My first melee Dream guy need advice:

[Bearstorm]

Just picked up the expansion, and all the dream skills look great. I played the tar out of this game and put it down... now with a new computer, this game looks brand spanking new.

I was kinda hoping if there was some suggestions on a starting template for a Harbringer to get me started. I was never successful with dual wielding builds, but I found them a lot of fun... I just couldn't get them beyond a certain point. I'm hoping this guy will do it.

I wiped and reinstalled though, so I am starting from scratch... I had too many mods and too much equipment from the mods, so I'm starting new. Do you think the Harbringer is an okay choice to start with or is he too equipment dependant? I would like suggestions on that as well. If there is another Dream melee guy that everyone saids go with, then I'll do it if he's a lot of fun.

Thank you all in advance for recommendations.

[Batman]

Not meant as a guide, but my thread may give you a few pointers as far as Dream skills go:-

A Seer's Journey (http://www.titanquest.net/forums/dream/13746-seers-journey-picture-heavy.html)

[Bannor]

Heya,

I also came back from a long break as you did. Also starting from scratch. I made a harbinger and this is how it breaks down at level 47 and in epic china. First of all, I have onslaught as LMB and phantom strike and RMB. Distort reality is button 1. Nothing else really matters.

My skills are :
Temporal Flux - Max
Lucid Dream - Max
Premonition - Max

Distort Reality - Max
Temporal Rift - Max

Dream Stealer - Max
Phantom Strike - Max

Warfare Set

Crosscut - Max
Hew - Max
Dual Wield - Max

Weapon Training - Max
Onslaught - Max


Ok Ive just started putting points into the Defensive minded skills and plan to max them as well. The only strategy you need to know is, If the group is 6 or less hit em with Phantom strike. If the group is more then hit em with Distort Reality. Just keep alternating the two so 1 of them is always ready to go. With boss fights obviously you want to wait until theyre both ready.

Also, any boss you cant stand toe to toe with run in circles until one or the other is charged and hit em then start running again.

In my opinion, so far, it's pretty damned powerful.

Stat-wise, I went mostly strength and use two axes or maces. Speed is a factor but the biggest factor is damage as Phantom strike depends on it.


Any further questions, feel free to ask.



Bannor.

[Infares]

Only change I'd make tentatively is to go half and half dex and strength and use swords, mainly because Phantom Strike gives you a total damage bonus which of course, adding Piercing to the list of damage types you do means even more instances of damage to be multiplied by Phantom Strike. Additionally extra dex helps with your defensive ability since you're dual wielding.

[Batman]

Bannor - I'm surprised you're not using a Trance. Do you find that you don't need one? Or will you get one later? If so, which one?

[The Rock-man]

No matter what I suggest he puts 1 point in ToE for leveling for the 3-10% damage to health.

[Bannor]

Im using ToW atm..only have 1 point in it. At this level I find that it's superfluous. Everything dies so quick it's usefulness is limited. Im guessing that changes in legendary though. Sometimes the Distort Reality/ Temporal Rift combo doesnt quite finish them off so I stand in the middle of the pack and let ToW finish what slivers of life they have left. I would guess in legendary those slivers will be larger so ToW may have further usefullness. Though, perhaps, changing to ToE (or whatever the leeching one is) may be better.

As infrares mentioned about dex, I did put some points into dex, not for the defense but for the offense. Nothing stays alive long enough (yet) to worry about it.

Again, it's wait and see for legendary.



Bannor

[bug]

Only change I'd make tentatively is to go half and half dex and strength and use swords, mainly because Phantom Strike gives you a total damage bonus which of course, adding Piercing to the list of damage types you do means even more instances of damage to be multiplied by Phantom Strike. Additionally extra dex helps with your defensive ability since you're dual wielding.


The argument about DEX is valid, but for Phantom Strike... Get the biggest Club or the most wicked Spear you can get your hands on. And then see +190% Total Damage in action. :D

[isthisfunforyou]

Both Str and Str/Dex builds are viable.

Point for point, Harbring utilizes dex better then any other class: +50% OA and +18% DA between weapon training and premonition. However, OA builds tend to shine late in the game rather then earlier because crit point breaks occur at every 100 OA over defender’s DA, according to the knowledge thread (I assume this is still true in IT). I know this true from previous OA builds, but I haven’t played an OA build in IT yet.

[Krazikarl]

I dont know how useful pure OA builds would be for Dream. You already get a ton of crit hits for free from the petrification on Distort Reality/Temporal Rift right? Sure it doenst work on bosses, but it seems like a lot of work to get something you will already have on most trash mobs.

[bug]

Don't forget DEX boosts your DA too. Plus, even when raising DEX I found Phatom Strike to miss quite a lot against Hades...

[The Rock-man]

Yep you need good OA to land hits, and also remember low dex = low DA and low DA = monsters crit you back to rebirth shrine in 1-2 hits.