What Neidan builds have you tried? What stacks? What is good?

[slayor3000]

As the intro asks, "What Neidan builds have you tried? What stacks? What is good?"

Why? Because when Rune mastery came out a lot of people moaned about it, yet it has turned out to be (maybe my personal opinion) almost as good as the "class 1" masteries and has bought in a whole new way to play.
No-one knew its potential, it took a long time of testing builds and then reading forums to see where its full potential was.

Neidan first seemed to me for those who wanted to play mage/ caster, but there are skill trees there that can help make a lot of "hybrids", for example, I have just been messing about with a "monk" and it offers Defence some nice skills, not many but Defence only needs 2 to 3 skill trees from any build.

So: What type of build?
What worked?
What did not?
What stacks? (would not need to ask if the TQ Calc was updated, but heh).
Lots of questions, no wrong answers, we all play differently.

p.s Do not try Legendary Hydra with -100 bleed and -60 poison....lol.

[phadin]

At least one version of TQCalc is updated with Nedian.

https://www.tqcalc.com/

Eitehr way, it definately seems caster oriented to me. Attribute wise, it matches Storm/Earth for Intelligence gain, while it provides no strength for melee or physical oriented combat. Ability wise, it's allmost entirely focused on elemental damage, which also supports a caster/intellect build. It's defensive skill, Aura of Tranquility, will be very difficult to sustain without caster gear supporting more energy regen. Any class could utilize the potion passives or Consequences, but most of the rest really is caster focused.

[slayor3000]

Thank you @phadin for the updated link, I will try after this.
I was thinking (not my type of build) but a "Ring of Flame" build, easily sustained by spamming potions, because of Neidans Potent elixir.

[rakshir]

I"m currently playing a pure Neidan mage build. I'm around level 20 in Egypt. For leveling skills, Huangdi's favor adds decent damage with a staff. Its modifier that adds AOE will probably be pretty powerful with a few points. I just got it. Breath Attack sucks for damage until you get Voice of the Ancients, then it's good. Shen Pao is your first really good mob clearer and its modifier is cool. I was kind of bummed that the modifier effect looks exactly like Storm Surge. Even if it was just a bigger Shen Pao effect, it would have been much better IMO. Terra Cottas seem OKAY. Of course, this is all just beginner leveling. I fear that most of the listed skills will lose their damage potential later the game, because they don't really have good multiple, stacking skills in the lines. You know, mages in Titan Quest... The most powerful skills for many characters later on, I imagine, would be Consequences and Aura of Tranquility. Aura of Tranquility, in particular, just seems like a ridiculously OP defensive skill for any character. All in all, my take on the mastery is that it kind of rips off many other skills in other masteries, but it's pretty fun so far.

[slayor3000]

@Raskshir.
That is a nice write up. Be good to know how them Terra Cottas do after you meet the yeti and getting 2 X hp.
I have been looking to see how to make them more useful and Dreams Mastermind looks the best bet so far.

@phadin
thank you for the link.

[chris.ferrantegerard]

Currently trying a self found Hermit (Nature/Nedian) summon build. With 3 wolves (only got +1 nature so far so only have 2 out unless I find a Mastery shrine), a nymph and 2 Terrocotta as permanent pets should have lots of pets out. Aura of Tranq, Heart of Oak and Briar Ward should help with survivability. Currently in Act 4 normal. Most of my points dumped into summons for build so haven't had a chance to try out to much stuff in Neidan, have Huangdi for attack replacer and the wave attack and I am leveling up Neidan mastery bar.

[CygGame]

I have tried two variations of contemplator (nedian/dream) on legendary. I wanted to get the deathless achievement for the DLC. That play through gave me the inspiration to play the current contemplator Im using.

The starting gear is quite nice defensively and used it through the whole act. AOT and trance of convelesence makes a very strong tanky combo. Trance of convelesence helps with the mana drain from AOT. I was still chugging mana pots, so I maxed convergence and it made chugging pots all the time less painful. Even while being random, all the additional potion bonus' were nice when they proc'd.

My DPS was lower than what I like on builds but consequences pairs very nicely with pass through on psionic touch and elemental staff damage.

Distort reality - nice "get out of trouble" button
Dream image to help take enemy heat off my character
The added vitality damage from touch and lucid dream pairs with weakest chakra and the additional damage reduction from chakra is another "get out of trouble" button

I plan on swapping in a vitality damage staff for the above combination

Potions, distort reality and weakest chakra really helped survivability during damage spikes I encountered.


-Current Build is a hybrid using both physical and elemental damage. Sword and shield.

Trance of wrath, consequences and AOT combos together very nicely.

TOW constantly proc's consequences in a radius and reduces enemy resistance (I don't know if the TOW reduction stacks with consequences reduction or not have not really tested it)

-your ring of flame build would be a very nice build for the constant consequence proc.

haungdi's favor for AOE and lighting damage for the aforementioned resistance reduction. Using sets ursuption sword from act 6 which can proc additional elemental damage.

Weakest chakra for additional resistance reduction. I would think something is stacking here on all of this because I do see large damage spikes on the enemy.

Lucid dream, Distort reality and weakest chakra maxed out +4 when used together wipes out circles of enemies.

maxed out convergence with +4 has a 47% chance to proc. I just chug pots constantly now and often have two different potion bonus' up on the character.

Smoke cloud and summon nightmare for additional crowd control.

Both builds have been fun, dream is my favorite class anyway though. I see Tons of potential with nedian.

[redgreen999]

Running a new as found Neidan/Earth. Obviouslt synergy is awesome but it will have low HP unless gotten through gear. Shen Pau (sp?) is basically fire orb but with rotating elemental damage and no stun. I put 1 on the left mouse button and 1 on the right and rain them all over.

The hard part is deciding if I should focus on Earth or Neidan 1st until I get far enough along to have points in both.

[Wyvern]

I also completed the DLC as a Contemplator (dream + Neidan) using self-found gear. Makes for a nice defensive build when you don't have great gear yet. None of the bosses were a problem, only thing that kills you are some of the undead casters if you get overwhelmed.

[Fritou]

Soooo Neidan is kinda a full INT mastery ? Except petmancers and with Rune maybe ?

[slayor3000]

Thats what the thread was for to see all the different ways people can find to use Neidan.
Int based is what it looks to have been made for, but....after doing 1 hour test on all the builds I have opted to try 2 total hybrids for 0 death legendary runs.

The bracers you get as starting gear are great for both a Rune and a Defense build. -25% recharge.
I have Niedan/Rune, which I first took to first village in new area to see how tough it may be and then went to Helos to play through legendary. Only into Act 2, all is good at the moment
Using some strength rings which make all my atts close to 500.

With 2 Throw weapons Thunder strike is down to 1.4 seconds and weakest Chakra to 30 second recharge.
AoT, Weakest Chakra and Consequences seem very good defensive skills.
Terra Cotta Soldiers (I only have 1 point in there final synergy until I can double there health) do the job I need them for and with Weakest Chakra maxed they last a lot longer.
Need to up Poison and Pierce resist before Act 3, them negative resists would be suicide in that Act.

[redgreen999]

I just tested earth/neidan in starting area level 70. It is very weak against 1st mobs. However I only added enough int to equip staff and have - must be like 150 attribute points unused. The trouble with a build like this is, I want to use a shield. The stuff you start with has no -req and in an actually int based character, there is no way I would add 350 str to equip a shield. I'd wear Rings of the Rhine or something and the -20 str req ring option.

So its very limited to start and the staff does mainly all poison damage. Didn't even have enough gold to equip a staff from the 1st merchant.

Then I also brought in my pre-leveled hunter/defense with its best gear and needless to say 1st area was a yawn fest. Only way to get a fair balance would seem to be play as found from level 1. Only for me anyway, it isn't just what drops - I farm until I get some + skill equip. I would end up with the hunter/warden pre-played OP situation again.

The stuff it auto hands out for new level 70 player is best suited for melee. I may go that route and he can farm for say a Wu character which needs more specilzed equip. At least equip that allows to wear a shield without pumping 400 str points.

I am getting a bit frustrated with the DLC. Impatient to get on with the new area. I have had fun greta balanced stuff playing up to level 14 and level 25 from scratch. Also playing from level 40, I have a way OP level 52 now. But it won't be OP after in leaves act 3 Epic.

However, I just don't feel like running the level 14 through what would be 14 acts to get to act 5 of legendary. Or even running the level 52 through 7 more acts. Come to realize I am burned out on acts 1-3 and after awhile everything plays the same, if that makes any sense. Very little will surprise me there and a skill with a different name that does 25% damage absorption will play very much like a different skill that does 22% damage absorption.

To sum up, which isn't possible for a ramblr like myself.... Everything I start feels either OP or under powered and too close to something I already ran.