Spike U51

[savingsoul]

Work in Progress . . .

Swashbuckling Shadar-Kai Spike-Chain Build w/ Handaxe and Buckler

Highlights
*Full Single Weapon Fighting and Shield Mastery Lines via Swashbuckler/Skirmisher
*High Tactical Ability via Fighter Feats, Enhancements, and Destinies inc. Tactical Supremacy
*Spike-Chain w/ Trip (DEX Build, Attack and Damage)
*Stunning Shield via Vanguard w/ Buckler
*Handaxe for Critical Threat Range and Multiplier


Character name: Spike 4
Classes: 16 Fighter, 10 Epic, 3 Bard, 1 Rogue
Race: Shadar-Kai· · · · · ·Alignment: Neutral Good

· · ·Start Tome
Str:· · ·8· · 8
Dex:· · 18· · 8
Con:· · 18· · 8
Int:· · 14· · 8
Wis:· · 12· · 8
Cha:· · ·6· · 8
DR:
Immunities: Fear

Heroic Past Lives
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Past Life: Monk(2)


Class and Feat Selection
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Level Class · · · · · ·Feats
1 · · Rogue(1)· · · · ·Standard: Single Weapon Fighting
2 · · Bard(1) · · · · ·
3 · · Bard(2) · · · · ·Standard: Precision
4 · · Bard(3) · · · · ·Dexterity: +1 Level up
5 · · Fighter(1)· · · ·Fighter Bonus: Shield Mastery
6 · · Fighter(2)· · · ·Standard: Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Fighter Bonus: Weapon Finesse
7 · · Fighter(3)· · · ·
8 · · Fighter(4)· · · ·Fighter Bonus: Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Dexterity: +1 Level up
9 · · Fighter(5)· · · ·Standard: Tactical Training
10· · Fighter(6)· · · ·Fighter Bonus: Improved Single Weapon Fighting
11· · Fighter(7)· · · ·
12· · Fighter(8)· · · ·Standard: Improved Shield Mastery
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Fighter Bonus: Tactical Combatant
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Dexterity: +1 Level up
13· · Fighter(9)· · · ·
14· · Fighter(10) · · ·Fighter Bonus: Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
15· · Fighter(11) · · ·Standard: Greater Single Weapon Fighting
16· · Fighter(12) · · ·Fighter Bonus: Greater Weapon Specialization: Slashing Weapons
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Dexterity: +1 Level up
17· · Fighter(13) · · ·
18· · Fighter(14) · · ·Standard: Tactical Mastery
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Fighter Bonus: Greater Shield Mastery
19· · Fighter(15) · · ·
20· · Fighter(16) · · ·Fighter Bonus: Tactical Supremacy
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Dexterity: +1 Level up
21· · Epic(1) · · · · ·Epic Feat: Overwhelming Critical
22· · Epic(2) · · · · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Perfect Shield Mastery
23· · Epic(3) · · · · ·
24· · Epic(4) · · · · ·Epic Feat: Greater Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Dexterity: +1 Level up
25· · Epic(5) · · · · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Perfect Single Weapon Fighting
26· · Epic(6) · · · · ·
27· · Epic(7) · · · · ·Epic Feat: Epic Damage Reduction
28· · Epic(8) · · · · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Doublestrike
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Dexterity: +1 Level up
29· · Epic(9) · · · · ·
30· · Epic(10)· · · · ·Epic Feat: Blinding Speed
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Legendary: Scion of Arborea

Enhancements: 80 APs
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Shadar-Kai - Points spent: 17
1 Core ·(1) Grit
2 Tier1 (1) Vicious Chain
3 Tier1 (1) Student of Pain
4 Tier1 (1) Student of Pain
5 Tier1 (1) Student of Pain
6 Tier2 (1) Guile I
7 Tier2 (1) Forceful Chain
8 Tier2 (1) Ghostly Essence
9 Tier2 (1) Ghostly Essence
10 Tier2 (1) Ghostly Essence
11 Tier3 (1) Ghastly Chain
12 Tier3 (1) Guile II
13 Tier3 (1) Improved Ghostly Essence
14 Tier3 (1) Improved Ghostly Essence
15 Tier3 (1) Improved Ghostly Essence
16 Tier4 (2) Greater Spiked Chain Attack
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Swashbuckler - Points spent: 15
1 Core ·(1) Confidence
2 Tier1 (1) On Your Toes
3 Tier1 (1) On Your Toes
4 Tier1 (1) On Your Toes
5 Tier1 (1) Blow By Blow: Blow By Blow
6 Core ·(1) Swashbuckling
7 Tier2 (2) Deflect Arrows
8 Tier2 (2) Sword Dance
9 Tier3 (2) Different Tack: Swift Strikes
10 Tier3 (1) Swashbuckling Style: Skirmisher
11 Tier3 (2) Elegant Footwork
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Kensei - Points spent: 36
1 Core ·(1) Kensei Focus: Kensei Focus: Axes
2 Tier1 (2) Weapon Group Specialization I: Kensei Focus: Axes
3 Tier1 (2) Extra Action Boost
4 Tier2 (2) Tactics
5 Tier2 (2) Tactics
6 Tier2 (2) Tactics
7 Tier2 (2) Weapon Group Specialization II: Kensei Focus: Axes
8 Tier3 (2) Weapon Group Specialization III: Kensei Focus: Axes
9 Tier3 (2) Ability I: +1 Dexterity
10 Core ·(1) Spiritual Bond
11 Core ·(1) Strike With No Thought
12 Tier3 (1) Critical Mastery
13 Tier3 (1) Critical Mastery
14 Tier3 (1) Critical Mastery
15 Core ·(1) Power Surge
16 Tier4 (2) Strike at the Heart
17 Tier4 (2) Ability II: +1 Dexterity
18 Tier4 (2) Opportunity Attack
19 Tier2 (1) Ascetic Training: Conditioning
20 Tier2 (1) Ascetic Training: Conditioning
21 Tier4 (2) Weapon Group Specialization IV: Kensei Focus: Axes
22 Tier5 (1) One With The Blade
23 Tier5 (1) Weapon Master
24 Tier5 (1) Keen Edge
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Vanguard - Points spent: 12
1 Core ·(1) To the Fore!
2 Tier1 (1) Shield Smash
3 Tier1 (1) Shield Smash
4 Tier1 (1) Shield Smash
5 Tier1 (1) Unbalancing Shove
6 Tier2 (1) Stunning Shield
7 Tier2 (1) Stunning Shield
8 Tier2 (1) Stunning Shield
9 Tier2 (1) Brutality
10 Tier2 (1) Brutality
11 Tier2 (1) Brutality
12 Core ·(1) Shield Combat I
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Epic Destinies: 40 APs
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Legendary Dreadnought - Points spent: 34
1 Core ·(1) Fearless
2 Tier1 (1) Push Through The Line
3 Tier1 (1) Push Through The Line
4 Tier1 (1) Epic Tactics
5 Tier1 (1) Epic Tactics
6 Tier1 (1) Epic Tactics
7 Core ·(1) Weaponmaster
8 Tier1 (1) Dread Mantle
9 Tier2 (2) Combat Brute
10 Tier3 (1) Epic Power & Precision
11 Tier3 (1) Epic Power & Precision
12 Tier3 (1) Epic Power & Precision
13 Tier3 (1) Strike Twice
14 Tier3 (1) Strike Twice
15 Tier3 (1) Strike Twice
16 Tier3 (1) Action Boost Tactics
17 Tier3 (1) Action Boost Tactics
18 Tier3 (1) Action Boost Tactics
19 Tier3 (1) Armor of Dusk
20 Tier4 (2) Strike with Fear
21 Tier4 (1) Kick While They're Down
22 Tier4 (1) Kick While They're Down
23 Tier4 (1) Kick While They're Down
24 Core ·(1) Thick Skinned
25 Tier1 (1) Dire Attack: Dire Charge
26 Tier3 (2) Momentum Swing
27 Tier2 (1) Honor or Backstab: Backstab
28 Tier4 (2) Lay Waste
29 Tier5 (1) Overpower: Lacerator
30 Tier5 (1) Legendary Rally: Legendary Rally (Melee)
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Fury of the Wild - Points spent: 17
1 Core ·(1) Die Hard
2 Tier1 (1) Savage Take Down
3 Tier1 (1) Savage Take Down
4 Tier1 (1) Savage Take Down
5 Tier1 (1) Enduring
6 Tier1 (1) Enduring
7 Tier1 (1) Enduring
8 Core ·(1) Die Harder
9 Tier2 (1) Fear my Vengeance
10 Tier2 (1) Fear my Vengeance
11 Tier2 (1) Fear my Vengeance
12 Core ·(1) Die Hardest
13 Tier3 (1) Force of Fury: Spirit of the Beast
14 Tier3 (1) Wild Weapons: Doublestrike
15 Tier3 (1) Wild Weapons: Doublestrike
16 Tier3 (1) Wild Weapons: Doublestrike
17 Tier3 (1) Force of Fury: Spirit of the Beast
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Shadowdancer - Points spent: 1
1 Core ·(1) The Darkest Luck I
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[padd]

just saw this how did this go for you
also what skills did you get?

[savingsoul]

just saw this how did this go for you
also what skills did you get?

Short answer: so far, meh.

Long answer:
I've only just started this build. It is, however, based on SWAX (see my signature), so not entirely new. It's basically SWAX with chain attacks.

SWAX was pretty fun.

However, I'm a bit underwhelmed with this build so far -- mainly because I'm underwhelmed with the chain attacks. I miss the longer chain attack from the earlier version of the chain attacks. Back then the cooldown on the longer attack was ridiculously long, but at least the attack lasted for quite a long time. Now both attacks are short, and they don't seem to do much more than some more traditional cleaves.

They are like really nice cleaves but at the cost of a long animation.

Things will probably get better as I acquire and adjust some equipment.

I will give an update when I get to 20 or so.

[cru121]

Maybe I overlooked something.
But if you're spending 33 AP in Kensai, definitely grab some tier 5 abilities. The 20 melee power, +3 hit/dmg; also the active attacks are okay.

[savingsoul]

Maybe I overlooked something.
But if you're spending 33 AP in Kensai, definitely grab some tier 5 abilities. The 20 melee power, +3 hit/dmg; also the active attacks are okay.

Nope, you're right. I thought I added those. I probably saw a shiny object from another tree and forgot to finish Kensei. Fixed. Thank you.

[savingsoul]

I've put this build on hold.

In the current state of the game, melee w/ anything other than maybe a quick THF doesn't make much sense to me.

Compared to ranged or caster, it's like: you mean I actually have to move *again* to get to another enemy? By the time you do move, in most cases, the target is dead anyway -- because of someone who's ranged or casting.