Strongest, most resilient, best-lazy, or simply most OP party setups you can think of?

[SirMirrorcoat]

I wonder what are the best party setups you know of/tested/theorized.

I am currently testing - via console - different setups against the throne room ogres in Od Nua level 3 (mostly because even with heavy scroll usage I couldn't do it with Ranger/Ranger/Chanter/Cipher/Paladin/Paladin at level 7 - as much as I love this setup for flavour reasons), among other combat scenarios, and some on first glance to me weird setups were deleting them. The most insane so far were the 2 Druids 2 Wizards 2 Priests (so much micromanagement), and the mega-tank death squad of 4 Paladins and 2 Chanters (this one was like no micromanagement and I just didn't die ever). Sadly, 6 Ciphers suck... aside from the hilarity that is 6 Ectopsychic Echoes.

I am having a blast testing it out, even though the class changing each time is annoying xD

[Evange]

A fully party of chanters! You can practically summon an army to defeat the gods.

[Boeroer]

That depends on your progression in the game. In the early game front-loaded classes are usually best (see Fighter for example) - while later on the per-rest casters are usually the most potent option.

A good mix of low micromanagement and good impact is the Chanter. But they demand a slow playstyle imo. 

A late-ish game combo that is unmatched imo is Priest + Chanter + Cipher + Darcozzi Paladin + whatever (best would be Wizard + Druid I guess, but that's not low micro).

• Cipher casts Defensive Mindweb, Priest casts Withdraw on a Chanter who has two stacked Preservation items (Little Savior + Blaidh Golan) -> sky high defenses for everybody while the Chanter can still chant Dragon Thrashed for damage: Chanter's defenses + 10 from Little Savior & Outworn Buckler +100 from dual Preservation.
• Priest casts Devotions for the Faithful and Inspring Radiance -> everybody gets +30 accuracy.
• Paladin has Zealous Focus and Coordinated Attacks and a marking weapon (Shame or Glory or Cladhaliath) and Outworn Buckler and casts Inspiring Liberation on Cipher, Cipher casts Tactical Meld on Paladin. Both attack the same target -> Cipher gets +30 ACC from Priest, then +35 ACC from Paladin and +20 ACC from Tactical Meld: +85 accuracy. Charm/Dominate/Disintegrate/Paralyze everything easily, even dragons and such.
• The party is nearly untouchable while one party member has stellar accuracy. The other party members can just do what they always do without getting bothered.

This is obviously not low micro - but it's a lot less fuzz than reloading countless times because late game encounters are too difficult.

I guess the laziest yet very potent setup is 6 Priests who each cast a different buff at the start of combat (bit micro - you can leave this out in easier combats), then each cast Inspring Radiance, then each cast their symbol spell. It's not that intense micro because they are all doing the same so you can cycle through it quickly. The 6 Inspiring Radiances will stack their ACC bonus to +60 (on top of the other buffs you cast first) and all vessels (except fire imune) will be already dead. For the rest the symbol spells will work. At +60 accuracy they are devastating. I would mix up some different priests because there's a fair amount of fire immune enemies in the game. So stuff like Symbol of Berath, Symbol of Wael, Symbol of Skaen and so on. Before the highest levels Shining Beacon and such should do the trick. The early games will be easy because Inspring Radiance is accessible so early and +60 ACC makes most stuff a cakewalk. You can also outheal most nasty stuff like for example Ogre Druids with their pesky Plague of Insects. Best to kill those quickly - with Divine Mark and then melee or ranged attacks this should be easy enough I guess (+60 ACC and -25 deflection makes a virtual ACC bonus of 85 which should give you critical hits all the time against them). Another "plus" is that Preists don't have too many great talents to pick anyway so you can use stuff like Wound Binding and Field Triage to counter health loss if you feel you need it.     

Edited June 16, 2021 by Boeroer

[SirMirrorcoat]

Lol, 6 priests sounds insane in what you described xD

60 ACC is huge, I am already feeling a difference with +10

[SirMirrorcoat]

I could imagine 2 Priests, 1 Pal/Chanter/Cipher each with the last slot whatever would also be relatively low maintanence?

[SirMirrorcoat]

Or 3 Priests, pal/Chanter and for ranged single-target dps a ranger..? That one just completely deleted the Throne Room Ogres. I didn't even pay attention and the druid was dead.

Edited June 16, 2021 by SirMirrorcoat

[Boeroer]

Funnily enough a high-might Wizard with Persistence (and later also Caedebald's Blackbow) using Deletrious Alacrity & Citzal's Martial Power is also a very good ranged single target dealer. Ranger starts stronger but the high attacks speed of the Wizard + bow is quite strong later on. And you'll always have plenty of spells on top.

 

[SirMirrorcoat]

Only thing is I don't want to lose Itumaak xD So, keeping Sagani as a ranger is a must, because respeccing her into a wizard would remove Itumaak i think.

[Boeroer]

Sure. Sagani with Persistence and then Vicious/Merciless Companion, Predator's Sense as well as Brutal Takedown on Itumaak is one of my favorite companion builds. 

[SirMirrorcoat]

yay

[Boeroer]

I wrote that some days ago already but I guess it doesn't hurt to repeat it: Brutal Takedown's bonus damage only has to overcome 1/4 of enemies' DR iirc (or was it 1/2? don't remember.. all fixed damage abilities do this for whatever reason). Anyway this is cool against high DR foes like many constructs, beetles and so on. If Itumaak uses a Brutal Takedown with bonuses from Vicious/Merciless Companion and Predator's Sense things get brutal indeed.

[SirMirrorcoat]

Yes, I read that

I just find Wizards a bit too generic. They feel exactly like they do in Baldur's Gate, so I want to avoid them for now. Though Fighter/Mage-style Wizard would be neat xD

On the other hand, a Druid would be interesting to work into my team...

But again, Itumaak xD

Unless I make GM or Kana into a Druid...

[Boeroer]

Imo Hiravias is a great Druid.  

[demon72]

14 hours ago, SirMirrorcoat said:

I just find Wizards a bit too generic. They feel exactly like they do in Baldur's Gate, so I want to avoid them for now. Though Fighter/Mage-style Wizard would be neat xD

Wizards are by far the best class for a melee-fighter build in PoE!