How crucial is climbing big monsters?

[Fjolde]

As the title says.

I'm not too far in the game, I've rerolled so many times between fighter and strider and I like them both but certain things keep making me switch. Basically, I really like fighter but my pawns haven't reliably been fighting flying mobs which makes me concerned with how they'll perform in boss fights.

So I make a strider and I like it but I don't see a huge difference in damage and now I don't have a shield and I am just not very good with a bow, I might get better but even then when I hit the damage doesn't seem worth the effort. When I fight groups with my strider it feels like I'm poking brick with a stick of gum. Also, I can't seem to figure out if there's a dodging mechanic because I keep eating up damage.

So right now I'm still playing a strider because the few boss fights I did as a fighter my pawns were basically worthless.

I'm just all sorts of confused, I must enjoy the game I've already put 10+ hours into it but I haven't made it much past the first Gran Soren visit. Can I count on my pawns to get better? Can I do damage to bosses as a fighter without relying on my pawns?

[Lv 20 Bolting Bot]

Unless you're going for a climbing-orientated solo build with Autonomy and Opportunism, I don't really ever think it's worth to climb anything that is not a cyclops. Cyclopes are efficient to kill via eye-smacking, but pretty much everything else is destroyed way quicker via the use of skills on the ground. Climbing also gets finicky when you move between body parts and the camera is horrible against certain foes.

Climbing is not crucial at all. Personally I find it overly cumbersome and not worthwhile in most cases. With a strider, spamming Thousand Kisses/Skull Splitter is generally more efficient any way.

Edit: Bow damage is amazing against certain enemies. Mighty Bend for small things, Fivefold Arrow for large things.

[Lego Yoda (goth)]

There is a dodge roll. It gives invincibility frames and costs no stamina but it's only available when you have a dagger equipped and have learned the core skill. It's very good.

Pawns can get better simply by learning enemy weaknesses and they will adapt, but unless they have good inclinations they might do stupid things. Like mages going into melee. Their skills also effect their behaviour. They can be very effective.

How pawns work isn't very well explained in the game. There are good guides written by the community though.

Yes, you don't have to rely on your pawns. You can play solo if you want, there's even an augment that increases your damage when you don't have any pawns with you. You can also bring along a mage pawn that has buffs.

[Huggles the Cat]

I'd say it's important for exploiting weakpoints and creating openings for your team to exploit. Just keep in mind your vocation and climbing ability. If you aren't a vocation that has skills for climbing or is extra slow (like warrior and fighter) leave the climbing to your pawn(s) and back them up when possible. Just because you're the hero doesn't mean you need to be the one leading a chargel teamwork is often more rewarding when doesn't with inteligence.

[lilwing]

Assassins profit from climbing the most because of gale harness and hundred kisses combo. Imo, it's the most fun class to play in the main game (able to use daggers, swords, shields AND bows; great skills, great stat growths). Striders shine at DLC island thanks to upgraded splitter skill, and not like they are designed for climbing much.

[andy]

Climbing is a great and fun way to kill any large monster when you have strong daggers, 100/1000 kisses and Adhesion secret augment. I killed cursed dragons, elder ogres and condemned gorecyclops that way with SDF Dragon's Pain dagger and 4 conqueror's periarts without any problems at level 30+. Takes less than 1 minute.

[Ͽ҈҉Ͼ]

Originally posted by Aesheon:

Unless you're going for a climbing-orientated solo build with Autonomy and Opportunism, I don't really ever think it's worth to climb anything that is not a cyclops.

How about the fact that it's fun? It doesn't matter what class, even climbing to the face of an ogre and shooting it in the head with a staff bolt is satisfying in its own right. Who cares about efficiency?

[Lv 20 Bolting Bot]

Originally posted by Ͽ҈҉Ͼ:

Originally posted by Aesheon:

Unless you're going for a climbing-orientated solo build with Autonomy and Opportunism, I don't really ever think it's worth to climb anything that is not a cyclops.

How about the fact that it's fun? It doesn't matter what class, even climbing to the face of an ogre and shooting it in the head with a staff bolt is satisfying in its own right. Who cares about efficiency?

Hence the "I don't really". If you find it enjoyable, that's great. I was simply answering the question whether it's crucial to playing the game.

[ShinkuTear]

Climbing is sometimes the best way to deal with an enemy, sometimes the only way, and sometimes just the fun way.

Condemned Gorecyclops for example. Yeah, I could let my 2 Sorc pawns chip away High Gicel for 10 minutes... or I could toss on my Gloves of Might, pop 4 Conquer's Periapts, and Deadly Gouge the thing into the ground within 1-2 minutes(including climb time). I could use my bow and aim for its head/eye, but I need Blast Arrows to compete with gouging. I could Full Moon Slash the legs, but the big guy is mobile, flails around, and doesn't take much damage from the legs.

Golems as another example. I could let my 2 Sorc pawns chip away with High Gicel or High Bolide for 10~ minutes, or I could climb and kill it within a minute. I could also use my bow for an even faster kill... but I like climbing most of the time.

Climbing is a tool, an option, and sometimes using it is not needed/a poor idea(assassin vs golem), other times it is very useful and can save you a lot of time and effort(gorecyclops), but other times, it is the only way(no archer/sorc vs golem) to get by.

[Fjolde]

Well I rerolled again as a fighter -- I like shields and heavy armor. After reading everything I realized I wouldn't enjoy climbing as much as I do smashing.

Now I'm just deciding where to go from here. Mystic Knight looks great but I'm not sure how much warrior it is vs mage.

BTW: Are you low level? Look for Ron the dwarf pawn. He brings the noise.

[Donoghu]

Personnaly, as a melee (be it fighter/warrior/MysticKnight or Assassin/Strider with dagger) I'm always climbing big things. :P

Cyclops:
Climb them to smash their eye and/or remove their helmet.
Make short work of them really quickly once the helmet is removed. Like 10 sec max to kill them. If they have armor, it's faster to destroy one of their legs' armor, make them band and destroy that helmet once they're "down" which as they raise up you climb their head. (While, the mage cast lightning spells on it. Any Mage or Sorcerer pawn with at least 2/3 knowledge in Cyclops will priorise lighting buff and attack when the cyclop armors.)

Chimera:
I kill the snake head, then jump on their back and kill the sheep head and keep hitting the back of the lion head.

Griffin:
If you never climbed them before, worth doing at least once. You will love what will follows... though you might be scared of the results. ;)

Hydra:
You can kill its heads easily by climbing the body.

The first error people does is trying the climb the slow way.
The way I climb is that I jump, hang orient myself or wait until the creature is slightly stable (no attacking or running around), then jump and hang myself higher. This allows you, if you time it right, to reach the head in 1 or 2 jumps which leaves you with at least 9/10 of your stamina for the striking. When I'm close of not having any stamina remaining, I use the heavy attack for one final blow before regaining my stamina.

[godila2]

Daimon is if you dont cheese with blast arrows, climbing to his head is basicly must for meele character

[LΞVITΛTΞ]

In my opinion any class is capable of killing most bosses. In order to have a combat flow smoothly, knowledge/bestiary is key. So your pawns be able to exploit enemy's weaknesses.
Once the weakness is exploited, finish the with the toothpick!

The particular bosses, on the other hand, you need to shift vocation to kill that particular boss effectively. It is nice the game offers such flexibity so you can be any vocation.

My pawns and I, as a mage entered Bitterblack Isle, found a big badass chained Cyclops. It wasn't look so scary. I focused my energy and channeled toward that gigantic Cyclops many times until he broke free and the nightmare began. My pawns were probably in shocked, kept running in circle, swang here and there, stood still, idled and died.

I guess with proper knowledges on particular boss would make it easier. Otherwise, you decide to do all the work, make sure you have the proper vocation ready for the situation. Or you could be a sorcerer, this vocation can mercilessly wrecks almost anything on sight, without using blast arrow tactic, of course : ) Cheers