Solo mastery builds

In preparation for the expansion, I decided to start levelling a nightblade and to later match this with necro. As the expansion is coming later than I had hoped, my nightblade is getting close to end game - which surprisingly goes quite well.

I feel I am missing the +/- 1250 hp (assuming necro mastery gives about the same amount of physique and health as arcanist/occultist would), but with a bit of safe playing and pots, it is a non-issue. Currently, level 60 and about to start Ultimate, with 55 deaths and counting, most caused by my own recklessness or impatience.

What are your experiences with solo builds? Aside of Nightblade, which other masteries function well enough on their own?

I just hope the Inquisitor doesn’t die too much till i ally with Kymon

Planning on a Inquisitor, ally with Kymon and then take on Necro? (what would be the practical use of that?)

Does everything have to have a practical use?

Well, let’s see. In order for a Mastery to function well on it own it needs to feel right at home in Veteran without any hitches. Thus, you are looking for:

-> Good, reliable CC
-> Heals and increased protection
-> Good AoE damage(so you don’t get swamped)
-> Good mobility
-> Good Single Target damage(optional)

If you have at least 50% of that, you could go solo. Thus:

Soldier: CC(Forcewave, Break Morale) + Heals(Menhir’s Will etc) + AoE damage(Forcewave, Clean Sweep BA) = it should work

Demolitionist: CC(Flashbang, BWC) + Heals(VF, Temper, Blast Shield) + AoE(kinda) = workable

Nightblade: Heals(Pneumatic + Phantasmal + Barrier) + AoE(kinda) + Single Target + Mobility(Pneumatic, Shadow) = eh…very difficult, better off hybridizing

Arcanist: CC(Olexra{best CC in the game}) + Defense(Maiven, Mirror, Nullification) + AoE(Olexra, Trozan, …) = it definitely can work, doubly so because of its inherent ranged style

Occultist: AoE(DEE + BP + Sigil + …) + Summons + Heals(Blood of Dreeg, Sigil) + CC(Curse) = definitely can work

Shaman: AoE(Vines, Swarm, Wendigo + Storm Totems) + Summons + Heals(Swarm, Wendigo) + CC(Vines) = I think it’s the best one for solo

Rank:

  1. Shaman
  2. Soldier
  3. Occultist
  4. Demolitionist
  5. Arcanist
  6. Nightblade

If played and geared properly, Arcanist can rise up to 2nd place imo. It’s a very underrated Mastery.

I have to ask you did you actually leveled those single mastery’s or your ranking is based purely on assumptions?

I don’t know if it’s cause I’ve not been getting much sleep but rather than a polite reply such as this one i’d have straight up laughed and posted some meme in response to that post and the comment about Arcanist

A) If you play carefully, you never need CC on mobs. In fact, if you play sloppily but have enough AOE damage, you STILL don’t need CC on mobs. As CC does not work on bosses… You don’t need CC, PERIOD.

B) Most of the things you listed aren’t heals, they’re health regen. There’s a difference. If you’re really desperate for a heal or health regen, there are multiple gear procs and some devotions ready for you, that are not at all tied to mastery.

C) Not really. AAR can do just fine, and it visibly has NO AOE damage. It’s not the only case that works, either. If you have enough single target damage, you can 100% do without AOE damage, it just gets really slow and boring IMO.

D) Mobility? You mean… WALKING? If you’re desperate for an uneeded gap closer, there’s Chaos Strike. It’s certainly not needed, it’s just nice QOL for some people.

E) Bosses are the scariest thing in the game. Bosses are a single target. So how exactly is single target damage… Optional? That’s just insane.

@Chthon… Can I see the meme? Yours are usually amusing, I’d hate to miss a Chthon approved meme. Seriously, this post was 100% insane.

Following the list it seems nightblade would be the hardest - and it works reasonably well. I’ve done Arcanist up to lvl 40, with a AAR build.

For NBs survival I depend largely on Pneumetic and Devouring Blades (Blade Trap).

Devotion wise I went for red/blue - the idea was to make a proto Reaper (Necro + Nightblade).

Wendigo
Revenant
Ghoul
Bat

All regen / health steal etc. keeps me going.

Dying God for a superb damage boost (using it on Shadow Strike so I can control when I loose HP and combine it with Pneumetic Burst)

you can do anything up to level 40, that usually is not even then end of Normal…

That is the end of Act 1 Elite :wink:

Why Arcanist can be beastly by its self. Just need to rely on healing procs and healing potions. Use a Citadel Relic with 3% DA Bonus or 5% Health Bonus. You get pretty good amount physical resists from Iskandra’s Set. You can pump everything in physique thanks to inner focus.
Mirror, Maiven’s and Nullification plus 2 freezes.
Sure your -rr wont be as strong as some other classes, but you can get enough plus decent % crit damage.

Not to me, that’s Act 3 of Normal/Veteran to me.