High STR/IF/Armor combo

[Lezard]

It's two different playstyles. I'm currently running 30/9, and the main difference is that I can't always choose my battles. I can't run away from zerg groups, which gets me ganked quite a lot. With a strenght build you either have to camp, or make sure you have backup a.k.a babysitters watching your ass. This build is decent in big melee fights, however I think I prefer some more athletics over the extra HP and powerstrike.

[Cyclopsided]

On my strength build, I want to be zerged by agi characters. Getting surrounded by a bunch of weaklings ( 18/21 or more agi) and using their quick uncoordinated group movements against them usually makes me come out on top.

Strength builds, just like anything else though, should not be alone. You shouldn't camp, and definitely shouldn't need to be babysat.

[Lezard]

Disagree entirely with your post... Babysitting was an extreme expression, however you still need to stick to a group of allies to survive usually (with good backup, especially pikes, you're a real killing machine). Of course you can win 1 vs 3 or even more if you're playing against bad players. However, an agility build can run away, kite, change tactics or quickly change position when needed, which a strenght build can't without imediate backup (if enemies are close ofc). Not to mention, with an edge of athletics, you will catch up with players trying to run away.

Also, you're toast versus a group of semi- good players if you're alone, and since the average skill seems to be increasing in general, getting zerged is usually not a very clever tactic...

That doesn't make strenght builds worse by any margin, it has it's upsides as well of course. It's just a somewhat different playstyle imo. I personally think that really skilled players do better with at least 5 athletics.

[Thucydides]

Disagree entirely with your post... Babysitting was an extreme expression, however you still need to stick to a group of allies to survive usually (with good backup, especially pikes, you're a real killing machine). Of course you can win 1 vs 3 or even more if you're playing against bad players. However, an agility build can run away, kite, change tactics or quickly change position when needed, which a strenght build can't without imediate backup (if enemies are close ofc). Not to mention, with an edge of athletics, you will catch up with players trying to run away.

Also, you're toast versus a group of semi- good players if you're alone, and since the average skill seems to be increasing in general, getting zerged is usually not a very clever tactic...

That doesn't make strenght builds worse by any margin, it has it's upsides as well of course. It's just a somewhat different playstyle imo. I personally think that really skilled players do better with at least 5 athletics.

my 30/9 build i can finish off a group of 3 or more players on the regular, its more difficult against good teams and good players yes, but you shouldn't be soloing good players in the first place. I imagine that a group of 5 str builds would be indestructable minus throwers and range

[Captain_Georges]

I am not loosing 10k gold per a few rounds for my plate to suck.

[ArchonAlarion]

Doesn't each point of STR give 1 point of hp? It would be difficult to reduce this bonus, right? You could discard it altogether, but that would greatly increase the benefit of IF (not a horrible idea though, I actually kind of like it; perhaps increase each point of IF to 3 hp). Armor should be as protective as it is now, or moreso (and more expensive if more protective).

[Hisagi]

Could also just make cut damage actually do damage against anything higher than Lamellar

[Xant]

my 30/9 build i can finish off a group of 3 or more players on the regular, its more difficult against good teams and good players yes, but you shouldn't be soloing good players in the first place. I imagine that a group of 5 str builds would be indestructable minus throwers and range

Um... that's... kind of the point? You don't have athletics so you can't choose to "not get zerged".. you can't choose your battles so you can't choose not to solo good players.

[Mtemtko]

I'm getting bored of americans raving about str builds all the time, going 27/15 polearm build this gen and will see if its worth all the fuss...