Impressed with the Eldritch Knight PRE

[LOOON375]

Before this was introduced, I pretty much hated playing my WF Sorc. It got boring just nuking everything.

When the new tree was introduced, I rerolled my first life WF pure sorc, into a pure Sorc EK.

I did this simply to see how it all worked and to experiment with it to see if I liked anything enough to use on other toons.

I have to say, that I am having a blast with it. I prefer melee oriented toons and this toon is turning into one of the funner one's I have played.

With the exception of wand and scroll mastery being borked, I think they did a helluva job with the tree.

A melee, pure Sorcerer. Who would've thunk it.

[Zachski]

I'm doing it as a Wizard WF (I too have always hated playing a Wizard or Sorc WF) and I have to agree.

Having a Cleave analogue that doesn't use Cleave's timer right from level 1 makes things a lot easier.

Not to mention a lot of the native doublestrike.

What are you going for in regards to equipment? THF, TWF, or S&B like the tree seems encourage?

[bsquishwizzy]

I re-worked my lowbie toon into a S&B EK (pure). It's interesting, and different. Time will tell as to how good it is.

[LOOON375]

What are you going for in regards to equipment? THF, TWF, or S&B like the tree seems encourage?

THF with Syreth. I have to say it's pretty fricken sweet. Im sitting at close to 100 PRR and 90+ AC.

Ive got a set of flawless blue dragon scale and helm for the easy boost to spell power since it's hard to slot that anywhere else.

The damage isn't top in the game, but it makes for a **** good melee option. It is a monster when using Blitz and sense weakness twisted.

I built it like I would a Barb in regard to stats. Maxed str, dumped Cha. I have no use for DC capability on this toon. Spell point pool is for healing and the EK cleave attacks which are pretty **** sweet in there own right. AOE, no fail knock down on a very short cool down times.

I can also see it making a great tanking toon. Self healing with Maximized DoT's. Super survivable and **** near unkillable in unyielding sentinel.

[Failedlegend]

First I LOATHE the fact that the devs have focused the EK tree on shields...looking at the tree it seems like its a mix of eldritch knight, spellsword and abjuration champion...well thats the closest I can think of the tree actually looks like a mess that took one idea from each mentioned prestige class than filled the other 90% out randomly. Anyways EKs traditionally wield a 1-handed weapon and a spell in the off-hand DDOs best translation would be a Orb in the off-hand (or tome, or stave, or wand) S&B makes no sense for Spellswords either again 1-handed weapon is the traditional weapon.

Aside from the cleave spells none of what you guys describe is because of EK...I've been playing an Arcane Knight since PM came out and everything you describe is a just from clever mixing of various classes abilities. EK adds little to nothing to this awesome concept...too bad really I love the concept its just not viable to most outsaide of soloing and static groups EK really could have given the Gish playstyle a much needed boost

The only redeeming factors are just clones of the cleave/greatcleave abilities (they LOOK fantastic though) and since EK doesn't grant Int/Cha to Atk/Dmg you pretty much have to go strength based which means as a Wiz (who has many feats) you can just pick up PA/C/GC and not have to worry about the fact that the eldritch ones drain your sp like no tommorow. Not to mention the spellstrike constantly draining your SP.

The only thing other than the magic cleaves that is nice is the tensers toggle...tensers has 2 big issues...short duration and fighting beholders or other buff removing mobs makes you run like a little girl...the problem is ALOT of an arcane tank/melee dps' strength comes from his or her buffs so I really would have like to have seen immunity to dispel and similar abilities (ie. beholder anti-magic) and an ability that makes extend better (ie. double its effectiveness)

The only build I can see actually gaining anything from EK is a PDK Sorc since they lack the feats to pick up the cleave line AND all the relevant spellcasting feats so getting the cleave free is nice and PDK allows for you to go full out Charisma but talk about limiting build options and your still stuck with the horribly underdeveloped S&B fighting style

Here's what I personally think EK should have looked more like

Core 1 Eldritch Strike (gets better with each core) +0.5 USP and +1 Force Power per pt spent in tree
Core 3 Cha or Int Atk/DMG (both sorc or wiz can choose Int or Cha..no reason to limit it)
Core 6 Spellsword(choosing element works like Elemental Weapons or Resist Energy)
Core 12 Tensers Toggle
Core 18 Heavy Armor Prof OR Master Mage Armor/Shield (makes the improved SLAs even better)
Core 20 +25 Force SP,+1 Crit Multiplier w/1-h Weapons and +2 Int or Cha

Tier 1

- Improved Mage Armor OR Light/Medium Armor Prof and Armor you equip gains the Greater Twilight Property
- Item Defense: 25%/50%/75% to negate item wear
- Toughness: 5/10/15 HP
- Battlemage: +1/2/3 Concen/Intim/Balance
- Spell Critical: Force +2 % Chance to crit with force damage



Tier 2

- Shield Mastery or Eldritch Combatant (multi-selector choose one - see below for EC-Line effects)
- Adept Fighter: Proficiency and 2/4/6% Doublestrike with ALL 1-h weapons
- Wand and Scroll Mastery +25/50/75% & +1/2/3 DC
- Spell Critical: Force +2 % Chance to crit with force damage
- Improved Shield OR General Shield Proficiency and Shields gain Greater Twilight Property

Tier 3

+ 1 Any Stat
- Improved Battle Mage: Buffs are no longer dispelable or affected by anti-magic effects. (ie. Beholders)
- Eldritch Barrier (SLA similar to Arty's Radiant Force Shield...cooldown 12min/8min/4min Duration 30 seconds + 6 seconds per level...Metas: Quicken)
- Arcane Senses: +2/4/6 Reflex, Spot and Dodge%
- Spell Critical: Force +2 % Chance to crit with force damage

Tier 4

- Improved Shield Mastery or Improved Eldritch Combatant (multi-selector choose one - Req Char Lvl 6)
- + 1 Any Stats
- Force Feedback (5/10/15% chance to do 1d4/1d8/1d12 Force damage on-hit w/ knockdown effect)
- Haste Boost [Req: Arcane Senses]
- Efficient Metamagic: Extend


Tier 5

- Improved Shield Bash or Greater Eldritch Combatant (multi-selector choose one)
- Master Battlemage (Doubles the effectiveness of the Extend Metamagic...requires Extend)
- Improved Tenser's (reduces penalties and increases benefits, improves both the spell and the toggle)
- Eldritch Tempest (Req: Force Feedback)
- Eldritch Spectacle - +25/50/75% Magic Threat Generation & -5/10/15% ASF

Note: Magic includes your EK SLAs ie. Eldritch Tempest and Spellsword

The Tree (on its side) would look something like this.

1. Improved Mage Armor,Improved Shield,Eldritch Barrier,Force Feedback,Eldritch Tempest
2. Force Crit,Force Crit ,Force Crit, Efficient Meta: Extend, Improved Tensers
3. Toughness, Combat Style,+1 Any stat,Improved Combat Style,Greater Combat Style
4. Wand & Scroll Mastery, Battle Mage,Improved BM, +1 Any Stat, Master Battle Mage
5. Item Defense, Adept Fighter, Arcane Senses, Haste Boost, Eldritch Spectacle

Eldritch Combatant Effects:

EC: When fighting with an orb in your off-hand, you gain 1 temporary spell point and +1 universal spellpower on-hit, 3 temporary SP and USP on crit, and 5 temporary SP and USP on vorpal for X seconds <insert standard language for disappearing stacks here>.
IEC: Any 1-handed weapon gains +1 to Crit range and your touch/ranged touch spells no longer have a level cap.
GEC: Orbs Boni to Saves and Energy Resist no longer requires you to be actively blocking (blocking doubles the effect instead)

Improved tenser toggle
- No spell cost to cast
- +25% HP
- Every six seconds you gain Temp HP equal to half your force spellpower

[LOOON375]

First I LOATHE the fact that the devs have focused the EK tree on shields

There are only two things in the tree that have to do with shields, and one gives proficiency with all shields with the exception of tower shields. The other just gives a chance to regain a few lost HPs. I don't think that's enough to qualify for it being focused around using a shield.

I can however see how it could help if you tried to figure out a way to tank with a toon using this tree.

I don't know why, but I forgot about trying out twisting energy burst.

I am in the process of trying it out. I can now run into a large group, knock them all down, and then energy burst them, and then finish them off with melee cleave attacks.

Since I sort of dumped Cha, Im sitting at 36 standing Cha. With the exception of maybe EE Drow, I have a save DC of 52 that should be more than enough to do outrageous damage. Add that to a blitzing THF, it's pretty fricken sweet.