After playing this game for some time i became tired of having too many identical masteries, weaponchoices and skills among my builds. I've tried to create 4 builds that i've found best in fun, survivability and variety and still would have all masteries represented. I made this thread, so IF theres is anyone like me who wants to differ thier characters as much as possible, maybe could get some inspiration to do the same thing...
Schellen made 4 guides for this post aswell, and you can find the link for them here: The Conjurer, The Druid, The Slayer and The Corsair
The classes, skill descriptions, pros and cons and ratings...
The Champion
Masteries: Warfare and Nature
Weapon: Dual Sword, Axes or Clubs
Pet: Wolves
Attribute points go: Strength
The end build:
TitanCalc by stonedonkey - A Titan Quest Calculator - Champion Skills: (Nature)
Heart Of The Oak and Performance Of Stone:
Gives you 10% in total speed, 65% extra health and 18% of elemental resistance. Tranquelity is not worth any points.
Wolves:
Summon Wolves is maxed, so with +skill gear or mastery shrines you'll then get 3 wolves instead of 2. Survival instinct maxed makes them nearly impossible to kill and Call Of The Wild gives bonus armor and damage which is just what a melee guy wants. The Wolves are meatsheild because even with maxed Maul their damage is fading already in Epic difficulty. So just 1 point for synergies.
Refresh: Cheap -recharge skill that just needs 1 points to help you with keeping your summonings available all the time. Sweet...
Skills: (Warfare)
Weapon Training, Dodge Attack, Full Dual line, Onslaugth line:
All these are for attack speed, more attack damage and defence. No need to explain futher. I left out Hamstring since i believe that output do not match the price in skillpoints.
Warwind:
These ability is maxed since it's a 3 target attack, and works great with mobs. Lacerate do not deal in % damage, and bleeding is anyway not a damage type that i dig. Undead are immune/resistant so...0 points in that.
War horn and Doom Horn:
Great skills and a true lifesaver. You need this for stun, and even 1 point in each is enough.
Ancestral Horn:
Leftover points go here. 1 point it early (around lvl 30-35) just for the cheap secondary meatsheild, and later with more points it will gives some damage aswell.
Pros:
Dual wielders are open to attacks and tend to suffer death more than pet handlers, ranged characters and sheild wearers, but combined with nature you get a boost to your defences. Heart of the Oak and your buffering meatsheild wolves makes this build survivable above average and still doing heavy damage.
Cons:
The only problem with this build is that you cross caster/fighter class and spread your attribute points abit out, but really a small disadvantages.
Survivability: Above Average
Fun: Above Average
Damage Dealing: High (With Call Of The Wild: Very High)
Difficulty to play: Very Easy The Spellbinder
Masteries: Defence and Spirit
Weapon: Clubs, Axes and Sheilds
Pet: Lich King
Attribute points go: Strength
The end build:
TitanCalc by stonedonkey - A Titan Quest Calculator - Spellbinder Skills: (Defence)
Adrenaline line:
Though only a 5% chance to activate per hit landed on you, this line is to good to miss. The adrenaline skill itself i only give 1 point since health generation isn't worth more skillpoints. Resilience is different as you can nearly go through the game with Rally and Collosus on permanent due to the -recharge skill. That why it should be maxed. Defensive Reaction gives great bonuses to defence aswell so therefore maxed too.
Rally Line:
Gives bonuses to Health in a big scale, and Defiance gives you retaliation 60% and resistances at 50%. So Rally should be on as much as possible. Inspiration gives regeneration to energy, but IMO this is to expensive in skillpoints awswell.
Battle Awareness Line:
Battle Awareness itself dosen't give any significant bonus to armor, so just 1 point for it's synergies. Focus helps sheild blocking by 18% and Iron Will gives 80% resistances to stun, entrapment, freeze and skill disruption. These should be maxed, but Iron Will is first needed around lvl 35.
Sheild Passives:
Sheild Smash, Disable and Pulverize gives more shield damage and disruptions to enemies. Should all be maxed.
Collosus:
Just 1 point for the 50% damage and the 32% strength. This is your bosskiller skill.
Sheild Charge and Disruption:
Just 1 point in each for the 300% movement, stun effect and skill disruption.
Skills: (Spirit)
Deathchill Aura Line:
Deathchill Aura and Ravages of time slows and weakens your enemies. A must have for the melee binder. Since your damage is based on psysical damage Necrosis do not give any advantages, if not using weapons with life leech, vitality damage or bleeding. So 0 points in that, or some if you want to be more item based carrying certain Theurgist related melee weapons.
Visions Of Death:
This is your lifesaver skill (If you ever need one). Makes enemies flee and fail their attacks. Just 1 point and it still does the trick.
Dark Covenant Line:
Here you get what damage Defence might miss. For the prices of health you do great damage, and regenerate energy. See that why inspiration is useless to this build. Combined with Rally you regenerate health same rate as you here loose it. Perfect combination of skills.
Lich King Line:
Max all but Arcane Blast and your pet is perfect. The reason AB is left out is that you don't need him to have 2 spell types, as he only uses one at a time. He also uses Soulblight more which means more regeneration for himself.
Summon Outsider:
Brings forth a weird looking Outsider, that may serve as meatsheild with some damage, even just with 1 point in it. All leftover points would not be wasted here.
Pros:
The advanteges of the class is overwhelming. Sheild skills from defence includes defence, damage and disruptions and combined with Deathchill Aura your pretty much impossible to kill (Offcourse not, but they will have to make an effort in doing so). The damage part of the build is not as weak as you should think. Think of Adrenaline+Rally+Collosus combined with Dark Covenant. You're then dealing insane damage while having perfect defence from Deathchill Aura and Focus. This class is great in survivability, fun and still gives high damage. Then another bonus is the Lich King, that makes a perfect pet for melee because it's attacks are ranged. Anyway every build with defence will work well in this game.
Cons:
The only problem with this build is that you cross caster/fighter class and spread your attribute points abit out, but really a small disadvantages.
Survivability: Very High
Fun: Very Fun
Damage Dealing: Above Average (With Dark Covenant: Very High)
Difficulty to play: Easy