Skeleton Arcane Blade, Attempt 11, win and atmathoned

[Requia]

So here's the one I actually won with: http://te4.org/characters/114290/tome/e ... 9e9b4b1792

Not the first one by a long shot though, I had a *lot* of trouble early game, and one extremely ill advised attempt to take down Atmathon before High Peak (he hit me so hard I died again in the afterlife).

The main trick to getting the combo to work seems to be to do *every* starter dungeon. The extra level I squeaked out carried through and kept the early game from being such a nightmare. Then turned around and did a couple farportal runs before The Master (which backfired *spectaluraly* once). Even then expect frustration from the lack of infusions, disarms, stuns and pins were my main threat until better saves and good resistance gear was available.

Axe (higher crit chance, means more oncrit procs) and shield build early, moving to staff and shield once it was available. Damage in the lategame was absurd, the combinaiton of flexible combat, greater weapon focus, and extremely powerful onhit and oncrit procs meant I was getting >18,000 in the target room, and with a 75% damage reduction bypass that tends to hold steady in real combat too.

At full level 50 a staffweilding arcane blade can oneshot Atmathon. Which is fortanate, he left me with 30 health between the initial attack and the earthen missiles arriving, without the high powered skeleton shield I'd not have survived at all.

it's a lot of fun to play, I have quite a few characters sitting at prides I haven't been inspired to finish the game (or die on the way) with, but this was great, especially once Step Up became available, running from mage to mage is fuuun.

This is also the *only* build I've ever avoided having at least one death in the room of death with, and it pulled it off both times I went in. (level 38 and 39 i think).

The Untouchable is incredibly valuble for the build, melee enemies aren't a serious threat anyway because things die so quickly once you get next to them, and it nicely prevents being twoshotted by mages/dragons whatever else ignores armor and defense anyway. That and my find of a named shortstaff do suggest the build might be a bit vulnerable to the RNG god.