This is more an experiment on mechanical damage reduction than a proper build, but since it was quite fun to play I decided to post it here. Before anything else: yes, there are better sledge builds, that is not the point.
So, mechanical damage reduction is not capped and can go to 100%, making the character immune. It is easily achievable with morphine shot, but the effect only lasts 2 turns and cannot be refreshed indefinitely. Luckily it is also possible to get to 100% without morphine:
- Lifting belt : 5%
- Ancient Rathound leather armor and tabis : 10%
- Conditioning : 24% (10% base, 9% from 14 CON, 5% from specialization)
- Stoicism : 36% (24% at 4% HP, 12% from specialization)
- Aegis : 15%
- Mushroom Brew : 10%
Permanent invulnerability to mechanical damage since Aegis does not have a cooldown. Yay!
Overview:
Build link:
https://underrail.info/build/?HgwDAw4DBwQAwosAwqAAAABSVwBSY8KIM13CgwAAAAAAZHgIXy0NJmIxDksfVFBEKHrCtnDCreKdoAXiqZgF4quGBd-_Equipment: Rathound Leather armor / tabis, Lifting belt, Praetorian Lawgiver (helmet), TiChrome sledgehammer.
I chose to play sledge because it works well with minimal investment, Mushroom Brew makes it hard to build for anything else than STR based weapons, and I have to wear a lifting belt anyway. AR would also work though, and maybe even be better, because... well... AR are stronk. But I thought swinging a hammer was the right choice for a drunk guy yelling and running around with 10 HP. Gotta be stylish.
Pros:
- death stalkers cannot do shit against that build
- morphine shot is a 2 turns invulnerability with no drawback (the damage at the end is mechanical)
- very decent damage
- lots of HP
Cons:
- no mobility
- no stealth
- no range
- does not fully work before level 25 (lol)
The build is strong early on, but then slowly gets weaker. Things are really bad around level 16. From level 20 it get better though, and in the late game the build performs rather well. Yeah, not a particularly powerful build, but a nice weird one. I had to find new tactics against some enemies which is always fun. For example Naga Protectors stop shooting you when they are close and use their melee attack instead. So, when fighting several at once, I just had to play with LoS to get them all packed around me, then I can just sit there and tank thousands of mechanical damage while slowly hammering them down.
If it is stupid but it works...
notes on the 1.1.2 update:
The build was played entirely in the previous version. After quick testing, the CP nerf is not that bad. If Kzozel Yantar is easily available (i.e. can be bought in large quantities), then a stronger version of the build is possible.