Alright, so I'll leave this to you all to help me out here.
My character for this setup is Ninja themed and based on some background I made for a pen and paper game. Unfortunately, I couldn't get something I wanted for weapon so I had to make due with a single blade setup. That said, in another forum thread, I talked about the Night Warrior since it better described my character than Way of the Warrior despite the damage being only a little less from my findings at the time.
So here I am at level 35 and since I have a respec, I am considering doing that respec. Currently, this is what I have with my current build (note that I just threw it all together):
PowerHouse (Link to this build)Name:Archetype: FreeformSuper Stats:Level 6: Dexterity (Primary)Level 10: Strength (Secondary)Level 15: Recovery (Secondary)Talents:Level 1: The BladeLevel 6: Martial FocusLevel 9: MightyLevel 12: RelentlessLevel 15: Martial TrainingLevel 18: ImpresarioLevel 21: Jack of All TradesPowers:Level 1: Reaper's TouchLevel 1: Reaper's CaressLevel 6: Scything Blade (Swallowtail Cut)Level 8: Night Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3, Silent Running)Level 11: Way of the Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3)Level 14: Intensity (Rank 2)Level 17: Masterful DodgeLevel 20: Reaper's Embrace (No Mercy)Level 23: Shuriken Storm (Rank 2, Floating Butterfly, Strong Arm)Level 26: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Resurgent Reiki)Level 29: Smoke Bomb (Concussive Escape)Level 32: Form of the Tempest (Rank 2)Level 35: Fury of the DragonLevel 38:Travel Powers:Level 6: Acrobatics (Rank 2)Level 35: Ninja VanishSpecializations:Dexterity: Combat Training (1/3)Dexterity: Gear Utilization (3/3)Dexterity: Brush It Off (1/2)Dexterity: Evasion (1/2)Dexterity: Deadly Aim (1/3)Dexterity: Quick Reflexes (3/3)Warden: Fortified Gear (3/3)Warden: Slaughter (1/3)Warden: Ruthless (1/2)Warden: Tenacious (1/2)Warden: Upper Hand (1/3)Warden: The Best Defense (3/3)Brawler: The Glory of Battle (1/3)Brawler: Penetrating Strikes (2/2)Brawler: Ruthless (2/2)Brawler: Flanking (1/3)
I just added Fury of the Dragon and I see how it works, but it almost seems like a Secondary fully charged Shuriken Barrage with a tad more total damage per hit (since its basically x2) which could be useful when trying to deal with popping up multiple targets. That said, here is what I am considering respecing taking into account what I would be in 5 levels:
PowerHouse (Link to this build)Name: Brawler RoleArchetype: FreeformSuper Stats:Level 6: Dexterity (Primary)Level 10: Strength (Secondary)Level 15: Recovery (Secondary)Talents:Level 1: The BladeLevel 6: Martial FocusLevel 9: MightyLevel 12: RelentlessLevel 15: Martial TrainingLevel 18: ImpresarioLevel 21: Jack of All TradesPowers:Level 1: Reaper's TouchLevel 1: Reaper's Caress (Rank 2, Cleaving Strikes)Level 6: Scything Blade (Swallowtail Cut)Level 8: Night Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3, Silent Running)Level 11: Parry (Rank 2)Level 14: Intensity (Rank 2)Level 17: Masterful Dodge (Rank 2, Unfettered Strikes)Level 20: Reaper's Embrace (No Mercy)Level 23: Shuriken Storm (Rank 2, Floating Butterfly, Strong Arm)Level 26: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Resurgent Reiki)Level 29: Smoke Bomb (Concussive Escape)Level 32: Form of the Tempest (Rank 2, Rank 3)Level 35: Fury of the DragonLevel 38:Travel Powers:Level 6: Acrobatics (Rank 2, Rank 3)Level 35: Ninja VanishSpecializations:Dexterity: Combat Training (2/3)Dexterity: Gear Utilization (3/3)Dexterity: Evasion (1/2)Dexterity: Deadly Aim (1/3)Dexterity: Quick Reflexes (3/3)Warden: Fortified Gear (3/3)Warden: Ruthless (2/2)Warden: Upper Hand (2/3)Warden: The Best Defense (3/3)Brawler: The Glory of Battle (1/3)Brawler: Penetrating Strikes (2/2)Brawler: Ruthless (2/2)Brawler: Finishing Blow (2/3)Brawler: Flanking (3/3)Mastery: Dexterity Mastery (1/1)
As you can see, I still don't have a level 38 power chosen and its mostly cause I still don't have an idea what my power choice is.
So tell me, what do you think and what would you suggest?
Comments
Suggestions to think about for that extra power slot:
Evasive Maneuvers: It's a pretty good defensive power in its own right, since it gives you some separation when you're overwhelmed and pretty much acts as a permanent Avoidance buff. However, if you advantaged it, you'd be giving yourself an additional means of getting back into stealth, taking advantage of Night Warrior's strengths.
Inexorable Tides: Not sure how your build is performing right now, but Inexorable Tides can really help your survivability out if you get used to popping it now and then in combat to knock down the swarms around you. A little "soft control" might be useful.
Thunderbolt/Smoke Bomb Lunge: Just noticed that right now, actually--you don't have a lunge. Lunges are more of a quality-of-life power for me... cancelling an enemy's travelling power has rarely seemed like a very important thing, and the root only works on enemies you can kill in milliseconds anyway. But it is nice to be able to just lunge over to clean up the stragglers on some of those mobs that tend to spread out a bunch.
Molecular Self-Assembly: If you're having trouble with energy. The two problems here are that you don't already have a lunge, which is one of the best triggers for MSA, and your current SSs wouldn't be getting the most out of MSA. Which brings me to my only other useful feedback...
I would seriously consider replacing Strength as a SS. Unless it's conceptual, or you really like picking up the biggest stuff, there really is very little utility found in pushing Strength past 70. Pick one talent that has a +5 to Strength, and then put a Rank 5 enhancement/armoring for it in your gear, and you're at 70, freeing you up to use that SS for something that will help you more--Constitution to help survivability, Intelligence for better energy management (and to help on cooldowns, of which you have several), etc.
All of that's just my two cents--it looks like you've got a pretty fun build there that should be able to handle everything, it's a matter of personal choice at this point, I'd say.
The only stealth attack that... stealth comes with is quite a hefty recharge, so its also good to have more than one power that hits hard from stealth.
Also, as suggested, evasive manuevers would be highly recommended, if with advantage it is successful you will go into stealth and be able to use something powerful, to end most fights.
The gear thing, I haven't looked into it, but I have obtained armor and enhancing gear. I assume with Strength, the melee bonus damage increase starts to drop off sharply past 70? I've only been looking at percentages at each level and based on equipment and always noticed if I level a certain point and have 15% before and drops to 14%, I figured I needed to up that just a bit to bring it back. That said, I'm guessing some of the armoring gear starts appearing with the level 40 range items. If the case is true about Strength, then yes, I'd consider replacing it too. Probably won't affect my Shuriken Barrage much with the advantage given for the purpose of non-elites.
So I looked at the THorwing Blades. It is a Ranged AOE though so I suppose it won't benefit from the single target bonus, but that stealth bonus to it is intriguing and definitely under consideration.
To note, I took the active defense for the fact of threat drawn as I noticed from alerts when I use the alpha striking of the stealth attack which I assume had more to do with how much damage I did.
So would you all suggest then that I don't even consider parry for block? At what I was looking at, Parry was the only thing I'd consider for theme purposes, but I've been told I'd be better off not choosing block for the purpose of choosing better things.
Again, thanks for the suggestions.
I thought Elusive Monk was to only be slotted like a slotted passive offense or a slotted balanced. Am I misunderstanding its meaning about slotted?
PowerHouse (Link to this build)
Name: Brawler Role
Archetype: Freeform
Super Stats:
Level 6: Dexterity (Primary)
Level 10: Constitution (Secondary)
Level 15: Recovery (Secondary)
Talents:
Level 1: The Blade
Level 6: Martial Focus
Level 9: Acrobat
Level 12: Quick Recovery
Level 15: Survival Training
Level 18: Impresario
Level 21: Jack of All Trades
Powers:
Level 1: Reaper's Touch
Level 1: Reaper's Caress (Cleaving Strikes)
Level 6: Scything Blade (Swallowtail Cut)
Level 8: Night Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3, Silent Running)
Level 11: Parry (The Elusive Monk)
Level 14: Intensity (Rank 2)
Level 17: Masterful Dodge (Rank 2, Unfettered Strikes)
Level 20: Reaper's Embrace (No Mercy)
Level 23: Shuriken Storm (Rank 2, Floating Butterfly, Strong Arm)
Level 26: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Resurgent Reiki)
Level 29: Evasive Maneuvers (Sleight of Mind)
Level 32: Form of the Tempest (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 35: Throwing Blades
Level 38: Smoke Bomb Lunge (Nailed to the Ground)
Travel Powers:
Level 6: Acrobatics (Rank 2)
Level 35: Ninja Vanish
Specializations:
Dexterity: Combat Training (2/3)
Dexterity: Gear Utilization (3/3)
Dexterity: Evasion (1/2)
Dexterity: Deadly Aim (1/3)
Dexterity: Quick Reflexes (3/3)
Warden: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Warden: Ruthless (2/2)
Warden: Upper Hand (2/3)
Warden: The Best Defense (3/3)
Brawler: The Glory of Battle (1/3)
Brawler: Penetrating Strikes (2/2)
Brawler: Ruthless (2/2)
Brawler: Finishing Blow (2/3)
Brawler: Flanking (3/3)
Mastery: Dexterity Mastery (1/1)
But like I said, for team play, should be solid, evasive manuevers will definately help you get multiple assassin strikes on bosses , unless you have bad luck, its only a 50% chance to wipe threat, so if you are on say an alert with a bunch of slackers, you will probably still keep agro even if not attacking and standing behind something trying to get stealth to reapply.
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Indeed, I would take throwing blades no later than 14th.