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So, a ruffian barbarian. which gun to pick up?


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I've been poking around which weapons are best for my two-weapon frenzy barbarian, and it looks like a club and a stiletto, because

 

a) they're fast. Frenzy makes them go even faster

b) they both have weapons that can have Draining, even though that draining club looks like it's going to be really expensive (I haven't gotten to that shop yet)

c) they have different damage types

d) they're both in the Ruffian category, so I can pick up a Weapon Focus talent that will apply to them both

 

(anybody have a flaw with that logic?)

 

Anyway, seeing as how it looks like I'll be a Ruffian Barbarian, I thought I'd put a gun in my other weapon slot. So: pistol or blunderbuss? Does Carnage work with either weapon? How does a blunderbuss work exactly (is there friendly fire, do all the shots attack the same target, etc.)?

 

I figure a good joseki for combat would be 

 

a) stealth to within 8m

b) shoot someone with a gun (hey! cut that out!)

c) while they're running at me, Frenzy

d) go to town with two fast weapons and Frenzy and Two Weapon Style and Carnage whee!

 

does that sound good?

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Your plan won't work out quite the way you imagine.  What will actually happen:

 

1. You fire your pistol, beginning a long weapon recovery period.

2. You swap weapons, adding more recovery.

3. By the time you are ready to invoke frenzy, the enemy will already be hitting you.

4. The enemy is still hitting you as you finish the casting of frenzy.

5. NOW you can start doing the stuff that a barbarian is meant to do, well after combat is begun.

 

It's much better to start your frenzy just as your teammates fire their opening salvo.  The timing works out so that you are all ready to meet the incoming enemy at about the same time.

 

I recommend you use dual stilettos and dual sabers.  That way you can choose your damage type according to the enemy's weakness.  You'll still eventually have one draining weapon for each set.

Edited by Manty5
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This is how I built my ass-kicking Barbarian.

 

1. Get Weapon Focus Soldier for my Barb. Now I can use pikes and stand behind my tank and not risk getting hit at all!

2. Do the Cinders of Faith quest. Bring someone with 10 mechanics (or 10 after inn buffs) Take Tidefall.

3. Put Tidefall on my Barb.

4. Put Plate-mail on my barb after testing the difference in attack speed and finding it basically not much of a sacrifice at all.

 

5. Initiate combat. Cast Frenzy immediately. Run into enemies. Cast Darcozi Paladini Liberating exhortation (has +10 accuracy with talent) on Barb. Cast deflection debuffs on enemies like blind/paralyze.

6. Enemies explode. All of them.

7. Barb is healed to full endurance from Tidefall drain.

Edited by Idleray
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Sounds great Idleray.

 

Consider Miasma of Dull-mindedness as an addition to your deflection-reducing needs.  Since it reduces both PER and RES by 10 each (!), it reduces defelction in a way that stacks with blindness.  If only there wasn't a confusion spell in the same tier, such painful decsisions...

 

Also, Greatsword is in the same family as Pike, which means your Barb can attack from the second row with Tall Grass if he needs to(crowded or doorway situations).  That weapon increases crit chance, and stuns on crit.

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This is how I built my ass-kicking Barbarian.

 

1. Get Weapon Focus Soldier for my Barb. Now I can use pikes and stand behind my tank and not risk getting hit at all!

2. Do the Cinders of Faith quest. Bring someone with 10 mechanics (or 10 after inn buffs) Take Tidefall.

3. Put Tidefall on my Barb.

4. Put Plate-mail on my barb after testing the difference in attack speed and finding it basically not much of a sacrifice at all.

 

5. Initiate combat. Cast Frenzy immediately. Run into enemies. Cast Darcozi Paladini Liberating exhortation (has +10 accuracy with talent) on Barb. Cast deflection debuffs on enemies like blind/paralyze.

6. Enemies explode. All of them.

7. Barb is healed to full endurance from Tidefall drain.

 

I don't think draining mod applies to the carnage hits, does it?

 

edit: nevermind that was retaliation.

Edited by the streaker
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Your plan won't work out quite the way you imagine.  What will actually happen:

 

1. You fire your pistol, beginning a long weapon recovery period.

2. You swap weapons, adding more recovery.

3. By the time you are ready to invoke frenzy, the enemy will already be hitting you.

4. The enemy is still hitting you as you finish the casting of frenzy.

5. NOW you can start doing the stuff that a barbarian is meant to do, well after combat is begun.

 

It's much better to start your frenzy just as your teammates fire their opening salvo.  The timing works out so that you are all ready to meet the incoming enemy at about the same time.

 

I recommend you use dual stilettos and dual sabers.  That way you can choose your damage type according to the enemy's weakness.  You'll still eventually have one draining weapon for each set.

 

I think that the Recovery period is based on your armor, not the weapon.  The Reload is based on the weapon.  There are two periods.  Recovery and Reload.  But yes, if you swap weapons, it does affect recovery.  OTOH, I've noticed that it seems like if you change weapons instantly after firing, the recovery doesn't appear to get any longer than 100%.  When it really hurts to change a weapon is when the recovery is well under way.

 

Arguably, a barbarian wanting to a gun-to-melee weapon switch might be better off with a longer ranged ranged weapon to give him a little more time.  But since we're talking about the barb in question using Ruffian weapons, his two choices both have 8m ranges.  (He could still use weapons outside the group, I suppose.)

 

Generally, I like using ranged weapons for an opening salvo from every single character.  But in this case, it may not be optimal for the barbarian.  For a high DEFL defensive tank, I don't think that it's that big a deal since such a character isn't that concerned with instantly switching to the offensive and has the defenses to have a good chance of evading the first melee attack.  But a barbarian may not have the defense to avoid that first attack, while he's recovering from taking an opening pistol shot, so maybe the tactic of an opening pistol shot isn't as safe for him.  Something to consider.

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This is how I built my ass-kicking Barbarian.

 

1. Get Weapon Focus Soldier for my Barb. Now I can use pikes and stand behind my tank and not risk getting hit at all!

2. Do the Cinders of Faith quest. Bring someone with 10 mechanics (or 10 after inn buffs) Take Tidefall.

3. Put Tidefall on my Barb.

4. Put Plate-mail on my barb after testing the difference in attack speed and finding it basically not much of a sacrifice at all.

 

5. Initiate combat. Cast Frenzy immediately. Run into enemies. Cast Darcozi Paladini Liberating exhortation (has +10 accuracy with talent) on Barb. Cast deflection debuffs on enemies like blind/paralyze.

6. Enemies explode. All of them.

7. Barb is healed to full endurance from Tidefall drain.

Or just put your Barb in Shod-in-faith and the coat of ill repayment and give him Drake's bell enchanted to superb and he will rock

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This is how I built my ass-kicking Barbarian.

 

1. Get Weapon Focus Soldier for my Barb. Now I can use pikes and stand behind my tank and not risk getting hit at all!

2. Do the Cinders of Faith quest. Bring someone with 10 mechanics (or 10 after inn buffs) Take Tidefall.

3. Put Tidefall on my Barb.

4. Put Plate-mail on my barb after testing the difference in attack speed and finding it basically not much of a sacrifice at all.

 

5. Initiate combat. Cast Frenzy immediately. Run into enemies. Cast Darcozi Paladini Liberating exhortation (has +10 accuracy with talent) on Barb. Cast deflection debuffs on enemies like blind/paralyze.

6. Enemies explode. All of them.

7. Barb is healed to full endurance from Tidefall drain.

Or just put your Barb in Shod-in-faith and the coat of ill repayment and give him Drake's bell enchanted to superb and he will rock

 

 

The Shod-in-Faith boots are nice, but they only trigger on a crit.  Besides, drain modded weapons are always useful for characters who have a tendency to take a lot of damage.  Nothing like having your hits help heal you a little bit at the same time.

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> The Shod-in-Faith boots are nice, but they only trigger on a crit.

 

It's a harder task to NOT get your barbarian crit.  He's one of the lowest deflection (and reflex/will/fort) of the frontliners, and few people give them shields, and none of their recommended (and indeed, necessary) stats are the ones boosting deflection.  

 

You'll have no trouble getting him critted.  Getting him to survive the crit... ah, there's the task.

Edited by Manty5
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> The Shod-in-Faith boots are nice, but they only trigger on a crit.

 

It's a harder task to NOT get your barbarian crit.  He's one of the lowest deflection (and reflex/will/fort) of the frontliners, and few people give them shields, and none of their recommended (and indeed, necessary) stats are the ones boosting deflection.  

 

You'll have no trouble getting him critted.  Getting him to survive the crit... ah, there's the task.

 

Yeah, I realize all this.  But with SiF boots (or just having a priest cast the Consecrated Ground spell, or having a Moon GL nearby), you probably have to be a little wary of having characters who take a lot of damage, but are getting their END healed.  You could unintentionally burn through their Health pool if you're not careful, and actually get them killed.  This sort of constant healing can be a proverbial double edged sword.

Edited by Crucis
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