Optimal weapons for soloing? Some basic build help welcome too

[PX1player]

Thinking here of optimal weapons to aim for, that are also achievable in a way that the game isn't already over by the time you get them.

 

Been considering trying out a solo barb run since I've not done solo before, and potentially going for dual wield since 2handed on solo just sounds rather suicidal because slow. Granted, the soulbound 2handed swords are quite nice though, but don't synergize well on carnage I think?

 

At the moment I was thinking that for example The Unlabored Blade and that durgan enchanted stiletto with divine mark would be a good combo to go for.

However, both weapons being fast, I'd probably be relatively weak against high DR opponents with no way to mitigate it, other than hope for more burn procs.

 

Maybe a war hammer like Strike Hard as an alternative weapon to use since it comes with speed, disorienting and has enough slots for either legendary or superlas and has higher base damage? Downside is that it has a different weapon focus from stiletto for when I swap it in...

 

Open to ideas

 

Also considering that there are likely to be times where a shield will be necessary, and the soulbound one seems best suited for that. Would it be worth picking up weapon+shield talent for the extra reflex and deflect?

 

Non-class talent wise, I imagine I need at least 1 weapon focus, maybe 2? Hold the Line will be necessary due to solo and not wanting -10 deflect/sneak attacks. Two weapon fighting. Superior Deflection. Maybe weapon+shield focus, maybe bull's will (though less likely to be necessary in solo?)

[Elric Galad]

I would consider the Soulbound shield for solo survivability but I honnestly don't know what it worths )

 

Unlabored Blade is nice but its per rest power are made for teambuild and, as you said it is a low damage per swing which is annoying especially because of carnage damage malus.

I'll choose preferably a higher base damage weapon for a barb.

[KDubya]

Not solo but with a team I found the soulbound dragon maw shield to be outstanding with Maneha. Carnage works with bash and it has a 25% proc chance on Taste of the Hunt which heals you a bunch. Had it paired with Unlabored Blade, which with its Mythic enchant and the Fire Bug proc, does a great job of putting out damage.

 

Prior to getting those I'd look at using a small shield with a stunning weapon, either the Cladhaliath spear, Starcaller flail,  or Vile Loner's Lance for the disorienting.

 

The change in Maneha's survivability once I re-specced into weapon and shield from dual wield has quite noticeable..

[Boeroer]

If I wanted to do a solo run with a Barb I would still use The Leech build. I tested it yesterday on Maneha and it still works like a charm. Only change is I combined it with multi retaliation from Sura's Supper Plate and Garodh's Chorus, Potion of Flame Shield and Barbaric Retaliation. Scrolls and potions are all buffs like Alacrity, Valor and so on. Key item is still the Ring of Unshackling. You can keep up all buffs with Spelltongue as long as there are enough enemies around you and you don't get CC'd (which doesn't happen if you cast Suppress Affliction first).

Damage is good, tankyness is awesome. Only problem are enemies that are immune to pierce damage. But you can use a mace or dagger for the second weapon slot and switch when your buffs' durations got prolonged a lot.

[Raven Darkholme]

First off if you're new to soloing this game in general, a barbarian might not be the best choice.

Other than that Boroers Leech build definitely has potential, as he pointed out already, otherwise I would go for stunning weapons.

[Boeroer]

First off if you're new to soloing this game in general, a barbarian might not be the best choice.

Right. It will be quite the challenge. Barbs + solo is a bit like sawed off shotgun + elephant.

[PX1player]

Well, I'm not a huge fan of chanters and I just finished playing Paladin

Barbarian just feels fun to play I guess.

 

I'll check out your leech build. I'm amazed you can actually retaliate twice with Supper Plate and Garodh! Great find that

[Reent]

Jeah, chanters have only 2 ways to solo and one of them is really really really... uninteresting

 

I'd love to solo with barb, but i dont know how to deal with stunlock enemies, i dont want to play a class if my only answer to 50% of the game is "scrolls".

(if someone here tells me how to kill lagafuaeth, spectres etc without scrolls with barb, i'd go and play him... with monk i can use 50% CC reduction, with fighter and paladin i can get my defense high enough, but barb?)

[Raven Darkholme]

@Retaliate

Did you guys notice that retaliate received another nerf?

It rolls against saves now and after the damage nerf it was already quite mediocre.

 

@Reent

Barbarian without scrolls only works for the maingame as soon as you go for completionist you will need a lot of scrolls.

[Boeroer]

I'd love to solo with barb, but i dont know how to deal with stunlock enemies,

That's where the Ring of Unshackling comes in handy, my hard rocking amigo. It's duration also get's prolonged by Spelltongue - but every time it does that it also supresses new afflictions. It's like a re-appliance after every hit. No annoying afflictions (that can be supressed) at all. At least this was the case before the latest patch. Don't think they changed that - too specific. You can still be stunned of course. Like when they stun you and you can't hit anymore - I think then you also can't remove the stun affliction. For that situation I prefer the following setup: the shield you get from the drake in the Endless Paths lvl 5 (forgot the name, Brysomthing's Solace) + any other preservation item (like Blaidh Golan). Those stack! If you get stunned, switch to that shield setup (switching still works) and you will have +100 to all defenses. Same with prone. On top of that you can wear another item that has Break Out (-50% stun and prone duration). You will get stunned, but not for long and you will niot get hurt a lot with +100 to all defenses.

This doesn't work with paralyzed and petrified. Against Lagufaeth (who paralyze, not stun - sadly) you can use that shield Alia Braccia that you get from the monks in Twin Elms. It turns 100% ranged Grazes to misses and reflects them back. You just need to make sure that your deflection is high enough to let them graze. Use a Scroll of Defense and Stalwart Defiance, then it should work. Then they are paralyzing themselves all the time and it's a cakewalk. And then tehere's allways scrolls against affliction that grant immunity and... also get prolonged by Spelltongue!

 

@Raven: yes, seems bad at first. But on the other had it also crits now - which is quite aweseome if you have some means of debuffing deflection without paralyzing (like Binding Rope,  Aspirant's Mark and so on) and buffing ACC. I would say it's even better in a party - if you're not using dumped PER and don't fight against monsters that are too high of level. For soloing this is bad, I agree. The good thing with the barb is that he can possibly stack 5/4 retaliations (that cause damage) a once (5 if he's a fire godlike): Battle Forged + Potion of Flame Shield or Mantle of the Wreathing Flame + Garodh's Chorus or Coat of Ill Payment or Hiro's Mantle or Vengiatta Rugia + Sura's Supper Plate. With high MIG, Greater Frenzy, One Stands Alone and Vulnerable Attack you can accumulate a pretty high retaliation damage. And then think of all the new items that do something when you receive hits/crits, like Binding Rope, that Laveder thingy, Swaddling Sheet and so on. I think it could be viable in solo mode - combined with carnage and the buff-prolonging setup that keeps up Savage Defiance and Frenzy and all other buffs all the time... But I never did a solo run, so who knows for certain? Also - to get to Spelltongue you will have to do beat a good amount of the game without that effect.  

Edited April 1, 2016 by Boeroer

[Reent]

hmmm, i didnt know about stacking preservation...

i knew about some of the shields, maybe i will start a barb run in a bit... it sounds like more fun than chanter - with the ranged graze retun it should be kinda fine later on.

Or i will try monk, both look like nice solo characters with correct item choices...

 

(PS, looking at shields made me see the "game breaking" shield for solo chanter - Black Sanctuary WTF is this ****? Use it and you have a long long time free damage in hard encounters... sure you have to kill the alpine dragon, but that is a possibility, other encounters are harder for solo chanter)

[Boeroer]

You can also loot the hoard of the Alpine Dragon without fighting: the bug of the Cape of the Master Mystic is still active (despite OBS saying differently in the patch notes). When it occurs, travel to Longwatch Falls, go into that cave and just steal everything. The dragon will not notice you. All later dialogue will be the same.

 

By the way the "cast Seal on crit" from Black Sanctuary is only 1/encounter. At least it used to be.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Boeroer

[Jojobobo]

And then think of all the new items that do something when you receive hits/crits, like Binding Rope, that Laveder thingy, Swaddling Sheet and so on.

It's worth mentioning that you can't get any of these items on solo as they're all adventure items. Obviously you can recruit a companion to do these things for you and then just not use them, but it defeats it being a solo run somewhat (and wouldn't count for one in terms of achievements).

[Boeroer]

Oh right: forgot about that. You should be able to send your steward in a palanquin or something.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Boeroer

[Raven Darkholme]

 

I'd love to solo with barb, but i dont know how to deal with stunlock enemies,

That's where the Ring of Unshackling comes in handy, my hard rocking amigo. It's duration also get's prolonged by Spelltongue - but every time it does that it also supresses new afflictions. It's like a re-appliance after every hit. No annoying afflictions (that can be supressed) at all. At least this was the case before the latest patch. Don't think they changed that - too specific. You can still be stunned of course. Like when they stun you and you can't hit anymore - I think then you also can't remove the stun affliction. For that situation I prefer the following setup: the shield you get from the drake in the Endless Paths lvl 5 (forgot the name, Brysomthing's Solace) + any other preservation item (like Blaidh Golan). Those stack! If you get stunned, switch to that shield setup (switching still works) and you will have +100 to all defenses. Same with prone. On top of that you can wear another item that has Break Out (-50% stun and prone duration). You will get stunned, but not for long and you will niot get hurt a lot with +100 to all defenses.

This doesn't work with paralyzed and petrified. Against Lagufaeth (who paralyze, not stun - sadly) you can use that shield Alia Braccia that you get from the monks in Twin Elms. It turns 100% ranged Grazes to misses and reflects them back. You just need to make sure that your deflection is high enough to let them graze. Use a Scroll of Defense and Stalwart Defiance, then it should work. Then they are paralyzing themselves all the time and it's a cakewalk. And then tehere's allways scrolls against affliction that grant immunity and... also get prolonged by Spelltongue!

 

@Raven: yes, seems bad at first. But on the other had it also crits now - which is quite aweseome if you have some means of debuffing deflection without paralyzing (like Binding Rope,  Aspirant's Mark and so on) and buffing ACC. I would say it's even better in a party - if you're not using dumped PER and don't fight against monsters that are too high of level. For soloing this is bad, I agree. The good thing with the barb is that he can possibly stack 5/4 retaliations (that cause damage) a once (5 if he's a fire godlike): Battle Forged + Potion of Flame Shield or Mantle of the Wreathing Flame + Garodh's Chorus or Coat of Ill Payment or Hiro's Mantle or Vengiatta Rugia + Sura's Supper Plate. With high MIG, Greater Frenzy, One Stands Alone and Vulnerable Attack you can accumulate a pretty high retaliation damage. And then think of all the new items that do something when you receive hits/crits, like Binding Rope, that Laveder thingy, Swaddling Sheet and so on. I think it could be viable in solo mode - combined with carnage and the buff-prolonging setup that keeps up Savage Defiance and Frenzy and all other buffs all the time... But I never did a solo run, so who knows for certain? Also - to get to Spelltongue you will have to do beat a good amount of the game without that effect.  

 

Maybe I misinterpreted your post but it sounded like you said it's good vs weak enemies.

That might be the case but against them you don't need it in the first place.

[Kaylon]

What difficulty will you pick? Do you plan to finish all content or not?

Tough fights will be 1vs1 because you'll never be able to fight more than one of the tough guys at a time. To pick the best weapon you have to think what will you do when carnage will be useless and when procs will be resisted or heavily reduced by DR, etc.

This game punishes offensive solo play and the best investment are your defenses or... avoid being hit. 

For the first half of the game the best weapons are the ones with endurace drain. But most of the time you'll have to change the weapon depending of the enemy you face... The best weapon overall is still Drawn in Spring, but it's not easy to get.

[Boeroer]

The good thing about Spelltonge is that you can steal attack speed and durations and then switch to a different setup.

 

I didn't do a whole solo game with that Leech. But I did some bounties solo just to see how he performs on it's own. Turned out is was doable without pulling and splitting. I just stood in the midst of Nalrend and the Gang and kept hitting. Frenzy, Consecrated Ground, Savage & Stalwart Defiance, Suppress Affliction, Scroll of Defense, potion of Eldrtich Aim: they all didn't wear off and soon all Ogres were dead. I had low health afterwards but didn't go down. So if it still works that way I suppose you can solo with that. The big problem is getting Spelltongue.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Boeroer

[Dorftek]

I play on Hard and I've soloed a lot on my PC Barbarian just leaving the other guys at the entrance of the zone.

Spelltongue weapon, Suras supper plate, Chorus helmet, ring of Overseeing, binding rope, Blaidh Golan Armor, Ryona's Varmbracers.

I absolutely love this Barbarian because all his defenses are always high and all consumables you use will be prolonged with carnage+spell tongue.

Blaidh Golan is amazing and can be retrieved early. I'd use this armour on any toon I'd solo on I think.

[Dorftek]

The good thing about Spelltonge is that you can steal attack speed and durations and then switch to a different setup.

 

I didn't do a whole solo game with that Leech. But I did some bounties solo just to see how he performs on it's own. Turned out is was doable without pulling and splitting. I just stood in the midst of Nalrend and the Gang and kept hitting. Frenzy, Consecrated Ground, Savage & Stalwart Defiance, Suppress Affliction, Scroll of Defense, potion of Eldrtich Aim: they all didn't wear off and soon all Ogres were dead. I had low health afterwards but didn't go down. So if it still works that way I suppose you can solo with that. The big problem is getting Spelltongue.

Wound binding works with spelltongue. For long hard AoE battles it's quite nice

[Boeroer]

What? Really? I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. How exactly does it work? Will you get more than 40% health out of it then?

[Dorftek]

What? Really? I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. How exactly does it work? Will you get more than 40% health out of it then?

I'm going to have to test that, just fought that fampyr bounty in sewers solo on the Barb and tested it there but it was a bad spot for testing cuz of all the charms and debuffs I was struggling harder to keep my endurance up so I eventually had to split the grp in two to kill them.. Not sure where to go and test this. I'll try to find a good spot and get my HP critically low somehow

 

But the duration of wound binding went up so I just figured it worked. But I didn't consider the "40%" part

Edited April 1, 2016 by Dorftek

[Reent]

You dont get exactly 40%, however i dont know how it scales - it didnt look like it scaled with int and might (had 20 might and 18 int, it healed >40%, but i think under 60%, bb in 5 mins, testing :D)

If it works with spelltongue... i know my barb build xD

 

20 might and 19 int= just under 60% health restored... i'd go ahead and say: it scales with int - so with time - so with spelltongue.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Reent

[Dorftek]

You dont get exactly 40%, however i dont know how it scales - it didnt look like it scaled with int and might (had 20 might and 18 int, it healed >40%, but i think under 60%, bb in 5 mins, testing :D)

If it works with spelltongue... i know my barb build xD

My bad, it won't heal more, when it has healed that 40% the "buff" wears off. It won't heal more cuz of spelltongue, my bad!

[Reent]

 

You dont get exactly 40%, however i dont know how it scales - it didnt look like it scaled with int and might (had 20 might and 18 int, it healed >40%, but i think under 60%, bb in 5 mins, testing :D)

If it works with spelltongue... i know my barb build xD

My bad, it won't heal more, when it has healed that 40% the "buff" wears off. It won't heal more cuz of spelltongue, my bad!

 

You are wrong. It heals more - i tested it just not - the only problem is spelltongue itself, i used chanter and activated wound binding - healed 60%, attacked a random enemy with spelltongue and used wound binding- healed 60%, i attacked an enemy that had buffs active - i got about 1 sec duration per attack and it healed >60%, that is something you cant do all the time (taking enemy buffs) so it works but... looks hard^^ one stun and you are done :D One fight enemies dont use buffs - no use

Edited April 1, 2016 by Reent

[Jojobobo]

Speaking of Spelltongue, does it work with Triggered Immunity (from my understanding of how it works without using it - stealing duration off enemies and using it for your own positive effects)? Seems like a pretty crazy way to use it, seeing as it the right situations it makes you completely immortal (though again really only a late game option). With Ryona's Breastplate this doesn't even need to be the sole providence of a Fighter either.

 

Top that off with Ring of Unshackling and other elements of Boeroer's Leech Build (the scrolls, etc.) and you'd be ridiculously over-powered.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Jojobobo