Ideas on how to improve Blackguard?

superalfgorn

Ok after looking up at what characters I play the most out of 34 alts my mainly DPS heroes outnumber the pure tanks or the supports.

So for my latest Alt, the core idea of the character was to see how the primary PRE specs giving Offense and Defense combo with the Guardicator loop and AoPM.

Around this core I envisioned a dark paladin/necromancer (think Arthas after the transformation in W3). So with main PRE I tryed to build a petmaster/support with a secondary DPS role.

Right now there are several choices that I am not convinced about:

-IDF: I love it and it fits the support role. However, the energy issues combined with the lowering of the DPS potential make the choice somewhat dubious.

-Earth Splitter: looks cool but does not have a real purpose in the build.

-Cleave: it is awesome-looking and all. But I think the Enrage procs cancel each other since I do not have the form, right?

-The heal: my main heal is of course Drain Life with advantage for the cool synergy with Selfless Ally. Also Iniquity+Adv is the secondary heal for groups, but I am not sure it is needed.

-The Circle: CoRG is a cool trick. Self-Res combined with a small heal, and a mobile circle. But does it do enough at Rank1?



PowerHouse (Link to this build)

Name: Dottor Mondo (Blackguard)

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Presence (Primary)
Level 10: Constitution (Secondary)
Level 15: Intelligence (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: The Glacier
Level 6: Covert Ops Training
Level 9: Discipline Training
Level 12: Survival Training
Level 15: Field Ops Training
Level 18: Jack of All Trades
Level 21: Paramilitary Training

Powers:
Level 1: Shadow Bolt
Level 1: Cleave (Rank 2, Defensive Stance)
Level 6: Void Shift (Emerging Nightmares)
Level 8: Aura of Primal Majesty (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Ebon Void (Voracious Darkness)
Level 14: March of the Dead (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 17: Lifedrain (Rank 2, Vampiric Sympathy)
Level 20: Inertial Dampening Field (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Summon Shadows (Rank 2, Devouring Darkness)
Level 26: Iniquity (Justice)
Level 29: Earth Splitter (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 32: Ascension
Level 35: Masterful Dodge
Level 38: Circle of Radiant Glory

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Millennial Flight (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Teleportation (Rank 2)

Specializations:
Presence: Selfless Ally (2/2)
Presence: Grandeur (3/3)
Presence: Moment of Glory (3/3)
Presence: Force of Will (2/2)
Guardian: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Guardian: Ruthless (2/2)
Guardian: Find the Mark (2/3)
Guardian: The Best Defense (3/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Initiative (2/2)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (3/3)
Mastery: Guardian Mastery (1/1)

flowcyto

Iniquity could work as the heal for when ur allies aren't in easy range or reach for Lifedrain, or there's no enemy in convenient range to target. May want to get it to rank2 if LD healing isn't turning out to be as convenient in groups (Justice makes it a nice AoE heal, but also gives up its 100ft max range; give-and-take).

I get the general concept, but if you want more dmg from it (both the temp pets and you) you'd trade AoPM for AoED.

AoPM can still work just fine, though, if ya like having the added stats. Its just not optimal dmg for a 'pet' build (this isn't really a 'pet master' build though).

I'd prob trade IDF for a normal toggle, but w/o Sentinel Aura ya won't stack Compassion passively in combat w/ this build. FotTempest could work w/ all ur attacks, but then you'd want to trade Int SS for Dex SS (which can work out, since higher Dex means more crit heals form Lifedrain too).

I would also get rank3 on Cleave if its ur primary attack, and maybe find a spot for Spirit Reverb in the build (won't proc off fear w/ all ur attacks, but a few of them). Alternative EU is MSA for a bit of extra energy when using cds (best when keeping AoPM as the passive, since ya dun really need to gear much/any extra in energy stats w/ it).

You already have AoE heals w/o CoRG's, so you'd mainly just want that for the self-res. If that's the case, though, I'd just take Rebirth instead- it doesn't bind you to a circle to res, and the health dmg can be healed up pretty easily as Support.

superalfgorn

Indeed I was uncertain on the advantage for Iniquity... I like the 100 feet range, probably I'll do as you suggest. LD for close AoE, Iniquity for far off heals.

AoPM was chosen to work in concert with the spec trees via the Offense/Defense from stats, and I like its energy management aspect. That's why I skipped Spirit Reverberation or other energy unlocks. I do run out of energy often at lvl.21, but leveling up should fix the problem.

The Toggle is still debatable. Sentinel aura+Compassion is not an option, so stacking Compassion off LD seems like a lot of hassle. Concentration perhaps, or FotT as you suggest. One would boost preferentially ranged dmg, the other melee dmg... but the damage from pets? Does it get boosted by the toggle or only via the Auras?

flowcyto

superalfgorn wrote: »

The Toggle is still debatable. Sentinel aura+Compassion is not an option, so stacking Compassion off LD seems like a lot of hassle. Concentration perhaps, or FotT as you suggest. One would boost preferentially ranged dmg, the other melee dmg... but the damage from pets? Does it get boosted by the toggle or only via the Auras?

Pets will get any auras you have, from the slotted passives to the spec tree versions. They also get ~half ur general crit% and severity, and benefit from any buffs (like howl) or debuffs you put on the same target. That's about it, though (aside from the Commander spec tree, ofc); other general increases to ur hero won't affect them.

superalfgorn

Ok following the discussion I guess I will for the moment keep the following build.

The changes:
-Warden Instead of Guardian and the relative Spec.
-R3 Summon Shadows and Cleave for more damage (healing coming from Life Drain & Ascension should suffice)
-Iniquity R2 instead of Justice top keep the 100' range
-Arc of Ruin instead of Earth Splitter for the Disorient debuff in line with the support nature of the hero.

-IDF stays as an additional nod to support and pets.

PowerHouse (Link to this build)

Name: Dottor Mondo (Blackguard)

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Presence (Primary)
Level 10: Constitution (Secondary)
Level 15: Intelligence (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: The Glacier
Level 6: Covert Ops Training
Level 9: Sniper Training
Level 12: Survival Training
Level 15: Field Ops Training
Level 18: Jack of All Trades
Level 21: Paramilitary Training

Powers:
Level 1: Shadow Bolt
Level 1: Cleave (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Void Shift (Emerging Nightmares)
Level 8: Aura of Primal Majesty (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 11: Ebon Void (Voracious Darkness)
Level 14: March of the Dead (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 17: Lifedrain (Rank 2, Vampiric Sympathy)
Level 20: Inertial Dampening Field (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 23: Summon Shadows (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 26: Arc of Ruin (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 29: Iniquity (Rank 2)
Level 32: Ascension
Level 35: Masterful Dodge
Level 38: Rebirth

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Millennial Flight (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Teleportation (Rank 2)

Specializations:
Presence: Selfless Ally (2/2)
Presence: Grandeur (3/3)
Presence: Moment of Glory (3/3)
Presence: Force of Will (2/2)
Warden: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Warden: Ruthless (2/2)
Warden: Elusive (2/2)
Warden: The Best Defense (3/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Initiative (2/2)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (3/3)
Mastery: Warden Mastery (1/1)

ajanus

You should take this criticism with a grain of salt :biggrin:

1. I understand the concept, but you are banking your entire primary superstat on 1 power. AoPM...even from the healing standpoint, without superstatting Pre, you will still hit the softcap with AoPM alone...actually, you will hit ALL softcaps with AoPM.

2. IDF doesn't just limit damage...it also limits energy management because all other form-toggles give energy as well. This drawback is HUGE while leveling and you don't have all your cost reduction gear to play around with. AoPM + Cleave SCREAMS out for PSS STR and Enrage...it even stays in theme, even Arthas went crazy and killed a bunch of people. Actual pet masters get around this 'because' of all their pets, they don't need to use additional abilities, hence, not using energy, so IDF is purely positive to them because of the amount of things being covered by IDF.

3. Lifedrain. Is meh. If you want a drain, I would take Devour Essence, especially if you make the adjustments from point 2. If you must have the aoe heal, I would use Stealth Sigils...makes kind of a misty stealth fog...something like Remorseless Winter from Death Knights.

4. Circle of Radiant Glory. I like it. I would take it to rank 3 though.

5. Not having a form of Athletics/Acrobatics makes me but that's more of a personal problem.

superalfgorn

Ajanus I agree with you mostly. I like Drain Life for the AoE healing baked in, it makes it a decent support power while still providing some dps. Keep in mind that I use DL over Devour Essence for the group heal mostly... for that the sigils seem like a good idea... I hate the visual effect, but it does look like a frozen mist!

If I were to go for a purely thematic&effective Blackguard/Arthas build I would definitely go PSS STR, Enrage and DE.

I guess that I will need to get the feeling of the build... to see if it is too underpowered, that is. :rolleyes:

I managed to play a bit with the current incarnation of the Hero, now lvl.22. And on one side IDF feels very good for survival, on the other hand damage is hampered and I resort to the energy builder quite a few times.

But right now the most irritating thing is the Enrage stacking "bug". As soon as I use cleave a few times I get one stack, then a second procs and I lose both. I am thinking of bypassing the issue taking Arc of Ruin and Skullcrusher.

flowcyto

Last I checked, they fixed the issue where ya can gain >1 stack of a toggle's buff if you didn't have that toggle. So you prob shouldn't be getting >1 stack of Enrage w/ IDF up consistently; if the game senses that you do, it may cancel all the stacks at any time.

superalfgorn

Yes they fixed it by canceling all instances of the buff as soon as you get a second one.

Huge annoyance.

flowcyto

superalfgorn wrote: »

Yes they fixed it by canceling all instances of the buff as soon as you get a second one.

Huge annoyance.

Its not a great workaround due to things like Aggressor, but them's the breaks I guess.