Melee Mindstalker stats

[superior987]

Boeroer has convinced me to try out a riposte build with WotEP, so I'm going to make a trickster/soul blade to run on upscaled veteran.  I believe the general stat distribution for that would be maxing Int and Res for cone size and deflection, with the rest I guess in Per and maybe Mig.

My question is that since I'm going to already be in a cipher, I'm also curious about Seeker's Fang and want to be able to use it for a bit later in the game when I find it.  I assume what I've seen in older threads is still accurate and it's still pretty good for a soul blade?  Also would I see a significant reduction in riposte effectiveness with leaving res around 12 and relying on gear and buffs to up my deflection?

[Boeroer]

With deflection (as with any defense) you have increasing returns: every additional point has more impact than the one before. Because of that I would max RES and get all the deflection bonuses I could get.

Soulblade/Trickster can stack Borrowed Instincts and Mirrored Images, but you should also try to debuff enemies' accuracy. Psychovampiric Shield: also good. 

MIG isn't that important because Trickster/Cipher already gets enough dmg bonuses. You could leave it at 10 imo. 

INT, RES and then PER and DEX would be my priorities. 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Boeroer

[superior987]

Ok, cool - I'll give it a go that way.  Thanks for your help!  This has the added bonus of being decently different than how I tend to play characters - namely with max or close to it MIG and PER and then just swinging away with whatever relevant class abilities apply.  It'll be a fun change of pace

[Boeroer]

I would strongly recommend to use Berath Blessing points to unlock the merchant in Port Maje. The Cloak of Greater Deflection makes a difference. Bracers of Greater Deflection come way later. Entonia Signet Ring comes rel. earl in Fort Deadlight and is very good if you fight enemies who have engagement.

Offensive Parry and Riposte will stack (Offensive Parry is a single target retaliation while Riposte does the normal cone attack of WotEP) but only Offensive Parry will generate focus. 

I personally favor Nomad's Brigandine over Casita Samelia's Legacy or other armors (when with party) because the +10 to melee deflection is rel. hassle-free, the AR is good and also the immunity to Disengagement Attacks is just great with Offensive Parry + Riposte (because the immunity is handled like a 100% auto-miss). 

[Bosmer]

5 hours ago, Boeroer said:

I would strongly recommend to use Berath Blessing points to unlock the merchant in Port Maje. The Cloak of Greater Deflection makes a difference. Bracers of Greater Deflection come way later. Entonia Signet Ring comes rel. earl in Fort Deadlight and is very good if you fight enemies who have engagement.

Offensive Parry and Riposte will stack (Offensive Parry is a single target retaliation while Riposte does the normal cone attack of WotEP) but only Offensive Parry will generate focus. 

I personally favor Nomad's Brigandine over Casita Samelia's Legacy or other armors (when with party) because the +10 to melee deflection is rel. hassle-free, the AR is good and also the immunity to Disengagement Attacks is just great with Offensive Parry + Riposte (because the immunity is handled like a 100% auto-miss). 

Strange, I seem to recall that Riposte did generate focus for my cipher.

Btw, Riposte is a full attack, without the full attack penalty of dual-wielding.. with a pistol or blunderbuss in the offhand Riposte can do some decent instant damage when it procs (main hand could be seeker's fang for example).

[Boeroer]

I might remember that wrongly. I did a test about additional attack rolls (Disengagement Attacks, Offensive Parry, Riposte, Swift Flurry, Cleaving Stance etc.) and focus generation a while ago and some of those don't generate focus. Maybe Riposte did, not sure anymore...

[superior987]

Man, I'm glad you can start getting the necessary pieces as soon as you get off of the first island.  Fight at the ruins was the most trouble I've had with the drake/cats in a while.  I see what you mean about wanting defenses as high as possible.

[superior987]

Nomad's brigandine upgrades to immunity to disengagement attacks, not engagment right?  So it still works properly with the signet ring?

[Boeroer]

Immunity to disengagement attacks: Engagement is not affected. The immunity just converts 100% of all disengagement attacks to misses. That's on Nomad's Brigandine. Same with Giphon Prudensco.
Entonia Signet Ring works as usual.

Stuff like Grog (pet), Threatening Presence (Barb) and such grants immunity to engagement. Entonia Signet gives no bonus because there's no engagement. 

In fact Nomad's Brigandine works really well with this setup because you can just break engagement, trigger disengagment attacks and all of them will be misses - which means Offensive Parry will trigger every time. Perfect to speed things up and lauch a bunch of Offensive Parries against slow hitting enemies who engaged you. You only need to step away a little bit.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2021 by Boeroer

[superior987]

I'm up to lvl 11 now - this continues to be a super fun build.  I'm a little worried I'm building towards a nonbo where I want enemies engaged with my PC so that their attacks trigger WotEP procs, but I'm also building Eder as a swashbuckler tank with kapana taga/reckless brigandine and the other + engagement abilities/effects.  Is the solution there to just engage with PC first so enemies attack her, then move eder up so that he engages with them for his various effects?  

[Dalzar]

I would do it other way around since your character dont have engagement slots and enemies can just run around your mc towards your backline. 

[Boeroer]

4 hours ago, Dalzar said:

I would do it other way around since your character dont have engagement slots and enemies can just run around your mc towards your backline. 

If they run past the MC there's Edér, binding them with engagments, doesn't he? Like a backup. 

Maybe if you send in Edér first then all enemies might cling to him and also attack him - and not the MC.

[superior987]

That was my worry - he soaks the attacks and undermines what i'm going for with the MC.  I'll just try it both ways and see which is more effective.  I still have a little bit before it become a major issue - don't have the club or upgraded defensive stance for Eder yet, so he's just sort of wandering around hitting things.

[Haplok]

Try to use Eder in a more offensive setup, then? Like dual sabers or something.