Help me build Solo Potd Barb plz

[Dorftek]

So i have been playing solo Potd with a wizard for a while, i just hit lvl 8 earlier but i miss melee and the thrill of finding cool weapons with effects on em. So i thought to myself, wich class would make best use of weapons with on hit/crit effects on em? Barb ofcourse! :D

 

After looking at the barbs talents on the wiki i can see that i will have very tough choices because many of them looks really good. 

 

So first of all i need to decide on a race, i've been thinking maybe Pale Elf for elemental DR or human for "oh ****" dmg. Fire godlike have crossed my mind too but i really do not like not being able to equip helmets. Also Godlikes are butt-ugly.

Suggestions?

 

Is it possible to build a solid self healing Barb with draining weapons and appreantice veterans recovery?

 

Dual Wield or Two-hander? I've been speculating around using the Firebrand gloves and grabbing the Scion of flame talent for really good burst dmg.

 

Barbarian Talents:

 

This is where it gets really difficult for me. This is where i'd really need ur input. 

 

Lvl 5: Two really nice options and i have to choose one =(

 

One Stands Alone (+20% dmg when fighting 2 foes or more) VS Brute Force (Target Fortitude if its lower then Deflection). What makes this choice so difficult is because i can see that on lvl 7 there is a talent that will sicken nearby foes. Wich lowers Fortitude by 10. What do u guys think?

 

Lvl 7: THREE really tempting options.. =/

 

Thick Skinned (More DR) VS Blood Thirst (Recover immedietly after a killing blow) VS Threatening Presence (Foe AoE Sickened around me)

 

Will the DR (+3 slash/pierce/crush) make enough difference? Bloodthirst sound amazing but Threatening Presence sounds really good too when combined with Brute Force + on crit effect weapons.

 

lvl 9 only one option for a solo character wich is Barbaric shout (wich i do not care much about)

 

lvl 11 goes to Heart Of Fury

 

lvl 13 probably goes to Dragon Leap.

 

Should i side with Doemenels for higher crit multiplier or with Crucible Knights for more DR?

 

If u have other input to add then what i have asked i'd glady hear it =)

 

[Raven Darkholme]

I like me some  Aumaua but honestly almost everything works.

Firebrand is really awesome on a barbarian, especially the new belt from Deadfire merchant.

Brute Force is not that good, you might have room for it at some point (it's not bad either), but pls don't take it over OSA, which is far superior.

Thick skinned is not that good and Threatening presence only works with Brute Force, but beware, enemy ciphers will perma stun you with it, so kill them before you pick it, I'd rather go for Blood Thirst.

After HoF (and dual wielding from then on) it does not matter too much how you build, just beware that with firebrand before HoF you need higher Dex (I personally would max it) and once you get HoF you don't need any dex.

 

edit: here:s some old footage of my firebrand barb, would have looked a lot better if I wasn't to cheap for fear immunity scrolls and can be done at quite earlier level

Edited December 4, 2017 by Raven Darkholme

[Dorftek]

I like me some  Aumaua but honestly almost everything works.

Firebrand is really awesome on a barbarian, especially the new belt from Deadfire merchant.

Brute Force is not that good, you might have room for it at some point (it's not bad either), but pls don't take it over OSA, which is far superior.

Thick skinned is not that good and Threatening presence only works with Brute Force, but beware, enemy ciphers will perma stun you with it, so kill them before you pick it, I'd rather go for Blood Thirst.

After HoF (and dual wielding from then on) it does not matter too much how you build, just beware that with firebrand before HoF you need higher Dex (I personally would max it) and once you get HoF you don't need any dex.

 

edit: here:s some old footage of my firebrand barb, would have looked a lot better if I wasn't to cheap for fear immunity scrolls and can be done at quite earlier level

 

Yeah looks cool :D How much Con do u recommend for early game?

[Jojobobo]

For solo I'd recommend one of either:

 

-Defensive Barbarian, with a Bash shield and healing, something like the Golden Dragon build.

 

-A high dam/high DPS Barb. You can do this two handed as Raven Darkholme suggested (with Firebrand being very good currently), or go for two weapons. I'm not sure what weapons are best for a two weapon build - Barbs don't have the best accuracy so I'm not too sure how well Prone/Stun on crit works these days. Going Unarmed works pretty well as the damage is consistent (it's largely unaffected by graze/crit/carnage - with them all doing damage around that of a hit) so I'd say that's definitely viable. Essentially here you're using high damage rather than tankiness to try and dispatch foes as quickly as possible.

[Boeroer]

For dual wielding I'd recommend hammers. The two damage types are especially usful when soloing, you get a very nice hammer early (Shatterstar) and later you can pick up Godansthunyr. Both hammers also have higher interruopt power than normal (normal: 0.5 ses, Shatterstar: 1 sec, Godnasthunyr: 0.75 secs) which also helps when going solo. Get high PER and Interrupting Blows as well as Arthek's Cord. This will make your attack interrupt most of the time and helps if you can't always cause stuns. It's a good combo of CC and dps.

 

By the time you get Godansthunyr (stun on crit) you also have high accuracy due to Carnage getting +1 accuracy per char level (because active ability).

With Accurate Carnage you will have an ACC bonus of +11 compared to auto-attacks (-10 carnage malus +16 level bonus +5 Accurate Carnage) so crits ae common against most mobs. Also, it a solo char you are overleveled most of the time after the mid game and crits are more common.

 

I always take high CON and Veteran's Recovery + high survival and an item with +25% healing bonus for barbs without shields. They profit from self healing a lot because they tend to have high MIG and INT and their health pool is very, very big so they don't run out of health quickly. You can even dump DEX (which normaly is a gimpage of dps) because the combo Frenzy + Bloodlust + Blood Thirst (later paired with Heart of Fury) leads to awesome attack speed even low DEX. Early game is tedious though. You can easily retrain after lvl 11 of course and only dump DEX then.

 

This is a great "alrounder" setup. However, to maximize the damage of Heart of Fury you will need Bittercut (+ Spirit of Decay) and Purgatory. The first has dual damage and is the one handed weapon with the highest damage on hit (best choice for HoF) and Purgatory heals you via carnage-draining. THe only downside is Purgatory's single damage type.

 

Other good combos with Two Handers are Firebrand (+Scion of Flame, see Jojobobo's answer), Tidefall, HoS Rumbalt or Tall Grass with a barb. Here I would always use Frenzy + Bloodlust + Blood Thirst and I wouldn't dump DEX. The most hilarious thing is St. Ydwen's Redeemer as backup weapon for vessels if paired with Blood Thirst. destroying a vessel will trigger Blood Thirst. Since the destroying works with carnage it's always big fun to see groups of vessels getting annihilated in seconds.

 

Another great approach is to stack retaliation and pair it with Blood Thirst: take a Fire Godlike (yeah, ugly, but very powerful with a solo barb), use potions of Flame shield or get the Cannoneer Belt and pick Blooded + One Stands Alone + Bloodlust + Blood Thirst and later Barbaric Retaliation. Best item indeed is the Cannoneer Belt because it geives you Flame Shield on a received crit. This three kinds of retalation are very powerful at higher levels (don't bother with normal retaliation items) and they all trigger Blood Thirst on kill. Same as the Colored Coat which casts Wicked Briars once you drop below 51% endurance. Wicked Briars also triggers Blood Thirst. You will be able to attack with (normally slow) Firebrand having reduced (or nullified) recovery most of the time. It's very good.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Boeroer

[Dorftek]

Thank you guys for your help i greatly appreciate it!

 

Im definitely going for dps barb but i will not use Fists. Fists are the reason i cant stay with monk for more then 8 lvls before i get bored.

 

Boeroer:

Do you consider accurate carnage worth a talent point? The Zealous aura is only one less accuracy and would apply to auto attacks and even scrolls/gear aswell as carnage or am i mistaken?

 

Id really like to get gloves of the mechanic and Searing ring in Raedrics but that means id have to be able to get into Raedrics castle at lvl 3, i Wonder if this will be possible on a barb as id have to kill that tanky guard with the poleaxe if i want enough mechanics. Have u guys done this? How would i optimize my attributes to get through this?

[Dorftek]

Appearantly I cant edit my post on my phone, cant find an option for it. I forgot to ask if frightened or terrified enables sneak attacks? Is it worth taking sneak attack on a solo barb?

[Raven Darkholme]

Frightenend and Terriefied is not a sneak attack affliction.

You don't need to kill the tanky guard you need like 4 stealth I think to sneak by him (just keep close to the right side and don't try to sneak in while the archer is rotating)

Accurate Carnage is really good with Firebrand, but you might want to take Focus first.

[Boeroer]

Frightened and Terrified do not add sneak attacks.

Taking Apprentice's Sneak Attack can be benefical if you have means to trigger Sneak Attack. There are several options (less for a solo barb because you can't get some nice items from stronghold adventures like the Binding Rope for example).

But there are some nice options left:

• The aforementioned Colored Coat triggers Wicked Briars which also hobbles periodically in an AoE - so Sneak Attack will also get applied with Carnage.
• Eldryn's Jacket can cause Blind when you get hit or crit. 
• all weapons that stun or prone on crit can unlock sneak attack on that target (Hours of St. Rumbalt, Tall Grass, The Temperacl, Mabec's Morning Star, We Toki, Godansthunyr, Starcaller, Cladhaliath)
• Spell bindings or scrolls that cause an affliction (like Amulet of Summer Solstice - Sunbeam/blind or Sun-Touched Mail of Hyan Rath - Sunbeam/blind and so on)

However, for a solo barb I would always prefer Gallant's Focus or Vulnerable Attack over Apprentice's Sneak Attack. Even an elemental talent for the lash on your weapon (like Scion of Flame for a burning lash) is better in my opinion.

Appr. Sneak only adds 2 damage per swing on a heavy one hander and 2.5 to two handers. Vulnerable Attack will give you +5 damage per swing with a speed loss (which doesn't matter for retaliation, Blood Thirst and Heart of Fury) and is clearly better in this case because it comes with no preconditions.

 

Even an elemental talent on a lash is better: imagine you roll 30 damage on average with a hit and 47 with a crit (and this is only with mediocre dmg bonuses and enchantments). Then something like Scion of Flame will give you +1.5 on hit/+2.4 on crit for the lash without preconditions. With Bittercut or Firebrand it's even better because it also gives you +20% additive weapon damage without preconditions.

Of course if you can take Gallant's Focus AND Vulnerable Attack AND an elemental talent then it's good to take Apprentice's Sneak Attack as well if you have talent points left.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Boeroer

[Dorftek]

Frightenend and Terriefied is not a sneak attack affliction.

You don't need to kill the tanky guard you need like 4 stealth I think to sneak by him (just keep close to the right side and don't try to sneak in while the archer is rotating)

Accurate Carnage is really good with Firebrand, but you might want to take Focus first.

 

I dont think i can get 4 stealth and 4 mechanics on lvl 3 with a Barb. Even with Drifter. I need 5 mechanics to be able to free Giacco because i am pretty sure i cannot defeat the witch

 

Edit: Hmm 4 mechanics might be enough (3+rest bonus). This might be possible! 

 

Frightened and Terrified do not add sneak attacks.

 

Taking Apprentice's Sneak Attack can be benefical if you have means to trigger Sneak Attack. There are several options (less for a solo barb because you can't get some nice items from stronghold adventures like the Binding Rope for example).

 

But there are some nice options left:

• The aforementioned Colored Coat triggers Wicked Briars which also hobbles periodically in an AoE - so Sneak Attack will also get applied with Carnage.
• Eldryn's Jacket can cause Blind when you get hit or crit. 
• all weapons that stun or prone on crit can unlock sneak attack on that target (Hours of St. Rumbalt, Tall Grass, The Temperacl, Mabec's Morning Star, We Toki, Godansthunyr, Starcaller, Cladhaliath)
• Spell bindings or scrolls that cause an affliction (like Amulet of Summer Solstice - Sunbeam/blind or Sun-Touched Mail of Hyan Rath - Sunbeam/blind and so on)

However, for a solo barb I would always prefer Gallant's Focus or Vulnerable Attack over Apprentice's Sneak Attack. Even an elemental talent for the lash on your weapon (like Scion of Flame for a burning lash) is better in my opinion.

 

Appr. Sneak only adds 2 damage per swing on a heavy one hander and 2.5 to two handers. Vulnerable Attack will give you +5 damage per swing with a speed loss (which doesn't matter for retaliation, Blood Thirst and Heart of Fury) and is clearly better in this case because it comes with no preconditions.

 

Even an elemental talent on a lash is better: imagine you roll 30 damage on average with a hit and 47 with a crit (and this is only with mediocre dmg bonuses and enchantments). Then something like Scion of Flame will give you +1.5 on hit/+2.4 on crit for the lash without preconditions. With Bittercut or Firebrand it's even better because it also gives you +20% additive weapon damage without preconditions.

Of course if you can take Gallant's Focus AND Vulnerable Attack AND an elemental talent then it's good to take Apprentice's Sneak Attack as well if you have talent points left.

 

Interesting, Scion of Flame it is! Also adds to firebased scrolls i assume? 

 

Is it even possible to get Cladhaliath when soloing? If so then thats what im getting and im siding with The Dozens :D 

 

If not, would u side with Doemenels or Crucible Knights on a solo barb?

 

Edit Update: I have started the Barb, current stat spread is 16Mig, 14Con, 8Dex, 18Per, 19Int and 3Res

Edited December 4, 2017 by Dorftek

[Raven Darkholme]

 

 

 

I dont think i can get 4 stealth and 4 mechanics on lvl 3 with a Barb. Even with Drifter. I need 5 mechanics to be able to free Giacco because i am pretty sure i cannot defeat the witch

 

Edit: Hmm 4 mechanics might be enough (3+rest bonus). This might be possible! 

 

 

I always use the resting bonus for mechanics, just be sure to also disarm the trap next to Radric's room, while you still have the bonus. (don't open the chest yet unless you actually want the item.)

[Dorftek]

 

 

 

 

I dont think i can get 4 stealth and 4 mechanics on lvl 3 with a Barb. Even with Drifter. I need 5 mechanics to be able to free Giacco because i am pretty sure i cannot defeat the witch

 

Edit: Hmm 4 mechanics might be enough (3+rest bonus). This might be possible! 

 

 

I always use the resting bonus for mechanics, just be sure to also disarm the trap next to Radric's room, while you still have the bonus. (don't open the chest yet unless you actually want the item.)

 

 

4 Stealth is not enough to sneak past the guard, ive tried 5 times now, i can get close enough to see the door icon but i cannot click it, might be because of stupid xbox controllers, and i cannot kill him either.

 

My only option now is to start over and buy a prybar and try the sewar way, i am not optimistic about that tho.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Dorftek

[Jojobobo]

You can kill the guard fairly easily if you use a mace one handed (enchant it to accurate) and give him a beat down. If you've been able to purchase the Bronze Horn figurine that helps too. With a Barb, Savage Defiance is your friend and gives you massive heals at level 3 to help you out in a lot of the encounters, it shouldn't make the guard too tricky.

 

Also, no need to free Giacco, you can just kill Nedmar for his key - no one cares. You don't even have to get the objective from whatever the animancer is called to do this, and he's an easy fight.

[Raven Darkholme]

You can kill the guard fairly easily if you use a mace one handed (enchant it to accurate) and give him a beat down. If you've been able to purchase the Bronze Horn figurine that helps too. With a Barb, Savage Defiance is your friend and gives you massive heals at level 3 to help you out in a lot of the encounters, it shouldn't make the guard too tricky.

 

Also, no need to free Giacco, you can just kill Nedmar for his key - no one cares. You don't even have to get the objective from whatever the animancer is called to do this, and he's an easy fight.

But you have to go into the cellar anyway for the 2 random loot stacks and freeing Giacco is super easy, if you sneak around back where the ladder and slimes are, open the south door and splitpull the skellies one by one.

Killing Nedmar neither saves you time nor makes it reloading less likely unless you plan to go for the basement items super late, but then again there is a couple of traps in the basement, too for nice and easy xp.

[Dorftek]

You can kill the guard fairly easily if you use a mace one handed (enchant it to accurate) and give him a beat down. If you've been able to purchase the Bronze Horn figurine that helps too. With a Barb, Savage Defiance is your friend and gives you massive heals at level 3 to help you out in a lot of the encounters, it shouldn't make the guard too tricky.

 

Also, no need to free Giacco, you can just kill Nedmar for his key - no one cares. You don't even have to get the objective from whatever the animancer is called to do this, and he's an easy fight.

 

Yeah but whole point is i need to go straight there from Gilded Vale to be able to get the ring of combusting wounds and minor gloves of accuracy + gloves of mechanics

 

Edit: Wich makes it impossible to enchant. I did however take the time to go to Magrans Fork to loot the body at the Adra stones, it gave me a Fine Polaxe, but it was'nt enough to take down the guard, my barbarian is super slow and the guard crits me for 25+ dmg basically every hit. I could get a total of 14 DR before fighting him (rest bonus + beer + potion + mail armour) but it didnt seem to do **** about his massive dmg lol and i thought 14 DR vs one low lvl dude would be overkill. Oh how wrong i was...

Edited December 4, 2017 by Dorftek

[Jojobobo]

 

You can kill the guard fairly easily if you use a mace one handed (enchant it to accurate) and give him a beat down. If you've been able to purchase the Bronze Horn figurine that helps too. With a Barb, Savage Defiance is your friend and gives you massive heals at level 3 to help you out in a lot of the encounters, it shouldn't make the guard too tricky.

 

Also, no need to free Giacco, you can just kill Nedmar for his key - no one cares. You don't even have to get the objective from whatever the animancer is called to do this, and he's an easy fight.

 

Yeah but whole point is i need to go straight there from Gilded Vale to be able to get the ring of combusting wounds and minor gloves of accuracy + gloves of mechanics

 

Edit: Wich makes it impossible to enchant. I did however take the time to go to Magrans Fork to loot the body at the Adra stones, it gave me a Fine Polaxe, but it was'nt enough to take down the guard, my barbarian is super slow and the guard crits me for 25+ dmg basically every hit. I could get a total of 14 DR before fighting him (rest bonus + beer + potion + mail armour) but it didnt seem to do **** about his massive dmg lol and i thought 14 DR vs one low lvl dude would be overkill. Oh how wrong i was...

 

I normally head to Raedric's Keep Day 4 of a month. You get Gloves of Manipulation, Belt of Bountiful Healing, and Boots of Stealth (less stealth needed for the Caed Nua Throne Room). Ring of Combusting Wounds can be got from several places (you can get it level 1 of the Endless Paths where Maerwald is for starters, in the fairly easy SW spider room), and Gloves of Minor Accuracy aren't going to make a world of difference.

 

By waiting until Day 4, you can also hit level 3 quite comfortably (you can do the Blacksmith's quest without fighting anyone, sneaking to the cargo crate even without stealth skill, you'll have time to rest after Gilded Veil so that the Watcher bit at the tree triggers, and you can do Against the Grain too, leave the bear until later) and then the guard isn't so insanely difficult.

 

Plus you should be able to rack up just about enough to afford the Bronze horn. What I normally do on solo:

 

(1) Kill Aloth and Eder for their items (do this a little later if not tough enough, or just kill Aloth), do Against the Grain, get Rymyrgand's Mantle from upstairs room in the Black Hound Inn, which should be there unless you were ages in Valewood.

(2) Travel to Magran's Fork, and get the fine weapon on the dead guy by the Adra Pillars (you can get there without fighting), get the location for Anslog's Compass but don't travel there.

(3) Travel to the Black Meadow, sneak to the south, there's a fine weapon on the dead guy near the tents, and get the location for Madhmr Bridge but don't travel there. Get the Blacksmith's Shipment.

(4) Travel to Anslog's Compass you can get Fulvano's fine crossbow.

(5) Travel to Madhmr Bridge from Anslog's Compass - bypassing the Xaurip Skirmisher you meet if you travel from Black Meadow - to get a fine hatchet near tents to the west (sneak there) plus you can kill the fire godlike for a pistol.

(6) Go back to the Gilded Vale, finish the Blacksmith's Quest (making the Bronze Horn figurine cheaper). You can try clearing out the west spider room in the Temple of Eothas which provides a shortcut to the bells, there's a locked chest near them and another magical item in said chest. Resting at some point as mentioned let's you do the Watcher bit by the tree.

 

All this takes you to about day 2 of the month, travelling to Raedric's Keep is either late hours day two (in which case maybe travel to and from Esternwood again) or early hours day 3. You'll need to likely rest after scaling the keep wall, and then there's more rest supplies in the dungeon, giving you plenty to hit the day 4 mark.

 

 

You can kill the guard fairly easily if you use a mace one handed (enchant it to accurate) and give him a beat down. If you've been able to purchase the Bronze Horn figurine that helps too. With a Barb, Savage Defiance is your friend and gives you massive heals at level 3 to help you out in a lot of the encounters, it shouldn't make the guard too tricky.

 

Also, no need to free Giacco, you can just kill Nedmar for his key - no one cares. You don't even have to get the objective from whatever the animancer is called to do this, and he's an easy fight.

But you have to go into the cellar anyway for the 2 random loot stacks and freeing Giacco is super easy, if you sneak around back where the ladder and slimes are, open the south door and splitpull the skellies one by one.

Killing Nedmar neither saves you time nor makes it reloading less likely unless you plan to go for the basement items super late, but then again there is a couple of traps in the basement, too for nice and easy xp.

 

True, but Dorftek's concern was having low mechanics. You can get to Nedmar with lower mechanics (using the hidden switch found in the skull) than you need to rescue Giacco iirc.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Jojobobo

[Dorftek]

 

 

You can kill the guard fairly easily if you use a mace one handed (enchant it to accurate) and give him a beat down. If you've been able to purchase the Bronze Horn figurine that helps too. With a Barb, Savage Defiance is your friend and gives you massive heals at level 3 to help you out in a lot of the encounters, it shouldn't make the guard too tricky.

 

Also, no need to free Giacco, you can just kill Nedmar for his key - no one cares. You don't even have to get the objective from whatever the animancer is called to do this, and he's an easy fight.

 

Yeah but whole point is i need to go straight there from Gilded Vale to be able to get the ring of combusting wounds and minor gloves of accuracy + gloves of mechanics

 

Edit: Wich makes it impossible to enchant. I did however take the time to go to Magrans Fork to loot the body at the Adra stones, it gave me a Fine Polaxe, but it was'nt enough to take down the guard, my barbarian is super slow and the guard crits me for 25+ dmg basically every hit. I could get a total of 14 DR before fighting him (rest bonus + beer + potion + mail armour) but it didnt seem to do **** about his massive dmg lol and i thought 14 DR vs one low lvl dude would be overkill. Oh how wrong i was...

 

I normally head to Raedric's Keep Day 4 of a month. You get Gloves of Manipulation, Belt of Bountiful Healing, and Boots of Stealth (less stealth needed for the Caed Nua Throne Room). Ring of Combusting Wounds can be got from several places (you can get it level 1 of the Endless Paths where Maerwald is for starters, in the fairly easy SW spider room), and Gloves of Minor Accuracy aren't going to make a world of difference.

 

By waiting until Day 4, you can also hit level 3 quite comfortably (you can do the Blacksmith's quest without fighting anyone, sneaking to the cargo crate even without stealth skill, you'll have time to rest after Gilded Veil so that the Watcher bit at the tree triggers, and you can do Against the Grain too, leave the bear until later) and then the guard isn't so insanely difficult.

 

Plus you should be able to rack up just about enough to afford the Bronze horn. What I normally do on solo:

 

(1) Kill Aloth and Eder for their items (do this a little later if not tough enough, or just kill Aloth), do Against the Grain, get Rymyrgand's Mantle from upstairs room in the Black Hound Inn, which should be there unless you were ages in Valewood.

(2) Travel to Magran's Fork, and get the fine weapon on the dead guy by the Adra Pillars (you can get there without fighting), get the location for Anslog's Compass but don't travel there.

(3) Travel to the Black Meadow, sneak to the south, there's a fine weapon on the dead guy near the tents, and get the location for Madhmr Bridge but don't travel there. Get the Blacksmith's Shipment.

(4) Travel to Anslog's Compass you can get Fulvano's fine crossbow.

(5) Travel to Madhmr Bridge from Anslog's Compass - bypassing the Xaurip Skirmisher you meet if you travel from Black Meadow - to get a fine hatchet near tents to the west (sneak there) plus you can kill the fire godlike for a pistol.

(6) Go back to the Gilded Vale, finish the Blacksmith's Quest (making the Bronze Horn figurine cheaper). You can try clearing out the west spider room in the Temple of Eothas which provides a shortcut to the bells, there's a locked chest near them and another magical item in said chest. Resting at some point as mentioned let's you do the Watcher bit by the tree.

 

All this takes you to about day 2 of the month, travelling to Raedric's Keep is either late hours day two (in which case maybe travel to and from Esternwood again) or early hours day 3. You'll need to likely rest after scaling the keep wall, and then there's more rest supplies in the dungeon, giving you plenty to hit the day 4 mark.

 

 

You can kill the guard fairly easily if you use a mace one handed (enchant it to accurate) and give him a beat down. If you've been able to purchase the Bronze Horn figurine that helps too. With a Barb, Savage Defiance is your friend and gives you massive heals at level 3 to help you out in a lot of the encounters, it shouldn't make the guard too tricky.

 

Also, no need to free Giacco, you can just kill Nedmar for his key - no one cares. You don't even have to get the objective from whatever the animancer is called to do this, and he's an easy fight.

But you have to go into the cellar anyway for the 2 random loot stacks and freeing Giacco is super easy, if you sneak around back where the ladder and slimes are, open the south door and splitpull the skellies one by one.

Killing Nedmar neither saves you time nor makes it reloading less likely unless you plan to go for the basement items super late, but then again there is a couple of traps in the basement, too for nice and easy xp.

 

True, but Dorftek's concern was having low mechanics. You can get to Nedmar with lower mechanics (using the hidden switch found in the skull) than you need to rescue Giacco iirc.

 

 

Yes normally i'd go do the looting around the areas before going to Raedrics, that way i always got boots of stealth and gloves of manipulation from Raedrics but one day i rushed Raedrics right away on a rogue and found Ring of Searing flames and this is now the only place i know where to get it in the early game, i have never found it at Maerwalds. Infact i dont think ive ever found it outside of the white march before and at that point i think it is kind of outdated.

 

Boots of stealth can easily be replaced by the hood u get from Scroll of Wael or the chest piece from Nyfre. Its the ring i really really want

 

Edit: I just learned from Raven (Victor_Creed) on Twitch that the ring will be there on the same day the next month so its all good then =) I was'nt aware and this completely removes the pressure 

Edited December 4, 2017 by Dorftek

[Jojobobo]

The loot lists in this thread (the v3.01 ones) still apply for me. I was wrong about the Endless Paths it seems, but you should be able to get a Ring of Seering Flames at the Temple of Woedica day 9 in the hidden room away from the initial entrance.

[Dorftek]

The loot lists in this thread (the v3.01 ones) still apply for me. I was wrong about the Endless Paths it seems, but you should be able to get a Ring of Seering Flames at the Temple of Woedica day 9 in the hidden room away from the initial entrance.

 

Thanks! :D

 

I have what i need from ACT1 now, going to fight Maerwald. Gauntlets of Accuracy, Ring of Searing Flames, Ring of Overseeing, Gloves of Manipulation and Boots of Stealth =)

[Dorftek]

Alright guys i have decided to keep a companion in Caed Nua so i can get Helwax Mold for my Barb. Would u guys use it on a Bittercut or on a Godanthyr hammer?

[Raven Darkholme]

Definitely Bittercut.

Just make sure to have it superb before you duplicate.

Edited December 5, 2017 by Raven Darkholme

[Dorftek]

Definitely Bittercut.

Just make sure to have it superb before you duplicate.

 

aawh thats end game =/

 

Edit: nvm got it mixed with legendary

 

How can i boost my attack speed other then drinking pots and stacking dex with a two hander? I feel like dual wielding is far superior then a two hander

Edited December 5, 2017 by Dorftek

[Jojobobo]

MaxQuest did an extremely helpful guide on attack speed, see here.

 

Essentially for a two-hander with Deleterious Alacrity of Motion potions (DAoM), Gauntlets of Swift Action (GoSA) and Durganization you get:

 

[1.5 (DAoM) x 1.15 (GoSA) x 1.15 (Durganized)] -1 = 0.984 less recovery. Recovery in clothing starts at 1, so you're looking at a recovery period of 1.6% without armor. The recovery increases additively by whatever your armor penalty is.

 

With a speed enchantment on your weapon (e.g. Blade of the Endless Paths), you get...

 

[1.5 x 1.15 x 1.15 x 1.20 (weapon speed)] -1 = 1.38 less recovery. You can now attack without recovery in Plate Mail so long as it's also Durganised to reduce the recovery penalty (normally a 50% recovery penalty, durganisation reduces it by 15% so, 100% + 35% - 138% = no recovery).

 

Essentially, you can make your recovery pretty minimal with a two-hander lacking a speed enchantment with potions so long as your armor is light and durganised, or if you have a speed enchanted two hander you can run around in plate without recovery so long as you're popping potions all the while. Things like Cautious Attack add to recovery.

Edited December 5, 2017 by Jojobobo

[Raven Darkholme]

Just don't forget that dual wielding is far superior once you have HoF and dex stops to matter, once you have HoF.

[Boeroer]

Dual Bittercut with corrosive lash and Spirit of Decay is the best option for Heart of Fury (and Barbaric Blow).

 

Another very potent trick is to cast Combusting Wounds onto the crowd before using Heart of Fury. For example with a Ring of Searing Flames. It adds a lot of burn damage to your physical damage and can make a big difference when fighting tough enemies (e.g. bounties).