Triple crown party

[Wald0]

Hey everyone, just wanted to get some feedback and strategies for my current triple crown party. I have failed iron mode a few times in the past but I think I found a good balance here thats fun to play.

 

Thanks to Boeroer and SimpleEnigma for 3 of my party members.

 

PC - ranged DPS rogue - madhornet

Fighter - dps - the Engineer

Fighter - tank - Eder

Paladin - tank - from SimpleEnigma

Priest - Durance

Druid - not sure what to call it, I have cat form and investing heavilly in shock damage.

 

I loved casting insect plague in bg2 so I cant wait for my druid to get high enough level to cast it, as well as the high level storm spells.

 

I kept 2 story characters so I at least get some of their quests and also get the party customization I want.

 

Any advice on combat strategies for what I have would be great, i'm looking to complete this run and I'll scratch tooth and nail to stay alive!

[Boeroer]

Just a suggestion: maybe you want change one fighter for a chanter? With Ancient Memory, Beloved Spirits and Veteran's Recovery as well as Rise Again he can be really useful and will prevent party wipeouts. He will have the same regeneration than a fighter but also heals in an AoE and deals more damage at the same time. Great trick is using chokepoints and cast White Worms over and over again (turn off the gib option in the game options) until you get The Dragon Thrashed. This makes the gameÄs beginning - Act I basically - very easy compared to using a fighter (also because you already have one). Once you hit lvl 13 I would retrain the paladin intoi a Sacred Immolation monster (max MIG and INT, high PER). I had a Dragon Thrashed chanter team up with a Scared Immolation Paladin once and the game got way too easy on PoTD.

 

Anopther nice trick is to use the chanter with a damaging chant (first Come Sweet Winds, later The Dragon Thrashed), blocking a chokepoint with him and cast Withdraw on him. He will be invulnerable but won't stop singing, damaging foes. 

 

Mad Hornet will go down very quickly if you don't watch out. I mean it's ToI after all. Maybe give him a bit more CON? Or Fast Runner...  

Edited July 13, 2016 by Boeroer

[Kazuma]

Found him, Waldo... (Sorry, I couldn't resist. Some children's book I remember my younger siblings having around when they were wee ones).

 

Sacred Immolation + Dragon Thrashed = OP? Hmmm.. I honestly don't even know the details of sacred immolation as the wiki doesn't have a page for it... *googles*

[Pax_Empyrean]

Druid - not sure what to call it, I have cat form and investing heavilly in shock damage.

Thundercats HOOOOO!!!

[InsaneCommander]

Boeroer's chanter builds are great. You should definitely check them out.

[Wald0]

Just a suggestion: maybe you want change one fighter for a chanter? With Ancient Memory, Beloved Spirits and Veteran's Recovery as well as Rise Again he can be really useful and will prevent party wipeouts. He will have the same regeneration than a fighter but also heals in an AoE and deals more damage at the same time. Great trick is using chokepoints and cast White Worms over and over again (turn off the gib option in the game options) until you get The Dragon Thrashed. This makes the gameÄs beginning - Act I basically - very easy compared to using a fighter (also because you already have one). Once you hit lvl 13 I would retrain the paladin intoi a Sacred Immolation monster (max MIG and INT, high PER). I had a Dragon Thrashed chanter team up with a Scared Immolation Paladin once and the game got way too easy on PoTD.

 

Anopther nice trick is to use the chanter with a damaging chant (first Come Sweet Winds, later The Dragon Thrashed), blocking a chokepoint with him and cast Withdraw on him. He will be invulnerable but won't stop singing, damaging foes. 

 

Mad Hornet will go down very quickly if you don't watch out. I mean it's ToI after all. Maybe give him a bit more CON? Or Fast Runner...

 

 

Ahhh, now there's a neat trick. So the chanter effectively becomes a pilon but can still chant. I do like the door jam move and this makes it even better. ATM my party isn't too squishy so it can handle an open fight, that was one my main goals. One question though: if I use Withdraw will enemies still attack the withdrawn character? For an open fight that would be important to know and I have never used that spell yet. Thanks for the suggestion and i'll probably make the change.

 

I'm trying to get items that will raise constitution for madhornet. I found a pair of boots for +1 constitution thus far.

 

EDIT: put my post in the quote, fixed now.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Wald0

[Kazuma]

Afaik they wouldn't lose interest in fighting and even if they changed targets the chanter is blocking the chokepoint? Or did I misunderstand? Open fight? I don't know how well that would work if you're not using a chokepoint, but from what I've read here mobs generally don't change targets once they've engaged one. The trick would be making sure that happened before the chanter got withdrawn. But that's what offtanks are for, right? With any luck you can engage any loose mobs within the range of the chant so it doesn't loose it's effectiveness.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Kazuma

[DreamWayfarer]

but from what I've read here mobs generally don't change targets once they've engaged one.

That used to be true a long time ago. Now the AI checks for DR, defenses and maybe damage and class to determine targets, and if your engager is a low-damage tank they may disengage. May.

Edited July 14, 2016 by DreamWayfarer

[Kazuma]

On one hand AI that doesn't mindlessly attack the first target you present to it should be celebrated. On the other hand it shouldn't just mindlessly attack the next target in a list it sees. Of course if the AI was super cunning we'd need more tools in which to level the playing field. AI with some inkling of self preservation would be a start.

[Boeroer]

There are certain criteria like low DR and deflection or if it's a caster - things like that influence which char the enemy will attack.

 

When you are withdrawn the enemy will act as if you weren't there. As if you were an obstacle in the environment. So in open fights this is not as useful as with a chokepoint. But it still can prevent your chanter from going down while he still causes damage and accumulates phrases.

 

One of the best tricks at high levels is this: make a tanky character (like said chanter) and put on either the Solace shield from the Drake or Little Savior plus another item with the preservation enchantment. Those will stack and give you +100 to all defenses while you are stunned or prone (minus the affliction). This will make you untouchable while you are disabled. Good enough... but now cast Withdraw on that chanter plus Defensive Mindweb: Withdraw counts as a stun effect and your chanter will get +100 to all defenses. Defensive Mindweb makes sure all the party will have his defensive values. It's "Hahaha try to hit me, puny dragon"-godmode.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Boeroer

[Kazuma]

Foot -> Mouth.

 

Bubble-Hearth. Err.. wrong game and decade.

 

lol. Basically group bubble. But the question is, would it last long enough to assure victory?

[Boeroer]

Defensive Mindweb lasts for 30 sec with 10 INT. So 45 with 20 INT. Withdraw only lasts 20 (30) sec - but you can have it as Spell Mastery by then. You can turn your cipher into a supersquishy glasscannon who harvests focus like a boss and cast Reaping Knives and Mindweb all the time. There's also the Black Sanctuary which has Spell Binding: Withdraw.

 

I think it's enough to beat any fight. YOu can turn your glasscannons into supertanks who even rip dragons apart while only getting grazed at best.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Boeroer

[Kaylon]

If you make your own priest he can start with 20int and add +4int from ring, +3int from resting and +2int from whore - that's 39s for withdraw which is more than enough for most fights considering your offensive power - and you can have that every encounter with spell mastery. On top you can have 5 more uses or spells like Crown for the Faithful or Minor avatar which can increase the duration even more. Basically you don't have to rest anymore once you get Defensive Mindweb. You can have at the same time +20%dmg against flanking targets (from survival bonus) for your damage dealers and specialize the priest in mechanics.

[Boeroer]

Too bad Defensive Mindweb comes so late.

[Kazuma]

Just think how broken a new game plus would be for POE. Having max level abilities from the start of the game? You'd be a wreaking ball unless they buffed the encounters to an insane degree. Well not that I know first hand, but what you're describing would trivialize things.