Kalibano
Build Designer. Having fun since 2006!
Kali's Top 10 Suggestions for MELEE defensiveness & survival
Being killed constantly in melee combat can be extremely frustrating. My aim is to help others by sharing some of the key strategies that have significantly improved my personal experience playing melee characters through the years.
First a few brief notes:
> in this thread I collated tried-and-tested strategies that I personally use on all my melee DPS characters with advice/suggestions contributed by other players. It might not be considered by some as the 'most efficient' way of playing, and that's fine: 'to each his own'
I am not here to argue that I am right and everyone else is wrong: this is not what I am about.
> rather than taking such a black-and-white view of things, what I suggest here is that there are many ways this game can be played. This 'way of playing' suits my playstyle perfectly, as it helps me achieve my aim: to have fun, and avoid frustration! So, please help me keep all comments on this thread friendly and helpful: toxicity is definitely NOT welcome!
> Just to be extra clear, this is NOT the place to come for advice on how to get max damage and minimum defensiveness (AKA being a 'Glass-cannon'). I am sure there are other threads that can offer excellent advice on this style of play!
> bonuses from class & Epic Destinies trees will vary from build to build, so won't be listed here. Useful to say that, rather than take all offensive options from those trees, making balanced choices between defense and offense (as the ones in my build repository) will contribute more effectively towards the strategies for defensiveness I propose here.
1. Adjust your Play-style
2. Add some defensiveness via the Set bonuses in your gear
3. Don't neglect your Constitution
4. Increase your Hit Points
5. Invest in Damage Reduction
6. Invest in Damage Avoidance
7. Ensure you have access to the following potions/buffs
> Lesser Restoration
> Protection from Evil
> Freedom of Movement
> Shield/Nightshield
> Death Ward
> Potions of Curse/ Disease/ Blindness Removal + Neutralise Poison
8. Invest in Use Magic Device
N.B.: Some info on how Concealment from Blur/Displacement is reduced in reaper mode here.
9. Invest in you ability to be healed more easily (Healing Amplification)
10. Reaper progression: Defense first
* You might also want to check the spreadhseet below, as there are some significant defensive bonuses that can be acquired via past lives
Kali's Past Life spreadsheet (click me!)
If anyone has other useful defensiveness & survival strategies, please feel free to add to this thread!
Hope this proves helpful to whoever comes looking for advice!
Being killed constantly in melee combat can be extremely frustrating. My aim is to help others by sharing some of the key strategies that have significantly improved my personal experience playing melee characters through the years.
First a few brief notes:
> in this thread I collated tried-and-tested strategies that I personally use on all my melee DPS characters with advice/suggestions contributed by other players. It might not be considered by some as the 'most efficient' way of playing, and that's fine: 'to each his own'
I am not here to argue that I am right and everyone else is wrong: this is not what I am about. > rather than taking such a black-and-white view of things, what I suggest here is that there are many ways this game can be played. This 'way of playing' suits my playstyle perfectly, as it helps me achieve my aim: to have fun, and avoid frustration! So, please help me keep all comments on this thread friendly and helpful: toxicity is definitely NOT welcome!
> Just to be extra clear, this is NOT the place to come for advice on how to get max damage and minimum defensiveness (AKA being a 'Glass-cannon'). I am sure there are other threads that can offer excellent advice on this style of play!
> bonuses from class & Epic Destinies trees will vary from build to build, so won't be listed here. Useful to say that, rather than take all offensive options from those trees, making balanced choices between defense and offense (as the ones in my build repository) will contribute more effectively towards the strategies for defensiveness I propose here.
1. Adjust your Play-style
> Wait for enemies to be Crowd Controlled before engaging in combat.
This is often done by a caster, and takes just a couple of seconds.
> if nobody in your group has CC, always start combat with your own crowd control first (see next item below)
> Invest in Crowd control, at the expense of some damage choices.
It provides double benefits: you are safe from being hit (defensiveness), and you do extra dmg vs helpless mobs (DPS). Most melee Epic Destinies provide one form of Crowd Control, and is normally some form of attack that does damage.
> Frequently adjust your positioning while attacking, in order to avoid simply standing still while swinging your weapon
E.g. tumbling backwards/sideways out of combat as a reaction to some attacks and/or when certain attacks are anticipated to come. Content/mob knowledge helps a lot here: many attack chains and special attacks are predictable, and therefore, your reaction to them can be planned (e.g. Lord of Blades stunning attack, and if the tank gets stunned because they did not shield block, this is always followed by an AoE whirlwind blade attack, at which point melee combatants should pull temporarily out of combat).
From @Rathy "I like to move very fast as a melee (so invest points into sprint boosts etc.) and that helps me run from side to side of combats. Like stun a caster crown on right flank, zip over to left. trip some mob, then jump to un-CC'ed mobs and engage! Speed is great and makes me (slightly) harder to kill!"
> Attack from behind if there is a tank in your group and/or agro has been taken by someone else
This seems obvious, but I keep seeing people standing literally on the same spot as my tank, swinging their weapons at enemies. Not only will this strategy grant you some flanking bonuses, but it will also improve your survival chances. Some enemies use cleave attacks, sure, but they don't cleave on every single weapon swing, so this type of positioning (inc reacting when they do swing with shift-blocking and/or tumbling momentarily away) should give the healer enough time to heal the party in between special/cleave attacks.
> Sometimes temporarily retreating is the best strategy to succeed
Rather than go through a number of specific situations, it should suffice to say that there are occasions when retreating would be wiser, if it secures your survival, and consequently, gives you a chance to turn the tide of battle and/or rescue others.
This is often done by a caster, and takes just a couple of seconds.
> if nobody in your group has CC, always start combat with your own crowd control first (see next item below)
> Invest in Crowd control, at the expense of some damage choices.
It provides double benefits: you are safe from being hit (defensiveness), and you do extra dmg vs helpless mobs (DPS). Most melee Epic Destinies provide one form of Crowd Control, and is normally some form of attack that does damage.
> Frequently adjust your positioning while attacking, in order to avoid simply standing still while swinging your weapon
E.g. tumbling backwards/sideways out of combat as a reaction to some attacks and/or when certain attacks are anticipated to come. Content/mob knowledge helps a lot here: many attack chains and special attacks are predictable, and therefore, your reaction to them can be planned (e.g. Lord of Blades stunning attack, and if the tank gets stunned because they did not shield block, this is always followed by an AoE whirlwind blade attack, at which point melee combatants should pull temporarily out of combat).
From @Rathy "I like to move very fast as a melee (so invest points into sprint boosts etc.) and that helps me run from side to side of combats. Like stun a caster crown on right flank, zip over to left. trip some mob, then jump to un-CC'ed mobs and engage! Speed is great and makes me (slightly) harder to kill!"
> Attack from behind if there is a tank in your group and/or agro has been taken by someone else
This seems obvious, but I keep seeing people standing literally on the same spot as my tank, swinging their weapons at enemies. Not only will this strategy grant you some flanking bonuses, but it will also improve your survival chances. Some enemies use cleave attacks, sure, but they don't cleave on every single weapon swing, so this type of positioning (inc reacting when they do swing with shift-blocking and/or tumbling momentarily away) should give the healer enough time to heal the party in between special/cleave attacks.
> Sometimes temporarily retreating is the best strategy to succeed
Rather than go through a number of specific situations, it should suffice to say that there are occasions when retreating would be wiser, if it secures your survival, and consequently, gives you a chance to turn the tide of battle and/or rescue others.
> Casting a Dimension Door can be a life saver (especially if you manage to grab a few Soul Stones on your way to entering it)! Though scrolls are not available for sale, they do drop in chest, so they may be found for ale in the auction house
> Invisibility can sometimes provide you with a chance for enemies to lose track of your location.
> Shadowalk / Dark Discorporation both provide incorporeality bonus, while the latter also reduces incoming damage (beware that most forms of interaction will break you out of those forms)
2. Add some defensiveness via the Set bonuses in your gear
> Stackable set bonuses in your gear can grant a significant amount of defensiveness (e.g. +60 PRR). This is particularly important for those who do not have a bunch of past lives:
> This isn't about gearing your character as a tank and gimping your DPS: it's about striking a good balance between offensiveness & defensiveness: soul stones do ZERO DPS.
> Artefact bonuses can be found in several sets, such as the 4-piece winter set bonus (several benefits listed in blue in the sections below)
> Profane bonuses can be found in sets such as the Legendary Dread Isle's Curse (which generally also support offensiveness)
> Set Augments are another source of (though, admittedly, harder to acquire):
- Legendary Bulwark grants a Legendary bonus to Maximum Hit Points
- Tough shields: artefact bonus to PRR
- Arcane Guardian: artefact bonus to MRR
> This isn't about gearing your character as a tank and gimping your DPS: it's about striking a good balance between offensiveness & defensiveness: soul stones do ZERO DPS.
3. Don't neglect your Constitution
> Start with a minimum of 16
> Try to include most (if not all) of the following bonuses in your gear:
> Try to include most (if not all) of the following bonuses in your gear:
> enhancement: common on items, and also available as Diamond Augments
> insightful: common on items (e.g. Winter set item: Legendary Deepsnow Boots), also available as Diamond Augments
> quality: a bit trickier to fit in gear tetris, can perhaps be skipped (available on Winter set item: Legendary Deepsnow Boots)
> exceptional: +1 to ALL abilities {Globe of True Imperial Blood augment}, or +2 from some limited sources (e.g. Dino/Alchemical crafting)
> festive (+2): this Augment needs to be acquired via the Night Revels festival
> profane: can come from items, or the Epic Litany of the Dead Soul Forged Augment, or even from sets like the Legendary Dread Isle's Curse
> Reaper 'Grim Barricade' tree core 3: grants +1 CON, always on (even out of reaper mode)
N.B.: artefact bonus: a lot harder to fit into tetris, possibly over-kill, and more useful for tanks
4. Increase your Hit Points
> Invest in as many Hit Points from items + the trees as you can, without heavily sacrificing DPS:
> I personally aim to always squeeze the following feats in: Toughness + Epic toughness
> Invest in the full line of feats for one combat style (x3 heroic feats + 1 Epic 'perfect' feat), as they increase the Hit Point bonus of the auto-granted feat: Heroic Durability (for every melee combat style feat you take (up to four), you gain a 25% bonus to the Hit Points gained from your class levels. Epic and Legendary levels count at half value. This bonus can only stack up to 100%)
> Temporary hit points are a great way to improve survival
> enhancement bonus: common on items, and also available on Sapphire Augments
> vitality bonus: relatively common on items (e.g. Winter set item: Legendary Cold Iron bracers), also available on Diamond Augments
> quality bonus: less common on items, harder to fit; can perhaps be skipped (available on Winter set item: Legendary Cold Iron bracers)
> Reaper 'Grim Barricade' tree cores 2 and 4: provide some hit points that always stay on (even out of reaper mode)
N.B.: insightful & profane bonuses: harder to find/fit in gear tetris, possibly over-kill, and more useful for tanks
> Invest in as many stacking %Hit Points bonuses as you can, without heavily sacrificing DPS:> A Competence bonus is now present in most (if not all) melee trees
> A Legendary bonus is a bit more accessible these days (via set augments, the winter 4-piece set bonus, and Legendary Greensteel)
> I personally aim to always squeeze the following feats in: Toughness + Epic toughness
> If there's an extra feat slot, this is also useful: Legendary Toughness
> Invest in the full line of feats for one combat style (x3 heroic feats + 1 Epic 'perfect' feat), as they increase the Hit Point bonus of the auto-granted feat: Heroic Durability (for every melee combat style feat you take (up to four), you gain a 25% bonus to the Hit Points gained from your class levels. Epic and Legendary levels count at half value. This bonus can only stack up to 100%)
> Temporary hit points are a great way to improve survival
> Amongst several sources, Legendary Affirmation is perhaps one of the most efficient and sustainable. It's slightly more accessible these days (e.g. via Dino crafting, Legendary Greensteel and certain named items such as Staff of the Summer Solstice)
> Earlier in the game, False Life (spell) might be a quick source of some extra hit points (e.g. trap jumping, or pre-combat).
5. Invest in Damage Reduction
> Two of the major forms of reducing damage are Physical Resistance Rating (PRR) and Magical Resistance Rating (MRR).
> They are widely available (items, feats, enhancements), so acquire as much you can, without heavily sacrificing DPS:
> I personally aim to always squeeze in the Epic Damage Reduction feat
> PRR provides a percentage reduction in physical damage (bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing),
> MRR provides a percentage reduction in damage from acid, sonic, fire, electric, cold, alignment, light, positive, negative, poison, and rust (applied to the damage that passes through elemental resistances).
> They are widely available (items, feats, enhancements), so acquire as much you can, without heavily sacrificing DPS:
> enhancement bonus: common on armors, and also available on Sapphire Augments
> insightful bonus: relatively common on items (e.g. Winter set item: Legendary Direbear Belt); can perhaps be skipped
> artefact bonus: can be obtained from augment set bonuses (e.g. Tough shields: PRR / Arcane Guardian: MRR),
> PRR also available from sets like winter 2-piece set
> MRR also available from sets like summer 2-piece set
> profane bonus: PRR available from sets like the Legendary Dread Isle's Curse (which also grants offensiveness), MRR harder to fit
N.B.: quality bonus: harder to find/fit in gear tetris, possibly over-kill, and more useful for tanks
> I personally aim to always squeeze in the Epic Damage Reduction feat
> Bring along items to swap to in specific quests/raids/encounters, to absorb elemental damage
6. Invest in Damage Avoidance
The three major separate Miss chance checks that can occur during an attack are Concealment, Incorporeal and Dodge. According to the wiki, your miss chance is always checked in order of Dodge, then Incorporeal, then finally Concealment.
> Dodge:
A simple % chance to completely avoid physical attacks (separate miss chance from Concealment and Incorporeal)
Provides a check for Incorporeal Miss Chance, to avoid taking damage completely (separate miss chance from Concealment and Dodge)
N.B. Some info on how Incorporeality (e.g. from Ghostly) is reduced in reaper mode here.
> Concealment:
This forces enemy attacks to include a check for Concealment Miss Chance, so you avoid taking damage completely. This is a separate miss chance from Incorporeal and Dodge.
N.B.: Some info on how Concealment (e.g. from Blur/Displacement) is reduced in reaper mode here.
> Fortification:
Don't neglect this, as increases the chance to avoid being critically hit by enemies
> Spell absorption items:
> Deflect Arrows temporarily granted by Stormrage clickies:
> Dodge:
A simple % chance to completely avoid physical attacks (separate miss chance from Concealment and Incorporeal)
This is normally restricted by armor. Any amount matters, as each point adds 1% chance to completely avoid physical damage
> Acquire the Hood of Unrest for key encounters and/or times when everyone but you dies (can be shared with alts via Shared bank)
> Incorporeality: Provides a check for Incorporeal Miss Chance, to avoid taking damage completely (separate miss chance from Concealment and Dodge)
Sources:
> Ghostly: common on items (e.g. Winter set item: Legendary Cold Iron bracers), also available as a Named green Augment
> Enhanced Ghostly is less abundant, but is found on some items (they do not stack, only highest bonus applies)
> Concealment:
This forces enemy attacks to include a check for Concealment Miss Chance, so you avoid taking damage completely. This is a separate miss chance from Incorporeal and Dodge.
It comes in two forms:
- Equipped items or effects (a beneficial form): Note that all of these sources can be negated by enemies with True Seeing (spell)
Among several effects, the most common being Displacement (50%); Lesser Displacement (25%) and Blur (10%).
Blur lasts longer, so I personally find it worth having on all the time, and then casting Displacement prior to entering combat.
Sources:
Blur: not as widely available as it could be.
- Scrolls are available to purchase for game plat, but don't last long.
- Wands drop in chests, and have a longer (level 10) version. These can sometimes be found in the action house.
Displacement, being a short buff by nature, is widely available.
- Scrolls (UMD required)
- Eternal Flask of Displacement is an option, but not available to acquire 100% of the time (only during Champion Hunter Weeks). Worth noting it shares a cooldown with other eternal flasks (I personally prefer using the Freedom of Movement one).
- Craftable clickies
From @popejubal "For those folks who don’t like bothering with Displacement scrolls (because they don’t have the UMD for it at lower levels and because they don’t want to bother with something that only lasts 30 seconds), I recommend getting a heroic Greensteel Displacement Quarterstaff clicky. It doesn’t need any Large ingredients, so it’s straightforward to farm up one or two of them and Quarterstaff clickies use your caster level instead of the weapon’s caster level so your Displacement lasts MUCH longer"
- An offensive debuff form, that is an effect which is applied to enemies via a negative condition, forcing their attacks to include a check for Concealment on all those they attack whilst the negative condition persists. Unlike the other above sources, none of these are negated by the True Seeing (spell), so think twice before dispelling those pesky clouds people keep casting
> Fortification:
Don't neglect this, as increases the chance to avoid being critically hit by enemies
Since Update 13, monsters with sneak attack dice are able to bypass some of the player fortification equal to monsters' Challenge Rating. (DDO Forums) E.g.:
The wiki also says this:
In DDO, most players strive for roughly +10% fortification per level, with the most durable characters achieving +300% at level 30. Most monsters don't have fortification, unless it is granted by the race/type (e.g. Undead, Constructs). Quest and raid bosses have higher fortification, but usually not full.
Perhaps others could pitch in with more specific info ref the ideal amount of fortification players should strive for?
- If a CR 1 Kobold Sneak attacks someone with 50% fortification, the Kobold Sneak has a 51% chance to normally conduct a critical hit or sneak attack.
- If a CR 20 Lava Mephit attacks someone with 100% fortification, the Lava Mephit has a 20% chance to normally conduct a critical hit or sneak attack.
- If a CR 54 Sellsword Footpad attacks someone with 150% fortification, the Sellsword Footpad has a 4% chance to normally conduct a critical hit or sneak attack.
- If a CR 29 Earth Elemental attacks someone with 125% fortification, it is still going to have a 0% chance to critically hit or sneak attack, as it has no sneak attack dice.
The wiki also says this:
In DDO, most players strive for roughly +10% fortification per level, with the most durable characters achieving +300% at level 30. Most monsters don't have fortification, unless it is granted by the race/type (e.g. Undead, Constructs). Quest and raid bosses have higher fortification, but usually not full.
Perhaps others could pitch in with more specific info ref the ideal amount of fortification players should strive for?
> Spell absorption items:
Always bring along at least one item (I personally aim for 2-3). Though situational, when the need arises, they can enable you to completely avoid large amounts of spell damage/effects.
Sources: Among several items available, I recommend the Pale Lavender Ioun Stone, Mantle of the Worldshaper (also has Heroic Inspiration); and Jeweled Cloak (Level 25).
Sources: Among several items available, I recommend the Pale Lavender Ioun Stone, Mantle of the Worldshaper (also has Heroic Inspiration); and Jeweled Cloak (Level 25).
> Deflect Arrows temporarily granted by Stormrage clickies:
Though situational, it can be very handy to avoid ranged damaged (while dealing a bit of extra electric dmg too)
7. Ensure you have access to the following potions/buffs
> Lesser Restoration
> This is particularly useful at lower levels (since with enough investment in UMD, as suggested in this thread, scrolls of Greater Restoration will be preferable later on)
> The key benefit is dispelling magical effects that reduce ability damage, since it can make you helpless, but this is also very handy to clear fatigue, and improve exhaustion to fatigue.
Source(s): widely available from potion vendors for game plat
> The key benefit is being warded from Evil magical controls and compulsions, providing complete immunity to spells of the type: Dominate Person/Monster, Command and Greater Command
Source(s): widely available from potion vendors for game plat
> It's key benefit, in my opinion, is protecting from the Held condition (eg. against Hold Person/Monster), and therefore, avoiding being considered helpless. It also allows you to move and attack normally while under the influence of conditions that normally impedes movement, such as Entangled, Paralyzed, or several Fogs.
Source(s): not as widely available, but some sources are
- gear (I personally always carry an item with FoM in it, to swap if/when needed: e.g. fighting beholders, slippery surfaces, etc.). Among several items, Legendary Crocodile Skin Boots is one I personally like because it also has energy absoprtion.
- Eternal Flask of Free Movement is a v nice option, but not available to acquire 100% of the time (only during Champion Hunter Weeks). Worth noting it shares a cooldown with other eternal flasks.
- scrolls (require UMD) are not available to purchase, but they can drop from chests, so some can be found for sale in the action house
> The key benefit is negating the effects of Magic Missiles. This is particularly useful when fighting some champions and reapers.
Source(s): widely available
- The Wiki suggests several gear items with clickies. I personally like Epic Sapphire Studded Buckles , and share it with all my endgame alts
- scrolls are available (but require UMD), but the duration of the buff is quite short
- wands drop in chests and can be found in the auction house. The level (10) version provides a longer option)
> This is invaluable, as it provides immunity to death spells and effects, Energy Drained, and negative energy
Source(s): widely available
- The Wiki suggests some gear items with clickies. Among several options, Skullduggery Cap, Epic Dusk Heart; and Legendary Rose Quartz Sigil Stone seem popular amongst players (and can all shared between alts)
From @peng For epic/legendary levels, I use epic or legendary versions of the same. Other mass death ward clickies have caster level 15. The Epic Skullduggery Cap can be used at level 20 and has a caster level of 20, and the legendary version has a cl of 30.
- Eternal Flask of Death Ward is an option, but not available to acquire 100% of the time (only during Champion Hunter Weeks). Worth noting it shares a cooldown with other eternal flasks (I personally prefer using the Freedom of Movement one, since there are so many Death Wards items available).
> Always carry a stack of each of these potions with you. Remove curse, in particular, is invaluable for successfully completing several endgame raids. Some diseases (e.g. from Orthons in legendary Vision of Destruction) and Poisons can inflict damage over time, and can be quite deadly in higher difficulties.
Source(s): widely available from potion vendors for game plat
8. Invest in Use Magic Device
> Invest as many points as you can in this skill, and always carry items to quickly swap to before using scrolls/wands
> Stock up and always bringing along the following:
> This item is particularly helpful (and could be further boosted with a +5 insightful Charisma augment slotted into it too):
> Amongst other options, the Winter Set item: Legendary Nocturne Ring provides an insightful bonus to Charisma skills (UMD)
> Stock up and always bringing along the following:
> Scrolls:
- Heal
- Greater Restoration
- Fire shield
- Stoneskin
- Greater Heroism (amongst other buffs, it grants fear immunity)
- Displacement
From @popejubal "For those folks who don’t like bothering with Displacement scrolls (because they don’t have the UMD for it at lower levels and because they don’t want to bother with something that only lasts 30 seconds), I recommend getting a heroic Greensteel Displacement Quarterstaff clicky. It doesn’t need any Large ingredients, so it’s straightforward to farm up one or two of them and Quarterstaff clickies use your caster level instead of the weapon’s caster level so your Displacement lasts MUCH longer"
> Wands:
- Blur
- Resist Energy (11)
9. Invest in you ability to be healed more easily (Healing Amplification)
> Healing Amplification (or repair/negative) make it easier to self-heal between battles (using Heal scrolls) and/or be healed by others. Note that it's now possible to self-heal between battles in reaper mode without penalties!
> competence bonus: common in many armors, and also available from Sapphire Augment
> artefact bonus: available on set bonuses like the winter 3-piece set
> profane bonus: available on set bonuses like Legendary Dread Isle's Curse set (which also grants offensiveness)
10. Reaper progression: Defense first
> My personal strategy for all my melee builds is to go first with the defense tree (Grim Barricade), until I spend 21 points.
This has 2 main aims:
N.B. This is the set-up for my Barbarian Ravager. I play 23 alts, and I currently have around 30-40 reaper points on each
> I then invest in the offensive tree (Dread Adversary). The key bonuses I personally prioritise are:
This has 2 main aims:
- secure the bonuses from the core enhancements that work all the time (including out of reaper mode)
- boost my defenses in reaper mode, as soul stones do zero dps
N.B. This is the set-up for my Barbarian Ravager. I play 23 alts, and I currently have around 30-40 reaper points on each
> I then invest in the offensive tree (Dread Adversary). The key bonuses I personally prioritise are:
> Doublestrike (if not already caped)/shot boost
> Tactical DCs
> Melee/ranged Power
* You might also want to check the spreadhseet below, as there are some significant defensive bonuses that can be acquired via past lives
Kali's Past Life spreadsheet (click me!)
If anyone has other useful defensiveness & survival strategies, please feel free to add to this thread!
Hope this proves helpful to whoever comes looking for advice!
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