Best way to build a Shieldbreaker??

[LostAngel1000]

This has been one the biggest issues for me with the Shieldbreaker, as they seem to be very odd to know how to build them best. They seem like they be good in a dancer team, one who shuffles around a lot and is able to use at least the first 2 or 3 postitions to juggle around in, but really unsure if that is there best use or if so how best to build them for that to be effective long term.

Anyone master the ShieldBreaker enough to help me?

[White Shadow]

They go well in slot 2, and with someone in slot 1 who is flexible (Man at Arms, Bounty Hunter, or Crusader, possibly Flagellant). Highwayman can also be ok, but you'll be lacking on a good tank. Hellion and Leper aren't bad companions, but they are way more reliant on being in position 1 than other classes, so ideally you don't want a dancer swapping in and out with them.

I like to use Pierce or Puncture that gets her forward (Pierce for regular attacking, Puncture if I need to pull a back row enemy forward), and then Impale or Adder's Kiss that moves her back and inflicts blight (I prefer Impale more personally). I also like using Capture, because it's a damaging move and inflicts blight (and more dmg against marked targets too).

[Kaladin Canuck]

I find they work best as a pair in the front row spamming kiss and impale. Against guard they can team up and 1 turn most enemies and they can pull rank 3 and 4 respectively to swap enemy formations in 1 turn (very effective in Ruins). If they both use their shields that is half of your party immune to damage for a while or use that other move to stack crit chance vs bosses each turn. They compliment each other nicely.

[Sines]

I always put her in slot one, so you can open up with Impale or Adder's Kiss. Match her up with someone who can retreat with their attack (Highwayman being the obvious choice) and you can combo it nicely.

I really like opening with Impale. It does fairly strong damage to the entire enemy party, and can setup your first kill quite well. Just pair her with another dancer in slot two, or with someone who doesn't care whether they're in slot 1 or 2, which is most tanks, and a few other front liners.

[SergeTroy]

I feel this comes down to two questions in one. First, how do you build your party around the Shield Breaker(s), and second, what quirks do you try and get for your ShieldBreaker(s)?

When building parties around the Shield Breaker, I always start the ShieldBreaker in spot 1 or 2, and mostly spot one unless I have Expose AND Puncture, allowing me to move back via Combat Skill from positions 1, 2, and 3, as well as move forward one from any position - as I have no for sure idea on what skill I might prefer to start combat off with, or who's going to go first. I definitely always go with Serpent Sway as a chosen skill to have, as well as Pierce, which are 99% of the time always there. Puncture is also almost always on, because it's a combat skill that I can use from ANY rank. I mostly only use Adder's Kiss in the beginning of the game, before Impale get's a Blight attached to it, after which I almost purely use Impale. Captivate i don't find myself using very much even thought it deals the most damage when the Occultist is there and marking targets.

In the Cove, I have 2 or 4 different set ups, using the Occultist, the Jester, the Abomination, the Man-at-Arms, a Plague Doctor, or another ShieldBreaker

Example Cove Team:

• Spot 4: Jester, with Dirk Stab, Finale, Inspiring Tune, and Party Ballad. I might sub out Party Ballad for Slice Off.
  
• Spot 3: Occultist, with Sacrificial Stab, Abyssal Artillery, Wyrd Reconstruction, and Vulnerability Hex.
  
• Spot 2: Man-at-Arms, using Bellow, Rampart, Defender, and Retribution. I might sub out Retribution for Crush.
  
• Spot 1: ShieldBreaker, using Puncture, Pierce, Adder's Kiss, and Serpent Sway. Later on I'll sub out Adder's Kiss for Impale.

Variations happen, of course, but almost always there's a Jester and Occultist. If I sub out the Man-at-Arms for an Abomination, I put the Abomination in spot 2 or 3. If spot 2, no other changes to the party, but if in spot 3, I'll have the Occultist sub out Abyssal Artillery for Hands of the Abyss and put him in spot 2, with the SB and him swapping places at no disadvantage. If I sub out the Man-at-Arms for a Plague Doctor, it's pretty much the same thing, but with the PD going into Spot 3 and the Occultist in spot 2 all the time (maybe spot 4 for the PD and spot 3 for the Jester).

When it comes to quirks, I found myself looking at both the Shield Breaker's "chassis" as well as her combat skills. She is relatively squishy, with low hit points and a Dodge that I believe is just a little under the top dogs (Occultist and Grave Robber, I think). Her accuracy is relatively high and is reinforced by her District (Training Ring with +4 ACC and +10% max health). I also prefer where possible to use the Crimson Court set trinkets with each of my heroes, though exceptions exist (Grave Robber, Leper, a few others). Her trinket set bolsters her otherwise squishy self with +10% PROT, +15% Max HP. She's already getting +10% Max HP from the District, so that's +25% Health right there. This makes grabbing Hard Skinned a wonderful option to me.

She really splits her skills between Ranged and Melee attacks, so I dislike getting her Quirks like Eagle Eye, Slugger, Unerring, etc. Deadly seems interesting but it's only +1% crit chance: bring a Jester. Her speed is already top of the line, so Quick Reflexes is unnecessary, and it's rare that you need her to go first every combat (On Guard) - I reserve that for Stunners like the PD. She's getting a flat +4 bonus to her accuracy from the District, and none of her trinket's (class specfic) grant any bonus there, so I like to get Natural Swing and make Accuracy bonuses far less relevant. A base +9 Accuracy from District and Quirk is a wonderful thing.

The final quirk is kinda open to me, but I generally think it should either be Clotter, Hard Noggin, or Unyielding, with Unyielding being my first choice, followed closely by Hard Noggin. As with everything, YMMV.