Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfireis one of the most popular titles in the CRPG revival of the last few years. Set in the world of Eora, which will soon play host to the hotly-anticipatedAvowed,Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfireis a traditional CRPG with a swashbuckling story, rich lore, and deep character customization.
Classes inPillars of Eternity 2: Deadfireare a mix of the original and the traditional, and it doesn’t get much more traditional than the classic Rogue. InPillars of Eternity 2the Rogue is a versatile DPS with a focus on single-targets and massive spikes of damage. Whether playing single-class or multi-class, these three Rogue builds will bring power to the party whether in real-time or turn-based mode..
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The Betrayer (Beguiler/Debonaire Mindstalker)
While the Rogue pairs well with almost any other class in Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, its synergy with thesoul-powered Cipheris particularly strong. This combination, known as the Mindstalker, can use the Rogue’s high damage output to supercharge the Cipher’s Focus, allowing them to cast their Abilities much more often.
A particularly good Mindstalker combo is theDebonaire Rogue subclasswith the Beguiler Cipher, due to their shared focus on Charm and mind-affecting Abilities. The great strength of the Debonaire Rogue is a 100% Hit to Crit conversion against Charmed enemies, and although the subclass comes with an Ability that will allow them to Charm, the Beguiler Cipher is much better at it.
With Abilities like Whispers of Treason and Ringleader, boosted by the Beguiler’s unique passive, this build can consistently guarantee Crits against Charmed enemies. As a bonus, Cipher Abilities don’t use a per-rest resource, allowing this build to continue fighting at full effectiveness even after the rest of the party has burned all their class resources.
While the Betrayer can work well in melee, it’s better as a ranged-weapon Mindstalker. This will make it much easier to keep focus on a Charmed target, even as they run off to fight their formerPillars of Eternity 2companions. Here’s the basics of putting the build together:
The Executioner (Assassin/Bleak Walker Holy Slayer)
The Assassin is one of the most powerful Roguesubclasses inPillars of Eternity 2, allowing players to make a glass cannon character with a massive damage output. The Assassin is particularly good when combined with a non-caster class that’s both survivable and able to put out high damage, like the Bleak Walker Paladin.
The Bleak Walker is a subclass for theclassic Paladin classthat is all about the Flames of Devotion Ability, adding 20% damage as Burn and 12% damage as Corrode to the already powerful Full Attack. This offensive ability, combined with the Paladin’s toughness, allows the Executioner build to take full advantage of the extra damage from Stealth that the Assassin offers.
While a single-class Assassin would have to split their Guileclass resource inPillars of Eternity 2between entering stealth and using damage Abilities, the Executioner can spend it all on Stealth. Once stealthed, the build can then deal massive damage using the Flames of Devotion, which also applies an Affliction which will allow the Executioner to keep up Sneak Attack damage on subsequent attacks. Here’s the basics of putting the build together:
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The Arcane Trickster (Trickster Rogue)
One of the best subclasses for single-class Rogues inPillars of Eternity 2is the Trickster, which adds a splash ofDeadfire’s Illusion magicto the Rogue’s Abilities. Although they deal less Sneak Attack damage, a Trickster Rogue can guarantee their Sneak Attacks much more often by providing their own debuffs.
ClassicPillars of EternityIllusion spells like Arkemyr’s Dazzling Lights or Ryngrim’s Repulsive Visage will spread Afflictions over a large area, allowing the Rogue to pick off their weakened foes with powerful Sneak Attacks. While this does leave less Guile to spend on the Rogue’s basic Abilities, the benefit more often outweighs the cost.
As well as offensive spells, the Arcane Trickster also has access to a few defensive buff spells, most of which can be cast as a Free Action. Mirrored Image and Llengrath’s Displaced Image can provide long-lasting defensive buffs, allowing the normally-squishy Rogue into anevasive tank onPillars of Eternity 2’s frontline. Here’s the basics of putting the build together:
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfireis out now on PC, Xbox One and PS4.
