22 réponses à ce sujet

[The-Oracle]

I'm searching for a good strong build to run Iron bull on. Any tips?

[capn233]

Can't go wrong with the classics: Mighty Blow, Pommel Strike, and of course Charging Bull.  Then grab some passives.

[The-Oracle]

Awesome thanks I'm trying to make him super tough to beat with his Reaver specialization.

[capn233]

Awesome thanks I'm trying to make him super tough to beat with his Reaver specialization.

 

Are you going to control him yourself, or mainly let the AI do it?  If AI, I didn't think the game did a great job of managing his health with Dragon Rage active.

 

In any case, I think some people like to try and grab some passives from the sword and shield tree for damage reduction.  Might help, although you lose some points in a couple talents you won't be using.

[Digger1967]

I'm searching for a good strong build to run Iron bull on. Any tips?

 

Actually I prefer to go full tank with Iron Bull, using sword and shield.  I love having him for a companion because of the banter, but I don't find the AI to be all that great at managing a two handed warrior.  So I go sword and shield and give him the ability to generate guard with vanguard tree as soon as I can - generally works out best for me as no matter what I'm running I don't have to babysit him and he stay's on his feet through even the toughest combats.

 

Normally if I'm using IB as a companion it's because I'm running a mage or a rogue, in which case I'm not so much worried about how much damage my front line fighters do as I am in having them keep people occupied and out of my mage or rogues face.

 

Usually if I'm running a warrior of some sort myself I'll take Blackwell along - the AI actually does a pretty good job of managing sword and board types.  It's usually less effective with two handers, and really falls down on the job when it comes to mages unfortunately.

[The-Oracle]

I see what your saying. It might be best to use Bull as a sword and board. As for my other warrior would Cassandra/Blackwall be good as two-handed fighters?

[Zikade]

Actually I prefer to go full tank with Iron Bull, using sword and shield.  I love having him for a companion because of the banter, but I don't find the AI to be all that great at managing a two handed warrior.  So I go sword and shield and give him the ability to generate guard with vanguard tree as soon as I can - generally works out best for me as no matter what I'm running I don't have to babysit him and he stay's on his feet through even the toughest combats.

[...]

 

I'm inclined to agree. I recently did the same and made him a sword & shield user whereas my Quisitor is a two handed warrior. Bull seemed to be dying quite a lot when 2handed which caused me not to really use him in my party (and thus miss the banter). Now he pretty much keeps going on and on. I guess the AI just works better with a shield tank.

[Cheviot]

If you want to keep him a two-handed warrior under A.I. control, then try upgrading Block and Slash and make it a Preferred tactic.  I find it increases his survivability.

[RedLens37]

I brought him along as a two-handed tank, with Sera and two mages. He's no Blackwall, but he can hold his own:

Vanguard stuff

Reaver passives (none of the reaver active abilities)

block/slash and mighty blow

guard-on-hit armor and heal-on-kill weapon plus fade-touched paragon's luster to heal 20% of damage over 10 seconds

 

He does a great job, and his banter with Sera is worth it.

[RedLens37]

If you want to keep him a two-handed warrior under A.I. control, then try upgrading Block and Slash and make it a Preferred tactic.  I find it increases his survivability.

 

Definitely. I think Block and Slash is an underrated ability, and I almost feel like the AI does a better job with using it than I do.

[Forsythia77]

If you want to keep him a 2 hander (Which I do, because I figure that everyone is what they want to be, so I don't respec anyone into something they are not) go heavy on the vanguard tree to generate guard on hit.  Once you can craft masterworks give him armor/weapons that generate guard on hit with fade touched obsidian/silverite/onyx, you might consider less stuff in the vanguard tree and more passives from other trees. 

[Bigdawg13]

If you're on nightmare just forget about it.  The AI is horrible with reavers.  If on hard difficulty or easier, then just just make sure he has unbowed+, charging bull+, and block and slash on priority.  Personally he's one of my favorite companions so I spec him SnS as a reaver tank (see kineticGTR's Shield Reaver build) and forgo any other warrior in my group.

[The-Oracle]

So if I want to keep him as 2-handed I need to load him up with vanguard skills?

[Forsythia77]

In the beginning, yes.  After you get to skyhold and can craft masterworks, not as much because weapons/armor can take the place of some of those guard generating vanguard skills.

 

I think the AI is just not good with 2h warriors.  

[The-Oracle]

Awesome thank you guys and gals!!

[capn233]

So if I want to keep him as 2-handed I need to load him up with vanguard skills?

 

Yeah a couple of the guard generation skills... basically Charging Bull (with upgrade Gore and Trample) and possibly Unbowed.  Both generate guard, but without taunting.  There are also good passives in that tree that give constitution and armor.  If he is going to be the main tank then you can consider War Cry and Challenge.  But 2H are not really optimum as tanks early, but they are respectable with damage and some CC w/ Mighty Blow.

 

Of course if FF is on both Charging Bull and Mighty Blow do FF damage, which makes it all the more irritating and really needs to be player micro'd.

[The-Oracle]

Yeah a couple of the guard generation skills... basically Charging Bull (with upgrade Gore and Trample) and possibly Unbowed.  Both generate guard, but without taunting.  There are also good passives in that tree that give constitution and armor.  If he is going to be the main tank then you can consider War Cry and Challenge.  But 2H are not really optimum as tanks early, but they are respectable with damage and some CC w/ Mighty Blow.
 
Of course if FF is on both Charging Bull and Mighty Blow do FF damage, which makes it all the more irritating and really needs to be player micro'd.

I totally get what your saying thanks for the help!

[Digger1967]

I'm inclined to agree. I recently did the same and made him a sword & shield user whereas my Quisitor is a two handed warrior. Bull seemed to be dying quite a lot when 2handed which caused me not to really use him in my party (and thus miss the banter). Now he pretty much keeps going on and on. I guess the AI just works better with a shield tank.

 

Honestly at higher levels once you give him a good portion of the Vanguard tree I don't really use the Reaver spec anymore, instead I load him up with stuff from Battlemaster.  It makes him incredibly effective - Iron Bull sword and shield with grappling chain is pretty much the bane of Red Templar archers everywhere - add in bull rush and he becomes extremely effective even when managed by the AI.

 

I do two handed warriors myself on occasion, but the AI just doesn't do a great job of managing them in my experience.  They work fine if you concentrate on generating guard and staying mobile.  I think that's really the key for a two handed build, you have to move.

 

Just my humble opinion of course.

[Cheviot]

Definitely. I think Block and Slash is an underrated ability, and I almost feel like the AI does a better job with using it than I do.

You're not wrong; a couple of days ago I played In Your Heart Shall Burn on Hard and Bull didn't fall once!  While he doesn't have Blackwall-esque immortality, he can be made pretty strong under AI control.

[Digger1967]

I see what your saying. It might be best to use Bull as a sword and board. As for my other warrior would Cassandra/Blackwall be good as two-handed fighters?

 

Well opinions vary of course, but for me I prefer to build them all sword and shield.  Blackwell can make an effective two handed warrior at higher levels with some of the stuff from the champion tree, but until you get that far two handers just don't have great survivability when their run by the AI, at least not in my experience.  They do fine in the easier combat situations but in the tough fights the generally end up going down at least once if not twice unless I babysit them.

 

You can do an effective two handed build yourself for the Inquisitor but in my experience it relies on generating guard at almost every opportunity and movement.  Unlike sword and shield you don't stay in one place and slug it out, you move in and out with bull rush and combat roll, attack from the flanks, etc.  Works great for a character you control but the AI really doesn't do such a great job of it.

 

So for me at least the thought process is to have the warriors keep the big nasties busy, the damage they do isn't as important.  It's more about giving my mage or rogue the time they need and not getting them overwhelmed.  I also love the upgraded shield bash for dealing with boss fights or dragons that generate guard.  It's also great against archers and enemy mages, they can't do much when they are flat on their back.

 

If you really, really want a two hander I'd go with Blackwell as opposed to IB.  Even two handed he seems to stay on his feet longer than any of the other NPC's.  

[earthboyjak]

I use him as a 2h warrior, usually as dps/backup tank but also as a main tank depending on who I want in my party for story and banter purposes. So far at level 16 I have nothing in reaver. I don't even see him as a reaver, really. I just make sure he has every guard generation ability outside the weapon and shield tree. First there's war cry and challenge, heading down the right side of the vanguard tree and stopping before bodyguard (not great for him the way it is for blackwall), and of course charge. Eventually I'll go down left side to unbowed. The left side of the battlemaster tree toward horn of valor with upgraded combat roll (ai uses combat roll quite well). Then mighty blow and down the left side of the 2h tree with upgraded block and slash. All this makes him great for party dps support, while doing modest dps himself and taking a lot of damage. I don't even have guard gear on him yet. I think too many people ignore guard generation with iron bull. Even as pure dps a warrior needs at least some guard, and as has been stated, the ai doesn't seem to work well with reaver abilities. I tried it but almost immediately respecced.

[earthboyjak]

Oh, another thing, WAR CRY RING. If you upgrade war cry to boost armor by 200% for ten seconds, a 30%+ duration bonus from one of these skill specific accessories will provide a lot of time with extra armor. People talk about guard on hit gear, but not a lot about this!

[deadkai]

Give Bull as much Melee Defense as possible annd set Devour  to preferred. This works even on nightmare. With 60 melee defense, not even bruisers /rogues  are a problem.