The Pulverizor - 20 WF Kensai Warhammer Fighter

[Logic]

Nothing super complex, basically a 20 WF Kensai Warhammer Fighter with all the expected feats.

Notable traits:
Dual wield 5% weighted warhammers
Passive stuns (10% fighter capstone alacrity and fighter haste enhancements)
DC48 stunning blow (higher with +8str insight fighter bonus)
Regular attack for ~55 damage with +5 weighted warhammer (18-20x3 crit)
Crit attack for ~190 damage
737 unbuffed HP



55.5 average main hand damage with weighted wep (47.5 off hand)
4.5 average warhammer damage
+4 Weapon specialization & greater weapon specialization blunt feats
+2 Warhammer specialization enhancements
+2 Kensai I and Kensai II
+17 str (44 str with rage spell and madstone)
+5 weapon
+8 power attack
+4 Tod Rings
+9 bard buffs

190.5 main hand/166.5 off hand crit damage
55.5 main hand/47.5 off hand
Seeker +14 (epic maralith chain + Kenasi I & II) (if dwarf)
Seeker +8 (menatau goggles + Kensai I & II ) (if WF)



Stunning blow DC 48
10 base
10 weighted 5%
17 str (44 str with rage spell and madstone)
1 fighter past life
3 kensai enhancements
4 fighter enhancements
3 WF enhancements

737 HP
20 base
200 fighter
132 (toughness feat x6)
40 (fighter toughness enhancements)
40 (WF toughness enhancements)
10 rep
30 GFL
45 GS
220 con bonus (with 32 con)


Starting stats (34 pt WF, one fighter past life)
18 str
15 dex
18 con
8 int
6 wis
6 cha

Ending stats
38 str (18 base + 2 tome + 5 level up + 3 fighter enh + 6 item + 3 exceptional + 1 LotD)
24 dex (15 base + 2 tome + 1 LotD + 6 item)
32 con (18 base + 2 tome + 2 WF enh + 1 LotD + 3 exceptional + 6 item)
11 int (8 + 2 tome + 1 LotD)
15 wis (6 base + 2 tome + 1 LotD + 6 item)
7 cha (6 base + 1 LotD)

Feats
1 Toughness, TWF (fighter)
2 Weapon focus blunt
3 Toughness
4 Weapon specialization blunt (fighter)
5
6 Toughness, ITWF (fighter)
7
8 Power attack (fighter)
9 IC blunt
10 Stunning blow (fighter)
11
12 Toughness, Greater weapon specialization blunt (fighter)
13
14 GTWF (fighter)
15 Toughness
16 Greater weapon focus (blunt)
17
18 Toughness, Superior weapon focus blunt (fighter)
19
20 OTWF

Basically high HP and stunning for epics. Would be better with Epic Hammer of the Leaden Clouds. Could sub out some toughness feats for other feats depending on what you're after. Pretty much finished I think, ahh system reboot coming I gotta log off.

[Bacab]

looks solid....except I am prtty sure Warforged Cannot wear Epic Marilith Chain...

Also I think you could drop a few of the Toughness feats, and take Imp Crit at lvl 9...Though you seem open to dropping some of the Toughness Feats.

[tyrr]

also u may want to consider imp trip between stunning blows otwf might not be needed

[Logic]

looks solid....except I am prtty sure Warforged Cannot wear Epic Marilith Chain...

Also I think you could drop a few of the Toughness feats, and take Imp Crit at lvl 9...Though you seem open to dropping some of the Toughness Feats.

Oh good call. I couldn't decide between dwarf with maralith chain and higher healing amp, or WF for extra power attack and immunities. I guess I picked both haha

[Logic]

also u may want to consider imp trip between stunning blows otwf might not be needed

I had heard improved trip does not work well in epics even if focused on it. I think the improved trip feat also requires combat expertise which requires int. So I'd have to give up 2 toughness feats and some str or con :[

[Logic]

looks solid....except I am prtty sure Warforged Cannot wear Epic Marilith Chain...

Also I think you could drop a few of the Toughness feats, and take Imp Crit at lvl 9...Though you seem open to dropping some of the Toughness Feats.

Oh haha I just read the second half of your post. Yeah I'm very open to the idea of dropping toughness feats as you can tell I don't value them very much :P

[Chai]

This looks like it would be epic quest ready.

[Ulf]

Like the "stunner" tactics build. They can be a lot of fun and if played well a great asset in high end content. However, I think you've definetly got areas of improvement in the build.

A)
7 feats and 20 AP to toughness is excessive
1 feat and 6AP still gives over 600 unbuffed hp

B)
saves are horrible

C)
toHit is gonna be very painful on those epics you're apparently gonna be running. -8 for PA and -1 for no SWF

Suggest going dwarf instead.
-The 6 higher seeker will offset the 3 PA loss.
-wis +2 and dwarven spell D help saves
-drop alot of the toughnesses and get save feats. I go LoH, IW, LR, and maybe Bullhead. Combined with previous will give +8/10 to ref/will save.
-pick up SWF bludgeon and maybe slash spec (use DAxe on fort mobs, take axe enh as well for more dmg)

[Goldeneye]

I currently have a very similar build that just hit Level 20. My TR'd Weighted Warhammer specced fighter. Check out my build: Krythan II in my signature, or Krythan of khyber on my.ddo.com.... it works very very very well in amrath and epic.

7 feats and 20 AP to toughness is excessive

I could see justifying 2->3 toughness feats.... though Ulf is right: 7 toughness feats is WAY to much.
Consider dropping con to 17 (loss of 10 hp) , putting those extra points in INT... and using an INT tome to unlock CE, and Improved Trip. IMO: the main benefit is that Imp Trip reduces the cooldown from 15 to 10 seconds (and +4 DC). Your tactics DC's are going to be very very high... might as well get in the practice of using Trip and Sunder ALOT

C)
toHit is gonna be very painful on those epics you're apparently gonna be running. -8 for PA and -1 for no SWF

Once you get Epic Spectral Gloves / Kensei Tower Rings... to-hit shouldn't be an issue. In the mean time, you will want to adjust your level of WF power attack to the appropriate level.

btw: Isn't superior weapon focus required for Kensei III?

Suggest going dwarf instead.
-The 6 higher seeker will offset the 3 PA loss.

The #1 reason for going dwarf if access to Epic Marilith chain... considering you are a build that relies on crits... it would be nice.

-wis +2 and dwarven spell D help saves

That's a small benefit of dwarf... doesn't outweight all the WF immunities though

-drop alot of the toughnesses and get save feats. I go LoH, IW, LR, and maybe Bullhead. Combined with previous will give +8/10 to ref/will save.

Read the Krythan II build in my signature - just hit level 20: and I'm specced in warhammers... so far I have had no problems with saves. I wouldn't sacrifice a single feat to improve your saves.

-pick up SWF bludgeon and maybe slash spec (use DAxe on fort mobs, take axe enh as well for more dmg)

Using anything besides the weapon you are specced for is stupid.

[using a different weapon] Without specing ...would loose 9 damage, 4 seeker damage, (thats 39 damage per crit) and 5 attack bonus...

Ulf and I have come to a conclusion: the one thing we can agree on is that we never agree on anything.

[Logic]

Ah my build thoughts are pretty much identical to your build Krythan.

I have heard that trip just doesn't work well in epic. I plan on making two earthgrab warhammers and earthgrab guard GS item for any mobs with poor reflex saves, and high fort saves, that would be tripable, but not stunnable.

I did not know that quick draw reduces the time between clicking your action boost and swinging. How much of an effect does it have?

What I don't understand is when you say

A. While TWF, if you get the twitch right, you can hit an enemy with both weapons at once. If you tine Stunning Blow correctly, they have to make 2 saves. However, moving give you a -4 penalty to hit. Spring attack fixes that."

Does twitch and stunning blow timing only matter before you get GTWF? Do you get 2 attempts with trip and sunder as well? Can you explain? Thanks.

[Logic]

btw: Isn't superior weapon focus required for Kensei III?

Yep you are right. Let me fix the build... I think I'm gonna have to drop a toughness feat :[

[Ulf]

Once you get Epic Spectral Gloves / Kensei Tower Rings... to-hit shouldn't be an issue. In the mean time, you will want to adjust your level of WF power attack to the appropriate level.

First even with epic and ToD kensai set he will still be ~55 to Hit buffed which is not gonna cut it on elite, much less epics. The advantage of stunners is not their personal dps, but the dps boost they can give the group. So misses = less stuns = lot less dps. With a stunner build you should never miss a stunning blow attack due to miss on any non-1 roll. Making sure the SB lands is way more important than a few extra pesronal dmg.
Also, kensai set is screwed up atm, not worth using cuz the chance to loose boost charges.

btw: Isn't superior weapon focus required for Kensei III?

Yup

The #1 reason for going dwarf if access to Epic Marilith chain... considering you are a build that relies on crits... it would be nice.?

Not #1 reason, but it does balance PA enhancement damage loss for personal dps.

That's a small benefit of dwarf... doesn't outweight all the WF immunities though.

Maybe in your opnion. But myself and a lot of other people would say +8/10 to ref/will save is a hell of alot better than your disease/posion on a high fort hp melee.

Using anything besides the weapon you are specced for is stupid.

As to your numbers, sorry, they are completely wrong. Now assuming same base damage and no racials and ignoring the point I mentioned which was to pick up the specializations, they would fit. However:
base damage 3.5 higher (1d10 v 2d8)
racial damage for axe 2 higher
spec for axe 4 more damage
--> 9.5 damage up to your listed 9 damage down. So actually higher damage with axe. As to the seeker/crit, again it was clearly listed for use against mobs with fort where there are no stuns and thus stuns are useless. Also, its a different damage type so can bypass some DR that bludegon cannot.

[Longshot7]

Like the concept of this build. I've toyed around with the idea for awhile. Curious to see what one would look like when they release Half Orcs... Obviously there would be a higher strength potential and depending on the enhancements they release, could be very tempting for me to roll one up instead of just thinking about it.

[Goldeneye]

However:
base damage 3.5 higher (1d10 v 2d8)
racial damage for axe 2 higher
spec for axe 4 more damage
--> 9.5 damage up to your listed 9 damage down.
So actually higher damage with axe.

Let me get this straight. You are advising that Logic:

1. Spend 4 feats
2. 5th feat if you want Imp Crit for Burst/Blast effects, which puts you at 19-20, instead of the 18-20 this build will have with warhammers.
3. spend 6 AP
4. craft entirely new Greensteel weapons

for .5 more damage per swing?
Good advice.

[zed1]

I've been using stunning blow to great effect on my main, and have spent some time thinking about how it could be optimized. One thing that I have found is that Quickdraw is a huge asset. Your 5% weighted will probably not be your best weapon once the mob is stunned. So it is nice to be able to quickly switch to an optimized DPS weapon set.

That is, unless you will be a stun and move on kind of build.

[Goldeneye]

A. While TWF, if you get the twitch right, you can hit an enemy with both weapons at once. If you time Stunning Blow correctly, they have to make 2 saves. However, moving give you a -4 penalty to hit. Spring attack fixes that."

Does twitch and stunning blow timing only matter before you get GTWF? Do you get 2 attempts with trip and sunder as well? Can you explain? Thanks.

Run straight. Hold attack.
Notice how both weapons go forward at the same time.
If you time it right, you can get that to be your stunning blow swing.
=two stunning blow attacks at once = 2 saves

You can learn to do that by taking a step back, and then stepping back in.
However, you get the -4 to-hit because you are moving

[Goldeneye]

One thing that I have found is that Quickdraw is a huge asset. Your 5% weighted will probably not be your best weapon once the mob is stunned. So it is nice to be able to quickly switch to an optimized DPS weapon set.

Unless your swapping to an Epic Sword of Shadows with crit ritual, you will miss out on more DPS that 1/2 second you are swapping, then you will make up by swapping to a GS weapon.

In EPIC, I fill my party with Barbarians and Paladins.... stun each mob, let them take care of it, and move on.

[vindicater]

My frenzed barbarian loves goldeneyes tactics. Now if I could put him on a leash and take him with me everywere I would have it figured out.

[Logic]

Run straight. Hold attack.
Notice how both weapons go forward at the same time.
If you time it right, you can get that to be your stunning blow swing.
=two stunning blow attacks at once = 2 saves

You can learn to do that by taking a step back, and then stepping back in.
However, you get the -4 to-hit because you are moving

Ah I see. Thanks.

[Logic]

Like the concept of this build. I've toyed around with the idea for awhile. Curious to see what one would look like when they release Half Orcs... Obviously there would be a higher strength potential and depending on the enhancements they release, could be very tempting for me to roll one up instead of just thinking about it.

Yeah half orc could be interesting. I think they will get +2 str base, and maybe +2 str enhancements. I wonder if they'll get combat feat enhancements too. If not even with 4 extra str it will still be a net loss of 1 on the stunning blow DC, but more hit and damage. Hmmm.