Well, I guess this is another "I can't figure out this NPC" thread. In my second playthrough I decided to make Maia a Ranger/Wizard, because my own Watcher is a single-class Ranger using crossbows and guns. So she's dual-wielding pistols and casting spells. But it doesn't feel too impressive. I guess it's a combination of MCing casters being a risky proposition and rangers being wobbly in general.

 

I've been trying to have her drop debuff spells and then fire away with her pistols, but I wonder if people have found any particularly effective combinations.

Use Wall of Flames + Combusting Wounds + dual Blunderbusses. 8 hits on a target with Combusting Wounds is ouch. Then follow with some minor missiles. That's a good single target strategy. Use Spellshaping to concentrate CW on one enemy for +1 PL.

 

Or Pull of Eora + Combusting Wounds + dual mortars + Driving Flight. For groups. Also Concussive Tranquilizer is like a Ranger's Arcane Cleanse + AoE interrupt with Fire in the Hole + Driving Flight.

 

Don't forget that you Essential Phantom gets the same weapons. So summon it and watch how it also shoots in an AoE...

 

Only thing is that phantom is bugged atm and doesn't scale. I hope for a quick fix.

Edited January 16, 20197 yr by Boeroer

I guess I do have all those blunderbusses and hand mortars lying around and not doing a whole lot. It's worth a try. I've never really given concussive shot much thought.

I've never really given concussive shot much thought.

One of the best reasons to play a Ranger, IMO.  Pair with a Chanter in the party to nuke enemy Concentration, and stunlock the world. 

Huh, okay. Maybe I need to respec my own ranger to use it, then.

She's also really good with the Red Hand and Essential Phantom - one fires away while the other debuffs the field. Even better once you can get cloak of the phantasm and summon 5 additional Maias; it's like having a 10-shot (20 with driving flight) firing squad that lives on your back line and tears holes through your enemies every ~4 seconds.

I find her low Intellect a real turn off for a Geomancer build as I think it is an important stat for Wizards.

She's also really good with the Red Hand and Essential Phantom - one fires away while the other debuffs the field. Even better once you can get cloak of the phantasm and summon 5 additional Maias; it's like having a 10-shot (20 with driving flight) firing squad that lives on your back line and tears holes through your enemies every ~4 seconds.

Just to be clear: Phantoms only get your gear, not your stats or any of your abilities (except the passive ones from yoir gear). So no Driving Flight for Phantoms. Living Illusions get everything afaik. Very cool. Sometimes they even summon Phantoms... But they are also dead very quickly. Best thing is that Living Illusions copies you AND your animal companion!

 

You can also summon Kalakoth's Minor Blights and then Phantom/Living Illusions. The phantom will be stuck with the burn version. But that works with Ring of Focused Flame... Having an AoE burn blast attack with +22 ACC (if one handed) on a phantom (or even more on 6 Living Illusions) is kind of cool as well. Especially if you prepared with Combusting Wounds before. Also here Driving Flight is great as well.

Edited January 17, 20197 yr by Boeroer

I find her low Intellect a real turn off for a Geomancer build as I think it is an important stat for Wizards.

 

Probably true, but since I've already picked it for her, I just need to make the most of it.

 

I'm not sure if I'll respec my ranger to take concussive shot or just have Maia do it. It's not as if I'm making much use of Play Dead, so maybe.

I agree with the previous comments about wizard feeling pretty limited without INT, but there are some cool things you can do still.

 

Besides the aforementioned Combusting Wounds combos (and it is a fantastic skill to combo across your party), DAoM is a great general purpose buff, and Essential Phantasm is a good summon with any sort of gun build.

 

At higher levels, Chain Lightning and Ninagauth's Killing Bolt are powerful nukes that do not scale with intelligence. They also work really well with Takedown Combo, which gives you +100% damage on your next attack and will double the damage of one of those nukes. Great when set up with your accuracy bonuses for massive crits.

 

She's also really good with the Red Hand and Essential Phantom - one fires away while the other debuffs the field. Even better once you can get cloak of the phantasm and summon 5 additional Maias; it's like having a 10-shot (20 with driving flight) firing squad that lives on your back line and tears holes through your enemies every ~4 seconds.

Just to be clear: Phantoms only get your gear, not your stats or any of your abilities (except the passive ones from yoir gear). So no Driving Flight for Phantoms. Living Illusions get everything afaik. Very cool. Sometimes they even summon Phantoms... But they are also dead very quickly. Best thing is that Living Illusions copies you AND your animal companion!

 

You can also summon Kalakoth's Minor Blights and then Phantom/Living Illusions. The phantom will be stuck with the burn version. But that works with Ring of Focused Flame... Having an AoE burn blast attack with +22 ACC (if one handed) on a phantom (or even more on 6 Living Illusions) is kind of cool as well. Especially if you prepared with Combusting Wounds before. Also here Driving Flight is great as well.

 

 

Right, essential phantom only copies gear, but it's enough to have some fire support running while Maia works on CC. I forgot about living illusions also summoning 5 Ishizas...I imagine the illusions also suffer bonded grief when they die? Either way, the first few volleys alone are effective enough to be worth it.

 

She's also really good with the Red Hand and Essential Phantom - one fires away while the other debuffs the field. Even better once you can get cloak of the phantasm and summon 5 additional Maias; it's like having a 10-shot (20 with driving flight) firing squad that lives on your back line and tears holes through your enemies every ~4 seconds.

Just to be clear: Phantoms only get your gear, not your stats or any of your abilities (except the passive ones from yoir gear). So no Driving Flight for Phantoms. Living Illusions get everything afaik. Very cool. Sometimes they even summon Phantoms... But they are also dead very quickly. Best thing is that Living Illusions copies you AND your animal companion!

 

You can also summon Kalakoth's Minor Blights and then Phantom/Living Illusions. The phantom will be stuck with the burn version. But that works with Ring of Focused Flame... Having an AoE burn blast attack with +22 ACC (if one handed) on a phantom (or even more on 6 Living Illusions) is kind of cool as well. Especially if you prepared with Combusting Wounds before. Also here Driving Flight is great as well.

 

 

Will Barring Death's Door (BDD) stop the illusions from dying?

I think so. But you have to be quick. Some of them immediately cast Alacrity and die right away from the self dmg. Or they get summoned, move a bit, catch a disengagement attack and die.