This high-dex fighter build will help you level fast - Dark and Darker

[@Cramblit]

This is the most respectable Fighter player out there. No abusing ranged, only using francs when its necessary, and just building and fighting with shield focus, and getting in your face. Respectable.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hey I really appreciate that! long live melee combat!!

[@Mastafa_G]

“Abusing ranged” cry more.

[@Cramblit]

@@Mastafa_G Sounds like a ranged meta abuser crying they're getting called out lmao. Get gud Mastafa.

[@Cramblit]

@@YourBoyBlinn After watching your video. I tried it for the last few days, honestly.. you're a Magician. I don't get how you block and keep distance so well. Everyone is 3x faster than me even when I focus Dex/AGI, they swing faster, and my shield gets recoiled constantly even with a heater shield costing me that precious split second I have to actually make an attack. Everyone uses Falchions too.. Which apparently the damage numbers on swords are misleading because because 10 less damage apparently= 3x less damage.. Got into a fight with a Falchion user with my arming sword. I hit him 8 times, and he hit me 2 times (this is all in Normals, so we both had mostly white gear), and he won.. Having to hit them 8x more than they have to hit me just seems like pain lmao.. Idk how you do it. Even when I block successfully they just keep chaining more attacks without stopping, and if I let them hit me once, thats half my hp every time, and I still have to hit them 4x to their 1. mad skills dude.

[@Mastafa_G]

@@Cramblit literally main rogue and warlock which get hard countered by range, ya lil dummy.😂

[@kylesdresser6538]

We need to cherish this man. SPREAD HIS CHANNEL DAMMIT

[@YourBoyBlinn]

too kind!!

[@theslicer4430]

Ratio

[@lukasdesjardins2971]

Just a comment, manual dexterity currently only increases song playing speed for bard. Opening doors is regular interaction speed which is a hybrid of agi and resourcefulness

[@YourBoyBlinn]

still so much to learn.. thanks for the info!

[@Rwnds7967]

This was great. Consistently blocking is just so funny to watch, just the most casual assertion of dominance ever seen. and combined with your relaxed, non toxic nature I'm really looking forward to future videos. :)

[@YourBoyBlinn]

thanks so much! comments like this are really encouraging -- happy weekend to you!!

[@Rwnds7967]

@@YourBoyBlinn np man, just returning what you're putting out. 👍

[@TheExtremePrejudice]

You deserve way more views brother, the first in depth observation of a play style Ive been able to use, instead of going “op build” and proceeding to glaze over stats and gear

[@YourBoyBlinn]

many thanks brother!!

[@saugamer4314]

Also wat i really respect is how you keep telling your self how to play this is really good. Recomend to do it also it really helps your mind and also keeps the way you should fight with the set up

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yea sometimes I'm a bit embarrassed to talk out loud like that, but figured it's better to show/share my thoughts for the vid

[@saugamer4314]

@@YourBoyBlinn never be embarrassed my friend. I think i speak for everybody that we dobt mind. More like i think this can become somthing big if you do that. Keep it up 😁

[@imbombayman]

Awesome work man. Sending this to my team mate. Also, i encountered you recently in the dungeon!! I was a timmy wizard in HR goblin caves. You dropped down on me through a hole above me, i didnt stand a chance lmao once i started spectating i noticed your build and thought maybe its blinn. Read the name to confirm. GG brother had me dead to rights!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hey hey, sry about the gank in GC.. glad you are interested in the content!!

[@imbombayman]

@YourBoyBlinn don't be sorry man, caught me lacking 😂 it taught me a valuable lesson! I check ceilings now lol

[@madchronz77]

cool that you chose the fighter hair style IRL

[@YourBoyBlinn]

haha I've had the same haircut since like 2017, so actually the fighter chose MY hairstyle

[@DirkTheDaringDnD]

I can see it now, this build is gonna BLOW up bc of your work, I’ve been a slayer fighter all through my playtests so I’m excited to get in the dungeon and train this play style

[@YourBoyBlinn]

YES let's see the shield disrupt the ranged meta!! good luck out there :)

[@saint_snow]

Keep doing your thing. The more people understand that you can win outnumbered fights in this game the better. People are still constantly under the notion that they need to have optimal settings for them when that just isn't a thing in games like this.

[@bolognajoee1126]

hahahahhaah that was me and my buddies.. .thats fucking hilarious that this shit was caught live... an absolute fail between all 3 of us.. absolutely fucking hilarious man thats comedic gold on how bad we played that XD

[@YourBoyBlinn]

ARE YOU KIDDING?! man, so great to have you here.. team fights are a complete toss-up and I just got lucky vs your squad. glad you can see the comedy in it all.. remember there are a ton of clips where I get totally wrecked by teams that I don't include :) good luck out there!!

[@peaglock3488]

I’m at just over 600 hours on this fighter build. it’s all I’ve played to demigod last wipe and all I’ll play now. Great, great video man! Think I’ll try your build, mostly I’ve stacked str in solos and rolled falch every time. My thought behind falch is it’s a slow HARD hitting weapon so it benefits a lot more from shield mast/counter attack. Arming/dex will be a nice change of pace. I do wish you had a lot more HR pvp with actual kits here to really see it perform. Mainly because I do believe this build is sooo strong in 1vX situations in common lobby’s. Once you have the block down the skill level/gear of people really just fold.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

nice to hear the perspective from another fighter who previously stacked str and ran falchion. keep me posted as you get further on the dex experiments! agree that I could have included more footage from HR with a more advanced kit, but I didn't want anyone to think the counter-attack play style required decent gear to be viable... normals is so nice because it strips the game down to skill vs skill in most cases, but again you're right, with epic gear the arming sword & blocking tech absolutely slaps :)

[@littlemonztergaming8665]

Perfect Block can also be considered, which will increase your impact rating leading to every block leading to 1-2 guaranteed counterattacks even on the heavy 2-Hs

[@YourBoyBlinn]

super useful info, thanks!!

[@FR4MPT]

Hey, i'm a demigod rogue player (yes, i stink, i know.) and wanted to main the fighter this wipe. Surprisingly, very helpful tips with blocking + counterattack. I'm sure newer players will love the video as well

[@YourBoyBlinn]

nah man resect for rogues.. feels like I play my fighter like a rogue most times (esp in HR). Shields up brother!! appreciate you

[@FR4MPT]

@@YourBoyBlinn I'm back with the report, i tried it in 60-70 lobbies and it seems like classic plate works better in trios. I am getting rushed down pretty quickly and shield tech isn't that awesome when u are getting hit from several directions :ddd but dex stacking works pretty well in gobo caves.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

ahhh great, kind of as expected! can't rely on the shied to block multiple attacks at once! thanks for giving it a shot. I'll go for the plate armor if/when I decide to start messing with team combat. thanks so much!!

[@awkwardtree1834]

Awesome video, helpful guide to sword and shield. Thanks for the vid!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

thanks bud, appreciate you!

[@gustavogatti7841]

top tier video. Great way of explaining things. You've turned me into a PvP menace

[@YourBoyBlinn]

oh that's so awesome, thanks for letting me know! keep me posted as you progress this season!!

[@jaxsonadams2421]

that 1v3 at the start o.o Lmfao i love how wide your eyes are during it

[@YourBoyBlinn]

haha yeah, no faking the intensity in 1vX situations!!

[@mossThrow]

Of note, Shield Mastery also, maybe not intentionally, can apply that 50% action speed to your next weapon swing, if you time it right. It basically requires you to swing immediately after blocking. So this perk really does help with the counter-attack aspect of this playstyle! I've been rocking sword n' board fighter this wipe, been loving it. Love your vids too!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hmm yeah I've noticed that faster attack sometimes, but can't replicate it reliably.. great to know it's just a timing thing, thanks!!

[@saugamer4314]

my men here giving us the secret how to play fighter love it. but at the same time im sad i loved it so much fighting with shield becous they dont know how to fight agains xD now they will learn hahah. Really good video keep it up. hope we can see more of guids

[@franciscozeballos3876]

This video has taught me a brutal lesson, I hope to improve in PvP. Thanks for the help (saludos desde Chile)

[@YourBoyBlinn]

keep practicing and you will definitely improve!! good luck in your adventures

[@HappyPenguinStudios]

Thank you for sharing lots of great details. Awesome video

[@YourBoyBlinn]

thanks thanks!

[@truckytimmy5593]

Great informative video, it's nice to see someone touch on Blocking with a shield in the DandD community. Well put together video. 10/10 (liked & subbed).

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hey I appreciate that, thanks so much!!

[@tolagan]

Great video. Youve inspired me to get back to my blocking style that i focused on during early playtests. However all of the clips appear to not be high roller but standard lobbies so its looking effective on very novice players. I would be curious how much success you get on high roller with bigger gear disparities and generally higher level players.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

you are totally correct -- this play style does look very effective vs players in normals (although not everyone in normals is a new player!). I've had some good results in HR over the past couple days, look for clips in my upcoming vids & happy to hear you're feeling inspired! good luck to you!!

[@allrisk7319]

One of the most in-depth videos on this play style I have seen. Thanks chief

[@YourBoyBlinn]

my pleasure, good luck out there!!

[@enderd961]

I noticed that weapons tend to go through the shield a bit as well. If you go frame by frame at 22:46 and 23:16, you can visually see this. In the case for 23:16, it actually hits them because of it. I wonder how much this effects fights.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yes I totally know what you mean. I think it has to do with the client/server desync.. @oggieson has a few older videos where he documents attacks going through his longsword parry, so I assume it's the same thing happening with the shield. all this means is you have to anticipate that your opponent's weapon is actually AHEAD of where it appears. so to block more reliably, put the shield in position as soon as you see any hint of attack animation. good luck!!

[@alexanderkemp9037]

Goated vid I used to main fighter last wipe and I wish this existed back then keep on doing what your doing because your killing it

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hey I appreciate that!!

[@aidanproy1484]

One thing I’ll say is a bug they’ve always had with shield mastery is the action speed buff is on the next attack not block, that is why the attack right after goes so fast and the main reason you can get your shield up in between attacks, love the build though been playing this exact way since pt4 blocking is one of the only skill diffs in the game so it’s fun to use effectively

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yeah always noticed that sometimes the next attack got the boost.. it's a funny bug but something that just comes with the 'early access' territory i suppose :) glad you like the build and nice to hear we have similar play styles!

[@aidanproy1484]

@@YourBoyBlinn yeah at this point I feel as if it’s intended to be the next attack and it’s just a translation error

[@vicenteandresarriagaperez8925]

AWESOME dude you put so much effort on this video ty for the help i will try this build ASAP

[@YourBoyBlinn]

awesome, good luck & LMK how it goes!!

[@badeacristian3169]

I m so sad I didn t watch this earlier, dex, pretty smart, great guide

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hey hey don't be sad -- shield blocking will always be something useful to learn! welcome to the party :)

[@Hallskar]

Great guide and content. Really appreciate this level of detail in your videos. I’ll be following now for sure.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

thanks, more to come for sure!!

[@andehl_]

I was using almost the exact same armor! minus loose pants, the agility and drip are insane and that's what really matters

[@YourBoyBlinn]

haha yeah, charisma is definitely a shadow stat that makes a huge psychological difference :)

[@vikliss6538]

stumbled upon this video cause the game is down, but man i usually use counterattack OR shield mastery because i feel like i cant lose perks like swift, defense mastery or projectile resistance, but you are completely right, if you get good at blocking, defense mastery isnt really necessary and if you go for that gear build, swift also isnt really necessary. i think most fighters just doing the gearcheck method and whoever is more geared wins the fight. so i gotta try this 1 v 3 in trios :D

[@YourBoyBlinn]

haha yeah, the shield takes SO MUCH damage off the table. I've been playing a lot of normal 1v3 and have been getting more team wipes than I ever thought possible. it's a really fun playstyle, hope you enjoy it as much as me!!

[@justonehand3300]

Loved the video, i experimented with shield slam and personally i think it is only good if you playing for like ranged damaged with something like survival bow so if someone comes close to you you can shield slam them away . If you play melee focused , second wind is just better.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

ah ha, excellent idea to use Shield Slam to keep distance if you're primarily using a survival bow.. so many interesting ways to combine these perks/weapons. appreciate you & your comment -- good luck out there!!

[@uffootball10]

Great video man. cant wait to watch more of your stuff

[@YourBoyBlinn]

thanks so much, I got a lot planned!

[@theholyhokage77_59]

thanks for all the info im gonna try this out tonight on my fighter

[@YourBoyBlinn]

lemme know how it goes!

[@mrbubs3328]

One thing to look at with barbarians is that the stagger might vary with the crush perk, giving them more impact power and the ability to more heavily stagger your shield.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yes an excellent point!

[@soulgamer6507]

@@YourBoyBlinn Spear proficiency barb

[@YourBoyBlinn]

@@soulgamer6507 haha I shudder to think!

[@sahiru]

Love the tips man thanks a lotttt

[@YourBoyBlinn]

my pleasure, good luck out there!

[@Creeperszili]

Great video man! Keep up the good work

[@legoblockbrecher]

Thanks for the insights. I have only recently started playing dnd and was mostly messing around with slayer fighter but some matchups (warlock with boc for example) always felt like such an uphill battle since my spacing just needs to be this precise or i would just get deleted in 2 hits. Fighter with a shield seems like such a good alternative. Thanks again for this tutorial i will be trying this out today!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yeah BoC is totally manageable with a shield.. just dont get discouraged it if takes a few days to find the sweet spot in terms of block positioning! I've been practicing for a few weeks and still get hit by swings I thought would be blocked. stick with it and you'll see results -- good luck!!

[@legoblockbrecher]

@@YourBoyBlinncheers my man, you too!

[@Sorrowsoul]

Informative and educational. Thank you for sharing!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

appreciate you!

[@rockosdyingwish8115]

Love the video you were so helpful man

[@YourBoyBlinn]

so great to hear, thanks!!

[@KuthGoblin]

Damn, as oberin martell big fan i just want to multiclass from rogue to fighter or ranger to use back tumblee with spear. Also having crossbow mastery on some classes like rogue or fighter gonna be cool

[@YourBoyBlinn]

LONG LIVE THE VIPER! hahaha

[@KuthGoblin]

@@YourBoyBlinn actually, it's gonna be easier just to take spear mastery on rogue.

[@amadousy2986]

Great content! Thanks

[@YourBoyBlinn]

it's my pleasure, hope it helps!!

[@tombofthememelich2192]

Great video, but you forgot the most important part of the build... It makes your character look awesome! Like a hardened mercenary. Also can you make a guild on how to turn off torches and use the darkness effectively?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yeah thankfully the dex equipment this wipe looks badass! last season I was stuck wearing the barbuta exclusively, which was a bit lame haha. would love to make a video on playing in darkness -- great idea!

[@randykeeling1916]

Fantastic channel, good editing. Much enjoy.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

that's awesome, thanks for saying so!

[@warm_egg_salad5953]

For the first 3 months i played i got really good with heater shield, since then I've been trying to get good with buckler.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

have you made meaningful progress, or do you still find it difficult? wonder if I could ever get good enough with the buckler to block 85%+ of opponent swings in HR.. seems like a pipe dream at this stage, so many people are good at jump shots & leg shots

[@GameDev_YT]

Very good guide! Thank you very much!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

my pleasure!!

[@jarmuzz]

Great video i love how you break everything down

[@YourBoyBlinn]

tysm, glad you like the breakdown!

[@adancamano9609]

Hey man your vids are very informative and I can’t wait to put into practice all I’ve learned from your videos! I wanted your opinion on a full plate build. I know I won’t be very fast, but do you have any recommendations for perks/skills/weapons for a full plate 1h/shield build for a newer player?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

I never run full plate (especially the noisy-ass boots haha), so unfortunately I don't have any insights or recos for skills or playstyle adjustments based on ultra-high PDR and the associated movespeed. all I can say confidently, is that a full plate build would likely have more success in Trios, since there's room for a low ms player in a 3-person team comp. move speed is just too important in Duos and ESPECIALLY Solos for me to consider trying it with any real intention to be competitive. hope this helps & sorry I can't say more!

[@tobytowns1]

awesome vid dude

[@YourBoyBlinn]

thanks so much!

[@sauronstea1758]

this is such a fantastic guide, thankyou! edit: now that i think about it, how do you deal with long reaching leg shots? say against a zweihander, its literally my achilles heel

[@YourBoyBlinn]

haha yea, leg shots are tough! hard to read/anticipate because the opponent models don't telegraph the downward angle too much. there are a few ways to deal with leg shots, I find: 1) you can try to crouch and look down a bit, the heat has decent vertical coverage and this might block the shot (unless they're aiming for your toes!) .. 2) you can try jumping, but because this doesn't block the shot you are open for their follow-up in the combo.. or 3) character spacing is key here, esp against Zwei or other long weapons - try to stay at the edge of their range and move in to attack between their slow swings. good luck!

[@IDK-jm9lt]

Cool build going to try this now

[@YourBoyBlinn]

nice nice!! lemme know how it goes :)

[@toastizgud2373]

Excellent video.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

thanks much!!

[@forgottenbow]

Nobody: Blinn: _Level thirtyyy_

[@YourBoyBlinn]

I think it's better than level 100 ?? haha

[@Ant0r420]

holy , ty for dat beautiful guide ! question?! is that build only for solo or works in 3on3 too ?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

copy-pasta from a similar trio question I got earlier: "...I don't have any meaningful experience playing in trios, so not sure I can contribute much here.. but my guess is that a front-line shield could at least slow down the push from another melee-heavy team. best case situation you totally stop a buffed opponent in their tracks and turn the table for your team. also in a trios situation, I would tweak the build to be slower with more PDR because you don't need the rushdown speed as much to catch the rogues/rangers like you do in solos. the build in this video is more meant to be general purpose to give you a chance against every class. that said, I have been able to kill entire duos/trios by myself, just because I can block most melee/ranged attacks" :) good luck!

[@StaticStyx]

Have you tried hilt blocking at all? I think it makes attacking weapons have an effective impact power of 0, but I can't find the sweetspots. Really good for the handful of things heater shield won't light block, and hopefully bosses too. I did once grab the impact power skill and used that to kill a skeleton champ, but sprint is just so much better

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yeah hilt blocking is really great, but I'm still looking for a way to do it reliably.. because I'm still new, I prefer to stay a bit further away and look for the swing to block (either look left, or look up, etc.) I find when I'm all jammed up in my opponent's face, it's hard to see the attack animation, and I usually take more hits. but of course I'm happy to take it if it happens by chance.. maybe one day I do a vid on how to hilt/handle block more reliably. good luck out there!

[@d3adagain385]

My favourite part of this build is badass mercenary looks 😂 I am going to give it a try with longsword.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yeah the chest & helm definitely look badass >:D good luck longsword brother, long live melee!!!

[@mikesxoom]

Canadian alert :) Nice video

[@YourBoyBlinn]

haha looks like I'm busted eh?!

[@Prestoon_]

Ready to try this out after going full pdr for a while

[@YourBoyBlinn]

nice, enjoy the rushdown Wizard kills! can't imagine playing vs. casters was super fun in full PDR.. :)

[@balazspentek7102]

Absolutely fantastic video! Trying this build myself, have you got any advice on how to improve blocking? I guess playing and fighting is the best way. Another thing i wanted to ask is the spangenhelm good to? I think it gives 2 dex to, is something wrong with it?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hey thanks so much!! yeah nothing wrong with the spangenhelm from my perspective, just didn't include it in this video since I was pretty new to the wipe gear at the time of recording -- have at it, got good movement speed too! as for how to improve your block, I got a vid for that :) here ya go & good luck out there!! > kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZm8q5mBmtWJp8U

[@balazspentek7102]

@@YourBoyBlinn thank you very much! Btw i always hear you in my head when i trade and not block first "Noooo, dont trade" xD

[@alucardv.8114]

So, is there a reason you're using arming sword over Falchion? Is it swing speed, preference of swing style? Is the damage drop worth it at higher rarities?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yes! I talk about it starting at 16:30 in the vid!

[@Reetyh]

What do you think of the war hammer? I find the animation is way more clean with almost not recovery time even when is more harder to hit with the hammer head and a bit slower than the Arming sword

[@YourBoyBlinn]

i like fighting vs the war hammer, since the range is sooo short -- its very easy to space, and easy to read the attack animations for blocking! don't have any interest in actually playing with it, since I've gotten used to the longer range of the arming sword :)

[@jacobauby3155]

Great video! One question about blocking - I cant seem to block the 2h axe skeletons overhead attack, it always feels like it goes right through my sheild, any tips?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yes! it's a matter of character spacing.. if you're too close, the axe will go over (beyond) your shield and hit your head, no matter how much you point your shield up. so you have to maintain some distance from the skelly, because he also will lunge at you with the overhead attack, which brings him even closer to your character -- so stay back a bit, anticipate his lunge, and point your mouse/camera/shield as far up as you can look! good luck & keep me posted on your progress

[@royricinx5216]

As a Longsword User. I find Shield to be boring but effective. Shield are really good for team play and defensive play. Im way to aggressive to be playing shield.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

I totally know what you mean -- the shield can't compete with longsword in terms of burst damage and player deleting potential.. but it can be just as satisfying to slowly bleed out a team of 3 and watch them scramble as more of their comrades drop from your slow & steady counter-attacks :)

[@timmyjenkins2864]

Great Video.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

thanks so much!!

[@joolion8178]

played my 3 match now only walking with no noise and turning off all lights and hiding in shadows for enemies it works pretty good also the shield helps a lot still died to a barb cause i dont know what to do but he also died a minute later haha

[@YourBoyBlinn]

heck yes, keep at it!! for the Barbs, try to get used to looking waaaay up to block their axes & keep me posted on your progres!!

[@MurderMan11]

How does this work versus Zweihander/Viking Sword barbarians? Its' very similar in that it uses lantern but the reach of Zweihander and impact power from their perk I think would really hurt this build. You don't have the moment to close the gap and they can zone you super easily.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hmm i find blocking zwei to be one of the most challenging.. since they can so easily aim for your head or feet, and that's difficult to see in time. just have to remember to turn your camera enough to the side to make sure you interrupt the whole attack. viking sword is MUCH easier.. just get close enough and look all the way up to block!!

[@DiabloGoldSecrets]

Any thoughts on how you would change your build for trios?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

I've only ever played trios once, sooooo haha not sure if I'm in a position to reco adjustments for that context... but, I have been playing more duos recently, and in that situation I sacrifice a bit of MS for armor, meaning I change my chest to a Dark Plate (rather than Brigandine) for a little more tank-ability :) blocking still totally messes with people in team-based combat, so shields up!!

[@wolftactical5421]

Can we see this in high rollers solos. I would like to see an updated guide when heading into high rollers at lvl 20+

[@YourBoyBlinn]

sure! I'll work on an advanced blocking guide for HR in the coming weeks!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

i'll just leave this here :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipKVpYx5h9V5ptE

[@stuntmanvd5856]

How do you feel about Shield Slam? They changed it awhile ago, during the animation of the slam itself, you are technically blocking. So you can time the skill with an attack swing from your opponent and literally block their attack while hitting them with the shield. Granted it is only the base 25 damage (unsure if you can modify it up), however, the slow % seems like it would be something you could throw in when you feel like you are almost at the finish line and that they may try to turn and run away after the hit, thus giving you a free follow up on them. Perfect block has always felt, eh. Feels like it would only be good against barbarians and heavy 2handers to get a follow up. Also, how do you deal with Slayer fighters/Dual Wielders in general. Do they stun lock enough after a block to follow up or do they recover fast enough to off hand swing at you?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

working on a new vid to collect my thoughts on buckler & shield slam.. need a couple of days, but the results of my experiment are "interesting" haha. agree perfect block feels meh, since it's sooo limited in it's utility (vs. a very narrow set of opponents). as for Slayers/dual-wielding players -- they're tricky! mostly because they have so much attack optionality.. their blows can come from many directions, it's hard to anticipate. if I manage to block a couple of shots, the good Slayers won't run, but rather just switch their leading attack to the off-hand, or do more mixed combos. definitely formidable!

[@stuntmanvd5856]

@@YourBoyBlinn I am enjoying Shield Slam! I feel like it is so "non-meta" that people are just not anticipating the skill at all. I never really lead with it and treat it more as an ace in the sleeve skill. So I get them swinging, blocking into counter attack and depending on the class/gear where I believe their hp is. I will use my shield slam as a block/hit to push through the attack and hit them with a slow where I believe my next melee swing is going to be the killing blow. Really what I am saying is that I utilize slam for when I believe they are going to want to go on the retreat. For ranged classes/rogues I almost ALWAYS open with it on the initial hit and then that is all she wrote because I can get a solid 2 swings in and just keep them locked and dead. It is such a niche skill that I feel like is the most random thing no one is used to and just adds to the confusion that you talk about when you start rapid blocking people. Thank you for this video! I have literally been cleaning up in my matches and am having a blast getting this style down!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

@@stuntmanvd5856 ahhhh using it BEFORE the killing blow is really smart.. nice iteration on the strategy! and totally agree that the off-meta stuff really confuses people and you can use that headspace to great advantage. bonus points if you can shield slam someone into a spike trap (or off the Ice Cavern map) for the kill! I was going for that in some of my offline play, but couldn't quite line it up. thanks so much for your feedback on the play style -- hope to see you around!!

[@stuntmanvd5856]

@@YourBoyBlinn I haven't explored the new Multi-Class system. Has anyone confirmed that it is trainable Perks and Skills or just 1 or the other? I feel like giving a Warlock this build coupled with something like Blow of Corruption could be DEADLY. And or giving Fighters the Tainted Blade perk for some tasty sustain + a small damage increase. Though I'd also imagine just getting more % hp or Iron Will from Barbarians could be super good too.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

@@stuntmanvd5856 yeah, I wish I knew the details of the multiclass system.. but at this stage I'm not sure if it will include both perks & skills.. def looking forward to tweaking my fighter with either Creep or Smite, or who knows! until then, gotta keep levelling!

[@codybrown2227]

Saw a barb in the lobby, he started swinging at me, i probably blocked 3/4. Saw him in the dungeon and he went the other way.😂

[@YourBoyBlinn]

HAHAHAHA YES! a dream come true, good luck out there man!!

[@Resign1991]

im trying this, and i suck at it, but im gonna keep trying lol

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yeah keep going for sure! if you look at my earlier low-rolling vids, you can see I didn't block or really know how at all! made a LOT of progress in ~3 weeks, stick with it and you'll start rolling dudes!!

[@CrW246]

Apparently I’m a month late lol but Now that multiclassing is a thing I find that I don’t have room for both counter attack and shield mastery so I’m trying to decide which one is better. Any thoughts ?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hmm.. great question! my vote is for counter attack. this is because the additional action speed is great for chasing and repositioning, in addition to the boost to your swing/attack speed. shield mastery is great, but I find the speed boost in defensive mode doesn't help a ton with the Heater - so the benefit there is diminished. give it a try & lemme know how it works out!!

[@SaveUsMarku]

ITS YA BOII dope vid bra

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hey thanks! good luck out there :)

[@deeco8097]

Would you run this in a trio? Is there anything you'd change? Thanks for the video!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

sadly I only have meaningful experience playing solo, so it's hard for me to reco anything concretely for trios. I have been playing a bit of 1v3 in crypts (as a solo) since wipe however, and I'm able to do a lot of damage to a team of 3 thanks to blocking with a heater shield. prolly want to prioritize dex pieces that also give armor rating in a team situation, since the rushdown speed isn't quite as necessary. good luck to you!

[@deeco8097]

@@YourBoyBlinnThank you for the response. Awesome video.

[@renatogestor5514]

Bem feito seu video, simple, pratico e eficiente, com uma boa edição organizada, fico feliz em ver seu video, bom trabalho, me inscrevo em seu canal, obrigado

[@YourBoyBlinn]

"Your video is well done, simple, practical and efficient, with good organized editing, I'm happy to see your video, good work, I subscribe to your channel, thank you" It's my pleasure, good sir! Good luck with your adventures in the dungeon. I wish you great fortune :) É um prazer, bom senhor! Boa sorte com suas aventuras na masmorra. Desejo-lhe muita sorte :)

[@gabrielRcorrea3]

since the sprint nerf happened, do you still recomend using it?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yea it was nerfed, and then got a small buff (with the 3 phases of sprint) -- so I do still reco it for solos, since movespeed is absolutely essential in that format :)

[@skytrikz7558]

what do you do against dagger ? blocking is really hard

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yes, it's tough. as tempting as is it to attack into them, or trade.. I try my best to wait for a block, since the stagger animation/timing on the dagger is so prolonged. if you manage to get a block, the rogue is so squishy and normally either die or run after your counter-attack.

[@Gl0wStickss]

There is only round shield and buckler to pick from for base gear. :/

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hunh, that's weird I get to pick a heater from the squire.. maybe it has to do with my perks? do you have shield mastery selected?

[@Gl0wStickss]

@@YourBoyBlinn Yeah, only two shields to pick from. I heard maybe quests unlock more availability... Only round shield & buckler to choose from.

[@Anathorne]

Hi, i try to play shield fighter like you, but i have lot of problems when i try to block one falchion, can you help me ? thanks !

[@YourBoyBlinn]

make sure you turn your camera enough to the left to block their first falchion swing.. you really need to look far to the left to block it reliably!

[@Anathorne]

@@YourBoyBlinn thanks ! I will try, is easy to block cleric or barbarian 2 hands weapons, but the falchion is very hard for me and the half of my server play with :p

[@YourBoyBlinn]

@@Anathorne falchion is hardest for me too!!

[@urbangent253]

Clean ass video bro, lets run some duos

[@YourBoyBlinn]

would love to sometime!!

[@mr1880]

multiclass into barb to get that 100 magic resist

[@YourBoyBlinn]

mmmm good call.. Iron Will?

[@mr1880]

@@YourBoyBlinn yessir, sometimes its better to cover your weaknesses than it is to enhance your strengths. edit: You also get immunity to knockback, making it easier to chase some classes!

[@YourBoyBlinn]

totally agree. thanks for the extra info!

[@bubbly_ghost]

Still take sprint even though it's only +20 now?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

I find it still helps, and the visual effect makes other players get a bit panicked.. so that's good!

[@scrubzbane]

Thoughts on the viability of this in trios?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

I don't have any meaningful experience playing in trios, so not sure I can contribute much here.. but my guess is that a front-line shield could at least slow down the push from another melee-heavy team. best case situation you totally stop a buffed opponent in their tracks and turn the table for your team. also in a trios situation, I would tweak the build to be slower with more PDR because you don't need the rushdown speed as much to catch the rogues/rangers like you do in solos. the build in this video is more meant to be general purpose to give you a chance against every class. that said, I have been able to kill entire duos/trios by myself, just because I can block most melee/ranged attacks. good luck!!

[@Gl0wStickss]

How tf do you escape.. I've escaped twice finding a random portal, but 30+ fails not finding the damn thing ever... get surrounded by 5+ mobs and die.. Shits getting annoying.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

I know it can be super frustrating at first.. a few tips: 1) go slow and clear the mobs in the room you spawn in first (this way you always have a safe room to fall back to if you need).. 2) learn where the static exits are in each map (they are marked as little blue stairs icons on the minimap) the static exits open at different/random intervals and can be a life saver!!.. and 3) listen for the blue portal stones, and if/when you hear the low rumble, turn your camera left/right to get a better idea of which direction it is from you, then head that way! hope this helps & keep me posted on your progress!!

[@Gl0wStickss]

@@YourBoyBlinn Thanks, yeah my issue has been underestimating PVE... >_

[@YourBoyBlinn]

keep at it brother!

[@federico33ful]

Now a guide to how to counter shields they are op af lol

[@YourBoyBlinn]

haha yeah that's a good idea :)

[@uglyheadass1459]

Rapier if you get close enough hits through the shield

[@uglyheadass1459]

So unironically slayer weapons mastery fighter or a really geared tanky bard that can trade with a fighter which is a tall order rn especially against pdr

[@YourBoyBlinn]

@@uglyheadass1459 so that's why I get rocked by buff bards up close! thanks!! maybe rondel does the same up close?

[@48justice48]

Don’t trade don’t trade don’t trade

[@YourBoyBlinn]

hey GET OUTTA MY HEAD hahaha

[@JesusDaLawd]

Im giving sprint to cleric 😂

[@YourBoyBlinn]

there are so many multi-classing opportunities!

[@TheLordShiki5577]

don't attack i don't attack you !

[@YourBoyBlinn]

doesn't always work out that way haha :)

[@TheLordShiki5577]

@@YourBoyBlinn don't attack me just help me

[@YourBoyBlinn]

ok, will do!

[@allenbates3470]

Dexterity action speed. -shield fighter.

[@alistergoody6869]

please use shield punch

[@YourBoyBlinn]

..with a buckler! let's crack some teeth!!

[@alistergoody6869]

@@YourBoyBlinn whats your thoughts on buckler ik it has the best blocking power and deals with mobs with ease but ive never seen someone good with it

[@uglyheadass1459]

@@alistergoody6869exactly I was even just asking for a video on buckler lol

[@YourBoyBlinn]

@@alistergoody6869 bucker definitely has smaller coverage and is MUCH easier to jump attack over, or flank. been trying it in normals to get a feel, and holy crap it's unforgiving! very high potential for skill expression & stopping power, so if you manage to get good enough with it, you can basically counter any melee attack. however with the slight server ping delay, it feels like the blocking window is very short.. you basically need to anticipate every opponent attack correctly. IMO at this stage the reward is not worth the risk, but I'll keep messing with it and report back with a vid sometime later!! thanks for watching :)

[@Cosmic_Fodder]

nerf fighters. tired of yall being the favorite child of copper hammer. meanwhile rogues get 6 debuffs in a row because people cant be bothered to not rush through every door they open.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

I agree fighters have been the golden child and basically left untouched by any rebalancing over the past 6+ mo. I suppose it's the kind of baseline IronBuckler want to see in the game?

[@Cosmic_Fodder]

i have no idea what they want. Im embraced the broken and started maining warlock, which.. feels so broken compared to rogue lmao @@YourBoyBlinn

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yeah I think certain warlock builds are def more powerful than rogues these days

[@Cosmic_Fodder]

its not even really a question. if theyre rocking dark reflect, youre dead.@@YourBoyBlinn

[@ForMiles]

about 1/10th of your video is correct. but your extremely lost in the meta. I can add you too a discord that can help you. You wont stand a chance in high elo.

[@YourBoyBlinn]

yeah I know I have a lot to learn, just thought I had enough footage and anecdotal data to share my approach. I know this build may not be viable against HR trios, but also last wipe I did very well solo against artifacts and gold players just because I could use my shield. apologies for any inaccuracies in my content!

[@uglyheadass1459]

Loooving the videos man would you mind making videos showing how to use the buckler better for some of us bards or any other class who uses em?

[@YourBoyBlinn]

would love to! been working on some buckler content, and it's definitely hard to use!! haha hope I manage to get good enough to make some content around it :) definitely the highest potential for skill expression & stopping power