Build help: Pixie charger berserker off-defender

[Finleyville]

Anyway...

Hello all.

We will be starting a very long campaign soon starting from level 1-(epic). We already have two strikers (Sorc & Barb), two leaders (Cleric & Sham), and one defender (Warden). I know I should choose a controller to round everything out, but we just finished a 2 year campaign where I was the only controller. I am burnt out on debuffing everything in sight. Plus we may pick up one other player that wants to play a wizard.

So instead of choosing a tried and true race/class pairing, I wanted some flavor. Looking online everywhere I found an outline of a pixie berserker build. Hilarious right?

I figured a berserker that can either streak ahead and hold down the front line just for two/three rounds then zerg or streak ahead to the back lines and freeze/harry the bombers would be a good strategy. I just need help picking the right powers/feats/equipment. I am hoping that by me actually standing IN the same square as the targets I can gain extra squares with my aura as well as adding a unique mechanic of them not being able to shift to leave my threat range. Plus me being able to fly THROUGH enemy squares to charge second line mobs will be beneficial.

I want to choose powers that evenly straddle defender/striker roles. I will not be the best of either, but there is something to be said for filling in where needed. So...


(Sorry I do not know where to find a simple char builder other than the DDI one)

My starting stats will be: S18 C11 D16 I8 W10 CH12 --> Iron wolf theme and Born Under a Bad Sign Background to help with the low CON

-- I am unsure which weapons to choose as the classic great weapons or gouge will not work. Rapier is probably my best bet with my higher DEX. Is dual wielding doable to qualify for the Arid Desert heartland? Or will a shield serve me better with the Temperate heartland?

-- Most guides I read have me multiclassing into Fighter for some feats/powers. Will I need to do that with this build?

-- Or will multi into rogue help me better with the rapier?

-- Which feats would help me with charging besides Charging Rampage and Powerful Charge? Can I afford them being behind as a pixie? If I MC I can take Surprising Charge with a rapier weapon.



Any help with this would be appreciated. Thanks all.

 

[Tony Vargas]

-- I am unsure which weapons to choose as the classic great weapons or gouge will not work.

Rapier is probably my best bet with my higher DEX.

Berserkers still use STR, so not so much. Light Weapon Expertise is pretty nice, though. Another surprising weapon of choice for small characters is the scimitar, if you prefer a heavy blade. Failing that, you can pick a versatile weapon and just use it two-handed. Two-handed weapons are one of the few places it really kinda bites to be small (or tiny-counting-as-small, as the case may be).

Is dual wielding doable to qualify for the Arid Desert heartland? Or will a shield serve me better with the Temperate heartland?

Shield & 1-h weapon is hurt less by your size and helps shore you up as a defender, so temperate isn't a bad idea. I'm biased, though. I've seen players do very well with Desert, and you can misappropriate some unarmored tricks meant for avengers and casters.

Most guides I read have me multiclassing into Fighter for some feats/powers. Will I need to do that with this build?
-- Or will multi into rogue help me better with the rapier?

MCing shouldn't be strictly necessary. If you want to go more Striker, then regular Barbarian powers help you. If you want to emphasize defender and have more options that avoid going into berserker mode, yes, swapping in some fighter powers might be nice. I suppose you could even hybrid.

Which feats would help me with charging besides Charging Rampage and Powerful Charge? If I MC I can take Surprising Charge with a rapier weapon.

Streak of Light is an obvious charge feat for a pixie, too.

 

[MwaO]

The big advantage of MC'ing into Fighter is that you can power swap for Rain of Blows(triple attack) and then go Shock Trooper(another triple attack and generally good features for a str/dex PC). Battle Awareness gives you a punish a shift action, which is useful for Berserkers.

With a Berserker, I'd also consider a Flail - not sure what the rules are for the Alhulak(the +3 prof dark sun flail) with a pixie, but it means you prone in Paragon with Lashing Flail/Flail Expertise. Which makes the Berserker Aura+Battle Awareness a lot more useful. And it works with Rain of Blows.

And of course, you prone on a charge, which means your target now has bad options for getting out of your aura...

 

[Finleyville]

Thank you for your replies.


The big advantage of MC'ing into Fighter is that you can power swap for Rain of Blows(triple attack) and then go Shock Trooper(another triple attack and generally good features for a str/dex PC). Battle Awareness gives you a punish a shift action, which is useful for Berserkers.


If I want to do that don't I need to use 2 feats just for one Fighter power?



If I do MC into Fighter (I have never MC before) when do I take that MC Fighter feat? Does that hurt me as far as losing a feat for my build?

I am also thinking of going heavy pick for a weapon. Do I miss out on better flail synergies?

 

[MwaO]

Thank you for your replies. If I do MC into Fighter (I have never MC before) when do I take that MC Fighter feat? Does that hurt me as far as losing a feat for my build?

I am also thinking of going heavy pick for a weapon. Do I miss out on better flail synergies?

Take Battle Awareness whenever. Great feat, requires a Str 13, Wis 13. Once per encounter someone shifts away from you or attacks a friend, you get an interrupt to attack them.

i.e. the first time someone tries to do either of those things and they're in your aura, you get 2 MBAs off at them...

Flail is really useful long-term as mentioned because proning your target means their action options are really much more limited when in your aura.

 

[Finleyville]

The big advantage of MC'ing into Fighter is that you can power swap for Rain of Blows(triple attack) and then go Shock Trooper(another triple attack and generally good features for a str/dex PC). Battle Awareness gives you a punish a shift action, which is useful for Berserkers.

But won't I have to take 2 MC Fighter feats to get Rain of Blows and 4 MC feats for the Shock Trooper paragon path? If so, that is a lot of feats to give up just for two powers.

Plus, I will not be able to take Battle Awareness feat for I will not have WIS 13.


Long term, wouldn't I be better served for feats in choosing things like Unarmored Agility, Flail Expertise, Iron Will, Powerful Charge (during Heroic tier), and other charge cheese feats? (I want to be a charger.)

 

[MwaO]

But won't I have to take 2 MC Fighter feats to get Rain of Blows and 4 MC feats for the Shock Trooper paragon path? If so, that is a lot of feats to give up just for two powers.

Plus, I will not be able to take Battle Awareness feat for I will not have WIS 13.

No - just 2. MC: Battle Awareness is one feat, Novice Power is the other. Cyclone Warrior just requires a 13 Str and is an MC feat that adds a little damage per attack for a turn. After having taken a Fighter MC feat, you then qualify for options that have Fighter as a prereq - you can take a Fighter Paragon Path such as Shock Trooper.

Long term, wouldn't I be better served for feats in choosing things like Unarmored Agility, Flail Expertise, Iron Will, Powerful Charge (during Heroic tier), and other charge cheese feats? (I want to be a charger.)

In general, damage bonuses stack. Powerful Charge gives you +2 bonus to one specific kind of swing. Weapon Focus gives you +1 bonus to every single swing. Including what happens when you make 3 of them. Having a magic weapon gives +X bonus to every swing.

i.e. once the damage bonuses start coming in, damage done is a lot greater when they are triple attacks such as those from Rain of Blows or Shocking Twister than from Charge - and your ability to land such attacks is not as dependent on mobility.

 

[Finleyville]

So it sounds like dabbling in Fighter is really helpful for a Defending Berserker. I guess I can change my starting stats to -- S17 C12 D17 I8 W10 CH13. While I am missing the 18 STR I can make it up at the first ability bump. I will not qualify for Battle Awareness, but I can use Wrathful Warrior MC to get into Fighter to choose Rain of Blows later.


So how does these feats sound in this order?

L1 Streak of Light
L2 Unarmored Agility (to gain as much AC as hide armor)
L4 Flail Expertise
L6 Wrathful Warrior MC Fighter
L8 Novice Power MC
L10 Berserker Vitality
L11 Improved Defenses
L12 Teeny Target?

I really would like to pick up the Fighter Utility at-will Berserker's Charge power. However, the CB wouldn't allow me to pick it up after I chose the Acolyte MC feat. Any ideas why?