Single target melee DPS builds

[Lampros]

What are the highest single target melee DPS builds that still retain some survivability? (That is, I do not want pure glass cannons that dies every other encounter without extreme micro-management.)
 

In particular, I wonder what would do more:

 

Ranger/Paladin combination that leverages high crits from insane accuracy OR Rogue/Paladin combination that does the usual Sneak Attack and other roguish things.

Edited October 2, 2018 by Lampros

[Lampros]

Addendum: Would Fighter be better than Paladin as the other half of a melee DPS multi-class?

Edited October 2, 2018 by Lampros

[AndreaColombo]

Fighter/Monk gets my vote.

 

Pure Monk is also probably very good.

[Verde]

What about a Shadowdancer?

[Lampros]

What about a Shadowdancer?

 

Rogue/Monk combo is somewhat squishy and requires a lot of micro-management, no?

[Haplok]

What are the highest single target melee DPS builds that still retain some survivability? (That is, I do not want pure glass cannons that dies every other encounter without extreme micro-management.)

 

In particular, I wonder what would do more:

 

Ranger/Paladin combination that leverages high crits from insane accuracy OR Rogue/Paladin combination that does the usual Sneak Attack and other roguish things.

 

Again, Rogue is a damage dealer. Ranger is a hybrid. Clearly Rogue will do a lot more damage.

 

As for Fighter vs Paladin, my vote goes to Fighter. Intuitive stance provides hit-to-crit conversion. Cleaving Stance provides free attacks whenever you down an enemy. Clear Out is a cool aoe move. With Unbending you just don't die.

Paladins provide more party support though.

[Verde]

 

What about a Shadowdancer?

Rogue/Monk combo is somewhat squishy and requires a lot of micro-management, no?

Squishy but deadly

[Lampros]

 

What are the highest single target melee DPS builds that still retain some survivability? (That is, I do not want pure glass cannons that dies every other encounter without extreme micro-management.)

 

In particular, I wonder what would do more:

 

Ranger/Paladin combination that leverages high crits from insane accuracy OR Rogue/Paladin combination that does the usual Sneak Attack and other roguish things.

 

Again, Rogue is a damage dealer. Ranger is a hybrid. Clearly Rogue will do a lot more damage.

 

As for Fighter vs Paladin, my vote goes to Fighter. Intuitive stance provides hit-to-crit conversion. Cleaving Stance provides free attacks whenever you down an enemy. Clear Out is a cool aoe move. With Unbending you just don't die.

Paladins provide more party support though.

 

 

I see. I saw the Ranger update skills, and I thought 20 percent accuracy and 20 percent damage would change the melee DPS tiers, but then Deathblows alone give you 50 percent for the Rogue - which is almost like a perma crit (what is crit damage boost anyways? - 50 percent?).

 

Would Barbarian/Rogue do more than Fighter/Rogue? But perhaps a bit squishy now?

[Lampros]

 

 

What about a Shadowdancer?

Rogue/Monk combo is somewhat squishy and requires a lot of micro-management, no?

Squishy but deadly

 

 

I don't want glass cannons though, as I specified in the first post Too lazy.

[Verde]

Ah my mistake.

[Haplok]

 

 

What are the highest single target melee DPS builds that still retain some survivability? (That is, I do not want pure glass cannons that dies every other encounter without extreme micro-management.)

 

In particular, I wonder what would do more:

 

Ranger/Paladin combination that leverages high crits from insane accuracy OR Rogue/Paladin combination that does the usual Sneak Attack and other roguish things.

 

Again, Rogue is a damage dealer. Ranger is a hybrid. Clearly Rogue will do a lot more damage.

 

As for Fighter vs Paladin, my vote goes to Fighter. Intuitive stance provides hit-to-crit conversion. Cleaving Stance provides free attacks whenever you down an enemy. Clear Out is a cool aoe move. With Unbending you just don't die.

Paladins provide more party support though.

 

 

I see. I saw the Ranger update skills, and I thought 20 percent accuracy and 20 percent damage would change the melee DPS tiers, but then Deathblows alone give you 50 percent for the Rogue - which is almost like a perma crit (what is crit damage boost anyways? - 50 percent?).

 

Would Barbarian/Rogue do more than Fighter/Rogue? But perhaps a bit squishy now?

 

 

Base crit damage bonus is only +25%.

 

In general Barb/Rogue is theoretically capable of higher dps then a fighter/rogue, yes.

In practice I think a fighter/rogue usually has much better chances being surrounded by enemies, triggering streetfighter bonuses, attacking everyone and surviving. Particularly after getting Unbending. My swashbuckler with 3 Resolve and a two-hander estoc charges in the middle of the enemies and takes all the heat all the time. 

 

Also barb/rogue blooms much later. A fighter/rogue is excellent from start to finish.

[Lampros]

 

 

 

What are the highest single target melee DPS builds that still retain some survivability? (That is, I do not want pure glass cannons that dies every other encounter without extreme micro-management.)

 

In particular, I wonder what would do more:

 

Ranger/Paladin combination that leverages high crits from insane accuracy OR Rogue/Paladin combination that does the usual Sneak Attack and other roguish things.

 

Again, Rogue is a damage dealer. Ranger is a hybrid. Clearly Rogue will do a lot more damage.

 

As for Fighter vs Paladin, my vote goes to Fighter. Intuitive stance provides hit-to-crit conversion. Cleaving Stance provides free attacks whenever you down an enemy. Clear Out is a cool aoe move. With Unbending you just don't die.

Paladins provide more party support though.

 

 

I see. I saw the Ranger update skills, and I thought 20 percent accuracy and 20 percent damage would change the melee DPS tiers, but then Deathblows alone give you 50 percent for the Rogue - which is almost like a perma crit (what is crit damage boost anyways? - 50 percent?).

 

Would Barbarian/Rogue do more than Fighter/Rogue? But perhaps a bit squishy now?

 

 

Base crit damage bonus is only +25%.

 

In general Barb/Rogue is theoretically capable of higher dps then a fighter/rogue, yes.

In practice I think a fighter/rogue usually has much better chances being surrounded by enemies, triggering streetfighter bonuses, attacking everyone and surviving. Particularly after getting Unbending. My swashbuckler with 3 Resolve and a two-hander estoc charges in the middle of the enemies and takes all the heat all the time. 

 

Also barb/rogue blooms much later. A fighter/rogue is excellent from start to finish.

 

 

Thanks. Yeah, last night I created Gimli as a Fighter/Barbarian, and I was discouraged by the low deflection - which gets worse with Frenzy. I assume the initial survivability will be even worse as Barbarian/Rogue, since I will have even lower deflection/HPs and no Constant Recovery.

[Haplok]

Here's my Swashbuckler build, if you're interested:

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/105365-class-build-armorbreaker/

It might be more or less what you're looking for.

[Lampros]

Here's my Swashbuckler build, if you're interested:

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/105365-class-build-armorbreaker/

It might be more or less what you're looking for.

 

Thanks; I will likely use it - except that I am still uncomfortable about single target damage. What enemies are totally immune to slash?

[Boeroer]

Slash? Estocs do pierce dmg.

[Haplok]

Yeah, regarding pierce immunes: skeletons (except the basic versions). And Forest Lurkers. That's it, I think.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Haplok

[Lampros]

Slash? Estocs do pierce dmg.

 

Oops. But that's worse, because there are more pierce-immunes

[davlandrum]

 

Slash? Estocs do pierce dmg.

 

Oops. But that's worse, because there are more pierce-immunes

 

Then swap to a crush weapon...LOL.  The "penalty" is not that significant IMHO.  Or don't do devoted and have a lot of weapon choices.

[Haplok]

 

Slash? Estocs do pierce dmg.

 

Oops. But that's worse, because there are more pierce-immunes

 

 

Actually they are relatively rare.... You meet some skellies sometimes, but that's about it. Not a problem to switch to a blunt then. Never had any issues with immune enemies.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Haplok

[Lampros]

 

 

Slash? Estocs do pierce dmg.

 

Oops. But that's worse, because there are more pierce-immunes

 

Then swap to a crush weapon...LOL.  The "penalty" is not that significant IMHO.  Or don't do devoted and have a lot of weapon choices.

 

 

I hate micro-management! And Devoted is kind of useful for PotD, no?

 

 

 

 

Slash? Estocs do pierce dmg.

 

Oops. But that's worse, because there are more pierce-immunes

 

 

Actually they are relatively rare.... You meet some skellies sometimes, but that's about it. Not a problem to switch to a blunt then. Never had any issues with immune enemies.

 

 

Micro-management is my enemy once again

[Haplok]

Switching to a second weapon a few times in a playtrough I'd hardly call micro-management.

[Lampros]

Switching to a second weapon a few times in a playtrough I'd hardly call micro-management.

 

:0

 

Speaking of which: Someone mentioned that scripting weapon set switch was in beta. Did anything come of it?

[Boeroer]

You can script switching.