Let's talk about steadfast

[Ben No.3]

I think monks, ciphers and rouges get the best steadfast bonus. A 25% chance to trigger champions boon on kill is huge. Now, my question is how to get there.

Assuming acc is no problem, dual wielding results in the highest DPS, so it should kill things much faster. On the other hand, I might land the finishing blow with my off hand weapon.

 

So will one handed style be the better way to go? It will also do considerable damage, especially due to lots of crits, and while the attack speed is lower, I will definitely kill with steadfast.

 

And finally, which of the three classes do you consider the best wielder?

[JerekKruger]

If you're planning ahead, the easiest way is probably to keep some low level fights undone until you get it. Run through the (first) Xaurip level of Caed Nua wielding it one-handed and I suspect you'll get your five crit kills pretty quickly.

 

I'm not really sure which of those three classes gets the most from Steadfast. Personally I'm not all that sure it's that good a weapon for a damage dealer given it misses out on Durganification and a Lash. 

[prototype00]

I'm rocking it on a Paladin (Pallegina) and I'm not regretting it. It's a nice boost to damage when she cries with the Sunlance.

[Boeroer]

Maybe monk's Torment's Reach would profit most from the +10 MIG. Its cone damage is not weapon based but has its own (high) crush base damage which will profit a lot from +10 MIG. Also the monk can kill very quickly. I just don't know if a kill via Torment's Reach counts. Maybe not.

[rheingold]

It's quite an effort to unlock the weapon - I haven't managed so far... I keep intending to but somehow I just give up halfway.

[Boeroer]

I never ever use it.

[Kaylon]

Champion's boon looks good on paper, but in actual game play you won't see it very often. Assuming you have to land the killing blow on 4 enemies on average before seeing it proc you have to think if it's worth the effort for the enemies left...

 

The best proc for Steadfast is Sunlance - with 20mig It deals 100dmg every 7hits (on average) which compensates better the lack of lash/durgan enchantment.

[prototype00]

And Pallegina usually has Scion of Flame anyway, so you're set.

[Boeroer]

Does Outmanoevering only affect the attacks with the blade or does it also work for spells as long a Steadfast is equipped?

[Boeroer]

Maybe you want to know that Outmanoevering doesn't work with The Dragon Thrashed - so I assume it also doesn't work with spells but only Steadfast's attacks.

[DreamWayfarer]

Maybe it works with stuff like Charge and Clear Out?

[Undesirable]

It's good against dragons, because you normally get a bunch of adds to kill and proc Steadfast before unleashing it on the dragon. Plus you have built-in frightened / terrified protection. The only problem is of you want to switch to a better weapon after proccing Steadfast, you lose fear protection.

[JerekKruger]

It's good against dragons, because you normally get a bunch of adds to kill and proc Steadfast before unleashing it on the dragon. Plus you have built-in frightened / terrified protection. The only problem is of you want to switch to a better weapon after proccing Steadfast, you lose fear protection.

 

Meh, immunity to frightened and terrified is easy to get through a Priest or a scroll, and there are still better weapons for killing dragons. If you're a dedicated single target damage dealer and you really want Champion's Boon, you can even get a Priest to cast it on you (there might even be a scroll for it, I don't remember as I rarely use scrolls).

[Jojobobo]

I still really don't get people's concern with Terrified and dragons - if you have around 100 Will, take Whiteleaf and use Looped Rope the procs are pretty rare (and not long lasting). It really isn't much of a big deal.

Edited October 31, 2016 by Jojobobo

[Boeroer]

Or skip the fuzz, skill lore to 2 (!) and use a scroll.

[JerekKruger]

Use consumables, but what if I need them later?

[AndreaColombo]

You buy or craft them again?

 

Besides, dragons are among the hardest fights; no point in hoarding consumables for another, easier encounter.

[Undesirable]

I still really don't get people's concern with Terrified and dragons - if you have around 100 Will, take Whiteleaf and use Looped Rope the procs are pretty rare (and not long lasting). It really isn't much of a big deal.

 

 

Or skip the fuzz, skill lore to 2 (!) and use a scroll.

 

 

You buy or craft them again?

 

Besides, dragons are among the hardest fights; no point in hoarding consumables for another, easier encounter.

 

There's a couple of circumstances where it's not always a great idea to use protection against fear scrolls vs. dragons when an item could be granting it: when you're solo it takes quite a long time to cast one, factoring in all the potions you need to quaff too. So if you have low concentration then enemies may keep interrupting you if you can't give yourself enough space to cast it. I concur that most of the time it is possible to to quaff DAoM then quickly cast the scroll and anything else you need, but if by chance you find yourself surrounded, then perhaps you will be unable to get one off.

 

Secondly, if you have the most important potions on your quick items bar (PoDAoM, PoLDI, War Paint and an Endurance Pot) you're out of room unless you take Deep Pockets, which may not work for every build when you're soloing dragons.

[Jojobobo]

I still think Whiteleaf is easier than the scroll in some ways, as the scroll takes up a quick slot and you have to be casting it all the time to keep it maintained. I think the easiest, easiest way to do these fights is to use Whiteleaf over Scrolls of Prayer Against Fear and Carow Golan over Potions of Llengrath's Displaced Image (you only need the Reflex not the Deflection for most dragon fights, which is the same in both instances) plus Scrolls of Defence (so long as the Int drop from Carow isn't going to hurt your scroll durations too much) - that way you only have one thing to maintain and can focus on beating down the dragons much more easily.

 

There's a couple of circumstances where it's not always a great idea to use protection against fear scrolls vs. dragons when an item could be granting it: when you're solo it takes quite a long time to cast one, factoring in all the potions you need to quaff too. So if you have low concentration then enemies may keep interrupting you if you can't give yourself enough space to cast it. I concur that most of the time it is possible to to quaff DAoM then quickly cast the scroll and anything else you need, but if by chance you find yourself surrounded, then perhaps you will be unable to get one off.

 

Secondly, if you have the most important potions on your quick items bar (PoDAoM, PoLDI, War Paint and an Endurance Pot) you're out of room unless you take Deep Pockets, which may not work for every build when you're soloing dragons.

That's why I said to use the Whiteleaf, you use it before battle, it's long lasting - and it works more or less just as well, at least if you use Looped Rope too (with belts not being the most competitive clothing slot to begin with). It does make Steadfast rather pointless.

Edited November 1, 2016 by Jojobobo

[JerekKruger]

You buy or craft them again?

 

Besides, dragons are among the hardest fights; no point in hoarding consumables for another, easier encounter.

 

Sorry I was joking. I am a hoarder, but even I will use consumables on dragon fights.

[Jojobobo]

I think most shops replenish their stock just on resting, or they have a chance to. In this way, there really isn't a limited supply of any one consumable (apart from something like Mind Grubs). I've played too many survival horror games to want to part with consumables easily, but know knowing that it's pretty easy to get a lot more if you take a little time I'm being much more frivolous with them on my new playthroughs.

[JerekKruger]

Huh, I didn't know that. I always assumed shop stocks were limited. Maybe I'll actually drink one of my minor potions of regeneration in my next play through, probably not, but maybe.

[Dr <3]

Yes shop refill , but not on exactly rest. I think you need at least to Travel to another map, or maybe they restock every day...

[Kaylon]

Yes, merchants restock every day. Also, since WM2 every ingredient is sold by at least a merchant (save the dragon/kraken parts).

[Jojobobo]

Guess I just figured it was on rest as I was travelling from the White March to get these ingredients - in any case it's very regular so you don't need to be too worried about using supplies up (by the Abbey of the Fallen Moon I think I had 300k gold, more to limitlessly buy whatever I wanted for the end game).