How are pet builds in this game?

[Kickaxe88]

Would i be able to beat the game with one? I hear they're not too great in TQ

[Swanky]

Overall they're viable in various builds and class combinations, some are even top tier. As all things aRPG / H&S games they need specialised gear to reach their full potential.
End of normal difficulty, they struggle a bit with pets survivability however even though AE gave them a decent boost with a sidequest that you will complete around midgame.

[MedeaFleecestealer]

They do tend to recover again once you go into Epic difficulty though.

[Swanky]

Ah yes, should have mentioned I suppose. In each difficulty they get a stat boost.

[chris.ferrantegerard]

Originally posted by Kickaxe88:

Would i be able to beat the game with one? I hear they're not too great in TQ

Pet builds are 100% viable in TQ, some of which are considered top tier (ie: Champion). They get a stat boost in Epic / Legendary, also a health boost mid-way through act 3 in all diffs. At worst, some pets may be a bit fragile in late normal but scale better in Epic and even better in Legendary.

I've cleared the game with multiple pet builds, including doing xmax hardcore with trappers.

[Lobo de hielo]

Originally posted by Kickaxe88:

Would i be able to beat the game with one? I hear they're not too great in TQ

Easiest Hardcore Legendary build ever was a Nature/ Neidan build. Totally OP'ed.
I do not really like pet builds as they tend to go from good to bad to a drag to play during normal and epic. Skill and gear dependant in the way you need +4 skills. As for gear, which is easy to find, you need as much Wraithlord/ Allfathers in Legendary.
If playing from normal I tend not to start pets off until I am in Epic and prefer to build a "toon" that can survive by itself and then respec at a certain point.

[Trip Fisk]

Originally posted by Kickaxe88:

Would i be able to beat the game with one? I hear they're not too great in TQ

I haven't played this game in a real long time, but I picked it up again recently and rocking Dream/Nature build dumping all my skill points into pets

The Dream nightmare is very powerful, but doesn't attack enough

The Nature wolves are basically wimpy yappy dogs until leveled up all the way, then they become just ok. Buffs help them out tremendously

The kismet between the nightmare's pet buff skill maxxed with maxxed wolves is a very good combo.

Fighting a boss or elite enemy that can squash me flat in 2 hits by running around like an idiot letting my doggos and nightmare kill it is a working strategy 99% of the time.

I don't know about the other pets, I only learned recently other masteries have pets too.

[kekkuli]

On normal they are not that great, but they get significant damage boosts when you go to higher difficulties. One thing i have never liked about this game, pet scaling in say, grim dawn, is done so much better.

[zilverheart]

Originally posted by kekkuli:

On normal they are not that great, but they get significant damage boosts when you go to higher difficulties. One thing i have never liked about this game, pet scaling in say, grim dawn, is done so much better.

pls elaborate pet scaling in these 2 games

[Cynodontia]

Beat the game?

Of Course. Played it with nature and earth (finished, but that was before Ragnarök, Atlantis, etc) and currently playing with nature and warfare (inkluding ragnarök and atlantis but without EE)

if I remember correctly, the companions get "better" with each difficulty level because they don't get the deductions the player has to deal with (e.g. in the resistances)

[Gorilianul]

Originally posted by slayor3000:

Originally posted by Kickaxe88:

Would i be able to beat the game with one? I hear they're not too great in TQ

Easiest Hardcore Legendary build ever was a Nature/ Neidan build. Totally OP'ed.
I do not really like pet builds as they tend to go from good to bad to a drag to play during normal and epic. Skill and gear dependant in the way you need +4 skills. As for gear, which is easy to find, you need as much Wraithlord/ Allfathers in Legendary.
If playing from normal I tend not to start pets off until I am in Epic and prefer to build a "toon" that can survive by itself and then respec at a certain point.

I have a toon with Nature+Warfare. Double wielding 2 Bone Crushers (bonus damage to pets) alternately with 2 Fervor of Leucetius (same bonus). All other items mostly pet bonuses. My idea is that with the double wield (only warfare and perhaps rune can use this) and battle standard adds a lot of pure dmg buff that no other mastery can. Wolves deal somewhere betweenn 1500-3000 dmg each+nymph but nymph is just support anyway. Didn't try with neidan yet build will make a test.

[Lobo de hielo]

Originally posted by Gorilianul:

I have a toon with Nature+Warfare. Double wielding 2 Bone Crushers (bonus damage to pets) alternately with 2 Fervor of Leucetius (same bonus).

Talk about perfect timing. Totally forgot about Fervour of Leucetius.
Just came across a Ritualist build I left in the middle of Epic. After taking a while to remember why I was building it in an unconventional way, I was going to go back to another build. Then I saw your post. That weapon might just be perfect, Bone Crushers need too much strength at the moment, maybe mid Legendary. Great timing, going to check it out.

[Gorilianul]

Originally posted by slayor3000:

Originally posted by Gorilianul:

I have a toon with Nature+Warfare. Double wielding 2 Bone Crushers (bonus damage to pets) alternately with 2 Fervor of Leucetius (same bonus).

Talk about perfect timing. Totally forgot about Fervour of Leucetius.
Just came across a Ritualist build I left in the middle of Epic. After taking a while to remember why I was building it in an unconventional way, I was going to go back to another build. Then I saw your post. That weapon might just be perfect, Bone Crushers need too much strength at the moment, maybe mid Legendary. Great timing, going to check it out.

:) Glad to be Helping.

Also chek out the Guise of The Horned God Set if Int+Dex.

The Spear also gives the same bonuses and the rest of the set are just pet bonuses. Goes well with Hermit (Nature+Neidan) just tried it. Equipped the whole set. 3 wolves, 2 stone boys, one nymph. Also got Eidolon Shell which gives some int, some hp and summons an Outsider from time to time.

Looking for Epic/Legendary items Int based that give pet bonuses so I could switch from high str demanding ones.

[Lobo de hielo]

Do not really like the Horned God set.
Nature/ Neidan I hardcored Legendary easily. Wore Succelus gear almost to the end. I never use Terracotta Soldier synergies.
I think Neidan is a much overlooked mastery. It is excellent but does need high energy pool and regen to optimise it.

[Gorilianul]

Originally posted by slayor3000:

Do not really like the Horned God set.
Nature/ Neidan I hardcored Legendary easily. Wore Succelus gear almost to the end. I never use Terracotta Soldier synergies.
I think Neidan is a much overlooked mastery. It is excellent but does need high energy pool and regen to optimise it.

Some good auras, some good passives but too mana expensive. Offensive spell are total BS, almost useless, don't even understand what they actually do. Should have made this mastery a paladin like mastery with auras, mass buffs/debuffs and one hit charged skills. If Rune is the int version of Warfare, Neidan should have been the int version of Defense.

[Lobo de hielo]

I only use Shen Pao when I have excess points. I never use, Blessings of Jin Chan, Chi Realignment, Smoke Cloud, Dragons Flame, Convergence and only 1 point Potent Elixir.
Huangdis favour maxed does some nice damage, good spread and extra damage to Humankind is great for Ragnarok and EE.
Consequences and Synergy proc a lot and is very useful, it does cover a large area.
Aura of Tranquility synergises with so many other builds it can make a glass canon a lot tougher. Although it did give a Defender build almost maxed Physical Resistance as well. That is a tank.
Inner Equilibrium to me is a must have maxed, 50% attack speed, 74% Cast Speed, 25% movement Speed. It is one of the reasons I started using a staff now and again, that and Psionic Beam.
Weakest Chakra you need some good cdr to get benefit from, my Esoterist which is in Legendary has it down to 30 seconds.

You take all the things it does well and leave the rest alone it makes for some great builds, much like all masteries. There are skills I never use from Hunter, Dream etc etc because they do not suit my style of play and / or I find worthless.
Although I think with Neidan I go over the top with the energy regen sometimes, especially with builds that get close to 100 energy regen a second.