Good boss-killing capabilities?

[LowMoose]

I'm hoping to start a long game with a buddy that we'll play exclusively together. One of us is probably going to go the alchemy/close combat route for wiping out groups, but that's not too great when it comes to taking down bosses. So what's a good mastery combo for destroying really big and nasty single targets?

[Viper_Sweden]

I'm thinking spear-Skirmisher IF that passive +%Pierce skill works with spears...

[LowMoose]

Doesn't look like it does... I did a quick test with Defiler and show all damage mod and tried a Skirmisher against the terracotta soldiers in Normal. I did about 150-200 damage a hit on them normally. Putting 8 points into Sharp Eye (the passive +%pierce) didn't change the damage at all. Putting 8 points into Signal of Attack and activating it (+99% pierce for 30 sec) increased the damage to 200-250 though.

[SilentHawk]

try myrmidon

[The Rock-man]

IMO archery with a bow is one of the best boss killers in game (-resist is king vs bosses).
If your taking archery your better of sticking with a bow for one of the way skills, for bosses way of the sickness arrow & the fastest bow you can find = dead boss fast, as its -216 resist that means you and your mate will do more than 3x your physical damage and between 1.5x and 3x for every other damage.

IMO all masteries have got something that is useful vs bosses the trick is working out what skills are which.

[benjidatramp]

Exterminator isnt BAD at killing bosses. Imposture helps alot. Probably something with Chrono would be the fastest boss killer, or archery + CC

[Grail Quest]

Originally Posted by LowMoose

I'm hoping to start a long game with a buddy that we'll play exclusively together. One of us is probably going to go the alchemy/close combat route for wiping out groups, but that's not too great when it comes to taking down bosses. So what's a good mastery combo for destroying really big and nasty single targets?

I find that bosses are best if you somehow melee, because some monsters seem scripted to not use certain attacks if they are engaged in melee. For instance, if you melee the boss in "Outpost in the Woods", he won't use his area-effect attack. Similarly, the huge automatons in the final areas of Hades won't set off their lightning surges if engaged in melee.

Just about anything can be taken down going toe-to-toe if you have a high DPS and a good Damage-to-Health conversion. Undead are harder, but if you can get something that will reduce their resistance to Life Leech, this strategy will also work.

That said, I've actually done melee with a Diviner in the old game precisely because she could raise an emanation that gave high vulnerability to life leeching (and other things).

Also, anything that has reliable Skill Disruption is also useful. Come to think of it, they might not have been using certain abilities because of Skill Disruption...

Whatever you do, get Stun Resistance, and lots of it. Even with 112%, you can still be stunned in Epic for a half second or so!

[The Rock-man]

Originally Posted by Grail Quest

I find that bosses are best if you somehow melee, because some monsters seem scripted to not use certain attacks if they are engaged in melee. For instance, if you melee the boss in "Outpost in the Woods", he won't use his area-effect attack. Similarly, the huge automatons in the final areas of Hades won't set off their lightning surges if engaged in melee.

Just about anything can be taken down going toe-to-toe if you have a high DPS and a good Damage-to-Health conversion. Undead are harder, but if you can get something that will reduce their resistance to Life Leech, this strategy will also work.

That said, I've actually done melee with a Diviner in the old game precisely because she could raise an emanation that gave high vulnerability to life leeching (and other things).

Also, anything that has reliable Skill Disruption is also useful. Come to think of it, they might not have been using certain abilities because of Skill Disruption...

Whatever you do, get Stun Resistance, and lots of it. Even with 112%, you can still be stunned in Epic for a half second or so!

Yep but he stated that one will be going Close combat+alchemy so another mêlée char isn't needed, the best would be archery + some other good support mastery, IE chrono.

[Hyperion²]

Originally Posted by The Rock-man

IMO archery with a bow is one of the best boss killers in game (-resist is king vs bosses).
If your taking archery your better of sticking with a bow for one of the way skills, for bosses way of the sickness arrow & the fastest bow you can find = dead boss fast, as its -216 resist that means you and your mate will do more than 3x your physical damage and between 1.5x and 3x for every other damage.

IMO all masteries have got something that is useful vs bosses the trick is working out what skills are which.

I think you got the point for it is needed for boss killing.
What other spells in other masteries have a lower resists spell?

[Viper_Sweden]

Close Combat - Discouragement
Mysticism - Cunning Strike, Exorcism

Those are the ones I can think of right now...