Marauder Start Area Feedback

A Powerful 3 Node cluster is defined as a 3 Node Cluster that ends with a powerful 3rd node. The Duelist area is saturated with them. Most are specific to being a Duelist(Duel Wielding) but some offer efficient nodes not normally found in the tree. Which are super powerful not just for the Duelist but other classes passing through.

Examples from duelist area:

-Testudo
-Water Dancing
-Hatchet Master
-Dervish
-Steel Skin
-Mana Flows
-Gallantry
-Bravado
-Leather and Steel
-Fury Bolts
Executioner
Reckless Abandon


Examples from Marauder area:

-Aegis
-Cruelty
-Fending
-Versatility

It gets even worse if you compare them to each other

Testudo
10% Block
20% Defenses from Shields

Aegis
7% Block
20% Defenses from Shields
40% Block Recovery

You could argue the value of block recovery. Note that it's only block recovery not block and stun recovery. It's a mute point though. It's obvious which area is better for these Powerful 3 Node Clusters.

Transition nodes as I'm defining them are nodes that don't just exist between area's but offer a path between those areas. So they have to have an entrance from one side and an exit on the other. They also can't be pure stat nodes(Agi, Str, Int) those are just paths. A transition node generally doesn't have a single powerful node at the end because it doesn't end. It connects one area to the next. Because of this transition nodes are less than stellar in all areas. They're rarely chosen by any class.

Examples between Marauder and Templar:

-Staff Nodes that connect to Reduced Mana Nodes
-One handed Nodes

Examples between Marauder and Duelist:

-Armor and Life Nodes connected to Mace Nodes

Examples between Duelist and Ranger:

-3 Attack Speed Nodes

The idea of the transition node is to offer another path between areas. They are basically offering you another route to where you're going. So you're generally choosing between less powerful but fewer stat nodes(Str, Agi, Int) or spending more points taking these more powerful Transition nodes. This balance is pretty well struck between the Marauder/Rander and Duelist. But the Marauder/Templar nodes are terrible. These nodes seem hard to balance and place. It seems like the newer and more efficient area's just try and phase them out. I hope we get more Transition nodes in the future because they offer more variety in builds.

And that leads to my suggestion. Transition nodes should fill a nitch in certain builds. For instance a good transition node cluster between the Marauder and Templar areas would be 4 Reduced Stun Threshold Nodes. These nodes are only useful to a Stun Build. Most people will pass them by. By a Stun Build would take them over the Str nodes that he(and every other build) would normally have to take. If nothing else this keeps builds are least looking different.

These nodes are not Key Stone nodes(Iron Reflexes, Resolute Technique, etc). Those nodes are to powerful and are used by many builds. I'm talking about smaller class defining nodes. These Nodes represent the class. Normally in a lore type of way.

Examples of Marauder Class defining Nodes:

-Life Regen Per Endurance Charge
-Elemental Adaptation
-Trolls Blood
-Purity of Essence
-Bloodless
-Heart of the Gladiator
-Armor Mastery
-Enemy Critical Strike Reduction

In general the Marauder Nodes have the theme of being a hardy meat shield. And the Duelist Nodes have a theme Quickness and Weapon Mastery.

Examples of Duelist Class defining Nodes:

-Master of the Arena
-Golems Blood
-Leather and Steel

Lets compare them. First off don't let the numbers fool you. Lets get rid of the useless stuff.

Purity of Essence, Bloodless, Enemy Critical Strike Reduction. I know this last one may raise an eyebrow. It's not as good as you think. Everyone takes it because you're forced to.

Not everything is directly comparable but lets give it a go.

The duelist has nothing to match elemental adaptation. I'm satisfied with that.

Troll's Blood is actually slightly better than Golems Blood. Also good.

Armor Mastery can't compare to Leather and Steel in affect. The numbers don't matter here. I don't want Marauders to have no armor movement penalties. That clearly falls in the duelist area. But they need something better than 2% move speed. I would even rather have a unique Marauder node that decreased speed and gained something more powerful. Uniqueness is better than just matching the Duelist. But 2% run speed is a joke.

Heart of the Gladiator was probably not intended to match up against Master of the Arena. Because it's no contest. +2 Melee range is unmatched in this game. The only draw back to melee is that you're melee. Anything that puts distance between you and a Brutus is super powerful. Even if we pretend the game doesn't have massive Dysnc issues. It's too strong not to have.

No buddy wants nerfing. I'd like to see a Marauder equivalent in the future. But if not then the answer is simple. Make Master of the Arena only effect Unarmed and 1 Handers/Duel Wield and give the Marauder a Two Hander and Unarmed Equivalent.

The Duelist and Templar equivalent to Life Regen Per Endurance Charge is just duration. This is obviously a place holder for something more interesting. I hope the Duelist and Templar receive their own unique Endurance charge modifier soon.

This is the biggest issue facing the area. First let me explain why.

Once upon a time pretty much all melee builds visited all 3 melee trees. You grabbed the key nodes. Master of the Arena, Elemental Adaptation, Iron Reflexes, etc. But this hasn't been efficient for a long time. With 1.0 patch it's now almost terrible to visit all 3 trees. The combining of offense and defense in Weapon + Armor and Weapon + Life Nodes along with the Scion Life nodes means you don't have to go far to get what you want. Unless of course... you're a Marauder.(Or Templar going physical)

I first noticed something was way off when I started playing a Ranger Spectral Throw Build(Kripp).

His 110 point build has
378% Physical
128% Accuracy on top of +365 accuracy
92% Attack Speed

Still making room for 278% Maximum life. And he can still crit. My ranger doesn't even have good gear. I'm a casual player, lvl 73 with a 93% chance to hit.

How did he make a build with so much physical dmge that doesn't even start in a melee area? He used weapon specific Nodes. 220% of the dmge, 68% of the Accuracy, and 28% of the Attack Speed is sword only. This specialization allows for greater efficiency. You no longer have to travel to get your dmge or life. You now only have to travel for specific Key Stone Nodes. Unless of course. You're a Marauder.

Kripp took advantage of the well designed nodes around Duelist. Most of his points are spent in the Main Duest Area and Duelist/Ranger shared area. With about 18 Points being spent in between the Duelist and Marauder Areas.

See if you're a Marauder you can't do what Kripp did with his Ranger. Because the Axe and Mace nodes arn't there for you to take advantage of. If you want more dmge you have to travel. But where do you go? The only logical place is to head North and South. And once you're there you pretty much have to enter the Duelist and Templar starting areas to justify the travel. And now you're stuck in the inefficient melee trap!

Lets look at some numbers.

The Duelist area. Defined by me as:

The space between the Ranger and Duelist transition area and Marauder and Duelist transition area without actually violating the Marauder or Ranger area. So the Duelist Area by it'self contains


34 Sword Nodes
16 Two Handed Nodes
33 Duel Wield Nodes
All values are approximate I counted them by hand.

Now. The entire Templar area and the entire Marauder area including the Marauder Duelist Transition area contains

34 Mace Nodes
27 Axe Nodes (16 of which are on the Dualist transition area)
22 Two Handed Nodes


So why does one area of the skill tree surpass or equal 2 areas combined? I'm just being dramatic of course. We already answered that. The Marauder and Templar areas and both dated.

Now remember that the Duelist area is far more efficient than the Marauder or Templar. The Nodes in and around the Duelist area are far better in almost every case.

Furthermore. Because swords are accuracy heavy. They don't need Resolute Technique. This means that every Sword Node has value. Only 5 Duel Wield Nodes have Accuracy or Crit on them. Leaving 27 Duel Wield Nodes that will work with Resolute Technique. The Duelist Area also contains a healthy 16 Two Handed Nodes. Lots of nice options for divergent builds.


Because Maces have stun and Axes are suppose to be crit???? but in reality are all over the place you can't even use most of these nodes to their full effect. If you choose Resolute Technique which you most likely will. And you also go life not Energy Shield you now have.



22 Mace Nodes
18 Axe Nodes

Well anyway. I'm tiring of counting all these and it's getting less accurate. Obviously you should go crit with Axe. The Axe Nodes near the Duelist area actually provide a decent amount of Accuracy.

But you get the point. The Duelist Area is better or equal to the Marauder + Templar combo even at things they're suppose to specialize in. And even if thats a mathematically incorrect statement the Duelist Area has the options. The ability to do what you want. The Marauder area has far fewer.