Empower and Maximize

[tinyelvis]

In epic play this melee/caster build will perform well. Casting ability (unlike almost every melee/caster build proposed for sorcerer to date) is not gimped and good. For me that seems pretty important. He can still drop a good wall of fire and hop to the perch or behind the line for the dull burn down wait like other casters.

The other option for the typical caster in epic is to essentially turn into a wimpy wizard and chuck out crowd control like Mass Hold Monster. A hold monster will not last forever, however, with 5K to 15K hitpoints on trash mobs, power attack can be very useful. So instead of falling asleep behind the lines dulling tossing out the occasional wall of fire and hold monster, this tune can actually help out slaying things when the occasion rises (held things especially).

In my opinion, so far, this is the best melee/caster build I have seen.

[Aschbart]

this tune

I suspect you meant 'toon'? Or did you have a bard in mind?

Anyway, thanks for the info. Not going to use it anytime soon, but good to know.

[LordRavnos]

Is that a trick question? A nuker should heighten, empower and maximise flushing the toilet.

I just laughed so hard after reading this, thanks for the laugh today, +1 for you and I am so putting that in my sig

[Thesoulgazer]

I admit, when i heard the description I expected a really jacked up build. However, this build is not bad at all. Some of you guys are being unreasonably hard on it. It is one of the few melee caster builds that has decent to good casting potential. The main caster weakness is a somewhat low spell penetration. However, that hole can easily be plugged with one past life of wizard. Overall, caster performance will be average to a little above average with offensive spell performance as well or better than a double focus spec'd WF caster. Plus as he states he also has melee ability.

On the melee side, for some reason, some of you folks use the standard of a pure melee build as the reference standard. Of course he can't meet that standard. However, in epic play his FW's perform as well as any caster and his DC spells perform as well (in fact better) than a double focus spec'd WF caster (not to mention many WF don't even do that). To critique this build is to **** WF casters too in epic play. Plus, he has the ability if the situation presents itself to melee. No one said he had to stupidly jump into situations where evasion was needed. Besides...he can self buff protection, and cast spells like fire shield.

What about this build prohibits shroud play? If I ran this tune, it would achieve 50 - 70 kills over the course of the shroud run. Take on any boss in part II. Nuke Harry with polar ray et al in part IV and V. And finish out part V after putting out the highest DPS with spells for 60 - 90 seconds by melee'n Harry with other party members. It would not surprise me if this toon could not potentially put out the most damage of any party member in part V. Further, I can't think of any raid where this toon could not potentially perform very well.

In my opinion, to ridicule this build is to show a lack of understanding of caster classes. Actually ridiculing any build is counter productive.

P.S. I have always imagined a melee caster as a WF. However, I see now a great benefit to being a Drow melee caster. Namely the bonus charisma.

You have a tr in the equation. Were not talking about tr here, cause they are very much more powerful then normal

[tinyelvis]

You have a tr in the equation. Were not talking about tr here, cause they are very much more powerful then normal

What critiques do you have with the build? Please show a link to a better melee/caster. Outside of just coming up with a post that tosses some random dig at my comments, what are you adding here?

[Carpone]

In epic play this melee/caster build will perform well. [...] The other option for the typical caster in epic is to essentially turn into a wimpy wizard and chuck out crowd control like Mass Hold Monster. A hold monster will not last forever, however, with 5K to 15K hitpoints on trash mobs, power attack can be very useful. So instead of falling asleep behind the lines dulling tossing out the occasional wall of fire and hold monster, this tune can actually help out slaying things when the occasion rises (held things especially).

I don't know what game you're playing, but in the elite and epic content I've done Hold Monster/Flesh to Stone + Dreamspitter is the only real viable melee strategy worth doing as a sorcerer. Auto-neg levels >>>> PA damage.

[Angelus_dead]

I don't know what game you're playing, but in the elite and epic content I've done Hold Monster/Flesh to Stone + Dreamspitter is the only real viable melee strategy worth doing as a sorcerer. Auto-neg levels >>>> PA damage.

It turns out that negs+damage kills enemies faster than negs alone. But of course, usually some other party member will hit for some damage.

[tinyelvis]

I don't know what game you're playing, but in the elite and epic content I've done Hold Monster/Flesh to Stone + Dreamspitter is the only real viable melee strategy worth doing as a sorcerer. Auto-neg levels >>>> PA damage.

And again, why can't that build also do that, and do it faster? Put your money where your mouth is. Post a better melee/caster build.