Split-spec Arms thoughts?

[eggy]

Was thinking of going for a slightly different spec on armsman, which would be used in a merc assist train (don't ask).

50 two-handed (yes, I prefer 2h styles)
35 slash (51 effective with +11 and RR)
35 crush (51 effective with +11 and RR)
23 shield (back stun)
18 parry

The following is the template WITHOUT weapon equipped.


Config Report

Stats

Str: 100 Int: 0 Hits: 300
Con: 100 Pie: 0 Power: 0
Dex: 15 Cha: 0
Qui: 80 Emp: 0

Resists (not bothered about energy matter or spirit)

Body: 26 Energy: 0 Crush: 26
Cold: 26 Matter: 6 Thrust: 25
Heat: 26 Spirit: 17 Slash: 26

Skills

11 Crush
11 Polearm
11 Slash
11 Thrust (when char is high RR, respec to tri-spec)

Focus

Cap Increases

112 Hits
5 Qui
25 Str
25 Con

Other Bonuses

10 AF Bonus
7 Melee Damage Bonus
9 Melee Speed Bonus
4 Style Damage Bonus


Can use any weapon (means mouse clicking to change) for different target types/different procs. (Haste weapons rock).

Pity qui is only 80, working on that.

Thought it would be more fun than the norm!

 

[Arkian]

It's a nice idea if you've got the gear to make it work, and knowing you, I guess you do

Would personally go slash+thrust for enemy support vulnerability, but slash/crush is nice as light tank buster.

Has anybody tried the legendary weapon trains that seem to be all the rage on US? I personally don't see how they'd be very good against enemies with casted resists, but wondered if anybody here had tried it and what the damage is like.

 

[Ocalinn]

It's a nice idea if you've got the gear to make it work, and knowing you, I guess you do

Would personally go slash+thrust for enemy support vulnerability, but slash/crush is nice as light tank buster.

Has anybody tried the legendary weapon trains that seem to be all the rage on US? I personally don't see how they'd be very good against enemies with casted resists, but wondered if anybody here had tried it and what the damage is like.

many legendary weapons = higher chance of debuff to proc and iirc the proc reduces resist with 35% (highest resist buffs are 24%)

 

[Kagato]

I'd say ok for groups though really the energy and matter resists are terrible, warlocks will be killing you in 2 seconds. Same goes for energy, and even then matter and energy weapons still get used by plenty of people so you wont be safe from melee either.

You also have 0 defense with no parry or dexterity, even with shield out you wont do a fat lot of guarding or defending, wont last long bodyguarding either.

I don't really see the point in specing shield for the medium back stun either when you already have a rear snare without changing weapons and the mercs will be getting to the targets long before you will anyway so chances are any style effect you use will be wasted regardless.

Don't really see the point of tri spec either seeing as your using elemental damage anyway, may as well go with one that auto trains and spend the rest in some defense.

I can see what your aiming for, just not sure you've gone about it the right way.

 

[eggy]

I'd say ok for groups though really the energy and matter resists are terrible, warlocks will be killing you in 2 seconds. Same goes for energy, and even then matter and energy weapons still get used by plenty of people so you wont be safe from melee either.

You also have 0 defense with no parry or dexterity, even with shield out you wont do a fat lot of guarding or defending, wont last long bodyguarding either.

I don't really see the point in specing shield for the medium back stun either when you already have a rear snare without changing weapons and the mercs will be getting to the targets long before you will anyway so chances are any style effect you use will be wasted regardless.

Don't really see the point of tri spec either seeing as your using elemental damage anyway, may as well go with one that auto trains and spend the rest in some defense.

I can see what your aiming for, just not sure you've gone about it the right way.

Eh?

I'm not using elemental damage.

Parry is pointless in grp assist train.

I'm never going to solo on this; matter doesn't...matter to me, nor does energy (rarely PBAEd). 23 shield was only an idea to help in the assist train.

Who said I was a bodyguarder?

 

[Bracken]

Will be interested to see how you go with this - nice idea if you can pull it off Personally I would never go for more than one damage type...but that's because I'd just be freddyfatfinger-fumbling the different weapon switches (easy with shield-2H though with keybinding).

If I did go something like this though I would have thrust/slash because of the damage bonuses on enemy support, but that's a moot point

 

[Kagato]

Eh?

I'm not using elemental damage.

Parry is pointless in grp assist train.

I'm never going to solo on this; matter doesn't...matter to me, nor does energy (rarely PBAEd). 23 shield was only an idea to help in the assist train.

Who said I was a bodyguarder?

Misread split for spirit.

Parry - less useful but far from pointless in groups.

Its easy to shrug of matter and energy but you'll be cursing when you get insta-killed.

I did not say you would be a bodyguarder im just pointing out how even in those circumstances you'd still be useless.

It looks to me like your giving up a heck of alot to get very very little in return, in the greater scheme of things, enemy armour resists are now only a minor issue compared to what they used to be when you look at how much more differance things like absorb buffs, som procs and style damage absorbs do.

Im sure a tank that wont be insta killed by pbaoe or warlocks would be more useful then one which can choose between 2 damage types, specially when thrust will make you good vs most middy support and neutral to all hibs regardless.

 

[Dorin]

yea seems nice (though i will hurt you so bad if you dont get energy sists )

i would go slash/thrust aswell btw

 

[Golena]

Eggy, stop talking to flim, it's making your brain go mushy!!

I believe the idea of legendary assist trains is that you have a caster assist debuffing for you.

Casted resists - 50% debuff = tanks that HURT!

 

[Konah]

ye, 0 energy is unacceptable for rvr imo. 2 reasons: grapple+pbaoe and vamps (which are becoming fotm hib grp chars)

depends on what spec ur mercs are and what ur tictacs are gonna be but thrust 2h/pole is 100% str, so its a nice way of getting the dmg type in grp without gimping wepskill. parry is not entirely useless in fg rvr either, can ward off slams and cut enemy train dmg a bit.

 

[Lethul]

this is probably how i would spec an armsman if i had one probably slash/thrust tho. but imo if possible, lower con some and get energy up and maybe some more qui if possible? there are a few pbae casters out there afterall (not as common as before) and it will not be funny when they pb

konah, vamp is not energy dmg

oh, and try to get celerity weapons, they are awesome on 2h chars

 

[Konah]

konah, vamp is not energy dmg

ye its late fs

 

[zorbas]

Lo m8s,

Armsman is only for close combat and for that reason have to kill hard at once.
I agree with Kagato.
I invest with pole,thrust,parry and changing weapons (2hand,1hand).
Bodyguard is must.

get the max hps as you can. (close to 3.200 buffed)
I still learning my char.maybe after i will say other thinks.

After this enjoy the char.

George

____________________
zorbas-zorbena-zorbaki-zorbacab
Zorbas Travel

 

[occy]

 

[-Freezingwiz-]

no reason to spec shield if u ain't useing it all the time if u just do it for the stun.....

2h styles got a side follow up and back follow up stun, 9 and 7 secs and the back stun from 23 shield is like 5 secs, so imo really not worth it

so might aswell spec higher parry and get dashing defence(and imo underrated RA it's crazy if u'r high enough RR to have the basis RA's etc)

 

[Vodkafairy]

as said you really need more energy or you will get hurt so much by pb its not even funny. since you mentioned you will only group with it, why prefer hitpoints over resists? its better to take less damage than have more hp

on my champ i have 5 different weapons: 2h crush battler (crush dmgtype, 10% ws proc which is really nice), 2h slash malice (slash damagetype, op debuff proc that stack with champ debuffs), 2h celerity slasher (30% haste stacking with normal haste, bringing 2h swingspd close to 1.6 / 1.7 sec.. yum), 2h matter weapon (against pd users, rox), 1h sok (when being trained, proccing the style absorb shield.. yum), celerity shield for obvious reasons

my point is, you can get so much choice of weapons when you're multiple dmg types.. especially if you ever get it high rr enough to be tri spec.. well.. should be nice

 

[eggy]

Yeh, valid points from most.

The idea was to have something slightly different to the norm; a good laugh to play in off-peak hours. I'll try and get the energy resist up a little, but it's a pretty tall order given the restraints of having no weapons, and of course having to cap 2 weapon types and 2h with +11 skill.

I might decrease thrust % a little, as plate is naturally resistant.

 

[Oboy]

if u go thrust/slash u can autotrain and get more points and at rr10 u be uber with

pole: 50+9+11
slash: 30+9+11
thrust: 30+9+11
shield: 42 (for slam)
parry: 7 or something

 

[-Freezingwiz-]

2h styles > pole styles imo so I would go 2h

 

[Kagato]

2h styles > pole styles imo so I would go 2h

Only advantage in 2H is artifacts, and that gets fixed in 1.78, the stuns, snares and chains are all virtually identical, but with pole you also have great reactionaries too.

 

[Belomar]

But 2H looks cooler! With a flaming blade you can look almost like a ROG 2H Paladin!

 

[-Freezingwiz-]

Only advantage in 2H is artifacts, and that gets fixed in 1.78, the stuns, snares and chains are all virtually identical, but with pole you also have great reactionaries too.

well it was for grouping 2h styles got both back and side styles that snare and a follow up 7/9 sec stun, u won't get much better styles in any spec for assist trains tbh, pole got stun and snare styles aswell, but imo almost anytime snare and stun follow up is by far better than reactionarty styles for grping

 

[Kagato]

well it was for grouping 2h styles got both back and side styles that snare and a follow up 7/9 sec stun, u won't get much better styles in any spec for assist trains tbh, pole got stun and snare styles aswell, but imo almost anytime snare and stun follow up is by far better than reactionarty styles for grping

Pole has the exact same 2 style 9 second stun chain from rear rather then side and 2 style heavy 12 second snare up until 1.78 (don't ask me why the hell they changed that, its beyond me), as well as the anytime snare, however if you want more damage the taunt anytime has greater growth rate as well, you'll find even with the exact same speed weapons pole will always hit harder due to growth rates, If I remember rightly in my own tests only 1 style in 2H manages to get over 700 damage (Sun & Moon) whereas Pole only has a few styles hitting below 700. I have all the figures written down somewhere i'll have to find them out.

The only real arguement in it though is wether you consider side chain easier to pull off then rear chain, and if your going to be relying on shield stuns even that becomes a mute point.

Belomar has a good arguement with looks though, looking cool always helps.

 

[Osri]

Would go rather Slash/Thrust ... mid chain thrust vulnerable...not many crush vulnerable out there except BM´s as fg vs fg. All lines str based anyways for 2H/pole.