weapons on both hands as Devoted. Penetrating Strike gets me 15, and the sword modal will get me another 2 or 3 (at the cost of deflection). But what about other classes? Devoted and Penetrating Strikes together net me 5, and that's 5 per class. From the classes I have at the moment, I am not seeing skills that give me such high penetration boosts. How do they get penetration?

Yes, if I can't do them at level 16, I should give up this game! I was worried about the next run, where I will go PotD. So what level do you think I can kill Rust with a full party then? I didn't realize how much prices differed until I saw that I had a 30 percent mark-up at Delver's Row and 50 percent mark-down somewhere else (I forget where)

There's food that gives more Penetration?!!!

Ok, now I am at level 16, so I have a much better sense of where things are - and what they do. So a follow-up question regarding some of these items: 1. Realistically, how early can we get Lord Darryn's Voluge and Modwyr in PotD? I assume LDV can be had as early as level 5 or 6 theoretically? But won't you get ganked by everyone before you get there? And I got accidentally dropped into the Old City in a prior run at level 7, and I couldn't handle it even at Classic difficulty. So I assume this is not doable until at least level 9-10 at PotD? 2. If I kill Rusty, then wouldn't the entire Delver's crowd jump me, and I will lose their quest line or something? So wouldn't I have to do it after I am done with all their quests, etc.? 3. I cannot see how I can do Aamina's Legacy at level 10-12 at PotD. I struggled even at level 13 in Classic - albeit I will be better prepared - and simply better - next time! Now I am at level 16 as I said, I cannot believe how many great swords and sabres I have found, and how few even decent warhammers and 1H battle axes are. There is a severe imbalance in weapon type distribution in this game indeed - as others have already pointed out...

Another gem - pun intended!

What's the weapon on your main hand?

PoE 1 habit!

Sigh, sorry. I swear this forum's copy-paste function is the worst I've seen...

Yeah, I am never Bloodied, as I panic heal instantly at 75 percent (or has the scripts heal). So I guess for my safe style it's not for me. I can understand that. Just gotta get used to it. For more survivability use Bloody Links armor (it's tough call between it and devil of caroc armor tho), and later Unbending Shield ability (which does not overheal but keeps you alive). With high Resolve and Refreshing Defense you can fight bloodied no problem. I never used a shield. I don't think Bloody Links' defensive boosts when Bloodied is sufficient enough for me feel safe. Yeah, I am never Bloodied, as I panic heal instantly at 75 percent (or has the scripts heal). So I guess for my safe style it's not for me. Use I am considering that for Drizzt or Aragorn-type of melee character, but the pet just gets in my way

Yes, that was exactly what I was considering. And then I would save stuff like Adragan's Gaze for the really tough fights? My only concern was: Do blunderbuss AoEs do friendly fire damage?