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Post by achilles73 on Dec 20, 2016 18:35:40 GMT -5
Guys on this thread: I want to literally give you "Exalt" every day as long as I play this game. OMG. Selen getting a respec and adding Pinning Shot, and Kincaid and Vincent getting Flanking Unity and Thundering Blade - respectively - have completely changed the game. I went through the entire respawn Crag Peaks without missing once on either Kincaid or Selen. Is that even mathematically possible? I just cannot believe how easy the game has become!
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Post by wascalwywabbit on Dec 21, 2016 0:47:47 GMT -5
Ultimately it is just what I do. I don't necessarily do the optimal thing every time. If dual wielding is working for you maybe developing flashing blades for a crit buff to see more big numbers is worth it. I always listen to others and then adjust things to my playstyle and the current circumstances. Kincaid as a skirmisher is something I will try in the future, but currently I now feel I have enough ranged with 3 nukers, and every fight has been a cake since the Selen re-spec. Perhaps next time I will try Kincaid with thrown knives if I am not running with as many ranged easy mode characters. Speaking of Kincaid, I am just in love with his power and versatility. He can do massive damage himself, is near-invulnerable to melee damage, grants useful group buffs, and can even AoE. What does Vrase bring to counter other than superior ranged protection? I tend to prefer strength-based warrior or barbarian-type of characters over dex-based dual wield characters even as melee damage dealers, but at the moment I find it hard to even try Vrase!  Vraes brings the most massive single target dmg numbers in the game with berserk rage and natural mastery even before adding crushing blow or ferocity. Is highly mobile with burst of speed, very tanky with phalanx shield, has the highest hp potential and is the best clean up batter with high level juggernaut. Generally speaking, Vraes can do a bit better on high hp/armor targets and targets that are spread out but near death from other team members AoEs. Kincaid can better defend melee, potentially has range to DS over someone's head in tight spaces, has real AoE for clustered enemies and helps team acc, dmg with FU and has curse power to help team acc and/or defense depending on build out. |
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Post by wascalwywabbit on Dec 21, 2016 1:07:39 GMT -5
I think CS is great on Kincaid. The problem is that it pretty much requires 6 talent points to realize it's potential. SoS is 1 talent point and AoE ready, you can then move on to other things. 5 talent points for a 1 AP + dodge curse is a high price to pay, especially if AP cursing is already covered. I personally do Darting Steel after raising his buffs because it insures 100% accuracy on anything I encounter (it's the best parry/dodge curse in the game) and that is valuable. Also, being able to pump out some ranged damage while staying on that exact square I need him to be on is why I like Kincaid more than Vraes, personally. But don't you need to raise Darting Steel significantly for it to be effective? As well as sink points into Thrown? You have FU, TB, FF, EA, PS AND Flashing blades raising hit chances for Kincaid if you use all of them together... You shouldn't have a problem hitting after all that. SoS is the most talent pool effective for Kincaid AoE at lvl 1, but DSs range and effective acc buff are wonderful... CS 6 is a more team defense oriented alternative. You can't go wrong with any of them... Never get lunge though, all his other talents are superior. I tried to get the brothers to add a step forward-stab feature to lunge a long while back, but that would make it OP, so no dice. |
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Post by achilles73 on Dec 21, 2016 19:24:29 GMT -5
I always listen to others and then adjust things to my playstyle and the current circumstances. Kincaid as a skirmisher is something I will try in the future, but currently I now feel I have enough ranged with 3 nukers, and every fight has been a cake since the Selen re-spec. Perhaps next time I will try Kincaid with thrown knives if I am not running with as many ranged easy mode characters. Speaking of Kincaid, I am just in love with his power and versatility. He can do massive damage himself, is near-invulnerable to melee damage, grants useful group buffs, and can even AoE. What does Vrase bring to counter other than superior ranged protection? I tend to prefer strength-based warrior or barbarian-type of characters over dex-based dual wield characters even as melee damage dealers, but at the moment I find it hard to even try Vrase! Vraes brings the most massive single target dmg numbers in the game with berserk rage and natural mastery even before adding crushing blow or ferocity. Is highly mobile with burst of speed, very tanky with phalanx shield, has the highest hp potential and is the best clean up batter with high level juggernaut. Generally speaking, Vraes can do a bit better on high hp/armor targets and targets that are spread out but near death from other team members AoEs. Kincaid can better defend melee, potentially has range to DS over someone's head in tight spaces, has real AoE for clustered enemies and helps team acc, dmg with FU and has curse power to help team acc and/or defense depending on build out. Thanks for the detailed explanation. How well does Vrase tank compared to Kincaid overall? Does he not lose too much tanking for having to sink points into Strength? Or is the Phalanx Shield THAT good to compenate for the lack of Dexterity? Even if Vrase can do more damage, Kincaid is not so bad himself. Just wow - consistent 500-plus hit crits already at level 30, and connecting crits at a very high rate. |
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Post by achilles73 on Dec 21, 2016 19:25:33 GMT -5
But don't you need to raise Darting Steel significantly for it to be effective? As well as sink points into Thrown? You have FU, TB, FF, EA, PS AND Flashing blades raising hit chances for Kincaid if you use all of them together... You shouldn't have a problem hitting after all that. SoS is the most talent pool effective for Kincaid AoE at lvl 1, but DSs range and effective acc buff are wonderful... CS 6 is a more team defense oriented alternative. You can't go wrong with any of them... Never get lunge though, all his other talents are superior. I tried to get the brothers to add a step forward-stab feature to lunge a long while back, but that would make it OP, so no dice. Lunge at the moment seems truly crap. I scarcely know why anyone would take it at the moment. |
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Post by En1gma on Dec 21, 2016 19:51:23 GMT -5
Lunge is good for SP drain... Better than no accuracy, and still cheap!!
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Post by wascalwywabbit on Dec 21, 2016 20:40:37 GMT -5
Lunge is good for SP drain... Better than no accuracy, and still cheap!! FB gives almost the same acc, and nearly double the acc if you use it continuously, adds crit% and some of the higher dmg dice lvls compared to lunge, costs only slightly more sp and only needs be used every couple of turns, instead of every attack, for most of the benefits to apply. |
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Post by wascalwywabbit on Dec 21, 2016 20:49:44 GMT -5
achilles73With up to 4 tank talents, Vraes is probably the tankiest character, but using str instead of dex you always sacrifice defense, and in Vraes case you sacrifice some tankiness for BRs massive dmg and crit rates. Vraes has the most potential to use str rules for dmg, via both 2h weapons and NM, so he will be more worthwhile to use str with than Kincaid. If you're willing to sacrifice 2h weapons for a shield he can block potentially more than half incoming arrows with phalanx even without the dodge from dex and BoS.
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Post by achilles73 on Dec 21, 2016 22:01:54 GMT -5
Lunge is good for SP drain... Better than no accuracy, and still cheap!! Level 1 one? Hmmm, but once you get 12 percent-plus SP drain items then no longer, right? |
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Post by achilles73 on Dec 21, 2016 22:04:54 GMT -5
achilles73 With up to 4 tank talents, Vraes is probably the tankiest character, but using str instead of dex you always sacrifice defense, and in Vraes case you sacrifice some tankiness for BRs massive dmg and crit rates. Vraes has the most potential to use str rules for dmg, via both 2h weapons and NM, so he will be more worthwhile to use str with than Kincaid. If you're willing to sacrifice 2h weapons for a shield he can block potentially more than half incoming arrows with phalanx even without the dodge from dex and BoS. I really really wish you could run characters of the same type to compare. Once you fill the needed "healer" and "stealth" character slot, then I think you should be able to take any class. In particular, there is literally no need to take a mage character, as what they can do be wholly substituted by other classes. |
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Post by wascalwywabbit on Dec 21, 2016 23:25:03 GMT -5
achilles73 With up to 4 tank talents, Vraes is probably the tankiest character, but using str instead of dex you always sacrifice defense, and in Vraes case you sacrifice some tankiness for BRs massive dmg and crit rates. Vraes has the most potential to use str rules for dmg, via both 2h weapons and NM, so he will be more worthwhile to use str with than Kincaid. If you're willing to sacrifice 2h weapons for a shield he can block potentially more than half incoming arrows with phalanx even without the dodge from dex and BoS. I really really wish you could run characters of the same type to compare. Once you fill the needed "healer" and "stealth" character slot, then I think you should be able to take any class. In particular, there is literally no need to take a mage character, as what they can do be wholly substituted by other classes. Yes, a team with both ToS AND PS, WS AND SoC would equal super easy mode. |
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Post by achilles73 on Dec 22, 2016 1:20:44 GMT -5
I really really wish you could run characters of the same type to compare. Once you fill the needed "healer" and "stealth" character slot, then I think you should be able to take any class. In particular, there is literally no need to take a mage character, as what they can do be wholly substituted by other classes. Yes, a team with both ToS AND PS, WS AND SoC would equal super easy mode. My current team is easy mode. Not even remotely close to death since I made major switches at level 29: Respec Pinning Shot on Selen and use her primary as a shooter who can tank; and get Flanking Unity and Thundering Blades. I am level 31 now. Mowing every mob clusters down with an absurd ease, with nobody coming close to death. |
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Post by achilles73 on Dec 22, 2016 11:48:40 GMT -5
Rolling along. Level 32, cleared out the 1st Tower and got the Sasquatch-looking dude for Hearts of Summer drop with 0 legitimate death after re-spec in 3 levels. Only 2 accidental death - once when I forgot to buff before the fight, and the other time when I led with Vincent by accident.
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matrim
Star Hero
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Posts: 708 
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Post by matrim on Dec 22, 2016 13:26:38 GMT -5
Did you have a chance to visit the Storm Brothers yet?
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Post by achilles73 on Dec 22, 2016 14:10:57 GMT -5
Did you have a chance to visit the Storm Brothers yet? Nope. I did get the quest, I think. Should I go there now? Hard mobs? Or good rewards? |
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