Looking for Good SDK Build for Epic: Suggestions?

[SocratesBastardSon]

I'm looking for a good build that will work through multiple epic lives. I have specific requirements that I have to abide by, so that limits my options.

Here's the build requirements:


I want to use SDK. I have 2 SDK lives already and want to get my third. I could just go to 30, Iconic Reincarnate, and move on to other things, but once I'm geared for epic I'd like to get at least one more epic life done.
I do not want to buy a lesser reincarnate stone, so that means at least one level of Rogue, and I like trapping anyway so I don't mind that.
I do not have much in the way of daggers or throwing weapons, so dagger builds and throwers are not appealing (but I am open to being convinced it's worth the effort). I do have caster, other melee, Runearms, and GXbow and Repeater HXBows gear
The heroic past lives I need to finish include all divine, Bard, and Arti, Monk, so one of those has to be the primary class. (Already did Rogue, all melee, Wiz and Sorc, PL.)
I would like to get at least two, preferably more, Epic Reincarnations done using the build.


But the most important is getting an SDK iconic life done.

My first thought is a ranged build using Arti is the way to go, something like Arti 18/Ro 2, but I'm leaning towards being more creative. I assume divine caster is not a good option for SDK. Since I'm going to be spending more time in epic than heroic, Great Crossbow seemed like a better option than Heavy Repeater, suggesting an investment of 5 or 6 levels of Rogue, with the rest going to Arti, or perhaps a splash of something else, like a couple levels of Fighter or Ranger. That means t5 in Mechanic, and t4 in BE for the Fusilade.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[SocratesBastardSon]

Reserved for later.

[Dielzen]

1rog/2mnk/17cleric Clonk style

2rog/1ftr/17 cleric Turtle Cleric that can go evasion or heavy armor+tower to heal in any situation

1rog/19mnk, just a monk that can trap, nothing special

2-5rog/15-18 arty - repeater/great crossbow

rog/bard/arty - swashbuckler

rog/fighter/arty - melee arty

the traditional 2rog/3ftr/15bard Icechanter, yes you don't have PDK bonuses, but with all those PLs you should be fine

2rog/18 bard, CC+trapper, or screamer+trapper

[SocratesBastardSon]

You think it's ok going divine caster for SDK? I assumed it would be better to do those lives on a different race.

Currently I'm leaning towards your fourth option, probably Rogue 5/Arty 15 using GXbow.

Melee Arty sounds like a good second option, either using SB or fighter

[Dielzen]

I did a cleric17/3rog life, caster-based with full trapping skills, worked fine. With all your caster lives done, all you lose from MCing is Spell Pen, which you got +9 from PLs, so you'll be fine. It doesn't affect your DCs a lick, other than losing the capstone.

[SocratesBastardSon]

Based on a number of posts I've read on the forum and talking to friends I decided on Art 8/Rog 6/Fi 6. The idea is to use Great Xbow since I'll be spending a lot of time in epic content where the GXbow outperforms repeaters, or so it's been reported. I use a rune arm, of course, and light armor evasion/INT build (which requires fewer enhancements to be effective than heavier armor). This is a very enhancement-heavy build, and you have to choose whether you're going to maximize offense or not. Anything you put into defensive enhancements reduces dps.

One thing I didn't mention in my OP was I wanted to focus on Arty (GXbow + Fusilade!) to see how it works with SDK. Since SDK requires Iconic Rez, not a Heroic True Heart of Wood, I won't get credit for an Arti life. The main reason for 8 levels Arti instead of just 4 is level 3 spells (Curative Admixture: Cure Serious) and the extra feat. I can act as party healer in a pinch with the right gear. Maximize and/or Empower Healing is needed. Whether Arti goodness makes up for the reduction in SA damage, I don't know.



I took t5 in Mechanic, and all of the t5 enhancements except Time Bomb. I took the third core for INT to damage.
I took t4 in Battle Engineer, where I selected Fusilade and Agility Engine for the 10% doubleshot. I took the third core for spell power.
Following unbongwah's advice I put 11 points into Kensai (Xtra Action Boost III, Conditioning II) so I could choose core 3, Strike With No Thought.


At first I was going to use some SDK and RM defenses, but nope, this is an offensive build (ok, one point in RM). Strike With No Thought means I can't take Know the Angles (or anything from Harper). I haven't made up my mind whether that's the better choice or not. But it SWNT is an always-on enhancement, whereas KtA is a clicky. That's pretty important in my book.

I got to level 20 quickly enough where it did fine, but didin't really take off because I put off the fifth tier of Mech while I played around with different enhancement and feat configurations. (Who doesn't love an SDK Cuisinart chain? Much fun on heroic.) For instance, I tried using Construct Essence, but without ICE and lots of Repair Amp, it's clearly not viable in Reaper content. You have to choose Repairing or Healing, and then max it out. Since I've decided on 6 levels of fighter, that means no Arty 12 and no ICE, and so there's no point in having CE.

I can't convince myself to make the leap to SDK divine caster build, but some of Dielzen's other suggestions look tempting.



2-5rog/15-18 arty - repeater/great crossbow
rog/bard/arty - swashbuckler
rog/fighter/arty - melee arty


In the end, Dielzen's first suggestion, GXbow Arty/Rog, modified with unbongwah's love for Strike With No Thought, is what led me to this build. My biggest worry is general squishyness, that he'll just be a glass cannon. I'll post my thoughts on epic play as I go along.

[Sunnie]

With GXbows, pure rogue or 18 rogue/2 arti are well worth considering. The level 18 core in mechanic gives your GXBows +2 to their critical multiplier, I'm pretty sure you can't get that anywhere else.

And you totally get a PL for your primary class when you do an iconic reincarnation. A SDK with 8 arti/6 rogue/6 fighter will give you one SDK iconic PL as well as a PL for artificer.

[SocratesBastardSon]

you totally get a PL for your primary class when you do an iconic reincarnation. A SDK with 8 arti/6 rogue/6 fighter will give you one SDK iconic PL as well as a PL for artificer.

Yeah, I knew that, I was suffering from momentary brain lock. I blame the lag.