Cetus: The Return of the Pure THF Kensei Fighter

[Cetus]

Build thread:
The build: Pure Half-Orc Great-Axe Wielding Kensei Fighter in Fury of the Wild

Notes before we begin:

1. This build is designed for the top end-game player population who run Reaper 10 on a regular basis. This is not to say that others cannot derive value from this thread, but that will be the target audience here.
2. This thread is featuring a completed character. This means that it assumes maximum AP's, maximum tomes, and maximum past lives.
2. Critiques are always welcome, as this is a constant work in progress.

STARTING STATS:
Strength: 20, Dexterity: 8, Constitution: 18, Intelligence: 6, Wisdom: 12, Charisma: 6

FEATS: (in no particular order)

11 Fighter Feats + 11 Level-Up Feats + 3 Destiny Feats + 1 Legendary Feat = 26

1. Two-Handed Fighting
2. Improved Two-Handed Fighting
3. Greater Two-Handed Fighting
4. Power Attack
5. Precision
6. Stunning Blow
7. Weapon Focus: Slashing
8. Greater Weapon Focus: Slashing
9. Superior Weapon Focus: Slashing
10. Weapon Specialization: Slashing
11. Greater Weapon Specialization: Slashing
12. Weapon Focus: Bludgeon (2 melee power)
13. Greater Weapon Focus: Bludgeon (2 melee power)
14. Weapon Specialization: Bludgeon (2 melee power)
15. Greater Weapon Specialization: Bludgeon (2 melee power)
16. Heavy Armor Master
17. Heavy Armor Champion
18. Tactical Supremacy (+8)
19. Overwhelming Critical
20. Completionist
21. Improved Critical: Slashing
22. Strength +1
23. Epic Feat #1: Perfect Two handed fighting
24. Epic Feat #2: Perfect Two Weapon Fighting
25. Epic Feat #3: Dire Charge
26. Legendary Feat: Scion of Arborea

SKILLS: All Level-up skills into Search, Intimidate, enough UMD just to reach no-fail on Tenser/GH scrolls. Take perform out of N/A for the occasional skill check. Take Tumble out of N/A as well for fun.

TWISTS
4 - 3 - 2 - 2 - 1 (40 fate points)

Martial Hymn
Grim Precision / Meld of Darkness / Hail of Blows
Improved Power Attack
Dance of Flowers
Momentum Swing

ENHANCEMENTS:

Kensei: 42 Points
Extra Action Boost (6)
Haste boost (3)
Kensei Weapon Specialization: Axes (8)
Critical Mastery (3)
Shattering Strike (3)
Strength (4)
Strike at the Heart (2)
Opportunity Attack (2)
All tier 5's and All cores (11)

Falconry 31 Points
Rugged (3)
Practiced Accuracy (2)
Out in Nature (3)
Action Boost: Sprint (3)
5 Cores (7)
Eyes of the Eagle (2)
Conditioning (2)
Strike for the Eyes (1)
Deadly Instinct (3)
No Mercy (3)
Coordinated Strike (1)
Expose Weakness (1)

Half-Orc 22 Points
4 Cores (6)
Orcish Weapon Training (8)
Improved Power Attack (3)
Great Weapon Aptitude (3)
Brutality (1)
Raging Crush (1)

DESTINY
Fury of the Wild
Boulder's Might (3)
Primal Scream (3)
Acute Instincts (3)
Sense Weakness (3)
Malicious Weapons (3)
Overwhelming Force (2)
Fury Eternal (1)
Devastating Blow (2)
Strong Swings (1)
Unbridled Fury (2)
Bloodbath (1)

CURRENT GEAR

Helmet: Legendary Executioner's Helmet (Slotted Sapphire of Protection +8) Mythic Head Boost +3
Necklace: The Family's Blessing (Slotted Vitality + 20, Master's Gift) Mythic Neck Boost +1
Trinket: Bloodrage Chrism (Slotted Good Luck +2, Resistance +8)
Cloak: Charune, Grand Burden of Fury (Slotted Sapphire of Armored Agility +2, Sapphire of Spell Agility +15) +3 Reaper Melee Power
Belt: The Cornerstone Champion, upgrade Quality Wisdom +5
Right Ring: Legendary Ring of Prowess, Reaper Melee Power +3
Gloves: Legendary Hammerfist (Slotted Diamond of Insightful +2 Constitution) Mythic Hands Boost +3
Boots: Slavers Sheltering +45, Resistance +14, Vertigo +20, Quality Constitution +4, +3 Reaper Melee Power
Left Ring: Legendary Band of Insightful Commands (Slotted Globe of True Imperial Blood) Mythic Ring Boost +1
Bracers: Legendary Sunken Chains Upgrade: Quality Strength +5, Reaper Melee Power +3, Mythic +1
Armor: Legendary Enforcer's Plate (Slotted: Natural Armor +8)
Goggles: Legendary Collective Sight Upgrade: Constitution +21 and Insightful Strength +10, Reaper Melee Power +3

Weapon: Legendary Baz'Morath, Curator of Decay Slotted: Ruby of Good and Ghostbane Ruby/Deconstructor, Mythic Weapon Boost +2

SENTIENT FILIGREES: 5 Piece Prowess, 4 Piece Shattered Device, 2 Raid Rare Filigree

Baz'Morath:
1. Prowess: Critical Confirmation (Rare)
2. Prowess: Attack and Damage (Rare)
3. Prowess: Melee Power (Rare)
4. Prowess: Strength (Rare)
5. Shattered Device: Melee Power (Rare)
6. Shattered Device: Armor Piercing (Rare)
7. Shattered Device: Strength (Rare)
8. Sucker Punch/One Against Many: Strength (Rare)

Charune:
1. Prowess: Melee Power (Rare)
2. Shattered Device: Melee Power (Rare)
3. Sucker Punch/One Against Many: Strength (Rare)

***********************************
PERFORMANCE NUMBERS

Strength: 20 base + 8 tome + 7 level-ups + 2 Completionist + 2 Racial Completionist + 2 Half-Orc + 2 Kensei Tree + 2 Kensei capstone + 2 Falconry + 2 Yugoloth + 2 Lasting Elixir + 5 Primal Scream + 1 Martial Hymn + 1 Feats + 1 Globe + 22 Strength + 10 Insightful Strength + 5 Quality Strength + 8 Power Surge + 4 Tenser's Scroll + 5 Dread Adversary + 6 Filigree + 1 Racial Past-Life + 2 Ship buff + 2 Profane + 2 Madstone Rage = 126 self-buffed strength


Wisdom: 12 Base + 8 tome + 2 Completionist + 2 Racial Completionist + 2 Kensei Capstone + 2 Yugoloth + 2 Lasting Elixir + 1 Martial Hymn + 1 globe + 21 Wisdom Swap + 10 Insightful Wisdom Swap + 8 Power Surge + 2 Racial Past Life + 2 Ship Buff + 2 Profane + 2 Acute Instincts + 2 Festive Wisdom + 5 Quality Wisdom +4 Reaper Points = 90 self-buffed wisdom (40 modifier)

Constitution: 18 Base + 8 Tome + 2 Completionist + 2 Racial Completionist + 2 Kensei Capstone + 2 Lasting Elixir + 1 Globe + 21 Constitution + 2 Insightful Constitution + 4 Quality Consitution + 8 Power Surge + 2 Racial Past Life + 2 Ship Buff + 2 Profane + 2 Yugoloth (rarely used) + 5 Primal Scream + 4 Tenser's Scroll + 5 Grim Barricade +4 Madstone Rage = 96 self-buffed constitution

Damage: 58 Strength Modifier x 3 Scaling Factor for THF = 174 + Deadly 17 + Quality Deadly 4 +Deadly Instincts 20 + 3 Monk Past Life + 16 PA + 15 Enhancement Bonus + 2 Arborea + 2 Morale (Good Hope) + 2 Alchemical Potion of Prowess + 6 Ancient Power + 4 Dread Adversary + 6 Fury of the Wild + 3 Enchant Weapon = 286 + 8 Orcish Weapon Training + 13 Kensei tree + 4 weapon specialization + 3 Shattered Device Set + 1 Attack/Damage Prowess Filigree + 5 Battle Meditation +2 Luck +3 situational for Hail of Blows twist = 313 Self-Buffed

Add +47 Damage for critical hits (see breakdown below)
Add 5% relentless fury

Weapon Dice: Baz (upgraded) is 7.5W + 1W from Dance of Flowers + 0.5W from Improved Power Attack + 0.25W from Guild Buff + 1W from Deadly = 10.3W (rounded on character sheet)

313 damage + 10.3[1d12+6] = Average raw base damage of 441.75 (will be used later for melee power correction)

Melee Power: 36 Fury of the Wild Core + 25 Strong Swings + 4 Tome + 20 One Cut + 20 One with the Blade + 6 Superior Weapon Focus Slashing + 4 Greater Weapon Specialization Slashing + 4 Greater Weapon Focus Bludgeoning + 4 Greater Weapon Specialization: Bludgeoning + 10 Perfect Two-Handed Fighting + 6 Well Rounded II (from Falconry) + 25 Artifact Part of the Family + 33 Filigree + 30 Epic Power + 20 Scion of Arborea + 3 Mythic on Right Ring + 2 Mythic on Weapon + 3 Mythic on Gloves + 1 Mythic on left Ring +3 Reaper Melee on Shackles + 3 Reaper Melee on Bracers + 3 Reaper Melee on Goggles +3 Reaper Melee on Charune +15 Lasting Potion + 24 Dread Adversary + 10 Martial Hymn + 8 Prowess +10 Sentient + 5 Almond-Coated Shadow Apple = 340 Self-Buffed Standing Melee Power

340 + 20 Opportunity Attack + 50 Prowess Buff = 410 sustained

Effective Damage: 441.75 raw base damage * (100 + 410/100) = 441.75 * 5.1 = 2253 melee-power modified base damage.

Tactics: These should just meet threshold values, as further investment provides no additional utility. I stopped at 133.

Stunning Blow: 10 + 58 Str Modifier + 23 Stunning Item + 20 Deadly Instincts + 3 Fighter Past Lives + 8 Tactical Supremacy + 4 Quality Combat Mastery + 4 Reaper's Tactics +2 Kensei Capstone + 1 Guild Buff = 133

Dire Charge: 153

Trip: 10 + 58 Str Modifier + 20 Vertigo Item + 20 Deadly Instincts + 3 Fighter Past Lives + 8 Tactical Supremacy + 4 Quality Combat Mastery + 4 Reaper's Tactics + 2 Kensei Capstone + 1 Guild Buff = 130

Sunder: 133 (Shatter +23 item)

Doublestrike: +15% Kensei Capstone + 4% Kensei Cores + 15% Part of the Family Set + 24% Family's Blessing + 11% Insightful Doublestrike + 3% Iconic Past Life + 10% Bloodrage Chrism + 3% Shattered Device + +9% Martial Past Life + 5% Perfect Two-Weapon Fighting + 3% situational Hail of Blows = 99-102% Standing Full-Time (not counting cannith combat infusion, which is a rare proc and not nearly enough up-time to be considered as a chronic buff)

To-Hit (non-sneaking): +58 Strength Modifier + 15 Enhancement + 2 Arborea + 3 Enchant Weapons Epic Past Life + 1 Blinding Speed + 30 BAB + 28 Competence Bonus + 13 Insightful bonus + 3 Superior Weapon Focus + 3 Fighter Past Life + 8 Orcish Weapon Training + 8 Kensei + 5 Battle Meditation +2 Practiced Accuracy + 4 Grim Barricade + 2 Alchemical Prowess + 4 GH + 12 Ancient Power (THF) + 3 Shattered Device + 1 Attack/Damage Prowess Filigree + 2 Tactical Training Room = 208 - 8 Orc Power Attack +2 Luck Bonus = 202 (with half-orc power attack) Self-Buffed

If flanking, add 7 (insightful deception) + 18 (deception) + 6 guild + 2 standard flanking bonus + 4 (net) essence of betrayal = additional 38

Critical Hit To-Hit/Damage: Seeker +21 + Insightful Seeker + 10 + 3 Critical Mastery + 4 Quality Seeker + 6 Guild Buff +2 Prowess Critical Confirmation = 46 (missing 1 point from somewhere, 47 on character sheet)

Total critical confirmation while sneaking: 202 + 38 + 46 + 10 attack sequence +16 adrenaline confirm = >300 self-buffed in power attack, and without cookies.

Fortification Bypass: 36% Enhancement + 16% Insightful + 5% Shattered Device Filigree + 5% Guild Bonus + 15% Grim Precision + 10% Part of the Family = 87% (missing 1 point, maybe rounding? Character sheet states 88%)

Debuffs: 25% Sunder (DC 133) + 15% Shattering Strike + 50% Expose Weakness + 15% Fighter Improved Destruction + 25% Precision

Total 218% Fortification Bypass

Helpless Damage: 30% Falconry + 20% Half-orc + 30% Sense Weakness + 15% Part of the family + 5% Guild buff = 100%

Strikethrough: Base 20% + THF line 150% + 20% Fury + 20% Half-orc + 5% Filigree = 215%

Action Boost Count:: 5 base + 3 Kensei + 4 Kensei Capstone + 1 Guild + 2 Prowess + 3 Extra Action Boost Swap (beginning of quest) = 18

For maximum count: Can acquire 3 from half orc and 3 twist from LD with 1 for a filigree swap for 25

DEFENSES (no breakdowns yet, maybe later)
PRR (self-buffed): 310 in Fury
MRR (self-buffed): 170 (179 with past life toggle if needed)
Dodge: 10%
AC: 153
Hitpoints: Highly variable. Mid 3600's in full offense mode. Can reach 4500 with 2 piece LGS swap + toven cookie + yugo pot if needed. Currently 109 reaper points. This is with 96 constitution + 5% falconry quality + EDF.
DR: 30/-

************************************
Discussion/Tips:

Q. Why no cleave feats?
A. Boulder's Might and Coordinated Strike are the two cleaves you can use when you need to, a lot of their use will be to reset momentum swing, which is an ability that lands 5 attacks at an increased threat range and 5W. Otherwise, dire charge and a 215% strike through chance are sufficient for AoE damage.

Q. Why this build over paladin or barbarian?
A. The Kensei fighter takes advantage of two important facts. The first, barbarians achieve a lower fortification bypass as they cannot be raged with precision - and therefore will miss more of their adrenaline crits. The second is that there is currently no way to use a greataxe as a favored weapon, so paladins cannot leverage the tremendous base damage of a greataxe to its full potential. A Kensei fighter can use half-orc raging crush, deadly strike, and adrenaline to essentially circumvent the low threat-range of a greataxe, and leverage its base damage in dealing very high damage with those special attacks. In between, it will still have an 18-20 threat range. Additionally, the boost counts and tactical DC's are higher than the competing options. The fighter also provides an essentially maxed doublestrike all of the time without having to rely on twists.

Metagaming:
When you zone into a quest, use a +21 wisdom / 10 wisdom collective site to swap after hitting power surge to maximize wisdom. Then use deadly instinct and re-equip the real goggles. Using the bird cleave without a target can still reset your deadly instinct charges.

Precision and power attack are most effective when used at the right times. Learn which enemies are heavily fortified, such as doom reapers (especially in the new content). In these situations, precision is a significant DPS advantage.

Weaknesses?
For a fully offensive DPS build? Not many. It's not a tank. But this build covers no-fail tactics, massive to-hit, massive fortification bypass, massive helpless damage, very good defenses for a min-maxed offensive melee, massive front number damage, very high boost counts.

The only shortcomings that currently exist are:
1. DR bypass, you will need a second maxed sentient weapon with alternate DR bypass slotted in order to be fully prepared for odd things like cold iron, byeshk, or adamantine.
2. This gear setup foregoes opposition. You'll need opposition to push skulls on raids.

R10 Search and Rescue Example:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/633785625

[Cetus]

Space reserved

[Quikster]

Looks very nice. Am currently trying to optimize the gear on my Horc barb, and finish the last of the new epic pastlives (3 left) I see where you chose to make some slightly different choices than I did, and understand why. Good write up and pointing out strengths and weaknesses. Happy questing.

[Gilga1]

Pretty big for a fighter, well done!

I don't like LGS x2 on gear and I usually prefer to slot deception and ghostly, but that's a matter of personal preference

[Kebtid]

Should link some vids from twitch for people to have a feel of its overall performance.
Also, please dont count yugo con pot in calculations, as a deeee peeee essss melee you really don't want to ever use that.
Last point, while it is a really nice r10 build, i do not see most r10 players run it, it is a specialized build meant to be played with full party support, it excels in those situations but overall has drawbacks.

Lets compare it to paladin, lays are extremely valuable in r10 to save your healer which can be dotted by a nasty champ, or as a quick heal to other melees or casters, a barb can mitigate more damage with its dodge clickies and temp hp coupled with passive % dr, fighter while being on the strong side, also lacks strike trough in its tree line, it is a great build, but it is worse then those 2 imho.

[Cetus]

Should link some vids from twitch for people to have a feel of its overall performance.

Not a bad idea. When I have updated videos I'll be sure to link them. Thanks.

Also, please dont count yugo con pot in calculations, as a deeee peeee essss melee you really don't want to ever use that.

They are in the calculation. If you don't want to use them, simply subtract the yugo bonus from the hitpoint total. I use them very rarely in situations where I need to maximize my hitpoints.

Last point, while it is a really nice r10 build, i do not see most r10 players run it, it is a specialized build meant to be played with full party support, it excels in those situations but overall has drawbacks.

This is a nearly maximum (in order to be maximum DPS, drop LGS set for prowess ring and deception item) DPS R10 fighter build designed for parties. It is not a solo build.

Lets compare it to paladin, lays are extremely valuable in r10 to save your healer which can be dotted by a nasty champ, or as a quick heal to other melees or casters

a barb can mitigate more damage with its dodge clickies and temp hp coupled with passive % dr

Agreed. Except again, this is a maximum performance THF DPS Fighter build. If you are looking to achieve ancillary roles like healing, tanking, or being more defensive; then the build will be very different and outside of the scope of this thread.

fighter while being on the strong side, also lacks strike trough in its tree line, it is a great build, but it is worse then those 2 imho.

I agree. Fighters have been neglected and frankly, insulted, when the strike through changes happened. Both paladins and barbarians will achieve higher strike throughs. Paladin has a 20% extra chance than this build to attack an additional target. At most, a barbarian will hit 1 additional target in a pack of enemies. Although nice to have, it won't make much practical difference in the speed with which you'll clear trash.

[Cetus]

Thank you to Hammatimes for pointing out the quality bonus on the goggles. Replace the tier 3 augment on the greensteel items with fire resistance 17 on one and unconsciousness range on the other. Updated OP.

[Captain_Wizbang]

was this the build you used on HCL 1?
Horc w/Gaxe.

[AlcoArgo]

Looks good, Cetus. I need HORC lives on Alco but unfortunately solo too much to really use this. I may switch out to something similar after (finally) finishing him, though. Alco was always meant to be melee.

[Cetus]

was this the build you used on HCL 1?
Horc w/Gaxe.

Umm no lol. I used a sorc for HCL1

[Cetus]

Made some edits to the OP

[Cetus]

Pretty big for a fighter, well done!

I don't like LGS x2 on gear and I usually prefer to slot deception and ghostly, but that's a matter of personal preference

Thanks! This has been a tough trade off to reconcile. The trade off essentially boils down to 500 or so hp and 6 to reflex/fort saves vs. 10 melee power and deception 18 (since dropping the set bonus can allow a prowess ring and a cornerstone champion - which has alacrity, thus can swap blinding speed for another 2 melee power).

But the playstyle for this build is to essentially take on groups of R10 mobs, and crossing the 4k HP threshold is a big factor in its survivability. This build would likely need to rock two gearsets in this case, and use the opposition set for pushing skulls in raids.

[LawLessk]

I can feel the testosterone in this build.

[raclaw]

Filigree Sucker Punch/One Against Many rare (strength +2) stack? you have this in 2 items

[Soulfurnace]

Last point, while it is a really nice r10 build, i do not see most r10 players run it, it is a specialized build meant to be played with full party support, it excels in those situations but overall has drawbacks.

Lets compare it to paladin, lays are extremely valuable in r10 to save your healer which can be dotted by a nasty champ, or as a quick heal to other melees or casters, a barb can mitigate more damage with its dodge clickies and temp hp coupled with passive % dr, fighter while being on the strong side, also lacks strike trough in its tree line, it is a great build, but it is worse then those 2 imho.

Paladin and barb also have downsides compared to this. Paladin can't hit the greataxe DELETE button like this, and barb lacks some of the nifty things fighter gets.
And yes, it relies on support. It's dps. Most dps can't solo r10.

I don't think it's better or worse, simply different.

[Cetus]

Filigree Sucker Punch/One Against Many rare (strength +2) stack? you have this in 2 items

Yes, they are different sentient items.

[polymath]

Cetus, we’ve missed you! Thank you so much for posting. I will be coming back to the game for your build.

[Cetus]

Cetus, we’ve missed you! Thank you so much for posting. I will be coming back to the game for your build.

Thank you!

I am going to update the even-more-glass-cannon version soon. lol

[Soulfurnace]

Thank you!

I am going to update the even-more-glass-cannon version soon. lol

Is it symbiont approved? You wouldn't want to upset your bestbuddy

Or was it buttbuddy?

[Cetus]

Is it symbiont approved? You wouldn't want to upset your bestbuddy

Or was it buttbuddy?

Depends on the day...

And symbiont does less DPS. obviously