Realized I forgot some items. (Dont open if you dont want spoilers) Act 1: -Titanstring Bow purchased from Brem in the Zhent Hideout can be the best option until Gontr Mael if you are willing to keep a constant Elixer of Hill or Cloud giant strength active Act 2: - the Flawed Helldusk Gloves from Dammon are an alternative to the dark justiciar gauntlets if fighting enemies resistant to necrotic damage. - The dark justiciar armor and boots that Shadowheart receives if she becomes a Dark Justiciar can be good as well. Act 3: -the Horns of the Berserker sold by Entharl Danthelon in Wyrm's Crossing, as I was informed by a commenter, actually applys 1d4 necrotic damage and not a flat +2 damage, so Its also a good helmet option. -the Helldusk Gloves from Haarlep in the House of Hope, can be an alternative to the Craterflesh gloves if enemies are not resistant to fire damage. -the Helmet of Grit from the Czarr palace gives an extra bonus action when below 50% hp so you can cast more bard spells each turn. If i remember any other important items ill edit this comment to add them.
Yuan-ti Scale Mail from The Last Light Inn is good too. Medium armour that doesn't have a Dex cap. With 16/18 Dex, you've got 18/19 AC. As a bonus, it doesn't give disadvantage to stealth and also gives +1 initiative. Edit: I also like running Helmet of Arcane Acuity, personally, as it allows me to use my Bard slots after the initial burst for a nearly unsaveable Hold Person or something similar as a bonus action, with the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel. Helps with any stragglers.
Also, there's this bow wich I don't remember it's name wich does extra damage based on STR modifier, if used in conjunction with the 23STR gloves from the house of hope, it can do crazy damage with this build! But... do you think that this makes more damage than if you take thief subclass for double bonus action and equip double hand crossbows? I discovered it in the early access and never could enjoy a different "assassin" build since then because I feel it's sub-optimal
Some guides are ignorant of the fact that their build 'progression' is practically weak early on in the game. I really appreciate that you also includes a real progression guide.
This is one of the cleanest and clearest build guides I’ve seen. From your name this may be what you do, stealth builds, but I hope you keep on and do more BG3 builds cause this is great
dude, this gotta be one of the best bg3 vids i ever seen. the editing, jokes, production, and how in-depth u go w the build throughout the acts in the game is incredible, especially for a new channel is crazyy. im excited to see what vids u make in the future, keep up the great work ❤️🔥❤️🔥
I really appreciate that you give a leveling build and a respec build so people can use the play style throughout the game. Same with the Act 1, 2, and 3 gear recommendations. I subbed so I can see any other build videos you may make because this one is so well presented.
Other people have said it but Ill give you more of the credit you're due - these kind of videos are usually a little difficult to parse, as people need both the ability to find a build, and also the editing and analytical ability to break it down clearly and fluently. Youve done both - really great work.
Best bg3 build video I’ve seen yet. You could easily solo the entire game with this build and every boss fight on honor mode. A way to juice this build up even further would be camp casting all the last till long rest spells and gale warding bond so you’re nearly unkillable. Stack on the special powers you can get if you choose to indulge and you’ll have limitless movement and insane killing potential even after round 1. Short resting after each and taking 2-3 fights per long rest would also force you to rest enough times to get all the story elements tied to long rest counters. You can also get the club that sets strength to 19, dump strength, and hold that plus the crit knife to have a nasty titanstring bow all the way through act 1/2/3.
Thank you for thinking this build out to work thoughout the entire game. All I ever see when I search for builds are the ones that only come online by endgame. Cheers!
Really good video! Well explained in a timely manner. Almost all bg3 build videos are unnecessarily big and you gave all relevant info in 13minutes, awesome!
Holy moly that's such a cool build i always struggle with good builds for assassin i will definitely try it. Also i would love to see this cool ass paladin build you got here.
Yeah, I wanted to make a build not using thief (since every rogue build always uses thief). Though that being said I do have another build vid planned that does use thief.
Super impressive video, the build is super clear I loved the gear part funny well made you took time to explain where to find the items anyway good job you earned a sub!
best bg3 build in youtube by far... its like the other bg3 video builds feels like fextralife (incomplete dogshit mess) and this one is like bg3 wiki (complete and concise)
Intro to this was top notch, very aesthetic. Been wanting to do a solo run and I feel like this class with Dark Urge would easily be able to do that :D
Don't even need to be dark urge to do a solo run with this build tbh, its already so overkill for pretty much the whole game, that I was able to beat it while imposing massive restrictions on my solo tactician run. (No dark urge, no illithid powers, no consumables , and no exiting combat via invis/stealth to re-surprise enemies) and even with all those I still managed it with this build.
i literally cannot watch other people play if their hot bars are disorganized, I have a friend who doesn't organize his hotbar at all and he refuses to increase his bar above 2 rows and constantly drags the bar to find his skills and it drives me literally insane.
First off the assistants bit was hilarious. I really enjoyed that and it's adds some personality to the video. 2nd you are the first person I've seen do the bard variant of this. I was fiddling around with a dex bard pali build and wondering to myself why dont people run this in the gloomstalker assassin variants since it doubles your actions attack values. 3rd I would make an argument for duel wield crossbows. This will net you two additional attacks off assassin for the loss of +1 on the bow and some range. But with fly from ilithid powers the range is negligible. I will also note that haste is obtainable from other sources including scrolls. While they will stun you if you drop concentration this build doesnt plan on getting hit anyway. This also allows you to obtain a second bonus action if you utilize the helm of grit. 4th go fighter over ranger. action surge is worth 2 attacks and it gives you the same fighting style. You dont get action surge every single fight but with assassin builds you dont need it. On the subject of extra attacks since it's an attack not a bonus sidebar attack you can use bard flourishes meaning it's actually worth 4 attacks. Finally if you want to play with this as a melee assassin variant of this go bard 6 rogue 4, pali 2. this will give you smites on hit all doing double piercing damage. I'd recommend crimson mischief and rhapsody to maximize the value of both ranged and melee damage. for feats you'd want sharp shooter and savage attacker. Orc being the best race for this. If you really dont want the ranged side then drop sharp shooter and run shar's spear of evening as the offhand this gives advantage on all mental saves, darkness on command, blind immunity, and 1d6 on all weapon attacks made from shade. this would require taking duel wielding. A final variant is drop the dw and wield just the spear of night(or nyrulna) and take great weapon master. This will require you utilize strength elixirs however as they are not dex weapons. Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
Great build video, thanks! I'd think Duergar has enough advantages to be worth mentioning. With extra range darkvision, invisibility (per battle) and enlarged (without concentration). When you want to play a sniper being able to take it enemies at great range in the dark (without disadvantage) seems valuable.
@@Stealth_07 thats true, but the invisibility on demand outside of combat is really strong. Enlarge is pretty nice bonus as well even though it is per long rest I think.
Great video! I subbed and I'm excited to see your future builds! I'm running a similar build though I don't min-max quite as much so I tend to lean more on hand crossbows and I prefer the versatility of the Thief subclass. The assassin is definitely the better choice if you can get the jump on your foes, but I find that for casual playthroughs, you aren't always min-maxing the fight arena (holding back party members because you know an interaction will end up in a fight, etc.). I prefer to have the additional bonus action so, if a fight breaks out I can hide/dash/misty step to get an advantageous position, and, since I'm running hand crossbows, I always have the ability to fire additional shots with bonus actions I haven't used. It sacrifices first turn damage, but you gain sustain and versatility which I think make for a more relaxed and enjoyable experience.
Yeah, i tried to find a good balance between super minmaxing and normal play for the build. Its why I dont mention certain items like the phalar aluve and drake glaive because if you wanted to full minmax you should use those and activate them before a fight and then equip your actual melee weapons since those weapon's buffs linger even after de-equipping them.
Awesome build video! Especially for your first video ever, huge congratulations! I hope you will become big, I'm looking forward to the next builds whatever they might be!
man this build is awesome. the way u explained stuff made it easy to follow. Works Really well in honor mode for a nice opening to fights and it is alot of fun .
Yes! I planned various versions of this build but couldn't really decide on which one to use. I found that since crit doubles all dice-based damage, items which grant dice damage are preferable to flat damage items. I'd suggest Kagha's amulet, Broodmother's Revenge (this damage is multiplied by crits, unlike coated poisons), Horns of the Berserker (which actually grants 1-4 bonus damage, not flat 2), and the buff from Drakethroat Glaive (which perseveres even after you unequip the glaive).
I tend to avoid doing super super minmax things like abusing effects that linger even after you unequip the item (not that im saying you shouldnt either, its a singleplayer game do what you want) so thats why i didnt include the drakethroat glaive. Something else you can do similarly is to cast the phalar aluve singing sword shriek beforehand because it also lingers through deequip. As for the horns of the berserker, i didnt know that so thatll be good to know for future build planning.
@@Stealth_07 I did a bit more research from reddit posts, and there are some items which stack with ranged weapon crits even though the description does not indicate they should. Ambusher shortsword from rivington general store and Dolor Amarus from Dolor apply their effects on ranged weapon attacks when the conditions are met.
I have stumbled on a build quite similar and am so happy to see it is very useful in the later levels. Playing through with friends so I stopped at the spoilers. Recently went from hand crossbows to Spellthief longbow and didn't think I'd love it as much as I do. This guide shows me it's for the better, too. Great guide, thank you!
Hand crossbow thief is definitely better early game before you have a lot of additive damage dice from items that grant bonus d4's and d6's on your attacks to get doubled by crit damage so that assassin can start out performing it. Also the hand crossbow damage definitely more consistent if you arent surprising enemies to get the guaranteed crits. I just didn't go over it because I wanted to have as few respec's as possible for the build. Didn't want to have a like "Now at level X you respect to the same build but with assassin because you have access to X item thus making assassin deal more damage on average" or something like that.
Can you surprise enemies that start out attacking you? Like the Raphael fight for example. I really want to try the assassin crit build but I keep thinking not being able to surprise the real boss fights just takes out the juice of this build.@@Stealth_07
Hello! New BG3 Player here. Thanks so much for sharing these builds! I'm a beginner and am only on my first playthrough. I want to try all of the builds you posted but it will take me forever 😂
This is top tier presentation. I was actually tired of Bard being in almost every build however after watching this video i was looking at Valeria rather menacingly. Looking forward to your next build video. Subbed.
Yeah Bard is kinda just the strongest class in the game imo (maybe monk is stronger due to certain items available), the fact that Slashing Flourish does not only full damage but a bonus d8 (upgraded to a d10 if you have even more levels in bard) on top of that for each arrow is just like unparalled in damage dealing for any ranged build.
I tried Monk but it didn't seem to click. I know at later levels they shine but I was struggling to put out any respectable damage sooo......I made a 2 TC, 3 GO1 warlock, 7 OB paladin and went all in on Reverberation.
The rat filled with rats achieving flight, the artfully arranged bodies and above all the clearly written out "this is where this item is found" information... 12/10 can't ask for better than this in a build video.
Another chest piece to consider for defensiveness in act 3 is Armor of Agility Sold by Gloomy Fentonson at Stormshore Armoury, Gives + 2 to saving throws. Full Dex Modifier to AC. has a 17 AC on it already, and it doesnt imposive disadvantage on stealth. With Armor of Agility + the 1h weapons from Act 3, you can get upwards of 25/26 AC as an archer. Especially on honor mode, this is a pretty big deal because the mobs are more likely to target people they have an easier time to hit, than you. Which limits the amount of mobs running/jumping/misty stepping to you. I love your videos though!
Honestly thank you i might use this build like most build vids ive seen are just yt shorts saying what to do and then just do it not going into any detail about possible items or anything
Titanstring bow is insanely good, especially if you pair it with the dex gloves. Especally if you use the potion of everlasting vigor or a giant strength. Adding a stat bonus to attack is always insanely good
Yea, i kinda forgot about it since I dont actually use any of the consumables in my runs of the game, so from my perspective I forgot about the strength elixers when looking at damage numbers. (the run I tested this build on was a Solo Tactician, no consumable, no dark urge, no illithid power run) Its def the best option until you can get Gontr Mael if you are constantly using strength elixers.
@@Stealth_07oh ya its a really cool build, I honestly ran something similar in a DnD campaign. Its really too bad we are limited to 12, kinda hope we get a dlc to up that
@@Stealth_07i'm doing my solo playtrought, and i did use the club of Strength for all act 1, and i respect to 18 strenght in act 2, with the dex gloves and the potion of strenght from the drow in MT, and planing of using The gloves in HoH for strenght in act 3
I tried out a Titanstring bow build and as far as I can tell it does more damage than Gontr Mael. Enabled by taking the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength in Act 3 on a final spec of Ranger 8/Rogue 4 to get Dex to 20.
@@AaronDaugherty If you are using the gauntlets of hill giant strength, then you are not using the craterflesh gloves, which means you are losing 2d6 force damage on each attack on your first turn.
Also, your character looks like my biology teacher…….. she was a badass, she spent most of her lecture showing us how stuff can blow up (it rarely pertained to biology, but it was awesome), and I was convinced she was a secret agent assassin. I am sending her this now, because damn that is creepy how similar it looks.
Thanks, I was telling some of my friends that I might have been overcooking with the intro since I even went through the effort to make sure the saves I was loading for the bit were from the bank mission in Dishonored to match the fact it was in the counting house.
@@Stealth_07 np man, one of the best build vids i've seen mostly because it doesn't waste 30-50 mins of my life to get the info, but the editing and humor were on point too wish you luck with the whole yt thing
@@user-rd3ou5ev6o yeah, one of the reasons i started making build vids is because it always bothered me that most build videos are like 30-40 minutes long, like there is NO WAY it needs to be that long, so i tried to keep my vid under 15 total
I played with 6lvls of bard (coll. Of swords) then 4 rogue for thief s bonus bonus action then 2 fighter. Similar build with obviously double crossbows for that bonus action hits. Love college of swords bards in this game... Great video and great build BTW, will try next time, cannot get enough of bard...
I spent last week looking at exactly these two class combinations for an assassin build, how funny! I’m very impressed with how clearly and well you put this video together, wish you good luck with your views as you very much deserve it!
I love the video! You did a great job at presenting everything in a clear and concise manner. I do have a question though, could you do a damage breakdown? I saw the clips at the beginning so I can probably deconstruct it from there. But you're good at presenting information and a section showing how you plan/execute the burst and sustain of the build would be awesome.
The burst is simple, all you need to do is make sure the enemy is surprised by initiating an attack from stealth/invisible. By doing so you trigger your assassin passive from rogue which makes all attacks on surprised enemies a crit. Since you are a gloomstalker ranger you also gain bonus initiative ensuring you get the first turn (usually) they gain an attack that can be used for free but only on their first turn of combat. Finally the bard has slashing flourish (ranged) which allows you to hit 2 enemies simultaneously BUT you can target the same enemy twice with it which is bonkers! Now before a fight you want to use a bloodlust potion if you have one and with the full build you will also cast haste with the legendary bow then drink a potion of invisibility to sneak attack the enemy to surprise them. The invisibility isnt required to surprise, it just makes it easier if they can see you. Once combat is initiated just go to town with flourishes and the ranger attack all having guarenteed crits lol
Yep! The only thing I'd add is that crits double ALL DAMAGE DICE so any added d4's or d6's from your gear (as well as the extra d8 of damage from slashing flourish) ALL GET DOUBLED. In addition, the Brace skill from longbows and heavy crossbows essentially gives you advantage on ALL the damage rolls your bow attacks apply (including the crit damage rolls) so you will deal higher average damage.
Ok, first off, what an excellently made video! A joy to watch! The dishonored bit thru me off guard! 🤣 While i may not use this build i may take some ideas from here, my first run in act 3 i played as college of swords // thief hybrid with a similar playstyle Also whats that heavy armor you're wearing during the gear section?
Glad you liked it! The armor is the just the rare tier Plate Armor +2 that you can buy from basically any vendor at lvl 11, the helmet is the Fierce Golden Helmet which is a common helmet you can pick up in the Mind Flayer Colony at the end of act 2, the gloves are the gauntlets of hill giant strength from the house of hope, and the boots are the speedy lightfeet from someplace in act 1 (i dont remember), and the cloak is the Cloak of the Weave from Helsik in the devils fee. This gear set is not good, I used it on my paladin character PURELY for the aesthetics. (the gauntlets are good the rest is not)
Thank you! I intend on making more build videos, but they take some time since in addition to editing and scripting them I also like to see how many (if any) people have made a similar build video before I commit to the idea. (Also real ones [the 150 people who saw the first video] know this is actually the second draft of this video, since I remade the first one because I wasn't happy with it.)
Pretty dope man. I really dislike the swords bard flourishes working on range espeically that multi hit one. It's SOOOO busted with a build like this haha. Great guide though :)
With the Titanstring Bow that deals additional damage equal to your Strength Modifier, and the Club of Hill Giant Strenght (which set your strenght at 19) you deal 4 extra damage per hit. Both in act 1. The bow is purchased from Brem in the Zhentarim Hideout after completing "Find the Missing Shipment". The club is obtained in the top floor of the Arcane Tower (underdark) in the little house on the left there is a stool with that name, break it and get the club. I think that both are the best options in act I and act II. You can equip the club with the Knife of the Undermountain King. And for extra you get more carry capacity with the bonus strenght.
random tidbit - if you start with your first level in rogue after you respec, you end up with one extra skill proficiency. i know this is a combat focused build, but yeah, worth mentioning. for some reason, rogue gets 4 proficiencies at lv 1 but only 1 proficiency when you multiclass into it.
I really like starting level 1 as a rogue, the expertise into 2 skills and sneak attack damage + Proficient in Dex (I think the most valuable stat in general in this game) is something that, in my opinion, tops all of the other Marshall classes. Since most of the builds I like have rogue classes, rogue is my favorite level 1 character to make.
love the vid , i love how you included gear for act 1 and 2 cuz usually guides only include end game gear and u have the get through the game on ur own Edit: can i also see a build video of the armored character ure using to show items
Realized I forgot some items.
(Dont open if you dont want spoilers)
Act 1:
-Titanstring Bow purchased from Brem in the Zhent Hideout can be the best option until Gontr Mael if you are willing to keep a constant Elixer of Hill or Cloud giant strength active
Act 2:
- the Flawed Helldusk Gloves from Dammon are an alternative to the dark justiciar gauntlets if fighting enemies resistant to necrotic damage.
- The dark justiciar armor and boots that Shadowheart receives if she becomes a Dark Justiciar can be good as well.
Act 3:
-the Horns of the Berserker sold by Entharl Danthelon in Wyrm's Crossing, as I was informed by a commenter, actually applys 1d4 necrotic damage and not a flat +2 damage, so Its also a good helmet option.
-the Helldusk Gloves from Haarlep in the House of Hope, can be an alternative to the Craterflesh gloves if enemies are not resistant to fire damage.
-the Helmet of Grit from the Czarr palace gives an extra bonus action when below 50% hp so you can cast more bard spells each turn.
If i remember any other important items ill edit this comment to add them.
Yuan-ti Scale Mail from The Last Light Inn is good too. Medium armour that doesn't have a Dex cap. With 16/18 Dex, you've got 18/19 AC. As a bonus, it doesn't give disadvantage to stealth and also gives +1 initiative.
Edit: I also like running Helmet of Arcane Acuity, personally, as it allows me to use my Bard slots after the initial burst for a nearly unsaveable Hold Person or something similar as a bonus action, with the Band of the Mystic Scoundrel. Helps with any stragglers.
Pin this comment if you can
Also, there's this bow wich I don't remember it's name wich does extra damage based on STR modifier, if used in conjunction with the 23STR gloves from the house of hope, it can do crazy damage with this build!
But... do you think that this makes more damage than if you take thief subclass for double bonus action and equip double hand crossbows? I discovered it in the early access and never could enjoy a different "assassin" build since then because I feel it's sub-optimal
@@TheSensei88 Titanstring Bow
@@CloudBreaker30 That one!
Some guides are ignorant of the fact that their build 'progression' is practically weak early on in the game. I really appreciate that you also includes a real progression guide.
I'm a little bit blazed and seeing the dishonoured 2's pause screen pop up made me question if I spaced and was now watching a new video
Jesus christ literally exactly what im doing
Same
I literally thought the same because I'm blazed as well i kinda questioned myself 😅
exactly same.
Not blazed, same.
This is one of the cleanest and clearest build guides I’ve seen. From your name this may be what you do, stealth builds, but I hope you keep on and do more BG3 builds cause this is great
Thank you! I tend to favor stealth or rogue type builds and playstyles when I play games, but I do intend on making some non rogue based build videos.
well you are awesome, and honestly there is enough variety for other stealth builds, too!@@Stealth_07
Stick to your name and make a stealth build for every class :P@@Stealth_07
I absolutly adore people like you who go so deep into the game to find a build like this even with items and everything.
love the extra effort you put into presentation. quips and opening cinematic were very engaging!
dude, this gotta be one of the best bg3 vids i ever seen. the editing, jokes, production, and how in-depth u go w the build throughout the acts in the game is incredible, especially for a new channel is crazyy. im excited to see what vids u make in the future, keep up the great work ❤️🔥❤️🔥
I really appreciate that you give a leveling build and a respec build so people can use the play style throughout the game. Same with the Act 1, 2, and 3 gear recommendations. I subbed so I can see any other build videos you may make because this one is so well presented.
Absolutely incredible work, saer! Easily the best produced BG3 guide I've seen yet, and such a fun idea for a build.
Other people have said it but Ill give you more of the credit you're due - these kind of videos are usually a little difficult to parse, as people need both the ability to find a build, and also the editing and analytical ability to break it down clearly and fluently.
Youve done both - really great work.
This guys build presentation puts other BG3 youtubers to shame. Love these opening cinematics that really sell what the build is all about.
One of the best BG3 build videos, clear and funny. Nice job!
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Best bg3 build video I’ve seen yet. You could easily solo the entire game with this build and every boss fight on honor mode. A way to juice this build up even further would be camp casting all the last till long rest spells and gale warding bond so you’re nearly unkillable. Stack on the special powers you can get if you choose to indulge and you’ll have limitless movement and insane killing potential even after round 1. Short resting after each and taking 2-3 fights per long rest would also force you to rest enough times to get all the story elements tied to long rest counters.
You can also get the club that sets strength to 19, dump strength, and hold that plus the crit knife to have a nasty titanstring bow all the way through act 1/2/3.
Thank you for thinking this build out to work thoughout the entire game. All I ever see when I search for builds are the ones that only come online by endgame. Cheers!
One of the best BG3 videos I’ve seen. Love from Korea, please keep ‘em coming!
The idea of the entire intro happening in 6 seconds is so funny
Really good video! Well explained in a timely manner. Almost all bg3 build videos are unnecessarily big and you gave all relevant info in 13minutes, awesome!
Yeah, I have that same gripe with other build videos, so I tried make it a point to keep video time under 15.
The way you presented the build was very well done, easy to take notes. If you do end up creating different builds I would totally watch it as well.
Holy moly that's such a cool build i always struggle with good builds for assassin i will definitely try it. Also i would love to see this cool ass paladin build you got here.
Yeah, I wanted to make a build not using thief (since every rogue build always uses thief). Though that being said I do have another build vid planned that does use thief.
Also, the paladin build is still being workshopped, the one you see is just 5 paladin (oath of vengeance) and 7 cleric (war priest)
Your humor was very charming. Well done video, clear and informative.
Super impressive video, the build is super clear I loved the gear part funny well made you took time to explain where to find the items anyway good job you earned a sub!
Thank you, means a lot!
best bg3 build in youtube by far... its like the other bg3 video builds feels like fextralife (incomplete dogshit mess) and this one is like bg3 wiki (complete and concise)
Intro to this was top notch, very aesthetic. Been wanting to do a solo run and I feel like this class with Dark Urge would easily be able to do that :D
Don't even need to be dark urge to do a solo run with this build tbh, its already so overkill for pretty much the whole game, that I was able to beat it while imposing massive restrictions on my solo tactician run. (No dark urge, no illithid powers, no consumables , and no exiting combat via invis/stealth to re-surprise enemies) and even with all those I still managed it with this build.
Really solid guide man, loved the intro and the build is really solid too. You had two items i hadn't discovered before in 5 playthroughs! Good stuff.
Your hotbar is SO organised! On ps5 and now i have on pc, i obsess over organising it and seeing yours just gives me ..peace lol
i literally cannot watch other people play if their hot bars are disorganized, I have a friend who doesn't organize his hotbar at all and he refuses to increase his bar above 2 rows and constantly drags the bar to find his skills and it drives me literally insane.
First off the assistants bit was hilarious. I really enjoyed that and it's adds some personality to the video.
2nd you are the first person I've seen do the bard variant of this. I was fiddling around with a dex bard pali build and wondering to myself why dont people run this in the gloomstalker assassin variants since it doubles your actions attack values.
3rd I would make an argument for duel wield crossbows. This will net you two additional attacks off assassin for the loss of +1 on the bow and some range. But with fly from ilithid powers the range is negligible. I will also note that haste is obtainable from other sources including scrolls. While they will stun you if you drop concentration this build doesnt plan on getting hit anyway. This also allows you to obtain a second bonus action if you utilize the helm of grit.
4th go fighter over ranger. action surge is worth 2 attacks and it gives you the same fighting style. You dont get action surge every single fight but with assassin builds you dont need it. On the subject of extra attacks since it's an attack not a bonus sidebar attack you can use bard flourishes meaning it's actually worth 4 attacks.
Finally if you want to play with this as a melee assassin variant of this go bard 6 rogue 4, pali 2. this will give you smites on hit all doing double piercing damage. I'd recommend crimson mischief and rhapsody to maximize the value of both ranged and melee damage. for feats you'd want sharp shooter and savage attacker. Orc being the best race for this. If you really dont want the ranged side then drop sharp shooter and run shar's spear of evening as the offhand this gives advantage on all mental saves, darkness on command, blind immunity, and 1d6 on all weapon attacks made from shade. this would require taking duel wielding. A final variant is drop the dw and wield just the spear of night(or nyrulna) and take great weapon master. This will require you utilize strength elixirs however as they are not dex weapons.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk.
Thank you for adding the location for the items and neatly organizing for each acts!
Great build video, thanks!
I'd think Duergar has enough advantages to be worth mentioning. With extra range darkvision, invisibility (per battle) and enlarged (without concentration). When you want to play a sniper being able to take it enemies at great range in the dark (without disadvantage) seems valuable.
Gloomstalker grants you enhanced darkvision
@@Stealth_07 thats true, but the invisibility on demand outside of combat is really strong. Enlarge is pretty nice bonus as well even though it is per long rest I think.
Great video! I subbed and I'm excited to see your future builds! I'm running a similar build though I don't min-max quite as much so I tend to lean more on hand crossbows and I prefer the versatility of the Thief subclass. The assassin is definitely the better choice if you can get the jump on your foes, but I find that for casual playthroughs, you aren't always min-maxing the fight arena (holding back party members because you know an interaction will end up in a fight, etc.). I prefer to have the additional bonus action so, if a fight breaks out I can hide/dash/misty step to get an advantageous position, and, since I'm running hand crossbows, I always have the ability to fire additional shots with bonus actions I haven't used. It sacrifices first turn damage, but you gain sustain and versatility which I think make for a more relaxed and enjoyable experience.
Yeah, i tried to find a good balance between super minmaxing and normal play for the build. Its why I dont mention certain items like the phalar aluve and drake glaive because if you wanted to full minmax you should use those and activate them before a fight and then equip your actual melee weapons since those weapon's buffs linger even after de-equipping them.
this is well thought through and i liked that you spoke clearly and brought the audience in
Awesome build video! Especially for your first video ever, huge congratulations!
I hope you will become big, I'm looking forward to the next builds whatever they might be!
man this build is awesome. the way u explained stuff made it easy to follow. Works Really well in honor mode for a nice opening to fights and it is alot of fun .
I hope there's more build videos coming, these are so well done!
Yes! I planned various versions of this build but couldn't really decide on which one to use.
I found that since crit doubles all dice-based damage, items which grant dice damage are preferable to flat damage items. I'd suggest Kagha's amulet, Broodmother's Revenge (this damage is multiplied by crits, unlike coated poisons), Horns of the Berserker (which actually grants 1-4 bonus damage, not flat 2), and the buff from Drakethroat Glaive (which perseveres even after you unequip the glaive).
I tend to avoid doing super super minmax things like abusing effects that linger even after you unequip the item (not that im saying you shouldnt either, its a singleplayer game do what you want) so thats why i didnt include the drakethroat glaive. Something else you can do similarly is to cast the phalar aluve singing sword shriek beforehand because it also lingers through deequip. As for the horns of the berserker, i didnt know that so thatll be good to know for future build planning.
@@Stealth_07 I did a bit more research from reddit posts, and there are some items which stack with ranged weapon crits even though the description does not indicate they should. Ambusher shortsword from rivington general store and Dolor Amarus from Dolor apply their effects on ranged weapon attacks when the conditions are met.
I have stumbled on a build quite similar and am so happy to see it is very useful in the later levels. Playing through with friends so I stopped at the spoilers. Recently went from hand crossbows to Spellthief longbow and didn't think I'd love it as much as I do. This guide shows me it's for the better, too. Great guide, thank you!
Hand crossbow thief is definitely better early game before you have a lot of additive damage dice from items that grant bonus d4's and d6's on your attacks to get doubled by crit damage so that assassin can start out performing it. Also the hand crossbow damage definitely more consistent if you arent surprising enemies to get the guaranteed crits. I just didn't go over it because I wanted to have as few respec's as possible for the build.
Didn't want to have a like "Now at level X you respect to the same build but with assassin because you have access to X item thus making assassin deal more damage on average" or something like that.
Can you surprise enemies that start out attacking you? Like the Raphael fight for example. I really want to try the assassin crit build but I keep thinking not being able to surprise the real boss fights just takes out the juice of this build.@@Stealth_07
i love the format of your videos
Ngl this was one thorough guide dude i appreciate it
Great video! Very entertaining, very well put together, and the build is badass. Looking forward to more builds in the future 😊
I really wish all build videos were like this. You did a fantastic job and I really appreciate it!
What a well done guide. This should be the gold standard.
Also: Counting House Docks?! I did not know this area existed ^^
the build, the jokes, the intro.
I love all of it about your video, gj!
Great guide, always love the stealth bow builds in any game. Keep up the good work 😁
that dishonored reload idea was so ingenius haha! Love it!
More powerful builds please! I love the way you did this video!!
Hello! New BG3 Player here. Thanks so much for sharing these builds! I'm a beginner and am only on my first playthrough. I want to try all of the builds you posted but it will take me forever 😂
This is top tier presentation. I was actually tired of Bard being in almost every build however after watching this video i was looking at Valeria rather menacingly. Looking forward to your next build video. Subbed.
Yeah Bard is kinda just the strongest class in the game imo (maybe monk is stronger due to certain items available), the fact that Slashing Flourish does not only full damage but a bonus d8 (upgraded to a d10 if you have even more levels in bard) on top of that for each arrow is just like unparalled in damage dealing for any ranged build.
I tried Monk but it didn't seem to click. I know at later levels they shine but I was struggling to put out any respectable damage sooo......I made a 2 TC, 3 GO1 warlock, 7 OB paladin and went all in on Reverberation.
The rat filled with rats achieving flight, the artfully arranged bodies and above all the clearly written out "this is where this item is found" information... 12/10 can't ask for better than this in a build video.
This is the best I have ever seen this game played, hands down. Well done!
this guide is so clear and complete. Earned a sub, gj bro, really loved the vid
What a delightfull guide, u know what ppl what and dont jerk off around, well deserved likes and subs
Please continue showing us alternative amazing builds like this one! Great video!
Awesome video I love the build, the depth of your guide is incredible can’t wait to see else you come up with
This channel deserves more attention. Great videos!
finally someone who really organizes the hotbar
That alarm part at the start was great. Didn't see that coming.
Such a solid video i can’t wait for more!
Another chest piece to consider for defensiveness in act 3 is Armor of Agility Sold by Gloomy Fentonson at Stormshore Armoury, Gives + 2 to saving throws. Full Dex Modifier to AC. has a 17 AC on it already, and it doesnt imposive disadvantage on stealth.
With Armor of Agility + the 1h weapons from Act 3, you can get upwards of 25/26 AC as an archer.
Especially on honor mode, this is a pretty big deal because the mobs are more likely to target people they have an easier time to hit, than you. Which limits the amount of mobs running/jumping/misty stepping to you.
I love your videos though!
Love that dishonored paude menu, that was so clean
7:34 well caught me completely off guard
Great build and great video, keep the builds coming!
Ok that intro with the Dishonored joke got me to keep watching and sub, good one dude lmfao
Honestly thank you i might use this build like most build vids ive seen are just yt shorts saying what to do and then just do it not going into any detail about possible items or anything
Titanstring bow is insanely good, especially if you pair it with the dex gloves. Especally if you use the potion of everlasting vigor or a giant strength. Adding a stat bonus to attack is always insanely good
Yea, i kinda forgot about it since I dont actually use any of the consumables in my runs of the game, so from my perspective I forgot about the strength elixers when looking at damage numbers. (the run I tested this build on was a Solo Tactician, no consumable, no dark urge, no illithid power run) Its def the best option until you can get Gontr Mael if you are constantly using strength elixers.
@@Stealth_07oh ya its a really cool build, I honestly ran something similar in a DnD campaign. Its really too bad we are limited to 12, kinda hope we get a dlc to up that
@@Stealth_07i'm doing my solo playtrought, and i did use the club of Strength for all act 1, and i respect to 18 strenght in act 2, with the dex gloves and the potion of strenght from the drow in MT, and planing of using The gloves in HoH for strenght in act 3
I tried out a Titanstring bow build and as far as I can tell it does more damage than Gontr Mael. Enabled by taking the Gauntlets of Hill Giant Strength in Act 3 on a final spec of Ranger 8/Rogue 4 to get Dex to 20.
@@AaronDaugherty If you are using the gauntlets of hill giant strength, then you are not using the craterflesh gloves, which means you are losing 2d6 force damage on each attack on your first turn.
Also, your character looks like my biology teacher…….. she was a badass, she spent most of her lecture showing us how stuff can blow up (it rarely pertained to biology, but it was awesome), and I was convinced she was a secret agent assassin. I am sending her this now, because damn that is creepy how similar it looks.
A great guide! Thank you! I love your 'assistants' They did a great job, too. :D
Sick build and a really high quality video guide. Consider me subscribed! Can't wait to see more future builds!
Thanks!
Fantastic video, clear explanations and very original build, thanks a lot !
Glad you liked it!
That intro edit made me audibly laugh in incredulity with how good it was.
Thanks, I was telling some of my friends that I might have been overcooking with the intro since I even went through the effort to make sure the saves I was loading for the bit were from the bank mission in Dishonored to match the fact it was in the counting house.
@@Stealth_07 np man, one of the best build vids i've seen
mostly because it doesn't waste 30-50 mins of my life to get the info, but the editing and humor were on point too
wish you luck with the whole yt thing
@@user-rd3ou5ev6o yeah, one of the reasons i started making build vids is because it always bothered me that most build videos are like 30-40 minutes long, like there is NO WAY it needs to be that long, so i tried to keep my vid under 15 total
now this is a good guide, with even telling where you get it.
Quality content here ❤ Great guide
Great video, saving this for my durge playthrough
I played with 6lvls of bard (coll. Of swords) then 4 rogue for thief s bonus bonus action then 2 fighter.
Similar build with obviously double crossbows for that bonus action hits.
Love college of swords bards in this game...
Great video and great build BTW, will try next time, cannot get enough of bard...
I spent last week looking at exactly these two class combinations for an assassin build, how funny!
I’m very impressed with how clearly and well you put this video together, wish you good luck with your views as you very much deserve it!
that dishonoured game menu load was hilarious lmao
Really nice. I liked it, please more such builds
I love the video! You did a great job at presenting everything in a clear and concise manner. I do have a question though, could you do a damage breakdown? I saw the clips at the beginning so I can probably deconstruct it from there. But you're good at presenting information and a section showing how you plan/execute the burst and sustain of the build would be awesome.
The burst is simple, all you need to do is make sure the enemy is surprised by initiating an attack from stealth/invisible. By doing so you trigger your assassin passive from rogue which makes all attacks on surprised enemies a crit. Since you are a gloomstalker ranger you also gain bonus initiative ensuring you get the first turn (usually) they gain an attack that can be used for free but only on their first turn of combat. Finally the bard has slashing flourish (ranged) which allows you to hit 2 enemies simultaneously BUT you can target the same enemy twice with it which is bonkers! Now before a fight you want to use a bloodlust potion if you have one and with the full build you will also cast haste with the legendary bow then drink a potion of invisibility to sneak attack the enemy to surprise them. The invisibility isnt required to surprise, it just makes it easier if they can see you. Once combat is initiated just go to town with flourishes and the ranger attack all having guarenteed crits lol
Yep!
The only thing I'd add is that crits double ALL DAMAGE DICE so any added d4's or d6's from your gear (as well as the extra d8 of damage from slashing flourish) ALL GET DOUBLED. In addition, the Brace skill from longbows and heavy crossbows essentially gives you advantage on ALL the damage rolls your bow attacks apply (including the crit damage rolls) so you will deal higher average damage.
Nice! What i needed and on Point. Thank you 🤘
Ok, first off, what an excellently made video! A joy to watch!
The dishonored bit thru me off guard! 🤣
While i may not use this build i may take some ideas from here, my first run in act 3 i played as college of swords // thief hybrid with a similar playstyle
Also whats that heavy armor you're wearing during the gear section?
Glad you liked it!
The armor is the just the rare tier Plate Armor +2 that you can buy from basically any vendor at lvl 11, the helmet is the Fierce Golden Helmet which is a common helmet you can pick up in the Mind Flayer Colony at the end of act 2, the gloves are the gauntlets of hill giant strength from the house of hope, and the boots are the speedy lightfeet from someplace in act 1 (i dont remember), and the cloak is the Cloak of the Weave from Helsik in the devils fee.
This gear set is not good, I used it on my paladin character PURELY for the aesthetics. (the gauntlets are good the rest is not)
@@Stealth_07what’s the armor combination you’re wearing in the intro/dishonored bit??
Such a great build guide. Cheers dude
This is the only video in your channel? Dude keep up the great work, this was a great vid. I subs! >w
Thank you! I intend on making more build videos, but they take some time since in addition to editing and scripting them I also like to see how many (if any) people have made a similar build video before I commit to the idea.
(Also real ones [the 150 people who saw the first video] know this is actually the second draft of this video, since I remade the first one because I wasn't happy with it.)
i cant fathom rn how good this video is
The dishonored save reload killed me 😂
Great video! This is my astarion build that i did
good build, loved the humour in the middle ^^ subbed
the dishonored switch up made me giggle
Pretty dope man. I really dislike the swords bard flourishes working on range espeically that multi hit one. It's SOOOO busted with a build like this haha. Great guide though :)
Yeah its actually crazy that slashing flourish functions the way it does, the first time i saw it i thought it had to be a bug or a mis-wording.
I am really grateful for this.
this is the best assassin muticlass i have seen
With the Titanstring Bow that deals additional damage equal to your Strength Modifier, and the Club of Hill Giant Strenght (which set your strenght at 19) you deal 4 extra damage per hit. Both in act 1.
The bow is purchased from Brem in the Zhentarim Hideout after completing "Find the Missing Shipment".
The club is obtained in the top floor of the Arcane Tower (underdark) in the little house on the left there is a stool with that name, break it and get the club.
I think that both are the best options in act I and act II. You can equip the club with the Knife of the Undermountain King.
And for extra you get more carry capacity with the bonus strenght.
Do you get the str bonus from the club while it's equipped, but the bow is in hand?
@@garyco766 Yes.
you did a great job. Make more videos so this can be your job bro. Rooting for ya!
random tidbit - if you start with your first level in rogue after you respec, you end up with one extra skill proficiency. i know this is a combat focused build, but yeah, worth mentioning. for some reason, rogue gets 4 proficiencies at lv 1 but only 1 proficiency when you multiclass into it.
Yes! Bards are super OP in ACT 3 with being martial spell casters
maaaan that was a very cool intro
I really like starting level 1 as a rogue, the expertise into 2 skills and sneak attack damage + Proficient in Dex (I think the most valuable stat in general in this game) is something that, in my opinion, tops all of the other Marshall classes. Since most of the builds I like have rogue classes, rogue is my favorite level 1 character to make.
love the vid , i love how you included gear for act 1 and 2 cuz usually guides only include end game gear and u have the get through the game on ur own Edit: can i also see a build video of the armored character ure using to show items
perhaps that is going to be the build video coming next week ;)
The Item Showcase is Phenomenal.
bruh when the dishonor menu popped up i chuckled
I have been enjoying the diadem or arcane synergy on many of my builds.
I also recommend getting the statue of yourself because it gives you a permanent bless, it’s pretty useful.
Best part with stealth builds are to end combat early by hiding or invisibility and then chaining your surprise attacks together
In this video it helped that no opponent had Darkvision.