Tips for a Martial only or Astral only run?

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Those are the only ones I'm missing, and I'm struggling to do them, Martial seems completely useless and I'm unsure how to go about building astral only.

[Dr. Shenanigans]

I got an Astral-only build for you. Only two abilities even, just ran it at cycle 4

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3385947206

Druid, worm, projection, star cult, arch magus. Stand-still mechanics-preferred.

You get infinite Eiqab if you keep your flexibility and encumbrance in check. Absolutely dumps out damage and summons. early game you wanna focus on summons to keep yourself alive, but otherwise it's a pretty-flexible build.

I chose naqui because I couldn't really fit in a race, but Valr could work well due to how easily this build kills allies- I had a lot of dead snakes and cultists that run.

The downside is that this is really fragile. in fact, this build I only got to dust 8, when most Maqbara runs would end me at dust 11.

Either way, I would recommend sticking to lower-cycles if you wanna achievement-hunt on PoA anyway. Purity runs are basically-impossible on higher-cycles due to the necessity for consistent healing -and- damage.

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Originally posted by Dr. Shenanigans:

I got an Astral-only build for you.

Thanks... I did not know you could go back to previous cycles, and I've won enough to get all but two of the mono-type achievements- that might explain why I'm having trouble winning as astral or martial but consistently getting to the halfway point.

[Draken]

Astral:
Albaz Ascetic of Agara into Arch-Magus

Astrokinesis: 1
Asi Malak: 1
Projection: Everything else

Maybe 1 point of Astrostoicism for safety?

Stay unencumbered and flexible and put your stat points into Dexterity, Vigor and maybe a bit of Wisdom.


Recommended Items (subject to change depending on what you find):
Robe of Light/Intabah
Auzomi Sash
Saafa
Star Staff
Crystal Rod
Ice Gloves

You got 13 Prayers per map, each triggering all your Stand Still actions twice as well as healing you. That should allow you to deal with most enemies if you got enough speed.

[Dr. Shenanigans]

Just completed this run at cycle 4, martial-only.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3386524005

Ape assassin of tengri. Agility is the primary spec, but ape was chosen to take slight advantage of bieth nochi. Not quite as destructive as the two-skill astral build, but an agile nude ape survived more as a champion than my last build which was a poise-centric warrior.

Final boss was spicy though.

[IlyaMerian]

I literally just ran this build on cycle 11. The idea is to summon, which makes you do damage, and if they don't all die on entrance, you prayer 1 once and blow up whatever is left by teleporting everyone around randomly. End-boss died in 1 proper turn (after entrance).

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3417583333

Enjoy!

P.S. (only Dust 8 though)

[Seeds]

I just 100%ed the game last week, so I have plenty of entries to walk the Path of Dust.

I had a 4th Cycle win with an Albaz Secutor Starjumper of Oros.

Swift Blade, Ice Staff, Mind Diamond, Jade Discplate, Ice Gloves, Kairos Skirt

AstroKinesis 3, Master Teleport 1, Asi Malak 1, Astrostoicism 2, Innervation 1, Projection 6, Shimmergang 3.

For Martial only I did an Imp Druid Champion of Mardok at Cycle 16. Race and class didn't matter. The build is a bit of a mess, as you'll see, but it worked fine.

Fire Staff, Lightning Staff, Emerald Helm (of Mardok), Robe of Light, Jade Bracers, Sita Kamarband

Aim 1, Agility 1, Technique 1, Guard 8, Stand Ground 10, Heavyweight 7. You could easily drop Aim and Agility.

[JackThejil]

Mm... martial's pretty easy, grab oros, pile everything into technique and pugilism, maybe nab a couple points of aim or nocht. Heal on bare fist glove or blood/physical damage armor to cover attrition, scythes are pretty good for weapons. Turns you into a fairly straightforward murderblender.

Kinda' inconsistent at higher cycles, but it'll still manage occasionally depending on enemy RNG.

[Ghin]

For martial only just pick Champion for your prestige and laugh as you have a bazillion speed and poise simply for existing.

[MadArtillery]

Champion poise spam was definitely one of the easiest runs I've done. Ran the god that spawns skeletons that borrow your stats. I really didn't have to do much. Was like cycle 12 or something like that.

[Namethatworks]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3418574337
This worked great for martial for me.

[Lionade]

Originally posted by Draken:

Astral:
Albaz Ascetic of Agara into Arch-Magus

Astrokinesis: 1
Asi Malak: 1
Projection: Everything else

Maybe 1 point of Astrostoicism for safety?

Stay unencumbered and flexible and put your stat points into Dexterity, Vigor and maybe a bit of Wisdom.


Recommended Items (subject to change depending on what you find):
Robe of Light/Intabah
Auzomi Sash
Saafa
Star Staff
Crystal Rod
Ice Gloves

You got 13 Prayers per map, each triggering all your Stand Still actions twice as well as healing you. That should allow you to deal with most enemies if you got enough speed.

Can confirm this build works. The single point in Astrostoicism saved my hiney in the final fight against the KoMC. Never found the Saafa which was a shame. 17th Cycle of Ablation.

Final stats:
Albaz Ascetic Arch-Magus of Agara

Life: 5956
Str: 6
Dex: 51
Wil: 20

Equipped:
Star Staff
Crystal Rod
Sun Mask (never could find Saafa...)
Jade Bracers (random decision to wear them on the last level)
Auzomi Sash
Intabah
Astrokinesis: 1
Asi Malak: 1
Projection: 20
Astrostoicism 1

[doofus0510]

i had a build that worked for my first win(I think i just gave myself as much speed and dodge as possible)

[aremtheman]

It's been a while, but I remember passing cycle 25 with martial only build that was mostly technique.