Discussion on Helwalker/Berserker

[Sunistey]

Has anyone else tried out this combination? I personally think it's insane. This guy gets insanely buffed without ever having to take damage from an enemy making him a great mid/back line fighter. Shattered Pillar Monks are sort of the answer for monks that don't want to get hit, but Berserker circumvents the need to create wounds from enemy attacks. Also, unlike in PoE1, you don't a mage to cause friendly fire to stack your wounds. You also don't have to run into melee, run out taking disengage penalties, and then begin your damage.

 

Background

 

Human - Living Lands - Whatever I'm not your dad.

 

Human because you put yourself below 50% with Frenzy and kick off the 15% damage and it kind of fits the whole Frenzy theme.

 

Notes on Stats:

 

20 Might (This allows for 30 might with 10 self inflicted wounds from the Berserker's Frenzy. That's an extra 30% damage (60% total) according to the sheet from might alone.)

 

The rest is up to you depending on what you want, but I originally went for 18 Constitution and then 10 in everything else. I tend not to min/max (especially now since the game calls me infirm for doing so), but you could dump int to avoid cleaving your melee with friendly fire carnage. The tank provided took the cleaves fine and I'm sure with a proper tank they won't worry about the carnage hits too much. You could also dump resolve if you want to use this build with reach weapons or The Long Pain. 

 

Notes on Gear:

 

Unsure so far, but it seems you could build this however you want. One thing I noticed is, with proficient weapons you have a lot more accuracy and hit a lot more often than with fists since there isn't an unarmed proficiency. I liked using the Dragoon's Leap Boots (Bounding Boots?) and jumping into the back line and RAVAGING mages. The problem is after you leap you stand there like a doofus for a while. The safer you are the lighter armor you can wear. Pretty simple. 

 

Notes on Talents:

 

Since I used him as a "behind enemy lines" type, I chose anything that made him run fast and also took Force of Anguish in order to CC mages. If you intend on using this from the friendly mid/back line then you probably could skip the movement speed/disengage talents. Bloodied works well here as well. I believe it's an another 15% (25%? I should have have looked this up before posting) damage that you create for yourself. Lesser Wounds is obviously great here since you stack wounds faster with less Frenzy casts. I took accurate carnage as well. The worst part about the build is listening to your tank and rogue complain that you're hitting them 3 times a second.

 

Notes on Gameplay:

 

Start with Frenzy, Auto attack everything (including your friends) to death. When Frenzy runs out, cast Frenzy again. When all your Frenzies are exhausted, cast Swift Strikes. Guess when your health is too low and heal using Athletics or whatever. Use CC or whatever as needed. Finally a non-micro heavy monk. 

 

This is my first post and not really a guide by any measure. Just something I tried out and had fun with and wanted to see if you guys had any thoughts on it. 

 

P.S. - Please don't nerf. I'm making this guy in PoE1 for my "cannon" play-through. Thanks in advance. 

P.S.S - If you read this Boeroer, you're the reason I have rerollitis. I hope it keeps you up at night.

 

Edit: Just adding stuff as I think of it.

Edited December 12, 2017 by Sunistey

[Boeroer]

ROFL.

Edited December 12, 2017 by Boeroer

[AndreaColombo]

I personally think Helwalker/Devoted and Berserker/Devoted have more synergy.

 

That's not to say Helwalker/Berserker is bad; it really isn't. My main gripe is that the Monk's source of extra penetration—the Tenacious inspiration—is the same as the Berserker's, which means they won't stack. Devoted/Helwalker and Devoted/Berserker can both get +7 penetration and clear the Confusion effect from Frenzy.

[Sunistey]

I personally think Helwalker/Devoted and Berserker/Devoted have more synergy.

 

That's not to say Helwalker/Berserker is bad; it really isn't. My main gripe is that the Monk's source of extra penetration—the Tenacious inspiration—is the same as the Berserker's, which means they won't stack. Devoted/Helwalker and Devoted/Berserker can both get +7 penetration and clear the Confusion effect from Frenzy.

I see what you mean. My thought process focused on The Long Pain which doesn't have a proficiency to match with Devoted as far as I'm aware. Which is pretty unfortunate. I think unarmed is severely disadvantaged because of the lack of a proficiency.

[AndreaColombo]

I agree. Hopefully they'll add an unarmed proficiency; it would open up some interesting builds (Devoted/Shifter, anyone?)

[dunehunter]

Melee combos are good atm, caster combo is a bit lackluster, they lack synergy and suffer a few issues.

[JerekKruger]

Melee combos are good atm, caster combo is a bit lackluster, they lack synergy and suffer a few issues.

 

Casters in general are a bit weak at the moment I feel, and they suffer more than melee classes from the power level drop that comes with multiclassing.

[dunehunter]

Btw Helwalker can get 30 more stats than any other class who doesn't have self-buff. 10 Str from Helwalker, 10 Con/Int from the modal, 5 Str from Thunderous Blow, 5 Dex from Swift strike, that's around 50% more stats than other classes  I feel its very powerful or even a bit too powerful.

[PIP-Clownboy]

This is my favorite beta build and I'm mulling on rolling Ravager or Bleak Walker Fanatic for release. But the spike damage Ravager receives becomes pretty crazy in POTD so I've been it pairing it with a Shieldbearer of St Elcga tank healer with the upgraded LoH that prevents target from dying and the synergy is real. 

 

I'm a bit in the dark on the stacking rules if anyone can clarify. Swift strikes seems very strong as it's almost insta cast but I'm not quite sure if that is stacking with consumables/frenzy and other action speed buffs.

Edited February 4, 2018 by PIP-Clownboy

[dunehunter]

Speed bonus from abilities doesn’t stack, only the highest will be in effect.

[SaruNi]

Speed bonus from abilities doesn’t stack, only the highest will be in effect.

 

And bonus from consumables doesn't stack with abilities either. With the exception of Bloodlust, which stacks with other abilities and consumables. 

 

So Potion of Deftness is as good as or better than the barbarian and monk +action speed abilities even without points in alchemy, and with points in alchemy it's much better than cat druid speed as well.

 

However the bonus from +5 dexterity (from Swift Strikes or Wild Sprint or Evasive Roll or Fleet Feet/Deleterious Alacrity et cetera) does stack.

Edited February 4, 2018 by SaruNi

[theBalthazar]

Btw Helwalker can get 30 more stats than any other class who doesn't have self-buff. 10 Str from Helwalker, 10 Con/Int from the modal, 5 Str from Thunderous Blow, 5 Dex from Swift strike, that's around 50% more stats than other classes    I feel its very powerful or even a bit too powerful.

 

 

Yes but you have heavy counterpart.

 

At 10 wounds = +50 % damage received.

 

Berserker = confused.

[dunehunter]

 

Btw Helwalker can get 30 more stats than any other class who doesn't have self-buff. 10 Str from Helwalker, 10 Con/Int from the modal, 5 Str from Thunderous Blow, 5 Dex from Swift strike, that's around 50% more stats than other classes    I feel its very powerful or even a bit too powerful.

 

 

Yes but you have heavy counterpart.

 

At 10 wounds = +50 % damage received.

 

Berserker = confused.

 

 

10 Con equals to +50% health, which in some way counter the extra damage received.

 

Confused is annoying to casters, but is nothing to meleer imo, specially when Carnage damage is low now. It even benefit paladins to give them extra Retribution damage now.

Edited February 4, 2018 by dunehunter

[theBalthazar]

10 Con equals to +50% health, which in some way counter the extra damage received.

 

 

Not really. Because there is the bottleneck effect and the over time effect.

 

You are have true only if ennemy attack once. to access 10, you need a melee that attack. Which also potentially causes your death.

 

But additionnal hit increase the effect over time. It is like HP VS Defense.

 

The gain of defense is often less impressive, because there is here each hit. Defense is often "retarded HP preservation each hit" in a sense.

 

So Cons 10 is not = +50 % damage received each hit.

 

+ reverse bottleneck effect. It is harder to intervene (healing) with there is this malus. the damage is coming in droves. If ever there are two enemies attacking in a short interval, very high risk of sudden death. All of this for a strict equity against cons and might (I take your word). No it is too much.

 

So at worse, it is totally legit. But for me, the malus is too much highter !

 

40 % seems to be wiedly sufficient... (4 x 10)

 

Already risky at 25 % (5 wounds)... so 50 %... Too much.

 

If you invest 10 pts in constitution, and less in might to compensate, it is already a bad deal. Less might at the start of the battle. And to take wound you must create a defensive team.

 

So, at the end, it is a very bad deal. The only situation where this is good, is C.C. team, where you pick less wounds. Not crazy.

 

Helwalker is overhype. A noob trap. Nalpazca is much more interresting (auto-wound + drug effects, and no limit at 5).

Edited February 4, 2018 by theBalthazar

[SaruNi]

The additional Constitution doesn't get added until combat starts, which means your starting health is unchanged. (Just tested it. Max health goes up, but starting health doesn't.) So you'd also need to heal your monk after combat starts to make use of it.