Been gone from the game for several updates and on the verge of returning once I get caught up to speed. I'll probably wind up powering through the latter half of my racial past lives, and want to get my build ironed out.

Skimming over things, strikethrough changes seem to be the most significant change, so are THF builds the new flavor of the month?

Really, just looking to hash out a build to reliably zerg through at the very least r3+ since past builds are either nerfed or sub-optimal at this point.

TLDR; Been out of the loop for a minute and looking for advice on builds to crank out some racial pastlives.

Curious about how melee bear plays in heroics 1-10, 15 to 20 to 20 to 29?

Disarmonia wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2020 at 4:46pm:

Divine Retribution, self healing and slight damage edge versus undead.
Versus Sprint boost and Blood Tribute spam and Blood Strength when you feel like temp hp is not enough.

Not much difference either way, melee is completely brainless point and click in heroics .

Also, recommending ranged as "easy button" compared to other options ? What game are you playing ?
I'd understand motherforums being about year or two "late" but not The Vault lol.

SpaceGoat wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2020 at 2:44pm:


We... haven't exactly been playing them 1-10. 17-20 however, Meat's advice is spot-on.

ManyCookies wrote on Aug 4^th, 2020 at 3:13am:


Getting to cap is not at all a concern - My only focus is to power through a bunch of racial past lives. Thus why I asked what the more optimal builds are since I've been out of the loop since some notable changes have occurred.

So after some experimentation.. I'm conflicted.

Obviously sorcs are in a good spot, but personally not keen on playing casters, so not really concerned there.

After rolling my pally and going through a racial life, the THF/pally changes were definitely noticeable, but it still seems like even with said changes, melee can't even come remotely close to past lives in which I went inq or other similar ranged builds.

Don't get me wrong, there wasn't any issues with pally or being melee per se, but the speed/efficiency was noticeable lower.

Am I retarded and missing something completely? Because it seems like the overwhelming consensus is that THF builds are king (excluding sorcs).

Head-Meat wrote on Aug 9^th, 2020 at 1:37pm:


Yea, there was definitely an uptick once hitting level 12, but leading up to there definitely still felt way more sluggish than ranged. Obviously things snowball for most builds around that point between gear/enhancements - idk, just felt a little underwhelming until then though.

Nuic wrote on Aug 9^th, 2020 at 9:20pm:


^This.

I thought it would be fun to try out a lot of weird builds, but honestly sorc is just easier. If you are boxing you can stick to quests where few/no things have fire resist, and then its just meteor swarm + delayed Blast Fireball = win. 400k XP takes about 3 hours even if you suck.

Well lets ask this: are you just playing 18-20 or are you needing full-blown 1-20 builds?

Head-Meat wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2020 at 1:51pm:



Bear is AMAZING, simply AMAZING.

My only real advice is: do not play a sword and shield horc paladin.

That was the WORST life ever...

SpaceGoat wrote on Aug 20^th, 2020 at 12:12am:


One and done on R1 every quest at your level-2 until you run out of quests or cap at 1 xp away from holding 2 levels. Then level and repeat.

(This means skipping content with reaper disabled: Korthos, Tangleroot, Mask of Deception, etc)

Not sure when not running 50% pots.
the newer quests added really aren't much faster to run for their XP... plus you have to learn them to find fastest path through.
Levels 1 through 4 for me:
Kobold's New Ringleader
Stealthy Repo
Information is Key
Durks
Buthchers
Library tome
Garrisons
Those two level 2s in the market place.
By that point I'm either level 3 or 4.

Then WW and STK
which get me at level 5.
then all the quests in 3BC except the protect the boat one.
At that point I'm level 7 (but that is with 50% pots), so you could hit some other 4s and 5s at that point (the old standbys)

I do the sentinels chain just for 3BC saga.
Then Pit, tear, gwylans, stromvauld, spies in the house, deleras, haunted library (if a group, then Xorian cipher)
At that point I'm level 9.
If a group, plume mountain.
all von 1 thorugh 4
now I'm 10 maybe 11.
shadow crypt 4x (R1, E, H, N) (get a second account with an opener while all quests are free)

Then it is level 12 and I'm to do all barovia (for saga).
Then Relic, Lords march chain1 and chain2
Memories larcener
all of GH
Orchard quests and Litany
grimmm and Barrett

Then I'm usually level 15 or 16 or 17 and I'm off to Sharn for both of those sagas.

then maybe some clean up...
if not 50% pot, you still have Lords of dust, Wheloon, even Meridia quests

nothing really in the new quests worth doing... they aren't much faster, even if you know shortest path.