Stalker link

[Desmodeus]

Ok, one more try on deadfire. Got Maia and made her geomancer. So now I have a question - ranger still has stalker link ability that gives you and pet bonus ACC when attacking the same target. In PoE1 it was easy to understand - weapon attacks and wounding shot get ACC bonus for character, and animal attack and takedown get ACC bonus. But what about multiclasses? Does it work only for attacks and ranger attacks? Does it work for targeted damage spells? Does it work for targeted control spell? Or does it work with any spell including stuff like expose weakness?

[Boeroer]

Afaik Stalker's Link works with all attack rolls.

Also check out Takedown Combo. The one-time 100% dmg bonus also works with all sorts of damage. Especially interesting with high dmg single target spells like Killing Bolt and such - which makes it interesting for a Geomancer.

It even works with DoTs. And if it's a DoT that hasn't a direct damage component (like Concelhaut's Corrosive Siphon, Disintegrate, Soul Ignition or some Druid spells) then the bonus of Takedown Combo doesn't even get removed after the first tick but keeps boosting the DoT damage until its duration runs out. Necrotic Lance doesn't work optimally because the initial direct dmg portion will remove Takedown Combo so that the following DoT will not profit anymore.

Also a good thing is that Takedown Combo doesn't care who will cause the following damage. 

[Boeroer]

Oh, and I like to use the Red Hand on Maia-Geomancer, enchant it with double tap and then make good use of the Essential Phantom. The enchantment also works with the Phantom - so if you fight against vessels it's just an awesome combo. Had a lot of laughs in otherwise tough fights - like the SSS ghoul challenge or some fampyr fights - or even against steelclad constructs.

Blightheart is also nice. You don't have a lot of other items that boost spell damage and the rest of that gun's enchantments is also great. 

[Desmodeus]

I am a bit more interesting about controlling part of spells. So for example if I send my bird to peck on boss I have better chances of for example paralyzing them with fetid spell or something. My Spellblade Aloth ended up more as a damaging rogue then a controller like I used him in PoE1. He cast a bit, but mainly just spam arterial strike+confounding blast with dual blunderbusses xD

I have Red hand but no resources to get double tap for it. Pity...

[Haplok]

For CC Accuracy an Assassin multiclass is cool. Vanish with Arkemyr's Brilliant Departure and enjoy +25 Accuracy for your spells as long as you remain in stealth (and CC spells don't break this variant of stealth - unless they also have a damage component).

[Desmodeus]

20 minutes ago, Haplok said:

For CC Accuracy an Assassin multiclass is cool.

In this case I am more interested in mechanic of one particular skill here but thanks

[Boeroer]

Yes, Stalker's Link should help Maia to land  CC effects, too.

[thelee]

the only downside to stalker's link is that typically your pet can only engage one target at a time, so the +10 acc is limited.

however, if you boost your pet's engagement limit, you can spread that +10 acc throughout to more enemies in melee range. sources i can think of: tactical meld (cipher) and champion's boon (priest) both add +3 engagement, chanter's silver knight chant adds +1 engagement.

 

i did maia as a geomancer and it was pretty effective, and i didn't even really try that hard. if i optimized her a bit, she probably would've wrecked house with extremely accurate CC and damage spells.

 

as a completely theoretical example, a beastmaster (druid/ranger) could probably trivially paralyze (via embrace of the earth talon) even dorudugan:

+10 stalker's link, +10 marked prey, +20 hunter's claw, +10 survival of the fittest (eventually), +10 helm of the void, +8 inherent embrace of the earth talon

plus any perception and other item bonuses and PL scaling.

[Desmodeus]

On 1/13/2021 at 2:33 AM, thelee said:

as a completely theoretical example, a beastmaster (druid/ranger) could probably trivially paralyze (via embrace of the earth talon) even dorudugan:

+10 stalker's link, +10 marked prey, +20 hunter's claw, +10 survival of the fittest (eventually), +10 helm of the void, +8 inherent embrace of the earth talon

plus any perception and other item bonuses and PL scaling.

And people say rangers are only for martial focused builds xD

Well in most cases having just one engagement isn't that big of a problem. At least you can get bonus acc against bosses... Wish it also gavea additional penetration but well...