Furious Cheese with a Solo Fury

[Not So Clever Hound]

Hi everyone,

I've been trying a playthrough with a Solo SC Fury that (contrary to all my other Solo playthroughs) gets to rest a lot and uses the Empower feature to its full extent. I'm having a huge, huge amount of fun with it. I have to take a little break with this toon because I'm going on a trip that is not laptop-friendly. But before I may potentially report on a build if it's good 'til the end, I'd like to share a few things with the community already:

1) This may have been already noted somewhere, but the +20% range of the Fury on Element spells coupled with the inherently huge range of many Druid spells, plus the +20% range of Far Casting, plus all the AoE size bonuses you can get... mean that you can very consistently harm enemies while staying out of their aggro range (even with non-Elements spells). Simply put, I could cheese a fair amount of the early game and nearly every single high-level bounty by staying on the other edge of the map, pummeling the enemy with high range spells and repeating ad mortem. If you wear the Assassin Slippers or use Invisibility Potions, you can get even more cheesy-cheesy enemy KIAs.

2) Even without so much stinky cheese, you can use the above initial strike from afar to soften enemies with something impactful, let them come while you cast Relentless Storm and/or Call of the Primordials, then go Maelstrom crazy. (see below).

3) Early on, strategic use of Shifting Storm (to deaggro and reset fights) and Storm's Rage with Touch of Rot, Insect Swarm, Hold Beast and Returning Storm can own the absolute crap out of Maje - except Gorecci Street.

4) Later on, I went full PL-stacking, Empower-bonanza and Deltro Helm self-harm rampage. Took all the Empower abilities, all the Elements +PEN, wear Deltro Cage, Deltro Helm, Lord Darryn's Voulge, Ring of Focused Flames... then proceed to 1) hit myself with Great Maelstrom to get a 120%+ lash then 2) Empower (if needed) a Great Maelstrom. So far I've been able to one shot many foes I've never one-shotted before with a non-Strand of Favor build. This is routinely doing 500 DMG per pulse and so, so many pulses. It feels like playing an AC-130 Spectre with an away team on the ground, but High Fantasy RPG style. [Fury - Fire for effect. Good effect on target. Be advised, now danger close. Fire for effect. Good effect, no more tangos.].

5) When I get back, I plan to complete the build with Stage 3 of Wit of Death Herald (Brilliant), Least Unstable Coil (another Brilliant possibility), and the Vithrak Silk Slippers for a 1-in-20 chance to double cast Great Maelstrom when I need the super cheese.

[Boeroer]

Speaking of range: there are some spells that work with the Monk's Instruments of Pain. I remember Sunlance did - giving it a ridiculous range of over 70 meters or so...  Too bad you can't cast Instruments of Pain out of combat.

[Not So Clever Hound]

9 minutes ago, Boeroer said:

Too bad you can't cast Instruments of Pain out of combat.

Funny thing is I though about your finding with a ridiculously high range Sunlance + Instrument of Pain as I had read your post on this some time ago.

But as you said, the point of the AC-130 SPECTRE Build is to cast out of combat, Death From Above style. Furthermore, even without IoP my theoretical spell range exceeds my effective targeting range.

[dgray62]

Sounds like a fun build! I'd love to learn which spells you selected at each PL. I imagine that you took many but not all of the elements spells and some summoning spells as you mentioned. Did you take Taste of the Hunt for emergency healing?

[thelee]

2 hours ago, Not So Clever Hound said:

mean that you can very consistently harm enemies while staying out of their aggro range (even with non-Elements spells).

 

how does this work? you hit them, combat starts, and then by the time the get to you they de-aggro?

 

[dgray62]

Yes, I was wondering how you use Shifting Storm to deaggro and reset fights. Is the idea that you attack with a spell from the farthest possible range, then shift and translocate far enough away to end combat? If so, I can see why it wouldn't work on Gorecci Street, since there's not enough room there, while it would, presumably, at the dig site.

[Not So Clever Hound]

8 hours ago, thelee said:

how does this work? you hit them, combat starts, and then by the time the get to you they de-aggro?

You hit them, continue to cast spells that can hit them from afar (which includes PoI for example, which DoT will keep you in combat). Once you've cast everything you have and DoT have been cleared, combat will end. Your spells will be replenished and you can start again faster than enemies can regain health out of combat. So in one or two more cycles you will have destroyed even tanky groups.

Target healers first of course - the only encounter that was a bit annoying (still totally doable) was Beina with all the healers. To make it easier you could cast a DoT from afar, spiritshift, hit yourself with Storm's Rage with Deltro's Helm on, then cast 2x Sunlance +  Shock Lash on those pesky priests.  

Here are all the spells that you may safely use with a range of 21 or more (18 for the Insect spells but it still works with precise positioning/targeting to avoid aggro):

Dancing Bolt, Burst of Summer Flame, Blizzard, Insect Swarm, Hail Storm, Embrace of the Earth Talon, Plague of Insect, Sunlance.

As you can see, quite a few casts that can together really obliterate a group of regular enemies (knowing that you have really good PEN/ACC with many of those from Fury + passive abilities + PL & ACC stacking from items). Against non-poison resistant enemies, PoI is amazing and it doesn't matter that it targets FORT, since if it doesn't land, nothing happens and you get your spell back.

Edited September 7, 2021 by Not So Clever Hound

[Not So Clever Hound]

7 hours ago, dgray62 said:

Yes, I was wondering how you use Shifting Storm to deaggro and reset fights. Is the idea that you attack with a spell from the farthest possible range, then shift and translocate far enough away to end combat? If so, I can see why it wouldn't work on Gorecci Street, since there's not enough room there, while it would, presumably, at the dig site.

What I did at the beginning was attack and aggro normally, get all your spells going on the enemy (Hold Beast, Touch of Rot, Insect Swarm and Returning Storm) also cast Storm's Rage for good measure, then use Shifting Storm to bolt away and turn around a corner to deaggro. Rinse and repeat.

It is indeed absolutely perfect for the Dig Site if you make your stand up the stairs between the training grounds upper entrance and the ladder: get the enemy to gather up there, pummel them, then you can use Shifting Storm DIRECTLY up on the platform above and run away to reset the fight! Enemies won't chase you. Works probably with any Escape ability too.

Edited September 7, 2021 by Not So Clever Hound

[Not So Clever Hound]

9 hours ago, dgray62 said:

Did you take Taste of the Hunt for emergency healing?

Nope, emergency healing is just via Second Wind (Undying Burden gives another one per rest) and I keep potions of healing around. I also keep potions of invisibility ready too.

[dgray62]

Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification. I didn't realize that you could translocate with Shifting Storm up to the platform above. That makes a lot of sense. I gather from what you said above that you select Touch of Rot and Hold Beast at PL 1, and Blizzard and PoI and PL 2. Do you select Fast Runner too? I imagine that this would help with quick escapes.

[Not So Clever Hound]

1 hour ago, dgray62 said:

Do you select Fast Runner too? I imagine that this would help with quick escapes.

Absolutely, also because I have to pick something and Arms Bearer isn’t going to do me any good.

[dgray62]

Thought so, thanks! I look forward to seeing your full build later. Do you use Captain's Banquet for the speed boost and boost to spell damage?

[freddfranca]

I am trying a SC Ancient. One thing I noticed, I really need to use empower frequently. I don’t know how it will be in later levels, but until now the decay dots are strong, and the sporelings can hold the enemies until the dots kills them.

[dgray62]

SC Ancient is nice for solo given the strong summon you get right at the beginning of the game. The bonus for beast and plant spells is nice too. But Fury has some advantages too, as Not So Clever Hound has pointed out. What food are you using? I'm always torn between Captain's Banquet and Crusted Swordfish for casters.

[Not So Clever Hound]

On 9/8/2021 at 4:18 AM, dgray62 said:

What food are you using? I'm always torn between Captain's Banquet and Crusted Swordfish for casters.

Well, maybe I'm a victim of seasonality as Fall is already upon us, but I'm having a lot of Shark Soup.  I also use the Captain's Cabin bonus which is nice to stack with other +Empower points bonuses when regularly empowering Greater Maelstrom like there's no tomorrow.

I'm happy to be back to the Deadfire grind after a long trip to the US (from France) with my wife and son. Flying and driving across the East Coast and Midwest for 3+ weeks to introduce our toddler to his family Stateside, all while avoiding pandemics and travel bans... glad to be back home!

Also, really grateful for the "Mark Forum as Read" button otherwise I'd still be scrolling through dozens of amazing and marginally less amazing threads .

Edited October 5, 2021 by Not So Clever Hound

[dgray62]

Thanks for the reply, and welcome back! What is the Captain's Cabin bonus? I don't think I'm familiar with that one.

[Not So Clever Hound]

1 hour ago, dgray62 said:

What is the Captain's Cabin bonus?

Thanks! It's the top tier room available at the King's Coffin, providing +3 PER and +1 Empower Point.

[dgray62]

Thanks! I gather that you use this when in town, and shark soup when camping.

[Not So Clever Hound]

Hi folks,

I pushed this playthrough a little further and the Solo Fury really takes off with Least Unstable Coil, Great Maelstrom (GM), all the Empower abilities, all the PL/Acc etc. bonus items to GM, and Deltro's Helm.

You can stack as much as 7 Empower points per rest on this toon (3 base + 1 great soul + 1 Captain Cabin + 1 Luminous bathhouse + 1 Nemnok).

When you Empower Great Maelstrom on an enemy group, you will have all Tier3 Inspirations, with in my case an 18s Brilliant.

In the most devious scenario you can cast 2 Empowered GM in a single fight and 4-20 regular ones:
1) Cast GM away from enemies, on you, to get a 100%+ Shock lash (don't die doing it).
2) Empower a GM "trap" close to enemies so they come investigate
3) By the time they're hit and initiate combat, you can throw another (!) Empowered GM on them, still with the lash
4) This will trigger all tier3 inspirations if you hit enough enemies, then you're brilliant for another 3-4 GMs.
5) If all else fails, Wit of Death Herald and another 90s Brilliant.

I never did Nemnok so fast, and Concelhaut didn't last long too.

It will get boring pretty fast and it's not fool proof at all. But this solo Fury got much further than I thought!

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by Not So Clever Hound

[Not So Clever Hound]

Just a cool thing that I discovered with this Empowered Fury toon: the absolute best resting bonus for this kind of build is:

Tikawara - Ocean's Song:

• +3 Intellect
• AND Attacks interrupt with Empowered attack!!!

Overlapping, interrupting, empowered Great Maelstroms are not to be trifled with, as a number of Fampyrs, Darguls etc. just found out.

Edited December 15, 2021 by Not So Clever Hound

[Constentin Lévine]

1 hour ago, Not So Clever Hound said:

Just a cool thing that I discovered with this Empowered Fury toon: the absolute best resting bonus for this kind of build is:

Tikawara - Ocean's Song:

• +3 Intellect
• AND Attacks interrupt with Empowered attack!!!

Overlapping, interrupting, empowered Great Maelstroms are not to be trifled with, as a number of Fampyrs, Darguls etc. just found out.

Yes, I noticed that in the post about Least unstable Coil proc, this is below the list

[Not So Clever Hound]

That's right! I somehow overlooked that part (although I thought I did thoroughly read your post) and (re)discovered it on my own... oops. I guess I should spend less time playing Deadfire and more time reading through the posts... Or should I?