Razorchain

it's extremely effective. not terribly easy, though and will require some metagaming. i've run a couple streetfighters, in certain setups I can get near 100% up-time, in others I could more charitably put it at 60-70% uptime (which is still pretty good considering how stupidly good the bonus is). the bonus is good enough that it's worth self-blinding or self-disorienting yourself, even though those are far more punishing than self-distract or flanked. (probably the easiest way is to just have a wizard handy who can cast chill fog all the time - in this case it's a good idea to have defiant apparel so that you're "only" disoriented). For my helwalker/Streetfighter I tend to open the fight with blunderbuss for powder burns and then switch to fists. If it is a long/hard fight I usually manage to get bloodied or flanked if it is an easy fight then it doesn't matter.

Nah actually the long eared Jerboa

Orlans always remind me of hamsters so I have a hard time making a MC as a hamster...I mean an Orlan. But maybe I have to get over my bias and play as a female orlan MC and romance Tekehu, but he'd better bring the duct tape!!!

I'm having a lot of fun with Helwalker/Streetfighter. Open up with something that get's you powderburns and flanking penalty and then you go to town fisting your enemies to death. By the time powderburns wears off you should hopefully be bloodied. Then you spam crippling strike and finishing blows. With Dirty fighting, Uncanny luck, Swift Flurry and Heartbeat Drumming your opponents just explode If you don't get bloodied it's because the fight was too easy anyway. This paired up with a priest with Barring Deaths Door and Salvation of Time I love fisting squishy backliners, they just explode in a shower of goo....I usually don't get to use finishing blows on them because they are already dead or almost dead just by using a crippling strike. This build is either Painkiller or Speedfister....haven't decided on a name yet.

I'm using a Shadowdancer atm. Helwalker/Streetfighter, he's squishy, needs mirco and is best paired with a priest with Barring Deaths Door. But he can sure dish out damage like there is no tomorrow using only his fists. Under optimal cirumstances you'll have +30% damage from helwalker, sneak attack +60% at PL7, +50% for streetfighter if you are bloodied or flanked, Deathblows +50% at PL7 and up to +20 % burning lash from turning wheel. Then you factor in Transcedental suffering or weapon bonuses.

I usually have somebody to wreck the enemy back line. I love arcane reflection because if the enemy is putting that up he's not casting spells on me. That's 0.4 seconds to smash their face :D I forget putting up arcane reflection myself

Sorry I should have put /sarcasm after the fist comment. I love fisting my enemies as a monk

Reload time is the recovery time for ranged weapons. You check your reload/recovery times ingame by right clicking the weapon and hover over reload/recovery to see what effects your armor/items/dex has.....except for fists because who would want to use those!

So are we then on to a party of 2 heralds, monk, paladin and helwalker ascendant?

Don't forget Thunderous Blows for +5 might and +2 penetration and putting some points in Dex gives you even more speed. For the sexy Orlan Girls just google Kitsune girls and make a portrait request for some water colors :D

This thread has spurred me on to be more offensive.......in the game of course :D I'm dropping a proper tank and going for a Two handed Berserker/Lifegiver and Dual Wielding Paladin/Rogue as my front line supported in the back by Helwalker/Ascended, Wizard/Troupadour and whatever story companion strikes my fancy (but mostly Maia as a Gunhawk/Assassin)

Yes but when you replace your herald with something else you gain something as well

Why always Heralds? I mean after Neketaka even on upscaled Potd a lot of fights are easy. I find the start the hardest part of the game, as you progress you have better gear, better buffs and debuffs. Why not just have 1 Herald and maybe something else? I mean you can tank most things through healing, CC's or just pure offense. The faster you can kill things the less damage they can do to you And even the for the tough fights you can always just use figurines if you need more boots on the ground.

I tend to use story companions once or twice or just switch them in/out of a custom party to do their quest of the loot is wort it. In my current play through... Or one of them I use Eder as unchained swashbuckler via mods to hold the line while my MC helwalker/Streetfighter deals with the backline

It depends on the group composition. I tend to use Eder as a fighter tank or swashbuckler. I have better ways to deal with priority targets.

I find it very situational in upscaled Potd where you are often wanting for accuracy. One thing which I find great about hunting bows is the fact that they have +5 acc bonus which means when you grab Essence interrupter it gives you a +13 acc boost which makes it the best early weapon you can get your hands on.

Yup I remembered Drunkards regret, the only reason to rush to save Oswald... or just let him die and take all the money for myself.

I have one ranged helwalker/cipher in my current party and she's great. Helwalker is great just because of the might and int bonus and you don't have to take any damage for it and get +12 acc as well with enduring dance.

I had totally missed wael's wind. Good call because my Tempest really needs it

Yeah I think I'll just become a Svef addict until I get my hands on luminous lobster Or just use DoC breastplate for a while.

Does anyone remember any item that is not armor, weapon or helmet that has resistance to intelligence affliction? Ring of Mule's Wit is too crippling with it's -8 to int. Or does my zerker just have to get addicted to Svef until my Chanter gets They Shielded Their Eyes 'Gainst The Fampyr's Gaze?

yeah...I know.....a friend of mine told me not to do it because he totally did it.

The character's supposed to be in melee range. Dumped Res and average Con would get me destroyed, wouldn't it? Is he going to be in melee or in melee range? There is a big difference, because often I position squishy characters close to melee to use a cone spell or an ranged assassin 2 meters away to get backstab bonuses

Good call, I'll switch out my lifegiver for a Lifegiver/Priest

Maybe instead of resurrecting a thread that is mostly from before the game was released you might take a look at the pinned Mechanics:Power Level compilation thread? It has a better in depth explanation on Power Levels.