Ideal Build For Each Class

[DwayneA]

I've been told that every class has multiple ways to be built. Having played a lot of Diablo II in the past, I tried to find all those different ways by using the online skill calculator and watching IceFrzzy's channel on Youtube. However, after some time, I concluded that each class is best built in one way, with all others not being as effective. For some classes, there seems to be only one way that I can find. So I have decided to go back to just one build per class, focusing on the best way to make each one.

The fun in doing this is all about finding out how each mastery combination synergizes with each other. Certain skills synergize with others to increase damage, defenses, and improve combat effectiveness.

Below is the list I've come up with for the build I plan in each mastery.

Assassin - Physical Dualist Melee
Avenger - Fire Bow/Spear Caster
Battlemage - Hybrid Dualist Melee Caster
Berserker - Physical Dualist Melee
Bone Charmer - Bleeding Bow/Spear Vitality Caster
Brigand - Piercing and Bleeding Bow/Spear
Champion - Physical Dualist Melee with Pets
Channeler - Lightning Huangdi Caster
Conjurer - Fire and Vitality Ternion Caster
Conqueror- Physical Melee with Shield
Contemplator - Elemental Beam Caster
Corsair - Physical/Piercing/Bleeding/Poison Melee with Shield
Daoist - Physical Dualist Melee
Disruptor - Elemental Poison Knife Caster
Diviner - Vitality Electrical Burn Ternion Caster
Dragon Hunter - Elemental and Piercing Dualist Throwing/Spear Caster
Dreamkiller - Physical Melee Caster
Druid - Cold and Lightning Caster with Pets
Elementalist - Tri-Elemental Caster
Esoterist - Elemental Dualist Throwing Caster
Evoker - Fire and Electrical Burn Beam Caster
Guardian - Physical Melee with Shield and Pets
Harbinger - Physical Dualist Melee Caster
Haruspex - Piercing and Physical Bow/Spear
Hermit - Elemental Huangdi Caster with Pets
Illusionist - Poison Knife Caster with Pets
Juggernaut - Hybrid Melee Caster with Shield
Magician - Fire Knife Caster
Monk - Physical Melee with Shield
Oracle - Lightning and Vitality Ternion Caster
Paladin - Hybrid Melee Caster with Shield
Pilgrim - Piercing and Physical Bow/Spear
Prophet - Lightning and Electrical Burn Beam Caster
Ranger - Piercing and Physcal Bow/Spear with Pets
Ritualist - Elemental Beam Caster with Pets
Runesmith - Elemental Melee Caster with Shield
Sage - Lightning Bow/Spear Caster
Seidr Worker - Elemental and Electrical Burn Dualist Throwing Caster
Shaman - Elemental and Vitality Dualist Throwing Caster
Skinchanger - Elemental Dualist Throwing Caster with Pets
Slayer - Physical/Piercing Dualist Throwing/Spear
Soothsayer - Vitality Ternion Caster with Pets
Sorcerer - Cold and Lightning Knife Caster
Spellbinder - Physical Melee with Shield
Spellbreaker - Physical Dualist Melee
Spiritualist - Vitality and Elemental Ternion Caster
Stonespeaker - Fire Dualist Throwing Caster
Summoner - Fire Caster with Pets
Templar - Physical Melee with Shield
Thane - Hybrid Dualist Melee Caster
Thunderer - Lightning Dualist Throwing Caster
Trickster - Elemental and Poison Dualist Throwing Caster
Warden - Physical/Piercing/Bleeding Spear with Shield
Warlock - Vitality and Bleeding Ternion Knife Caster
Wu - Fire Huangdi Caster
In future posts on this thread, I will list why I've chosen the build and why others wouldn't work.

[DwayneA]

First, I'll start with an analysis of the masteries, and how to best make use of them for the builds.

Defense: Using a shield is mandatory because many skills require the use of one. It seems like a waste of a mastery not to use one. Primarily a physical melee mastery, though there is one buff for bleeding damage.

Dream: A hybrid mastery for both melee and casters, though most of the skills inflict primarily physical damage. Some skills inflict electrical burn and vitality damage. Psionic Beam is one of the best attacks for staves. Has a couple of debuffs to reduce all resistances. Physical characters can make use of both melee and casting spells.

Earth: Primarily a casting mastery focusing on fire, burning, and physical damage. Since the mastery does not increase Strength, whether or not you use physical damage depends on your other mastery. Physical characters fighting with weapons will find much to love from the physical damage skills. Also gives access to a powerful tank.

Hunting: Many skills require the use of bows, spears, or throwing weapons. Primary damage is piercing and bleeding. Increasing physical damage also affects the piercing damage dealt by bows, spears, and throwing weapons. Not using those weapons seems like a waste of a mastery. Many characters fight with ranged weapons primarily, then use spears when enemies get in melee range.

Nature: Primarily a support tree as the majority of the skills focus on summoning, buffing, and rebuffing. Wolves can be used as damage sources, support in combat, or distractions depending on your other mastery. One of the few debuffs that reduces poison resistance, but does not affect bleeding and piercing resistance.

Neidan: An elemental casting tree, though there are many defensive skills and enemy debuffs. Melee-oriented physical characters won't benefit from any of the elemental attacks, but will find much to love in the defensive abilities. Debuffs reduce all resistances, some of which can take effect when striking with weapons. The only combat skill that could benefit physical melee characters can strike multiple foes.

Rogue: Primarily a dexterity damage-based mastery with poison, piercing, and bleeding damage, with limited physical damage options. Casters will love the Throwing Knives which can be imbued with other skills to inflict elemental and/or poison damage.

Rune: Another elemental mastery with much to offer for casters. One of two masteries that allow dual wielding, though throwing weapons are the best option when using it if focusing on elemental damage. Rune Weapon is the best option for increasing elemental damage and intelligence above other available combat skill options.

Spirit: Another support mastery, with a focus on vitality damage. There is a debuff to reduce resistance to bleeding and vitality damage and buffs for increasing bleeding and vitality damage. Also has access to powerful pets. One buff can also increase physical and elemental damage.

Storm: Primarily an elemental mastery, focusing on cold, frostburn, lightning, and electrical burn, with skills to buff those damage types and another to increase all elemental damage. Physical characters imbue their attacks with cold and lightning damage, making some interesting hybrids. A debuff reduces all resistances.

Warfare: The other mastery that allows dual-wielding. Primarily a melee mastery focusing on physical damage. Characters fight in melee with physical damage. A debuff reduces physical and stun resistance. Most classes can dual-wield, though only the first skill affects throwing weapons. Skills that inflict bleeding damage are few and the damage is minimal.

[DwayneA]

Assassin - Physical Dualist Melee

A melee character with two weapons is ideal for this class. The trees of Onslaught, Battle Standard, and Battle Rage increase the damage of Calculated Strike, Lucky Hit, and Lethal Strike. Nothing in Warfare affects poison damage, but the poison status ailments can be applied to your weapons. Warfare doesn't benefit the Throwing Knife tree or the Lay Trap tree.

Avenger - Fire Bow/Spear

Since no left-click attack is spammable for spears, they are best used with Spear Dance when enemies get close and surround you. Brimstone increases all physical damage which can impact all piercing damage, but the imbued burn damage and the fire damage from Earth Enchantment is better for damage. Fire-based spells such as Volcanic Orb and Eruption are best used at range for crowd control with the Marksmanship tree to attack from range. The Core Dweller makes a better choice than the Monster Lure's Detonate despite both damage types being boosted by Earth Enchantment and Brimstone. Flust Out can reduce all elemental resistances and Study Prey can reduce the physical resistances. A spear-only Avenger wouldn't work either because no left-click attack is available. A pure caster would waste the Hunting Mastery as only Flush Out would be useful.

Battlemage - Hybridl Dualist Melee Caster

Both masteries can inflict and increase physical damage. While you can imbue your weapons with fire and burning damage thanks to Earth Enchantment and Brimstone, physical resistance is the only one reduced in this class by Tiumph. The Volcanic Orb tree and Meteor Rain are great for inflicting physical damage from range. Brimstone and Volativity increase all physical damage through spells or with weapons. In melee range, you can fight with two weapons imbued with Earth Enchantment and Brimstone. Warfare offers nothing for a fire caster since it is more focused on physical damage.

Berserker - Physical Dualist Melee

Both masteries have the option for dual-wielding weapons, making this one of the most effective dualists. Onslaught is better overall because nothing in Warfare benefits elemental damage, while some skills in Rune can inflict physical damage, including Rune Storm, Runeword: Explode, and Thunderstrike. Seal of Fate is only good for inflicting the Aftershock debuffs.

Bone Chamerer - Bleeding Bow/Spear

The bleeding buffs in both masteries make this one of the best classes for inflicting bleeding damage, further increased by both Flush Out and Necrosis to reduce bleeding damage. Since buffs that increase bleeding damage in Hunting mastery also increase piercing damage, which is also inflicted by bows, spears, and throwing weapons, you'll also want to add in piercing damage with your build since the undead, constructs, and devices are immune to bleeding damage. Spear Dance is useful for melee range with a spear while you attack from range with bows. Pure spear users have no spammable attack in melee range and the Ternion Attack does not receive benefits from most skills because very few staves can inflict bleeding damage. Using a staff renders many skills in Hunting useless as well.

Brigand - Piercing and Bleeding Bow/Spear

All those buffs to bleeding and piercing make this one of the best bleeding classes and the best one for piercing. the tree Lay Traps can become even more powerful with all those piercing buffs. Bleeding skills also become more potent as well. Despite spears being usable with Calculated Strike, Marksmanship is still the better left-click skill with bows due to the bonus damage only being inflicted on a fourth hit with Calculated Strike. Marksmanship is still superior as a ranged attack than the Throwing Knife tree. Using Throwing Knife with Flurry would also render certain skills in Hunting worthless because you do not attack with weapons.

Champion - Physical Dualist Melee with Pets

Strength of the Pack increases your physical damage in melee range. The wolves receive even more damage from the Battle Standard tree. Refresh, together with enough reduced recharge from equipment makes this the best class to use Ancestral Horn with as you can keep the warriors with you non-stop, and they benefit from the wolves' Strength of the Pack as well. There's no reason not to use the wolves with this class for this reason.

Channeler - Elemental Caster

Huangdi's Favor already deals some lightning damage, but you only need one point in it and its synergy for leeching purposes as the Ice Shards tree inflicts better damage in a faster timespan, but uses higher energy. Spells and weapons can inflict consequences, making Ice Shards and its synergies superior to Huangdi's Favor. Since neither mastery increases strength, a melee channeler wouldn't be effective either as this is a caster class.

Conjurer - Elemental Ternion Caster

The increase to fire and burning damage is superior to physical damage despite both masteries increasing physical damage. Even the bonus to Vitality damage is superior to increased physical damage bonuses. Necrosis can also reduce vitality damage. Vitality damage is only used to heal you as fire damage is superior for inflicting damage as certain enemies are immune to vitality damage. Ternion Attack is also superior to the Flame Surge tree as it is more powerful and cheaper in cost of skill points. Since there is no skill to reduce fire resistance, you might want to enchant one of your jewelry with an Eitr charm for triple elemental damage. A Vitality-only damage build wouldn't work because it would render much of Earth redundant.

Conqueror - Physical Melee with Shield

The only Warfare class where using a shield is preferred over dual-wielding due to Defense mastery requiring a shield for many skills. Both masteries inflict and increase physical damage. Onslaught increases all damage inflicted with shield attacks. Defensive Reaction and Colossus Form give more physical damage, as can Battle Standard and the Battle Rage tree. Triumph reduces  physical resistance of your enemies.

Contemplator - Elemental Beam Caster

Lucid Dream increases the vitality damage inflicted by Weakest Chakra which can increase all your elemental damage by reducing enemy resistance. It works well with the Nightmare's Hypnotic Gaze to reduce resistances. Elemental skills such as Shen Pao with Dragon's Flame, Echoes of the Ancestors, and any electrical burn attacks can become very powerful. Psionic Beam is better with staves than Huangdi's Favor because it can pass through enemies at the maximum level, allowing you to inflict Consequences on your enemies for further reduced resistance. A caster build is better because both masteries increase intelligence.

Corsair - Physical Melee with Shield

Defensive Reaction can also increase bleeding damage together with Anatomy to increase bleeding damage to supplement physical damage. This is probably the only class that can make Calculated Strike a primary attack. While Defense does not benefit poison damage, the status ailments from Mandrake and Nightshade can be useful for increasing your combat effectiveness. Shield attacks can also inflict poison damage. Defense also does not affect the Traps in any beneficial manner. Using Throwing Knife wouldn't be effective as Defense has practically nothing to benefit the damage.

[DwayneA]

Daoist - Physical Dualist Melee

Since nothing in Warfare offers anything in the way of elemental damage, physical is the only way to go. Onslaught, Battle Standard, and Battle Rage can increase the damage of Huangdi's Favor. Attacking with weapons can further reduce resistances through Consequences, including physical. All those defensive buffs in Neidan can be put to good use with Warfare in melee combat.

Disruptor - Poison Knife Caster

Nothing in Rogue benefits elemental damage, though the defensive buffs and the resistance debuffs can be useful with certain Rogue skills. It's better to use envenomed Throwing Knife with Flurry to spread poison damage than to attack in melee range with weapons to activate Consequences. Poison resistance can be also reduced by Weakest Chakra.

Diviner - Vitality Ternion Caster

Both masteries have buffs to increase vitality damage, though electrical burn damage can also be boosted with Unearthly Power. Ternion Attack is superior to Psionic Beam despite the latter inflicting both vitality and electric burn damage. This is due to the shorter range, allowing enemies to get close enough for Deathchill Aura's Necrosis to take effect. Since certain enemies are immune to vitality damage, it might be a good idea to use an Eitr charm to add elemental damage to your attacks. A melee Diviner wouldn't be as effective since the total bonus to physical damage isn't as high as either vitality or electric burn damage and the reduced resistance to physical from the Nightmare's Hypnotic Gaze wouldn't be as high as the debuff from Necrosis. Electric burn damage is dealt over time and does not stack as it does with instant damage types such as vitality or physical.

Dragon Hunter - Elemental Dualist Throwing/Spear Caster

Using dual throwing weapons is superior to the bow thanks to Reckless Offense. It's better to use Rune Weapon than Marksmanship to inflict damage from range as Marksmanship does not increase elemental damage from Runic Mines or Seal of Fate. Rune also doesn't have much to offer in the way of piercing damage, but Aftershock can gain a boost to bleeding damage. Together with Aftershock, Flush Out can help reduce enemy resistances to the elements. Don't use Transmutation as that will reduce your piercing damage, making the buffs from Hunting that increase that damage redundant.

Dreamkiller - Physical Melee Caster

Physical is the only damage increased by Lucid Dream offered by Rogue, even if minimal. With Psionic Beam to reduce charge levels, Psionic Touch is better than Calculated Strike. Mastermind can increase the damage of the Traps if they are used. The poison status ailments can be useful to apply to your weapon. The physical damage spells offered by Dream can be useful. Hypnotic Gaze can also reduce poison resistance if you imbue your weapons with poison damage and use the poison buffs. Using Psionic Beam with a staff inflicting physical damage doesn't allow the use of certain skills in Rogue.

Druid - Elemental Caster with Pets

Ice Shard and Lightning Bolt are the primary skills to attack with. Obscured Visibility can reduce all resistances. The wolves can provide great distractions and Susceptibility can reduce elemental resistances as well. Storm doesn't really offer much for a pure petmaster due to being primarily elemental for casters.

Elementalist - Elemental Caster

All three elemental magic damage types are available for use, with buffs to fire, lightning, and cold, as well as burning, frostburn, and electrical burn. The Core Dweller can make a great tank and distraction. Both Earth and Storm offer defenses against the elements as well, making you highly protected against fire, cold, and lightning. Ice Shard is superior to Flame Surge due to greater range and damage, and it also has no recharge at the start.

Esoterist - Elemental Dualist Throwing Caster

Rune Weapon increases all elemental damage inflicted by Neidan, making Huangdi's Favor redundant. Consequences reduce resistances when you attack enemies with your weapons. Resistances can be further reduced with Aftershock.

Evoker - Elemental Burn Beam Caster

Psionic Beam is better overall than Flame Surge due to its greater range. Both masteries offer physical damage increases, and the physical damage spells of Dream can also inflict electrical burn damage. A melee Evoker wouldn't be as effective due to lesser bonus to physical damage which isn't as high as that to fire damage.

Guardian - Physical Mele with Shield and Pets

There's no reason not to use wolves because Strength of the Pack increases all physical damage together with Defensive Reaction and Colossus Form. Using a shield is mandatory because all of the combat skills require one. Susceptibility can reduce physical resistance and Earthbind reduces defensive ability of your enemies, allowing for more critical hits.

[DwayneA]

Harbinger - Physical Dualist Melee Caster

Both masteries offer physical damage and increased bonuses to it. Hypnotic Gaze can also reduce physical resistance. All physical damage spells are affected by Lucid Dream, including Slam. Dream Stealer is good for rejuvenation when Phantom Strike is used. Phantom Strike is superior to War Wind in terms of damage and targets. Warfare doesn't offer anything to benefit electrical burn damage. Using Psionic Beam with a staff dealing physical damage doesn't qualify you for certain skills in Warfare. There also aren't very many staves that can inflict physical damage.

Haruspex - Piercing and Physical Bow/Spear

Increased physical damage from Lucid Dream can have an impact on the increased piercing damage inflicted by bows and spears. Phantom Strike can be used with spears together with Spear Dance. Study Prey and Flush out can reduce resistances. Spears can be used with Psionic Touch and Psionic Beam for reduced charge levels, but Marksmanship is better for ranged attack with spears useful when surrounded. Using a staff with Psionic Beam won't get much use out of the majority of Hunting's skills.

Hermit - Huangdi's Elemental Caster with Pets

Terracotta Servants make excellent additions to your minions and they receive a bonus to damage from Strength of the Pack. Susceptibility works together with Weakest Chakra to reduce resistances, as can Consequences when using a staff with Huangdi's Favor and Spreading Influence. Pets cannot inflict Consequences, but enemies killed by them under its influence can trigger Mutual Suffering. Elemental attacks are good for aiding your minions and the spells can also inflict Consequences. Since neither mastery affects strength, a melee Hermit isn't very effective.

Illusionist - Poison Knife Caster with Pets

Earthbind deals poison damage which is increased with Nightshade and Toxin Distillation. Wolves and traps can distract your enemies and inflict damage against enemies immune to poison. Envenomed Throwing Knife with Flurry deals more poison damage thanks to Susceptibility's ability to reduce poison resistance. A melee Illusionist wouldn't work as well as a knife caster is more efficient.

Juggernaut - Hybrid Melee Caster with Shield

Brimstone increases all physical damage of shield attacks, while Defensive Reaction and Colossus Form increase all physical damage spells in Earth. Many spells that inflict fire damage also inflict physical damage, such as Volcanic Orb and Meteor Rain. Earth Enchantment also imbues your weapons and shield attacks with elemental damage. Volativity increases fire, burning, and physical damage. Defense offers nothing for a fire caster.

Magician - Elemental Knife Caster

Imbuing Throwing Knife and Flurry with fire and burning damage and using fire spells at range such as Volcanic Orb make for an effective fire caster. The traps benefit from Earth Enchantment and Brimstone to have more damage inflicted. A melee magician isn't as effective or strong as Throwing Knife is more effective with imbued fire damage.

Monk - Physical Melee with Shield

Nothing in Defense offers Neidan's elemental damage so physical melee is the way to go. The defensive buffs and enemy debuffs work well in melee combat. Consequences can be inflicted with your attacks.

Oracle - Elemental Ternion Caster

Both masteries offer elemental buffs and an ability to reduce vitality resistance. Elemental resistance is also reduced by Obscured Visibility. Ternion Attack with Arcane Lore is better overall than Ice Shard due to the shorter range allowing enemies to get in range of Necrosis. Pure vitality isn't effective either because nothing in Storm benefits vitality damage aside from the reduced resistance, and it's better for healing yourself.

[DwayneA]

Paladin - Hybrid Melee Caster with Shield

One mastery focuses on physical damage while the other focuses on elemental damage. The Storm Nimbus can imbue your attacks with cold and lightning damage. Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning can be excellent crowd-control skills. Thunderball and Concussive Blast can help reduce enemy defensive ability. Obscured Visibility reduces resistances and Eye of the Storm increases elemental damage. A physical paladin wouldn't be as strong because Storm has no buffs to increase physical damage. Defense has no benefit for a cold and lightning caster.

Pilgrim - Piercing and Physical Bow/Spear

Consequences help reduce resistances when you attack with bows and spears. The defensive buffs are good for improving your ability to protect yourself. Weakest Chakra works well with Study Prey and Flush Out to reduce resistances. While Huangdi's Favor with Spreading Influence can be good for bows and spears, Marksmanship is still the better skill for ranged combat. Terracotta Servants can gain buffs from the Call of the Hunt tree if you use them and the piercing and bleeding buffs increase the damage of Shatter. A staff user with Huangdi's Favor wouldn't get much use out of the majority of the Hunting skills. Aside from Flush Out, nothing in Hunting benefits an elemental caster and there is no skill to imbue your weapons with elemental damage.

Prophet - Elemental Beam Caster

Lucid Dream and Static Charge both increase electrical burn damage. Since Static Charge also increases lightning damage, it is good to use with electrical burn attacks. Psionic Beam is the left-click skill of choice, as the range is longer than Ice Shards. Eye of the Storm increases all elemental damage, including electrical burn. A Hybrid melee character wouldn't be as effective as Storm doesn't offer as much benefit to physical damage as it would elemental. A physical build wouldn't work either for this reason.

Ranger - Piercing and Physical Bow/Spear with Pets

Strength of the Pack increases physical damage which can also increase your piercing damage. The Call of the Art tree can benefit the wolves, particularly Finesse. Study Prey and Flush Out can reduce resistances to physical and bleeding damage. Susceptibility can also reduce physical resistance. Spear-only Rangers don't have any spammable left-click attack. A petmaster wouldn't get much benefit from the majority of Hunting's skills.

Ritualist - Elemental Beam Caster with Pets

The Nightmare's Mastermind can improve the damage of all pets. Strength of the Pack increases the damage of spells inflicting physical damage together with Lucid Dream. Mirror Image makes a good temporary companion to join the wolves. The majority of the skills inflicting physical damage also inflict elemental or vitality damage which too is buffed by Lucid Dream. Since electrical burn damage is dealt over time and certain undeads are resistant or immune to vitality damage, it may be a good idea to enchant at least one piece of your equipment with something that adds flat elemental damage. It's better to focus on intelligence rather than strength because both masteries increase intelligence despite the buffs to physical damage.

Runesmith - Elemental Melee Caster with Shield

Transmutation converts a portion of physical damage to elemental. This includes damage inflicted with the shield. Colossus Form and Defensive Reaction can increase physical damage that can be converted to elemental. Both masteries have a skill that reduces requirements for equipment. Rune Weapon increases all elemental damage, making this the only class that can attack in melee range with Rune Weapon. Shield attacks cannot be used with throwing weapons. Using dual-throwing weapons also disables all skills that require shields.

[DwayneA]

Sage - Elemental Bow/Spear

Elemental-imbued bows from Storm Nimbus and its synergies are used from range with Spears and Spear Dance when surrounded. Obscured Visibility and Flush Out reduce resistances. Eye of the Storm increases all elemental damage. Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning are good for crowds. Pure spear users have no spammable left-click attack. Physical Sages will lack the punch offered by elemental damage. A pure caster would also not be able to make use of most skills in Hunting.

Seidr Worker - Elemental Dualist Throwing Caster

Rune Weapon increases electrical burn attacks, making it the superior choice of attack compared to Psionic Touch and Psionic Beam. Aftershock and Hypnotic Gaze can reduce resistances.

Shaman - Elemental Dualist Throwing Caster

Rune Weapon is superior to Ternion Attack because it increases both elemental and vitality damage. Unearthly Power gives more bonuses to elemental and vitality damage. Aftershock and Necrosis both reduce vitality resistance. Vitality damage is better used to heal yourself and certain enemies including the undead and constructs are immune to it.

Skinchanger - Elemental Dualist Throwing Caster with Pets

Susceptibility can help reduce elemental resistances together with Aftershock and the wolves make great distractions for your spells. Enhance the defenses of your pets with Rune of Life and Energy Armor if you can afford the energy cost with enough equipment to reduce it.

Slayer - Dualist Throwing/Spear

Throwing Weapons gain a bonus to attack speed and both offensive and defensive ability from Wood Lore and Weapon Training, making them superior to bows for this class. Spears can be used with both War Wind and Spear Dance. Battle Rage and Battle Standard increase all physical damage which increases the piercing damage done by your weapons when the buffs are applied. Using dual melee weapons won't allow you to use certain combat skills skills in Hunting.

Soothsayer - Vitality Ternion Caster with Pets

Wolves can help deal with enemies that are immune to vitality damage. Unearthly Power increases their damage and Susceptibility helps reduce resistances that Necrosis can't. It might also be beneficial to use the Eitr charm to add elemental damage to at least one of your jewelry for inflicting elemental damage.

Sorcerer - Elemental Knife Caster

Elemental damage is better for imbuing your throwing knives than poison, even though Obscured Visibility reduces both elemental and poison resistance. You can still apply the status ailments from Mandrake and Nightshade though. Lightning Bolt is good for crowd control and Eye of the Storm increases all elemental damage. The traps can also benefit from the Storm Nimbus tree. A melee sorcerer won't work very well due to Throwing Knife being a safer attack.

Spellbinder - Physical Melee with Shield

Buffs from both masteries increase physical damage, but they can also increase bleeding damage as well, even if there aren't any skills in either mastery that can inflict it. Using a staff with Ternion Attack will not allow you to use any skill that requires a shield.

Spellbreaker - Physical Dualist Melee

Both masteries have skills that increase physical damage, though some skills can deal bleeding damage, even if they are few and the damage minimal. Using a staff with Ternion Attack will not have any benefit from most skills in Warfare.

Spiritualist - Vitality Ternion Caster

Ternion Attack is superior to Huangdi's Favor with Spreading Influence due to the wider area of effect and the short range, allowing enemies to get in range of Necrosis. Weakest Chakra can inflict vitality damage as well as reduce resistances. Consequences can reduce resistances further with weapon attacks. You might want to use an Eitr charm to can add elemental damage to your attacks because some enemies are immune to vitality damage. Using elemental attacks can reduce your damage per second as Ternion Attack is a more powerful and faster attack.

Stonespeaker - Elemental Dualist Throwing Caster

Earth Enchantment, Brimstone, and Volativity increase the fire portion of all elemental attacks in Rune while Rune Weapon can increase all fire damage spells in Earth. Aftershock reduces resistances. A physical caster isn't as strong because Rune Weapon does not increase physical damage. A pure fire caster outside of Rune Weapon will not be as powerful either.

Summoner - Elemental Caster with Pets

Brimstone increases the damage of wolves. Flame Surge can reduce enemy defensive ability as can Earthbind. The Core Dweller is a great addition to your minions. Volcanic Orb and Eruption are excellent crowd control skills. Strength of the Pack increases physical damage of the Core Dweller and physical damage skills. Susceptibility reduces elemental and physical resistances. Since neither mastery increases strength and the total bonus to elemental is higher than physical damage, a physical caster isn't as powerful.

[DwayneA]

Templar - Physical Melee Caster with Shield

Defensive Reaction, Colossus Form, and Lucid Dream increase all physical damage. Hypnotic Gaze can reduce physical resistances. Using a staff with Psionic Beam disallows use of all skills requiring a shield.

Thane - Hybrid Dualist Melee Caster

Both masteries have different types of damage, both of which can be combined by imbuing yourself with Storm Nimbus and its synergies. Eye of the Storm increases your elemental damage, Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning are great for crowds, Thunderball and Concussive Blast can reduce enemy defensive ability. Storm doesn't offer much for a pure physical melee character.

Thunderer - Elemental Dualist Throwing Caster

Heart of Frost increases the damage of Freezing Mines. Static Charge increases electrical burn damage of Unleash. Both buffs increase the cold and damage portions of all elemental attacks in Rune. Eye of the Storm increases all elemental damage. Together with Aftershock, Obscured Visibility can reduce all resistances. A pure elemental caster isn't as powerful if it doesn't use Rune Weapon to increase elemental damage.

Trickster - Elemental and Poison Dualist Throwing Caster

Rune doesn't offer much to benefit Poison Damage while Rogue doesn't offer anything to benefit elemental damage. Both, however, can be combined to make an effective caster using Runic Mines, Seal of Fate, and Envenomed Throwing Knives, and Poison Gas Bombs.

Warden - Spear with Shield

The spear is the only weapon that can allow you to use the shield attacks. They are useless with bows and throwing weapons.

Warlock - Vitality and Bleeding Ternion Knife Caster

Both masteries offer bonuses to bleeding damage and ways to inflict it, making this another great class for inflicting bleeding damage. Throwing Knife with Flurry is a great attack to use against enemies immune to vitality because it can deal piercing damage together with bleeding damage, though there are still enemies immune to bleeding damage. it might also be a good idea to use a charm to add elemental damage to your attacks, which also benefit your Ternion Attack and Throwing Knife.

Wu - Elemental Caster

A staff with Huangdi's Favor and Spreading Influence and allow you to reduce resistances with Consequences and leech life, but you only need one point in each as the Flame Surge tree is superior for faster caster rate and damage. Weakest Chakra can also reduce resistances. The fire spells that also inflict physical damage are great for crowd control after the debuffs are applied.