[MM360]

What is your favorite talent build in the Enhanced Edition of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings? Is it the swordsmanship, the alchemy, the magic tree, or maybe a hybrid set? Pease let us know as we are really interested to hear your opinions. Don't forget to explain your choice in the comments below. Feel free to upload screenshots of your builds as well. Traditionally, there's also a poll on our facebook page where you can cast your vote.

[227]

No build.

I originally played through a fair portion of the EE without leveling up at all in order to make some saves for people stuck at the wheel in Vergen, and ended up enjoying the challenge so much that I'm trying to do a full playthrough on Dark as level 1. It's more fun than you'd probably think and I highly recommend it to everyone.

[littleladyred]

Sword and magic for me. Since they are both the ones I depend the most on. Though, since my second play through on a higher difficulty, I'm finding myself depending more on alchemy than usual.

I'll just go for a bit of everything.

[Wichat]

Once a try with alchemy with a little of swordsman, 80%-20% more or less, later swordmanship almost enterally. I have been changing skills at each game, the last one, basically magic. But If I get no good sword early in the game and do not build sowrdmanship as main skill it comes harder to me remain alive a long time. Maybe cause I am a little clumsy or my keyboard is very hard. who knows?Anyway, I enjoy a lot with a fifty-fifty magic and swordsmanship, ...and oils and runes, of course!

[slimgrin]

Lots of these threads lately. Are you guys obtaining statistical data for TW3?

So far sword and magic for me, so a hybrid build.

@227...are effin' kidding me? Is that even possible?

[227]

slimgrin said:

@227...are effin' kidding me? Is that even possible? ›››

It's actually surprisingly natural to settle into since there are plenty of things that will kill you in 1-2 shots at that difficulty anyway. You just have to be extra careful not to get hit in the back and remember that you're stuck with short rolls. Definitely worth a try if you're at all curious about what it's like.

It's nothing compared to the kinds of people who play through on Insane using nothing but a hammer. I remember hearing that someone actually did that.

[SkycladGuardian]

My first playthrough was a Mage/Swordsman hybrid, roughly 50:50 on medium difficulty;
second was a Swordsman build with a little bit of Magic talents, I guess 90:10 or so, on hard;
third was a pure Alchemist build on dark mode, it was the hardest by far, especially the Eternal Battle, the dragon was suprisingly easy, though;
fourth is now a pure swordsman again on dark mode.

[Dearg Ruadhri]

My build on Dark at least is mostly swordsman, with a bit of magic and a talent or two in alchemy.

227 said:

No build.I originally played through a fair portion of the EE without leveling up at all in order to make some saves for people stuck at the wheel in Vergen, and ended up enjoying the challenge so much that I'm trying to do a full playthrough on Dark as level 1. It's more fun than you'd probably think and I highly recommend it to everyone. ›››

Now I have to try this with a bit of added flavour....only using the mighty...scoop! (Might need a month or two to actually do this, but hey, this must be the biggest challenge the game can offer .)

[Hotnels]

I used to only use the sword and magic skill trees because the alchemy tree seemed the weakest. But since then I have heard really good things about it so I decided to give it a try and in my opinion its the best one.

I was so powerful at the end of the game that I drained the final bosses health before I technically should have and made the game break! To get past that part I actually had to hold back during the fight so the game wouldn't glitch again.

Alchemy tree is my favorite now. I'm trying a hybrid sword/alchemy build right now so far its very promising.

[Raye Gunn]

I like to do swordsman with a bit from magic. I've done pure magic once as well, but like the swords.

[Random drowner]

Balanced.

Alchemy path up until Impregnation 2/2

And then going straight towards the higher abilities in the Sword and magic paths (so I eventually get the Heliotrope+group finish in one move).

[spacehamsterZH]

Swordsmanship with maxed-out Quen and bomb damage, basically. I keep thinking I want to try a magic build, but if I'm honest, the one downside to playing with the 360 controller (both versions) is that since I keep having to bring up the radial menu to select signs, I tend to just have it stuck on Quen and occasionally use Aard as a guard breaker, although maxed-out Quen makes that kind of unnecessary too. Plus the one time I did put one together (as an experiment after the Operator), I found the Heliotrope sign completely useless.

[Sirnaq]

list of skills in my build:

training tree:
vigor regeneration lvl 2
parrying lvl 2
fortitude lvl 2

swordsman tree:
position lvl 1
Feet work lvl 2
riposte lvl 2
violence lvl 2
whirl lvl 2
guard lvl 2
hardy lvl 1
sudden death lvl 1
invincible lvl 1
combat acumen lvl 2
Whirlwind lvl 2

magic tree:
Enhanced Aard Sign lvl 1
Enhanced Quen Sign lvl 1
Magical Vigor lvl 2


alchemy tree
syntesis lvl 1
Specialization: Potions lvl 1
harvester lvl 1
catalysis lvl 2
Specialization: Oils lvl 1

[Bloth]

Swords, a fair few of 'em. Alchemy, to get the most out of the mutagens, because Geralt was said to be unusually resistant to the stress of mutation in his trial of grasses. Hardly anything in signs, rarely use 'em.

[General Jarate]

I'll get every ability from training except for dagger-throwing. I'll then get the first three skills and ripotse-ing from the sword tree. Finally, I'll develope the mage tree as much as possible.

[Costin Moroianu]

Hybrid. It has served me well in Arena and Insane mode.

[M4xw0lf]

I always specialize heavily on the sword path, with a side order of destructive magic, enhanced aard, enhanced quen and magical vigor (you can never have enough vigor, can you? ;-) )

[voodoojon]

honestly, i didnt touch alchemy at all on my playthrough, i started off predominantly with swordsmanship, and then as i reached chapter two i started to explore the Signs side of things. I cant really see myself doing another playthrough focusing on alchemy, its just not my preferred type of gaming. But i do appreciate the fact that the option is there if you want to approach the game from a different perspective. My only gripe is that besides the extra vitality, i didnt feel that the advancements in the skill trees had that much of an impact in real time playing, it would have been nice if they had had a bit more 'punch' to them

[bcheero]

voodoojon said:

honestly, i didnt touch alchemy at all on my playthrough, i started off predominantly with swordsmanship, and then as i reached chapter two i started to explore the Signs side of things. I cant really see myself doing another playthrough focusing on alchemy, its just not my preferred type of gaming. But i do appreciate the fact that the option is there if you want to approach the game from a different perspective. My only gripe is that besides the extra vitality, i didnt feel that the advancements in the skill trees had that much of an impact in real time playing, it would have been nice if they had had a bit more 'punch' to them ›››

Have you seen what a fully speced swordsman and alchemist can do? The attributes can go as high as 600 base damage and even higher due to poisoning effects.

[Wut the Melon]

bcheero said:

Have you seen what a fully speced swordsman and alchemist can do? The attributes can go as high as 600 base damage and even higher due to poisoning effects. ›››

I think what he means is more that combat doesn't really change, i.e. you don't learn new combos, signs or other abilities (with the exception of adrenalin finishers) over the course of the game. Basic changes to damage or duration aren't that interesting from a gameplay perspective. It does keep the gameplay over the course of a ~60 hr game more interesting if it's not the same combat again and again (and again...), so I can see where he's coming from.

EDIT: Of course, riposte is also an ability you need to unlock first.