Looking for Build suggestion (wanting melee, possibly with ranged)

[lonesome_killer]

I just started playing a few days ago.  I got a STF character and went the Derpy Crossbow route.  I die too easily and it's hard to kill people.  I've been asking around and it seems 1h/shield seems to be the best route.  What kind of builds do you recommend?  Also, would it be possible to have a ranged weapon to go along with it?  Or should I go polearm to help fight horses and have the extra range in melee?

[Mallets]

Well, from what I've seen, most folks who want to melee as a primary, but have ranged as a secondary... they seem to go with the Crossbow (over Bow).  That's because Xbows don't take up any Skill points.  Where as you need points into Power Draw for bows.

Now you can take an Xbow with a Shielder, Polearm, or 2-Hander build.  It's really up to you.

Others take Throwing as a secondary attack.  It's ranged, but from a much shorter distance.  Mind you, for Throwing, you'll need to put points into Power Throw.  This can vary.  It seems like a lot of Hybrid build (like myself, Polearm/Throwing Hybrid) use Heavy Throwing Axes... which take 4 Power Throw.  But you can take 1 PT and use Darts effectively (though 2 PT for War Darts is much better).  Some go 6 PT for War Spears.  Though the folks that start to use the throwing spears/javelins tend to be Primary Thrower.  Hybrid guys tend to stick to Throwing Axes or Darts cause they cost less Skill points... yet still are effective.


Anyways, hope this helps.  Check out other topics/post for help and info.  Check out this Shielder/Xbow build and info from this topic, just a few threads below yours.

http://forum.c-rpg.net/index.php/topic,29858.0.html

[lonesome_killer]

Are throwing axes good?

[Mallets]

Are throwing axes good?

I personally like them.  Very short range (even compared to the other throwing weapons).  But pack a big punch (the Heavy Throwing Axes do 44 cut damage before PT bonus).  And they can break shields.

In truth, the throwing weapons are decently cheap... at least the lowest versions of each type.  The Francisca (the cheapest axe) is only 2.3k.  Darts can be bought for only 700.  Throwing Stars start at 2.5k.  And Javelins start at 4.6k.  These are basically the cheapest of each throwing type (axes, darts, stars, spears).

So I'd suggest buying one of each and trying them out.  Starting with the Darts, cause they are the cheapest and only take 1 PT to use.  The try the Francisca to see if you like axes.  If you do, then you can purchase the Heavy Throwing Axes after you level up some and get 4 PT.

If you find a throwing type you don't like... then sell it (which you can do in your Inventory section).


One last note... for every point in Power Throw, you need at least 13 points of Weapon Proficiency in Throwing.  And then you need a few points for armor weight.  So I usually go about 15-20 or so over what I need.  Example:  I have 4 Power Throw in my build.  So 4 x 13 = 52.  I have 75 WPF in Throwing, which is an extra 23 WPF.  But I do so because I'm using medium weight armor.  With my helmet, gloves, and all, I just make it under the limit.  If you are wearing lighter armor (which'll probably be the case being new), then 15 extra WPF should get you by.

This may all sound confusing at the moment.  I don't have time to post a link to how all that works.  If you look in the Game Mechanics thread sticked at the top of the Beginners section... you can find such info somewhere in the first post.

[lonesome_killer]

Thanks.  Do you mind posting some 1 hander/throwing builds?  Throwing axes sound cool.  I tried reading the general info guide but all the stats confuse me.

[Mallets]

Thanks.  Do you mind posting some 1 hander/throwing builds?  Throwing axes sound cool.  I tried reading the general info guide but all the stats confuse me.

By 1-Hander, I take it you mean a Shielder.  You can certainly use a 1-handed weapon by yourself.  But most folks couple it with a shield.  If not, then they usually go 2-Hander or Polearm for both the damage and reach.

Anyways, I'm giving you a 21/15 Strength Build.  It's a melee first build... throwing as a secondary.  Let me show you the build... then I'll discuss it.

(click to show/hide)

Level 30 (4 420 577 xp)

Strength: 21
Agility: 15

Hit points: 60

Skills to attributes: 2

Ironflesh: 2
Power Strike: 7
Shield: 5
Athletics: 5
Power Throw: 5
Weapon Master: 5

One Handed: 116
Throwing: 110

Okay, let me detail each part of the build.

- Only 2 IF means only 60 HP... I'd love to give you more... but with a shield and decent armor, you should be able to survive just fine.

- With 7 PS, you'll definitely be able to put out some damage.

- Having 5 Shield will allow you to use the Huscarl, which is considered the best shield by many.  Mind you, the Huscarl takes up 2 slots.

- 5 Athletics is decent enough, especially if you are an NA player.

- Having 5 Power Throw will allow you use Jarids if need be.  Heavy Throwing Axes (HTA) only need 4 PT, but you may find that you like Jarids.  And even if you only ever use HTAs, having 1 extra PT will just mean more damage.  And if you find out that you'll only use HTAs, you could go 4 PT and give a point to IF.

- 5 Weapon Master, well it's 5 Weapon Master, not much to say.  Some may say you could go less.  But I wouldn't since you need WPF points for both 1-Handed & Throwing.

- Weapon Proficiency (WPF) could go several ways.  I would love to give you more WPF in 1-Handed.  And in truth, you may could get away with only 100 Throwing, and put a few more points to 1-Handed.  It really according to how heavy your armor is.  The heavier your armor the more WPF you need to get your Power Throw bonus (hope this makes since, if not, you can read up about it in the Game Mechanics thread in the Beginners section).  Anyways, that's why I gave you 110 WPF in Throwing.  You should be able to still wear Heavy Armor and be effective with your Throwing.  However, probably not plate armor... but plates crazy expensive anyways.  So basically, you can adjust your WPF a little if need be.



As for equipment... you have several options.  Instead of telling you exactly which weapons to choose... let me just give you your layout options.  Everyone can hold up to 4 slots of equipment.


Layout #1 - Huscarl Shield
1-Handed Weapon (1 slot)
Huscarl Shield (2 slots)
1 set of Heavy Throwing Axes  (1 slot)


Layout #2 - Extra HTAs
1-Handed Weapon (1 slot)
Any 1-slot shield (1 slot)
2 sets of HTAs (2 slots total, 1 slot for each set)


Layout #3 - Weapon Variety
1-Handed Weapon (1 slot)
Another 1 Handed Weapon (1 slot)
Any 1-slot shield (1 slot)
1 set of HTAs (1 slot)



Ok, one last bit of info.  From what I know, any shield under 8 weight is suppose to be a 1 slot shield.  Any shield 8 weight or more takes up 2 slots.  The two buckler shields don't take any slots (meaning they are 0 slot items)... but I personally don't like them.  And they are horrible at protecting against ranged attacks.

Also, Layout #3 is there to give you melee options.  Maybe you want an axe to break shields (axes have a bonus against shields).  But you can also take a sword with you that'll be faster and have more reach, which you can use against quicker players.  Another option is to have a pick instead... which are good against guys in heavy armor.  You're options here can really vary.  I personally like Layout #3.  When used wisely, you could really be lethal.

[Oberyn]

I think you mean Power Throw in your example build, not Power Draw.

[Mallets]

I think you mean Power Throw in your example build, not Power Draw.

Crap... thanks... corrected!

[lonesome_killer]

You only get 3 HTA's per bundle?   

Also, what 1 handed swords or shields do you recommend?

Also also, what armor do you recommend?

[Mallets]

You only get 3 HTA's per bundle?   

Also, what 1 handed swords or shields do you recommend?

Yeah, that does suck!  But you can carry a weapon, a shield, and 2 bundles of HTAs... for a total of 6.  I know that's still not many.  But throwing axes don't fly very far.  So you can easily pick them up after a small engagement.  Say you have 6, and in the process of throwing them, you happen to pick up 3 of them... well that's 9 total throws.  Basically only dedicated throwers throw more than that.  Trust me, with 6 HTAs, you'll be fine.  With only 3, if you find yourself able to pick 1 or 2 up, you should feel like you need more.

And being a 1-Hander, you'll want to use your HTAs to take down on-coming Cavalry.  With a 1-hand weapon, you'll find it hard to combat Cav.  Sure you can block spears/attacks with your shield... but they can still do serious damage with a horse bump.  So use your HTA on a horse when it gets close.  With 5 PT, and the 44 cut damage of a HTA... combined with the extra damage from the horse's momentum (this is the biggest part)... you can easily take not the lighter horses.


Now as which weapons/shields to go with... I'm not sure.  Haven't used 1-hand weapons much.  And don't have a shielder (have a polearm/throwing hybrid, hence the info I have on throwing).  But I do use a 1-hand weapon on my Archer build.  I use the Arabian Straight Sword (info below).  I use it because it's fairly cheap (I'm with a bow 95% of the time).  But it does over nice reach, and good speed for the reach.  Swing damage is not bad for the price.  Stab damage is kind of low... but it can stab, unlike the axes, maces, & picks.  And from what I've been told, effective stabbing is more of a veteran technique anyways.  So I'm personally satisfied with it as my sidearm.  If you like swords... it could be a good cheap one to try out and maybe even consistently use.  I personally use a cheap set of weapons at x1 & x2.  And a similar, but more expensive and better set of weapons/armor at x3 & above.

However, I'm certainly unexperienced, and there's so much I'm don't know about 1-handers.  And one of the reasons why is because there's such variety.  You have swords, axes, maces, picks... swords good for stabbing, swords that can only swing... knockdown maces... items with secondary modes... picks for use against heavy armored opponents... axes for breaking shields... and etc, etc, etc..

Hopefully someone else will chime in!

[lonesome_killer]

Thanks for the info.

Did you catch my edited post?  I was wondering what types of armor do you recommend?

[Mallets]

Oh... nah, I didn't catch that.

Armors can vary even more than weapons.  But let me give you a few decent & cheap starter armors to try out.  These are considered medium armors... so they won't slow you down much.  And the best part is that they have low up keep (and cost) for the amount of body armor you get.  I'll list them below.  I'm only putting their body armor & cost.  You can check out their other stats online.  They all have suck leg armor, but that's not nearly as important (unless you are Cav).  And these 3 all weight within a pound of each other (as mentioned, their weight is considered medium).  Also, be mindful of their Difficulty (i.e. Strength needed) for these items.  Their low... like only 9... but if you are at level 5 or something, you could happen to not have that much Strength.

1) Byrnie (Body: 36, Cost: 3k) -- Honestly, the best armor for the amount of gold in the game.  Great armor to have, even at later levels... cause you can put it on to save upkeep cost.

2) Lamellar Vest (Body: 36, Cost: 3.3k) -- A popular armor (at least the black is).  It comes in 3 different colors (white, red, black).  Folks really seem to like it's looks, you may as well.

3) Brynja (Body: 37, Cost: 3.6k) --  I personally just really like the looks of this armor.  The cape/cloak on your back.... the pouches on your belts.  This armor just seems to have nice details.


So basically the Byrnie is financially the best option... most bang for your buck.  However... I personally think... if you don't feel like you look good, why even step on the battlefield!    

But seriously, find a set of armor you think you look nice in... and enjoy.  Of course, hopefully you find several sets you like... and you can wear a cheaper one when your poor (to save up money).  And once you do have a little money in the bank... you can wear your expensive (high armor) outfits.


Other even cheaper armors that I think are good buys are the.... Leather Armor, the Gambesons (3 colors), the Padded Jack, and the Peltastos Armor (a very popular armor).

And once you start getting above the Byrnie & Lamellars... basically it's off your preference.  Armors start to get expensive compared to how little their armor goes up.


Lastly... if it's a choose between expensive armor & an expensive shield... I'd personally go with the shield (seeing that you are a Shielder).  And unless you are good at blocking with your weapon, you'll want that shield to last.  You can afford to go cheap-ish armor, if your shield is doing all the protection.

[Molly]

This thread has even sticky-quality! Very nice, Mallets 

[lonesome_killer]

Cool.  I was messing around last night and managed to get some kills and horse kills with my HTA's.  It's really fun.  I survive quite good with my shield but I don't have any armor.  Will getting medium armor increase my survivability or are we only talking about 1 or 2 extra hits?

Does anyone have any 1 handed weapon suggestions?  I have a default axe and it's pretty slow and short reach.  My friend did STF and got a plain Sword and seems to be doing good with it.

[Mallets]

This thread has even sticky-quality! Very nice, Mallets 

Thanks man!  Glad to be of help!

Cool.  I was messing around last night and managed to get some kills and horse kills with my HTA's.  It's really fun.

Yeah, I personally think that Throwing weapons aren't as efficient (or effective) as Xbows... but kills with them are some much more gratifying!  HTAs are definitely fun to play with!  I love taking-down charging Cavarly!!!

Will getting medium armor increase my survivability or are we only talking about 1 or 2 extra hits?

30+ more armor will definitely be noticeable.  Now of course some dude with a Greatsword and 9 PS could still 1-hit you (especially if you have low hp, being at low lvls).  But for the majority of folks you'll face... having medium armor compared to cloth armor (or no armor)... the 35 or more armor gain will definitely help you survive.  I can greatly notice the +12 armor gain I get from wearing my heavy setup compared to my medium setup.

So yeah, get you some armor, even if light.  And it'll really help with taking arrows as well (well not headshots).

Does anyone have any 1 handed weapon suggestions?  I have a default axe and it's pretty slow and short reach.  My friend did STF and got a plain Sword and seems to be doing good with it.

Yeah, just buy you a cheap sword to start off... and see what you think.  That starter handaxe... it's reach is just horrible... making it really tough to fight!

Personally I'd say buy a cheap item of each type... i.e. Sword, Axe, Mace, & Pick.  I know that can get expensive.  But you'll eventually have tons of money.

Also, not sure if you know... but you can sell your items.  Go to your Equipment tab.  Look to the top-left where it has a tab for "Gear" and another for "Inventory".  Click the Inventory tab.  You can sell items for 50% of the shop price you bought them for.  And if you're character is your Main, you can sell them on the Marketplace.  Though with them being the cheaper items... it's pretty pointless.


Here's what I suggest to try out... all of them being between 1.2k & 1.8k (cheap items considering you can go up to 10k).

Mace = Knobbed Mace (1.2k) - Has Knockdown.  Blunt make it good against medium & heavy armored oppoents.

Pick = Fighting Pick (1.5k) - Pierce makes it good against medium & heavy armor.  Better reach than Maces & Axes, though not as long as swords.

Axe = One Handed Axe (1.5k) - Extra damage against shields.  Packs a punch, but it's cutting damage, so not as effective against armored opponets.

Sword = Simple Sword (1.8k) - Has best reach.  Can stab, something the others can't do (this 4th attack can keep opponents guessing even more).  The stab is usually less damage compared to the swing, but it's piercing instead of cutting, so that helps it.


Try these out (and take not of their difficulty and the STR you'll need, though their all pretty low).  Play several rounds with each, and see what you like best.  You may find a weapon that you really like the feel of... though with one of the others you get more kills.  I say, go with what feels right.  And as it should always be... go with what you have the most fun with.

Personally, I'd start with the Simple Sword... it's a good safe first bet.

And once you find the type of item you like... go buy are more expensive version of it.



Another important tip!!!

Like 75% of your attacks should the the Left-to-Right swing (the one where you bring the weapon across your body/chest).  It's the quickest of attacks.  The others have their place... but this should be your go-to-move... especially as a beginner.

Not sure if you knew this?!