Ranged rogue direction and synergy

[Oryctolagus]

PoE was an early Christmas present and I've been fiddling around with various characters and combat for a few weeks.  I think I've settled on what I want to do for a first playthrough.  I'm looking for corrections and advice.

 

My "usual" opening is dropping an Interdiction from Durance and a debuff from Aloth.  Following up with buffs from Durance if it's a questionable encounter.

 

I want to use the PC as the scout/mechanics person and formation front.  What kind of synergy is there in regards to talents/abilities for an archer rogue who opens from stealth?  Would that be might, dex, perc for stats?  Planning on picking up Persistence in Endless Paths quicklike.

 

Also someone mentioned using Prestidigitator's Missiles in a ranged rogue build, but I can't find that thread.  I really liked that idea, but not sure how it would work.

 

Thanks for any clarity.  Trying to sort out the outdated from the present is pretty difficult.

 

[Boeroer]

Hi.

 

Persistence is a great pick for a bow rogue. I'd even say it's the best pick.

 

Prestidigitator's Missiles is a good pick as well although it doesn't work with Sneak Attack. BUT: it works with the hit-to-crit conversion of rogues, it works with Penetrating Shot and it profits a lot from the rogue's high accuracy. It also has an inherent ACC bonus and gets +1 ACC per char level which leads to a lot of crits. It also works with Deathblows which doubles its damage. Together with crit bonus and Merciless Hand, Dungeon Delver and for example Azalin's Helmet you can get +100% damage on a crit. A crit with Deathblows then means +200% dmaage with Prestidigitator's Missiles and it's once per Encounter. This makes it useful even in the late game. It's a great caster killer. Also the range is fantastic and it's a very fast cast. You need good DR bypass though.

 

I would not open with it (because the stealth/sneak attack bonus will not apply to it) but instead use a Crippling or Blinding Strike from stealth and then follow up with the missiles to ensure even more crits.

 

This also works well with any other missile spell, be it from items (cloak) or from scrolls.

 

Try Missile Barrage with Deathblows - it's devastating.

 

Or try Concussive Missiles with Deathblows + Deep Wounds. AoE raw damage included.

[Oryctolagus]

Excellent, thanks Boeroer!   I've tried more than one of your builds and was looking at the Mad Hornet build last night.  Would you change much about that one nowadays?

[Boeroer]

Yes, I would. The Mad Hornet was used to shoot at several enemies to make good use of the long Deep Wounds (high INT = more damage in total) and the high Envenomed Strikes, emulating AoE damage which the rogue doesn't do normally. But woundig dps (from Persistence) suffers a bit if you have high INT (the mechanics of woundig are a bit odd because the damage itself doesn't change with INT but just gets applied in a shorter or longer timespan. So shorter time means more damage per second). That's not so important if you shoot one enemy after another and let them "bleed out", but it's a little disadvantage if you focus on taking down single enemies.

 

With Prestidigitator's Missiles I would focus more on single target damage and here low INT with Persistence would be better. Luckily, missile spells don't care about INT at all (except Concussive Missiles). Also Deep Wounds don't suffer that much because they get reapplied with every shot (they don't stack like wounding does).

 

So I would actually dump INT and skip Envenomed Strikes and max out MIG (boosts wounding damage), DEX and PER. The rest as you like. I'd still use Deep Wounds though. It's good with high MIG if you focus on one enemy - even with low INT.

 

I'd make sure that other party members deliver afflictions for me since my own strikes+afflictions won't last that long.

 

You could think about getting a crossbow/firearm and use it for the first shot out of stealth. If you do that I'd also pick Runner's Wounding Shot. It is very powerful and has similar mechanics as woundig on Persistence but is only 1/encounter, so it's best used with a hard hitting weapon. You could open up with a Sneak-Attack-imbued Runner's Wounding Shot from an arquebus or crossbow (aim for Twin Sting as it works with Weapon Focus Peasant),then switch to the bow and use the missiles as soon as you see that a target has two afflictions (triggering Deathblows). Sneak Attack + heavy hitter + crit + Runner's Wounding Shot can one-shot casters right at the start of the Battle. If not, the missiles can finish them off.

 

By the way: Distant Advantage (wood elf racial) also works with Prest. Missiles and such.

Edited January 4, 2018 by Boeroer

[Jojobobo]

They should employ you Boeroer. You and MaxQuest should slap them about the face until they give you a job on PoE 2.

 

Do it!

Edited January 4, 2018 by Jojobobo

[Boeroer]

Tehehe, thanks a lot Jojobobo!