So I think it's time for Smrti to TR again. Does anyone have a really strong solo build I can run 1-30 in R1 without much issue. My reqs would be: Melee 2WF, Trapping(?), High Survivability through R1 and maybe higher, Something that's still fun after a bunch of lives, ability to do Endgame content if I want to take a TR break and Raid for a bit.

Pure Rogue, Monk, and Ranger have all felt pretty nice running up through Elite, but Reaper's heal-cut hampers my soloability a bit sometimes, and Hirelings suck ass more often than not. I'm open to weird multiclasses so long as they work.

Melee is important here too, so don't post Inq builds thanks

Sorc.

But below mid teens is where you can one or two shot everything with cleaves before they stop working.

R1 solo really isn't that hard on any decent dps build.  With under 10 reaper points I've pulled it off with a pal, barb, monk and staff trapper.  Depending on your gear go with whatever you like to play.  Easiest button (as always) is going to be a lock or caster...or (these days) a pew pew crossbower.

Honestly (I swear this isn't sarcasm) - have you considered Paladin?

They're straight up ridiculous from 12-18 where all of the real time is spent in Heroic lives. They suck ass in Epic, but if you just want the heroic life, that isn't a problem. The T5 Holy Retribution ability is straight up bonkers.

NOTpopejubal wrote on Jan 5^th, 2020 at 10:27am:

Honestly Fire or air sorc does stuff about 5 times faster from 1 - 30.
Holy retribution was fun once or twice but as long as any kind of sorc one or two shots every group from 7 - 30, it's pointless to even discuss "melee".

As long as inquisitor exists as martial option, what's there to even play if you really really really like melee ?
Shintao, Tempest or Assassin if you have friends to play with all time and that's about it.
I'd say monk is the only solid non tank melee now.

If you really insist on melee, then barb with a 2 rogue split to give you the traping you want.

On a serious note, nothing beats sorc when it comes to racial plifes and epic plifes farming.
At this moment

Linker wrote on Jan 5^th, 2020 at 11:35am:


While Blood Strength has its merits in reaper; you honestly don't see the value of a barb in reaper until you've got capstone and can Visage.

Ironically; people seem to think barbs are trash DPS. But I've found the utility of Visage instakills and middle of the road DPS makes them solid in mid to higher skull. Can you find better melees; sure. But barb is solid for farming EPLs as well as Racials.

Barbs aren't trash DPS...unless you take the Ravager capstone... 

Wis based monk is pretty easy in R1.  Not great DPS but the defences are good so you can stand toe-to-toe and not take a lot of damage.

I really enjoyed a FvS Vistani Swashbuckler too, good single target damage, a little healing as well

IIRC I also really enjoyed a barb swash with handaxes with some crazy crit damage