Thrudh
12-31-2020, 01:33 PM
Used to run 18/2 ranger/barbarian for access to rage, and blood tribute.
I would usually rage, activate Blood Feast, then dismiss rage, and drink a Lesser Restore Pot. Didn't really need to stay raged for the extra STR (since I'm a Dex build), and didn't like being unable to use spells or clickables when raged.
This worked well for a good amount of time... I really like the 18/2 ranger/barb build (plus the 10% bonus to speed was always nice). But then they changed how Blood Feast worked and now you have to STAY raged to keep the 1000 temp hp... still a possibility, but not as nice as before.
But now that shifter is out, and has a DEX-based rage component, AND has an enhancement that lets you cast while raged, it looks like I can have the best of both worlds. Oh, and you are no longer fatigued when rage wears off... That's a nice quality of life change... No longer have to gulp down Lessor Restore potions all day.
So now I can go pure ranger, get the Tempest capstone, rage for a +4 Dex and +4 Wis bonus, get the 1000 temp hp bonus from Blood Feast, and still cast spells and use clickables.
I do miss out on Blood Tribute, and I lose the 10% move speed. But with the dex-based rage AND getting the +4 Dex from the capstone, this guy just gained 8 points of Dexterity... Pretty nice.
20 Shifter Ranger
This is a Vistani dagger build (note you can use a dagger in your main hand, and a rapier or shortsword in your off-hand).
Pain and Suffering raid daggers are rock solid, but even morninglord daggers work well in low-mid reaper as you work towards getting raid daggers. If you can get Flow (rapier) it's a great off-hand weapon when fighting trash.
Starting Stats:
STR 14
DEX 20
CON 14
INT 10
WIS 10
CHA 10
All level-ups into Dex.
With a just a +4 INT tome, you should have no problems maxing out Heal, Spot, Search, Hide, Move Silently, and UMD (half-ranks). You can also get 10 in Jump and Swim, and even a few ranks of Tumble/Listen
Free feats from Ranger:
Bow Strength
Rapid Shot
Die Hard
TWF, ITWF, GTWF
Precise Shot
Improved Precise Shot
Manyshot
Evasion
Free feats from Vistani
Quick Draw
Favored Enemy: Undead
Heroic Leveling:
1. Ranger - Weapon Finesse, Wildhunt Shifter, Favored Enemy: Human
2. Ranger
3. Ranger - Dodge
4. Ranger
5. Ranger - Favored Enemy: Giant
6. Ranger - Maximize
7. Ranger
8. Ranger
9. Ranger - IC: Piercing
10. Ranger - Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
11. Ranger
12. Ranger - Empower Healing
13. Ranger
14. Ranger
15. Ranger - Quicken, Favored Enemy: Construct
16. Ranger
17. Ranger
18. Ranger - Mobility
19. Ranger
20. Ranger - Favored Enemy: Elf
Epic Leveling:
21 - Overwhelming Critical
24 - Intensify (75 more Spell Power for CSW and 140 more spell points)
26 - Perfect Two Weapon Fighting
27 - Epic Reflexes
28 - Pierce Adamantine or Tactician (+2 to Tactics)
29 - Dire Charge
30 - Two Weapon Defense and Scion of Astral Plane (+4 Tactics, +4% Doublestrike and Doubleshot, +4% Dodge and Dodge cap, +4 to Reflex Save)
Enhancements are very tight.
I don't usually require racial APs when I post new builds, but we need to go pretty deep into Shifter (at least 11 points) to get the enhancement that lets you cast spells (and use clickables) when raging.
Enhancements
41 points into Tempest (Dance of Death, Capstone, Elaborate Parry, Dual Perfection, increase the Dodge cap, etc.)
21 points into Deepwood Sniper (for Improved Weapon Finesse and Exposing Strike, and +1 crit range)
11 points into Shifter (for recharging Rages, and the ability to cast while raged)
13 points into Vistani (for free Quick Draw, 20% doublestrike from Rapid Slash, 5% doublestrike (main and off-hand) and +1(w) with daggers)
TOTAL = 86
So you need either 6 racial APs or 5 racial AP and +1 universal AP to make this work. If you have less, you can skip Vistani and just use rapier/shortswords as a Dex-based Tempest. Instead get Killer from Deepwood Sniper to replace Rapid Slash 20% doublestrike from Vistani.
Or you can still go Vistani and miss out on Deadly blades (+1(W)) until you get all the racial APs built up.
+2 racial tome, +1 universal tome, and 9 racial past lives in shifter, halfling, and elf gets you the 6 extra AP you need, plus all three of those races give +1 Dex PL bonuses.
Shadow Dancer Epic Destiny is an excellent choice for this build.
Twists
Martial Hymn or Sense Weakness (Tier 4)
Balanced Attacks (Tier 3)
Extra Action Boost (Tier 1)
Legendary Tactics (Tier 1)
Dance of Flowers (Tier 1) or if needed Energy Sheath (Tier 1)
Basic Strategy
Before a fight in a high reaper quest, rage with Blood feast weapon equipped, get the 1000 temp hp... Dire Charge with Pain in main hand, and LGS Affirmation weapon equipped in off-hand, once you get the 1000 temp hp from that, I switch to Pain and Flow (Flow is great for trash with guard-breaking). Haste Boost for fast attack and bonus 50 melee power (I have Prowess set)
If fighting a boss, mini-boss, or tough champion, I use Pain and LGS Dust weapon to build up vulnerability, then switch to Pain and Suffering.
If I get in trouble, I have two great Dodge clickables which hopefully will save the day
Meld (95% dodge for 15 seconds) and Elaborate Parry (85% dodge for 18 seconds - 35% base Dodge with this build, 50% bonus with 110 Dex)
It's not often both are on timer, but if they are, let the other guys go in first :)
Between Dire Charge stunning mobs, Flow guard-breaking mobs, 2000 temp hp, and two great Dodge enhancements, this is pretty durable melee build with plenty of offensive power too.
I would usually rage, activate Blood Feast, then dismiss rage, and drink a Lesser Restore Pot. Didn't really need to stay raged for the extra STR (since I'm a Dex build), and didn't like being unable to use spells or clickables when raged.
This worked well for a good amount of time... I really like the 18/2 ranger/barb build (plus the 10% bonus to speed was always nice). But then they changed how Blood Feast worked and now you have to STAY raged to keep the 1000 temp hp... still a possibility, but not as nice as before.
But now that shifter is out, and has a DEX-based rage component, AND has an enhancement that lets you cast while raged, it looks like I can have the best of both worlds. Oh, and you are no longer fatigued when rage wears off... That's a nice quality of life change... No longer have to gulp down Lessor Restore potions all day.
So now I can go pure ranger, get the Tempest capstone, rage for a +4 Dex and +4 Wis bonus, get the 1000 temp hp bonus from Blood Feast, and still cast spells and use clickables.
I do miss out on Blood Tribute, and I lose the 10% move speed. But with the dex-based rage AND getting the +4 Dex from the capstone, this guy just gained 8 points of Dexterity... Pretty nice.
20 Shifter Ranger
This is a Vistani dagger build (note you can use a dagger in your main hand, and a rapier or shortsword in your off-hand).
Pain and Suffering raid daggers are rock solid, but even morninglord daggers work well in low-mid reaper as you work towards getting raid daggers. If you can get Flow (rapier) it's a great off-hand weapon when fighting trash.
Starting Stats:
STR 14
DEX 20
CON 14
INT 10
WIS 10
CHA 10
All level-ups into Dex.
With a just a +4 INT tome, you should have no problems maxing out Heal, Spot, Search, Hide, Move Silently, and UMD (half-ranks). You can also get 10 in Jump and Swim, and even a few ranks of Tumble/Listen
Free feats from Ranger:
Bow Strength
Rapid Shot
Die Hard
TWF, ITWF, GTWF
Precise Shot
Improved Precise Shot
Manyshot
Evasion
Free feats from Vistani
Quick Draw
Favored Enemy: Undead
Heroic Leveling:
1. Ranger - Weapon Finesse, Wildhunt Shifter, Favored Enemy: Human
2. Ranger
3. Ranger - Dodge
4. Ranger
5. Ranger - Favored Enemy: Giant
6. Ranger - Maximize
7. Ranger
8. Ranger
9. Ranger - IC: Piercing
10. Ranger - Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
11. Ranger
12. Ranger - Empower Healing
13. Ranger
14. Ranger
15. Ranger - Quicken, Favored Enemy: Construct
16. Ranger
17. Ranger
18. Ranger - Mobility
19. Ranger
20. Ranger - Favored Enemy: Elf
Epic Leveling:
21 - Overwhelming Critical
24 - Intensify (75 more Spell Power for CSW and 140 more spell points)
26 - Perfect Two Weapon Fighting
27 - Epic Reflexes
28 - Pierce Adamantine or Tactician (+2 to Tactics)
29 - Dire Charge
30 - Two Weapon Defense and Scion of Astral Plane (+4 Tactics, +4% Doublestrike and Doubleshot, +4% Dodge and Dodge cap, +4 to Reflex Save)
Enhancements are very tight.
I don't usually require racial APs when I post new builds, but we need to go pretty deep into Shifter (at least 11 points) to get the enhancement that lets you cast spells (and use clickables) when raging.
Enhancements
41 points into Tempest (Dance of Death, Capstone, Elaborate Parry, Dual Perfection, increase the Dodge cap, etc.)
21 points into Deepwood Sniper (for Improved Weapon Finesse and Exposing Strike, and +1 crit range)
11 points into Shifter (for recharging Rages, and the ability to cast while raged)
13 points into Vistani (for free Quick Draw, 20% doublestrike from Rapid Slash, 5% doublestrike (main and off-hand) and +1(w) with daggers)
TOTAL = 86
So you need either 6 racial APs or 5 racial AP and +1 universal AP to make this work. If you have less, you can skip Vistani and just use rapier/shortswords as a Dex-based Tempest. Instead get Killer from Deepwood Sniper to replace Rapid Slash 20% doublestrike from Vistani.
Or you can still go Vistani and miss out on Deadly blades (+1(W)) until you get all the racial APs built up.
+2 racial tome, +1 universal tome, and 9 racial past lives in shifter, halfling, and elf gets you the 6 extra AP you need, plus all three of those races give +1 Dex PL bonuses.
Shadow Dancer Epic Destiny is an excellent choice for this build.
Twists
Martial Hymn or Sense Weakness (Tier 4)
Balanced Attacks (Tier 3)
Extra Action Boost (Tier 1)
Legendary Tactics (Tier 1)
Dance of Flowers (Tier 1) or if needed Energy Sheath (Tier 1)
Basic Strategy
Before a fight in a high reaper quest, rage with Blood feast weapon equipped, get the 1000 temp hp... Dire Charge with Pain in main hand, and LGS Affirmation weapon equipped in off-hand, once you get the 1000 temp hp from that, I switch to Pain and Flow (Flow is great for trash with guard-breaking). Haste Boost for fast attack and bonus 50 melee power (I have Prowess set)
If fighting a boss, mini-boss, or tough champion, I use Pain and LGS Dust weapon to build up vulnerability, then switch to Pain and Suffering.
If I get in trouble, I have two great Dodge clickables which hopefully will save the day
Meld (95% dodge for 15 seconds) and Elaborate Parry (85% dodge for 18 seconds - 35% base Dodge with this build, 50% bonus with 110 Dex)
It's not often both are on timer, but if they are, let the other guys go in first :)
Between Dire Charge stunning mobs, Flow guard-breaking mobs, 2000 temp hp, and two great Dodge enhancements, this is pretty durable melee build with plenty of offensive power too.