Melee/Crit Build discussion

[Matticus]

So, I've been playing the current release and I'm at endgame. I haven't progressed to the very end yet, as I'm leveling up for it. Currently I've been playing with a glass cannon build that focuses on high crit damage/chance with high attack damage and a somewhat low defense stat. It isn't entirely low as I don't want to get one-shotted, but balanced enough that I can take a few good hits with semi-decent elemental resistances(About 15/35% across the board). My attack is around 400 and increases or lowers depending on the element I switch to. Defense is about 300ish? Focus is about 390 and lowers or increases as well(These are finalized stats. Level is 59, but only because I'm using the Boosters to increase enemy levels and difficulty). My current equipment is Climate Cowl, Hydra Fang, Warkeeper, Timeworn Belt, and Lead Boots. So far, it's pretty satisfying to play as, but I need to mix it up with timed dodges and perfect guards, so I usually mess up half the time. Was just curious if anyone else tried for similar builds or if you found something else manageable.

[..]

yea i've done the same and completed the game just fine. I'll link the gear/stats i finished w/ in a bit.
Oh, and it's the quickest one, but not the easiest one. High defense ones w/ regen are the easiest.
edit: probably not the best(mostly in the atk dept), but wanted to make sure focus was high enough along w/ modifiers like bullseye. strawhat could be replaced w/ furious hothead or trackwalker visor. https://i.imgur.com/5STM62I.jpg

[nawat126]

So, my current gameplay tends to be a Def/Att build at around 450ish each, with either High Def/Lower Att or High Att/Lower Def depending on element - with Focus around 325-375.

I generally don't like Crit builds, because I always have a terrible chance of hitting Crits, even if my chance is pretty high for some reason.

In this case, I'm a dodge/guard heavy character so I tend to not get damaged much, and when I do, I have HP regen too, so I'm relatively unlikely to die at all.

Admittedly I'm over-levelled for endgame at level 67 + wearing endgame gear so the only real trouble I really get is with the Behesloths/RoboPanda.

Preferred equipment:
Serene Bubble
Hydra Fang x2 OR Hydra Fang and Skirmisher (Depending on HP Regen needs)
Centaur Vest
Unicorn Greaves

But I do have a genuine reason for this equipment/level - as when I fought Shizuka , I was much weaker and wearing worse equipment so I got absolutely battered, and thought that the final boss would be much tougher.

Got another character that just got to Rhombus Square, and I'm still deciding whether I want to do what I did with my other one, or see how a different build will work.

[Matticus]

Interesting builds; from both of you. I was thinking of going with a tankier build, but I find my patience can draw thin and I'll usually tend to be more aggressive with attacks. I'll admit that I'm more drawn toward the combat in this game over the puzzles. I do love solving them and even though it can be frustrating, the result is great when you do unravel what's needed in those puzzles. Still trying to get endgame gear, and double Hydra Fangs, eh? I thought about that lol. Maybe I should try it. The one Hydra Fang is good, but getting the materials takes a lot time, so the Boosters help. I am gunning for that Furious Hothead. Defense takes a dip, but I want that Focus. Also, about the crit chance/damage. I haven't figured it out, but I do agree that it's almost luck-based. You can stack Focus like a madman, but enemies clearly have crit resistance in certain instances to keep things balanced. I have SP Regen at 15% and with Perfect Guard giving me SP back if I'm able to do it(Thank god for Avenger), I fire off a lot of Level 2/3 Arts like crazy to make up for it(This is why I prefer the Shock/Wave element). If I can chain it right and the enemy is weak against my element, I can usually hit 12000 damage after releasing two or more. Depends how tanky the enemy is.

[Insovial]

No one with the Meister gloves broken ♥♥♥♥ ?

[Dark Thoughts]

I played that during EA, it was doable but hard because you really can't take a lot of hits which means you must play bosses really well.
This time I went with HP & HP regen + defense and it is so much more forgiving. I feel some bosses are a bit too easy though, like the last one which deals basically no damage even if you facetank all the attacks.

[Fe'sz]

I've played through the game with a simmilar build, main stats are Focus and Attack with heavy focus on Melee and some on ranged.

Let's just say that the term glass cannon fits perfetly, You can die in a few hits, especially during the last boss... I was actually temped to just say "♥♥♥♥ it" and watch the ending on youtube and be done with it because I couldn't switch gear to have more deffense.

On the other hand though, from what I've seen you don't actually lose out on that much damage if you use a tanky loadout with main focus being either Attack and Def or HP and Def. With the focus loadout you can reliably down the needed HP of a boss to get into the next phase within a Break whereas with Def gear you might need 2 Breaks but ultmately it will be much easier to live through the attacks until the next break even if your timing with dashes and blocks aren't on point.

When more content gets released to the game I'll play through the entire thing again but this time I'm planning on using a full tank loadout with dash + ranged focus for abilities. Melee is nice and powerful but ultimately you have a lot more trouble vs a lot of enemies who constantly dodge melee attack as well as many bosses rely more on ranged than melee and even if they can be damaged by melee so can they by ranged soo yeah, in retrospec, ranged is the more consistent way.

[Matticus]

I will agree with you there. Despite my damage and high crit, I did have to redo bosses a lot. The boss in the Old Dojo for example? I think I found myself repeating that boss five or eight times. His whole I'm gonna-dash-through-your-character-fifty-thousand-times phase gave me a headache, but it did help me perfect my Perfect Guard timing. Same thing with the ape boss in Grand Krys'kajo, as I found his jumping around and dash attacks difficult to dodge, so I instead waited patiently and I think at one point Perfect Guarded the whole thing.

[..]

When you have to take a more defensive approach with the gear, you have to use your arts and consumables to keep you alive(Lead Boots also help quite a bit due to the modifier). Wave Dash art that provides the decoy helps and just the lvl 1 shock guard art is also fine. I usually use a green leaf tea for regen and only use things like cross sandwiches for bosses. Timing your guards well will also help for those bosses when you know you can't dodge effectively.