SerPounce
05-16-2018, 01:07 PM
I wanted to do a melee artificer build, but based on my experience with battle engineering on a ranged artificer I didn't think it would be durable enough for my tastes on a melee. Renegade Mastermaking brings a lot of durability and utility, but lacks the DPS for a viable melee. By adding in SWF vistani you get decent DPS while going t5 in RM.
There's a number of places you can go from there. I'm going to post two builds. The first is what I'm currently using. It adds in fighter levels and defensive stance for even more durability (+40% HP from RM t5 and SD defensive stance). The second (next post) says pure and has better healing and casting
There's not much difference between a warforged or fleshy build here. You get all those artificer bonus feats, but have little to spend them on so there's not much loss in using them on on contruct essence feats. I used an iconic so I avoided the awkward lvl 9-12 range where you have construct essence by not the improved version. If you're a fleshy leveling from one you might want to take something else at lvl 9 (maybe exotic WF: bastard sword since you won't have the AP for vistani yet), then switch that out with Fred for construct essence right before you take lvl 12.
Note that contrary to what I've read here *mighty slam* and *battlefist* are small arc AoEs with any weapon (if you have rune arm equiped) not just with weapons that produce glancing blows. It takes some getting use to, but even with the small arc you can lock down several oppoenets with mighty slam and battle fist. I like to let the crowd develop a bit, then hit mighty slam, followed by cleaves, then battlefist to maximize the stun duration and AoE helpless damage.
Both builds are very competent healers. You have a repair aura like a radiant servant, can convert one ally to repair healing, have two reconstructs (sla and spell), and admixtures. I'm not someone who takes on the roll of party healer so I can't speak to that, but this makes a great combination of reaper healing options for both yourself and your party. Reconstruct can power through the self healing penalty up to about r7 or so, and you can help out the party with converter and admixtures.
Tanky Renegade Vistani Gnome
16/3/1 Artificer/Fighter/Wizard
True Neutral Deep Gnome
Level Order
1. Wizard 6. Artificer 11. Artificer 16. Artificer
2. Artificer 7. Artificer 12. Artificer 17. Artificer
3. Artificer 8. Artificer 13. Artificer 18. Artificer
4. Artificer 9. Artificer 14. Fighter 19. Fighter
5. Artificer 10. Artificer 15. Fighter 20. Artificer
Stats
28pt 32pt 34pt 36pt Tome Level Up
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --------
Strength 11 10 12 12 +6 4: INT
Dexterity 8 8 8 8 +6 8: INT
Constitution 14 16 16 16 +6 12: INT
Intelligence 20 20 20 20 +6 16: INT
Wisdom 10 10 10 10 +6 20: INT
Charisma 7 8 8 10 +6 24: INT
28: INT
Skills
W A A A A A A A A A A A A F F A A A F A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
------------------------------------------------------------
Balance 2 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 7
------------------------------------------------------------
4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
28 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 13 11 11 14 14 14 12 14
Feats
1 : Insightful Reflexes
1 Wizard : Quicken Spell
3 : Power Attack
5 Arti : Single Weapon Fighting
6 : Cleave
9 : Great Cleave
9 Arti : Construct Essence
12 : Improved Single Weapon Fighting
13 Arti : Improved Construct Essence
14 Fighter: Improved Critical: Piercing
15 : Greater Single Weapon Fighting
15 Fighter: Precision
18 : Heavy Armor Training
20 Arti : Extend Spell
21 Epic : Overwhelming Critical
24 Epic : Construct Exemplar
26 Destiny: Perfect Single Weapon Fighting
27 Epic : Bulwark of Defense
28 Destiny: Perfect Two Weapon Fighting
29 Destiny: Dire Charge
30 Epic : Epic Damage Reduction
30 Legend : Scion of: Plane of Earth
Enhancements (80 AP)
Renegade Mastermaker (34 AP) Renegade Defender, Alchemical Shield, Cure Serious Admixture, Constructive Conduit Easily Fixed, Supporting Construction III, Toughness III
Kinetic Discharge III, Mighty Slam III, Armor Mastery III
Battlefist
Kinetic Charge, Reconstruct III, Embed Component III
Forcefield: Automatic, Paragon Body, Regeneration Construct
Vistani Knife Fighter (25 AP) Knife Expertise, Knife Juggler, Knife Specialist, One With Blades Vistani Knife Training, Mist Stalker, Rapid Attack
Vistani Knife Training, Mist Stalker, Haste Boost III
Fan of Knives, Mist Stalker, Deadly Blades
Celerity, Single Dagger
Stalwart Defender (13 AP) Toughness, Stalwart Defense Durable Defense III, Stalwart Defensive Mastery II
Resilient Defense III
Tenacious Defense III
Harper Agent (8 AP) Agent of Good I Harper Enchantment, Strategic Combat
Know the Angles III
There's a number of places you can go from there. I'm going to post two builds. The first is what I'm currently using. It adds in fighter levels and defensive stance for even more durability (+40% HP from RM t5 and SD defensive stance). The second (next post) says pure and has better healing and casting
There's not much difference between a warforged or fleshy build here. You get all those artificer bonus feats, but have little to spend them on so there's not much loss in using them on on contruct essence feats. I used an iconic so I avoided the awkward lvl 9-12 range where you have construct essence by not the improved version. If you're a fleshy leveling from one you might want to take something else at lvl 9 (maybe exotic WF: bastard sword since you won't have the AP for vistani yet), then switch that out with Fred for construct essence right before you take lvl 12.
Note that contrary to what I've read here *mighty slam* and *battlefist* are small arc AoEs with any weapon (if you have rune arm equiped) not just with weapons that produce glancing blows. It takes some getting use to, but even with the small arc you can lock down several oppoenets with mighty slam and battle fist. I like to let the crowd develop a bit, then hit mighty slam, followed by cleaves, then battlefist to maximize the stun duration and AoE helpless damage.
Both builds are very competent healers. You have a repair aura like a radiant servant, can convert one ally to repair healing, have two reconstructs (sla and spell), and admixtures. I'm not someone who takes on the roll of party healer so I can't speak to that, but this makes a great combination of reaper healing options for both yourself and your party. Reconstruct can power through the self healing penalty up to about r7 or so, and you can help out the party with converter and admixtures.
Tanky Renegade Vistani Gnome
16/3/1 Artificer/Fighter/Wizard
True Neutral Deep Gnome
Level Order
1. Wizard 6. Artificer 11. Artificer 16. Artificer
2. Artificer 7. Artificer 12. Artificer 17. Artificer
3. Artificer 8. Artificer 13. Artificer 18. Artificer
4. Artificer 9. Artificer 14. Fighter 19. Fighter
5. Artificer 10. Artificer 15. Fighter 20. Artificer
Stats
28pt 32pt 34pt 36pt Tome Level Up
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --------
Strength 11 10 12 12 +6 4: INT
Dexterity 8 8 8 8 +6 8: INT
Constitution 14 16 16 16 +6 12: INT
Intelligence 20 20 20 20 +6 16: INT
Wisdom 10 10 10 10 +6 20: INT
Charisma 7 8 8 10 +6 24: INT
28: INT
Skills
W A A A A A A A A A A A A F F A A A F A
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
------------------------------------------------------------
Balance 2 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 7
------------------------------------------------------------
4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
28 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 13 11 11 14 14 14 12 14
Feats
1 : Insightful Reflexes
1 Wizard : Quicken Spell
3 : Power Attack
5 Arti : Single Weapon Fighting
6 : Cleave
9 : Great Cleave
9 Arti : Construct Essence
12 : Improved Single Weapon Fighting
13 Arti : Improved Construct Essence
14 Fighter: Improved Critical: Piercing
15 : Greater Single Weapon Fighting
15 Fighter: Precision
18 : Heavy Armor Training
20 Arti : Extend Spell
21 Epic : Overwhelming Critical
24 Epic : Construct Exemplar
26 Destiny: Perfect Single Weapon Fighting
27 Epic : Bulwark of Defense
28 Destiny: Perfect Two Weapon Fighting
29 Destiny: Dire Charge
30 Epic : Epic Damage Reduction
30 Legend : Scion of: Plane of Earth
Enhancements (80 AP)
Renegade Mastermaker (34 AP) Renegade Defender, Alchemical Shield, Cure Serious Admixture, Constructive Conduit Easily Fixed, Supporting Construction III, Toughness III
Kinetic Discharge III, Mighty Slam III, Armor Mastery III
Battlefist
Kinetic Charge, Reconstruct III, Embed Component III
Forcefield: Automatic, Paragon Body, Regeneration Construct
Vistani Knife Fighter (25 AP) Knife Expertise, Knife Juggler, Knife Specialist, One With Blades Vistani Knife Training, Mist Stalker, Rapid Attack
Vistani Knife Training, Mist Stalker, Haste Boost III
Fan of Knives, Mist Stalker, Deadly Blades
Celerity, Single Dagger
Stalwart Defender (13 AP) Toughness, Stalwart Defense Durable Defense III, Stalwart Defensive Mastery II
Resilient Defense III
Tenacious Defense III
Harper Agent (8 AP) Agent of Good I Harper Enchantment, Strategic Combat
Know the Angles III