Avenger: A Hybrid Study (Updated to Anniversary Edition)

[CrocMagnum]

PART 1/2

Content

I] About The Anniversary Edition (Edit 2016)
II] Intro
III] Why Hunting
IV] Why Earth
V] Synergies between Earth & Hunting
VI] Problems
VII] Solutions
VIII] Secret Passage
IX] Questions for Veterans
X] Avenger vs Sage
XI] Goodies that dropped in my game
XII] Quotes concerning the Core Dweller
XIII] Personal Data
XIV] Conclusion

I] About The Anniversary Edition (Edit 2016)

Titan Quest Anniversary Edition is a remastered version of the original games: It combines the original Titan Quest, the add-on Immortal Throne, the Fanpatches, and comes with a whole slew of improvements and new features. These changes not only affect the graphics but also the gameplay: even Skills are rebalanced.

Here is a sample of the changes (taken from the THQ Nordic):

• Restored and improved multiplayer functionality, including new features like a built-in voice chat and NAT resolving for best multiplayer connectivity
• Support for more resolutions, larger camera distance and scaleable UI size
• Improved performance and general stability
• Complete balance rework with improvements to all Masteries, damage types, unique items and sets
• Countless bug fixes and other improvements, including ten years’ worth of community fixes
• Increased challenges and rewards for larger parties and on higher difficulty levels
• Dozens of new heroes and bosses to encounter
• Improved enemy and pet AI
• Quality of life features like higher stack limits, quick item pickup, a larger stash and a speed setting
• Reduced cheating with curbed exploits, removal of test items and mod comparison in multiplayer

You will notice that many many Skills have been reworked:

- Skills that were subpar have been revised to scale better with your level for instance,

- Skills that were overpowered have been nerfed,

Coming back to the lovely Avenger what has changed for him? To sum it up Earth has been nicely buffed and Hunting has been reworked (bleeding damage has been raised and wood lore has been nerfed). Examples:

 Earth Enchantment:
+ Now also increases Burn Damage
+ Radius increases by 10% per additional level
- Unified all non-trance aura cooldowns to 4 seconds

 Volativity:
+ Now also increases Burn Damage
+ Also increases Physical Damage (half as much)

- Core Dweller AI behavior now corresponds to its orders
- Core Dweller now casts Provoke in normal and aggressive stance

 Gouge:
- Increased Bleeding Damage by 50%

 Take Down ~ Eviscerate:
- Increased Bleeding Damage by 150%

Wood Lore:
- Now gives 30+32/level DA instead of % increases   

 Study Prey ~ Flush Out:
- Now also lowers Bleeding Resistance...

But Hey! You know what? I won't flood you with a mammoth post (sounds like I already did ; D) here's a link to the complete changelog:

Titan Quest Anniversary Edition - Full Log by THQ Nordic

Titan Quest Anniversary Edition - Full Log by THQ Nordic

II] Intro

(The title may sound showy but the post is not, I can assure you. This thread may be old news for Regulars but wait! There is a section entirely dedicated for Veterans: I have some questions for you. I hope you’ll answer the call).

Playing a “hybrid” (a character part Physical / part Caster) can be a blessing and a curse. It is a known fact that focusing on one type of damage is the way to go. Avengers and the likes are no classes for beginners, just so you know. So why for Heaven’s sake would you choose an Avenger? Well here’s my answer: Hunting & Earth are my favourite Masteries. And one day I decided to mix the two and see how it goes.

Note: I’m playing with the fanpatch 1.17

III] Why Hunting

Because Hunting has it all! It is one of those Masteries that you’ll have a hard time to part with (just like Defense). Let’s recap:

- a Hunter doesn’t gives a d**n about Poison Resistance because he’s got Herbal Remedy. Even on Legendary Act IV I stood in the middle of Undead Mages casting their big poison gas bombs. They didn’t scratch me,

-  a Hunter doesn’t gives a d**n about Entrapment because he’s got Trail Blaizing,

- a Hunter has always the edge in terms of Defensive Ability thanks to almighty Wood Lore (it’s percentage based),

Edit 2016: now with The Anniversary Edition Wood Lore has been nerfed, the bonus to Defensive Ability isn't percentage based anymore.

- a Hunter is always the best Bow user whatever secondary he chooses, thanks to the Marksmanship tree,

- a Hunter doesn’t fear tough armoured enemies because he’s got one of the strongest debuff in the game: Study Prey (& Synergy),

- a Hunter has a huge bonus to Piercing Damage thanks to many skill trees (Art of the Hunt, Call of the Hunt, Marksmanship mainly)

You see? All those goodies add up. It also means you’ll miss your Hunting A LOT when you’ll roll a completely new toon. Hunting is overwhelming (again just like Defense)

IV] Why Earth

Well not much to say here. First and foremost I tend to be a “sloppy” guy in every single hack’n’slash I put my hands on. I can be a real Leroy Jenkins sometimes. In this regard Earth is just the Mastery for me:

- The Core Dweller is a tough pet who tanks for me (at least from Epic and on),

- Stone Form is a life-saviour when I’m cornered. At least when used properly. 2 Rules concerning Stone Form:

# Never use it if you haven’t a good casting speed. How many times did I die when trying to cast it? Countless times! At least if you have 0 casting speed cast it in advance, never at the last second, ‘cos you’ll regret it I can assure you,

# never put a single point in its synergy (Molten Rock). Never! It can really mess up your life. Not only the damage retaliation is puny but more importantly you are somewhat blocked around a second when the animation is over. Some monster can beat you up.  And the additional 2 seconds of invincibility of Molten Rock can ruin your day. Here’s one example:

Ex: Typhon:  once I was caught offguard and noticed he had cast his Meteor Shower. Thus I cast Stone Form. Thing is: I had put a point into the synergy Molten Rock. So I was completely stopped for 8 sec (instead of 6 sec)! In the meantime that b****d had cast another Meteor Shower and I died.

With only a single point into Stone Form you can disengage faster and safely.

- Heat Shield: that 15% Damage Resistance (Physical only) becomes more and more essential the more you advance in the game. On Legendary when fire-touting enemies dismiss my Heat Shield, my survivability declines considerably,

- not counting that I love throwing things (Eruption & Volcanic Orb)


V] Synergies between Earth & Hunting

I noticed 2 synergies only, but what a bargain:

#  Core Dweller + Monster Lure = Double Taunt / Double Tank

On Normal you won’t notice how those two go well. Actually you may curse the day you’ve rolled an Avenger. From Act III they’ll drop like flies and constantly recasting them becomes tedious. But you’ll have to if you want to survive (at least one of them). On Epic however (Even more so on Legendary) they’ll become a force to reckon with:

First they taunt. They’ll draw the attention of countless mobs. Believe me it is a sight to see: on Legendary when facing Machae archers you’ll be astounded to see countless of arrows flying around you, and not touching you one bit! (note on Machae archers: fear them!)

Secondly they tank like mad! How many times have I experienced death because of Heroic Monsters or tough Bosses? Well with an Avenger this is a thing of the past, thanks to my double team. Just for your information:

- I NEVER died against a single Telkine with my Avenger. Be it on Normal, Epic or Legendary! (and I told you I’m kinda sloppy),

- I never died against Hades!

- Pharaoh Honor Guard? Gargantuan Yeti? Kalixenia? Charon? The Bloated One (Albinos Spider)? Cerberus? A joke!

But how does it work? Simple. First max your Core Dweller (all skills except Wildfire). Secondly max your Monster Lure (not the Synergy, the damage is puny even when Earth Enchantment is around). Third max your Marksmanship tree.

EDIT: 'Volley': you should max it also. Because firing 3 arrows at a time increases your DPS by a country mile. If you max Volley and Scatter Shot - Marksmanship tree - you'll understand why Bow builds dominate so much in this game. (Note that Volley works with spears too).

The Core Dweller is your first line of defense. He tanks like a Sherman. For your safety (against tough mobs like Melinoes) always cast a Monster Lure between you and your Core Dweller. Should your Core Dweller go down a majority of monster should cluster around the Monster Lure. Keep raining arrows & Eruption on their heads. That’s it. As simple as that. Against Bosses this is the way to go too. Now if you didn’t understand: an Avenger is mainly a Bow user!! And Holy Diablo Cow! It works!!

EDIT:

- Stick to Bows! "Spear Avengers" are just a joke on Legendary! Of course you'll do well if you find yourself a Phorkos Trident on Epic, but the same goes for all melee classes really... ; )

- The Core Dweller has 2 arch-nemesis though: Beware any  Boss with Horns. Il especially advise you to be extra cautious when facing the "Minotaur Lord" and the "Fire Bull". Those two can really take you and your familiar(s) down extremely fast!! So don't forget to dance your Core Dweller around! This advice counts for every class in the game, not just the Avenger!

#  Flush Out + Eruption + Volatility = Outstanding combo

Flush Out (synergy of Study Prey) reduces Elemental resistances considerably: you need it to boost your already ungodly Eruption spell. Max,

Study Prey reduces Piercing Resistance. Max (you’re a Bow user, remember),

Eruption: a volcano on demand. The more points in it, the more fragments. Always cast Study Prey before casting Eruption. It is critical! Max,

Volatility: contrary to other classes I strongly recommend to max Volatility early. Middle Epic is the good time. When I maxed it I noticed a considerable boost to Eruption & Volcanic Orb. 

VI] Problems

Of course you’ll face hurdles. Did you think you could play a Hybrid without paying the price? Obviously Not.

Energy regen: this will be your main problem. First because you have two strong Energy Reserved Skills (Art of the Hunt & Earth Enchantment) which will hijack a big chunk of your energy bar. Secondly your Spells / Summons are very taxing,

Stat Distribution: the Hybrid curse. You’ll always be torn between putting points into DEX, INT and STR.

Ladies & Gentlemen! This calls for strong measures! Follow me to the next paragraph.

VII] Solutions

Warning: the following is the way I chose to develop my Avenger. This is not a perfect set up (actually it’s far from it). But it worked for me and I could finish Legendary with it. You’ll notice the consequences of such choices. That’s what Hybrids are all about.

# Energy Regen

- On Normal I put 8 attribute points into Energy. Those 200 energy points go a long way. But we’re not out of the wood yet,

Edit 2016 A big change with The Anniversary Edition: "Attribute points now yield 40 Health or Energy per invested point" (instead of the original 25!). This new quirk is quite a blessing for a Hybrid Avenger and, as a matter of fact, for anyone else. \o/

- On Normal Avengers can afford to wear some caster gear (thanks to Earth which boost INT). Use some,

- On Act III Normal I regularly paid a visit to the guy selling caster gear in Chang Han. I was lucky to buy a Puppetmaster Talisman (+ 6 Energy Regen / sec). Problem Solved! That amulet served me throughout all my game, even on Legendary. Even when I found a good Purple I still kept that beauty in my inventory and switched when needed. I mostly drank potions in tough battles. But we need more,

# Stat Distribution & Special Gear

This my friend will be your main headache. You need:

- DEX: for Bows (& Spears marginally),
- INT: to boost your Eruption,
- STR: to wear some high end gear (trust me on this one)

So what to do? My salvation came from green rings. I shopped for them. And as the game went on I switched to stronger versions of both. In each ring slot I had:

- Plato’s Ring of intellect > Socrates Ring of Erudition

- Hale Ring of Finesse > Hale Ring of Might!!!

Note: I might add that Avengers are overall bad looters. It can't be a coincidence because it was like that throughout all levels of difficulty. But Avengers have a strange quirk: they drop an incredible amount of good rings & amulets (Green, Blue, Purple). At least it was the case for me (more of “loot things” in a minute). Just look at the Hale Ring of Might, I’d never seen one before my Avenger. (I’ll learn how to make screenshots, right now every shot is black, I don’t get it. EDIT: for the screenshots look here)

Consequence: when you wear items such as Plato & Hale rings, it means no Apollo's Will, noAdroit Loop, etc. You see the choices we have to make? Again that’s what Hybrids are all about: tough choices!

- On Normal I didn’t put a single point into INT. I waited for Epic and started pumping a bit (first from 140 to 200 without gear to benefit from the percentage bonus from Plato’s rings & such)

# Now let’s talk about Armor

What beauty are you going to wear? This is where the “Hybrid Blessing” comes into play. As an Avenger thanks to the above rings & a handful of INT points you’ll be able to wear incredible things that mere Conquerors & Slayers alike can’t afford. But this my friend shines from Epic (my character is 99% untwinked). Thus let’s see:

Act II / III Normal: Just wear whatever STR based green suits falls into your hand (Veteran / Juggernaut / Mountaineer Suit, preferably socketed with a completed Viny Growth charm),

Act IV Normal: Now this act is special. Here you have a chance to drop one of the best armor you can get. Sadly it didn’t drop for my Avenger:

Templar's Zeal

a disgusting piece armor. Just look at the bonuses of that thing and you'll agree. Heck! It's so good that once I used it all through Epic Act I & II [no joke]. Many Resists in the 40s and the "Bleeding Resist" is super handy (it's hard to come by, unless you have a nice artifact). The +2 to Trance of Convalescence and Armor Handling are just the icing on the cake if you’re a Templar.

Note: the first time it dropped from a Formicid in a cave near Rhodes, and I couldn't believe my eyes. That thing kills even if you're no Templar,

Epic & Legendary: I grouped them because I used the same armor from late Epic to Legendary! Yeah I can be crazy sometimes. But what is it? The suspense is killing you, right? Here it is:

Tunic of the Magi

For my part this is an underrated piece of armor perfectly suited for Hybrids. Look at the Resists & the Stats! The only thing this gem lacks are Vitality Resist / Stun Resist / - Recharge. Well simply get them from elsewhere. Just pump your INT (with rings,...) till you can wear it. Note the huge bonus to Defensive Ability (200 +). With Wood Lore & some other gear you won’t be critted very often. Actually my defensive ability on late Legendary was around 1200 / 1300 whereas Poinas recommends around 900 / 1000 DA in his Attribute Point Guide. Lovely!

Where to get a Tunic of the Magi?

Epic Secret Passage! I can guarantee you that if you farm Epic SP you will get it eventually (fanpatch or not). It can also drop on Legendary SP but it’s much rarer. Epic SP drops lots of Tunic of the Magi for me and even more lots of Cestus! Good armor for Hybrids also (some – Recharge and more Pierce Resist) but Tunic of the Magi is way  better overall.

Note: we're not talking about high-end gear here. The above item is very good for Hybrids and you can get it quite early (Epic Secret Passage).

Observations: If you combine the Puppetmaster amulet with the Tunic of the Magi (it also grants a good boost to Energy Regen) and you socket one of your rings with an Hecate’s Crescent Relic you have an incredible amount of Energy Regen for a Hybrid. Just so you know my Energy Regen was around 30 / sec with that setup. Amazing.

# Which Artifact ?

I used - Might of Hephaestus from Epic till the end of the game. That’s the only thing I used from an older character. I needed that thing badly because my DPS & Survivability dropped considerably on Act 4 Epic. The bonuses are great and the + 1 to All Skills for Earth is just what I needed. The extra damage to Constructs & Devices is not something to sneeze at, actually it’s invaluable (it’s percentage based). Pharaoh Honor Guard & Act IV Constructs will feel your wrath. It grants a special skill called Iron Fist, and there is a quirk about it:

Even if the description says “builds up the melee power of the player to epic proportions” it can actually proc from a mere Volcanic Orb or an Eruption. It happens often. Sometimes you’ll see Monsters, even Heroic ones, fly to the moon with a single spell. It works on a regular base and saved me countless times.

Note: the granted skill “Iron Fist” only works with the fanpatch and The Anniversary Edition.

Edit: Actually depending on your version of Titan Quest, Iron Fist actually works completely differently:

# Immortal Throne (original version): in this version Might of Hephaestus DOES NOT work at all,

# Immortal Throne + Fanpatch 1.17: the granted skill works very well. This includes Melee and even Spells. This what made this Divine Artifacts so attractive (at least for me). I mean the granted skills proces a lot and you don't need to assign the skill on LBM, it works automatically,

# Anniversary Edition: in this version you are forced to assign the granted skill to your LMB! So it cannot proc with spells anymore (like Eruption, Volcanic Orb). This is somewhat sad but I guess I do understand the idea of the developers behind this nerf: indeed the tooltip of Iron Fist says “builds up the melee power of the player to epic proportions”, so now the skill works as intended (a melee bonus that is). By the way I did not try it with the Ragnarok dlc yet, but since I fell for this awesome Nordic extension you can sure bet I’m going to play it very soon.

PART 2 coming below.

[CrocMagnum]

PART 2/2

VIII] Secret Passage

Tips for Noobs: Secret Passage is a semi-hidden area located near the City of Rhodes (Immortal Throne only). The area is secured and the only way to open the gate is to get a little item called the Overlord. It looks like a turtle, it is purple, and only Hades can drop it. He doesn't always drop it, but you should get it eventually. Keep looking...

The Overlord can be used an infinite number of times, on any difficulty. You can even transfer it between characters.

And please don’t farm Normal SP, it’s hard and not worth it. Here's a map just in case: Secret Passage Location

As an Avenger you have 2 options when farming SP:

# The Legit Way

It just consists in opening the cells and fight for your skin. It’s hard for an Avenger because he's not the most resilient toon (even with his monstrous Defensive Ability). But with repeated cast of Monster Lure and  a Core Dweller as a meatshield you can do it. But you will suffer and you have a good probability to die.

# The B*****d Way

I told you how tough boss fights for other characters were so easy for Avengers? Well the same goes for SP. You have 2 masteries tailored to run SP with ease:

# Arrow Slugfest: when you have put a good number of points into the Marksmanship tree you can shoot through the cells!! Only a Hunter can pull off this one. First place yourself not far from a cell a force you character to stay on the spot with “shift” (we don’t want to open the cells). Sometimes your arrows won’t make it through the bars, just switch positions and find a good angle. Easy, you’ll get the hang of it.  (Err! Don’t forget to cast Study Prey First, it goes also through the bars),

# Eruption: same thing as above through the bars. There’s nothing more funny than watching Nate running around aimlessly inside his cell in search of a target to slaughter. This is priceless.

# Monster Lure: actually it is possible to throw a Monster Lure inside the RIGHT cells from the outside:  stick as near as possible to a cell (stay away from the door though), then cast a Monster Lure.  It should land inside the cell. Now move back. Many monsters will cluster around it. Now cast study Prey then Eruption and then pump arrows like mad. Rinse & Repeat. Well! That’s it. It may take some time but Holy Diablo Cow!! It Works!

Note1: I just recommend to wear some”– recharge” and “INT enhancing” gear to speed up the process.

Note 2: “Dave" the Turtle (your first “real” enemy) packs a mean punch. Even with good resists. So cast a Monster Lure, move back to the Steps. Wait for the Monster Lure to take the aggro, then beat him to a pulp. Don’t forget to cast Call of the Hunt first, that one demands it. He should go down easily.

Note 3: I’m quite reckless sometimes and I noticed something about Morgan (the Mini Hydra): as long as Morgan is inside its cell, breath attacks can’t affect you if you are outside. Even if you see some trails coming out of the cell don’t sweat it. They won’t hit you.

IX] Questions for Veterans

Q1: Does Call of the Hunt have any boosting effect on Eruption when facing Beastmen? I’m asking because when I farm Legendary Secret Passage the Huge Anteok (Ben) goes down faster when I cast Call of the Hunt + Study Prey + Eruption.

A1: Yes! The +33% extra damage is for everybody, at the price of 1 point. That is one of the "hidden" mage synergies. (thanks to Violos)

Q2: What’s the difference between some Vitality Damage Types some bosses use? I’m talking about the Red Wave of the Grey Sisters vs The Blue Wave of Hades. I’m asking because my Core Dweller is quite impervious to Blue Wave attacks whereas the Greys with their Red Waves can kill my Dweller if I don’t dance him around. Aren’t they all Vitality Damage?

A2: The Greys mainly do lightning damage. (Violos)

Q3: Does Herbal Remedy have any boosting effect on the Core Dweller? I always cast it on him anyway. Is it a shameless behaviour?

A3: Your CD is already poison immune, but the regeneration works. (Violos)

Q4: In Poinas Guide for all Skill “Heat Shield” is said to give 245 Fire Damage absorption at level 12. I seem to have much more damage absorption than that and I haven't maxed the skill at all. How so?

A4: You're right! It actually absorbs 650 at 12, and 850 at 16.
Still, you usually want to keep it at 1 point for the 15% physical reduction and keep it away from fire. (Violos)

Q5: Legendary Stonebinder’s Cuffs vs Archmages’ Clasp? What would you wear? I’m asking because the Clasp didn’t drop for me.

A5: Both are great. I'd prefer clasps for mages that need their Eruptions, and SBC fow bowies.
If you still want to do a "true" hybrid and spread your points over the phys, pierce and fire themed skills, you will need the +3 to all. (Violos)


X] Avenger vs Sage (Hunting + Storm)

Big match here. Because if you want to do Elemental Damage with a Bow you’ll have to consider either Earth or Storm. But to cut it short (I need some sleep) Storm wins easily:

- Storm slows down monsters naturally with the skill “Heart of Frost”. This is invaluable. On the other hand my Avenger can thank his Might of Hephaestus Artifact which granted him a 50% Slow as a completion bonus. This was invaluable!!

- You should also factor in Spellbreaker / Spell Shock which stripes monsters from their auras. What is a Melinoes Blade Dancer or a Phalanx Formicid Captain without onslaught? A pussy!!

- a Sage gets 2 debuffs instead of one! And what debuffs!! Squall & Study Prey will multiply your damage by a phenomenal margin! An Avenger can't possibly compete in this regard. The only thing that might turn you off is this: casting Squall & Study Prey constantly might cause your fingers to explode !! You've been warned!

- With Eye of the Storm (synergy of the Wisp): a Sage can benefit from a + 100 % Elemental Damage! That’s crazy!

Cons: but when your Wisp dies your DPS drops heavily,

Pro Rebuttal: Yes but it just takes 20 seconds to recast a Wisp. And with some - recharge gear that problem is out of the way. On the other hand when the Avenger’s Core Dweller dies it’s a Tragedy! (90 sec to recast!). It just feels like shopping naked in the middle of a Walmart!!

Now an Avenger doesn’t need a Pet to get increased Fire Damage. With Volatility and some + Skills he can attain a + 200 % bonus to Fire Damage. Ok It’s just a 33 % chance to proc. But believe me when you have maxed Eruption and Fragmentation (synergy of Volcanic Orb) you are guaranteed to benefit from it seeing the sheer number of fragments you get with higher levels.

So between Avenger and Sage it’s a trade-off. Pick your Poison.


XI] Goodies that dropped in my game

Foreword: As said above my Avenger is an overall bad looter, but when it drops, it’s brilliant. I noticed something about drops: He seems to drop lots of high-end Rings & Amulets (chests or shops).

Fingerbone of Boreas (Aktaios Telkine, first run) / Hesperas Greaves  / Phorkos Trident/ Archimede’s Cogwheel (Hydra Chest) / Vestment of the Overlord (Megalesios) / Apollo’s Bow / Ring of Gaia & Odysseus Armor (Library Scarab, first run) / Seal of Hephaestus / Adroit Loop / Bow of Herakles (from a skeleton inside Wusao Mountain) / Artemis' Silver Bow /Athena’s Battle Greaves…

Legendary Secret Passage (4 nights of serious farming):

Cerberus Bite / Visor of the Shadowlord / Athena’s Mirror Shield / Myrmidon's Pendant & Amulet of Morpheus, on the same run!) / Bracers of the Argonauts / Agamemnon Scepter & Appollo’s Will & Mark of Ares, same run) / Legguard of the Flameborn / Pendant of Immortal Rage / Aphrodite’s Favour / Sapros the Corrupter…

Hephaestus Molten Shield (from a simple Bone Pile near the Lurker Beast, Act IV) / Peleus Ashen Spear / Archmage’s Mantle / Pagos / Folg (with of Devouring affix, I was happy, d**n I need to make a screenshot)  EDIT: for the screenshots look here)  /

Note 1: things that didn't drop: Thorny Maul / Archmage's Clasp / Alexander's Cuirass / Tracker Set / Aionios...

Note 2: curiously enough from the moment I got my Sapros from SP, the chest refused to grant me purples for around 10 runs. Strange.

XII] Quotes concerning the Core Dweller

- “The Core Dweller is the best tanking pet in the history of gaming. It's by far the smartest and most effective pet I've ever seen.” (ruinx a fellow member of titanquest.net)

- “What'cha gonna do brother, what'cha gonna do when the Dweller runs wild on you?” (Hulk Hogan)

- “Cory is without a doubt THE most electrifying pet in entertainment today!” (The Rock)

XII] Personal Data

Name: Ion Storm.

This calls for some explanation. At first I wanted to make a Sage: I started with Hunting, was about to chose Storm at level 8 and then change my mind… I opted for Avenger. Ion Storm is the company which made Deus Ex. A favourite game of mine.

Sex: Female

Current Level: 63

Number of Deaths: Err! That’s classified…

Fun on Normal: scarce! You’ll curse the day you’ve rolled an Avenger. Constantly recasting your Core Dweller is not fun.

Fun on Epic & Legendary: a blast! Seriously an Avenger rocks late game, especially against bosses. Now I believe what Irma2 said about a certain rule in Titan Quest: If a character is weak on Normal, he can rock on Legendary! And if he rocks on Normal he may suck on Legendary.

XIV] Conclusion

Well! What can I say? I hope you enjoyed the read. It’s fun to play an Avenger and sometimes you’ll feel awesome. But that’s definitely not a class for beginners. I hope now you feel what is it to play a Hybrid. A blessing and a curse. Have a nice day!

[CrocMagnum]

RESERVED ^^

[oldage]

Croc, thanks for posting this.
I dug through my old TQ stuff and found this weeks ago. I am  playing this and a Sage.
I played this years ago, no old toons left. so started from scratch soon as I downloaded the anniversary version.
This was back in the days when Norma2 was the guru. My Id was Old Bugger.
The date I saved was Nov 2010. a little old.

[CrocMagnum]

Hi! Ya Old Bugger/oldage! I'm so happy you liked the guide. A few remarks ^^:

A] Skill reworked in AE

Many skills have been rebalanced in AE (the Anniversary Edition). As for the Avenger I bet you noticed a few:

Hunting AE

+ Study Prey ~ Flush Out: - Now also lowers Bleeding Resistance

Comment: Holy ***, the Debuff gets even better now,

- Wood Lore: - Now gives 30+32/level DA instead of % increases

Comment: Nerf! Nerf! Nerf! Croc Not Happy, Croc Smash! ^^

Earth AE

+ Earth Enchantment: Radius increases by 10% per additional level

Comment: This is very important. In the original Titan Quest you could not increase the radius of "Earth Enchantment" no matter what (fixed 6 meter radius). In old days trying to apply the buff on your pets forced you to stay near them (could be very dangerous for caster classes). Now in the Anniversary Edition the radius of the skill grows the more points you put into it (+12 meter at Skill Level 12/12),

+ Heat Shield: Now aborbs a percentage of Fire Damage for 100 seconds

Comments: Even better. Instead of losing the shield after a treshold of fire damage, now the Heat Shield absorbs a % of Fire Damage for 100 seconds. If it's sounds like a nerf it's not: you have 100 seconds of guaranteed Damage Absorption against Fire that inrceases with the level of the skill. Finally the 15% Damage (Physical Resist), which was the major selling point of the skill, is still there in the AE.

The only problem you might come across is trying to cast Heat Shield on multiple allies (pets mostly). If I remember correctly the original Skill could be cast an infinite number of times without delay, now in AE there is a 60 sec cooldown, EDIT: Wrong!! I just checked: In the original the cooldown of Heat Shield was 90 sec!! So even that part is better in the AE (60 sec now),
...
Of course there is much more to say. When the time come I'll updated POST 1&2, and edit this post if I said something really stupid 

B] About Norma2

Irma2 you mean? ^^ Yeah I miss the guy too, his posts in the old forums were 24 Carat Gold, I hope he's all right,

C] The date I saved was Nov 2010

Indeed if my memory serves, I created the Avenger thread in 2010. I'm really happy I did, 'cos you see Hybrid Avengers are some of the least played classes it seems (unlike Physical Avenger which are much more easier to manage). This is a good choice for the semi-seasoned player who wants to try something else,

D]About Sage

I must confess "Sage" are some of the most overpowered, though glass cannon, class in the game. I mean you have 2 debuffs: Study Prey+Synergy and Squall+Synergy!!! Now if you add to that debuff relics (Shen-Nong's Dark Medicine,Monkey King's Trickery,...) you can reduce monsters resistances even more. I bet Asylum101, a seasoned Titan Quest player and great modder, could talk about the Sage class all day. 

Note: AsylumsMod 1.01 (moddb)

[oldage]

I found an old folder with about all the old builds in in it. I am using Asylum-101 guide for my sage.
Including lot of good information from Irma2.
 Is there a vault mod for the anniversary addition?

Monster lure- I picked it but it does't go in front of you, always to the side, so casting makes it scary at best.

[CrocMagnum]

...Monster lure- I picked it but it does't go in front of you, always to the side, so casting makes it scary at best.

Mmh! I hope you're not underestimating the Monster Lure, Friend.

On higher difficulties that scarecrow is extremely reslilient. He will take an awful lot of hits and save your hide many many many time.

Then you have the fact the its Provoke Radius increases the more points you put into the skill. At Level 6/6 it becomes a 10 meter radius (instead of the original 5 meter). Monsters provoked will come from very far, they will gather around the Lure to beat it up, which in turn allows you to kill them easily from afar: arrows, volcanic orb and Eruption are your best options for this.

EDIT: So you've cast Monster Lure and Ennemies are gathering around it. BUT before you start pumping arrows/spells like mad, don't forget to cast Study Prey first to lower their resistances, of course.

The Monster Lure doesn't move but it works extremely well. Now as far as placing of the Lure goes, you'll get the hang of it, sometimes you'll notice that facing a a certain direction (left, right, whatever...^^)  will have and effect on the Lure location on the battlefield.

Avengers have an attractive set of Familiars: you have a mobile pet in the Core Dweller and a static one with the Monster Lure. They both "tank" for you, and they both "taunt" for you. What's not to love.

Oh! I almost forgot, I would put a single point in its synergy Detonate. Why? Because in the Anniversary Edition Detonate too has been reworked for the better:

# It deals Fire AND Physical Damage now,
# denotes now also deals "1 sec of Stun" regardless of level, so 1 point is enough just to benefit from the Stun,

Is there a vault mod for the anniversary addition?

Sure. I think that version still works:

TQVaultAE_2.4-alpha2.exe: https://github.com/EtienneLamoureux/TQVaultAE/releases

[oldage]

Thanks for all the good information.
Down loaded Vault work great except for a small error so far.
It you touch or try to pick up a Shroud or Formula an window error message appears
Seem fixed, downloaded the wrong one

[botebote77]

i found a chest armor that seems made for this build

https://www.tq-db.net/equipment/skyrta-of-orvar-oddr

i have a question for you bud.. does increase projectile speed from items also increase the speed of volcanic orb? 

[CrocMagnum]

...i have a question for you bud.. does increase projectile speed from items also increase the speed of volcanic orb? 

To cut it short no. Volcanic Orb doesn't get any faster when using the suffixe "Increase in Projectile Speed".

I tried it with an Apollo's Will with a 47% Increase in Projectile Speed, and I didn’t see any noticeable difference, at all.

But you know what, botebote77? Being the seasoned Sharder that you are ^^, you were probably bamboozled by the Velocity Skill, from the Ice Shard tree, it does indeed increase the Projectile Speed of your Shards (in %). Also I remember your crazy Sharder build video at Mont Olympus, the numbers of Shards you could generate with that build was quite insane.