Build Concept Steel Garrote and Chanter/Rogue/Cipher for my first POTD upscalled real time playtrough?

[rebelio]

Hello!
Im about to finish my first playtrough in this game in HARD difficulty, i did a Single Weapon Pistol build, that went really good! Im now finishing the "world bosses".
My first plan was to make a POTD build, but once i playied POTD and left Neketaka, i started getting 1 shot alot by enemies wizards or rogues who jumped trough and killed me, basically i playied more my eder and my pallegina than my main character. Soo i went, back to hard difficulty and decided to learn more about items and the game it self. Soo i'll prolly end my actuall campaign and bosses soon i think.

Soo i once again come ask for help with an idea that i had once i've started to research for nice combos for survivability/being active in party and also doing some sort of dmg (dont need to be top dmg at all).
I decided that Steel Garrote seems fun specially for the role play as a more rational Watcher, what will be fun to see the consequences of my dialogue options.
Heres my idea, i'll play human or godlike (i really love godlikes but to find a portrait that i've like, been wandering on PINTEREST for hours now).

Garrote will give me the sustain and since it is a paladin i'll get all the tankyness that i can wish for since even my pallegina on my first playtrough on POTD using a two handed sword could tank like the godess she is! And now after going trough reddit and some forums i saw that Rogue Trickster its a really nice combo, but some people also told me that Chanter Debuff Chants also help alot to maintain every enemy aways debuffed + paralize + fear, Cipher i saw the subclass Beguiller (alot of deception/debuff/control) and Soul Blade (alot of burst/decent CC/debuffs), soo im kinda in between all of theses choices, i tried turn based, but soo far i've decided to go with real time mode and this one will definitly be POTD untill the end with upscalling only upwards (i want to challenge my self). A shield user or Dual Wield character, i dont really mind using a shield for exceptional defences or a dagger with some proc ability in off hand with the modal on or a weapon like Kapana Taga for imunity to be flanked . Soo heres what i tought atm.

Garrote/Beguiller - i'll be in the frontline with auras/engaging enemies (paladin will be mostly for defence)/controlling enemies all the way to the backline since i'll get more range.
Garrote/Soul Blade - i'll be in the frontline using paladin for defense but in this case also alot of debuffing with Inspiration Beacon and shared flames to help a bit with damage/Soul blade will be my single target and also decent CC (this version its more focused in being a tanky/burst frontline when needed not soo much Controlling).
 

Garrote/Trickster - I believe that in this one i'll focus paladin on defenses and auras, since the trickster will provide me a decent damage + debuff spells like Repulsive Ryngrim, Confusion and Arkemyr and in late game Adragan.

Garrote/Troublador - this one confuses me alot, not sure about how to go trough with it.

Again, this is my first take on being a frontline, i got no experience in this game as one, but i got a decent amount of time playing with Pallegina/Eder/Aloth as frontliners each one with theyr own customization and speciality, thanks for reading this far! Note: In my poe 1 import save i got Thaos Helm (someone told me to mention this since it is a beast of a helm with that aura, and playing as a debuff main i'll get alot of damage with this build i think).
 

Edited March 30, 2021 by rebelio

[Boeroer]

I like both Steel Garrote/Soulblade and Steel Garrote/Trickster with the Whispers of the Endless Paths as main weapon. Key is the enchantment "Offensive Parry". It will proc on every melee miss of enemies and will not only damge them but also daze them, unlocking the Steel Garrote's life draining.

Soulblade: Offensive Parry will generate focus via enemies' melee misses. You can then release that focus with Soul Annihilation.

Trickster: Offensive Parry stacks with Riposte and gains bonuses from Sneak Attack and Deathblows etc.

Both variants are a fun and potent mix of offense and defense. You want max RES and get all RES- and deflection bonuses you can get. That means Cloak of Greater Deflection, Bracers of Greater Deflection, Entonia Signet Ring, Casita Samelia's Legacy or Nomad's Brigandine or Giphon Prudensco, Mask of the Weyc and so on. I personally like Nomad's Briganine best because it also has decent AR. Also use Blinding and other debuffs like a Priest's Devotions for the Faithful, Desponent Blows and/or a Wizard's Miasma of Dull-Mindedness to reduce enemies' accuracy.
With Nomad's Brigandine you can also enchant it with "Tactical Withdraw" which makes you immune to disengagment attacks: it turns every disengement attack against you into a miss --> procs Offensiv Parry (and potentially Riposte, too).

It's not necessarily your sole main tank but a great hybrid and versatile: tankyness, damage, healing, support, CC - all in one package.

When some single targets are left over it's often best to switch to a weapon which is better against single enemies.    

[Boeroer]

Here's a quick animated gif I made some while ago with a Steel Garrote/Trickster to give an impression how it's working (attention, 200MB image behind the spoler tags) :

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Boeroer

[rebelio]

Im not even gonna ask how theses Tigers got into Port Mage 
@Boeroer Thanks once again for the in-deph explanation and also the image showing off the build, it does look alot like what i wanted, really loved the idea and also using Whispers of Endless Path, last time i used whispers of yenwood, now i'll definitly go with this one!
I guess trickster seems really, really fun and since i'll have my self and Eder as front liners, i dont think i'll have to go full on tankiness, prolly i'll use Xoti as healer and Aloth as my CC and Maia as my Ranged Damage dealer.

Lastly i've got one question i'll go full on RES and PER, i'll neglet a bit DEX since i'll be mostly doing damage trough riposte, soo my dex will be mainly for casting spells or debuffs, any idea of wich 3rd attribute should i focus? Maybe intelect for more duration/aoe or STR for dmg/healing?

[Boeroer]

I personally would invest more into INT and less into MIG. Also because the cone size of the Whispers of the EP is influenced by INT.

Mediocre MIG is okay. 

[rebelio]

OK, i'll test it right away! Thanks again @Boeroer