Looking for strong melee build

[fooflinger]

As the thread title says. Looking to play as a melee character. Rolled a Warfare/Defense character in a co-op game and I was pretty bad compared to everyone else and didn't either hard or quick, didn't really see any redeeming factors. Then again when making the character I didn't really know what i was doing, so looking for a couple good ideas for melee builds and reasons as to why they're powerful.

Thanks!

[defboy99]

My first melee build was a dual-wield Spellbreaker (Warfare/Spirit). Spirit offers a couple of huge perks in this build: the Deathchill Aura tree, which protects you in melee range by slowing and damaging enemies, and a very tough sidekick in the Liche King. You also get buffs against Undead with Spirit Ward and Spirit Bane (you'll run across a LOT of Undead), and the Outsider is great against bosses. On the Warfare side, you have the Dual-Wield tree, the Onslaught tree is excellent, Battle Standard offers some tremendous buffs, Weapon Training increases attack speed, Dodge Attack helps with defense, you've got War Horn for stunning enemies and Ancestral Horn for some handy sidekicks when needed. It's a fun, powerful build.

Conqueror (Warfare/Defense) is great if you don't dual-wield because it offers so many shield passive skills, but Defense is a bit points-intensive (all the skills are good). However, you'll have some extra points to invest in Defense skills if you don't dual-wield. Conqs are very powerful--you've got great offensive output and exceptional defensive survivability.

Brigands (Hunting/Rogue) are supposedly an excellent choice for spear melee use (and bow Brigands pack a punch, too)--lots of damage output, but you have to watch your survivability.

Haruspex (Hunting/Dream) is a powerful hybrid--you can be effective with both bows and melee weapons. My bow Haruspex could easily go the melee path if I wanted, with my Legendary spear Fury of the Three Amazons doing more than twice the DPS as my Legendary Bow Astrapi. It's a really fun build for both ranged and melee players. Dream offers some crazy-good skills that go with pretty much any other class.

I've also read good things about spear Wardens (Hunting/Defense) and Slayers (Hunting/Warfare).

You could give one (or more) of these builds a try and see which ones you like the best. You can also use the Search feature to locate build guides. Just be patient and don't give up on your characters too soon--some builds blossom later than others. And keep in mind that if your build isn't doing as well as you'd hoped, you can always buy back skill points once you reach Delphi and beyond. There are Mystics in many towns (NPCs with a blue sphere hovering over their heads), and you can buy back skill points from them to reallocate to improve your character.

[defboy99]

Forgot to mention Templar (Defense/Dream). Very robust build, great ability to tank. Defense's shield skills turn your shield into a second weapon. Dream's skills offer life regeneration, damage absorption, +attack speed, OA/DA bonus, damage bonus, great melee initiator skill in Phantom Strike/Dream Stealer and a good panic button in Distort Reality/Temporal Rift. Plus, Psionic Touch is a decent left mouse button primary attack skill, and Nightmare is a very worthwhile pet.

[Medea Fleecestealer]

All the above are good choices. Conqueror can be a blast (literally) though. It was the first character I got through to the end of Legendary. I used Cassidy's guide from the TQ build compendium (original, not the almost full updated compendium) and he slaughtered everything. Both of these compendiums are in the Skills and Strategies section of the forum so have a look for some great ideas for build possibilities.

A Templar (Defense/Dream) was my second through and a Brigand my third. Both of these had more trouble than the Conqueror though. It's getting the build right that makes ALL the difference. Like you my first builds were awful and died a lot, until I found this website and all the great info it has.

Just remember that if you haven't installed the fanpatch Battle Standard isn't a great help because Triumph doesn't work properly. Still, my Conqueror never had it and certainly didn't seem to need it.

[defboy99]

Medea, my first toon died 52 times in Normal (Ranger, focusing on pets) because I hadn't come across this forum, so you're right: this site is an invaluable resource for those new to the game. And I defnintely agree with fan-patching to 1.17a. It fixes a lot of issues.

[Medea Fleecestealer]

This site was invaluable to me defboy99 in getting to understand the game. I don't think I hit 52 deaths, but it sure felt like it and as for beating Typhon with the rare character that got that far - forget it. I was getting frustrated with the game and decided to go to official website to see what forums there might advise. Unfortunately, that was just after Iron Lore shut down, but luckily a "google" found this site and I haven't looked back.

I've been playing TQIT ever since, still enjoying working on getting my wealth of characters through the game and can't wait for Grim Dawn to come out.

[fooflinger]

All the above are good choices. Conqueror can be a blast (literally) though. It was the first character I got through to the end of Legendary. I used Cassidy's guide from the TQ build compendium (original, not the almost full updated compendium) and he slaughtered everything. Both of these compendiums are in the Skills and Strategies section of the forum so have a look for some great ideas for build possibilities.

A Templar (Defense/Dream) was my second through and a Brigand my third. Both of these had more trouble than the Conqueror though. It's getting the build right that makes ALL the difference. Like you my first builds were awful and died a lot, until I found this website and all the great info it has.

Just remember that if you haven't installed the fanpatch Battle Standard isn't a great help because Triumph doesn't work properly. Still, my Conqueror never had it and certainly didn't seem to need it.

I tried conqueror and like I said it was good for defense, but everyone seemed to be doing a hell of a lot more damage than me. Which of the above builds is the best for an offensive melee class?

Conqueror is my ideal build but it just didn't hold up to my expectations. I've tried searching around for guides but I don't trust builds that are from several years ago.

[defboy99]

Could you post your Conqueror's build using TitanCalc? That way we could see how you allocated your skill points. Generally speaking, Warfare should give you quite a bit of offense for a Conq, unless you took Defense first, which would obviously increase the hardiness of your toon but leave it lacking in the offensive department. Warfare, utilizing dual-wield, can kill quickly, if you have your skill points in the right places. Even without DW, a properly spec'd Conq should be a killing machine.

Pretty much any melee build using Defense could possibly leave you lacking a bit offensively because you need a lot of points going to Defense skills. Templar (Defense/Dream) is a good melee build, but it doesn't have the punch of a build that would use Warfare, in my experience.

You could try a Harbinger (Warfare/Dream). Go dual-wield or use a shield. If using dual-wield, you'll want to eventually max that tree, along with the Onslaught tree. Battle Standard/Triumph are killer buffs. Ancestral Horn provides some pets, War Horn stuns, Dodge Attacks help defensively (all of this mentioned in a previous post for Spellbreaker build). The Dream skills you could use include the Lucid Dream tree (maxed), Phantom Strike/Dream Stealer for starting combat (good for hard bosses as well as mobs), Distort Reality/Temporal Rift for mobs as a panic-button, and you have your choice of three active trances that can help out a lot, as well as a pet (Nightmare) that's almost indestructible and holds aggro very well. Harbs have high offensive output but you have to keep an eye on your ability to survive, especially if you dual-wield (absence of shield).

Also, as stated above, spear Brigand is supposed to be extremely powerful offensively. That's Hunting/Rogue. And, like I also mentioned above, a spear Haruspex deals the pain very well (Hunting/Dream).

I can really only give you my opinion based on my own experience with melee characters, so I'd recommend you try spear Haruspex (Hunting/Dream), Spellbreaker (Warfare/Spirit) or Harbinger (Warfare/Dream) to start out. Give your toon time enough to climb the masteries and get the proper skills. Look for appropriate gear, make sure you put your attribute points in the proper places (none of the three builds mentioned in this paragraph would need any Intelligence, for example). And even though some of the build guides are a couple of years old, they are still relevant. Make sure you have your game updated with the Fan Patch 1.17a as this patch fixes some skills that were broken, among many other things. Check the Skills & Strategies section for info, as well as the Masteries/Classes section. There's a voluminous amount of info here, so you should be able to find a build that suits you.

[Medea Fleecestealer]

If this is your first build then Defense with any of the others suggested would probably be slightly better than taking Hunting as for a first character, but it really depends on how you want to play. If you do choose to try another Conqueror though, I recommend using a shield rather than dual wielding because Defense has skills specifically designed for shield users.

Don't write off guides just because they may be a few years old. Cassidy wrote his for the original TQ but, as I said, it certainly worked for me playing TQIT and I've only been playing the game since 2008. If nothing else they'll give you info on what are the best skills to use in combination to get the best out of the masteries you choose.

As far as offensive melee goes, again with Shield Charge tree in Defense mastery you have a powerful offensive weapon. Put it on the RMB, target a mass of archers for example, hit RMB and wham - you slam into them and bodies go flying. You can't get more offensive than that. Add Shield Smash passive working away, Onslaught from the Warfare mastery on your LMB charging up with each swing and you're doing serious damage.

Warfare with another mastery is, of course, also good for offense, but will be more fragile as it lacks DA. Still, paired with Rogue you get poison bombs and traps to use at long range as well as Lethal Strike/Mortal Wound which can deal a lot of damage in a one off hit.

[defboy99]

Yep, all good points, Medea. And you're right about Sheild Charge. Not just stun and bodies a-flyin', but with its synergy Disruption, you also get Skill Disruption, which is ideal for Onslaught enemies. Take that, Blade Dancers and Spear Maidens!

[Medea Fleecestealer]

If you want to go the Warfare route Dream might be best for the second mastery. Why? Trance of Convalescence, that's why. Regens health so will help you stay alive. Also you have Distortion Wave tree and Phantom Strike tree, both of which are nice to have on the RMB. Distortion Wave sends an electrical burn wave out in front you, damaging your enemies before you charge in. Phantom Strike makes you disappear and reappear in the middle of your target area to make a surprise strike. Distort Reality tree will let you send a circle of electrical damage outwards from your body to stun/kill as well if enemies are starting to overwhelm you.

A couple of tips: if you put War Wind on the RMB and target an enemy group it works in the same way as Shield Charge. You'll go flying at your target and smash into them. It works well if using a shield, but even better when dual wielding. Also remember that when dual wielding you can use two different types of weapon. Best results usually come from one hand having a fast/very fast sword and in the other a nice heavy club. This allows you to speed up your attack speed (clubs are slow, but most damage) while increasing the damage dealt (swords are fast, but much less damage than a club will deal). Of course, if you're lucky enough to get two Thorny Mauls you can chuck the swords away.

I honestly don't know if Onslaught or Psionic Touch tree is the best for this build. The guide I'm using for my Harbringer recommends Onslaught and I think it gives a higher damage% total than Psionic Touch when maxed. Once you reach Delphi you can always buy back the points invested in one and put them in the other if you wish.

As you can see, there are a wealth of skills you can put on the RMB. I usually have two sets of weapons on the go, one dealing more damage than the other. I start out with the lower set and put the skill I think I will use most on the RMB, but I can also swap to higher set and have a different skill on the RMB. So if I use Distortion Wave a lot that's with the lower set and I'll save War Wind or Phantom Strike to go with the higher set to tackle large mobs/bosses.

Finally, there are very few weapons out there dealing electrical burn damage, so opt for lightning% damage to replace it.

[Solitaire]

Then again with Defense you get a skill that turns your shield into an uber-damage-absorbing monster, cancelling the vast majority of attacks out completely. As well as a skill that gives you near-limitless amount of Energy and 65% Elemental Resist if you have enough -%Recharge to keep it up permanently.

And with a Conq you get to have your cake and eat it, with Onslaught, Battle Rage and Battle Standard giving the Conq its teeth. Shields hit hard and with a 60% chance to proc a dual hit, two active dual-hit skills and backed up with +60%AS from Inspiration, Weapon Training and Ardor plus OA-buffing and DA-debuffing from Weapon Training, Battle Rage, Hamstring and Shield Smash... Conqs can make quite the mess when riled up, without too much equipment micromanaging required ;)

[SamTroiano]

The problem with TQ (when comparing it to D2 or most other popular RPGs) is its difficulty curve. The game is very hard to be good at when starting, and likewise very easy to master with the right equipment and experience. I had to play for weeks before I could handle the regular playthroughs, and even longer before attempting XMax. Ideally you want to think about what character you would like playing most; that seemed to elude me for some reason, and I kept just picking builds people said were strong, or fun, or insert-adjective-here, yet the end result was the same. I would just die and/or be heavily potion-dependent throughout all of normal and most of epic. My point is, you're likely going to have to try a lot of different combinations before really sticking with one (and that's another thing. Stick with the one you like, even if he or she does die a lot - you won't regret it).

That being said, I've gotten one character to legendary, and it was dream/nature (ritualist). It was a hybrid build focused heavily on Phantom Strike and Distort Reality from dream and Plague from nature. Pets were a bonus, too, but I suck at playing with them. If there's anything to be learned from this post, it's that experience has taught me first-hand that researching and asking about builds won't answer any questions. Just play, and eventually you'll learn to love TQ!

[CrizpyNutz]

For what it's worth, I'm using a Conquerer as my first toon and just destroying everything....went Defense first and I'm almost never in danger of dying....high kill-a-bility and tons of survivability....I suggest looking at the build compendiums mentioned above, they are easy to follow....

[Medea Fleecestealer]

A Conqueror was one of my early characters (used Cassidy's guide for him) and the first one that made it through to the end of Legendary. That said, he did have 50 deaths, but that was probably because I was learning how the game worked. I've just started another one to see if I can do better next time round.

Defense is a great mastery because a lot of its skills are passives and don't need to be activated to work, leaving you more hot keys to use with another mastery.