[Companion Build] Afflicting Healegina Herald

[Caran of Varn]

This build was designed to be partnered with a Steel Garrote/Nalpazca (although it could be potentially useful to anyone who benefits from afflictions) and thus is focused more on afflictions than on buffing allies.

The plan is to have Pallegina do three things:

1) Heal allies;

2) Stack afflictions on the enemies;

3) Shoot things with dual Blunderbusses and then poke them with an Estoc (a stylistic choice, if you will

To that end I made the following choices (very much work in progress, mind you!):

I. HERALD ABILITIES

ACTIVES

1. The Thunder Rolled Like Waves on Black Seas

2. And Hel-Hyraf Crashed Crashed Upon The Shield

3. At The Sound of His Voice, The Killers Froze Stiff (...And Fear Followed Them Into the Foothills)

4. Boil the Flesh From Skin to Bone

PASSIVES

1. Come, Come Soft Winds of Death

2. Ancient Memory

3. The Long Night's Drink Birthed the Revenge of Morning

4. Old Siec Would Not Rest 'til His Hunger Was Sated

5. Mercy and Kindness Followed Where'er She Walked

III. PALADIN ABILITIES

ACTIVES

1. Sworn Enemy (Wrath of the Five Suns)

2. Flames of Devotion (Vielo Vidorio)

3. Lay Hands (Greater Lay Hands)

4. Zealous Aura (Exalted Endurance)

5. Glorious Beacon (Inspired Beacon)

6. Sacred Immolation

PASSIVES

1. Deep Faith

2. Two-Handed Style

3. Scion of Flame

4. Righteous Soul

5. Practiced Healer

6. Virtous Triumph

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I'm not sure about the whole Scion of Flame/Sacred Immolation angle, however, as my main character (Steel Garrote/Nalpazca) will be already doing that. Perhaps more Invocations would be a better idea, if only for variety's sake?

Feedback, as always, is much appreciated

[Boeroer]

One problem:

Blunderbuss + Estoc means you'll only have pierce weapon damage. Unless you plan to unlock another weapon set (like with Fleshmender or Arms Bearer where you could then put a Pollaxe or Morning Star for example) I'd recommend to use another setup that allows to switch between pierce and non-pierce damage. Else you would have to unequip/equip weapons before encounters - and you'd need metaknowledge in order to predict which foes will be pierce immune/highly resistant and which not. 

Mortars could be an alternative to "normal" blunderbusses because they do pierce/slash. Eccea's Arcane Blaster (pistol though) could be good. Or instead of Estocs pick Pollaxe, Great Sword or Morning Star.

Estocs have awesome PEN (and nice uniques) and you can circumvent their weakness with knowledge about upcoming enemies - but if you haven't that knowledge and then meet a bunch of Skeletal or even Risen dudes and can't do anything with your weapons it feels quite frustrating. Better be prepared for that.

If you want to be a debuffer also look at the Invocation "Ben Fidel's Neck was Exposed". The -10 defenses that comes with the frighten affliction (which is a lot more useful than in PoE1) stacks with other debuffs. Also there's no immunity to it which can be very good against some very affliction-resistant foes.   

Edited June 26, 2021 by Boeroer

[Caran of Varn]

28 minutes ago, Boeroer said:

One problem:

Blunderbuss + Estoc means you'll only have pierce weapon damage. Unless you plan to unlock another weapon set (like with Fleshmender or Arms Bearer where you could then put a Pollaxe or Morning Star for example) I'd recommend to use another setup that allows to switch between pierce and non-pierce damage. Else you would have to unequip/equip weapons before encounters - and you'd need metaknowledge in order to predict which foes will be pierce immune/highly resistant and which not. 

Mortars could be an alternative to "normal" blunderbusses because they do pierce/slash. Eccea's Arcane Blaster (pistol though) could be good. Or instead of Estocs pick Pollaxe, Great Sword or Morning Star.

Estocs have awesome PEN (and nice uniques) and you can circumvent their weakness with knowledge about upcoming enemies - but if you haven't that knowledge and then meet a bunch of Skeletal or even Risen dudes and can't do anything with your weapons it feels quite frustrating. Better be prepared for that.

If you want to be a debuffer also look at the Invocation "Ben Fidel's Neck was Exposed". The -10 defenses that comes with the frighten affliction (which is a lot more useful than in PoE1) stacks with other debuffs. Also there's no immunity to it which can be very good against some very affliction-resistant foes.   

 

Thanks! I'll pick up another weapon set then and use a Pollaxe as a tertiary weapon.

Would you skip the whole Sacred Immolation/Scion of the Flame for more Invocations? I'm thinking of that, because my main character will already be doing that.

[Boeroer]

Well, Sacred Immolation is quite good... the self damage is very high but with enough healing you can survive rel. easily (esp. if not tanking at the same time). Also it can run while you are casting an invocation at the same time which is cool action economy. Can't do that with more invocations. 

Maybe check out "Their Champion Braved the Horde alone". It gives you "energized" which will let you interrupt all enemies you land a crit against. This includes the pulses of Sacred Immolation which might crit enemies, offensive chants that may crit the enemy with every cycle and of course also your weapon attacks. It can be very good if you combine those things and disable enemies by simply landing crits/interrupts "on the fly" as secondary effect. 

[Caran of Varn]

1 hour ago, Boeroer said:

Well, Sacred Immolation is quite good... the self damage is very high but with enough healing you can survive rel. easily (esp. if not tanking at the same time). Also it can run while you are casting an invocation at the same time which is cool action economy. Can't do that with more invocations. 

Maybe check out "Their Champion Braved the Horde alone". It gives you "energized" which will let you interrupt all enemies you land a crit against. This includes the pulses of Sacred Immolation which might crit enemies, offensive chants that may crit the enemy with every cycle and of course also your weapon attacks. It can be very good if you combine those things and disable enemies by simply landing crits/interrupts "on the fly" as secondary effect. 

Much obliged. I've also Dropped And Hel-Hyraf Crashed Upon The Shield and picked up The Lover Cried out to the Beloved, "I am Yours!" instead. Removed Righteous Soul and added Their Champion Braved The Horde Alone instead. Now she'll be able to use Estocs, Pollaxes and Blunderbusses with a few more afflictions to boot

I. HERALD ABILITIES

ACTIVES

1. The Thunder Rolled Like Waves on Black Seas

2. At the Sound of His Voice, the Killers Froze Stiff (...And Fear Followed Them Into the Foothills)

3. Reny Daret's Ghost Spake, "I'll Catch You, Ben Fidel" (Ben Fidel's Neck Was Exposed)  

4. The Lover Cried out to the Beloved, "I am Yours!"

5. Their Champion Braved The Horde Alone

6. Boil Their Flesh From Skin to Bone

PASSIVES

1. Come, Come Soft Winds of Death

2. Ancient Memory

3. The Long Night's Drink Birthed the Revenge of Morning

4. Old Siec Would Not Rest 'til His Hunger Was Sated

5. Mercy and Kindness Followed Where'er She Walked

III. PALADIN ABILITIES

ACTIVES

1. Sworn Enemy (Wrath of the Five Suns)

2. Flames of Devotion (Vielo Vidorio)

3. Lay Hands (No Upgrades)

4. Zealous Aura (Exalted Endurance)

5. Glorious Beacon (Inspired Beacon)

6. Sacred Immolation

PASSIVES

1. Arms Bearer

2. Deep Faith

3. Two-Handed Style

4. Scion of Flame

5. Practiced Healer

6. Virtous Triumph