Hi, I am looking for some opinions on which secondary mastery my planned 2 hd melee Necromancer could benefit from the most. Here is the basic Necro part of the build: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/M2g7RjK2
Please disregard the Devotion part - that is subject to change. Please also refrain from changing the Necro part of the build. Even if it never can do high-level Crucible or Shattered Realm content, I could not care less about that. The target is finishing Ultimate Campaign content without feeling it is a new job instead of a game.
Now, from the second class I would first and foremost like to have utility: A curse/spell with resistance reduction and a heal. A damage skill if it fits in.
My first idea was using the Infiltrator mastery, making it an Apostate build: https://www.grimtools.com/calc/RVvxopEN
I would try Vitality or Bleeding (okay, I would always take Bleeding, but both seem viable).
For Bleeding Ritualist, the only change you have to make is to choose another Exclusive Skill.
I’d also recommend Shaman and Vitality damage as an option like Rhylthar. Something a little like this for the skills (I haven’t touched devotion).
Thanks for the ideas, very much appreciated!
However, now I am torn even more, with Shaman being a third option. Only I have played a Warder, a Druid and a Trickster recently, so I am a bit tired of the Shaman Mastery.
The Warder was even a Bleeding build, so I would count that out for now (but might try it later on). Yes, having Savagery instead of the plain default weapon attack is tempting. Now I am thinking.
Any view on Cabalist vs. Apostate as mentioned in my initial post?
For an auto attacker? You ideally want a default attack replacer as it provides a sizable boost to damage and stacks with WPS, hence why Shaman is a great pick as it has Savagery and Feral Hunger/Upheaval and Devouring Swarm for amping Vitality damage.
On Apostate/Cabalist - your main/only option for an attack replacer is Beronath’s Fury which isn’t bad I’d be hesitant on how strong it would be for this kind of character compared to other replacers.
If you drop the auto attack aspect (so Reaping Strike/Necrotic Edge), Cabalist can make Bone Harvest into a big, cooldown-based nuke however like this old build to show what I mean here, you’d want to look for a more up to date version as it was made before Forgotten Gods.
@Evil_Baka :
Regarding replacing the default weapon attack, I am not sure why this is such a big deal, which most likely shows my ignorance.
But when I am looking up a level 16 Savagery skill I see basically 150% weapon damage and additional damage of types I would not care for (going for Aether and Vitality). Given that I only reach charge level 100% on the 6th strike, why is that so much better than the default weapon attack? The WPS skills will be proc’ing on both, or so I understand.
Those additional stats from Tenacity and Storm Touched do not come for free. One might put 24 skill points to good use otherwise. You also did not address the lower charge levels. I get that in SR or Cr environments your charge level might never drop. But I do not play those modes (mostly) and in the campaign I know the charge level drops quite regularly.
If you get enough +skills for 200% WD Savagery is a good question, for the Necro WPS you cannot nearly go so high.
I trust you guys, of course, that it makes a huge difference, but I would like to understand it. Also, if the huge difference is mainly due to the setup of SR and Cr it might be different for me.
That’s my point. Even 1-pointing savagery for the stats alone is reason enough. There is no better bang for your buck than the savagery line for stats.
Even primal strike spamming builds, and casters will often take savagery just for the stats.
If you have the Shaman mastery on the table anyway I would agree.
If I am looking at an attack with level 16 Savagery combined with level 10 Reaping Strike I see
30% * 150% WD * 136% WD = 61% WD
…
65% * 150% WD * 136% WD = 133% WD
80% * 150% WD * 136% WD = 163% WD
…
115% * 150% WD * 136% WD = 235% WD
The default weapon attack with maxed RS does 136% WD out of the box. You need to have at least four charges to surpass that with Savagery. The picture would be different if Lightning or Bleeding damage did anything for the build, of course.
Yes, you could factor in the other skills as well, at the cost of their skill points, though. However, “if you don’t like it” means rebuilding, which is time-consuming (or fiddling around with one of the tools, which I try to avoid - there is temptation).
I already wrote that in general I trust you guys. It is only that the default weapon attack does not look so bad compared to a baseline replacer in a sparse environment (campaign, playing at a relaxed pace, thus losing charges all the time).
I very recently played an EoR Warlord, so EoR is out for now. But I will definitely put it on my list. Thanks for your input!
Okay, so nobody thinks the Occultist or the Infiltrator mastery are good fits for a 2-handed melee Necro build. That is fine. The Shaman mastery could work out, mostly by boosting the default attack and adding health. Damage types are only half-way fitting (RR on Vit, but nothing for the Aether part).
Is there any other option, maybe focused a bit more on the Aether damage part? Arcanist, perhaps?
