Rogue build focusing on critical hits?

[Ineth]

I wonder if it makes sense to build a DPS Rogue to maximize critical hit damage & probability.

 

i.e. choose Talents, items, etc. that increase the crit damage multiplier, or convert more hits to crits.

 

Would it be a powerful build?

What weapons combos (ranged and melee) would work best with it?

[helmino]

I'm not an expert of it, but i read on the forum that is a quite effective build, maximise accuracy over DR sounds good to me, since your damage are based on the crits. Wait for more expert voice anyway

[Ineth]

Here are a few relevant build options I know of:

 

 

Race bonus:

    Minor Threat [Hearth Orlan] (+10% hits to crits while attacking same enemy as an ally)

 

Class abilities:

    Dirty Fighting [Rogue] (+10% hits to crits)

 

Faction ability:

    The Merciless Hand [Doemenel] (+0.3 crit damage multiplier)

 

Weapons:

    Battle Axe (+0.5 crit damage multiplier)

    Dagger/Rapier/Club/Spear (+5 accuracy)

 

Gear:

    Rabbit Fur Gloves (+0.1 crit damage multiplier)

 

 

Those all stack, right?

Too bad there's no accuracy-increasing attribute anymore, tough...

[helmino]

yes they stack, take vicious fighting and bloody slaughter too, they stack well

[Awsumpossum]

There's also a unique dagger with the "predatory" affix.  Gives another 10% crit chance.

[Ineth]

Thanks for the hint. I can't edit my last post anymore so I'll list them here:

 

Talents:

Vicious Fighting [Rogue] (+10% hits to crits)

Bloody Slaughter (+20% hits to crits and +0.5 crit damage multiplier while attacking enemies with low Endurance)

 

PS: Does anyone know the effect of dual-wielding on Accuracy?

Edited April 7, 2015 by Ineth

[Lasci]

I'm going to say something unpopular.

 

Go one-handed style. More accuracy, less grazes, more hits to convert to crits. I haven't done the math (and I'm not going to) but it's incredibly satisfying to see a rogue with Ravenwing constantly critting everything.

Edited April 7, 2015 by Lasci

[G2Revelation]

I have already started a build like this and I am half-way through Act II with it. It works very well, I even didn't maximize my Might and I still do enough damage with repeated crits to break through the DR of most enemies. 

[Malovane]

Yes, it's a strong build. You'll out-dps the rest of your party combined, usually.

 

You do want to go dual wield. With two weapon style, you increase speed by a fair margin. Do everything else you can to minimize speed of attack - like wearing the minimum armor you can get away with. Usually you can get by with being in plain clothes, if you pay attention. Dexterity, of course, should be as high as you can afford.

 

Dirty+Vicious fighting adds 20% to crit chance. I'd actually avoid Bloody Slaughter, as the window for it to work is fairly small in actuality, but it's up to you - the larger crits are fun. Side with the Doemenals for a bonus to crit damage in general.

 

As for weapons - there are two very nice stilettos that are available fairly early (good for damage penetration). One of them has a lightning proc which is pretty devastating (this one is available in first town at smithy). The other yields +20% endurance proc (get while obtaining stronghold). Most of the other small weapons have good uses as well, and it might be good to grab a set of clubs in conjunction with the stilettos - for a second damage type.

 

Aside from the small weapons, I might go with swords or warhammers. While slower, they have 2 potential damage types - and some good choices.

 

There's a few things that add +damage per hit (spells and chants). With the speed you have, and the frequent crits, it can be quite ugly.

 

Might and Dex are all you really need if raw damage is your aim.

[MadDemiurg]

I'm going to say something unpopular.

 

Go one-handed style. More accuracy, less grazes, more hits to convert to crits. I haven't done the math (and I'm not going to) but it's incredibly satisfying to see a rogue with Ravenwing constantly critting everything.

Won't say it's unpopular. 1h battleaxe is probably the best option for a crit build. Rogues are not the best class to do it though.

[Ineth]

Rogues are not the best class to do it though.

 

Do tell

[MadDemiurg]

Well, the most crit happy classes are those that have high accuracy or can lower defenses and attack more than 1 defense. Rogue doesn't have amazing acc buffs (Reckless assault is the only one I think) and can't attack anything but deflection. Hit to crit conversion talents are not bad, but not super impressive either in practice. Both of them together are worth like +10 acc in terms of crits and less in terms of overall dps buff.

 

Barb is pretty good crit class, because he can attack fort and deflection and can lower fort with his aura.

Ciphers get crazy acc bonuses with proper spells (up to +40) and can attack any save pretty much.

Wizard with eldrich aim, minor blights and level 6 transformation (forgot the name) crits like crazy too.

Rangers get +20 ranged accuracy with aim + stalker's link, although they'll still deal less damage than a rogue I think (but more crits).

[bootsnpots]

A priest with your rogue could circumvent most these problems also. Increasing your parties accuracy and decreasing your enemies deflection, and also the priest has a spell (2nd or 3rd level i believe not sure) that increases your crit range. But again these would work more efficiently with a more efficient critter. but really rogues not a bad class to do it with. Just need that crit conversion percentage, as much accuracy as possible, and attack speed.

Edited April 7, 2015 by bootsnpots

[mazeltov]

Considering class abilities, Fighter could be decent for a one-handed crit build.

 

Actives

Disciplined Barrage: instant cast, +10 Accuracy for 15 secs 1/e

Knockdown: CC + negative Deflection for the target; when it crits the prone duration will be longer 2-3/e

 

Passives

Confident Aim: +20% Graze-to-Hit, and +20% minimum damage

Weapon Specialization/Weapon Mastery: Ruffian: +25% damage for sabres

 

Sabres are a good choice for this build, since they have naturally higher damage than other one-handers, which is more damage for crits to multiply. There is a unique sabre on level 4 of the Endless paths, Resolution, with .5 crit multiplier and +20% Graze-to-Hit enchants, in addition to being Fine.

 

This build would have 70% Graze-to-Hit with One-Handed Style, assuming everything stacks properly. It would have very stable damage output, and with the base damage multipliers, hefty crits for one-handed style. Ten bonus Accuracy for 20 secs or so each fight, depending on Intellect. Add to that the natural advantage of Fighter tankiness. The build's extreme focus on the ruffian weapon group also works with stilettos and clubs.

 

[Climhazzard]

I sort of thought that 20% hits to crits would make rogue a no brainer for a crit class, he has a much bigger crit range than other classes.  Reckless assault is a permanent accuracy buff, not a temporary ones like wizards or ciphers are using.  Rogues also get sneak attack, meaning they'll have the best crits.  Just my 2cents.

[MadDemiurg]

Hit to crit is not as good as you think. Taking both talents gives you 20% conversion so assuming 50% hit rate it is only 10% chance to crit. +10 Accuracy would do the same, also boosting your to hit and to graze chances (so much better overall). One thing it has is that it gives you some crit chance when your hit chance is low and your base crit is zero effectively. But that's not what you're building for. It doesn't matter that ciphes buffs are temporary, they last long enoough. As for sneak attack, yes it's good, but ciphers have biting whip that is almost as good and both ciphers and wizards have spells that hit quite hard. Barbarians have aoe with their attacks (carnage crits are spectacular) + if you count in currently bugged once stands alone no other physical class can compete.

[Ineth]

Barbarians are only effective in melee though, right?

 

Whereas Rogue can do things like open an encounter with an Arquebus sneak attack or even backstab (which can easily insta-kill a weaker enemy on hit and, with good crit damage multiplier, probably even a stronger enemy on crit), and then switch to a melee weapon and join the fray once Edér has locked down the enemies.

 

 if you count in currently bugged once stands alone no other physical class can compete.

 

In what way is it bugged?

Edited April 8, 2015 by Ineth

[PIP-Clownboy]

It adds +20 flat damage instead of 20%. Someone probably forgot a decimal point 

[peddroelm]

PS: Does anyone know the effect of dual-wielding on Accuracy?

 

Using the off-hand for anything ( dual fist / dual weapons / 2 handed weapons / weapon and shield  ) results in flat -12 accuracy penalty on the 1/both weapons .. 

 

Early game before +accuracy perks it makes sense to have only 1h weapons on the DPS classes for the huge +12 accuracy difference..

[peddroelm]

Actually is coded the other way around .. You get +12 bonus accuracy on 1 handed weapons by leaving the off hand free ..(stupid edit delay limit)

Edited April 8, 2015 by peddroelm

[Wogwoggle]

I sort of thought that 20% hits to crits would make rogue a no brainer for a crit class, he has a much bigger crit range than other classes.  Reckless assault is a permanent accuracy buff, not a temporary ones like wizards or ciphers are using.  Rogues also get sneak attack, meaning they'll have the best crits.  Just my 2cents.

The damage bonus from sneak attacks is additive with crits, not multiplicative, so they wont be as huge as you might think.  Rogues would still be a pretty good crit class regardless. 

[mazeltov]

Crit Focus from Pally aura adds 5% Hit-to-Crit, so throw that on the pile. Assuming Rogue is the class, where are we with this?

 

Hit-to-Crit

 

Rogue 20%

Orlan 10%

Dire Blessing 20% (2nd level Priest spell w/ pretty long duration)

Crit Focus 5%

Aattuuk 10% (TE purchase IIRC)

Bloody Slaughter 20% (only vs low End [what is low End anyway? 100 abilities use this condition but I've never seen specific figures])

 

 

So 55% or so before Act 3, 75% vs "low End?" In the unlikely event they stack properly, of course. Any other sources of Hit-to-Crit out there?

Edited April 8, 2015 by mazeltov

[Sleazebag]

Currently playing one-handed axe orlan rogue, focusing on crits, and she tears all enemies into pieces pretty damn quick. Never misses, crits damn often, and her crits are dealing something along 50-70 and she's level 9 right now. Very fun build! Because of the huge crits, damage reduction of enemies barely matters for her.

 

Edit: Oh and with finishing blow she deals about 120-140 damage around 50% enemy endurance, which is nice.

Edited April 8, 2015 by Sleazebag

[cavemandiary]

Has anyone attempted a critchance build with Spellstriking? Jolting touch every 2-3 hits could potentially be pretty cheese.

[MadDemiurg]

It's 1/encounter so it's kinda gimmick.