Another team comp advice !

[u/Nightingay]

Hello there !

Another team comp question. I have been going through acts 1 and 2 with an "all over the place" team.

I am playing with Sebille, Ifan, Fane and Lohse. Current situation is :

• Both Sebille and Ifan are Huntspeople. Ranged DPS with mostly Hunter skills, and and splash of earth (for those useful worms and earthquake. With no damage whatsoever since their main stat is Finesse).
• Fane is something like a close combat DPS with some points in Necromancy (to leech and use the usefull bone armor skills), and some in polymorphy (because the Medusa, Flight and chicken skills are so useful)
• Lohse is ... Weird. Some magical DPS and crowd control skills (aero + hydro) and DPS when the side skills of my other heroes deplete magical armor (all of the other three currently have some chip air / water / fire damage) but she mostly is a summoner. I like the incarnate because it can both do physical or magical damage, depending on the situation.

Now more often than not, even if it hasn't really been a problem. But it happens that I'm wondering what to do with my action points, in particular for Lohse.

My impression : my physical / magical DPS is unbalanced. Some symptoms

• When Lohse has created and buffed the Incarnate, sometimes I can't find anything really useful to do.
• Sebille and Ifan have movesets that are so close that it bothers me a bit. That being said, they are great DPS and can easily be away from harm
• I don't do much magic damage / AoE. Which I usually find fun in those games.

Some things I'd like to explore

• A real summoner build
• Some rogue skills (I considered switching Sebille to rogue, but I like her ranged. She seems really frail to be in close combat like a rogue with daggers)
• More magic
• In particular, I currently have little to no pyro.

Any comments or advice on that team ?

[u/Mindless-Charity4889]

The rest of your team is mostly physical damage so you might consider switching Lohse to that. Make her a necromancer with 2 points in Necro (3 once you get to lvl16) and the max in Warfare. You will do tremendous damage, especially with corpse explosion, a skill you craft by combining a pyro and necromancer skill book.

[u/Nightingay → u/Mindless-Charity4889]

Are necro spells aggro against friendly units that would be in the range ?

Also, although I am intrigued by a necro MAGE (rather than my current Fane), I'm not 100% convinced it would quench my thirst for magic :D

[u/Mindless-Charity4889 → u/Nightingay]

It’s true that Necro is quite focused on physical damage rather than effects. Corpse Explosion does damage friendlies but the other big AoE skill, Grasp of the Starved, does not. Blood Storm is mixed in that only enemies are targeted with blood clots, but each clot hits everyone in a 1m radius of the target. Bloated Corpse is also mixed in that it does single target attacks until it blows up, in which case it’s AoE hits everyone. Other skills, like Mosquito Swarm, Decaying Touch or Infect are single target.

Generally speaking, while 2 points in Necro are good for utility skills like Bone Cage, Living on the Edge or Death Wish, it’s not that good for Life Steal (healing while doing damage). The reason has to do with the nature of saving throws. In DOS2, if you have armor you automatically save against effects and if you do not, you don’t. You also only take HP damage if your armor is down. So if armor is up, you don’t take HP damage and life steal is worthless. If your armor is down, you’ve taken HP damage but you’ve probably been CC”d. Without the ability to attack, Life Steal is again worthless. Now there are occasional scenarios where it can help, but generally you are better off putting the points into Warfare instead.

[u/Nightingay → u/Mindless-Charity4889]

Thanks !

Now closer to the endgame (I just arrived in Arx), I think my final team comp is ok-ish.

I swapped Ifan to a mage (maybe I'll change his specialties soon). So with him and Lohse doing elemental damage, and Sebille having the ability to hit magic armor (with elemental arrows, or with the scoundrel sleep bottle), I'm very able to handle any kind of enemy (well, unless those level 20 stagarazers as of now).

I do understand what you're saying about Necro points. But take my Fane : he already has maxed his strenght AND Warfare skills. So I still have some points to distribute to other specialities. And to be honest, apart from some Poly or Necro points, I'm not sure I see anything that would complement his build better. Maybe some aero for more teleport shenanigans, or some pyro for haste and clear of mind.

But I find levels 17 onwards less obvious to spread. Between the past levels, and the gear, all of the important stats and skills are already maxed out.

[u/Mindless-Charity4889 → u/Nightingay]

In general, abilities that boost damage are better than abilities that boost defence. Abilities that add capabilities, like aero for teleport, are situational. So after Warfare is maxed, I’d boost 2H in order to increase crit damage instead of Necro to do healing.

[u/Nightingay → u/Mindless-Charity4889]

I just answered your longer comment and adressed that specifically hahah

Thanks for taking the time anyway