Strimtom's Vanguide - An Endgame guide to playing Fighter Vanguard

[unbongwah]

- heavy blades

This one: "You focus your Kensei training in the use of heavy blades. You gain +1 to hit with falchions, greatswords, longswords, and scimitars. (The Exotic Weapon Mastery enhancement will add bastard swords and khopeshes to this list of weapons.)"

[Laurenthium]

This one: "You focus your Kensei training in the use of heavy blades. You gain +1 to hit with falchions, greatswords, longswords, and scimitars. (The Exotic Weapon Mastery enhancement will add bastard swords and khopeshes to this list of weapons.)"

thx a lot Unbongwah!!!

[pappo]

What do you mean by "rightclick?

[Strimtom]

What do you mean by "rightclick?

I use the classic DDO control set up, in which right click is the attack button. I mean basic attacks.

[john0]

So with the nerf to vanguard is the build still worth using? Should i use stalwart defender instead of kensei or should a vanguard paladin be a better choice? (If going more defensive is a better option)

[Kaboom2112]

So with the nerf to vanguard is the build still worth using? Should i use stalwart defender instead of kensei or should a vanguard paladin be a better choice? (If going more defensive is a better option)

Depends on what you want to do.

This is not nor has it ever been a high DPS build. If you like the flavor knock yourself out.

[Niminae]

[COLOR="#00FF00"]Prowess and YOU!
Prowess is the best filigree set in the game for melee, don't let anyone tell you otherwise., It gives you a 100 melee power boost for 10 seconds after you activate an actionboost. This build gives you 14 actionboosts allowing you to sustain 280 seconds of prowess between shrines thanks to action boost damage and actionboost haste. However, the mechanic isn't as obvious as to how it works.

Prowess gives you the melee power boost as long as you do not have an actionboost running. Powersurge counts as an actionboost and since you can keep powersurge active 100% of the time, using powersurge locks you out of prowess. It is for this reason that to get the full benefit of prowess you must not ever use powersurge. Just take it off your bar until everything is fixed.

I'm so confused. Did changes to Prowess take place? I have a hard time matching up the above with this:

2 Pieces: +5 Physical Resistance Rating
3 Pieces: +5 Melee Power
4 Pieces: +2 Action Boosts
5 Pieces: Gain +75 Melee Power for 10 seconds when an action boost is used.

75 is not 100...

And you seem to be confused as well, because "It gives you a 100 melee power boost for 10 seconds after you activate an actionboost." is the exact opposite of "Prowess gives you the melee power boost as long as you do not have an actionboost running."

(My bolds for emphasis)

[vyvy3369]

I'm so confused. Did changes to Prowess take place? I have a hard time matching up the above with this:

75 is not 100...

And you seem to be confused as well, because "It gives you a 100 melee power boost for 10 seconds after you activate an actionboost." is the exact opposite of "Prowess gives you the melee power boost as long as you do not have an actionboost running."

(My bolds for emphasis)

It was recently patched from 100 MP to 75 to match the description.

The prowess MP boost will not re-trigger if you have an action boost active. Thus if you use Power Surge, you are locked out of a second prowess bonus for 60s. I assume this is a bug, and it's incredibly frustrating - frustrating enough that I've been considering swapping out for a different filigree set, even though prowess is so good.

[Niminae]

It was recently patched from 100 MP to 75 to match the description.

The prowess MP boost will not re-trigger if you have an action boost active. Thus if you use Power Surge, you are locked out of a second prowess bonus for 60s. I assume this is a bug, and it's incredibly frustrating - frustrating enough that I've been considering swapping out for a different filigree set, even though prowess is so good.

Ah, I don't recall seeing that in the release notes, thanks.

So, if you allow your action boost to expire, and then trigger another one, then the +75 melee power will apply again?

[Kaboom2112]

So with the nerf to vanguard is the build still worth using? Should i use stalwart defender instead of kensei or should a vanguard paladin be a better choice? (If going more defensive is a better option)

This build was never good.

[untface]

Trinket: Symbol of the Slavelords (Slavelords Might Set) - Slotted with a Topaz of Deathblock, Topaz of Blindness Immunity

Is this saying apply either deathblock or blindness immunity? AFAIK you cannot have both of those augments on that item. Just checking i am not missing something. Been enjoying the build very much.

[untface]

How should you play?
Do not think of yourself as a beefy tank fighter. You are an assassin who can shield slam for over 25k in a single strike.

I am curious how that kind of damage is achieved. I've been playing this build on and off for about 6 weeks now. I have managed to get most of the suggested gear only missing the raid gloves and Slavelords Might set bonus (I'd also like to get the Healing Amp. neck piece). I have the prowess 5 piece set bonus and have crafted all the Slavelords (minus might set bonus) and Cannith gear.

For the time being I am wearing:
Legendary mantle of Fury
Legendary Gauntlets of Innate Arcanum

I'll keep wearing these until (if ever) I get the raid gloves. I've only managed to pug each of the Rl raids once.

This has been quite a milestone build for me to pursue. I have had to level my Cannith crafting to usable levels for the first time. I also ate the sentience gem from my Wizard and a lot of named gear to get my first real Filigree set bonus. I have taken this build into places I haven't been before, running my first Reaper 7 in a pug, where I performed quite competitively imho. My previous highest Reaper being R3 pugs.

However, I have no idea how 25k damage is remotely possible. The biggest hit I have noticed to date is in the order of 14k, and I can regularly hit anywhere in the 2-8k range (with hits above this being less common).

My Melee Weapon Power caps out at 303 with self buffs. I really have no idea if this is good, bad or something in-between.

Is there something I am missing?

Also, I feel this build severely lacks in hitpoints. With only ship buffs, I have a standing 1204hp. It just isn't enough imho. So again, am I missing something here? Maybe my 4 Reaper XP just isn't cutting it, or my lone (Fighter) past life.

Thanks for the guide, love the build, lots of fun to play. Appreciate any guidance.

[Zretch]

I am curious how that kind of damage is achieved. I've been playing this build on and off for about 6 weeks now. I have managed to get most of the suggested gear only missing the raid gloves and Slavelords Might set bonus (I'd also like to get the Healing Amp. neck piece). I have the prowess 5 piece set bonus and have crafted all the Slavelords (minus might set bonus) and Cannith gear.

For the time being I am wearing:
Legendary mantle of Fury
Legendary Gauntlets of Innate Arcanum

I'll keep wearing these until (if ever) I get the raid gloves. I've only managed to pug each of the Rl raids once.

This has been quite a milestone build for me to pursue. I have had to level my Cannith crafting to usable levels for the first time. I also ate the sentience gem from my Wizard and a lot of named gear to get my first real Filigree set bonus. I have taken this build into places I haven't been before, running my first Reaper 7 in a pug, where I performed quite competitively imho. My previous highest Reaper being R3 pugs.

However, I have no idea how 25k damage is remotely possible. The biggest hit I have noticed to date is in the order of 14k, and I can regularly hit anywhere in the 2-8k range (with hits above this being less common).

My Melee Weapon Power caps out at 303 with self buffs. I really have no idea if this is good, bad or something in-between.

Is there something I am missing?

Also, I feel this build severely lacks in hitpoints. With only ship buffs, I have a standing 1204hp. It just isn't enough imho. So again, am I missing something here? Maybe my 4 Reaper XP just isn't cutting it, or my lone (Fighter) past life.

Thanks for the guide, love the build, lots of fun to play. Appreciate any guidance.

I'm going to guess that was a full blitz stack, first 10 second of boost (for prowess bonus) super crit (19-20) against a helpless opponent. Very possibly on a Shield Rush (+6W). More of an outlier number than a "every time my shield bash triggers off of standard attacks it crits for 24k".

[Strimtom]

Updated item build as well as race information for U40.

[MacSterling83]

Updated item build as well as race information for U40.

Nicely updated! Thank you Strimtom!

[Niminae]

This guide is updated for U40.1

I'm also skeptical about Khopesh. With Dwarven Waraxe, you can take the entire THF feat line to get glancing blows. You also gain access to Headman's Chop to add +1 critical multiplier on 19-20 to both weapon and shield.

Nice update! But I think that since U39.2 the argument for Dwarven Waraxe and THF feat line deserves another look. It isn't just the glancing blows anymore. It's the glancing blows and 20%-25% HP with Epic Defensive Fighting.

Yeah, your Fighter isn't going to be able to cross heal anyone with Cocoon or a scroll, but that's not a lot of healing anyway.

[NemesisAlien]

Good built, will refer in the future when I start on my Pali life, pity my gear are all 3yrs old, just came back.

[Dulcimerist]

Is this build new-player-friendly in heroics? My daughter is new to DDO, wants to try out a melee character, and is already enjoying your acid-based Arcane Archer. She's purely F2P, and is trying to decide whether or not to stick with the game before becoming premium or VIP.

She plans to only do heroic play for now, and might prefer longswords first life since they're easier to find. To do this, what would the feat order be for choosing Knight's Training instead of Khopesh Prof?

If she wanted to do a Paladin version of this for a first life for the self-heals, what would this build look like?

Thanks for posting this!

[Strimtom]

Is this build new-player-friendly in heroics? My daughter is new to DDO, wants to try out a melee character, and is already enjoying your acid-based Arcane Archer. She's purely F2P, and is trying to decide whether or not to stick with the game before becoming premium or VIP.

She plans to only do heroic play for now, and might prefer longswords first life since they're easier to find. To do this, what would the feat order be for choosing Knight's Training instead of Khopesh Prof?

If she wanted to do a Paladin version of this for a first life for the self-heals, what would this build look like?

Thanks for posting this!

This build is not designed for ftp play or to be solo friendly, it is designed exclusively as a end game dps build.

Paladin is much better if you want to do this for enjoying levelling. During the levelling process it is basically the same except you have better saves, self healing, better physical and magical resistant rating, and comparable damage.

Knights training is interchangeable with kopesh proficiency now that the feat is out. I personally prefer calamity as my endgame weapon since when pugging you can't guarantee that someone in the group will have a vulnerbility item.

For paladin, it is fairly simple. Max charisma with strength second. You want 11 points in knight of the chalice for divine might, you want 26 points in sacred defender for core 4 (raise dead) improved stalwart defense for either con or str and move speed, and finally 41 in vanguard with t5 vanguard for the good stuff. Cut out the fighter feats, just go shield mastery. In theory you could also go bastard sword or something but the feats are a little tight depending on race. Either way, super strong and easy to level.

[grey1cat]

Hey Strimtom, great build thanks for doing this. Question: whats the point of the two hand and two weapons stuff at epic? does it help with sword and board or do you switch fighting styles?