Build Idea: Arcane Wimp Tank

[Killabkilled]

So I'm creating a totally revamped party and rethinking the different jobs and what classes with what stats can do them. And I was thinking, "Who is there in a party that doesn't need to do damage, for whom you can dump Might?" And that gave me the idea of....

 

Name : Arcane Wimp Tank

Role: No-might Wizard tank and disabler

Class: Solo-class Wizard, no subclass

Race: Nature Godlike

Background: Old Valian Laborer

Active Skill(s): Athletics (quite a contradiction for a no-might character)

Passive Skill(s): Metaphysics, History

Intended for solo: No

Difficulty: PotD v. 1.2

 

 

Stats:

MIG: 3

CON: 10

DEX: 19

PER: 13

INT: 20

RES: 13

 

The idea is simple: spend a few seconds at the start of combat throwing up 4 or 5 self buffs (which the POE2 AI fortunately excels at), then start the disabling. This guy leaves all damage dealing 100% up to his partymates.

 

Key Gear: Cadhu Scalth, Giftbearer's Cloth, Aloth's Leathers for overseeing or maybe Effigy's Husk, Kahua Hozi for spear's +1 engagement and +10% action speed.

 

Abilities:

L1: Chill Fog

L2: Spirit Shield

L3: Vital Essence, Arcane Veil

L4: Miasma

L5: Weapon & Shield, Displaced Image

L6: Expose Vulnerabilities

L7: Combat Focus, Ironskin (re-spec Spirit Shield into Slicken)

L8: Pull of Eora

L9: Rapid Casting, Ryngrim’s Terror

L10: Bear’s Fortitude

L11: Arcane Reflection, Capricious Hex

L12: Adragan’s Gaze

L13: Snake’s Reflexes, Bull’s Will

L14: Arduous Delay

L15: Tough, Helpless Beast

L16: Farcasting

L17: Chaotic Orb, Lasting Empower

L18: Substantial Phantom

L19: Prestige, Death Cloak

L20: Arcane Cleanse

 

The biggest problems I see are terrible natural Fortitude, and actually too many spells/not enough passives at the high levels, but I think this should work.

 

Any thoughts, critiques, or especially improvements would be much appreciated!

Edited July 11, 2018 by Killabkilled

[Marigoldran]

If you want the ultimate tank and buffbot, play a herald (Chanter/Paladin).  It can heal, summon, buff, give auras, provide regen, debuff, apply DOTs, is tanky as hell. and never runs out of chanter resources.    

Edited July 11, 2018 by Marigoldran

[Boeroer]

What about Arcane Dampener (at the moment one of the most powerful debuffers), Slicken (prone effect is not a one-time effect like in PoE but pulses), Rymrgand's spells (terrify with big AoE and long duration - terrify now being a very powerful debuff). Use Grimoires?

 

I think I would try to take more passives/buffs and use Grimoires for the CC spells mostly. The biggest advantage of the wizard is his flexibility when it comes to spell selection. He can actually spend all ability points on something else and still cast a whole bunch of spells via Grimoire. Switching Grimoires is like retraining a wizard on the fly.

 

Besides that I think it will totally work. Being not only tanky but also being able to debuff is very useful. And in my opinion the wizard has the coolest debuff/CC spells.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Boeroer

[Killabkilled]

more passives/buffs 

 

Which passives/buffs?

• Fleet Feet & Elemental Bulwark:  You're right; these are good additions.
• Wizard's Double & Mirrored Image: I assumed they would be suppressed by Arcane Veil?
• Deleterious Alacrity: Doesn't it immunize you from engagement? A tank wants engagement. 
• Llengrath's Safeguard: I hope never to be bloodied. 
• Minor Arcane Reflection/Arcane Reflection/Llengrath's Reflection: I figured 1 of these was enough and picked the middle one. 
• Spell Reflection: Isn't Arcane Reflection better than 10% chance to resist?
• Great Soul, other Empower stuff:  I don't see this build being a big empowerer.  I figured Lasting Empower would be enough.

Anything I missed?

 

What about Arcane Dampener 

 

I thought about it, but assumed the Level IX version, Arcane Cleanse was better.  Was I wrong?

 

 

EDIT: Also, how does the stat distribution look to you?

Edited July 11, 2018 by Killabkilled

[Boeroer]

ROFL - I somehow lost track and at the end thought you had fighter/wizard. So not that many defensive passives to pick from, right?

So forget that please and pretend it never happened.

 

Then I would focus on spells that you really want to cast in every encounter and the rest in Grimoires.

 

Arcane Dampener will supress existing as well as future buffs/benefits on all targets in an AoE. Enemies' AI only realizes that buffs are gone and will try to reapply buffs, wasting time/abilities/spells the whole time.

 

Arcane Cleanse removes buffs entirely but will not prevent future buffs from working.

 

Because of that I think that Dampener is better in most situations (also considering the earlier level). Having both is totally ok. Or just get a Grimoire. Dampener is very common in Grimoires.

 

Stats look good to me - with regard to your build idea.

Edited July 11, 2018 by Boeroer

[FluxWing]

Just thought I would add a few notes from my last PotD with a similar concept tank build based on Wizard buffs, Arcane Knight  (Shieldbearer/no-school).

 

Paladin class is another good candidate class for "might dumping" since they have very few ways to boost their dmg capabilities beyond Flames of Devotion.

I did the following stat-spread:

 

M: 10

C: 14

D: 14
P: 14

I: 16

C:10

 

Keep in mind that in Deadfire has a lot of gunners, and those are all "Veil Piercing" which is basically designed to counter Arcane Veil.

And early to mid PotD are very slow and grindy fights, so Arcane will not last long enough.

Mirror, Double, are not Veils but have charges, and can run out earlier than you expect.

 

But all of the mage illusion buffs were, in my experience a poor substitute for a Brigandine + Large Shield, even though they sure helped.

 

Cloth-armor will be over-penetrated by even the paltry-penetration-poker called swords. That means +30% dmg taken.

Best is trade-off for speed is, in my opinion, the Chain Mail variants, since they are only weak against Crushing/blunt damage and very few kits use them.

And both brigandine/plate are most likely to be penetrated even when and take 100% dmg.

I like using the Magnera's Chain at the end on my tanks.

 

 

And another big thing. The enemies will CC the crap out of you as the tank on PotD.

So many mobs that do any of the following:

 

M: Stun

C : Enfeeble

D:  Paralyze
P: Blind
I: Dominate

R: Terrified

 

All of the above you can become immune to by the modifier: "Resistance to  X afflictions". Well it pushes the most sever affliction off the table, downgrading it to a lesser and more manageable form at least, which getting rid of Stun/Paralyze was huge for me in some early encounters.
 

M: Dazed

C:  Weakened

D:  Immobilized

P: Disoriented

I: Charmed

R: Frightened

 

There are a few items that provide (Resistance to), spread here and there.

But Paladin have quite a rich arsenal against these. (+20 to Might/Dex/Res,  Resistant to Con,Int,Per)

 

Even easier is to have a Troubadour(Chanter) backing you up, making the whole party "Resistant to" 4/6 affliction types.

 

The new afflictionare a few things I never bothered  learning until I got smacked around on PotD with what I thought would be an "Immovable Object". But so many times that was not enough.

 

But many players have no problem soloing the game, no matter what class, so don't think don't give up, and good luck with your mage tank.

Let us know how it turns out.

[Killabkilled]

Best is trade-off for speed is, in my opinion, the Chain Mail variants, 

 

This is a good tip.  I may start out in chain and then switch to something lighter at higher levels.

 

Also, all this about afflictions is extremely helpful.  Thank you!

 

 

Even easier is to have a Troubadour(Chanter) backing you up

 

I was debating whether to have a Celebrant or a Templar do the healbot/buffbot job.  Sounds like you'd recommend Celebrant.