How can I build a Barb?

[HaraldOfAlsius]

I've got my scrolled Dwar Barbarian, named Avrin Windhelm if you're know this name better. :)
I dont know alot of things about PvP, RvR, Invasion System... so please give me some tips, tricks, tactics and suggestions about "how the hell can I build an AD based Barb or Stuff like That"?
Weapon/armor types
skills/powers
pros/contras
you know... which skill is useful/useless, which weapon type I should go with, etc... etc... etc...

And last but not least:
Please give me an answer! There aren't any Godsmack quotes..., so i was not as annoying as i was (maybe i'm more annoying, i dont know), but please... i want to go wz... or stuff like that...

[The_Pirate]

Hmmm ok here goes:

Re weapons - dual wield or one hand; preference of most players is dual wield and high AS.

Regarding types:
Blunt least popular as no high lvl one hand blunt weapons exist. So you either go for a very slow/slow dual hand blunt, or for a very good low level blunt. Very few very good low level blunts around, so most people don't go for blunt - reason: high dmg, few ppl stock good/very good vs blunt so even more effective that way, can use MS, but too slow.

Pierce is popular mainly due to good speed with rapiers and good damage with spears. If you want to go down the AS route, rapiers are great weapons. Combined with a blunt off hand, you can easily find 2 nice pieces with AS benefits. Main issue is everyone has good/very good resists vs pierce so your dmg will be mitigated to some extent. Popular choice - reason: good dmg, good AS, single/dual wield possible, but least damaging of barb weapons.

Slash is popular mainly due to South Cross... this is a good damage and good AS option. Nuff said.

Armor:
As a barb your armor is basically paper-ish. Without buffs you die very very fast, especially as you are the frontline attacking force and when it comes to time to withdraw any class can slow you and every class will hammer you. So get good armor. The highest possible AP (armor points) and good/very good vs slash and pierce. Re bonuses, mana, AS, const, HC, AP are all very good to have.

Before the update I went down the barb tank route. Had helm and BP with 5% AP bonus, and the rest was WM armor. With the passive resits I could take a lot, a real lot, of dmg, but didn't deal high dmg myself due to points availability dropping my fulmi tree to lvl 4 on any spell max. Nowadays without the passives this is not really worthwhile as a strategy. I take marginally less dmg than other barbs when fully buffed. So go for dmg assist bonuses is my advice, and all Colossus stuff.

Re set up:
http://regnumsentinel.com/t4z

This seems to be the standard set up for most barbs these days. 10 points remaining to stick wherever you want them.

Re gameplay:
Don't rush carelessly. If possible rush with knights who know how to cast auras, and conjus who know how to time a frontline dash to save your sorry ass when CC'd and getting hammered, but also know how to dash back out of the frontline once they do the job quickly. Be aware that you will move faster than knights or conjus in the rush, so might be worth using your precious UM to get you to the enemy, then relying (hoping for) PA and dispels and DI to stop CC from ruining your attack once amongst the enemy.

A barb is all about the rush - a bad rush and you die without doing any damage at all. A good rush can clear away 3 of more acas no problem. Only way to learn how to rush is to shadow a more experienced barb if possible until you learn how to rush. This is very important.

Personally, I prefer to work with a few other barbs even now that I have more experience on barb. 2 barbs rushing with good coordination can really cause a lot of dmg. And with few players practicing teamwork, most zergs don't know how to deal with two coordinated rushing barbs. The catch - finding a good barb with whom you can coordinate and whose play style matches yours. Ooshy - I <3 U!

Most important advice - be VERY nice to conjus. Few ppl are, so being nice makes you stand out and increases your chance of tender loving care from them.

Good luck. Happy dying (plenty of it, both till you learn barb and once you learn barb).

Jarne/Jaro Seeker

[HaraldOfAlsius]

It... feals very... easy... but... i don't know the abbreviations like DI and stuff like that... so please explain them for me theese things.
this guide makes me... so... hopeful... and... i cant change my subclass anymore for free... for example to a knight... but he has not got damage... it isn't fun! Anyway, I heard that a knight can deal alot of damage with a better weapon. Is it true?
And... thx for this guide!

[HaraldOfAlsius]

Good luck. Happy dying (plenty of it, both till you learn barb and once you learn barb).


It... feals very... easy... but... i don't know the abbreviations like DI and stuff like that... so please explain them for me theese things.
this guide makes me... so... hopeful... and... i cant change my subclass anymore for free... for example to a knight... but he has not got damage... it isn't fun! Anyway, I heard that a knight can deal alot of damage with a better weapon. Is it true?
And... thx for this guide!

[The_Pirate]

DI-Divine Intervention
PA-Protect Ally
Const-constitution
UM-Unstopppable Madness
AS-Attack Speed
MS-Mind Squasher
CC-Crowd Control
AP-Armor Points
HC-Hit Chance

I only have a lower lvl knight on Ra, used full support. So no idea really about knights and dmg. There are some very good knights out there, best they give advice.

Barb can be fun - everyone is afraid of your rush (and rightly so). But you will die a lot (so does pretty much every class really, barring maybe knights and marx), so teamwork is important. Just experiment and enjoy it, find your own play style.

[HaraldOfAlsius]

Just experiment and enjoy it, find your own play style.

Thx, I'll try. :)

[HaraldOfAlsius]

I can't understand... in your biild... there are zero slashing weapon skills?

[The_Pirate]

You only need the skills for the weapon you stock - mine is a pierce weapon, so the skills are mainly on pierce tree, except for the strength passive on blunt as strength=dmg on barb (1 str=2dmg).

So if you are slash, develop slash tree and blunt up till strength passive skill. If pierce then develop pierce tree and blunt up till strength passive. If you are blunt then develop blunt tree and possibly pierce as 1 extra point gives more str than if invested in the blunt tree strength passive.

[HaraldOfAlsius]

O.K. But they say that every class has got resistance aganst every weapon types... Or not?

[ClariceStarling]

Re set up:
http://regnumsentinel.com/t4z

This seems to be the standard set up for most barbs these days. 10 points remaining to stick wherever you want them.



Hi, what you said was pretty accurate, in everything BUT one thing: the set up. You'd go way better with a sword as primary weapon (because of the set up I will give you). Keep the spear to hit those who are running from you.
Just try it
http://regnumsentinel.com/t5k

South Croos and Typhoon are PRIMORDIAL. And some of the skills you have in yours are pretty useless like: Intimidate (4) this one is only use to the player off their mounts, at (1) will be perfect. Although Rend, Heroic Shout and Warmaster Blood are useless.
The set up I gave you is one that is common in RA, give it a try ;)

[halvdan]

Hi, what you said was pretty accurate, in everything BUT one thing: the set up. You'd go way better with a sword as primary weapon (because of the set up I will give you). Keep the spear to hit those who are running from you.
Just try it
http://regnumsentinel.com/t5k

South Croos and Typhoon are PRIMORDIAL. And some of the skills you have in yours are pretty useless like: Intimidate (4) this one is only use to the player off their mounts, at (1) will be perfect. Although Rend, Heroic Shout and Warmaster Blood are useless.
The set up I gave you is one that is common in RA, give it a try ;)

I am no barb, but I am pretty sure this setup isn't pretty common on RA, or peeps on Ra aren't very smart. Just a thought, why you lvled blunt weapons to 13 if using only passive for strength(11 should be enough), another thing, you'd get better strength bonus with decreasing lethal anatomy to 2 and getting lvl 1 versatility. Cool, isn't it? :imstupid:

[The_Pirate]

O.K. But they say that every class has got resistance aganst every weapon types... Or not?

All armor has resistance against every dmg type. Check your armor and you will see a list showing pierce/slash/blunt/fire/ice/lightning. Against each of these you will have v.bad/bad/normal/good/v.good. bads give a percentage less dmg resistance over normal, while goods give a percentage more dmg resistance over normal. Can't remember what the percentages are.

You can't find armor with all dmg types being v.good. So you need to balance the stats according to which dmg type you are most likely to face. Personally I like having good/v.good vs slash and pierce and if possible ice and fire. Why?

Archers give mainly pierce dmg, barbs mainly slash dmg. So good resist vs these are critical, particularly archers as that is the most common dmg to encounter regardless of your class. Ice and fire as I play syrtis and ice/fire are the common elemental dmg types for alsius/ignis.

So far the bonuses on armor pieces have been very important for me. I'm trying to put together a colossus set of v.good vs pierce and slash, and good at least vs ice/fire, regardless of bonuses. Challenging... If I succeed I'll test it to see what is more worthwhile - great resists vs good resists+bonuses.

Hi, what you said was pretty accurate, in everything BUT one thing: the set up. You'd go way better with a sword as primary weapon (because of the set up I will give you). Keep the spear to hit those who are running from you.
Just try it
http://regnumsentinel.com/t5k

South Croos and Typhoon are PRIMORDIAL. And some of the skills you have in yours are pretty useless like: Intimidate (4) this one is only use to the player off their mounts, at (1) will be perfect. Although Rend, Heroic Shout and Warmaster Blood are useless.


Interesting set up. Most is the same, but nice slash tree set up. Might give it a shot if I change my gear. Keep in mind that Ra and Haven have two different environments. Ra is far more zerg and teamwork. Haven is far more individual, due to lower ppltn. Intimi 4 is critical believe me :)

[Xenopuff]

Hi, what you said was pretty accurate, in everything BUT one thing: the set up. You'd go way better with a sword as primary weapon (because of the set up I will give you). Keep the spear to hit those who are running from you.
Just try it
http://regnumsentinel.com/t5k

South Croos and Typhoon are PRIMORDIAL. And some of the skills you have in yours are pretty useless like: Intimidate (4) this one is only use to the player off their mounts, at (1) will be perfect. Although Rend, Heroic Shout and Warmaster Blood are useless.
The set up I gave you is one that is common in RA, give it a try ;)





If you came to me and presented this setup i would slap you.

[The_Pirate]

Ah Giant Troll! My goat nemesis :)

What would you suggest as set up for your fellow goatling?

PS - regards and looking forward to our next encounter.

[ClariceStarling]

I am no barb, but I am pretty sure this setup isn't pretty common on RA, or peeps on Ra aren't very smart. Just a thought, why you lvled blunt weapons to 13 if using only passive for strength(11 should be enough), another thing, you'd get better strength bonus with decreasing lethal anatomy to 2 and getting lvl 1 versatility

Oh boy! You totally discredit yourself by saying you're no barb. The suggestion was not even for you, But I'll respond to you anyway. Let's see...
This set up is quite standard on RA, I play there. I'm a WM Barb actually.
I put 13 to Blunt Weapons because they're were my last points...just to put them somewhere. After all there is not big of a difference from 11 (like you said) to 13.
Another thing, as strength passive is better Lethal Anatomy because i'ts all strength, Versatility has dexterity, and that's useless. Although If I use a spear as primary weapon I would have developed Piercing tree, and THEN I would've consider to put Versatility.
You didn't need to call us stupid so freely like you did, that's inmature.

Interesting set up. Most is the same, but nice slash tree set up. Might give it a shot if I change my gear. Keep in mind that Ra and Haven have two different environments. Ra is far more zerg and teamwork. Haven is far more individual, due to lower ppltn

Hi ^^ I'm glad you didn't got mad :P
You're quite right, I forgot that there are many players less.
_Onslaught is the proof that I play in teamwork, in RA not every single barb has it.
_Typhoon: as many others areas, is very used in Forts and Castles battles. In Ra there are plenty of them. We make quite a deal of dmg against more than 4 or 5 enemies. It's quite usefull because of the nock out effect, it gives you a few seconds to kill one by one. And if you coordinate it with other barbs, it can kill you pretty fast. It has 1600 to 1900 of dmg (with full buffs).
And the armors we use are all G,VG at Slash and pierce. With streght, constitution (gives more HP and evasion), Av, mana, and others. But those ones are the most important.
P.S: I'm no fellow of the goat by christ's sake. I put my avatar because I liked it, that's all. I'm a proud lettuce
If you came to me and presented this setup i would slap you
Slapping girls...didn't expect much of a goat but a kick :P

[halvdan]

Oh boy! You totally discredit yourself by saying you're no barb. The suggestion was not even for you, But I'll respond to you anyway. Let's see...
This set up is quite standard on RA, I play there. I'm a WM Barb actually.
I put 13 to Blunt Weapons because they're were my last points...just to put them somewhere. After all there is not big of a difference from 11 (like you said) to 13.
Another thing, as strength passive is better Lethal Anatomy because i'ts all strength, Versatility has dexterity, and that's useless.

My dear, I only said that if you put 2 power points in Lethal anatomy and 1 power point in Versatility, your strength bonus will be higher than if you'd put all 3 power points in Lethal anatomy. Just watch this easy maths. Lethal anatomy on lvls 1,2,3 provides you with 5,7 or 9 strength bonus. Versatility on lvls 1,2,3 provides you with 4,5 or 6 strength bonus.

Now your strength bonus with 3 points in Lethal anatomy is +9 strength. But Lethal anatomy(2) + Versatility (1) gives you 7+4= +11 strength bonus.
You might ask where you get discipline points for this. Now, look on useless lvl 13 blunt tree, there.


Btw, I never wrote about people from Ra being stupid, I was only wondering if all players there prefer having less strength than more, like you obviously did. :razz:

[Xenopuff]

Since you scrolled your barb im guessing you do not have your WM powers yet?
I might have missed it but i couldnt find any mentions of what kind of weapon you are using so im gonna go with slash tree.

This is what i would go for if i wasnt wm

http://regnumsentinel.com/t5y


Reason i dont have typhoon is simply cause i dont find it useful enough with Haven's small population, its a 500 manacost, which would be 1/3rd of any avg geared barb total manapool. I rather take rote now when NGD decided to drop the %chance, it gives you a 4 sec knock at level 3 and only costs 270 mana

[Cupto]

My current piecing tree, wm build.
http://www.regnumsentinel.com/t5z/

[Loque]

I think the OP might be talking about a level 45 barbarian.

[The_Pirate]

I think the OP might be talking about a level 45 barbarian.

Woops... Ok here is my suggest:
http://regnumsentinel.com/t68

Reasoning:
You're mainly grinding so priority is:
Max dmg, ability to run from gankers/kick ganker ass

Therefore - use hammer as good stuff is available for lvl 45 and this is best non-elemental dmg type. Also I love the crit chance boost... you can get some serious dmg going with that which is great for grinding. Forceful blow is cheap and cheerful for grinding too.

This set up is controversial. Most barbs I share it with hate it and threaten to slap me. BUT it is the highest dmg giver set up I have used to date while grinding. Although the crit chance spells are weird and you can get 10 or more non-crits even using these spells, you can also get every hit crit - which means 150% dmg on each hit. Sweet no?

To max crit chance use equipment (armor and weaps) with high HC. HC=crit chance.

The roar and kick are there for acas. A lvl 45 barb can kill a hunter, if you catch them - which is very very hard. Only chance is roar, kick, hope you manage to kill and if not hope back up manages to kill.

Barbs are mana deficient and barb spells are mana intensive... so use that mana jewelry.

Good luck. If you use the set up let me know how you find it :) Join the crit chance barb club (currently consisting of me alone, afaik)

[Scott Weiland]

Hi my saxon fellows (?)

This is a built that I highly recommend. I've been using it since the dual welding weapons came up, and I must say Dp/s levels are terrible.

http://regnumsentinel.com/t8q

It's a built based on Critical Chance (since we barbs are able to equip a weapon in each hand we have twice the hit chance that we had once, and that increases the critical chance also). That means, with a primary weapon +30-50 Hit Chance, and a secondary weapon +30-50, plus some gloves with same bonus, we obtain between 20% and 30% Critical Chance.

With Martial Reflexes, I actually have almost 60% Crit. Chance and let mi tell you, even when mi swords have very poor damage, my built provides me one of the highest Dp/s between my barbarian mates.

It's specially good for those who don't have access to premiun items (like me XD) couse HC is a very cheap bonus and it can be found in big cuantities on weapons, but premiun users can get even better results anyway. Hope this help you all. See you.

[Mr-Android]

More the passive you keep more will be the good for you.
Peace

[MxCx]

More the passive you keep more will be the good for you.
Peace

Wiser words were never said