So... Cheapest Melee to Build?

[Grenfell]

Was just curious what other folks thought was the least expensive melee to build and operate.

I love doing builds, as some of you know, but of late, I feel as if every single one I craft requires multiple tier-3 greensteels to really hit their stride, tons of raidloot farming, etc. So I'd like to try something that isn't going to cost 96 larges to equip fully.

I was leaning towards either DPS pally (or base-pally splash), or a DPS monk (going AC route inevitably means Chattering Ring, Insight AC weapon, and so on). Perhaps a THF Barbarian type that only requires one Min-2 weapon?

What do you all think? What is the least expensive melee to build and operate in the long-run?

/gren

[Craggath]

I would say pally or monk is less expensive than THF barbarian, as while they have similar equipment requirements, both pally and monk have powerful self healing and immunities.

[alchilito]

Gren

I would probably go for the THF barb, WF most definitely. Although those repair pots do tend to become expensive after a while... Maybe a dragonmarked halfling ?

[Draclaud]

THF Dwarf Barbarian or Fighter. Axe enhancements, all you need is a Min2 Great Axe and your standand +6 stat items...Let the slaying begin...WF is good too, but if you're going cheap then the pot investment makes Dwarf that much better.

[Impaqt]

Probably a 2HF Paladin.

1 Weapon instead of 2 cuts those expenses inhalf.

Paladin gains the added benefit of less expensive Self healing and lots of DPS via Enhancments, rather than needing the Perfect weapons.

[Impaqt]

THF Dwarf Barbarian or Fighter. Axe enhancements, all you need is a Min2 Great Axe and your standand +6 stat items...Let the slaying begin...WF is good too, but if you're going cheap then the pot investment makes Dwarf that much better.

WHy would buying Oils of Repair be more expensive than buying Potions of Cure?

[Borror0]

THF FB (or fighter if it ends being the best DPS) seems the cheapest to equip:

• Only one weapon at the time
• No AC gear needed

Well, unless you consider potions to be a problematic cost. If that's the case, go paladin. The problem with going paladin is that they seriously gain from going TEF over THF, whereas the gap between THF and TWF for a FB seems much smaller.

[Cold_Stele]

Yeh I'd say THF WF Barb, my guy was really cheap to equip, just 24 Larges. Hell even Smiting Falchions are cheap now. It's going to cost you in Rage and Repair pots though...

[Mhykke]

If you go pally, you technically don't need any min. II's if devils/demons are your primary enemy. Use the holy sword spell for an ok substitute. TWF'ing khopesh. Just create 2 holysword khopeshes and go to town. All you'd have to really worry about is creating items, and not weapons for him. THF'ing I guess would be cheaper, but the paladin just benefits so much more from TWF'ing.

[Cold_Stele]

Hmmm, Impaqt could be on to something there - THF (WF?) Pally would be cheaper to run long term.

[Angelus_dead]

Probably a 2HF Paladin.
1 Weapon instead of 2 cuts those expenses inhalf.

Yes, but that possibly conflicts with his goal of "hitting stride", whatever that might mean. A THF paladin is so far behind a TWF paladin in effectiveness that it might not even qualify as one of the options.

Paladin gains the added benefit of less expensive Self healing and lots of DPS via Enhancments, rather than needing the Perfect weapons.

Well the paladin benefit for cheapness is casting Holy Sword for raid bosses...

[Angelus_dead]

WHy would buying Oils of Repair be more expensive than buying Potions of Cure?

Because the penalty to divine healing increases your need to self-medicate with potions.

However, that's really irrelevant to the question. When a person is talking about expenses measured in Large Ingredients, the plat for some stacks of potions is invisible to him.

[Cold_Stele]

I guess if you're writing off TWF there's only one PrE where a THF toon's going to live longer than a TWF toon - Frenzied Berserker.

[feynman]

monks: no greensteel handwraps, so you don't need that; no armor or shields; self-healing for fewer potions

sword and board intimidate fighter: only 1 weapon; high AC and shield DR for less healing; CHA for haggle (and probably haggle skill from minimum INT for CE)

elf ranger: longswords are cheap

[Gratch]

I'd say the biggest cost is healing while levelling and then weapons. Two handed weapons are cheaper and at lower levels almost as good dps.

The warforged THF + Barbo FB + Barbo capstones may be an interesting build to have in Mod 9. That said, I'd keep base dex at a level where you could switch to TWF.

In receently levelling a Wfg barbo to 16, I was initially buying tons of pots... but given I wanted to try the hirelings out, I ended up solo'ing a lot of stuff with a caster hireling. Find the ones with haste and most will auto-repair you in defensive mode. It cost me less to solo with hirelings then run in most full groups chugging repair pots. It was sort of a different way to run a lot of quests with a hireling I had always done before in parties. Also... for at least the first 10 levels for some added spice... I only played every even level. (get xp until it caps... grab 2 levels with a few kills in between for that 1 xp).

Had it not been for the warforged THF enhancements and further upcoming Juggernaut announcement... I might have waited on half-orcs to make a barbo.

[Thrudh]

THF barbarian

TWF Paladin using Holy Swords

[fluffi]

I made a 1 barb then wiz to 12 then rest fighter as a melee wiz (THF). I use div power clickies (have about 30 clicks in total) for full BAB. Very cheap as self healing and fun with melee and spells. Hard to get in some raids though as you are not the best fighter or the best wiz (junk DC's).

[Gol]

TWF WF Paladin using Holy Swords

[Junts]

Was just curious what other folks thought was the least expensive melee to build and operate.

I love doing builds, as some of you know, but of late, I feel as if every single one I craft requires multiple tier-3 greensteels to really hit their stride, tons of raidloot farming, etc. So I'd like to try something that isn't going to cost 96 larges to equip fully.

I was leaning towards either DPS pally (or base-pally splash), or a DPS monk (going AC route inevitably means Chattering Ring, Insight AC weapon, and so on). Perhaps a THF Barbarian type that only requires one Min-2 weapon?

What do you all think? What is the least expensive melee to build and operate in the long-run?

/gren

I think there's not one; melee toosn are 4-5 times more expensive and gear dependant than non-melee toons on ddo, and its kind of ********.

dps paladin build might be able to save on holy sword, but its still a build that doesnt truly excel without seven-fingered gloves, dt armors, bobs, and multiple shroud clickies.

you want something cheap, go play a caster for a while.

[Lorichie]

I think there's not one; melee toosn are 4-5 times more expensive and gear dependant than non-melee toons on ddo, and its kind of ********.

dps paladin build might be able to save on holy sword, but its still a build that doesnt truly excel without seven-fingered gloves, dt armors, bobs, and multiple shroud clickies.

you want something cheap, go play a caster for a while.

Agree, but for different reason.

I dont think there's a cheap toon, regardless of its class. Most of us are perfectionists. What makes our toons expensive is the desire to be the best we can, in every aspect, stats, gear, tomes, etc. This same desire is why we grind raids, for tomes/ loot etc. This wont change because we swap classes, it'll just be a different grind than what we did the last toon we leveled up.

fwiw,

R