Intelligence based Warfare viable?

[Shard of Manus]

Doing a Red Prince run, and wanted to mix Geo, Pyro and Warfare.

Intend on using a Staff, so that Warfare scales with Intelligence. Is this viable?

[Chaoslink]

Warfare itself buffs physical damage only. Whether the skills can scale by intelligence, I don’t know, but staves deal magic damage so you wouldn’t stack warfare beyond skillbook requirements.

[Shard of Manus]

Aye, the skills scale with intelligence, and deal the Element of the weapon I'm using... it seems to be a less than optimal build, but still viable in my experience so far. Not sure how it would fare late game.

[Chaoslink]

Definitely not saying it can’t be done. You could even make use of the physical buff by using some necro instead. It’s just not as ideal as other builds. As long as you don’t dump everything into warfare, there shouldn’t be much problems.

Personally, my favorite warfare build was a finesse based spear build, with major focus on utilizing cleave on the weapon. A spear’s range mixed with 50% cleave meant high AoE melee physical damage. If my ally (lone wolf) could stack enemies together with teleports, I could wipe them in just o e turn at times. Guaranteed knockdown two turns in a row.

[Leopanther]

Yes, warfare skills can scale with intelligence if you're using Staff as a weapon.
Though it kinda hurts more than it helps. Sure it can be interesting to do a elemental damage whirlwind, battle stomp, battering ram, etc. But means you're taking down magic armor, not physical armor, which means you won't get the skills' very useful knockdowns (or cripple, or chicken claw) without some other char taking down their physical armor first.

I guess you could use staff + 1 or 2 points in warfare for the elemental damage melee skills, but then still use elemental spells to disable enemies with stuns or freezes after you got their magic armor down.

[Revolucas]

Originally posted by Chaoslink:

Warfare itself buffs physical damage only. Whether the skills can scale by intelligence, I don’t know, but staves deal magic damage so you wouldn’t stack warfare beyond skillbook requirements.

Warfare skills scale by weapon damage regardless of type as long as it's a melee weapon. That means everything except bow/crossbow and wand.


I'm going to have to say it's only viable on easier difficulties, definitely not on Tactician. The status effect applied by Warfare skills are still Physical Armor resisted. Even if you manage to get max Int, Twohand and Pyro, for example, you are just gimping yourself. Whirlwind will at most do slightly less than Fireball. Also, since you waste points into Twohand, it locks you into a specific magic type which will make certain fights where an enemy is elemental immune difficult. Is there enough points to increase Twohand, Scoundrel and a Magic skill to max? Imagine the crit damage on spells when holding a staff.

[hairyscotsman]

2 intelligance based builds using warfare here.
https://fextralife.com/divinity-original-sin-2-builds-elemental-champion/
https://fextralife.com/divinity-original-sin-2-builds-battlemage/
Base it somewhat off that advice is my advice

[Chaoslink]

Never really felt like using a staff was worth it. Same with dual one handers. My favorite melee was always pure damage spear with 50% cleave on said spear. Then (using buffs and saved AP in lone wolf) I’d have my ally teleport, nether swap and anything else to pile enemies up then enweb them. With just 3 enemies in the cleave’s massive range, I’d be doing 200%. Could often get 5 enemies together for a total 300% base damage spread out. Against single targets, I’d burn physical armor off and my ally would shackle them, then I’d attack my ally directly to deal 150% to the enemy while my ally was under death resist. Was a great build.

[ZH0UL]

I got here looking for int warefare build ideas too. Since Necro is physical I think it works. Changing my cleric to Int/warfare so they can knock ppl down sounds good

[Deadlylag]

Originally posted by Shard of Manus:

Doing a Red Prince run, and wanted to mix Geo, Pyro and Warfare.

Intend on using a Staff, so that Warfare scales with Intelligence. Is this viable?

My gears gave me Warfare but I didn't use it. There no needs in act 3 and 4 when you have access to higher damage spells.

I went with Fan and Red Prince Geo, Pryo, Aero build. Killed the last boss group fight in 2 cycle. Could have done it in one cycle if I didn't miss clicked. The three bosses die on the first turn to two Pyroclastic Eruption. Red Prince should have finished the rest of them with Pyroclastic Eruption but I missed clicked. Had to wait another turn to do it.

Fire is good in the first three acts. Act 4 fire effectiveness fell off. Pyroclastic Eruption is my main one kill shot in act 4.