*So quick disclaimer before we get to the good stuff. Just wanna say this is no way intended to be a end-game "ultimate" Guide. I feel the need to also point out this is just my opinion as well, so sorry if my opinion doesn't match your idea of the"Ultimate" 2H Warrior build. That's not my intention.
This is a Beginner Friendly Guide to help a new player recreate a similar version of Super Hero Hawke we are teased with the first few minutes of the game. The recommended difficulty for this build is Normal or Hard. (I have a Sword and Board build for nightmare, guide for that coming soon) This guide is also designed to help synch with your party and compliment other classes so who knows? A Veteran Warrior may pick up a thing or two from my ranting =) That said lets get down to business...
First things first, lets go over the Attributes/Abilities you should focus on the first few levels or so. It can be a bit overwhelming with so many choices. Try to remember your playing a role or a class and that you have a job to do. Don't spread yourself thin, focus on what's most important for your class. 2H Warrior Requires:
Strength (Required for equiping armor and weapons on Warriors, determines attack values/damage for Warriors, determines resistance to knockback and being set on fire for all classes)
Constitution (Required for equiping armor on Warriors, determines max hit points for all classes)
Willpower (as required for Stamina. I suggest waiting to raise this untill your Strength and Constitution are 20+.)
I highly suggest you pump your Strength and Constitution both to at least 20 as soon as possible before you do anything else. This will enable you to equip most of the best weapons and armor for Act 1. Even better if you have the Dragon Armor and Hayder's Razor as you should be able to equip them by the time you get to your house. Cunning can be usefull for a Warrior as it raises Defense, but I would suggest skipping it for this build. You'll see why as this guide progresses but long story short we will be putting more emphasis on crushing hordes of enemies before they get a chance to retaliate. At least thats the plan...
Rule # 1: Your still the Tank
The Golden rule for this build to mesh properly with your party is to keep in mind you are still the tank... Just a really badass one that uses AOEs/Knockback/Stuns to show the enemy who is boss and make them hate you. It's also hard for the enemy to harm you or your party members if they are stunned or on their back. So basicly we are employing the popular strategy that the best defense is a good offense. The Rouges and the "black mages" are still the DPS classes by design, so don't feel inadequate if your sword isn't "measuring up"
(Isabela Rox ..but that's a whole other strategy guide hehe) When you start the game you wont have to worry about Taunt too much, Aveline can help with keeping hate. Untill you reach the first boss (no spoilers but you'll know when it happens) you can pretty much focus on advancing your 2H skills untill you unlock Mighty Blow and Scythe These will be your first 2 primary attacks and are complemented nicely by Giant's Reach (Increases 2H weapon range) and eventualy Sunder. The best ability in the the 2H skill tree is however is Whirlwind but that will take some leveling up to achieve.
Once you progress past the first hour or two of the game or so, or the "noob quests" as I like to call them you'll need to really start focusing on more advanced strategies to keep hate or aggro. If you followed my suggestion for Attribute/Ability advancement you should already have enough "Spank" to down most foes before they get close to your party but this will soon not be enough to keep your party safe. Once you have unlocked Scythe I would highly suggest getting Taunt next time you level up if you have not already. I would suggest skipping Bravery to reserve that Stamina for Barrage in the Berzerker skill tree for a +50% percent bonus to attack speed. This will help keep the pressure on without Bravery draining your Stamina. You'll want to reserve your Stamina pool for Berzerker as your Stamina determines the extra Damage granted from that specialization. Use your Taunt if things get out of control.
Another thing to consider is ways to boost your Stamina without wasting many points in willpower. One very usefull way is to train in abilities that restore stamina like Bolster and Second Wind. Certain Armor/Jewelry can help with this too. Stamina is very important for a Warrior especially for a 2H Tank, you must have enough to fuel both your Taunt and your devistating attacks and AOEs. You won't need Taunt as much with this aggresive style of play, but you'll still need them. Doesn't hurt to have when you realize a baddie slipped by you while you were busy off having a rampage and is having your Mage for lunch. Which brings us to the next rule...
Rule #2 : Magic is your best friend and worst enemy
Behind every good meat-shield is a good supporting Mage (Bethany FTW). I feel like this should go without saying, but there is more to it then just the fact that they are the healer and fireball chucker. The rabbit hole goes much deeper thankfully. They have some of the best Warrior friendly Auras in the game. They can increase Attack values for all party members, increase chance to critical, add Elemental damage to weapons but that's not all. The real prize with having a supporting Mage for your Warrior is Haste. Whats better than playing a bloodthirsty Warrior with a big ass fire sword? Playing a bloodthirsty warrior that can swing that big ass fire sword around as fast as your grubby paws can smash the A button. Nuff Said.
As far as enemy Magic goes it can ruin a Warriors day. Armor doesnt seem to matter much when you get blown to tiny kibbles by a incoming fireball or getting auto-crit by stealthed Rouges. Solution? Elemental Aegis can help with elemental damage but it's a waste of stamina later in the game. I would suggest instead investing in Templar skills like Silence, Smite and eventually Annulment. (the first 2 can prevent/break a Rouge's stealth) Don't get me wrong Berzerker, Reaver are great choices for increased Damage output. Still, I get giddy over being able to shrug off a Notorious Blood Mage's onslaught of would be fatal magic like its nothing and then proceed to pimp slap them into submission.
* For my Build I put heavy emphasis on obtaining and upgrading the following abilities:
2H Weapon Skills: Mighty Blow, Scythe, Whirlwind (Upgrade these by end game,Whirlwind first probably)
Berzerker: Barrage (+50% attack speed plus another 35% with a special rune, email me if you want details)
Battlemaster: Second Wind (Completly restores Stamina and reduces cool time on ALL of your abilities)
Templar: Annulment (+50% Magic Resistance. *Also note Silence/Smite can prevent/break Rouges Stealth)
Reaver: Blood Frenzy (Damage output increased up to 200% when your health drops. nice to have in a pinch.)
You'll need Taunt as well but hopefully that goes without saying
If you would like a more detailed view of this build check out my level 24 Warrior linked to my profile.
*Quick note here that if I obtained more skill tomes/ leveled more I would have put more points in Reaver.
You should be able to disrupt the enemy and generate enough hate to control the flow of battle this way. You'll still want to keep a Taunt for emergencies but you should be doing a fine job keeping the enemies attention with your barrage of AOEs and Knockbacks. Keep in mind alot of Stamina is required to fuel this build so Second Wind is essential. If you follow this basic setup you will end up alot like Heroic Hawke in the first fight when Varric is exaggerating your abilites to the Seeker.
The main focus of this build is: Attack Speed, Damage, Fortitude (to resist knockback) HP, More HP, Magic Resist and endless supply of Stamina. The goal is to eventually be virtually immune to knockback and magic so you can cut a bloody swath through your enemy with a relentless flurry of disrupting attacks and abilities. As far as Resistance to Physical Damage, this comes with good Armor/Jewelry/Runes/. Not much need to spend points in Vanguard in my opinion. Good Gear does the trick plus with this build you'll have a ton of HP.
**Sidenote here as needed by some peoples replies: If you simply do not care for Templar, take the skill points from that portion of my build and put them in a skill tree you prefer. Problem solved.
Just feel the need to point out again this build suits my playstyle but that doesn't mean it's right for you. This is just a guide to get a new player started with some suggestions and figure out what's comfortable for them.**Rule # 3: Have fun
Above all else have fun, it's just a game. Don't worry about the "Ultimate build", just enjoy. Chances are if you like the game you'll be playing through a few times when all the DLC comes out anyways. I just felt the need to make a guide based on the lack of love I've been seeing for the 2 handed spec Warrior in the forums. Like all things worth having, it takes effort but in the end the pay off is huge and very worth it. Hope you got something out of my guide, this is my first time ever writing one.
Feel free to quick respond or mail me if you have any questions or comments related to this guide. I might embelish on this guide or make a more detailed warrior guide if people find this one usefull and want more tips on how to Tank n' Spank.
Till next time,
-Soldier of Hate
Modifié par soldierofhate, 22 mars 2011 - 07:42 .
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