SubclassesinPillars of Eternity 2: Deadfireoffer the player some variety when choosing a class. Each one provides unique bonuses and penalties for each class that the player can pick during character creation. Some of these bonuses and penalties are so strong that they can completely change the effectiveness of the base class. When real-time with pause was the only game mode, the strongest subclasses were generally ones that improved the speed or action potential of their class.
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With theintroduction of the turn-based combat mode, a year after the initial release of the game, this completely changed. Being faster became much less useful as players could still only attack once per round. This meant that stats such as Dexterity and bonuses which affected Recovery Time were nowhere near as powerful. This led to a completely different ranking of the strongest subclasses, with some of the builds which had previously been almost irrelevant becoming completely overpowered. As such, whether players are looking to dive into turn-based combat for the first time, or jump back into the world of Eora for their fiftieth time, this is theultimate list of the strongest subclassesforPillars of Eternity 2’s turn-based game mode.
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Players would be forgiven for assuming that the Black Jacket subclass is one of the weakest in the game. Having extra weapons and being able to swap between them faster does not seem as strong as some of the benefits other subclasses can gain. However, with the release of turn-based combat, the Black Jacket subclass became the perfect example of how different the two game modes can be.
Here, the benefit to weapon swapping means that it counts as a Free action, rather than a Standard action. This means that they can swap weapons and attack in the same round. Players can therefore use a high-damage weapon during their turn but swap to a shield at the end of their turn, meaning that they will be extremely survivable during enemy turns. Although swapping weapons every single turn can be somewhat tedious, the ability to have the best of both worlds when it comes to dealing and taking damage means that this is extremely adaptable.
Pillars of Eternity 2has thestandard fantasy rogue buildsplayers would expect to see such as the Assassin and the Trickster, but the best of the rogue subclasses is one with some more unique mechanics. The Streetfighter gains bonuses as the situation they are in gets more dangerous. They can deal 50% more damage while they are being Engaged by more than one enemy or while they are at below half health. If they meet both of these conditions at once, then they also gain a 100% Critical Damage bonus.
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The advantage of the turn-based mode is that enemies move around a lot less, making it easier to flank and be flanked. The Streetfighter bonuses also stack with Sneak Attack and so players should pick up passive skills such as Persistent Distraction to make the most of this bonus damage. Although putting your squishy, injured Rogue right in the middle of all the enemies is certainly a risky playstyle, the rewards are more than worth it as this subclass is one of the most efficient damage dealers in the game.
5Paladin - Bleak Walkers
Paladins, like Priests,must choose an Order or godduring character creation which acts as their subclass. As they cannot choose not to take a subclass, their orders do not impose any penalties on them. Paladins were already very strong due to a good mix of damage, survivability, and support abilities but were improved even more in turn-based mode because many of their abilities are Free actions. This means that they can perform more actions per turn than most other classes and require fewer rounds of setup.
While the other subclasses improve the Paladin’s healing or survivability, the Bleak Walkers lean into the Paladin’s damage-dealing capabilities. They gain the “Flames of Devotion” ability which attacks an enemy with bonus Burn and Corrode damage. It also grants +10 Accuracy, which is the biggest Accuracy bonus in the game, ensuring that the attack connects. For any players wishing to take advantage of how strong Paladins are in turn-based combat, the Bleak Walkers are a perfect choice.
Chanters are generally considered to be the strongest support class in the game. With the Beckoner class, the player can usepowerful songs to buff their team and debuff enemies, but can also summon a massive number of minions. This was not very strong in real-time because enemies could quickly kill any summons and then move to the player. In turn-based, however, they must use at least one full action to kill your summon, making them very useful distractions.
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This means that the Beckoner subclass gets all the great support options of the Chanter class but can also summon great armies to completely overwhelm the enemy. Players should note, however, that it can greatly slow down rounds as all their summoned creatures take a turn before the player gets to attack again.
Barbarians initially seemed to have been dealt a tough hand with the release of turn-based mode. Many of their abilities granted them speed bonuses, meaning that they are not nearly as useful in turn-based. However, there is one Barbarian ability that is so strong that it does not just make turn-based Barbarians viable, it makes them entirely overpowered.
Spirit Tornado is an upgrade to the Barbarians Frenzy ability which grants them theusual bonuses for entering Frenzybut also deals a wave of Freeze damage around the player and inflicts Terrified on any enemy it hits. What makes this ability so strong is the fact that it counts as a Free action. This means that players can use all their Rage to cast it multiple times in a single round, dealing a massive amount of Freeze damage to all nearby enemies. By picking Berserker as their subclass to gain some extra Penetration and more Critical Hits, players can tear through the game, even on the hardest difficulties.
When the turn-based combat mode was initially released, many players were concerned that Monks had been made much weaker, as much of their effectiveness relied on acting quickly. This could not be further from the truth. Monks deal excellent damage and have a good number of Free actions, making them very effective in turn-based. They also have many abilities which cause Stunned. This is very strong in turn-based combat as it entirely prevents the enemy from acting.
Nalpazca Monks make the most of this playstyle as they can generate wounds consistently. This is excellent for ensuring that they can keep causing Stun and using their best abilities. Drug effects inPillars of Eternity 2are also very strong, with some improving the Watcher’s stats to incredible levels. If players do not mind a bit of resource management to ensure they have a steady supply of drugs, the Nalpazca subclass can be one of the most rewarding builds in the game.
Regardless of game mode, Wizards are arguably the strongest class in the game. This is because of the variety of powerful spells they have access to which allow them to provide excellent crowd control and damage. Although none of the Wizard subclasses are weak, the Evoker subclass does stand above the rest, especially in turn-based.
Evocation magicis concernedwith damage-dealing spells such as Fireball and Chain Lightning. Any spell of this school that the Evoker casts is stronger and has a 15% chance to be instantly recast. This is very strong in turn-based because it allows players to have a chance at casting more than one spell per turn. If players want to be the most powerful member of their team, an Evoker Wizard is the way to go.
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfireis out now on PC, Xbox One and PS4.
