Dual Wield Defensive Machine (I hope)

[fearthisjuggalo 0]

Had my PS3 freeze on me while saving and lost my save file last night. Wanting to start a Seraphim but instead of going by the seat of my pants I decided to do some research. I liked the idea of a Dual Wield Seraphim but wanted the defense that comes with the shield. Figured I'd run the build by peeps here who have so much more knowledge than I, and enjoy giving advice.

 

Attributes- 2-50 vit, 51-150 vit/sta, 151-200 vit/sta/str

 

Skills in order of selection(master order)

Enhanced Perception(6) - Hoping for better drops as I level since I have to refill my Hero Chest.

Concentration(10) - Battle Stance + Warding Energy going together.

Exalted Warrior Focus(1) - Pelting Strikes, Assailing Somersault, Battle Stance and Dashing Alacrity mods.

Sword Weapons(4) - I like how swords look and want to be able to use higher level ones and hit more often.

Dual Wield(2) - 2 swords are better than 1.

Armor Lore(8) - Raise my armor and let me use higher level pieces.

Revered Technology Focus(7) - Archangel's Wrath, Flaring Nova, and Warding Energy mods.

Combat Discipline(3) - 3 CA combos and lowered regen.

Tactics Lore(5) - More damage and crits = shorter mob life.

Warding Energy Lore(9) - higher shield energy and dmg absorb.

 

I have Battle Stance and Warding Energy up together. If there's more than 4 mobs I use Dashing Alacrity before wading in. Only combo I have atm is Assailing Somersault + Pelting Strikes.

 

I'm level 16 right now and most times don't seem to have a problem with many mobs, although those skeleton mobs by Thylysium seem to beat me down a bit. I didn't pick Bargaining cause I plan on making an Ice HE shopper a little later. I'm hoping that this build will work cause I do like the Seraphim. Please be gentle with criticism.

[r00ster 1]

I'll be quick because I need to sleep;

 

Don't take a second weapon lore with dual wield. Dual over rides other lores when you dual. I would recommend constitution. It has no diminishing returns, mastery is probably the best survival mastery in the game, and more max hp. Also, if you're boosting vitality, its the flat value, constitution is the % increase. They work in synergy.

 

Skip arch angels wrath for divine protection (in combat art mods). Doesn't help a dualer, and divine is... divine.

Without rev tech lore, the rev tech aspect will be mainly for the shield buff, divine, and warding modded for debuff.

 

Choose mods carefully, they are the most important part of base character building aside skills.

 

Other than that, is a fine build.

 

Cheers,

[essjayehm 58]

Had my PS3 freeze on me while saving and lost my save file last night. Wanting to start a Seraphim but instead of going by the seat of my pants I decided to do some research. I liked the idea of a Dual Wield Seraphim but wanted the defense that comes with the shield. Figured I'd run the build by peeps here who have so much more knowledge than I, and enjoy giving advice.

 

Attributes- 2-50 vit, 51-150 vit/sta, 151-200 vit/sta/str

 

Skills in order of selection(master order)

Enhanced Perception(6) - Hoping for better drops as I level since I have to refill my Hero Chest.

Concentration(10) - Battle Stance + Warding Energy going together.

Exalted Warrior Focus(1) - Pelting Strikes, Assailing Somersault, Battle Stance and Dashing Alacrity mods.

Sword Weapons(4) - I like how swords look and want to be able to use higher level ones and hit more often.

Dual Wield(2) - 2 swords are better than 1.

Armor Lore(8) - Raise my armor and let me use higher level pieces.

Revered Technology Focus(7) - Archangel's Wrath, Flaring Nova, and Warding Energy mods.

Combat Discipline(3) - 3 CA combos and lowered regen.

Tactics Lore(5) - More damage and crits = shorter mob life.

Warding Energy Lore(9) - higher shield energy and dmg absorb.

 

Hello, Fearthisjuggalo... I don't know about "much more knowledge" than you, but I do enjoy giving advice! (or agreeing with good advice already given...)

 

Roosters' comments I have to agree with... unless you plan on dualling Boneslicers (or other swords that have mods only unlocked with sword lore), then having both of those lores is a waste of a skill pick. Constitution is probably the #1 alternative, but do not forget it will be difficult for your HE shopper to find seraphim items, and next to impossible for the HE to find the energy sheild modifiers (ie absorbtion warding energy +x%, block warding energy +x and max shield strength +x%) Bargaining could be another choice, BUT you will have to manage your shields carefully, as you will not have a big HP pool to fall back on if your shields get taken out.

His comment on skipping mods on Archangels' Wrath and modding DP instead is definitely the right choice... you don't have Rev. Tech Lore to boost AW damage, and so late-game it will not be as good as your Soul Hammer or Pelting Strikes. But you do have WEL, which multiplies shield strength for DP as well as Warding Energy.

 

I feel your mastery order is a little wonky. I typcially think about my masteries in reverse order (last-first), and I will argue it from that POV:

No need to master concentration with this build... leave at 1, or pump 20 points, maximum, let allskills boost it further.

Dual Wield - I will assume that you will get and use allskills from your shopper, and so DW can be left at 1 point, you can master it but there is no need to, the double-hits bonus only apply to "normal" attacks and not combat-art attacks and the attack value increase is laughable in the higher difficulties.

Combat Discipline - unless you really, really want 4 Combat Arts in a combo, this is your 3^rd least important mastery. The biggest reason is CD only affects a small portion of weapon-based CA damage.

That leaves 7 'important' skills, the "top 3" which you will/can have mastered at level 75, and the "middle 4".

TOP 3 - Tactics Lore, Warding Energy Lore, Constitution (if taken, if not, probably RT Focus). One offensive, and 2 defensive skills.

MID 4 - EW Focus, RT Focus (if you take Sword Lore), Armour Lore, EP, Sword Lore (if taken).

I'll probably get called an idiot for putting Swords ahead of Combat Discipline, but my reasoning is :crackhead: simple:

Sword Weapon Mastery will unlock "chance for Serious Open Wounds" (and Deep or Deadly wounds, IIRC) and the console version is able to stack these wounds effects, to the point where ANYTHING can have its' maximum HP reduced to 1. It exploitative, but we work with what we have, amiright?

[r00ster 1]

Dual Wield - I will assume that you will get and use allskills from your shopper, and so DW can be left at 1 point, you can master it but there is no need to, the double-hits bonus only apply to "normal" attacks and not combat-art attacks and the attack value increase is laughable in the higher difficulties

 

One thing to note about weapon lore attack values;

 

Combat Arts don't count gear in a sense, aside +base modifiers.

 

So battle stance's % boost applies to attribute values, skill values, other CA values.

 

I.e. Rousing Command for SW a massive boost to attack value by %.

However this % increase only checks the following for base attack value to boost;

 

Strength/dexterity/whatever the attribute is that modifies the weapon equippeed (I.e. 2h axe = strength)

Weapon lore skill (I.e. Hafted weapons)

Combat Arts like 'Augmenting Guidon' which boost base amounts.

 

Things that are not checked;

 

All modifiers in gear unless it is a base addition to attack value (I.e. +100 attack value)

Blacksmith 'Whets' are NOT counted, attack +%, etc.

 

Doesn't seem so worthless anymore at all does it? You're CA power in a sense depends on it.

 

Cheers,

[essjayehm 58]

One thing to note about weapon lore attack values;

 

Combat Arts don't count gear in a sense, aside +base modifiers.

 

So battle stance's % boost applies to attribute values, skill values, other CA values.

 

I.e. Rousing Command for SW a massive boost to attack value by %.

However this % increase only checks the following for base attack value to boost;

 

Strength/dexterity/whatever the attribute is that modifies the weapon equippeed (I.e. 2h axe = strength)

Weapon lore skill (I.e. Hafted weapons)

Combat Arts like 'Augmenting Guidon' which boost base amounts.

 

Things that are not checked;

 

All modifiers in gear unless it is a base addition to attack value (I.e. +100 attack value)

Blacksmith 'Whets' are NOT counted, attack +%, etc.

 

Doesn't seem so worthless anymore at all does it? You're CA power in a sense depends on it.

 

Cheers,

Then I think I would rather have Speed Lore than a weapon lore (aside Dual, just to use 2 weaps) in that case. I don't think the weapon lores are worthless, per se, they're great at the lower difficulties; but at the higher levels, the base value from the weapon lore is only in the 100's, compared to 1000's from the Combat Arts. I didn't know about Whet not multiplying that value, but I am typically onto Enhances if I have BS arts in my armour by then anyway. +base attack value from armour (with armour lore) also comes in values >100 in Niob, further decreasing the need for the weapon lore.

I've been too much into hybrids and a couple of casters lateley to have "room" for weapon lores, but when I did have melee toons, I did appreciate them at the high-levels for using the 2H LL% weapons.

 

Going directly back on-topic... He is using Battle Stance, so his base +atk values hidden in the weapon-lores will be multiplied, thereby making pumping Dual Weild nearly useless. Considering, of course, the console allskills values.

[fearthisjuggalo 0]

Figured I'd do an update.

 

Just hit the Jungle. Am at level 43, still in Silver difficulty. I like to do all the sidequests I can find. Although I did 0 sidequests in the Swamp because I absolutely HATE that place. I've yet to die. Only came close once while fighting the 3rd Miasma in the Swamp. But that was my fault for not moving out of the bad.

 

Enhanced Perception - 1(23) All my relics are +EP

Concentration - 1(7)

Tactics Lore - 17(29)

Dual Wield - 43(55)

Exalted Warrior Focus - 43(45)

Armor Lore - 20(26)

Warding Energy Lore - 6(10)

Revered Technology Focus - 9(11)

at 50 I'll take Constitution

at 65 I'm not sure yet.

 

I switched Rev Tech and Constitution, taking Rev Tech at 35 instead of waiting for 50 to get me some mod points. I've been keeping Pelting Strikes at 6s regen time, even with both buffs going at once.

 

Mods

Pelting Strikes - Succession, Focus, Precision

Battle Stance - Premonition, Drill, Retaliation

Dashing Alacrity - Bloodlust, Delay

Warding Energy - Field Force, Field Force, Resource

 

I've been going to Free World every 10ish levels and getting a Boneslicer, and at the moment my other weapon is Tinwora's Curse. The armor has been a bear. My physical armor is only 715. I get new pieces and while the armor rating is higher, the bonuses either suck or have 1-2 bad ones that get rid of good ones I have on the armor equipped. Hoping this gets better on higher difficulties.

 

Fights with regular mobs are just me beating them down with my 2 weapons, if I get a champ I spam PS. Bosses are my DA+DP combo and PS til dead.

 

Because of EP(I think), I've been finding tons of 3 star weapons(Consoles use stars with 4 being the most), shields and set pieces. Before I lost my info I had like 7 set pieces for 3 different classes, already I have about 13 set pieces all but 4 of them for Seraphim.

 

Because of research and everyones help, I've not hit a wall so to speak and am enjoying the hell out of this character. Usually I hit a point where I get bored but when I'm not playing, I'm thinking about playing.

Edited December 8, 2010 by fearthisjuggalo