Metalwatcher - 12 Fighter/6barb/2rogue TWF Warhammer Stunner

[metalworker]

Hi everyone, I have had a couple of posts before regarding Metalwatcher's stunning build and I have just capped my TRx2 2 weeks ago. Did not have the time to post up my build for sharing since I wanted to play around and feel if the build has been superior to my previous builds of 20 Pure Kensai and 12fighter/6ranger/2rogue.

Keep in mind that this is a Stunning Blow based build that is blunt-specced. By doing so there are obvious loss in DPS when fighting raid bosses (Khopesh DPS >>> Warhammer) but outside of that issue, the Warhammer is a very competitive DPS weapon of choice 1d8 20x3. Being blunt-specced has some bonuses when fighting undead and perhaps epic undead content may make this build more competitive than our boring khopesh users

Without any delays, I'll put up my brief TRx2 36pt build (most of my toons are TRx2 or undergoing TRx2 for 36pts).


Metalwatcher Razorclaws of Argonnessen
(12 fighter/6barbarian/2rogue)

CURRENT STATS:
STR 34 (18+5lvl+6item+2enh+2tome+1exc)
DEX 22 (15+5item+2tome)
CON 28 (18+6item+2enh+2tome)
INT 12 (10+2tome)
WIS 8 (6+2tome)
CHA 8 (6+2tome)


HIT-POINTS: 669
224 (120+72+12+20 Class + Base)
030 (GFL)
045 (GS earthgrab)
180 (28 CON)
110 (toughness feat x5)
050 (toughness enh x5)
020 (toughness item)
010 (Favor)

1-min or more buff/raged sustained: 669+140=809
060 (Barbarian Rage (3min long) + Hardy Rage II)
020 (Rage pot)
020 (Yugo pot)
040 (Madstone clicky/proc)


SAVES:
Fort: 26
Reflex: 19
Will: 9

Self-buffed:
Fort: 36 (26+4GH+4resist-crafted+2good-fortune-crafted)
Reflex: 35 (19+4H+4resist-crafted+2good-fortune-crafted+6 Uncanny-dodge (4 use))
Will: 24 (9+4GH+4resist-crafted+2good-fortune-crafted+3rage bonus)


FEATS:
WF, WS, GWS, IC: Bludgeoning
Toughnessx5 (might drop one for Quick Draw)
TWF, ITWF, GTWF
Stunning Blow

ENHANCEMENTS:
[WF] Power Attack III (6)
[WF] CON I (2)
[WF] Healer's Friend I (2)
[WF] Tactics I (2)
[WF] Toughness III (6)
[FGT] Strength II (6)
[FGT] Attack Boost II (3)
[FGT] Critical Accuracy II (3)
[FGT] Kensai II (6)
[FGT] Kensai Warhammers II (2)
[FGT] Toughness II (3)
[FGT] Stunning Blow III (6)
[FGT] Warhammer (1)
[FGT] Extra Action Boost I (2)
[FGT] Haste Boost IV (10)
[BRB] Extend Rage II (3)
[BRB] Extra Rage II (3)
[BRB] Power Rage II (3)
[BRB] Hardy Rage II (3)
[BRB] Sprint Boost (1)
[BRB] Power Attack II (3)
[BRB] CON I (2)
[ROG] Sneak Accuracy I (1)
[ROG] Sneak Damage I (1)

SKILLS:
- UMD 40 (23+2stat+6GS CHA-skill+4GH+2good-fortune+3item)
- Jump ~30 raged
- Intimidate 50 (23+2stat+6GS CHA-skill+4GH+15item)
- Balance, Disable, Open Locks, Search, Spot 4 ranks


Stunning Blow DC: Current Standing/unbuffed: 38DC
10 (Base)
12 (34 STR)
02 (Fighter Past Life x2)
02 (Kensai II)
03 (Stunning Blow III)
01 (WF Tactics I)
08 (Weighted 4%)

1-min or more buff/raged sustained: 38+13=51DC
04 (Power Surge)
03 (Barbarian Rage (3min long) + Power Rage II)
01 (Rage pot)
01 (Yugo pot)
01 (Madstone Clicky/Proc)
03 (Titan's Grip)


CURRENT-GEAR:
Head: Minos
Trinket: Bloodstone
Goggles: Trapblast Goggles (**** you VoD!)
Necklace: Verik's (Kensai Neckalce)
Ring 1: Encrusted Ring
Ring 2: Ring of Resistance
Bracers: Levik's Bracers
Gloves: Spectral Gloves
Belt: Knost's Belt
Cloak: Earthgrab Cloak
Boots: Madstone Boots
Armor: Trash-guard DT (10% Heal Amp, Arcane Sigil lmao, Freezing Ice Guard), Raid-guard (10% Heal Amp, Crushing Wave Guard, Air Guard)

Warhammers:
acid/acid/acid Earthgrab Warhammer
good/good Warhammer
+2 Shocking Burst Weighted 4% (replaced Hammer of Leaden Clouds until epic)
+2 Icy Burst Weighted 4% (replaced Hammer of Leaden Clouds until epic)
+4 Icy Burst Greater Giant Bane, +1 Icy Burst Greater Dragon Bane, +3 Anarchic Burst Greater Construct Bane

Working on:
- Tharnes Goggles
- Min2 Khopeshes/Warhammer, incinerator GS Warhammers and freezing GS warhammers
- Lightning guard +6 CHA-skill GS cloak
- Armor: Trash-guard DT (10% Heal Amp, Crushing Wave Guard, Freezing Ice Guard), Raid-guard - (10% Heal Amp, Crushing Wave Guard, Disintegration Guard)
- Epic Spectral Gloves
- +2 exc reflex/will somewhere on setup
- Monk/Kensai set (missing ring)



ADVANTAGES OF BUILD:
- Monstrous HP, comparable to most fighters/barbs, and unbelievably high for a TWF
- Very high sustained STR 58 (38 + 10Power Surge boosts (1min, 10 clicks) + 4Barbarian Rage (3min, 5 clicks) + 2Power Rage II +2Yugo +2Rage pot).
- Stun DC at 56DC sustained (can be made higher with more AP, I only took Stunning Blow III and WF Tactics I but I prefer HP over DC since the DC is already high enough and epic mobs saves are dropped after U5)
- Incredibly high bonus-to-hit: Kensei II, fighter past lifex2, rage+Power Surge STR
- Power Attack Enhancements: -10Attack, +10damage, comparable to a WF pure barb, no problems hitting in epics
- Barb sprint boost and fast speed allows for high mobility on a stunner
- Barb uncanny dodge bonus to evasion/reflex, barb rage bonus to will saves
- 2Rogue gives evasion, Max UMD, potential to do traps/locks (I ignored this), sneak attacks on auto-stuns and more sneak damage when not main aggroer
- Very smooth Action Point enhancements. Not a lot of higher-tier enhancements.


DISADVANTAGES OF BUILD:
- Tempest I, but post-U5, I don't feel bad at all. I made this build before U5 changes are announced. I never liked Tempest I, I felt Dodge was an entirely wasted feat, and Spring Attack is overrated when I have 2 fighter Past Life and a much larger STR bonus that 'offsets' it.
- Loss of Kensai III: This is a main reason that I liked playing this over pure kensai (attack boost III and critical accuracy III is such a waste) but a 18/2 fighter/rogue would have equivalent HP, more dps but none of the barb benefits that I enjoy playing.
- Really can't think of much, I think these 12/6/2 Fighter/barb/rogue builds might end up being the new evolution of tempest DPS after U5, but that's just me






IDEAL STATS
STR 38 (18+5lvl+7item+2enh+3tome+3exc)
DEX 26 (15+7item+3tome+1enh)
CON 32 (17+6item+3enh+3tome+3exc)
INT 14 (11+3tome)
WIS 14 (7+6item+3tome)
CHA 14 (7+6item+3tome)

HIT-POINTS: 709
224 (120+72+12+20 Class + Base)
030 (GFL)
045 (GS earthgrab)
220 (32 CON)
110 (toughness feat x5)
050 (toughness enh x5)
020 (toughness item)
010 (Favor)

1-min or more buff/raged sustained: 709+140=849
060 (Barbarian Rage + Hardy Rage II)
020 (Rage pot)
020 (Yugo pot)
040 (Madstone clicky/proc)

Stunning Blow DC: Current Standing/unbuffed: 43 DC
10 (Base)
14 (38 STR)
02 (Fighter Past Life x2)
02 (Kensai II)
03 (Stunning Blow III)
02 (WF Tactics II)
10 (Weighted 5%)

1-min or more buff/raged sustained: 43+13=56DC
04 (Power Surge)
03 (Barbarian Rage (3min long) + Power Rage II)
01 (Rage pot)
01 (Yugo pot)
01 (Madstone Clicky/Proc)
03 (Titan's Grip)


IDEAL-GEAR:
Head: Minos
Trinket: Epic Bloodstone
Goggles: Tharnes Goggles
Necklace: Shintao Set
Ring 1: FB set
Ring 2: Shintao Set
Bracers: Levik's Bracers or some epic bracers to even out stats
Gloves: Epic Spectral Gloves
Belt: FB set
Cloak: Earthgrab Cloak/Lightning Guard +6 CHA skills
Boots: Madstone Boots

[quickbunnie]

If you lose 2 toughness feats, you can still add khop prof and imp crit slash. You'll still have 620 Hps, but will be much more useful in raids.

[NoidRoid]

I don't see PA in your feat list. Quickdraw is very nice on Kensai 2 builds, you lose a lot of dps in boss fights without it. That leaves you with 3 toughness feats which isn't the end of the world imo. Your blunt dps wont hold aggro in most raid situations where you'd need that hp to tank anyways. If you don't want the kopesh/IC feats suggested above I would consider GWF for +1 attack/damage if you can find 2 APs for WH specialization 2, every little bit helps. Or just add kopesh, you dont need IC if you're just using min 2's for boss fights.

A solid build, very nice for epics. I'm not really seeing the synergy with umd and all that rage though.

[quickbunnie]

Or just add kopesh, you dont need IC if you're just using min 2's for boss fights.

Oh yeah, forgot about that. Take PA instead (as stated above)

[metalworker]

Lol, I do have PA, I must have messed up on the feats somewhere, but I did take toughnessx5 as well I swear.

Regarding to Khopesh, I am hitting fine without spring attack (-4 penalty) so assuming standing still and raid-boss dpsing, I won't need to take Khopesh as an exotic feat, nor Improved Crit slashing (since making two min2 already makes them keen).

I just have to get enough larges to craft two min2s eventually, but hopefully the game changes by then to make khopesh a little less overpowered or obsolete when epic warhammers come out.

If you do not believe the to-hit of this character even with the -10PA, I can tell you even without the monk set that I'm working on, I'm hitting fine. This build accounts for the loss of Spring Attack (as in Tempest I) by having a +6STR/CON rage, and don't forget the +2 to hit from fighter past lifes. I'll be crafting up a +2 STR on my encrusted ring as well. The encrusted set is very nice for this build since it gives you another 3min rage, and stacking 2 damage that works great on TWF which also equates to +6 damage on x3 stunned mobs.

Quickdraw is something that I need more advice on. I've taken it before and 'kinda' liked it. I can tell how a lot of DPS is lost without it on a fighter constantly boosting.

Another thing I forgot to mention: Frenzied Berserker I is not worth it on this build. I have tried it before, but at least for my taste, a wasted feat on Cleave, and Barbarian Damage Boost III (6AP) + Frenzied Berserker (4AP) is a big strain of 10AP in an already tight AP build. Without the Frenzied Berserker I enhancement, I have 10AP free to add more into hp. I personally enjoy dps builds that hit above 700hp. It maybe too much for many people's tastes, but I personally like having the huge HP pool to tank more in case of sudden lagspikes or failed disintegration saves against horoth and epic mobs.