Dark and Darker Brewmaster Cleric: The Ultimate Melee Build
The Brewmaster Cleric is a melee powerhouse, capable of three-tapping even the best tank Barbarians with a mix of overwhelming Strength, versatility, and calculated aggression. This guide outlines the best perks, skills, gear, and stat allocation to dominate PvE and PvP scenarios. If you’ve ever thought Clerics were support-only, this build proves otherwise.
Perks Overview
The Brewmaster Cleric focuses on boosting melee damage, survivability, and utility. Equip these perks for maximum efficiency:
1. Blunt Weapon Mastery:
It increases physical Damage by 10%. Essential for enhancing your Morning Star’s lethality.
2. Faithfulness:
Boosts Divine magical Damage by 15%, allowing synergy with Smite for devastating follow-ups.
3. Perseverance:
Reduces incoming Damage by 2, adding to your overall tankiness.
4. Divine Protection:
When active, it grants a 30% additional damage reduction, pushing your survivability to the next level.
Skills to Use
1. Smite:
It amplifies your Damage and slows enemies, making it easier to catch opponents or burst down tanky targets.
2. Divine Protection:
Mitigate incoming Damage and extend your durability in melee skirmishes.
3. Drums of Darkness:
It is a must-have for range and tactical mobility. Use drums to kite or reposition effectively.
4. Judgment (Optional):
A ranged Divine damage ability for flexibility when engaging in ranged classes.
Gear Recommendations
This build greatly benefits from the combination of Dark and Darker items, such as high-power weapons and agility-boosting gear. Focus on maximizing Strength, agility, and physical power while maintaining decent movement speed. Here’s the ideal setup:
Weapons
Morning Star: Best weapon for Brewmaster Cleric. Look for bonuses like:
+Weapon Damage
+Max HP
+Strength
+Power
Shield or Offhand
Lantern: Enhance move speed and free up stamina for extended melee engagements. Customize with:
+Weapon Damage
+Action Speed
Armor
• Head: Chapeau or similar helmets with Agility and Armor Rating.
• Chest: Prioritize Strength, Armor, and Damage Reduction.
• Light Gauntlets: Opt for Strength and Agility bonuses. True Damage is also highly valuable.
Rings
• Ring of Courage: Boosts Strength, HP, and True Damage.
• Custom Crafted Rings: Aim for traits like:
+True Damage
+Action Speed
+Max HP
Cloak
• Adventurer Cloak: Offers flexibility early on with options for Strength, Agility, and Power.
Stat Allocation
1. Strength: Focus on maximizing Strength for:
• Increased melee damage
• Bonus HP
2. Agility: Essential for improving move speed and stamina recovery. Key for chasing or escaping foes.
3. Power: Provides additional physical damage scaling. Combine this with your perks for incredible output.
Example Stats with Rare Ale Active:
• Strength: 27
• Agility: 10+
• Physical Power Bonus: 57
• Damage Reduction: 58%
• HP: ~140-180 (with Vigor investments).
Combat Strategy
1. Buff and Engage:
Drink a rare ale to activate the Strength bonus and ensure Smite and Divine Protection are ready.
2. Pick Targets Wisely:
Focus on melee classes like Barbarians, Rogues, and Fighters, where you can capitalize on close-range dominance.
3. Mobility is Key:
Use Drums of Darkness to reposition against ranged opponents like Rangers or Wizards.
4. Burst Damage:
Utilize Smite to slow and burst down enemies in a few hits, especially with high Physical Power bonuses.
PvP & Selling Strategy
• PvP Tactics:
• Stick to areas where melee engagements are inevitable.
• Prioritize stamina management and aggressive positioning with move speed advantages.
• Selling Gear:
• High-value items like Rings with True Damage or Max HP fetch significant Dark and Darker gold.
• Focus on crafting and upgrading key pieces to maximize profit and utility.