Cetus: The Supreme Bladeforged Fighter

[Cetus]

Do you run EE? Have you tried actually using the feat?

Imo deflect arrows is really good.

Meh, deflect arrows is a waste of a feat as far as I'm concerned. Arrows aren't that much of a threat

[Andoris]

Got my second ETR out of the way -- Overall, the loss of effective ranged damage was not terrible. There are a few quests that would have been easier with it, but none where it was absolutely required(well maybe EE Thrill of the Hunt). That being said I almost always am ina group -- If I was building the toon to solo content, I can't imagine not having the option to swap to a bow.

Biggest concern I have is being a bladeforged over fleshy. While the Recon SLA is good, and effective in 95%+ of situations.. there are times that lack of a meaningful (non-sp based) backup healing solution is painful (thinking of EE CitW). At the end of the day, for the few times that being a fleshy would have been advantageous, the bladeforged build is stronger in most content that I typically run.

Here is the current plan for my next 20-28 run with the build. I have decided to go with Weapon Attachment and only use Tenser's when really necessary. Primary reason for that is player laziness (I don't want to be reattaching my weapon all the time to cast Tenser’s). The extra damage from the Seeker and bonus to base damage more than makes up for the loss of 4 pts of str. Larger question will be is do I need to slot in Tactician to make up for my laziness or can I keep P-THF. Reflex saves are still lower than I would like, but I think I can live with them (just need to get better at dodging Ottolukes).

I do have level 21 and 25 gear swaps figured out as well if anyone is interested. As always feedback/suggestions are welcome.

Class Split: 12 Fighter / 6 Monk / 2 Pally
Race: Bladeforged

Abilities:
Str: 52/78-- (18 base + 5 tome +7 lvl +1 enh +1 GoTIB +10 Item +1 Profane +3 Insightful +2 ED +2 ship +2 Yugo/ + 2 Morale [Rage] +4 Alchemical [Tenser’s] +15 Insightful [Divine Might])
Dex: 24/28 -- (6 base + 5 tome + 9 item +1 GoTIB +1 profane +2 ship -2 stance +2 Yugo / + 4 Alchemical [Tenser’s])
Con: 40/46 -- (16 base +5 tome +1 enh +8 item +2 insight +1 GoTIB +1 profane +4 Stance +2 Ship / +2 Morale [Rage] +4 Alchemical [Tenser’s])
Int: 16 -- (8 base +4 tome +1 GoTIB +1 profane +2 ship)
Wis: 16 -- (7 base +5 tome +1 GoTIB +1 profane +2 ship)
Cha: 40 -- (17 base +5 tome +10 item +2 insight +1 GoTIB +1 profane +2 ship +2 Yugo)

Feats: Passive Past Life: Paladin x3, Fighter x3
ETR: Doublestrike x3
Base: WF: Slashing, Stunning Blow, Great Cleave, Improved Critical: Slashing, Greater Two-handed fighting, Master of Forms, Grandmaster of Forms, Overwhelming Critical, Epic Toughness, Epic PRR
Fighter: Cleave, Dodge, Weapon Specialization: Slashing, Improved Two-Handed Fighting, Greater WF: Slashing, Greater WS: Slashing
Monk: Power Attack, Two-handed Fighting, Fists of Light, Toughness
Destiny: Perfect Two-Handed Fighting or Tactician, Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting

Enhancements:
Paladin: Knight of the Chalice (7 ap): Hunter of the Dead (1), Extra Turning III (3), Extra Smite (1), Divine Might I (2)

Fighter: Kensai (35ap): Kensai Focus (1), Spiritual Bond (1), Strike with No Thought (1), Power Surge (1), Weapon Specialization IV (8), Action Boost: Haste III (3), Extra Action Boost III (6), Tactics III (6), Weapon Meditation (2), Shattering Strike (1), Deadly Strike (1), Keen Edge (1), One with the Blade (1), Str I (2)

Monk Ninja Spy (13 ap): Ninja Training (2), Shadow Veil (1), Sneak Attack Training I (2), Acrobatic II (2), Elemental Ki: Fist of Iron (2), Agility II (2), Sting of the Ninja (2)

Blade Forged (25 ap): Improved Fortification II (2), WF Con I (2), Repair Systems I (2), WF: Tactics III (3), Fearsome Presence (1), Power of the Forge (1), Communion of Scribing III (6), Weapon Attachment (1), Communion of Handling (1), Improved Power Attack III (6)

Core Stats:

Fortification: 190%
HP: 923 Standing / 1007 Boosted / 1055 Yugo – (188 levels +80 epic +406/532 con +25 heroic +10 draconic +45 False Life +15 auto grants +78 feats +50 LD / +48 Yugo)
Double Strike: 27% (8% Item + 5% Perfect TWF + 3% Draconic Ferocity +2% Kensi +9% Epic PL)
Stunning Blow DC: 74 /76 – (10 base + 32/34 Str +5 exc combat mastery +10 stunning +3 Kensi +3 WF +6 tactics +3 Ftr PL +2 Shaken)
Trip DC: 79 / 81 (Epic Blademark)
Repair Spell Power: 209 (138 Devotion + 30 Implement +38 heal skill)
Reconstruct SLA: 510 HP
Dodge: 19% - (8% Item + 6% Flurry + 2% Acrobatic +3% Feat)
PRR: 41 (15 Master Earth + 16 Augment +10 Epic PRR)
Miss Chance: 57%/73% = 20/50% Concealment (Blur/Displacement) * 25% Incorporeal * 27% dodge (Blitzing)
UMD: 42 -- (5 ranks +8 epic +14 Cha +1 tome +3 competence +2 luck +4 morale +1 profane +1 ship)

Saves:
Fort: 71/79 – (16 base +4 epic +16/18 con +4 morale +10 resistance +2 luck +1 competence +1 Ship +2 Aura of Good +15 Divine Grace / +2 Fire finisher +4 Power of the forge)
Ref: 57/65 – (9 base +4 epic +7/9 dex +4 morale +10 resistance +2 luck +1 competence +1 Ship +2 Agility +2 Aura of Good +15 Divine Grace / +2 fire finisher +4 Power of the forge)
Will: 59/65 – (9 base +4 epic +15 cha +4 morale +10 resistance +2 luck +1 competence +1 Ship +2 Aura of Good +15 Divine Grace -4 Yugo / +2 fire finisher +4 Power of the forge)

Epic Destiny – Legendary Dreadnought:
Legendary Tactics (3), Extra Action Boost (3), Momentum Swing (3), Improved Power Attack (2), Lay Waste (2), Attack Boost (1), Strength II (4), Advancing Blows (2), Devastating Critical (2), Masters Blitz (2)
Twists: Fury: Sense Weakness (4) or Meld to Darkness (3), US: Bane of Undeath (1), Grandmaster: Dance of Flowers (1)

Epic Destiny – Fury
Primal Scream (3), Tunnel Vision (1), Str II (4), Acute Instincts (3), Damage Reduction (3), Overwhelming Force (3), Sense Weakness (3), Fury Eternal (2), Unbridled Fury (2)
Twists: LD: Legendary Tactics (1), US: Bane of Undeath (1), Grandmaster: Dance of Flowers (1)


Gear:
Trinket: Litany (Eldrich Saves Ritual) / PLIS
Head: Black dragon +3 iStr, (Green: 250 SP, Yellow: GoTIB)
Neck: Deadly 10 / Verik’s mjm
Goggles: Charisma 10, Resistance 10
Bracers: Skirmishers (+9 Dex, +8 Double Strike)
Body: Black Dragon (Blue: Heavy Fort) / Epic Blademark Docent
Cloak: Cloak of the Wolf / RAD II 150 SP
Ring: EE Consuming Darkness (Green: 16 PRR)
Ring: Seal of Dun’Ro’Bar +2 iCon, Stunning 10
Boots: EE Goatskins Fortification 115% (Green: Good luck Colorless: +2 iCha)
Gloves: EE Backstabers (Yellow: Con 8)
Belt: Ogre Power 10 False Life 45
Weapons: eSoS (Colorless: +11 Repair, Red: Reconstruction 138),

[Munkenmo]

Meh, deflect arrows is a waste of a feat as far as I'm concerned. Arrows aren't that much of a threat

Try the feat and see how it really works.

[Kanuk]

Thank you very much for posting your build, i am currently 12/6/2 human non-range and looking at pinion in raid box.... Was thinking of similar build and guildy linked me your post, excellent!

This would be for my 2nd main and even if i would have same weapon set, im behind on most of the gear. So working with +5 Str and Cha tomes, +4 con, +3 rest. This would be 5th life (PL: 2 Barb,1pally,1figther),with 1 Epic martial for 3% doublestrike. Important to mention i don’t have seal of Dun’Robar which seems key to a portion of build.

Questions:
• Does Seal of Dun’Robar drop on any difficulty? Or only EH/EE maybe?
• Any other non-weapon slot item that gives high + to stun? Base stun bonus, not combat mastery or exceptional bonus.
• Is weapon focus range really needed? Seems only +1 to atk is not much, or am i missing something?
• Since i plan to do a few epic TR eventually with this toon, should i slot lvl 20 or 24 augment for repair? Could always use eAGA from 20 to 24 (which i still have 2 more 100 hour augment i could use in it!)
• I think i may skip stunning blow,let me know if you think this is huge mistake. Potentially 3 feats to swap depending on feedback to above questions (stunning blow, completionist, weapon focus range). Was thinking toughness, Etoughness and perma haste. Or grandmaster, haste and ... dodge, deflect arrows, force of personality? Note, if/when i pick up Seal of Dun’Robar, i would pick up stunning blow.
• Last question, im sure enhancement can be tweaked as needed, but is ninja poison worth it? It’s only 2 points but so many options with such a build that i removed it recently on my current melee build.

Again, thank you very much for the layout, im sure i will have tons of fun with it. Thank you also to any who answer

[Cetus]

Try the feat and see how it really works.

You'd be hard pressed to find feats I haven't tried yet...

I stand by my initial statement, its largely useless when I play this build; hence not worth dropping whatever it is that would be lost in order to fit this in.

[Munkenmo]

I stand by my initial statement, its largely useless when I play this build; hence not worth dropping whatever it is that would be lost in order to fit this in.

Ive gotta admit, qualifying for manyshot really does burn through a lot of feats. Though id recommend deflect arrows to someone following your split, provided they dont have completionist.

I personally went with 10k stars, saved a lot of feats and gave me room for a couple of defensive feats.

[Takllin]

Ive gotta admit, qualifying for manyshot really does burn through a lot of feats. Though id recommend deflect arrows to someone following your split, provided they dont have completionist.

I personally went with 10k stars, saved a lot of feats and gave me room for a couple of defensive feats.

I'd think GTHF is more valuable than deflect arrows.

Also how do you have a high enough wisdom to make use of 10k stars on this build?

[kierg10]

Because it makes the quest faster?

today was doing EE belly, and basically healer focused heals on me while everyone else (I was the only non ranged character lol) pew pewed from above in the stands for the arena fight, and I blitzed down in the arena.

Blitz is awesome lol....

[Munkenmo]

I'd think GTHF is more valuable than deflect arrows.

Also how do you have a high enough wisdom to make use of 10k stars on this build?

He doesnt have gthf atm? Thf and ithf are practically useless, their only purpose is to qualify for gthf, I totally agree that gthf is more usfull than deflect arrows, I missed that he didnt have it already.

I only need to hit 13dex for feat requirments, I put some base points into wisdom.

[LavidDynch]

today was doing EE belly, and basically healer focused heals on me while everyone else (I was the only non ranged character lol) pew pewed from above in the stands for the arena fight, and I blitzed down in the arena.

Blitz is awesome lol....

Why am i thinking about the old saying "you can lead a donkey to the water, but you can't make it drink". (that is a pun to the archers in your group.)

@OP sorry for the off topic.

[Jeromio]

He doesnt have gthf atm? Thf and ithf are practically useless, their only purpose is to qualify for gthf, I totally agree that gthf is more usfull than deflect arrows, I missed that he didnt have it already.

I only need to hit 13dex for feat requirments, I put some base points into wisdom.

Why are THF and ITFH practically useless compared to GTHF? I thought each of the feats gave 10% glancing blow damage and 3% effect triggering for glancing blows, and there was nothing special with GTFH compared to the other ones.
Is GTFH perhaps some pre-req to something, would that be it?

[Cetus]

Why are THF and ITFH practically useless compared to GTHF? I thought each of the feats gave 10% glancing blow damage and 3% effect triggering for glancing blows, and there was nothing special with GTFH compared to the other ones.
Is GTFH perhaps some pre-req to something, would that be it?

If you go through your entire attack chain, GTHF adds an additional glancing blow proc - which, if that's how you melee, is very nice.

However, GTHF is just 10% glance damage for me, because I don't auto attack - so I seldom see that extra glance with my play dynamics.

THF and ITHF are still very useful, 20% glancing blow damage is a nice DPS boost since this build cleaves so much, and momentum swing procs several glances as well.

THF and ITHF are far from useless - deflect arrows belongs in the "useless" category because there aren't any projectiles that are of significant threat to this build, especially at the rate at which it blocks incoming projectiles. All that dodge, displacement, shadow fade will take care of them, that feat is about as useful to me as skill focus : swim.

[Jeromio]

If you go through your entire attack chain, GTHF adds an additional glancing blow proc - which, if that's how you melee, is very nice.

However, GTHF is just 10% glance damage for me, because I don't auto attack - so I seldom see that extra glance with my play dynamics.

THF and ITHF are still very useful, 20% glancing blow damage is a nice DPS boost since this build cleaves so much, and momentum swing procs several glances as well.

THF and ITHF are far from useless - deflect arrows belongs in the "useless" category because there aren't any projectiles that are of significant threat to this build, especially at the rate at which it blocks incoming projectiles. All that dodge, displacement, shadow fade will take care of them, that feat is about as useful to me as skill focus : swim.

Thanks for clarifying!

[Munkenmo]

You only get glancing blows when your standing still, I very rarely if ever stand still, thus to me, thf & ithf are completely uselss without gthf.

It comes down to playstyle driving opinion I guess, Cetus and I are both correct based on how we play our own toons.

[Cetus]

You only get glancing blows when your standing still.

Wrong.

I cleave, great cleave, and lay waste while plowing through masses of mobs and those attacks generate glances, I'm not standing still except during the instant moment when I cleave. Running at a mob and momentum swinging at it also generates glancing blow procs. THF and ITHF are very useful. I would take GTHF if I had room, and it has exactly the same value as any of its pre-reqs or PTHF - 10% glance damage.

[Osedox]

Im thinking of doing a melee only variation of this build framework and had a few questions.

-Since I am skipping the ranged portion of the build, is anything more than monk 2 required?
-Would it be terrible to do 12ftr/6pally/2monk, or even 12ftr/4pally/4monk? and how much would i lose by not taking monk to 6?
-Would i lose a significant portion of my dps by spending more points into the paladin DoS tree for greater PRR/saves and less in Ninja Spy?
-Since i would get Turn Undead automatically from pally4 or pally6 what would be the most optimal twist to replace Bane of Undeath with?
-Does use of Bladesworn transformation negate use of Communion of Scribing?

[Nightmanis]

Im thinking of doing a melee only variation of this build framework and had a few questions.

-Since I am skipping the ranged portion of the build, is anything more than monk 2 required?
-Would it be terrible to do 12ftr/6pally/2monk, or even 12ftr/4pally/4monk? and how much would i lose by not taking monk to 6?
-Would i lose a significant portion of my dps by spending more points into the paladin DoS tree for greater PRR/saves and less in Ninja Spy?
-Since i would get Turn Undead automatically from pally4 or pally6 what would be the most optimal twist to replace Bane of Undeath with?
-Does use of Bladesworn transformation negate use of Communion of Scribing?

6 Monk is for Shadow fade, which is 25% incorporeal (15% higher than you can get on an item.) It's also an extra feat, and in all honesty with the way the build is setup it's 2 extra feats as you get the second tier forms autogranted.

However, because you are getting rid of the ranged portion it does free up a couple (7, isn't it?) feats which makes that part a bit null. You also get a twist back since you get the turns from 4 paladin.

So, basically it's you lose some defense (shadow fade vs incorp item) in favour of gaining a twist back and losing a potential feat. But that's only that part. Other changes come from your enhancements. 2 Monk doesn't allow you to take ninja poison (which apparently is awesome) but the 6 paladin allows you to go after the defender stance for a tiny bit more defense.

[Osedox]

6 Monk is for Shadow fade, which is 25% incorporeal (15% higher than you can get on an item.) It's also an extra feat, and in all honesty with the way the build is setup it's 2 extra feats as you get the second tier forms autogranted.

However, because you are getting rid of the ranged portion it does free up a couple (7, isn't it?) feats which makes that part a bit null. You also get a twist back since you get the turns from 4 paladin.

So, basically it's you lose some defense (shadow fade vs incorp item) in favour of gaining a twist back and losing a potential feat. But that's only that part. Other changes come from your enhancements. 2 Monk doesn't allow you to take ninja poison (which apparently is awesome) but the 6 paladin allows you to go after the defender stance for a tiny bit more defense.

Wow ok I hadn't even realized that was the reason for Mnk6 I just thought it was for the extra martial arts feat. Shadow fade seems like a pretty cool ability, however I dont see any duration listed in the Wiki entry, does anyone happen to know how long it lasts? Or if earthstance generates enough ki on average to keep this buff refeshed?

I believe Monk4/Pally4 would address the Ninja Poison Issue, as well as getting me access to the full (tier 4) Dos and NiS trees.

[Arianka]

Wow ok I hadn't even realized that was the reason for Mnk6 I just thought it was for the extra martial arts feat. Shadow fade seems like a pretty cool ability, however I dont see any duration listed in the Wiki entry, does anyone happen to know how long it lasts?

1 minute.

[Osedox]

****.... well thats pretty hard to pass up. I was thinking you would get better defensive options through a deeper pally splash but this is way better.

I haven't played a monk or centered toon ever, does the Ki generation keep up with constant use of Shadow Veil 1/min, and Fists of Iron approx. 1 every 3sec?

So I keep hearing that Ninja Poison is amazing, is this just the DoT effect that is being referred to? or is the Poison Exploit Ninjutsu also utilized? It seems like it would be difficult to work in touch of despair along with all the other things in an attack rotation (cleave->Gcleave->fists of iron->momentum swing->lay waste)