How to finish fixing EK

[droid327]

I think the verdict is in....the EK pass wasn't enough to make it viable. Close but there's still a few deal breakers that keep it from rising above the status of "heroic zerg build". I get that there needs to be some tradeoffs but it seems like you have to trade off so much for a viable ek that you don't have enough left to make it work, especially considering the tradeoffs already inherent in both hybrid caster-melee builds and building a caster class for melee.

I think a few targeted improvements will overcome these limitations though:

1. Make the imbue use your weapon crit profile, not spell crit. Damage scaling simply can't compete with weapon damage in the lategame when weapons get multipliers of x3, 4, 5. Even when it's scaling with spell power. The entire raison d'etre is dps so this failing is a big deal breaker. This also would help mitigate the impact of not having a stat to dmg.

2. Add a multi selector at T3-4-5 that grants three combat style feats. The str or dex reqs on top of con and int make it too restrictive if you're not a 36 pt with big tomes. Even more, though, the bab reqs on the feats mean youre always way too far behind the curve for attack rate, which is the most important factor for EKs. And sorcs are way too feat starved to be effective eks, which this would help as well. I would also include pbs-ps-ips as a line too, even though ek isn't optimized for ranged combat.

3. Move the dice size increases down one step each in the cores. Right now they're so top loaded that you lose half the total damage if you splash even just /3. No other class requires that kind of commitment to reach high effectiveness, and it limits the ceiling on ek because you're denying synergies with other trees/classes that every other build can utilize.

[Lokeal_The_Flame]

I think the verdict is in....the EK pass wasn't enough to make it viable. Close but there's still a few deal breakers that keep it from rising above the status of "heroic zerg build". I get that there needs to be some tradeoffs but it seems like you have to trade off so much for a viable ek that you don't have enough left to make it work, especially considering the tradeoffs already inherent in both hybrid caster-melee builds and building a caster class for melee.

I think a few targeted improvements will overcome these limitations though:

1. Make the imbue use your weapon crit profile, not spell crit. Damage scaling simply can't compete with weapon damage in the lategame when weapons get multipliers of x3, 4, 5. Even when it's scaling with spell power. The entire raison d'etre is dps so this failing is a big deal breaker. This also would help mitigate the impact of not having a stat to dmg.

2. Add a multi selector at T3-4-5 that grants three combat style feats. The str or dex reqs on top of con and int make it too restrictive if you're not a 36 pt with big tomes. Even more, though, the bab reqs on the feats mean youre always way too far behind the curve for attack rate, which is the most important factor for EKs. And sorcs are way too feat starved to be effective eks, which this would help as well. I would also include pbs-ps-ips as a line too, even though ek isn't optimized for ranged combat.

3. Move the dice size increases down one step each in the cores. Right now they're so top loaded that you lose half the total damage if you splash even just /3. No other class requires that kind of commitment to reach high effectiveness, and it limits the ceiling on ek because you're denying synergies with other trees/classes that every other build can utilize.

What server do you play on? I'd like to meet up and exchange build notes, run a few quests together, and maybe do one of the PVP arena battles (Not in the pit, the red team blue team one on one fight with full spell and skill use options).

Anyhow, if you use this gear/setup you can succeed at being an Eldritch Knight in endgame content provided that you build around the few weakness that I've not covered here.

Helm-Pansophic Circlet
Armor-The Only Exception
Goggle slot- Legendary Acolytes Lenses
Belt Slot-Legendary Festering Mummy Wrappings
Weapon Slot-Soul Razor with Meridian Fragment and Meteoric Star Ruby and the city's beacon filigree set
Offhand slot-Legendary Cursed Skull Orb
Trinket Slot-Legendary Cursekeeper
Bracer Slot-Dumathoin's Bracers
Necklace Slot-Legendary Ward-Inscribed Pendant
Ring 1 slot-Legendary Cursebane Ring
Ring 2 slot-Clouded Dreams
Gloves Slot-Gauntlets of the Stormreaver
Cloak Slot-Level 28 cloak of the mimic (This one is really up to personal taste, but this cloak works best in my experience though the number of non-stacking attributes is disappointing)

Epic destiny used-Legendary Dreadnaught

Enhancement tree action point allocation-Pale Master (21), Eldritch Knight (47), Harper Agent (12)