[2.4] Viability Check: Wild Strike Raider

Origin

I have a tendency to like off beat builds. So, seeing as how a majority of the builds for rangers is, well, ranged, I thought I'd try something different. A melee based ranger.

This build was finalized when this dropped for me on another character:




I went to Elemental Equilibrium due to the random nature of Wild Strike. Crunching the numbers, I estimate it gives almost a 50% DPS increase. True, it's expensive, passive-wise, but a lot of those nodes are useful ones anyways.

You will also notice: no Iron Reflexes, no Acrobatics. This is deliberate. Iron Reflexes is not the best for a pure evasion character, and one of our main defenses will be block.



What? Phase Run? Really?
Really. Like I said, I like oddball builds. And this is just to see if this build would be viable. That's why the Blood Rage is there... to generate Frenzy charges. Rallying Cry to keep our mana up. Blade Vortex+Blind to help with our survivability.

You've got Blade Vortex+Blind there twice, doofus.
Yes, I know. One is a self cast, to prep for when you're going into somewhere you KNOW is dangerous.





Fair warning: I am still in the process of building and testing this. Currently at level 20 HC, and she seems to be doing OK. Just have to watch myself and be aware of what's around me, but that's normal for HC. Currently leveling with Elemental Hit+Melee Splash, and that makes a poor man's Wild Strike. I'll update with further news as it develops.

EDIT: I've started working on the sword wheel at level 32, rather than work up to Elemental Equilibrium, because I felt I needed more damage. Turns out that one point into the wheel, and grabbing an updated rapier, worked for the damage.

EDIT 2: Once I started running Poacher's Mark with Blasphemy and Wild Strike, I haven't had too much of a mana problem. Then again, I'm only running Wild Strike+Faster Attacks, so the mana load isn't too heavy... yet.

Edit 3: Died trying to assault Dominus. Partly my fault, I got hit by two of the blackguard's slams in a row. But I'm not giving up on this build, now that it's in Standard. Just killed Argus in the Lab. Have to adopt a bit of a Hit-and-run play style, and keep the blinding blade vortex up. Didn't make it past Izaro, but took what I learned against Argus and managed to kill Dominus. So, off to Act 4...

EDIT 4: Ascended. Was tough, but managed. Build still doing well. Since I'm in Standard, I had a bunch of uniques I threw on her to level. Not too big of a difference, but the Wyrm's Molt is helping. I may simply swap those out with quality rares when I find them. (Especially the shield, since I've got a lot of shield defense nodes.) Also, at the moment, I'm not convinced that Blood Rage is doing much. I've got full Frenzy just from Poacher's Mark, and the extra attack speed, while fun to see, doesn't seem to help. I'll do more research on that. And finally, may swap Rallying Cry with Enduring Cry, not sure.

EDIT 5: Just realized that there was another build that did something similar. So, I'm taking cues from ComradeSerge and altering the build slightly, at least where it comes to itemization. His defense theory is the same as mine, but he has Lioneye's Remorse as a shield, citing that what you don't evede, you block and what you don't block, your armor mitigates. So, I'll be trying that; pure armor shield and hybrid chest with the rest as evasion. Also, toying with replacing Poacher's Mark with Assassin's Mark, to grant Power Charges as well as Blood Rage for Frenzy Charges. And also realized that there's a cluster of mana leech nodes close to my pathing, so I can alter a bit for that...

Reserved

Interesting build. Nice range of defenses too.