Since ssg has started to take the initiative of improving and creating low level heroic gear, we are currently in an era of opulent named items to build around.

With all of the new packs having heroic gear and some of the older packs getting revamped has made it so that gearing is a lot more fun than it was even 1 or 2 years ago.

I compiled a list of most of all the heroic gear items I would use for melees.

How did old packs fare compared to the new shiny items released since? Pretty well surprisingly. not many items managed to retain their usefulness into 2018, but those that did are still some of the classics.

Gianthold manages to stay afloat as the only place you can wear melee alacrity 12% and improved deception in heroics until level 17+.

The Quiver from Abbot remains one of the best items ever. And probably is one of the greatest gifts any developer has given to their players in any game. Even more so in a game based on reincarnation. There is also the still timeless Litany.

HoX is the only place to land crippling for all your heroic weapons.


Some item slots are under developed compared to others. Necklaces for melees are kind of meh and the collar is still probably bis. Melee boots are also poor in selection compared to some of the other slots. Trinkets remain monopolized by less than a handful or are crafted. The eye slot is disproportionately weak and only the new goggles are worth the slot. 

Heroic Melee Gear Pillars

Items to build around sorted by slot and ML. Quote:


Head :

Quote:


Neck :

Quote:


Trinket :

Quote:


Back :

Quote:


Waist :

Quote:


Finger :

Quote:


Hands :

Quote:


Feet :

Quote:


Wrists:

Quote:


Eyes:

Quote:


Armors:
lengthy category and for brevity :

Preface; ToEE armors are the best in each of their respective category in regard to MDB for all of heroics. Yes, ML 7 armors are the highest dodge armors in heroics.

Scales of Avarice and Malice. Some of the best armors made in the game. They each posses a MDB bonus that is one category higher than its armor type class. Not only are they highly statted armors with slots, but the one category higher armor mdb bonus means they are unrivaled for MDB bonuses aside from ToEE armors ( and still only barely does ToEE edge out MDB )

Black Dragon Armor

Ravenloft Armors -All have higher than expected MDB and are highly statted + set bonus pieces

Dragontouched Armors
Executioner's Plate

Chainshirt of Crippling ( The only melee source of crippling in the game )

Drow Outrunner Armor -Extremely high MDB

Duelist's Leathers -High MDB not too shabby of an armor

Full Plate of the Defender -Heavy Armor stats for ac and mdb in the medium armor category

No Worries The highest AC bonus of all armors and a good mdb of 9 for the ml 15 version. 


Weapons:

Way too long, fam.

Ravenloft weapons
Rage pack weapons

White Plume Mountain pack weapons DC of 35 for these things. At ML 6 and 9. That is enough dc to be no fail until most level 14-16 quests.

ToEE weapons Have some unique effects and expanded critical profiles

SoS

Banhammer -Improved everything ever on a roll of a twenty

Carnifex -Still OG OP  1d12 17-20 x3 gg no re

WPM weapons are probably going to get nerfed eventually once ssg manages to make the proc actually proc. The dc of 35 at level 6 and 9 is tremendous. Good enough for high skulls through most of heroics.

QuantumFX wrote on Jul 24^th, 2018 at 4:52pm:

That is amazing at level 4. I will put it in, thanks. The cove trinkets have unique effects at a very low level. I forgot about the abishai gloves at low level. Still a good set too for ml 5. The red fens sets are strong for ml 7. Slavers at 8 and ravenloft/dragon pack at lv 10 covers early heroics very well.

Marketplace chain for ml 4 as well. Though it is still best to just craft items until lv 4-6~, but for new players or those who cannot craft, the marketplace items are great additions. Starter items could be improved, and some of the older iconic starter package items could be adjusted.

Melee alacrity is very hard to come by unless crafted, it is limited to very few items and of those items, only 3~ are standouts. Jorgundal's Collar, Ring Of Power ( ml 8 10% ), a belt in Mines for 11% ml 15, and boots from loft ml 10 5%?. Easily collar and ring as best in bunch.    

Improved Deception is deemed too powerful and we probably will not see it in mid heroics. Same with old legacy deception proc item like backstabber's. Shoutout to gianthold, mang.

FoM is easily available through ravenloft now. I'm not sure what other attributes are hard to come by currently. SSG has done a really good job on the new loot for heroics. There are still many items that will probably never be adjusted again and will remain largely useless, but this is a great start to make looting and the new player experience more fun. 

CrazyOldCatLady wrote on Jul 25^th, 2018 at 10:10am:

It is easier that way. Many of the items listed are really unique and the named loot beats what could be crafted on that slot by either being a higher value at level, more and unique abilities than cc + augments, or abilities that cannot be crafted onto that slot using cc. The pieces to build around start at lv 6 and end around 15-17 for heroics. 6 for wpm pack, 8 for slavers, 10 for loft, 14-15 for mines/rage.


I put this together so that I wouldnt have to have 20 wiki pages tabbed and notepad open everytime that I wanted to gear a heroic melee.

Your list is pretty solid.

However I am surprised Gloves of the Claw and Slave Master's Cloak weren't on it.

Gloves of the Claw:

Strength +5
Intimidate +10

Vulkoor's Might-
    +3 To-Hit and Damage (artifact bonus)
    20% Extra Threat (stacks with non-like amounts)

The Claw Set is pretty easy to assemble and it gives 90% of the effective advantage of a 5-piece Slave Lord's Might set, with only 2 slots. That makes it easy too "mix and match" with other load-outs or sets.

Slave Master's Cloak:

Insightful False Life +8
Protection +4
Spearblock II
Insightful Resistance +1
Green Augment Slot
Against the Slave Lords Set Bonus
Mythic Cloak Boost +1 or +3

Good times. I have toons rolling in Epics still wearing it. And it can be set crafted. Win.

Honourable Mention to:

Envenomed Cloak:
Proof Against Poison +4
Poison Guard
Constitution +3

Might of the Abishai
    3 Item version: Profane Natural Armor Bonus +1, Profane Strength +1, Evocation Caster Level Bonus +1
    5 Item version: Profane Natural Armor Bonus +1, Profane Strength +1, Profane Constitution +1, Evocation Caster Level Bonus +1, Conjuration Caster Level Bonus +1 (none of this stacks with other profane typed bonuses except the caster level bonus)

And the classic:

Mantle of the Worldshaper:
Heroic Inspiration
Regeneration
Spell Absorption — 5 Charges (Recharged/Day:1)
DM's Vision- With the two original Dungeon Masters guiding you, you can see through most illusions and trickery. You are under the effects of the True Seeing spell.

ML:5 True Seeing, FTW. 

I would also add, for Armour:

Scales of the Exile:
+5 Enhancement Bonus
Fortification +90%
Parrying +3
Insightful Wisdom +3
Insightful Constitution +3
Blue Augment Slot
Mythic Armor Boost +2 or +4

Wayward Warrior Set (2 items)-
    +2 Artifact Bonus to Natural Armor.
    +1 Artifact Bonus to Constitution.

Not OP, but it's the only Heavy armour NOT from GH that's available to Druids. Also looks good.

For rings:

Laurel Helix:
Sheltering +6
Fortification +100%
Protection +6
Green Augment Slot
Double Helix Set
The Devil's Handiwork
Mythic Ring Boost +1 or +3

The set bonus (+1 Insight Sheltering) and Sheltering +6 are long since moot, but the Fort +100%, Protection +6 and Green slot are still great. Ancient Band is similar, but at the same level point, this beats it out clean.

That's my $0.02. 

Good stuff!  Thank for assembling.

The shocking blow Cove Trinket + the gloves from Chronoscope is really nice at level 5.   Those procs can destroy shit.

20% Blurry at level 4 is worth mentioning.  You can get it on both the Greater Nimble Trinket and the Bracers of Wind.

Also I would mention Jidz-Tet'ka for the monks.

Rubbinns wrote on Jul 25^th, 2018 at 2:23pm:

I rocked the Charged Gauntlets on my last TR. Great stuff. But since they only proc on a natural 20, by Lvl 7 I wanted the +3 Damage and +5 Strength, which worked out to more DPS.

I guess the question is: What TYPE of melee is someone trying to build? Because a full retard THF Barb loads out a lot different than a Full DEX Vistani Assassin, a Bear Druid, or a Shintao Monk.

I loved the Raven's Set on my Rogues and Rangers though. 

Quote:

Mirror Cloak makes me hard every time I pull it out... of the cache. Get you mind out of the gutter.

Seriously, it's great. I also liked the Chimera's Crown for similar reasons, but I found it was competing in the hat slot so Mirror Cloak wins.

I did find that it's utility started to wane by Lvl 8, which is why I swapped to the Slave Master's Cloak. By then, Reaper and even Elite caster-trash is simply blasting through the SR so regularly I'd rather have the saves and HP.

The argument for Mantle is that it has Regeneration  for when you're laying on the ground from the champion Poison DoT's you didn't notice stacking and you didn't bring a hireling or it's already run into the nearest trap to commit suicide.

Also, True Seeing gets around Blur + Displacement effects which can be a real PITA for melees at low levels. True Seeing also finds Secret doors well even into Ravenloft, and it spots conceladed/Invisible enemies (like Invisible Stalkers). And since lots of people run with Voice on all the time, it's not a huge sacrifice. YMMV.

All of this of course is moot at Lvl 8 when you can get the Slave Lord's Trinket and do all those things at once.

Quote:

I completely forgot the Dragonblood armours. They're great kit as well. There's also the Imbued Darkleaf banded armour from Tempest's Spine, which is Darkwood and also does not break Druidic Oath.

For some reason the ENCHANTED Darkleaf Banded armour is Steel, so that's a no-go. 

And there's Leaves of the Forest, but that's a sub-optimal solution if you have access to any of the above items. It is a great cosmetic though...

I'm pretty lazy so I usually pull out whatever I can equip at whatever level I happen to be at the bank.

Things I get right away though, level 1, are my quiver and my cc crafted blindness ward goggles of true seeing. On a caster I roll 200 sp ioun stone from 5-20 and on mele I roll the PLIS for about the same.

Rickyretardo wrote on Jul 28^th, 2018 at 3:19am:

Well, the name fits I guess. 

That set holds up until 13.  Once you hit 13, crafted gear + Litany is better, especially when you factor in the opportunity cost of dedicating 2 gear slots to it.  Claw set = 3 useful effects, 3 useless ones.  Two crafted items = 6 useful effects + 2 green aug slots.

When you consider that, the Claw set probably only holds up until 11.

Rickyretardo wrote on Jul 28^th, 2018 at 3:19am:

it's decent, certainly good for its level, but ravenloft sets are way too good if youre going for mad dps. silent + adherent is like 5 mp and 5 dstrike all worth way more than 3 artifact damage as well as having much more powerful loot effects than red fens gear.

Digimonk wrote on Jul 29^th, 2018 at 9:17am:


Show me some alternatives, or fuck off.

Rubbinns wrote on Jul 28^th, 2018 at 11:59am:


You're comparing a 3 piece and a 5 piece set against a 2 piece set.  So some perspective is important.  3 artifact damage at 7th is I think better than you can get until epics otherwise, and with reaper stacking main damage up has a lot more value than a lot of smaller damage procs.