What's the best skill for 1h weapon+shield setup?

I'm playing as ranger and making high evasion and block build. But I can't find any not dual-wielding skill that can give me huge dps. Everyone who go 1h use cleave or lightning strike.

I got shield(and can't get many crits to make Lightning strike work, mostly don't want) so it seems like the best dps skill is cyclone with facebreaker, but I don't want this build, I take too much 1h weapon damage in my skill tree. So did I miss something?

Infernal Blow + Melee Splash + Multistrike is pretty decent. Don't know if it's the best, but it works well.

Double strike + melee splash + multistrike + life gain

I agree Infernal blow is best for 1h. Cleave owns when dual-welding.

..Shield Charge perhaps? Linked with Melee Physical Damage, Added Fire and using Hatred gives a good single target damage if you have a high physical damage 1h weapon. And you can just add Melee Splash to make it AoE.

And you can push around Brutus as well..

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CookieVortex wrote:

I agree Infernal blow is best for 1h. Cleave owns when dual-welding.

It's not viable in end game, you just oneshot yourself on reflect.

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MCSMvsME wrote:

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CookieVortex wrote:

I agree Infernal blow is best for 1h. Cleave owns when dual-welding.

It's not viable in end game, you just oneshot yourself on reflect.

Not sure that this issue is unique to IB. Pretty much true for any aoe attack. I think you have to have an alternative skill for ele reflect mobs (or for phys reflect if you're using a physical attack).

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dawg6 wrote:

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MCSMvsME wrote:

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CookieVortex wrote:

I agree Infernal blow is best for 1h. Cleave owns when dual-welding.

It's not viable in end game, you just oneshot yourself on reflect.

Not sure that this issue is unique to IB. Pretty much true for any aoe attack. I think you have to have an alternative skill for ele reflect mobs (or for phys reflect if you're using a physical attack).

Actually it is an issue with IB. The explosion portion will be reflected back. If you kill a high HP mob such as a golem and it explodes with IB while in a reflect map you will most likely die.

You can go for crit dagger Lightning strike. I plan to do a build like this to see how it turns out vs reflect endgame.

The basic 3Ls that stand out to me for 1h+shield are:
- Cyclone + Faster Attacks + Life Gain on Hit (+MPD, WED)
- Lightning Strike + Multistrike + WED (+Faster Attacks, LMP)
- Infernal Blow + Melee Splash + WED (+Life Leech, FA, AoE)
- Double Strike + Melee Splash + Life Gain on Hit (+MPD, FA, Multistrike)
- Dominating Blow + Melee Splash + MPD (+Duration, Leech, FA)

You can also go Leap Slam or Ground Slam, though those are better with a 2h mace or staff.
Shield Charge, Heavy Strike, Glacial Hammer, and Viper Strike are quite good for single target.

Elemental Hit works, but needs splash, FA, Multistrike, and Life Leech. Too many supports.
Puncture works, but is better with a 2h sword and much better with a bow.

A few of these, if built from the right side of the tree instead of the left side (with Resolute Technique), can be much better with Critical Strike Multiplier and/or Power Charge on Crit, especially Lightning Strike with a dagger.

In all cases, 1h+shield is much tankier than 2h with less damage than 2h or dual wield (due to Dual Strike and dw Cleave).