Help for Earth/HW Build Please

Comments

• flowcyto Posts: 12,859 Arc User

  February 2014 edited February 2014

  Yeah you may want to take FotT since ur SS'd Dex anyways; w/ IDF you may be having some energy issues here.
  
  I'd prob take Tremor over Fault Line for a good Earth AoE.
  
  You also have to pick between Skewer and Annihilate as ur big move. Annihilate is better against knock-immune targets, but Skewer is better otherwise.
  
  I would also consider getting Arc of Ruin w/ its debuff adv- it'll both buff ur physical dmg and disorient the target (which also boosts Eruption's dmg and lowers the target's dmg). Ya can probably axe Stone Shot or Cave In if ya wanna make room for it (the only decent way to make Stagger good for the build is to use Cave In's Enrage-granting adv, but that wouldn't work if you use FotT as ur toggle and didn't have a decent amount of Str- Fault Line's combo w/ Stagger isn't good enough, imo- esp since ur not in a ranged build).
  
  I'd also replace LnL w/ Ego Surge/NM- it just way better return for a Con SS build.
  
  I would agree w/ putting Str to 70- more melee dmg and knock resist is good. Not sure about Ego to 70, though (ES can give you that Ego temporarily). May be better to pump up ur SS's more instead.
  
  Also, you forgot to rank up Earth Form
  
  There's no cirppling advs, so I assume it isn't a tank as much as a sturdy dps build, ya?
  
  Best way to build a practical Earth + HW set, imo, is to use Tremor (AoE/CC), Fissure (DoT/HoT/MSA), Stone Shroud (block), and either Land Slide (lunge) or Stone Shot (long-distance spell) as ur Earth spells, and load the rest of the attacks up w/ HW's powers for primary/boss dmg, and save some power slots for heals/tank cds.

  <CO stuff> .: Petco :. // A basic FF building guide (see 1st reply) // PSA on Power Activation Delay // Ayonachan's Gift Horse (misc stat data)
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• shaenthebrain Posts: 111 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  jaazaniah1 wrote: »

  Here are the build parameters within which I'm trying to work.
  Earth Form is a must. I just want to play around with a new passive.
  I want to get some use out of Stagger.
  Build is general purpose in the sense that it should do some reasonable damage, but have some survivability.

  I have other builds that rely on knock, so I'm not eager to use Enrage here.

  
  If you don't want to use Enrage, and you want a melee version of an Earth build, then you've already decided to pass on most of the synergy you could get out of Staggered. The constant feedback loop between Staggered and Enraged (either directly or through knocks) is what makes melee Earth builds work.
  
  Upheaval and Fault Line will inflict a little bonus damage against Staggered targets, but to Stagger your foes in the first place, you need to either charge up Stone Shot (a ranged power), or wail at them with Onslaught (which doesn't really match your theme, and doesn't do a lot for you if you're not trying to accumulate knocks).
  
  So if you're not using Enrage or Concentration, I wouldn't bother chasing Staggers at all.

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• jaazaniah1 Posts: 5,557 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  Thanks for the feedback. Sturdy DPS is a good characterization.
  
  At his current level (28) he still feels a bit squishy vs. mobs, so I think I'll stay with IDF for the moment. Maybe at 40 I'll retcon and give it another try. Energy is a bit of an issue, but hopefully will diminish with more Int and cost reduction gear.
  
  I notice a nice synergy with Stone Shot - Cave In - Eruption. CI takes the stacks of stagger created by SS and turns them into stacks of Enrage, which Eruption then refreshes. So, at least for boss fights, I should be able to get a modest damage boost while still having the defensive benefit of IDF.
  
  His basic attack plan is to open up with Stone Shot and keep that up (with Cave In for single targets and Fault Line for groups, once enemies move into range) until the enemy is defeated. If enemy charge in he switches to Eruption and Skewer. This is why he doesn't have any Lunge type powers. He's kind of like a living statue.
  
  Going back and forth with Tremor and Fault Line. I like the FL animation much better. Tremor just reminds me too much of Havoc Stomp.
  
  For an AO I go back and forth between LnL, Ego Surge and Aggressor (besides extra Str and Con some extra stacks of Enrage this way, again refreshed by Eruption).
  
  That's where he is at the moment.

  

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• shaenthebrain Posts: 111 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  I'm not sure you can have more than one stack at a time of Enraged, Focus, or Concentration on you if you don't have a relevant form toggle active. If that's the case, then you won't be able to build stacks of Enraged without either Enrage or Aspect of The Bestial active.

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• odenswrath Posts: 15 Arc User

  March 2014 edited March 2014

  Tested it in the field today. Getting 3 stacks of stagger followed by CI + Adv yielded 3 stacks of Enrage which Eruption did refresh. So, life is good, maybe not 100% optimized, but still good
  

  shaenthebrain wrote: »

  I'm not sure you can have more than one stack at a time of Enraged, Focus, or Concentration on you if you don't have a relevant form toggle active. If that's the case, then you won't be able to build stacks of Enraged without either Enrage or Aspect of The Bestial active.

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