Build Help! (/summon Boeroer)

[Prowly]

Like many I see here, I'm a returning player and look to run through the whole game again now that we're at 5.0. But, I'm overwhelmed by everything that may or may not have changed in the patches since. I did browse the builds post for a bit, but there's been so many items added in the DLC's and most of them are several patches old, so I'm relatively unsure as to what is old and busted, and what is new hotness.

That's where you kind folks come in!

I really just want to be a damn WH40k space marine. Heavy armor, lots of blood, sweet ass weapons, you get the idea. The issue is that I seem to just be a brick in a tin suit. slow and boring. Any clever ideas? Maybe weapons/abilities that let me counter attack so recovery doesnt matter? Or aoe murder so fewer swings arent as big a deal? (more for less kinda deal)

I'm always really drawn toward synergistic builds, so anything is on the table as long as it's interesting and well put together.

Play through is party of 5, PoTD/w Berath's Blessings. Thanks for any answers!

Edited September 21, 2019 by Prowly

[Boeroer]

Unbroken/Trickster with Whisper of the Endless Paths. Also works als Devoted/Trickster if you don't want to focus too much on your disengagement bonuses but want better PEN in general. Depends on how you want to play this.

The main idea:

• Be a tanky guy but dish out a lot of damage via retaliation
• Whispers of the Endless Paths: Offensive Parry. Triggers on every miss.
• Riposte (stacks with Offensive Parry)
• Defender Stance + Hold the Line + Persistent Distraction: unlock Deathblows on lots of enemies passively or
• Mob Stance if you don't need to hold a lot of engagement. You can also switch for more flexibility.
• Either Patinated Plate (max armor option) or
• Nomad's Brigandine (+deflection and good AR - good mix) or
• Casita Samelia's Legacy Breastplate (medium armor but great deflection via Intimidate, can retaliate as well, also comes rel. early) or
• Gipon Prudensco (variant with lightest AR and focus on leaving engagement on purpose in order to trigger disengagment attacks with ultra high deflection bonus which then get reflected - leading to crazy dps - but risky due to low AR)
• One Dozen Stood Plate (focus on terrify + forcing enemies to disengage)
• later Champion's Helm (more riposte) or Mask of the Weyc (nice deflection boost of +50 at the start of battle)
• crank your deflection as high as you can (max RES, Entonia Signet, Cloak of Greater Deflection, Bracers oGD, Superior Deflection, Refrshing Defense, Mirrored Images also Escape which lasts quite some time with highest INT and +1 PL and so on...)
• max INT and Tactical Barrage for longer durations, bigger cone and +1 PL
• standard MIG, CON, DEX, bit higher PER. You can also lower DEX and put more in MIG
• Use Repulsive Visage with Defender Stance and Overbearing Guard: enemies will get terrified and will break engagement: you attack with mighty PEN and dmg bonus and knock them prone. 
• Your team members should help you with abilites which lower the accuracy of the enemies (Chillfog, Miasma, Devotions otF, Disponent Blows). Thisall produces more misses on the enemies' side.

You can play this stationary (heavy armor) or with a lot of running around (triggering disengagement attacks). I presume you like the first one better.

This can be you main tank if you also bring a large shield + modal. Switch to that if you get shot a lot/cast at a lot and things don't go like you planned. This build is great against all sorts of melee attackers but not perticularly good against ranged and casters. So I play him in a front line of three (all three not full tanks). 

Here's a small test session with the Casita-variant:

small video

Edited September 21, 2019 by Boeroer

[Prowly]

Freakin'. Incredible. Thanks so much for the detailed response! And so quick with a video and the whole nine yards. 

I think this is perfect. And I really appreciate all the variations too, makes it spicy to be able to change it up with new gear as the game goes on.

I would've never put it together to use terrified to force disengagement attacks, that's genius. I really like it, man.

You're clearly some sort of wizard.

 

[Boeroer]

Tehehe - thanks.

One thing: this stands and falls with the type of enemy. Melee enemies will run into their doom quickly. But against ranged attacks, especially casters with stuff like Arcane Dampener and Missiles (can't miss) this needs support (or switch to large shield which makes AoE casting at you futile - especially if you also took Adept Evasion).

This whole concept is only fun if you start to stack deflection pretty soon or/and if you don't go into encounters which are above your level a lot. I like to do that for the challenge and squeeze every synergy between party members and me (like I said combine deflection bonuses with accuracy debuffs) but of course in this case it means that enemies will have a lot higher accuracy while my deflection isn't very high in comparison. Still works but you have to take more care.

You can use this basic idea with a whole lot of other class combos by the way. Paladin/Soulblade or even Trickster/Soulblade is another nice concept for this. You will gain focus passively from Offensive Parry and can basically spam Soul Annihilation non-stop. Its raw dmg gets applied on all AoE targets (height varies though). Borrowed Instincts raises deflecetion a lot etc.  Even Paladin/Fighter works well. It has less damage but is supersturdy.

It works with all combos that can stack some serious deflection - Paladin (passives), Fighter, Trickster (Illusions), Priest of Wael (Illusions + Circle of Defense + Minor Avatar), Wizard, Cipher. Even Skald/Devoted with Disciplined Barrage works (gets phrases from retaliation crits and can stack +10 Deflection phrase with Refreshing Defense and add +5 RES with the long lasting Brideman Invocation).

And so on. It all boils down to Offensive Parry + high Deflection basically. I chose Unbroken/Trickster because I liked the synergy between disengagement and Repulsive Visage. 

By the way this mechanic (terrify-->disengage) works again after it was deactivated for a lond time. When Turn Based mode was introduced it suddenly worked again. It's not 100% reliable because the disengagement mechanics are wonky. But it's still great to combine very effective hard CC with damage output.

[3x0du5]

Very nice build ,I was thinking to roll Trickster/Conjurer functioning similar to this just using Spirit Lance instead of WotEP but this seems much better, will try it in future play troughs for sure 

[Boeroer]

The huge upside of WotEP in comparison to Spirit Lance is that Offensive Parry triggers on every miss - 100%. While normal Riposte only triggers every once in a while. 

Also Trickster/Conjurer quickly gets destroyed once you get hit by Arcane Dampener and such (which happens a lot in the lateish game). The buffs like Mirrored Image and Llengrath's Safeguard stack nicely - but once they are gone your low base deflection raises its ulgy face.

 

[Powerotti]

But offensive parry is not aoe, like ordinary WotEP attacks. Spirit lance is, and have higher base damage. With one foe WotEP is better, but when you're surrounded, every riposte hits multiple enemies and may probably outperform WotEP. 

[Boeroer]

I don't think so.

First of all you need to be a Wizard to get Spirit Lance. That means less passives and synergies when it comes to melee fighting. You need the Rogue class for Riposte - which means no real sturdy class in the mix. 

Then, Offensive Parry (besides giving you a stackable +4 deflection bonus) also causes Dazed on hit which is very helpful for your survivability.

Riposte stacks with Offensive Parry - you can actually cause 2 attacks when getting missed. Riposte seems to trigger the normal cone attack as far as I can tell.

People also tend to forget that WotEP comes with a crushing lash. Its base dmg is low but it adds a 15% multiplicative dmg bonus to all hits with its lash. And it comes with +1 PEN compared to a normal Great Sword.  

 

[Powerotti]

It was some patches ago, when i tested offensive parry and i think it did't work on aoe back then.

Wizard can be pretty tanky with all protecting spells, ofc as long, as isn't cleansed.  Draconic fury adds 15% lash, and wizard can use expose vulnerabilities, miasma, combusting wounds, corrosive siphon, safeguard and other helpfull abilities. Wizard also frees up space to use streetfighter instead of trickster, so you can cast chillfog, to get speed buff. It's a little different playstyle, but both builds have their benefits

[Prowly]

Oooooh. 

I kinda dig this cipher idea, definitely screams 40k with the whole Psyker vibe. Would I be losing too much by going Paladin/Soulblade? Not sure how required the Rogue half of the equation is for the counter attacking side of things.  Not having to worry about getting my buffs dispelled, and having lots of extra resists seems fabulous. Not to mention flaming weapons from FoD is always a big sexy bonus. Would I be able to rely on using a party member, say Aloth in the this case, to throw out terror spells?

Side question, I see mixed answers on what exactly WoTEP will apply it's aoe goodness to. Would FoD pick up the cone too?

Also, to solve the early deflection problems I think with Berath's Blessings I can have just enough gold to import a character with the WoTEP, Casita's BP and the Bracers of Greater Deflection as soon as I get to the first little tavern. Which I don't  feel even a little bad about doing. 

Edited September 22, 2019 by Prowly

[Boeroer]

I think @Kaylon played a Paladin/Soulblade with WotEP and said it was pretty good. I only ran some high-level tests with it and the focus generation is pretty crazy of course since it also happens while you are recovering. A bit like the Backlash Beldam build I did long time ago for PoE 1 (I believe that was my first ever build post actually).

You don't need Rogue with Riposte. Paladin/Cipher is nice because the other "sturdy" alternative, Fighter/Cipher, can't stack Vigorous Defense with Borrowed Insticts - while Paladin's Deep Faith totally stacks with Borrowed Instincts. Heck even Trickster/Soulblade might work if you get some help from party members with the ACC debuffing (Sneak Attack and Deathblows also raise Soul Annihilation's damage...

@Powerotti: I meant Riposte, not Offensive Parry. I seems like if Riposte has the AoE because I often get several hit rolls in the combat log from one Riposte. But yeah: a cone AoE it not too useful if you are surrounded. Offensive Parry is indeed a single target strike.

By the way: Shattered Pillar might also be fun: he gains wounds from Offensive Parry like a Cipher gains focus. Just tested. And jeez: it works with Swift Flurry and Heartbeat Drumming! Devoted/Shattered Pillar with Disciplined Strikes, Swift Flurry and Cleaving Stance... ouch. Max wounds all the time... The Monk doesn't have a good deflection buff or passive, but this class with Offensive Parry is still pretty wild. He can also get a special +12 deflection against disengagement attacks (Greaceful Retreat). And with the right party behind it...