Need advice on what Prodigies to take for a Dwarf Bulwark

[Zanatar]

Hello,

I`m currently lvl 19. I know I`m 11 levels away from my first Prodigy, but I thought I`d start inquiring now.
This is my first char to have made it this far. Hopefully I'll even get to 30 to choose my first prodigy. But I`d love some advice on which to take.. and which to take first at 30.

As per the subject title, It's for a Dwarf Bulwark. I use 1h weapon and shield.

The few that I`m thinking are:
-Eternal Guard
-Spectral Shield.

But there`s also a few more that seem good. Such as:
-I can carry the World
-Bloodspring

Not sure what two to go with and of those 2, which to take at 30 vs 50.

Thanks, Zanatar.

[Marson]

A decent shield can cover a chunk of what Spectral Shield gives you. Any elemental resist on shield will translate into the ability to block that element in addition to 'physical'.

Flexible Combat is good on pretty much any melee char, and Bulwarks can be a little lacking in the damage department.

For any char:
Cauterize is also one of my top recs. You can hoard +MAG items to meet the stat requirement.
Swift Hands is really powerful (though that requires micro-management of items)
Also Draconic Will if you think you can use it at the right time, or Spine of the World if you want something more passive.

I'm running a Stone Warden and will likely go Cauterize and Flexible Combat. I had run one earlier using the common Eternal Guard/Spectral Shield combo. While it was quite cool, I have my doubts that it's optimum.

If you don't want to muck with requirements and such, Eternal Guard and Flexible Combat would be a decent combo. I'd really skip Spectral Shield though and keep an eye out for a good shield with lots of elemental resists on it.

[Zanatar]

Thank you

[Zanatar]

Quick follow up questions..

I think I will take your advice and go with Eternal Guard and Flexible Combat.

My questions are:

1) Is that the order you'd take them in? Ie: At lvl 30 take Eternal Guard, and at 50 get Flexible combat?

2) I`m actually considering Bloodspring as a choice.. simply because I did fail in rescuing Miranda.. So I have met the requirements.
How do you guys think Bloodspring is? How does it compare to Flexible Combat?

Thanks, Zanatar.

[Marson]

I have no experience with Bloodspring yet, but it doesn't look like it would beat the ones I mentioned, but that's a guess.

As for which to pick first, I guess that would depend on how I felt the char was doing with offense/defense. In this game defense is often the better choice, but with Bulwark you may want to flesh in more offense for those brick wall bosses you run into.

[Zicher]

Ie: At lvl 30 take Eternal Guard, and at 50 get Flexible combat?

Just for the record, you get the second prodigy quite a bit earlier, at lvl42.
Lvl50 is special as well, but it's up to you to find out why .

[Zanatar]

Ooo that sounds interesting.. lol didn't know you get something else at level 50 then. Anxious to found out what now.. Given if I get there with this char, it will be my first time.

Hopefully my char will make it to 50. He`s doing really well so far.. I feel almost invulnerable. (even in the cave for Miranda).. was tough.. but I didn't feel that threatened. With Last stand.. Rune Shield.. and 2 regen infusions and heroism infusion. I`m almost always full health or close.. and they have to get me well below 0 hp`s to kill me.. due to last stand and Herosim.

[Davion Fuxa]

2) I`m actually considering Bloodspring as a choice.. simply because I did fail in rescuing Miranda.. So I have met the requirements.
How do you guys think Bloodspring is?

I'm currently running a Yeek Wyrmic with Bloodspring. Game isn't complete but here is some thoughts:

-Bloodspring tends to proc fairly often (Not a Surprise, 15% of my Yeeks health is 150 hit points, that isn't much)
-This can trigger at anytime really, from a Mage's spell from 10 Tiles away or a Orc Warrior in Melee
-While active, Bloodspring does give some decent healing from enemies hit by it
-It deals knockback to enemies it hits, which can be a nuisance, but my Wyrmic has several options when stuff is out of Melee
-Worms that Walk now have another reason to be difficult - the Blight Damage from Bloodspring heals them

It's an interesting ability but one that I would be careful of taking. I wouldn't recommend it on your Bulwark as you'll be knocking enemies out of Melee Range unless their is something like a wall in the tile behind them. This is likely a better Prodigy for Spellcasters or Ranged Archers then Warriors.

[Zanatar]

Fair enough..

I`ll stick to Eternal Guard, and Flexible combat.

Thank you..

[Zanatar]

I`ve just discovered another possible choice for my 2nd Prodigy.

I did take Eternal Guard for my first.

The plan was to take Flexible combat as my 2nd, as per the discussion in this thread.. But given I`ve eaten the Heart of the sandworm and drank the Bile.. I have the option of now taking Draconic Body. It`s quite nice too.

So between Draconic Body and Flexible Combat, which would you guys take for a Dwarven Bulwark?

I realize the answers will be "well do you find your lacking in offense or defense? I don't feel too weak.. I hit pretty hard with Assault. Not too concerned with offense.
I'm also doing quite while on defense too.. haven't really had a problem .. But as I`ve heard defensive skills outweight offense in this game usually.. so I`m leaning towards Draconic Body at this point over Flexible Combat.

But I would love your opinions.

Thanks.

[Davion Fuxa]

Draconic Body is nice, I've taken it on several characters. Effectively it can give you an emergency heal in a fight when you hit points get too low - and it is done automatically.

If you take Draconic Body I would advise putting it on your hotbar to see when it triggers, as when it triggers it goes on cooldown for 40 turns.

[Zanatar]

Right..but do you like it over Flexible Combat?

Let me ask it this way.. if your offense and defense are equally doing well. And you didn't have a choice over any other prodigy but Draconic Will or Flexible combat... which would would you lean towards?..

[Davion Fuxa]

I'd probably lean towards Draconic Body, at the very least it could help in really painful situations in either prolonging my characters survival before keeling over or give a chance of getting through an encounter.

[Wolls]

Small note on Bloodspring, even as a melee figher you can get much better results if you have a talent that pulls in enemies or an item like the Telekinetic Core that gives you one.

It does take up an item slot though and you essentially wade into combat and at some point Bloodspring procs then spend the next 2 turns using the Core so its not all that passive. It will pull in enemies faster then they are being knocked back. The more enemies you pull in the more enemies you damage the more you heal.

Also the heal effect itself is further adjusted by your characters Healing Factor. Just wanted to say that the prodigy can be effective against multiple foes such as the orc ambushes and necro summons.