[1.2.0] Dual Claws Are Cool

Been fumbling/theorycrafting around trying to get a CI/ZO/GR/BloodDance build for DW Claws. Never really liked picking up Vaal Pact on melee because of desync issues potentially putting a halt to your life leech. Alternatively stacking high regen + ZO = massive amounts of ES regen with a good ES pool.

Highlights:
- All 7 Frenzy stacks for Blood Dance regen
- Duelist area: US/IR, 14% Block Chance, Master of Arena, Golem's Blood
- Shadow area: Nullification, Void Barrier, GR, Claw passives. Requires 2 extra points if picking up Mind Drinker
- ZO: core
- RT: 6 points from ZO to pick up RT, would've taken more to get good results out of Accuracy/Crit nodes

Notes:
- I wanted to stack block chance to some degree. Mostly 2% per point, originally wanted to head in ranger starting area for another 4% but took too many points and the +HP nodes would go to waste.
- Use a Bloodseeker in 1 hand. Vaal Pact while DualStrike-Splashing without having to give up ES regen
- Mana problems. Could pick up Mind Drinker and Deep Thoughts.
- Takes waaaaaay too many passive points. Lv.80 is only the skeleton build with all the core GR/ZO/RT/US/IR/CI/Frenzy passives. Lots of worthwhile points and possible nodes after the skeleton. Dual-Wield Block, %ES, Mana, Avoid status, etc. Could try to cut down on a few points in the pathing.


Although it's arguably better to start as Ranger
Shadow Route (10 pts): 36% Damage, 30% AtkSpd, 4% Block, 7% Move, 20 Dex
Ranger Route (12 pts): 46% Damage, 14% AtkSpd, 4% Block, 4% Move, 80 Dex, 18% Eva

Or just start Witch. Solve part of your mana problems, Pick up more ES. But a dual claw witch? MEEEEEEHHH


Going to hold off making this until Reave gets released.

"

The build is more a bird of prey than an area killer. It's a different gameplay. I consider it like a tactical killer and support troop.

I use 2*dual strike with splash with stunt+coldmage and another one with /fast attack+ with frenzy+accuracy. You need also some other skills to quickly gain frenzy charges. Trap, Poison arrow, etc...
I'm testing...

It's a difficult build to level. You get one-shot easily.

Can be played that way. I love doing the tactical kills. But I also do area killing very well. For frenzy charges, blood rage solo and hope your party has conduit in a group, especially with dedicated MF characters taking last hits.

I don't get one-shot.

And I don't understand the rest of your post. Have fun anyway.

"

Build link

Been fumbling/theorycrafting around trying to get a CI/ZO/GR/BloodDance build for DW Claws. Never really liked picking up Vaal Pact on melee because of desync issues potentially putting a halt to your life leech. Alternatively stacking high regen + ZO = massive amounts of ES regen with a good ES pool.

Highlights:
- All 7 Frenzy stacks for Blood Dance regen
- Duelist area: US/IR, 14% Block Chance, Master of Arena, Golem's Blood
- Shadow area: Nullification, Void Barrier, GR, Claw passives. Requires 2 extra points if picking up Mind Drinker
- ZO: core
- RT: 6 points from ZO to pick up RT, would've taken more to get good results out of Accuracy/Crit nodes

Problem with going that far left, RT and ZO eat up something like 1/3 of your points. Also you skipped the 18% node at witch. And Body and Soul cluster.

"

Notes:
- I wanted to stack block chance to some degree. Mostly 2% per point, originally wanted to head in ranger starting area for another 4% but took too many points and the +HP nodes would go to waste.
- Use a Bloodseeker in 1 hand. Vaal Pact while DualStrike-Splashing without having to give up ES regen
- Mana problems. Could pick up Mind Drinker and Deep Thoughts.
- Takes waaaaaay too many passive points. Lv.80 is only the skeleton build with all the core GR/ZO/RT/US/IR/CI/Frenzy passives. Lots of worthwhile points and possible nodes after the skeleton. Dual-Wield Block, %ES, Mana, Avoid status, etc. Could try to cut down on a few points in the pathing.

Couple block chance nodes right on your path. Yes, you want mana leech, but you're doing enough pDPS that just 2% (or 4% or whatever) from gear will cap your mana leech. With that much dex I would choose to pick up 2 accuracy nodes and a bit of gear accuracy, that'd be more than enough to hit 90%.

"

Although it's arguably better to start as Ranger
Shadow Route (10 pts): 36% Damage, 30% AtkSpd, 4% Block, 7% Move, 20 Dex
Ranger Route (12 pts): 46% Damage, 14% AtkSpd, 4% Block, 4% Move, 80 Dex, 18% Eva

Or just start Witch. Solve part of your mana problems, Pick up more ES. But a dual claw witch? MEEEEEEHHH

Going to hold off making this until Reave gets released.

I like shadow more, if you ask me. Witch is really good too. And you're not the only one looking forward to Reave.

So uh Bringer of Rain is really really cool.

I'm solo MF mapping now, 60/140. I do like Bringer of Rain, I can get IIQ/IIR on an effectively 5-linked attack skill. Good times.

I do have rather less DPS than I'd like. Went into a couple of Shipyards the other day with some of the ladder guys, wasn't doing nearly as much damage as they were. My offhand claw is now 300DPS with 1.85aps, not entirely sure where I'd go from here, maybe it's time to take another look at passives.

Yeah, I'm complaining because something I made up isn't doing as much straight DPS in MF gear as a bunch of guys 10 levels up and with gear resembling best-in-server. Let's put it that way.

I can be really stupid sometimes.

Very nice build!Have you considered build abit more aroun criticals?Also ditching all the claw spesific nods from more crit and crit multiplier(like the twin terrors) that would enable your to even use a dagger in your off hand for much higher crit/dps?I know u ll lose 12% life leech but end game with good crit chance and multiplier the blood seekers instant leech with 19% LL(including 10% from blood rage)would be enough to completely restore your HP with 1 hit,while the dagger would provide some additional leech over time(easily capped) and allowing you to do more damage.

I was looking for something else in terms of a melee build, and I already have a ranger, but I went and made the ranger version of this build today. I already had a Hatred gem so I used that and got it again via Brutus to replenish what I had taken. Wanderlust boost dropped which I used for the 26% mana regen. I had already grabbed the one passive for some early mana regen so I'm cruising around with 46% mana regen and then there is the mana boosts I get for kills. I basically don't click on mana flasks at all right now. I already had a Blood Rage gem so I grabbed that and one of the chaos resist flasks dropped, so yeah. I burned levels 1-21 rather quickly. My two other highest are a LA ranger and a FP witch, and it seems like the exact things that annoy those build this blows through so it has been a nice chance of pace.

"

Kirielis wrote:

80 points for level 60 and fill in the rest with whatever you deem appropriate as well as any extra attribute points you might need. 1% HP per second in the ranger start area is also a fantastic choice, as is the mana regen one next to it.

Man. This build works BETTER from ranger than shadow. Ugh.

I'm up to 28. Primal Spirit is very good to have early on. I'm not sure I'll respec out of it. Thieves Craft should get taken since Claws have a INT requirement. It is in the original Shadow build but isn't in the Ranger version. There's not a huge difference right now between using two different Dual Strike gems one as a ST and another for AoE but for really HP heavy targets it will matter. I definitely noticed when fighting Vaal.

I'm picking up Thieves Craft next, but this is my Ranger so far. Link.

@Without_Pause: I'm glad you're enjoying the build! That ranger tree was actually thrown together in about 5 minutes on a specific request, it's not too surprising that it's not minmaxed. (Though neither is anything else I do, really.) I find that every person's build ends up different based on play style and item considerations, anyway.

"

Poutsos wrote:

Very nice build!Have you considered build abit more aroun criticals?Also ditching all the claw spesific nods from more crit and crit multiplier(like the twin terrors) that would enable your to even use a dagger in your off hand for much higher crit/dps?I know u ll lose 12% life leech but end game with good crit chance and multiplier the blood seekers instant leech with 19% LL(including 10% from blood rage)would be enough to completely restore your HP with 1 hit,while the dagger would provide some additional leech over time(easily capped) and allowing you to do more damage.

Let me preface my answer by saying that yes, a crit variant of this build is viable. You may want to check out DisableEU's thread on the matter. That said - I have specific reasons for not going crit, and not all of them have to do with DPS.

I have, if my accounting is right, all of two claw-specific nodes, plus 5 points into the leech cluster. So 7 in all. Yes, a crit build is probably going to make higher DPS. End game with good crit and multi, yes one bloodseeker hit will probably heal me to full...if I crit on it. I did take a shot at crafting such a build, got it to about 340% total increased crit chance and 5 total power charges including Alira's. This came at the cost of, as you said, %LL nodes - but also %IPD nodes, dual wield block, and even some HP. I am not willing to pay that cost.

I've made a significant number of crit builds in my time, and one thing that stood out was the absolute necessity of taking every single reachable crit node. The 15% ones can be skipped until level 80+, the rest are mandatory; crit builds cost a lot of skill points, thereby limiting the rest of your tree. Further, one gem slot is locked for PCoC, as the 200-350% increased crit is too much to ignore. As melee, we don't have the luxury of building power charges from a different single-target attack, unless you really want to bring a quill rain on weapon swap and let's not even get into the positioning problems there. Finally, crit builds are significantly more gear dependent, as good multiplier is practically required on every item that can roll it, and local increased crit% is really rather important on the weapon. And then Maligaro's.

One other thing of note is the interaction between leech and reflected damage. On a HP build, it is much easier to one-shot yourself with crits than without. (I will not speak for CI VP builds. Something funny is going on there.) This makes it, shall we say, not a good idea to go above a certain crit multiplier as a HP build. Goes double without Kaom's.

All things considered, I don't believe in half measures, and trying to make a crit claws build feels like one to me. I have a lifesteal tank doing enough damage with enough leech to be viable through endgame maps, ladder group friends notwithstanding. If I really wanted to go crit crazy, I'd be making Xavyer's dual daggers CI build, and may I recommend that you check that out as well?

I'm a couple of bars from hitting 39. I grabbed the strength node to help level Warlock's Mark. Diamond Flesh and Weapon Artistry will be next and then I need to plan out 40+. Link

My gear has been crap since I haven't farmed anything and just pushed through content. I did stop to finally craft a claw and add in one that dropped. Both are threshers so the jump in quality is hugely noticeable compared to the stuff I had. My life gain on hit went from 11 to 47. I have all of one support gem so far so nothing needs to be linked besides the one. If a trade happens, that will hopefully change. Generally speaking though, gear hasn't been that important. If the gear is merely decent, the build almost feels unfair. I honestly don't even feel the need to go full tilt in terms of my abilities to get through various situations. Blood Rage is mostly sitting there just leveling. The General was almost speed bump like. Cole sucked just because his one attack can virtually clear out your health pool. Piety was merely annoying and she didn't feel like an end game boss. Cruel Brutus only really sucked since my claws still weren't upgraded yet, and I felt it was more death by tickling versus actually hurting him. :P This has honestly been easier to level than my Witch or other Ranger despite their Flavor of the Month rep.

very good build, lifeleech makes it relativly safe for a melee

could you post your gear Kirielis?