KodeWraith's "I just want to hit things with a Bastard Sword": Pure Arti Edition

Kodewraith

Active member
Have you ever wanted a build for the non min-max player who just wants to run around, hit things with a sword, not die too easily, and shoot things with a rune arm? Also maybe trap a bit?

This is that build! As presented, the build is 80% melee with a minor in spell casting and not dying.

But you can take this build and make it your own! You can switch out the meta magic feats for ranged feats if you want to do a dual xbow/bsword build (but note that the BE tree makes you take one or the other). You can run as a non-toaster! As presented, this is a WF, but if you want to run as a non-robot, swap the Armor feat at 4 for something higher up the tree, ditch Extend and take Construct Essence and Improved Construct Essence at 9 and 12 respectively. You can also ditch Enlarge Spell at 20.

This is a build concept for casual players who want a good all around melee build that's pretty survivable, not overly gear or race constrained and can fill a lot of roles in a PUG. I made it for what Racial points I have, but you don't really _need_ the WF tree. I have 6 Racial Points, but a fully maxed out toon can do way better.

This build is designed to work with the new ARTI ED tree once it comes out, but it's unclear what that will look like and what ED feats will give bonuses. You can also run in FotW or pretty much anything and be fine. Pick up Defenses and Hitting Stuff abilities.

Play Style: Run into the room, Cleave and Hit things with SLAs. Cast some spells for AoE and CC (tactical detonation is great). Self Repair before you die.

Q: Can I swap out Arti levels for something else?
A: Yes, but you'll loose the BE capstone which is nice unless you pick up 6 fighter. See below.

Q: Can I swap out the casting feats for ranged feats?
A: Yes, but the Battle Engineer tree somewhat constrains you to one weapon type. But XBow is a viable second choice. Swap at least Maximize, Extend and Enlarge for BPS, Rapid Reload and IC:Ranged. Take Precise Shot if you swap out more. Swap in Expanded clip in Epics. You'll not be 100% of the archer of a dedicated xbow build, but you'll still do a lot of damage.

Q: What about this other level split I just thought of?
A: The only other splits I'd recommend are something like 12 Arti / 8 Fighter in which case take T5 in Kensai and spend all your fighter bonus feats on WF/WS slash. You'll get 5 bonus feats from a 8 fighter splash and spend 3 of them on WF:Slash, WS:Slash, GWF:Slash to try to get the good T5s in Kensai. Your casting will be worse, but you can do more damage. You can take 6 fighter also and leave two levels of "whatever". The Enhacements for a build like that are still constrained as you end picking up Fighter's PRR Aura in stalwart Defense and spending 36 AP in Kensai + the 8 in Harper. This was the old Powerball build that was posted way back in the days of the old forum, but it's still fun.

Q: Iconics?
A: 10Arti/ 8 Fighter/2 Whatever or 12Arti / 6 Fighter/ 2 Whatever are likely your best bets. 12 Arti / 6 fighter gets you two more level 4 Arti spells and an additional Arti feat. 10 Arti / 8 fighter gets you +25% hit points from the Kensai tree T5 which requires Fighter 8.
11 Arti / 8 fighter / 1 Whatever also works. It depends on which iconic type you are.

Q: Daggers? VKF?
A: Umm sure, but that's a different build with different goals.

Q: If I'm not WF, Do I really need Construct Essence / Imp ConstructEssence?
A; Totally depends on you. The Cure Critical Infusion can be made to heal quite a bit. In this case skip T4 RMM and dip into something else. Your self healing will be OK but not great if you don't have reconstruct.

Q: What if I'd rather "Just Shoot a Crossbow at Things until They Die?"
A: That build will be coming up shortly.

Enjoy....


Character name: Kodraith
Classes: 20 Artificer, 10 Epic, 2 Legendary
Race: Warforged · · · · · ·Alignment: Lawful Neutral

· · ·Start Tome Final · · ·Incorp:· · ·0% · · ·Displacement:· · 0%
Str:· · 15· · 8 · ·23 · · ·HP:· · · ·1277 · · ·AC:· · 44
Dex:· · 10· · 8 · ·18 · · ·PRR: · · · ·97
Con:· · 18· · 8 · ·32 · · ·MRR: · · · ·46 · · ·+Healing Amp: 4294967266
Int:· · 18· · 8 · ·41 · · ·Dodge: · ·1/25 · · ·-Healing Amp:· · ·0
Wis:· · ·6· · 8 · ·16 · · ·Fort:· · · 60% · · ·Repair Amp:· · ·110
Cha:· · ·6· · 8 · ·15 · · ·SR:· · · · · 0 · · ·BAB: · · · · · · 20
DR: 2\Adamantine
Immunities: Sleep, Energy Drain, Nausea, Sickness, Exhaustion, Paralysis, Magic Missiles

Class and Feat Selection
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Level Class · · · · · ·Feats
1 · · Artificer(1)· · ·Standard: Single Weapon Fighting
2 · · Artificer(2)· · ·
3 · · Artificer(3)· · ·Standard: Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bastard Sword
4 · · Artificer(4)· · ·Artificer Bonus: Adamantine Body
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
5 · · Artificer(5)· · ·
6 · · Artificer(6)· · ·Standard: Precision
7 · · Artificer(7)· · ·
8 · · Artificer(8)· · ·Artificer Bonus: Extend Spell
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
9 · · Artificer(9)· · ·Standard: Improved Single Weapon Fighting
10· · Artificer(10) · ·
11· · Artificer(11) · ·
12· · Artificer(12) · ·Standard: Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Artificer Bonus: Quicken Spell
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
13· · Artificer(13) · ·
14· · Artificer(14) · ·
15· · Artificer(15) · ·Standard: Greater Single Weapon Fighting
16· · Artificer(16) · ·Artificer Bonus: Maximize Spell
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
17· · Artificer(17) · ·
18· · Artificer(18) · ·Standard: Offhand Versatility
19· · Artificer(19) · ·
20· · Artificer(20) · ·Artificer Bonus: Enlarge Spell
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
21· · Epic(1) · · · · ·Epic Feat: Overwhelming Critical
22· · Epic(2) · · · · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Doublestrike
23· · Epic(3) · · · · ·
24· · Epic(4) · · · · ·Epic Feat: Past Life: Arcane Initiate
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
25· · Epic(5) · · · · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Perfect Single Weapon Fighting
26· · Epic(6) · · · · ·
27· · Epic(7) · · · · ·Epic Feat: Construct Exemplar <--- Epic Mage armor can go here.
28· · Epic(8) · · · · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Embodiment of Law
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
29· · Epic(9) · · · · ·
30· · Epic(10)· · · · ·Epic Feat: Epic Damage Reduction <-- Or here.
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Legendary: Scion of Arborea
31· · Legendary(1)· · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Two Handed Specialty
32· · Legendary(2)· · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up

Skills
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skill Points· · ·32 ·9· 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 14
Skill Name· · · ·01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20· Total Buffed
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Balance · · · · · 2 ·½· ½ ·½· ½ ·½· ½ ·½· ½ ·½· ½ · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 7.0 · 17.0
Bluff · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 0.0 · 12.0
Concentration · · 2 ·2· 2 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· ·23.0 · 44.0
Diplomacy · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 0.0 · 12.0
Disable Device· · 4 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· ·23.0 · 48.0
Haggle· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 0.0 · 13.0
Heal· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·2· · 2.0 · 16.0
Hide· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 0.0 · ·9.0
Intimidate· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1 ·1· 1 ·2· 2 1½· ½ ·½· ½ ·½· ½ · · ·11.0 · 23.0
Jump· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·½ 1½ ·2· 2 ·2· 2 ·1· ·11.0 · 22.0
Listen· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 0.0 · 13.0
Move Silently · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 0.0 · ·9.0
Open Lock · · · · 4 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· ·23.0 · 37.0
Perform · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 0.0 · 12.0
Repair· · · · · · · · · · ·2· 2 ·2· 2 ·3· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· ·23.0 · 52.0
Search· · · · · · 4 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· ·23.0 · 48.0
Spell Craft · · · 4 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· ·23.0 · 49.0
Spot· · · · · · · 4 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· ·23.0 · 36.0
Swim· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 0.0 · ·6.0
Tumble· · · · · · 1 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1.0 · 10.0
Use Magic Device· 4 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· 1 ·1· ·23.0 · 35.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Available Points· 0 ·0· 0 ·0· 0 ·0· 0 ·0· 0 ·0· 0 ·0· 0 ·0· 0 ·0· 0 ·0· 0 ·0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Enhancements: 80 APs, Racial 6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warforged - Points spent: 6
Core1 Improved Fortification I
Core2 Constitution I
Tier1 Repair Systems: Mechanist - 3 Ranks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Battle Engineer - Points spent: 41
Core1 Battle Engineer
Tier1 Weapon Training I: Hand and a Half Training I
Tier1 Thaumaturgical Conduits - 3 Ranks
Core2 Infused Weapons I
Tier2 Weapon Training II: Hand and a Half Training II
Tier2 Extra Action Boost - 3 Ranks
Tier2 Caustic Strike: Caustic Strike - 1 Ranks
Core3 Infused Armor I
Tier3 Thundershock Imbue
Tier3 Ability I: +1 Intelligence
Tier3 Weapon Training III: Hand and a Half Training III
Tier3 Shatter Defenses: Shatter Defenses (Melee) - 1 Ranks
Core4 Infused Weapons II
Tier4 Weapon Training IV: Hand and a Half Training IV
Tier4 Agility Engine - 3 Ranks
Tier4 Battle Mastery: Haste Boost
Tier4 Ability II: +1 Intelligence
Core5 Infused Armor II
Tier5 Unlock Potential
Tier5 Tactical Mobility
Tier5 Reconstructed Armaments: Reconstructed Edges
Tier5 Thunder Shock Weapon: Thunder-Shock Weapon (Melee)
Tier5 Weapon Attachment
Core6 Master Engineer
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Renegade Mastermaker - Points spent: 31
Core1 Renegade Defender
Tier1 Curative Admixture: Cure Light Wounds - 3 Ranks
Tier1 Easily Fixed
Tier1 Supporting Construction - 2 Ranks
Core2 Alchemical Shield
Tier2 Armor Mastery - 1 Ranks
Tier2 Mighty Slam - 2 Ranks
Tier2 Kinetic Discharge - 3 Ranks
Tier3 Battlefist
Tier3 Shielding Construct
Tier3 Reinforced Armor - 1 Ranks
Core3 Curative Admixture: Cure Serious Wounds
Tier3 Ability I: Renegade Mastermaker: +1 Intelligence
Tier4 Reconstruct - 3 Ranks
Tier4 Kinetic Charge
Core4 Constructive Conduit
Tier4 Embed Component - 2 Ranks
Core5 Radiant Forcefield
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harper Agent - Points spent: 8
Core1 Agent of Good I
Tier1 Strategic Combat I
Tier1 Harper Enchantment
Tier2 Know the Angles - 3 Ranks
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
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popejubal

Avatar of Jell-O
When I messed around with SWF/THF/Shield feats on a bastard sword on Lamannia, I took both Perfect SWF and Perfect THF in epics. When I did, only the perfect THF applied to my attacks with bastard sword in one hand and empty or orb in the offhand. Perfect SWF was not active.

If you take just Perfect SWF and don’t take Perfect THF, does the Perfect SWF apply to the attacks?
 
Does this build work on a 28 pt first life toon with no tomes? How would you distribute the points? I'm guessing take points out of strength and dex?

What do you mean SLAs and cleave? (in your playstyle section), you don't seem to go into the casting tree, and you don't seem to get cleave. Would it be possible to fit in cleave/great cleave somewhere? No aoe during heroics seems rough.

Sorry about all the questions, my highest level character is a lv 11 caster artificer, but I wanted to make a melee WF arti to try it out and I'm still not competent enough to make my own builds.
 

PURPLETIMB

Well-known member
There's no reason this wouldn't work for a first life character. Max INT, get high CON and any extra can go into STR. 14/8/16/18/6/6 would work okay. Without a DEX tome you won't be able to get to 13 DEX to take Precision, so you can dump stat DEX and instead take the feat Insightful Reflexes.

You'll get a cleave attack from Renegade Mastermaker Tier II, Kinetic Discharge. This plus the strikethrough you'll get from bastard swords is enough AOE for heroic leveling. You won't have any SLAs until epic levels, but your maxed INT will mean you can still land your spells, especially Blast Rod and Tactical Detonation.
 

Kodewraith

Active member
Note also with this build, you're still a halfway decent Xbow archer. Not great, but totally workable. Most of the feats in a typical archery loadout (Precise Shot, IPS) are about hitting more stuff and doing more damage whilw standing still. With most of your APs into Bastard Sword stuff, this build is more into hitting things. You can still pick up the two minimum ranged feats as RadidShot and IC:Ranged and be a decent archer even with minimal feat investmet. You likely want at least IC:Ranged and RapidShot, swap for offhand versatility and Enlarge.
 
Last edited:

Kodewraith

Active member
There's no reason this wouldn't work for a first life character. Max INT, get high CON and any extra can go into STR. 14/8/16/18/6/6 would work okay. Without a DEX tome you won't be able to get to 13 DEX to take Precision, so you can dump stat DEX and instead take the feat Insightful Reflexes.

You'll get a cleave attack from Renegade Mastermaker Tier II, Kinetic Discharge. This plus the strikethrough you'll get from bastard swords is enough AOE for heroic leveling. You won't have any SLAs until epic levels, but your maxed INT will mean you can still land your spells, especially Blast Rod and Tactical Detonation.
+1. 16 INT is fine, 16 CON and as much strength and dex as you can manage. Also note you're typically firing your AoE rune arm at point blank range. An AoE runearm still does a lot of damage for just leveling on R1. You wont have enough Strikethrough before epics to matter I think I have like 15% at level 15. All AoE will be rune arms, spells, and the Kinetic Discharge cleave from Renegade Maker.
 

xianio

Member
Do folks always use Int-to-damage from the spell instead of +1 W or +3 imbues? I never see 12 points in harper to open up int-to-damage. Can't figure out why -- +3 imbues seems pretty good for 4 enhancement points.
 

popejubal

Avatar of Jell-O
You can do Int to damage plus deadly or elemental weapons.
Can’t have deadly and elemental weapons simultaneously, but either of them will work with the Int to damage spell.
 

geltril

Active member
My build right now is similar. Macrotechnic destiny is my main. I did 12 points in harper for the int to damage.
 

unbongwah

Well-known member
Do folks always use Int-to-damage from the spell instead of +1 W or +3 imbues? I never see 12 points in harper to open up int-to-damage. Can't figure out why -- +3 imbues seems pretty good for 4 enhancement points.
You are allowed to have Insightful Damage plus a weapon buff like Greater Elemental Weapon. But you can't cast Insightful Strikes + Insightful Damage simultaneously.

And it's about AP costs: 12 APs Harper Agent for permanent INT to damage vs 6-8 APs for just Know the Angles. Those 4-6 APs can go elsewhere; in particular, it's what enables the 41 Battle Engineer / 31 RMM / 8 Harper combo which OP uses; 41 BE / 12 Harper means losing RMM's Radiant Forcefield SLA.
 

Xgya

Well-known member
I'm an absolute lover of builds with a minor in not dying.
Or a major in not dying.
Dying has been shown to be the most drastic source of DPS loss.

Huge fan of Artificers, not a huge fan of melees. But I did like your presentation :)
 
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