New Character - Fighter

[CybrSlydr]

So since I'm going to start again, how should I go about a Fighter?  Any builds in particular play better?

[DEFO]

well sorry i cant help you a lot now cuz im only in my 3 new game x)  but i can suggest to you to ply tanky fighter or crashed damage fighter

[Boeroer]

I like sturdy dps fighter over tanks (since pure tanks don't work that well in PoE anyway - at least on PotD difficulty. Too many enemies).

 

Dual Wielding has some slight advantages over two handed because Knockdown and Charge are Full Attacks (meaning strikes with both weapons). Offhand hits first, then main hand follows. Charge doesn't say it, but it not only does its crush damage on the way to the target (and also on the target) but also adds an invisible Full Attack on impact. In my opinion CHarage is the best fighter ability. Too bad it comes so late.

 

Confident Aim's dmg bonus (20% min damage) is not, like most other dmg bonuses, an additive bonus but a multiplicative(!). That means the min base damage gets lifted which then multiplies with all other bonuses. It's an 8% multiplicative dmg bonus so to speak. Which is better than the descritpion suggests. Example: if you have a great sword with 17 base dmg which is superb (+0.45) and have MIG 18 (+0.24) and maybe Weapon Spec and Mastery (+0.15, +0.1) plus Savage Attack (+0.2) you would do on hit:

 

17 * (1 [base dmg itself] + 0.45 [superb] + 0.2 [savage Attack] + 0.15 [Weapon Spec] + 0.10 [Weapon Mastery] + 0.24 [MIG]) = 36.38

 

With Confident Aim you base damage gets lifted from 17 to 18.4. Now the damage is:

 

18.4 * (1 [base dmg itself] + 0.45 [superb] + 0.2 [savage Attack] + 0.15 [Weapon Spec] + 0.10 [Weapon Mastery] + 0.24 [MIG]) = 39.37

 

That's 3 damage. So it's about as good as a +20% "normal" dmg bonus in this case and gets better the more dmg bonuses you can stack (crit, more MIG etc.). It knd of scales with your ability to deal damage.

 

Armored Grace is very good, too. Attack speed is a multiplicative dmg increase as well. Here's a nice calculator from MaxQuest:

https://naijaro.github.io/poe-speed-calculator/

 

Disciplined Barrage is very good as well. Fighters can generate lots of crits because they have high starting ACC and Disciplined Barrage.

It's only good with high INT though since its base duration is rather short.

A good offensive fighter can be build in such a way that he can reliably prone dragons (Knockdown, Girdle of the Driving Wave, Overbearing [prone on crit] Weapon) so that they can't get up anymore. If your Overbearing doesn't want to connect you simply use a Knockdown.

 

If you like your fighters with low INT your should consider wounding weapons like Drawn in Spring (lateish), Tidefall (early) and Acuan Giamas (comes superlate).

 

In general I would say INT is a great stat for an offensive fighter. 

 

A fighter can be made sturdy enough with just his healing and good armor while putting the focus on his damage dealing.

 

I didn't try a fighter with Firebrand in length, but I think that's what I would try next: buy the Belt of the Royal Deadfire Cannoneer and skill for crits. High(ish) INT, high PER, high DEX. CON doesn't need to be high. RES maybe 10, rest MIG. Raise ACC and dmg. Weapon Focus, Weapon Spec, Weapon Mastery, Apprentice's Sneak, Runner's Wounding Shot, Knockdown, Bonus Knockdown, Two-Handed Style, Savage Attack, Disciplined Barrage, Confident Aim, Armored Grace, Charge (not in that order), Savage Attack, Scion of Flame (Firebrand +20% dmg), Merciless Hand, Dungeon Delver... Should be fun. 

Edited March 19, 2019 by Boeroer

[Bleyas]

For me Pillars are cool game where basicly you can do anything you imagine and with well build everything will be reliable. You want fighter in heavy armor and two handed weapon? There you go. You want rouge with light armor and estoc? Sure, can do it. Dual wielded cipher? Why not. Wizard with shield! No prob. Just imagine what you want and start making character like you want.

 

Here you have some guide https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/77827-harder-than-a-pillar-a-fighters-handbook/

Edited March 19, 2019 by Bleyas

[CybrSlydr]

I've made it to level 3 or 4 last night and was following the lady of pain template with a sword and shield.

 

Gonna see how I can incorporate Boeroer's info into that.

Edited March 19, 2019 by CybrSlydr

[Boeroer]

Solo or with a party?

[CybrSlydr]

Solo or with a party?

Party.

[Boeroer]

Then you can totally focus on offense without getting punished for it too much. I mean if he's not the only frontliner.

Edited March 19, 2019 by Boeroer

[DEFO]

wow that was a great information thx a lot about it 

[CybrSlydr]

Then you can totally focus on offense without getting punished for it too much. I mean if he's not the only frontliner.

 

Currently I have Eder, the arqebus guy, Aloth, and the lady looking for Persic or whatever his name is.

[Boeroer]

Kana (arquebus guy) and Edér can be build into sturdy frontliners. Edér as dual sabre guy is nice.

 

Give Kana a shield and a hatchet and once you hit lvl 9 give him the Dragon Thrashed chant and nothing else. Using Ancient Memory + Beloved Spirits helps both fighters as well. 

 

Sagani (Lady looking for Persoq) is nice with Persistence (bow from lvl 4 of the Endless Paths) and focus on pet damage. The Wounding of the bow makes it so that Predator's Sense of the Fox (Itumaak) always applies.

 

You should bring Durance (priest at Magran's Crossing). Priests are the most useful party members in PoE. Give him Inspiring Radiance and later use Devotions as well.

 

Use Aloth as debuffer/CC guy. Cast CC spells right after Durance did cast Devotions + Inspired Radiance. 

[CybrSlydr]

Well, thanks to your folks help, up to this point has been a good go.  I've actually been surviving fights - though casters are ridiculously squishy (especially Durance).

 

Still not good enough to beat the Banshee and thralls in Heritage or the Drake in Od Nua.  So I guess I'm going to be travelling to various towns and see what other quests they have to offer.

[CybrSlydr]

Managed to defeat the Drake at lvl 5.  Plugged the doorway by the blood pool and stuck my 3 tanks in it.  Durance doing his buff thing, Aloth doing his debuffs and such.  Worked pretty darn well!  

 

Managed to kill the banshee but those 4 enthralled guys are just brutal.

[Boeroer]

Which Banshee? Heritage Hill?

 

Usually multiple Chillfog + Combusting Wounds + Expose Vulnerabilites should be all you need (after buffing up ACC).

[CybrSlydr]

Wow, what a difference a few levels and some new equipment make!

 

We just face-stomped the banshee in Heritage Hill.  Lvl 6, got Shatterstar, a nice shield (Byrngar's Solace), etc.  Just wrecked her.  

 

Thanks to you folks, knowing what to do is making this game a lot more fun!

[CybrSlydr]

So, I've made it up to Lvl 14 and have this pretty awesome estoc...

 

Say I wanted to re-spec my PC Fighter to utilize it...  What would be an appropriate build so they could be a secondary tank with Eder?

[Boeroer]

Which Estoc?

• Blade of the Endless Paths
• Drake's Bell
• The White Spire
• Grey Sleeper

They are all pretty decent in their own ways. But as soon as you meet pierce immune foes (like Flame Blights) you can't use them.

 

Which weapons did you use so far?

[CybrSlydr]

Which Estoc?

• Blade of the Endless Paths
• Drake's Bell
• The White Spire
• Grey Sleeper

They are all pretty decent in their own ways. But as soon as you meet pierce immune foes (like Flame Blights) you can't use them.

 

Which weapons did you use so far?

It's the Grey Sleeper.  Has some great stats so I figured I'd try to use it.  However, I've been using that Starshatter or whichever it is Warhammer and i just forged Abydon's hammer for the Eyeless, so I'm wondering if I should bother.  Shame for it to go to waste though.

[Boeroer]

In terms of dps Grey Sleeper is actually the worst Estoc overall because you can't enchant it with a lash (mean it will lack 25% multiplicative dmg - or even 30% with something like Scion of Flame/Heart of the Storm/Spirit of Decay/Secret of Rime - depending on the lash), not past superb and also not with Durgan Steel.

 

Good thing about it is that is works with every Weapon Focus (Soulbounds are universal weapons which means they will get the ACC +6 bonus from your weapon focus talent no matter which one you picked). So in order to use it properly you don't need to retrain (except if you want to pick Two Handed Style and had picked a different style before).

 

Another good thing is that it doesn't need any resources (crafting material and money) to level it up.

 

Once you get it you have not much choice but to use it of course (since it's cursed and can't be unequipped).

 

Most of the time I would not use it (even with a Barbarian who can make most out of it).

[CybrSlydr]

Oh wow, I didn't know Soulbound weapons worked with your current proficiencies.  I feel stupid - I've respecced like 4 times trying out different Soulbound weapons.  

 

That's good info to know!

[Boeroer]

Hehe.

 

Same with all summoned weapons by the way.

[chickenhed]

I didn't try a fighter with Firebrand in length, but I think that's what I would try next: buy the Belt of the Royal Deadfire Cannoneer and skill for crits. High(ish) INT, high PER, high DEX. CON doesn't need to be high. RES maybe 10, rest MIG. Raise ACC and dmg. Weapon Focus, Weapon Spec, Weapon Mastery, Apprentice's Sneak, Runner's Wounding Shot, Knockdown, Bonus Knockdown, Two-Handed Style, Savage Attack, Disciplined Barrage, Confident Aim, Armored Grace, Charge (not in that order), Savage Attack, Scion of Flame (Firebrand +20% dmg), Merciless Hand, Dungeon Delver... Should be fun. 

 

Boeroer, would you mind showing what order you would pick the skills and talents? or at least what you consider a priority? I love the idea of this build, but I'm hoping to get the most of it as early as possible.

Edited April 9, 2019 by chickenhed

[Boeroer]

Let's see. Maybe like this:

 

1. Disciplined Barrage
2. Weapon Focus <whatever your backup weapon is>
3. Knockdown
4. Bonus Knockdown
5. Confident Aim
6. Scion of Flame
7. Armored Grace
8. Runner's Wounding Shot
9. Weapon Specializatzion
10. Two Handed Style
11. Unbroken
12. Weapon Mastery
13. Charge
14. Savage Attack
15. Sundering Blow
16. Apprentice'S Sneak Attack

High ACC bonuses and good graze-to-hit conversion early in the game make the hardest part of the game (the early game) very easy. So that would always be my priority.  

Edited April 9, 2019 by Boeroer

[dirkdigglr]

If sanguine plate is being used by another character what is the next best option for a tanky DPS fighter?

[Boeroer]

I think there are no best or second best options since most items are not significantly more powerful than others, so it depends.

 

For example a plate armor is really good in the early game, where the ratio of DR to received damage is really high. In the late game the incoming damage is so much higher that it doesn't matter that much if you wear a plate armor or a hide armor.

 

So the "best" approach would be to start with a plate and reduce the armor further and further until you have no recovery penalty anymore while retaining enough sturdyness. In case of Fighter with Armored Grace and durgan reinforced armor that means scale armor.

 

Sanguine Plate with durgan steel and Armored Grace is special because it gives you Frenzy which actually makes you faster than going in cloth or naked.

 

 

Scale armor:

• The Golden Scales: comes superb, which spares you rare resources, also the +5 burn AR and the reflection are unique
• Pike's Pride: this is actually a very solid armor, often overlooked. Break Out is very good against anything that prones and stuns you. Combine with Fenwalker boots and you will not get hindered by most nasty afflictions and hard CC anymore.
• Autumn Fire: Woodskin as Spell Holding is really nice. Only problem is that you'd need to kill a friendly NPC to get it

If I can spare the dragon scales I will pick Pike's Pride. If not Golden Scales.

 

If you have multiple speed bonuses (Gauntlets of Swift Action, Durgan refinement on weapon, speed on weapon and so on) or even du dual wielding you will reach a situation where your speed bonuses will be so high that your armor penatly gets eaten up anyway. In that case you can wear up to plate and use Vulnerable Attack without slowing you down.

If you reach that status then I'd go for "He Carries Many Scars".

 

To find out about your recovery and the armor that you can carry without speed loss check this out:

https://naijaro.github.io/poe-speed-calculator/

Edited April 12, 2019 by Boeroer