Melee focused build for non-melee Past Lives?

[Itinerant Wanderer]

Hi

I would like to get heroic completionist, but prefer to play as a melee if possible. Could anyone point me in the direction of a template build with a melee core that would work for this? As I would also like to get to 30 for Epic Lifes, something that can do okay at Epic levels also would be preferable.

So I am looking for something like, for example, 7 Paladin / 5 Fighter / 8 XXXXX.

Thanks!

 

[ForeverZero]

Hi

I would like to get heroic completionist, but prefer to play as a melee if possible. Could anyone point me in the direction of a template build with a melee core that would work for this? As I would also like to get to 30 for Epic Lifes, something that can do okay at Epic levels also would be preferable.

So I am looking for something like, for example, 7 Paladin / 5 Fighter / 8 XXXXX.

Thanks!

5 barbarian splashed with anything for tier 5s is plenty if you just want survivability ravager tier 5s are gonna be best bet, blood tribute is also hella nice. Big crits fb is better, but yeah. 8 barbarian is also good for imp uncanny dodge. I usually run ravager for heroic since stuff typically dies in 1-2 crits anyway, but thats just a lot of past lives. Your mileage may vary. The barbarian isnwhqt i did for my caster lives for melee oriented caster past lives.

For classes that can't splash barb, i did fighter or pally if memory serves. Would probably do fighter for dragonlord nowadays.

Theres so many others, it really doesnt matter. Find a universal tree like vkf and build round that.

 

[Kimbere]

6 monk with quarterstaves would be a reasonably solid foundation for this. It has a lot of QoL benefits.

Evasion, Haste Boost, good damage, some AoE, Hands of Healing and Healing Curse, etc.

You could splash 1/2 rogue with it to get trapping if desired.

 

[Terpilar]

EK wizard and ES Warlock can already be built as melee-focused hybrids, I would suggest you try combos based on those classes in your completionist quest.

 

[Dythan]

I'm with kimbre, 2 rogue, 6 monk Qstaff as a base is my go to build.

 

[Archaic]

6 dark hunter 6 monk 8(X)
Adept of forms, ITWF, Trapping Skills

 

[axel15810]

I always do 8-10 dragon lord levels and just play the life as a standard dragon lord for classes I haven't wanted to actually play.

Just go strength based, tier 5 dragon lord. You'll take most things in the tree and it'll give you everything you need. Sometimes the class you're doing the past life in might have a melee tree that's helpful but if not you can put extra points in racial or universal trees.

Edit: And oh yeah - 1 barb level too for run speed. So 10+ levels in class you want past life, 5-9 DL levels, 1 barb.

 

[Fizban]

Hi

I would like to get heroic completionist, but prefer to play as a melee if possible. Could anyone point me in the direction of a template build with a melee core that would work for this? As I would also like to get to 30 for Epic Lifes, something that can do okay at Epic levels also would be preferable.

So I am looking for something like, for example, 7 Paladin / 5 Fighter / 8 XXXXX.

Thanks!

Something like this is a great option. When I got my Heroic completionist classes I either don't like to play or just needed for the compltionist I generally split 11 XX/9 XX. The 9 XX was the class I prefered and played it like the class but pretty much ingnored the 11 XX.

 

[minamber]

Provided you have some of the named qstaves with improved crit profile, 6 monk with a rogue or dark hunter splash for trapping is probably your best bet. If you don't care about traps, then 8 x/6 monk/6 DL where x is the class with the PL you want works great.

10 x/6 barb (or DL)/4 bard for handaxe swashbuckling can be good too, and it's better if you want to spend some time at cap.

Or if you want to use something more meta, 12 x/6 DL/2 rogue with VKF and kukri is very good too.

 

[seph1roth5]

Do you have dragonlord? That's a very good splash for 5-6 levels. I've done a couple warlock lives that were ~12 warlock/5-6DL/other stuff. Worked very nice with iconics.

Warlock was interesting because auralock has some things that count as breath attacks, and then obviously DL does too. So if you go up into draconic incarnation, that gives them all a 25% chance to paralyze.

 

[droid327]

6 dl and 6 monk are both complete melee tool kits... Str or Wis based with trance, haste boost, crit covered in T5, mp imbue, healing hands/second wind, and defensive options like stal def or ocean stance, and bonus feats to front load your progression in heroic

And you can combine the two, even, and still have 8 levels for your template class. Or mix and match elsewhere.

 

[azrael4h]

Tabaxi 3 Bard/6 Dragonlord or Barbarian, using either Handaxe or Kukri, DEX based. Dragonlord is better, both enhancement wise and for having extra feats, but Barbarian has 10% run speed, which I'm addicted to.

1 point in Tabaxi gets you Dexterity to hit for cheap; it's the first core. Another AP makes feather fall obsolete, and a third gives you a cleave, but those are optional.

3 Bard gets you Swashbuckler which on handaxe or kukri gives 18-20 x3 crit, swift strikes Dex to Damage, and 10% doublestrike from dashing scoundrel if empty handed/10% dodge if using buckler. 13 AP You can also pick up a sonic damage imbue here, but not strictly needed if going Dragonlord which has a choice of imbues.

Tier 5 Ravager +2 Crit range for Kukri OR Dragonlord/Frenzied Berserker for +2 crit multiplier depending on if you went Kukri (Ravager) or handaxe (others). 34 points.

If you use Kukri, 23 AP in Vistani gives you 10% doublestrike, a cleave that gives you an easy to maintain extra 10% doublestrike, 20 melee power (SWF) or 20% offhand hit chance (TWF) and +1[W], plus Haste Boost. I've been going SWF, because I'm cheap and lazy and don't want to farm/craft duplicate weapons.

I guess Dwarf would be better for the axe user, if you have the racial AP to spare, but I don't really know off hand. Haven't built an axe build since I had the kukri laying around.

Feats are standard SWF or TWF, your preference. SWF with nothing in the offhand you'll want to pick up Offhand Versatility for your feats, otherwise it's the usual 3x SWF/TWF, Imp Crit Slashing, Precision. If you go another race than Tabaxi, you'll need Weapon Finesse as well.

The trade off is you're a bit squishy, being in light armor only, and you're a furry so everyone makes fun of you. You've got a few points to play with, so it's not completely AP tight.

 

[magaiti]

Any class can be played pure as a melee.

 

[Itinerant Wanderer]

Thanks so much for the feedback guys - I didn't realise that there were so many options. I will be asking for more specific feedback, but will bookmark this thread for later use.

 

[Bjond]

6 monk with quarterstaves would be a reasonably solid foundation for this. It has a lot of QoL benefits.

If you don't like monk, Rogue with Qstaff also works and has a lot more defense (similar dodge, i.droll, iud, +50 MRR).

Qstaff is exceptional for leveling -- it's the INQuisitor of melee -- but it falls FAR behind at cap. That only matters for a raid-focused DPS, though.