Anyone successfully picked 3 focus skills?

[nmcooke 0]

Just wondering if anyone has successfully picked focus for all 3 branches and made a balanced character that can still survive at high levels?

 

The reason I ask, it seems that every character has to pick one focus (and possibly corresponding lore) and crank a ton of points into it in order to kill effectively. Therefore it seems every character I make has focus in the top (melee) branch and spams one CA over and over. I would like to make a character that could use ALL 3 combat arts tiers effectively just to break up the monotony of melee.

 

Anyone successfully picked 3 focus skills and 2 lore skills!?!

 

Example:

 

Exhaulted Warrior Focus

Celestial Magic Focus

Revered Technology Focus

Celestial Magic Lore

Revered Technology Lore

*Tactics Lore

*Weapon Specialization or Dual Wield

*Armor Lore

*Constitution

*Combat Reflexes (or any remaining Defensive Skill)

 

Think this could work? Would tactics lore and weapon specialization along with armor lore and constitution be enough to scrape by?

[ka243 3]

Toughness or warding energy lore would be a better choice than combat reflexes in my opinion. It depends what else you want to do with the build. Skill selection is a small part of whether you will be sucessful or not. Mod and CA selection are very important too.

[BlackJAC 3]

I think the problem with using so many tree lores is most of the offensive skills are gonna be weak for the best part of the game as your points are going to be spread very thinly.

 

Unless of course you've got duped gear then I suppose anything goes.

[Barristan 14]

Heya,

 

your build could work, tho I would opt for taking Toughness, and aim for lots of damage mitigation.

 

Check the 'Archangel' build in my sig. She is level 161 and using a very similar setup to what you are posting here.

 

So, in short, yes I have tried this, and yes this works

 

Greetz

[Furian67 15]

Since you didn't specify any certain character, I'll share with you my SW build. He is currently at level 102 on niob, no deaths and about a 98% SB. The initial idea behind building this was I wanted a two-handed weapon, blacksmithing.....ya found out later its not working.... the ability to run three buffs on niob and solo. What I came up with is this:

 

Lv 2: Death Warrior Focus

Lv 3: Astral Lord Focus

Lv 5: Concentration

Lv 8: Armor Lore

Lv 12:Combat Discipline

Lv 18: Malevolent Champion Focus

Lv 25:

Lv 35: Weapon skill of choice

Lv: 50 Constitution

Lv 65: Toughness

 

I had Blacksmithing at level 25 but unfortunately it doesn't work. So this means we have one skill open to pick something of your choice. The third buff of Astral lord was picked for niob level to have the "Hanson Brothers" out and wooping butt. I didn't really have a need for these guys at lower level but with shadow viel modded for Creep, Fade, and Sinister Pact put these boys out it is very fun to watch them mop up the ring. Just be careful of poison damage that the skellies take... you will also.

[Big Jimmy 0]

Tactics Lore would be perfect for Furian67's build as this makes the Death Warrior and Malevolent Champion stronger and will give you the mod points quicker for those CA trees.

 

The only other realistic option would be a High Elf, as this character is prodominantly spell based and could survive. A possible build might be:

 

level 2: Concentration

level 3: Arrant Pyromancer Lore

level 5: Armor Lore

level 8: Arrant Pyromancer Focus

level 12: Delphic Arcania Focus

level 18: Delphic Arcania Lore

level 25: Constitution

level 35: Mystic Stormite Focus

level 50: Combat discipline or Ancient magic

level 65: Shield Lore

 

For this build to work you would have to focus on one CA tree though (in this case Arrant Pyromancer) until it is strong enough for you to put points in the other CA skills.

 

One big problem with your Seraphim example is that you would suffer for not taking concentration and missing out on having a second buff, which is almost essential if you plan to go futher than gold.

Edited October 15, 2009 by Big Jimmy

[Dedaith 0]

Tactics Lore would be perfect for Furian67's build as this makes the Death Warrior and Malevolent Champion stronger and will give you the mod points quicker for those CA trees.

 

The only other realistic option would be a High Elf, as this character is prodominantly spell based and could survive. A possible build might be:

 

level 2: Concentration

level 3: Arrant Pyromancer Lore

level 5: Armor Lore

level 8: Arrant Pyromancer Focus

level 12: Delphic Arcania Focus

level 18: Delphic Arcania Lore

level 25: Constitution

level 35: Mystic Stormite Focus

level 50: Combat discipline or Ancient magic

level 65: Toughness

 

For this build to work you would have to focus on one CA tree though (in this case Arrant Pyromancer) until it is strong enough for you to put points in the other CA skills.

 

Unfortunatly you cannot choose Toughness with a High Elf. You can choose Shield Lore however.

[Big Jimmy 0]

Dedaith you are absolutely correct and Shield Lore is the defensive skill that should replace Toughness as well.

[Barristan 14]

One big problem with your Seraphim example is that you would suffer for not taking concentration and missing out on having a second buff, which is almost essential if you plan to go futher than gold.

 

Heya,

 

well.... you could chain-cast Divine Protection... better than WE actually, hence the short duration. This seraphim is very doable and almost too easy to play in Niob. It does need armor lore, toughness and damage mitigation tho..

 

I stopped playing my build at level 163, about a week ago. I cannot say how it will work out with Ice and Blood.

 

Greetz

[Big Jimmy 0]

Hi Barristan, I have read your Archangel guide, which is very impressive. I don't think I would have the patience for that build having to micro-manage all the Combat Arts and chain-casting DP (I assume you have this in a combo with DA as well?).

 

Did you have to concentrate on one particular CA tree to begin with? I'm thinking about the skill point allocation and to actually kill some bosses in the lower levels.

 

However I was referring to nmcooke's example, as it stands I think concentration would help the build. Surely another buff (with Cleansing Brillance) and a reduction in regen times would help this build out. Possibly replacing the weapon specialization? which to me seems a waste of a skill pick if you're concentrating on all 15 Combat Arts.

[Barristan 14]

Heya,

 

thanx for the compliment

 

And yes, DA and DP is my killer semi-buff combo... it makes any seraphim a hard target.

 

IMO, there are two ways to build the Archangel.... focus on her melee aspect... This aspect is very powerful, and needs little work. I, however, like to keep it a little lower, and focus a bit more on the Flaring Nova... mass destruction is all I can say. The Pillar comes last for me.... I like having it modded fast, but after that, it is mastered last.

 

The micromanagement isn't that bad

1. Launch Semi-buff combo

2. Gather mobs and cast pre-attack combo...

3. Finish with a nice Fatality combo... FN and Pelting

 

Oh... and step 1 I rarely use

 

AND... you are right.... conc always helps a build... tho there a re many ways to lower regen.

 

Low-level Boss killer ? try Archangels Wrath

 

TC and HF

 

Greetz