Semi new to Khelds, couple questions

[lokiie1984]

I have a WS at 45 but honestly I don't even remember leveling it. So I'd like to start a kheld fresh and try to take it to 50 and hopefully figure out how to play it as I go. I always enjoyed VEATs since i first unlocked them on live and always wanted to really give the hero epics a good go but the archetype has eluded me. Bad ass looking, but so complex. 

 

I know I don't like form shifting so it'd either have to be a bi or human only form. Human only is my preference. My goal for the character would be to be able to solo well but also group. Typically I enjoy tanks but lately I've found I really dislike melee on other classes because of mobs always being slightly out of range. Where on a tank they're trying to get to me so I don't have to move around to get close enough to hit, if that makes sense. 

 

As I understand it, both WS and PB are a mix of ranged and melee. Are there effective builds where you can go just ranged? If not do they have the issue I mentioned above? Or do they have a taunt aura like tankers do? Would the taunt skill fix that?

 

I doubt I explained that very well. 

 

Also if the better choice for human form is PB, how do people get around the knockback when grouping? Having tanked for groups with energy blast, I know how annoying it is when you're about to hit a nice aoe and then the pack of mobs flies away. Do PBs just load up on KB to KD enhances? Would that make the already slot starved build even worse?

 

Anyway definitely curious to give one a go. 

[Carnifax]

Biform WS probably makes more sense because you can run in / tp in fully invisible, self buff in human form (Eclipse then Mire), nuke then shapeshift to squid for ranged damage. Floaty fortress of doom is good times.

 

Human only you'll want some melee attacks because Gravity Well does a tonne of damage. Great Vs bosses. 

 

That all being said I like triform because lobster is your Mez protection and has another short duration mire. As well as giving you the flexibility to Tank if the team needs it. You dont get a taunt aura sadly, PBAoE and Taunt in lobster form are your aggro tools. 

 

Shapeshifting macros which switch your bottom bar help with all of this.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Carnifax

[lokiie1984]

14 hours ago, Carnifax said:

Biform WS probably makes more sense because you can run in / tp in fully invisible, self buff in human form (Eclipse then Mire), nuke then shapeshift to squid for ranged damage. Floaty fortress of doom is good times.

 

Human only you'll want some melee attacks because Gravity Well does a tonne of damage. Great Vs bosses. 

 

That all being said I like triform because lobster is your Mez protection and has another short duration mire. As well as giving you the flexibility to Tank if the team needs it. You dont get a taunt aura sadly, PBAoE and Taunt in lobster form are your aggro tools. 

 

Shapeshifting macros which switch your bottom bar help with all of this.

I dont mind being in melee range. I've been messing around a bit with the 45 warshade i have and it's easier then i remember. Could see it being pretty neat with a good build. 

[SeraphimKensai]

If you want to exempt, I would have Dwarf form as soon as you can at a minimum, just because it can be used while mezzed and has mez protection while in the form, so if you get stunned/held etc, you can use that to try and break the mez and still fight/heal/taunt mobs to you.

 

If you are only going to be running late game clarion can be a godsend.

[FlammeFatale]

The problem with a ranged warshade is significantly less ST damage than a melee warshade. Ranged warshades have good AoE damage. But this damage is not needed, since there is enough AoE damage in human form (+double mire) to clear spawns quickly.

 

But as you wrote, distant mobs (stragglers and runners) are a pain in the neck. A few tools can mitigate the problem, not entirely erase it, mind you:

 

- Melee Radial has a taunt aura which works with a warshade. It won't compete with a tanker though, and you lose damage without Assault hybrid. But it is fun to see the mobs massing on the warshade.

I guess you could combine it with the dwarf antagonize, for some serious taunting. The dwarf taunt can be used in human form with a bind: "powexectoggleon Black Dwarf$$powexecname Black Dwarf Antagonize".

 

- Starless step is the same power as combat teleport. It works very well to catch static stragglers with a bind like: "powexec_location target shadow step".

But runners keep running during the animation, so you end up teleporting a few feet too short for melee with those.

 

- Most builds have at least 2 ranged attacks in human form: shadow blast and ebon eye. They can finish minions and lieutnants from range. But bosses definitely call for melee.