Tree of Savior Forum

Thoughts on SwordC1-HighlanderC3-PeltastaC3-MurmilloC1?

I just started playing two months ago and am working on a Sword1/Pelt1/Hoplite3/Dragoon build for DPS.

However, I wanted to try a [crazy] hybrid build utilizing those classes with a 2nd character and wanted others opinions. I’m seeking a balance between defense/shield with a bit of dps with an unconventional yet manageable build.

Here is my plan:
Sword: Bash 5; Concentrate 5; Pain Barrier 5
High: Carter Stroke 15; Skyliner/Crosscut 15; Skull Swing/Vert. Slash 5.
Pelt: Swash Buckling 15; Guardian 15; High Guard 10; Umbro Thrust 5.
Murm: Cassis 1; Frenzied Slash 5; Headbutt 4; Scutum Hit 5

This will give me two armor break skills, increased defense and block, bleeds, and several dps skills based on strike and slash.

Stats would be 50 CON and rest either STR/DEX.

Any input is welcome :wink:

You loose 2 +100% strike debuffs if you dont take rode c3

1 Like

I contemplated Rode instead of Peltasta 3 but I like Guardian, Swash Buckler and High Guard too much as well as the Peltasta attributes.

At lvl 102, I face tanked Zaura, Empowered by Giltine with a Sword1,Peltasta2 build took 1-10 damage from all his attacks. In fact, he knocked me off the screen and I had auto-attack him to death.

In contrast, my lvl 102 Sword1, Hoplite2 took 250-450.

With that said, I think I’ll feel more comfortable sticking with Peltasta 3 although I know it’s not as popular these days.

Well you will loose much dmg.
Im Pelt2/Rode3/Corsair soon mum.
The Pelt skills are weak without the strike debuffs (Rode skills too btw)
Only Target smash/Shootingstar are good enoug tu use it without the debuffs

I don’t mind less damage per skill use if I get to stand and tank and take little damage.

The way I look at it is this, unless things change lvls 200+: My Pelt3 character killed Zaura a lot faster than the Hoplite2 since I was continuously attacking him standing still while my Hoplite had to kite an awful lot. Maybe once I get Spear Throw, things will even out and there will be better balance between kiting and attacking.

With this build, I’m hoping for a balanced yet strong physical defense with decent attack from Highlander and Murmillo main skills.

Not optimal, but looks like it could work.

I’d advise though that before running this build, research and make sure that there is no conflict (unless intended) between weapon switching and retaining buffs - that is, if you switch weapons either way, you won’t lose a buff specific to a weapon type.

Hoplite shines at C3 and even more at Dragoon2 (if you’re going that route).

Murm builds usually play around a balance between defense, offense and close-combat CC. Still dishes out good DPS but not as bursty and more often than Goon2s nor as consistent as Fencers/Doppels.

Only good thing you get from that build set up is Swash15 and Guardian15, HighGuard is poorman’s Finestra due to it’s flat Block scaling while lowering your potential DPS.
Skullswing’s armor break debuff is already permanent on normal mobs and 100% uptime on bosses at lvl5

What @shenhuehue said Rod would be better.
end result would be somethin’ like this
https://tos.neet.tv/skill-planner#11222aaac.1123334355.11253e4351657a8195.11213f415165768a95.1122324575

Face tanking in this game losses their edge at end game without heavy investments, better of make the best out of DPS set-ups.

@ZeroFoxGiven I won’t be switching weapons since I intend on staying 1 hand sword and shield.

My other character will certainly be hoplite3 and dragoon2 so I’m looking forward to that since he’ll be my “DPS” build between the two.

As for as this build, Murmillo is my ultimate goal. I know Rode is preferred over Peltasta. I suppose I wanted a combo that minimized physical damage and magical damage I recieved so I thought Highlander plus Peltasta would work.

@Fuwaro

What heavy investments are necessarily late game to be a traditional tank?

I noticed the trend that nearly every swordsman is one of these: doppel/dragoon/barbarian/fencer. If pure tanks have no role late game, I find that unfortunate; and if DPS is all that matters in this game for the swordsman base, then that takes away the appeal of having so many classes. Just my 2 cents.

Ah, I figured you didn’t want to take advantage of this…

…and Cross Guard since you have Pelt C block anyways.

Thing is that you’re picking a rank 2 class (whether it’s Pel or HL) for ranks 5-7. Considering how bad damage scaling is for most classes in this game (damn flat damage), power creep is gonna catch up so soon on your build. At least Pel3 will improve by miles with Murm helmet buff, but HL skills will soon become a mere debuff than additional damage skills in your rotation.

Tanking in this game becomes a joke as soon as you reach high enough def/mdef (especially w/ Transcendence and full-slot Nuaele cards), and that applies to all classes (maybe except archers) with Clerics and Swordsman usually the ones being able to accomplish it sooner than others. Even a Sw1 Pel1 X X Squire3 Murm1 works well, but not optimal in that regard.

Lastly, there’s a lot of damage mitigation besides having lots of HP nor mdef/def in this game (e.g. Ausrine, Missile Hole, etc.) which makes the role of a true tank unnecessary. Check out the following thread:

@Fuwaro put it best…

Physical dmg can easily be mitigated thru anvil’ing your plate set+Pard Aspersion buff.
Magic base damage on the other hand need an extra cloth set, not just anvil’ing your accessories but transcending them too, plus stacking Nuale cards and blue gems in your shoes.

Also a typical endgame meta party will have Diev(Ausrine) Kriv(Melstis) and Chrono(Pass) allowing their whole party to indefinitely facetank mobs/bosses making most swordie tanker role moot.

Until a proper class balancing rework comes, a unique class build like your HL3>Pelt3>Murm will only be good on paper.

@Fuwaro @ZeroFoxGiven Thanks for the input. I guess I’ll go Swords1Highlander3 and stop at rank4 until I decide what to do and focus on the other dragoon build.

1 Like

standing and tanking, if you really want that, just upgrade and trans armors, put yellow gems use nuaele. you’re loosing too much damage if you dont get rod circles. Its either you take Highc3 or Peltc3, Highlander is more damage oriented while Pelt on the other hand is def oriented. Take note that Skull swing debuff is perma debuff on non boss monsters, im not sure of Pelts armor break but it is 2 overheat but duration is much less than skull swing

@Mawsiee Peltasta’s Umbro Thrust duration is 20 seconds with an AoE of 2, base damage of 661 with a 25 second cooldown; Skull Swing has an AoE of 1, base damage of 701 with a 40 second cooldown.

Like I said earlier, I looked at Peltasta/Highlander combo to minimize both physical damage and magic damage I receive - since I don’t know if Rodelero can do that - while upping my DPS. But it seems going Sword1,Pelt3,Rod3,Murmillo is probably better overall for what I want.

If only the power creep and damage scaling for most skills in this game wasn’t so bad, any build would’ve worked well as long as there’s synergy even if it involves weapon switching.

It would have been nice if when one picks a low rank in later ranks, it’s damage/effects scales well appropriate to the player’s rank level (not be the same all throughout).

@ZeroFoxGiven You bring up a point. One thing I notice is most DPS wizards are Pyromancers, which is a 2nd rank class. Yet it’s effectiveness I guess scales well late game making it rather unique.

Yeah, it’s almost like favoritism though I suspect it’s just pure lack of creativity and/or laziness on IMC’s part.

They could’ve just reworked or tweaked the class’ skills (adding % scaling on Cataphract skills is a good example). What they did instead was lock it to an equipment piece since that seems easier to do.

I won’t be surprised if in the future they implement this kind of “fix” for other classes instead of fixing the class itself.

That’s because the Agny Necklace makes Pyromancers stupidly powerful. If it were removed or nerfed you’d see far fewer Pyromancers running around.