[1.4.x] [Madness] Mex's Arcane Blade Guide

[bpat]

Quality guide. It's worth noting that the section on artifacts is applicable for all characters and not just Arcane Blades. Also Rod of Spydric Poison, Rod of Annulment, and Gwai's Burninator are also notable artifacts since they have powerful effects (DoT and pin, amnesia, and AoE damage) and don't need to be equipped. Also any gloves with Disperse Magic can be used similarly to Spellhunt Remains, which is amazing against the final bosses.

[jenx]

you don't say so, but I gather you use Quick Drown add-in? I've tried without and it's brutal. Even with it it's brutal!

[Mex]

Not sure I understand the question...

You don't start scum for any particular artifact, they are just the ones to look out for and some, like Mercy and Stone Wall, you will need by at least Prides/Final Fight.

[jenx]

Not sure I understand the question...

You don't start scum for any particular artifact, they are just the ones to look out for and some, like Mercy and Stone Wall, you will need by at least Prides/Final Fight.

What I mean is, do you use the quick drown add-in, the rod of asphixiation?

and do you drop into every dungeon at the start to set the level?

[Mex]

Not sure I understand the question...

You don't start scum for any particular artifact, they are just the ones to look out for and some, like Mercy and Stone Wall, you will need by at least Prides/Final Fight.

What I mean is, do you use the quick drown add-in, the rod of asphixiation?

and do you drop into every dungeon at the start to set the level?

Yeah makes the process a lot faster; Marson's Character Recycler is also good for this.

You can do if you feel the areas are too difficult, I don't usually bother but I'm greedy for exp.

[ster]

rest in peace AB

[munch]

rest in peace AB

Why so? Due to short staves proc damage % nerf, or due to BiL nerf?

Also, are shields still a viable option? They still have proc damage % alive.

[The Tapir]

rest in peace AB

Why so? Due to short staves proc damage % nerf, or due to BiL nerf?

Also, are shields still a viable option? They still have proc damage % alive.

Shields have the proc damage bonus but cannot trigger flexible combat, and with only 3 skills to trigger shield bashes I imagine that a 1h + shield AB isn't anywhere near optimal.

On that topic, though, what have the changes from 1.5 done to the build order/points distribution? Dirty Fighting doesn't look so great anymore (maybe the final talent could be used to cancel vitality?), but the cooldown reduction from stone skin look VERY tempting for having stone wall cooldown even quicker.

[pingpongalong]

I used this guide for a really easy normal run. https://te4.org/characters/159235/tome/ ... 53ae414d6d

Died twice due to carelessness. The changes in the Dual Techniques are really fun. The added mobility makes a huge difference. Didn't do any of the Dirty Fighting tree. I put points into Inner Power that I really didn't need, though by the end that was a +10 to all stats, so it might've been worth it. Wrap of Stone made 3 points in Stone Wall targetable, which I found sufficient. Probably would have been fine without Staff Combat, but I never felt too constrained for points. With a nearly full healing mod, a perfect spell crit chance, and a high crit multiplier, one point in Arcane Reconstruction and one point in Arcane Shield was plenty to get crazy strong heals and shields.

Would have liked to have gotten the light tree, but the tinker tree is always amazing. Windblade might have been unnecessary, but it made clearing the prides a lot faster. Probably saved me more times that I realized too.

[GlassGo]

Hey Mex, top guide (though I don't play Madness anyway).
What I'm missing - when PA became a proc for Arcane Combat?
Why not Earthen Missiles - they damage less, but can trigger procs three times more or am I wrong?

[Arcvasti]

Its because of how the code handles the staff accuracy bonus. It basically goes something like this:

-Hit thing with staff
-Increase all damage the player does by 1.5% per excess accuracy point
-Resolve everything that procced off the staff
-Decrease all damage the player does by 1.5% per excess accuracy point

Because Earthen Missiles is a projectile, it gets its damage set after the accuracy bonus has been removed. But Pulverizing Anger is instant and thus gets the staff accuracy bonus to its damage. IIRC, I think that weapon lifesteal works the same way, so you can get some absurd heals off of Pulverizing Anger procs.

Pulverizing Anger also has the advantage of being easy to get, so you don't have to float points in Lightning/Flames and could even skip unlocking Stone if you get lucky with respen.

[GlassGo]

Wait, so this guide tell to use staffs for combat?
I thought it was Mercy, dagger...
Why I didn't see it, or I don't understand something?

Also thanks for technical part, that's always appreciated.

[Effigy]

You use a short staff with Mercy dagger offhand.

[GlassGo]

And you don't need to buy staff combat tree and invest in it?

[Effigy]

The staff category is only needed if you want to increase your melee staff damage, or use the other talents. Arcane Blade's damage is predominantly from spells, so it's not really necessary. You can buy it if you want, but you probably won't have enough generic points to invest there. Getting points in Staff Mastery from an Alchemist escort isn't bad though.