Lampros

Ok, back to the blaster Wizard build then. One more question about this build though: According to a very extensive Steam guide on class builds, DPS Wizards fall off considerably in late-game relative to the non-caster DPS classses. Is this true? Also, is your Priest an implement user or a melee? I ask, because I might be unable to avoid having 4 melees anyways, since I think the Priest needs to be up-close. Regarding DPS, sure a rogue who hits for 50-80 with each hit, dual-wielding and with a potion of DAoM is a pure DPS machine, but a wizard will do more damage with 1 Ninagauth's Shadowflame followed by 3 Kalakoth's Freezing Rakes. Damage output will be just over 600 in a very short period of time. If you can petrify your opponents, then just cast Gaze of the Adragan after the Shadowflame and watch the total damage output go to over 1,000 from the 3 rakes. Rogues won't easily beat that, but in the same vein, I just beat Thaos with a level 13 rogue (using Wodjee's FCS run as a guide) and he just crushed him. Thaos stood absolutely no chance as he was perma-stunned or perma-proned, but I needed to split the fight. My level 16 wizard did not bother splitting the group, but came close to dying from a couple of Cleansing Flames. So, they are different playstyles. Regarding my priest, I used Durance up front but probably should have used him in the backline. Having fewer melee bodies up front makes it easier to place AoE spells without nuking my own chars. Right now, the Wizard is behind all other DPS in my group - Cipher, Chanter, and Paladin. So I wonder if it is my play-style. I haven't rested a lot so far, so I only use available spells - and it seems like casters need all the rest spells to top out the DPS charts? Or is it that casters get their hard-hitting spells late? I am currently only level 4.

Otherwise I am shocked that my Chanter has more damage than my Paladin - when the Paladin is using a harder hitting weapon and has TWICE as many hits. Or is the in-game damage record known to bug out? Something is really amiss. Edit: The Chanter has only 4 more crits, so obviously that does not explain it either.

Chanters are awesome summoners and have max deflection. Give them W&S style, high Int, Per and Res and they are quite a front line tank. Even without Dragons Slahed they can dump Ogres and Drakes into combat, explode corpses, stun, buff, heal. Pretty much they do everything but top tier weapon damage. But you can even build them to be a two hand sword monsters if you want as they already have the deflection covered. Just add healing resources like Shod boots, Vet's Recovery , etc... I like them better than Pallies (...sorry Torm51). What do you mean by "max deflection"? I thought Paladins and Fighters get higher deflection? Anyways, I am currently running 2 Chanters from Boerer's Chillfog build - one tank and the other DPS melee. While the tank is doing okay, the DPS seems in danger of dying every other fight. So I'd like any advice on how to make him a bit more sturdy at this stage (level 4). Or maybe I have to be just patient early going, take my licks, and then thrive later?

Tl;dr: there are no "traps" when it comes to class choice. Some classes work better with your playstyle, some don't. Some are powerful in the early game and lack a bit later on, while with other classes it's the other way round. Don't listen to people who say that this or that class is weak or bad. There are no deadbeat classes in PoE. Yes, even as a newb, I find the classes pretty well-balanced. The only possible exception is Rogue - who provides very little group utility, who is fragile, whose practical single target DPS is not always even the best due to the need to leash him until he is safe.

Using this build for my Wizard. And just my modification of MaxQuest's Fire Priest build, I softened the harsh "min" aspect. So I gave 8 to both Resolve and Constitution. Newbs need some safety - even with ideal builds!

For the Priest, I followed this build - especially after finding that Priests can do burst damage as well. The thing I deviated was that I didn't min-max as heavily as mandated by this build. Mainly, I was too afraid to bring Resolve down to 3

What did your ultimate line-up turn out to be? And what would you choose if you could build the whole party from scratch and not use in-game companions? My lazy team with pre-made companions is paladin (MC), Eder, Maneha, Kana, Palegina, Zahua which is very low maintenance and requires minimal resting. With only custom companions a party of 6 tank paladins is my ultimate lazy party. Many people would argue that 6 chanters are better because of their AoE dmg, but chanters are too vulnerable to cc and are very squishy (they have caster end/hp). Stacking 6 of anything is no fun though. What if there is a restriction of no more than 2 per class?

Hmmm, I was thinking of using a speed-buffed ranged Cipher as a "puller," but this is a bad idea then? I don't want to give my tank Chanter a ranged weapon and constantly switch though.

Oh, I was just confused and thought most Will attacks are melee ranged. If not, then I prefer a ranged Cipher, as I am already running 3 melees (Chanter tank, Chanter DPS, and Paladin hybrid). It's just that I am a newb whose furthest progress was to level 6 (before that game bugged out), so I don't know all the mid- and late-game encounters

I just passed the no point of no return. My party is good to go. I am using 2 Chillfog Chanters - one the tank version and the other the DPS version. The tank version will follow your build closely, with the freeze defense stuff left out; and I will try to do more conventional dual wield DPS version with the other one. I suspect I will be happier than with my original "no clue" party - where the Fighter tank felt useless because he couldn't hold aggro and couldn't do any damage, and the DPS Rogue often did no DPS because he was already dead

It's not worth in every single fight, that's more of a solo thing. It is still very worth in Dragon Fights, you could wait to do those till you are level 16 and then take backlash last talent. (or just work with respeccing) Well you can invest in melee, I did too in my trio party, but your main damage will still come from chants and stacking dragon slashed with 2 chanters is pretty strong so why not. Ok, I am finally off to no return land then: 2 melee Chanters (one tank, one DPS), 1 hybrid pike Paladin, 1 ranged Cipher, 1 Priest, 1 Wizard. Finally! 3 days of theory-crafting, and at last getting the first full game going!

On DPS Chanter, what about the "Last Unicorn" version of this build? https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/86968-class-build-chillfog-cool-soothing-chanter-tank/ Giving a Chanter dual wield or 2H weapons and some Dexterity wouldn't work? He would be my 2nd Chanter - not the main. Edit: I just wanted to squeeze in the 2nd Chanter, after watching so many 6 Chanter videos

Hmmm, ok. Then Psychic Backlash is not even worth taking if you are in a party with good buffs? (E.g. Priest buffs?)

But aren't there a ton of non-aura attacks that Psychic Backlash can be used against? Mainly fampyr's but their attack is ranged anyway. (Tho there is no guarantee they will target your cipher if all your party is immune to charm.) But vs undead raedric and Fampyr lord there are frighten auras anyway, probably in all other major fampyr fights too, I don't remember the White March one well enough tho. Ofc backlash works against a lot of single target abilities, but if you don't solo there is never a guarantee to get hit by it. (which is probably a good thing with a squishy ranged char ) And since enemies tend to attack the easiest ones to hit, I should ensure that the Cipher has the lowest Will? Also, could having zero "pure" DPS classes kill fast enough? I am at the inn about to pick up 5 custom NPCs, and I am struggling between a melee DPS Chanter and a melee DPS Barbarian. The rest of the crew is: tanking Chanter (main) hybrid Paladin using pike blaster Wizard support Priest ranged Cipher

But aren't there a ton of non-aura attacks that Psychic Backlash can be used against?

Oh, that's quite fast. I can survive for 2 seconds, I think For some reason I thought I read it was 4 seconds - which would've been a problem. Since you are a "Master" Cipher, are melee Ciphers viable for newbs? I want to use Psychic Backlash, but I heard melee Ciphers are super-fragile?

Ok. I might also run a second Chanter. Are pure DPS melee Chanters viable? I finally fired up a game with Elrond the tanking Chanter as main (he will follow your Chillfog build, except I will sub out some of the freeze DR talents and gear). But I am thinking of getting rid of Gimli the Barbarian DPS and using another Chanter as a pure DPS. Obviously he won't do as much DPS as a Barbarian with weapon attacks, but can the Chants and Invocations close the gap? Since I will sub out the ranged Rogue for a ranged Cipher, I am suddenly worried that this group won't have enough DPS. I will have 0 "pure" DPS, if I sub out Gimli.

There are monsters immune to slash? Dayyaam. I guess I really need back-up weapons. But doesn't that also mean I need to get a talent that enables quick switching - since I am not smart enough to memorize all resistances? There are not many monsters immune to slash, you don't have to pick Quick Switch just for that... How long does it take to switch weapon sets? I don't want to get my butt kicked as I do it, because I am a newb, and I don't know all the resistances. Or I guess I could stick dual damage types on every character?

What did your ultimate line-up turn out to be? And what would you choose if you could build the whole party from scratch and not use in-game companions?

So the ideal phrase combo is Come Sweet Winds - Dragon Thrased - Come Sweet Winds?

Got it. I plan on pulling with his war bow, too. So he might be closer than most ranged characters as well.

I see. So case-by-case case!

So ranged Ciphers can use Psychic Backlash, too? But aren't ranged characters usually too far from enemy auras?

This is an amazing guide, but I am not sure how applicable it is today. In particular, given that I want to use Psychic Backlash, what are the general builds and stats I would aim for?

This only works primarily for melees, if in a party, right? Because I assume you won't get targeted by these attacks a lot unless you are at the front-line?