Help me to choose a build

[Velehal]

I´m going to play death godlike melee wizard (PotD difficulty) but can´t decide which build to use. I have three in mind and still vacillate between them. 

 

1) two-handed build:

 

- arcane veil

- hardened veil

- weapon focus (any, will be using mainly summoned weapons)

- two-handed style

- interrupting blows or savage attack

- superior deflection

- bear´s fortitude

- body control

 

2) Bittercut/sabre build (preferably two Bittercuts) 

 

- arcane veil

- hardened veil

- weapon focus: ruffian

- two weapon style

- savage attack

- spirit of decay

- bear´s fortitude

- body control

 

3) daggers build

 

- arcane veil

- hardened veil

- weapon focus: noble

- two weapon style

- vulnerable attack

- savage attack 

- bear´s fortitude

- body control 

 

I really can´t decide which to use. 

[Raven Darkholme]

Summoned weapons too stronk.

[Belfaldurnik]

From the three options you've presented, they don't differ in essential ways. You've not commented on them either. A wizard with Weapon Focus Ruffian doesn't rule out using the nice summoned weapons, such as Citzal's Spirit Lance.

 

Melee wizard is painfully micro-management intensive. By the time your wizard has prepared for battle casting self-buffs, more efficient companions have done most of the work already. And then you still may need to stay out of trouble and avoid ranged attacks, because boosting your defenses would require casting additional spells first. A quick Monk outperforms a melee wizard, because the Monk is ready for battle immediately and causes the enemies serious problems while even getting stronger from support and wounds. As yourself whether you want to play a melee wizard for more than 9-11 levels, if you plan to do also The White March?

 

Rather, I would aim at a versatile wizard. Build a wizard that can adjust to your requirements and contributes whatever is most helpful. The full show from crowd control to area damage or self-buffs to contribute melee/ranged attacks, if necessary.

[Boeroer]

In my opinion the two handed variant with focus on Citzal's Spirit Lance with Savage Attack, Two Handed Style and also Apprentice's Sneak Attack is the most fun. If you take the Doemenel route and use afflictions like Curse of Blackened Sight (or whatever causes long lasting afflictions) before you attack and follow the summoning of the weapon and Alacrity with Martial Power then the damage is almost obscene.

 

If you use Veteran's Recovery, Infuse with Vital Essence and Concelhaut's Siphon you're sturdy enough for melee even without prebuffing. The summoned weapons are pretty strong (also in terms of ACC bonuses) and you don't necessarily need to buff your accuracy yourself either. Priest who does some party buffing anyways is nice though.

 

Wizards are always versatile. No matter his you build them.

 

A dual wielding wizard is also fun because you can reach 0 recovery very quickly due to Alacrity. But even that can't compete with Citzal's AoE damage. With Hardened Veil + Wizard's Double + Alacrity + the lance + Martial Power you can do most bounties alone.

 

Dual wielding is limited to single target damage and thus you will find yourself using spells all the time because attacking with sabres is just inferior.

BUT as I said it can be fun.

 

In my last play through I did a wizard specialized on Novice's Suffering and all touch based spells (Jolting Touch and so on). Novice's Suffering works well with Martial Power because its flat damage bonus gets boosted by MIG. It was supposed to be a gimmicky build, but it worked surprisingly well. Martial Power also boosts Veteran's Recovery like crazy. And the best thing: spellcasting is blocked, but spell binding items still work.

 

This leads me to another option for dual wielding. Two times Flames of Fair Rhian, Spell Mastery Fireball, Amulet of Summer Solstice, Sun-Touched Mail, Animancer's Boots, Taluntain's Staff in second slot, Ring of Wizardry for bonus spells lvl 3 and the talent that gives you one additional spell of lvl 3. Scion of Flame... This leads to a wizard who can cast up to 16 Fireballs per rest, 9 of them with Martial Power, 6 Sunbeams and 3 Jolting Touches with Martial Power. This is also quite nice. And you'll have the dual sabres and can attack with high speed.

Edited May 19, 2017 by Boeroer

[Raven Darkholme]

Wizards buffs are cast super quick btw it's not lik a priest buffing up in the slightest.

[Velehal]

It seems that I will stick with the two-handed build and maybe take Veteran´s Recovery instead of Superior Deflection. I undestand that there are probably more efficient builds than melee mage, but I love this conception of melee wizard. I play it in every game wherever it is at least a bit viable.

[Boeroer]

It's totally viable in PoE - the summoned weapons will give you a great outcome of a single spell use. They are powerful and last very long. And nothing stops you from nuking everything to the ground with AoE spells, too - if you feel like it.

[Velehal]

Just another question concerning melee wizard. Has anybody tried melee wizard with shied + single handed weapon? Arcane Veil is awesome, but has short duration and can be used only twice per rest. I know that there are builds for tanky wizards with shields, but I´m looking more for melee wizard using shield as his primary way of defence (+ spells, of course, maybe skiping Veil altogether ). The problem is that single handed weapons don´t do as much damage as two-handed and all summoned weapons are two-handed. Two weapons, that seem to  ideal for this build, are probably Spelltongue (but it probably requires Vulnerable Attack to compensate for low damage) or Bittercut (Spirit of Decay is useful for other corrosive spells). 

[Boeroer]

Yes: Bilestomper

[Velehal]

What do you think is the best weapon to durganize for a melee wizard. Of coure he will be using Spirit Lance in the difficult battles, but oherwise there are many great two-handed weapons, especially in the soldier category (Tidefall, The Hours of St. Rumbald, Tall Grass). 

[Livegood118]

Something I've been thinking about:

 

Does a Wizard using Kalakoth's Minor Blights with Blast and Penetrating Blast do more damage up close than a Wizard with Citzals Spirit lance?

 

I think they might.