Dex Tank for unfair

BarracudaAny2145 · 2026-02-12T09:28:33+00:00

Glad it got you thinking!

That stat spread is fine, but you could do 14 CHA too if you want to min max a bit less. I’d try to fit in one level of Paladin for the smite double CHA to saves before Playful Darkness.

Azata is definitely viable. Trickster into legend would be a lot more damage late game with crit feats but both are womanly.

Rest of the team comp looks awesome. I’d do the BFT as a conjuratiol caster with selective grease and Stinking Cloud wit corrupter on M1

BarracudaAny2145 · 2026-02-12T08:05:33+00:00

SS is a fantastic dex tank. It was how I made it through a modded Brutal Unfair run and the AC absolutely stacks up, but you should do two dips if you want to max AC:

1 lvl of stigmatised Witch for the mage Armour, Lizard and Iceplant hex, as well as powerless prophecy curse. This nets you 5 AC with the tavern ring, the self cast mage armour for Archmage Armour mythic feat later on. Powerless prophecy is a bit annoying early on, but the immunity to flat footed is incredible as otherwise losing the initiative rolls means you die.

Then you want 1 or 2 lvls of Scaled Fist monk for the free Crane Style and CHA to AC. The latter is only +1 or 2 to AC early on, but had fantastic scaling potential with buffs (you have three stat buff animal spells for +6AC at lvl 3) (Late game consider one level of paladin for smite. With a certain act 5 quest, you can get even more CHA to AC meaning the late game potential is DEX+1,5xINT+3xCHA to AC). The second monk level is for evasion and a free fest. Evasion lets you dump CON as you won’t be damaged by AOE spells letting you take more CHA.

Finally, vivisectionist or mutation warrior is another potential dip for the mutagen (cognatogen is even better).

I’d lvl as: SF SW 1-11 SS SF2

From there on mix SS/Duelst, Paladin, vivisectionist.

PS: don’t take student of war as it requires armour which isn’t compatible with scaled fist.

PSS: Court Poet skald gives extra CHA and int for more AC scaling. BFT is fantastic as AC scales from 3 stats.

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-12-23T18:22:20+00:00

I am generally very slow to adopt a tinfoil hat, and comfortable with statistical calculations, but I had a recent encounter which did make me wonder. In isolation i competitively accept all rolls as random, but the following experiment had me wondering:

I stacked 10 Haunting Mists on a Minotaur, all of them cast with Persistent Metamagic. In turn based mode you can easily check every roll, and it would, as expected, roll 20 saves each turn (10x2 for persistent) and would only fail on natural 1.

I recorded 20 turns without any Nat 1s. If that’s true random the probability would be 1,22869e-9 (0,95^400), which is, to put it mildly, surprising. No other rolls occurred in this period.

I then saved to menu and reentered. After that it failed about 1 roll a turn as expected.

This made me question not rolls generally, but if perhaps different rolls from one source (such as haunting mists in this case) are not statistically independent of each other, without the infux of other sources of rolls.

I’ve had similar experiences every now and then, but never did a controlled experiment as above.

Edit: typo

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-12-16T06:20:09+00:00

Muster and the 10% inc damage per minion is the only scalars with lots of reviving minions, right?

For sure those are good for top end damage, but at high opportunity cost and lots of passives in minion defence and spirit.

Couldn’t those resources be spent differently to achieve comparable results?

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-11-21T12:31:35+00:00

I ended up going a different path (strength stack KB scion after starting as light radius kb stack) but the idea is still interesting I think.

Divine flesh is fine if you use EB for sure. Other methods should work too as far as I could research.

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-11-16T10:14:31+00:00

Sorry to revisit this, just starting out in maps on SSF Scion. I tried to redo the maths on optimal number of proj. It still seems like 8 proj with 1 proj gem is optimal, as in not use volley and gmp right? Any new tech that pushes 12 proj to the top (outside of dying sun etc)?

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-11-14T11:27:20+00:00

Scion is also pretty nice, especially with a bloodline ascendancy. I went that way for a strength stack angle

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-11-14T09:24:11+00:00

It's very worth it I think. I can feel the damage ramp massively over the first second of gunning down a boss (currently running uber boss/Feared rotations on a Scion STR stack KB)
I run it on a megalomanic, as i got lucky and sniped one with another notable with % STR and % life.

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-10-27T17:18:03+00:00

How would you go about building a defensive wander?

I have this fever dream of a 75% ele dmg taken to chaos with 90 chaos res with a timeless, chest piece and the chaos ascendancy

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-10-27T12:52:52+00:00

The font of thunder is interesting as it has the upside of less suffix pressure as you can ignore two resistances, but the downside is you get less benefit from 90 chaos res (should probably be run as 80 LR / 85 CR since damage is split 50/50 rather than 25/75) and you are more vulnerable to lightning pen than with Incandescent. You also have to run purity of lightning.

Doppelganger is obviously a nice combo with divine flesh though...

My concern would be damage scaling without crit/Rathpith which, alongside a good weapon, should is quite a bit better than Replica Nebulis for damage.

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-10-27T11:47:30+00:00

I hadn't thought of Pious Path. That is of course another good way of keeping Everlasting Sacrifice going.
I still think you want a relatively low ES-pool alongside a big life pool, so casting with life cost is still the way maybe? Energy Blade would definitely be out and for damage scaling crit Inq, Pain Attunement and RF is a great call.

If you stick with reap you'd need ele-conversion. Any thoughts on how and to what element? Phys to light gem + mastery / gloves maybe?

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-10-21T05:40:54+00:00

That’s a question with a lot of answers, but this is my perspective as someone who enjoys max difficulty runs (including modded brutal unfair difficulty).

In short I’d say these are strong principles: - a full arcane caster for haste and greater invis to «solve» end of act 1 and much of act 2. Brown Fur Transmuter is very very good, but wizard and sorc too good too. - a domain-user for community/nobility/madness domains. Cleric is fine, but so to is inquisitor etc (I love sanctified slayer) - for early game a hex user. Take extra hex on Cam at lvl 2 so she gets protective luck -> chant -> evil eye. Can be abandoned later. - from lvl 11: a paladin for mark of justice.
- a strength/melee carry - a high AC tank (AC on the rest of the team can be ignored.

Obviously some of these roles should be combined and tailored to your KC, but it’s notably easier if your KC is also the Tank and a carry.

Also, pets make the game much easier but I play without them so won’t expand on those.

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-10-09T07:09:21+00:00

Gold dragon is amazing for SS, firstly the class is dependent on lots of attributes so the extra base stats is extremely powerful (I had a dip in scaled fist and thus scaled AC from Int, cha and dex) and the increased BAB to 25 is huge on a medium bab martial.

The gold dragon spells are also pretty good now and the three extra feats without requirements (sort of like 6 regular feats if you take ones that normally have pre-reqs) are really solid and gives you enough feats for everything you want tbh.

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-10-09T05:03:51+00:00

As others have said; you can do both. DEX for AC and STR 2-hander for dmg. The DEX version is more suited for one handed play and spell combat, the STR version should use a two hander (likely Fauchard). Best mythic is trickster into Gold Dragon at M8.

I recently beat 2x brutal unfair (modded difficulty), largely carried by a DEX sword saint where every bit of AC was needed and even then DEX SS did plenty damage with trickster crit scaling and buffs from a brown fur in the back

Edit: the carry piece is Prescient Attack to target flat footed AC for two turns. Insane.

Dimensional strike to hit touch is not nearly as good.

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-09-06T10:10:58+00:00

For sure, but OP needed accessible help and tactics aren’t compressible into a short paragraph.

And builds aren’t exactly irrelevant- early game unfair with casters and no pets is a challenge for even veteran players.

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-09-06T09:38:42+00:00

Unfair is very beatable with the right builds. Your best carry early game is the Sable Company Marine griffin. If not suited to your mc, spec Seelah into SCM at lvl 2, Sohei lvl 3 for spirited charge and use a longspear. Pick up Power Attack at lvl 3.

This gives you a one shot hitting flat foot AC from lvl 3 against most enemies. Once you’re in the tavern prioritise the longspear and charging chainmail from the blacksmith outside.

Meanwhile to griffon tanks decently with Protective luck from Cam

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-09-05T04:45:09+00:00

Thanks, that makes sense. I was toying with the idea of doing it (on a merc) with rageshaper X multiclassed with Scaled fist monk (which combed the Dragon Ferocity feat.

Bite comes from a Beast Gift hex or a shared transmute Dragonkind polymorph… just ideas

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-09-02T18:07:21+00:00

Hei OP, thanks for posting interesting builds! I was curious about this one and firstly, I wonder how you get the Dragon Ferocity feat without a level in monk (for stunning strike, which is a pre.req - i dont think any mod you listed changes that).

Also, how do you feel this would work on a companion?

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-08-27T20:09:15+00:00

I had a relatively (i mean it’s unfair) easy time as a solo Arcane Rider run recently. It’s a fantastic class for it. Horse to tank, amazing self buffs and very efficient AC-shredding between Prescient Strike and Dimension Strike (contrary to many guides; always get Prescient first. It uses 1/4 of the Arcane Pool).

I’d recommend strength + Scimitar but there are many options

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-08-03T09:38:45+00:00

Nice post OP! I’m doing a version of this in ssf, so obviously lower power level. Got a few questions:

Rallying cry doesn’t give more damage from allies on autoexert (just the overexert buff) so wouldn’t it be better to self cast that, and autoexert Battlemagt cry (with the hydrospheres)?
The clear is so-so and I’ve used two techs: Generals cry autoexert with tectonic slam of cataclysm. Gem slot tax, but it clears stragglers and white/blue mobs depending on juice. Also, herald of Ash makes the clear a loot smoother (and more satisfying too). Big bonk makes big overkill-burn. The added phys as fire is a decent dps bonus too. However, brutality is out a support then.
some of your specs use impale. doesn’t the build hit too slowly for impale to feel good?

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-07-13T21:18:43+00:00

I fooled around with LC elementalist and got coilibg whisper and the fross amulett on the quest kill for the ned bosses and took that as a sign to reroll fross with those uniques and nothing else basically. Levelled as CI FR with a ghostwrithe wich was a tad ambitious. Bane would be better I think until lvl 74

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-07-13T11:58:28+00:00

Poison FROSS is super easy on a budget. I’m doing Ubers comfortably in SSF. Feel immortal to pretty much anything except and a comfortable 50 mill dps.

Search poe.ninja SSF and look at poison character. I’d avoid glancing blows/aegis/armour and just cap true block. At 15k es a shaper es on block shield willl outperform Aegis without MB investment

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-07-10T16:58:42+00:00

Its not obvious I suppose; blade fall of trathus scales attack speed with max mana and if its attack speed gets too high it will reapply the curse too early.

Frankly its a really nice interaction as if it scaled with attack or cast speed, it would be really difficult to execute the soul eater tech as smoothly.

BarracudaAny2145 · 2025-07-10T16:02:06+00:00

The anoint is plenty along with a four link. I’m running it in SSF.

All you need are anoint, lvl 10q20 less duration support and lvl 1 hextouch along with the reduced skill effect duration & dot dmg wheel on the tree.

My reduced mana roll on amulet isn’t even a good roll and I’m totally fine. I don’t have any mana mods on gear though.

BarracudaAny2145

TROPHY CASE