Advice for Capricious Hunter Dryad in Ice & Blood

[Shadout 8]

So I started a new dryad yesterday in Ice and Blood.

The build is a classic Capr Hunter focusing on RI/DA/SP/AB.

However I'm probably going to pick up bargaining to support both the dryad itself and other chars, as the only other bargainer I have in Ice and Blood is a bugged Dragon Mage.

 

Which in the light of the Ice and Blood changes, made me reconsider a few of the modification choices.

 

First, Sinister Predator bronze mod:

Eagle Eye vs. Rapid Fire. Normally I would pick Eagle eye here, but if I don't have Ranged Weapon skill (due to bargaining), would the attack speed from Rapid Fire be a better choice?

 

and second, in Sinister Predator again, the gold mod:

Is unflinching the better choice these days, where you can use RpH to lower the regen times?

[Dragon Brother 619]

Eagle eye/Rapid fire is up to your preference, both can be socketed easily and you should be able to fit Ranged Lore into your build.

 

Gold mod, Unflinching has probably always been the better choice.

 

As to fitting Bargaining into a capricious dryad, Id say somthing like the following should work:

• EP (Or whatever first tier general skill you want to unlock bargaining)
• Concentration
• Tactics Lore
• Ranged Weapons
• Nature Focus
• Capricious Focus
• Constitution
• Armour Lore
• Spell Resistance

And through bargaining in wherever you want to. Nature focus to raise levels of Ancient Bark and GGT, rearrange the order to through in bargaining as it suits, should work wonders and you get ranged. Otherwise, if you're fine without ranged, chuck something else in like you had planned.

[Shadout 8]

Isn't it too big a loss not to have the Ancient Bark benefits (HP regen and armor) from Nature Weaver Lore though? Compared to the loss from not having Ranged Weapons skill.

 

This is the skills I was considering to pick:

* Concentration

* Tactics Lore

* Capricious Focus

* Nature Focus

* Spell Resistance

* Armour Lore

* EP (Considering Alchemy instead, but probably ending up with EP)

* Bargaining

* Constitution

* Nature Weaver Lore

Edited February 27, 2011 by Shadout

[Dragon Brother 619]

Not really a huge loss, with constitution, you get the health bonus and regen at mastery, and armour lore covers the loss in armour. Plus, being a shopping toon, once you start pumping bargaining you will easily be able to shop great gear to more than make up for any other deficiencies. Your order is good, skill choices too, it just comes down to whether or not the unloced modifiers from having ranged lore, and the item level penalties are worth not having. Either way you play it the toon will easily be able to compensate. More defensive pick is probably nature lore as you get all of the defensive boosts, but then, damage isnt really going to be an issue anyway.

[Shadout 8]

Ok, thanks for the advices.

Whether I pick NWL or Ranged Weapons as the last skill I still have some time before I need to take that decision

 

Going with the Bronze crit mod and socketing inc. attack speed in when needed (this way I shouldnt risk getting too much attack speed even if I pick Ranged Weapon).

 

Not convinced about the Unflinching mod though. From what I remember it in 'pre-Ice and Blood' there wasn't that many ranged reflect mobs or bosses around, and those who were around wasn't much of a problem if being careful.

Are there more reflect mobs in Ice and Blood?

And if there isnt, even if Hunter Focus is much less useful in Ice and Blood than before, is Unflinching really useful enough just for the rare reflect enemies?

Edited February 27, 2011 by Shadout

[Dragon Brother 619]

Ok, thanks for the advices.

Whether I pick NWL or Ranged Weapons as the last skill I still have some time before I need to take that decision

 

Going with the Bronze crit mod and socketing inc. attack speed in when needed (this way I shouldnt risk getting too much attack speed even if I pick Ranged Weapon).

 

Not convinced about the Unflinching mod though. From what I remember it in 'pre-Ice and Blood' there wasn't that many ranged reflect mobs or bosses around, and those who were around wasn't much of a problem if being careful.

Are there more reflect mobs in Ice and Blood?

And if there isnt, even if Hunter Focus is much less useful in Ice and Blood than before, is Unflinching really useful enough just for the rare reflect enemies?

Yeah, regen penalty from buffs is not really gonna be an issue if you make a basic buff suit, even less so if you have the set up to make a good one. As to ranged reflect, champ turtles on dryad island and in swamps spring to mind, highly likely you are gonna be fighting them at some point and boy does the reflect get nasty. Also, scorpion boss has it in spades, so the mod is useful against him, although your probli less likely to go kill him since he's out of the way. But swamps and dryad island are great regions for experience and having anti reflect ranged is great...it usually only spawns on shurikens and maybe a piece or two of armor.