Kukri
item.Kukri
Kukri (Mastercrafted)
One-Hand Damage: 45 to 50
Required Level: 30
Required Dexterity: 550
Quality Level: 200
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.14 per Dexterity)%
Cannot be Renewed
+1 Lightning Damage per 1% Bonus to Defense
+1 Lightning Damage per 1% Total Physical Weapon Damage Bonus
Socketed (3)
Kukri (Mastercrafted)
One-Hand Damage: 45 to 50
Required Level: 30
Required Dexterity: 550
Quality Level: 200
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.14 per Dexterity)%
Cannot be Renewed
+1 Lightning Damage per 1% Bonus to Defense
+1 Lightning Damage per 1% Total Physical Weapon Damage Bonus
Socketed (3)
Overall, I love the idea. I really enjoy unique ways to scale/build around non-typical stats. That being said, I haven't actually found one yet (I play SSF), so I can't say if it actually performs well. Anyone else tinkered around with it yet?
CLASSES
Here are what I've thought about each class as far as building around the kukri goes.
1. Barbarian. Barb has access to LOADS of bonus defense, which equates to damage. If you used Bear Stance, Runemaster, AND spirit guide (or w/e it's called), you should be able to achieve some huge damage numbers. Physical damage boosts are not as easy to come by on barb so I would probably just forgo that all together. You also have the option of speccing full dex (no block though), or you could go full vita build. For usable skills, you have iron spiral as main AoE, and Shower of Rocks for single target (or primordial strike but I seriously despise it's mechanics). You could also work in Fortress/guard tower. My #1 choice.
2. Paladin. Holy melee is your only useful tree here. Lionheart gives pretty good balance of bonus defense and phys damage bonus, both mean more kukri damage. That's the highlight of the tree, but you also have decent melee skills, retaliate and divine judgment. Breakpoints and pierce are eased by euphoria and spark of hope. Since pally block sux, I would say full vita here as well. You'll have loads of extra points to sink into any support skills you want. My #2 choice.
3. Necromancer. Melee tree of course. This was my initial no-brainer choice, because you get decent physical damage boosts and MASSIVE defense boosts. But after reviewing Deathlord further, I noticed the defense boosts it provides is a flat boost, not % bonus, so that won't give us damage unfortunately. Boo. The only defensive skill that gives us damage is Death Ward, which eventually only reaches the 400%ish range iirc. Famine is decent though, thats essentially 15% of dex/str added as kukri damage. Necro actually makes sense to go full dex on too I think, since you can reach respectable block. That's another 14% of dex as damage from the weapon scaling too. BUT, Necro is going to struggle with pierce, as -light is not native to the character. My #3 choice.
Honorable Mention: Druid. While you could go the wereowl route (nice synergy with the kukri design), I'm actually drawn to the Werebear route for the big defense and damage. Barkskin, Werebear morph, and ancestral protection combo for defense probably gives barb a run for it's money. Plus you have Primal Bond for extra damage, and Tracking that helps with pierce. The big downside here is that you need an Oskill for attacks (though idol of scosglen does help with AoE), and you also need an axe/mace on switch for casting your morph.
Every other class I felt didn't have enough to be worth mentioning.
QUESTIONS:
Here are just some general questions I have:
1. Does %TCD count as %Defense for kukri purposes?
2. What phys damage stats DONT count for kukri? Flat damage I'm aware of... What about EWD?
3. Is there an area level requirement on the side zones?
4. Also, what exactly constitutes a side area? Aside from the obvious. Im not sure how having a side-quest plays into this (countess Tower for example).
Looking forward to hearing what everyone else thinks!