This is the current build I'm going with to get a Fighter life out of the way. It is intended to be a highly defensive ranged option for Heroic leveling.
Gnome Repeater Kensei
18/2 Fighter/Artificer True Neutral Gnome Level Order 1. Artificer 6. Fighter 11. Fighter 16. Fighter 2. Artificer 7. Fighter 12. Fighter 17. Fighter 3. Fighter 8. Fighter 13. Fighter 18. Fighter 4. Fighter 9. Fighter 14. Fighter 19. Fighter 5. Fighter 10. Fighter 15. Fighter 20. Fighter Stats 36pt Tome Level Up ---- ---- -------- Strength 6 +3 4: INT Dexterity 16 +5 8: INT Constitution 16 +4 12: INT Intelligence 20 +4 16: INT Wisdom 8 +3 20: INT Charisma 8 +3 Skills A A F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F F 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 ------------------------------------------------------------ Disable 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 23 Search 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 23 Spot 4 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 1½ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 23 UMD 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 23 Open Lo 4 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 1 1 1 1½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 18 Concent 3 2 5 Haggle 4 1 5 Spellcr 3 1 4 Balance 2 2 Tumble 1 1 ------------------------------------------------------------ 36 9 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 Feats 1 : Point Blank Shot 3 : Completionist 3 Fighter: Rapid Shot 4 Fighter: Weapon Focus: Ranged 6 : Weapon Specialization: Ranged 6 Fighter: Precision 8 Fighter: Precise Shot 9 : Improved Critical: Ranged 10 Fighter: Greater Weapon Focus: Ranged 12 : Improved Precise Shot 12 Fighter: Heavy Armor Master 14 Fighter: Greater Weapon Specialization: Ranged 15 : Weapon Focus: Thrown OR Heavy Armor Combatant 16 Fighter: Heavy Armor Champion 18 : Superior Weapon Focus: Ranged 18 Fighter: Weapon Specialization: Thrown OR Heavy Armor Training 20 Fighter: Greater Weapon Specialization: Thrown Enhancements (80 AP) Kensei (35 AP) • Kensei Focus: Crossbows, Spiritual Bond, Strike with No Thought, Power Surge 1. Extra Action Boost I, Weapon Group Specialization, Exotic Weapon Mastery, Haste Boost III 2. Weapon Group Specialization, Ascetic Training: Conditioning III 3. Critical Mastery III, Weapon Group Specialization, Shattering Shot III 4. Weapon Group Specialization, Liquid Courage, Strike at the Heart 5. Weapon Master, One with the Blade, Deadly Shot, Keen Edge Stalwart Defender (24 AP) • Toughness, Stalwart Defense 1. Durable Defense III, Stalwart Defensive Mastery III 2. Resilient Defense III, Armor Expertise III, Instinctive Defense III 3. Tenacious Defense III 4. Swift Defense, Hardy Defense III Harper Agent (12 AP) • Agent of Good I, Intelligence 1. Harper Enchantment, Strategic Combat 2. Know the Angles III 3. Strategic Combat Gnome (9 AP) • Gnomish Perserverance, Intelligence, Gnomish Perserverance II, Intelligence II, Retain Scroll Essence 1. Wand and Scroll Mastery I 2. Permanent Blur
You start with Artificer to get your bow proficiencies early, so you can backload more defenses with the Heavy Armor feats or more Ranged Power via the Thrown weapon feats. It also allows you to do traps for the 30% bonus in quests, though do beware, as you won't have Evasion and won't have much mobility in the early levels. You will need Jump potions/clickies as well as Bull's Strength up until Level 5.
Get your Harper points spent first so you can start doing real damage with the repeater, then spend in the Kensei tree. After Kensei is filled out, start spending in Stalwart Defender, because you will start to need those extra defenses by the time you hit Gianthold.
The build's defenses start to solidify by Level 10. You can solo low skulls or bring people along for high skulls.
Vorpal crossbows are absolutely vital throughout the life of the build if you're spending the majority of time in Reaper. Lootgen will work until Level 14, at which point you swap to The Fatal Flaw for the rest of Heroics. You should also have The Disciplinator (drops in VoN6) and the Hand of the Tombs (drops in Wizking or can be found on the AH or ASAH) to allow for instant kills against constructs and undead, respectively, which can't normally be Vorpaled.
The other vital piece of equipment you'll want is the Scales of Avarice from Black and Blue. Not only does it allow you to get away without slotting Vitality in your gearset, but it also has a base Max Dex Bonus of 8 - far superior to any other heavy armor you will find at sub-Epic levels, and adding to your defenses if you slot Dodge.
Other helpful gear that you can get away without if your luck sucks is the Cloak of Invisibility and/or the (Elite) Ghost-Waking Cloak (provides Ghostly, for a stacking 10% miss chance), the Level 7 and Level 14 Mysterious Bracers (for stacking healing amplification and MRR), and any Greensteel accessory with exceptional Charisma skills to help your UMD. Smoke is best, as it provides permablur and can also have exceptional Intelligence skills to allow you to get even the hardest traps.
