Stunning Weapon Party

[pacman]

Stunning weapons work with Carnage and Torment's Reach.  How would you build a party centered around exploiting this? (assuming PotD difficulty)

 

Here's a list of the stunning weapons I know of:

 

Melee:

1) Cladhaliath - spear - stunning, coordinating or stunning, vicious

2) Starcaller - flail - stunning, spell striking (minor missiles)

3) Godansthunyr - hammer - stunning, +1 might (stacks with other items)

4) Mabec's Morning Star - stunning, wilder slaying

 

Ranged:

1) Borresaine - war bow - stunning, draining?

2) Rod of Pale Shades - stunning, disorienting

 

Then there are the overbearing weapons (prone on hit), which could serve as a stopgap when they are easier to grab, or as an alternative end-game weapon if they come with superb, since only two weapons can be upgraded to superb.

 

I'm thinking you definitely want:

 

1) A barbarian and/or monk for Carnage/Torment's Reach to wield melee stunning weapons, focused on Dex and Int.

2) A priest for Dire Focus and Devotions of the Faithful.

 

I might just stop right there and use a three person party, or I was thinking of adding a rogue using Warbows (Borresaine) and/or wizard using Rods and Scepters (Rod of Pale Shades, Puitente) to stun-lock key targets.  Unfortunately a wizard's blast does not proc weapon abilities, but a wizard is probably still the most effective with those weapons.  Another possibility would be a Dangerous Implements monk.

 

Am I missing any stunning weapons or key abilities from other classes?

Edited April 28, 2015 by pacman

[peddroelm]

Stunning weapons work with Carnage and Torment's Reach.  How would you build a party centered around exploiting this? (assuming PotD difficulty)

 

1) A barbarian and/or monk for Carnage/Torment's Reach to wield melee stunning weapons, focused on Dex and Int.

 

Torments reach AOE hits don't use equipped weapons stats//effects .. They will never apply any weapon enchantments ..

[knownastherat]

With good accuracy and attack speed the effects could proc often enough to use this approach even without abilities, especially under focused fire. Stunlock party should be green.

[pacman]

 

Stunning weapons work with Carnage and Torment's Reach.  How would you build a party centered around exploiting this? (assuming PotD difficulty)

 

1) A barbarian and/or monk for Carnage/Torment's Reach to wield melee stunning weapons, focused on Dex and Int.

 

Torments reach AOE hits don't use equipped weapons stats//effects .. They will never apply any weapon enchantments ..

 

Oops.  I tested it but forgot to take off my retaliation armor.  Thanks for that correction.

[Kaigen42]

Aedrin's Wrecker is another ranged weapon with stunning.

 

Rogue is a good call, as Dirty Fighting provides good hit->crit conversion to get more procs. I got good mileage out of Borresaine on a Ranger, as the high accuracy also helps get more crits (plus you get stunning shots later on). The sad thing is that none of the one-handed stunning weapons are in the same weapon group (or even in the same group as a vicious weapon for that synergy), so dual-wielding becomes tricky.

 

You may want to have someone use Tall Grass instead of a stunning weapon, simply because it has reach (and is also Predatory, for more crits). It's a great weapon for a melee rogue. Another option if you don't have enough stunning weapons to go around is to distribute some marking weapons and make sure the accuracy boost goes to someone with a stunning weapon. You could give St. Garam's Spark to someone and have them paint targets for whoever's using Borresaine, or stick a tank with Shame or Glory next to your Barbarian.

[pacman]

Yeah dual wielding is a tough one.  More hits = more chances for crits and dual wielding really shines with full attack abilities like barbaric blow and heart of fury, but the 12 accuracy from using a single weapon is pretty huge for a build focused on crits.  On the other hand you do run out of talents that help you get crits (single weapon style doesn't provide crits), so it becomes a tradeoff between:

1) getting another weapon focus and dual weapon style and having dual wielding as an option, and

2) having more reliable damage with single weapon style and more defensive abilities like body control.

[b0rsuk]

If you build a party for stun, it's a daft idea to rely on weapons from Act III !!!

 

You have Hours of St. Grimbalt in Dyrford. Greatsword, Accurate 3, +50% damage on crit, prone on crit. Also, Tall Grass.

 

For people who are not close-minded, there's Disciplined Barrage on fighters.

Edited April 28, 2015 by b0rsuk

[MoxyWoo]

Paladin sworn enemy and inspiring exhortation and zealous crit can provide some.  Tho wont stack with priest for zealous.

 

Ranger vicious aim, stalkers link and if it wasnt bugged accurate wounding could too.

 

For a self contained stunner.  Wizard with merciless gaze, eldritch aim and alacrity has 30 in crit stuff and 50% attack speed.  Self buffs cast super fast too.

[pacman]

Here's my tentative stunning weapons party:

 

barbarian - soldier - hours of st. rumbalt, godansthunyr
barbarian - peasant - cladhaliath
priest of eothas - adventurer - starcaller
rogue - adventurer - borresaine
rogue - soldier - tall grass, aedrin's wrecker
wizard - noble - rod of pale shades

 

Sound good?

[peddroelm]

think you should go full barb to amplify on strike/hit/crit effects trough carnage ... 

[MadDemiurg]

Ranger is potentially decent as well, since driving flight hist 2 targets and should apply the on hit effect. Also +10 accuracy modal and stalker's link.

Edited April 28, 2015 by MadDemiurg

[pacman]

Ranger is potentially decent as well, since driving flight hist 2 targets and should apply the on hit effect. Also +10 accuracy modal and stalker's link.

Hmm driving flight would be nice.  But I would rather go for swift aim because vicious aim's accuracy bonus does not stack with devotions of the faithful.

 

EDIT: cancel that, swift aim has an accuracy penalty... idk about ranger tbh.  I don't think driving flight makes up for the rogue's crit bonuses.

Edited April 28, 2015 by pacman

[MadDemiurg]

Ranger can stun even on hits with any weapon against targets engaged by AC. Plus, stalker's link stacks with everything. Also, you likely won't be using devotions in every fight, in which case vicious aim would be nice. Swift aim penalty can be negated by a talent almost entirely (-2 remains), but it is not very good for weapons with no reload and you likely want fast weapons for stun proccing.

[MoxyWoo]

^Mad said it right.

 

Ranger is also decent because the priest spell takes time to cast so the initial alpha strike with a vicious aim modal up is awesome.

 

If it wasn't bugged, they also get an additional +10 via wounding shot, but it currently only works with the HOBBLE (WTF?)