(Speed/Twink) Leveling Melee

Hi,

Right now, it seems to me that the fastest easiest way to level a melee (or even spellcaster) character is to just plop in a Silverbranch (I have a legacy), with all the +n-m damage equipment you can find, slot in Rain of Arrows, and go to town.

For melee, is there an equivalent melee-only way? Tipua Kaikohuru appears to be the melee equivalent of Silverbranch. What melee skill would best go with? Cleave would not appear to hit sufficiently large numbers of mobs in comparison.

Or should I just stick with my Silverbranch/RoA for all early levelling?

--C

No need to twink with an item for melee.

Elemental Cleave build and a dex ammy.

Elecleave is so good, gear is basically irrelevant until act 2 merciless.

It's a speed thing. With the right twink gear on RoA, you kill whole screens of stuff in a cpl of clicks.

"

Courageous wrote:

It's a speed thing. With the right twink gear on RoA, you kill whole screens of stuff in a cpl of clicks.

And I'm telling you, elecleave is what you want melee wise as long as you get a jade ammy and 2 swords, if you wanna be super fast.

But uh, hate to say it, with how the game is set up right now, melee leveling is pretty much overshadowed by every other range/spell type build.

Melee stuff just doesn't do enough compared to how range/spells are so much easier.

If you HAVE to level/speed level/power level/etc. with melee, elemental cleave is the only thing that would constitute as "fast". If you are lucky enough to have a 5 link, it's even quicker.

Faster Attacks, Cleave, Weapon Elemental Damage, Mana Leech, Life Leech. There, you are set to midway act 2 merciless before you have to actually worry about gear swap.

"

But uh, hate to say it, with how the game is set up right now, melee leveling is pretty much overshadowed by every other range/spell type build.

It sounds as if you are telling me that while ele cleave is the close as I'm going to get, Silverbranch with RoA is unmatched entirely by any other option. I wonder if GGG should be looking at that? You cannot use support gems in low-level leveling.

"

Courageous wrote:

"

But uh, hate to say it, with how the game is set up right now, melee leveling is pretty much overshadowed by every other range/spell type build.

It sounds as if you are telling me that while ele cleave is the close as I'm going to get, Silverbranch with RoA is unmatched entirely by any other option. I wonder if GGG should be looking at that? You cannot use support gems in low-level leveling.

I wouldn't know. I hate Bows and Rain of Arrow because the mana cost at low levels is outrageously dumb imo. So good luck.

But yes, for any melee leveling build, range/spells will always be easier, more convenient, and overall better because physical damage is godawful.

silver branch crude bow?

Melee: Ele cleave or your base build if it's decent early game

Caster: LMP Freeze Pulse

Ranged: RoA for bow users, wanders will probably level with spells or even like melee.