In-depth Oak build
Demigod Forums
Hey there. This is an Oak build I've been using with moderate-good success for about 3 months now. Since I've adopted it, I've never played a game where I felt like I lost because of the build; rather I've lost plenty of games due to poor teammates, poor teamwork, cockiness on my part, or simply being out-played by better players. Before you look it up, I've played 120 games, and won 45% of them. (I've played about 90% of those games with Oak.) However, through the first 60, before I adopted this build, I'd won about 25% of them.
Anyway, I wanted to give some of the rationale behind the build. First of all, pretty much ALL of Oak's abilities are really good; just like UB and LE, but alas, there isn't room to take them all. I've read many posts that devolve into a bickering match over which skills are better, and why the poster is stupid for not including them. Through my first 60 games I did try to squeeze all of Oak's uber abilities into one character, and got my arse handed to me because of it. I was consistently getting wrecked by Reg, UB and LE. Why? Oak starts out with the 2nd most DPS, 2nd highest HP, and 2nd highest Armor, plus he is a general. He has an interrupt, a shield, AE, healing and minions. Why isn't he the most powerful DG? Because Demigod isn't really about being well-rounded, it is about doing lots of damage as fast as possible, before your opponent has time to react. So that's what this build tries to do. And it does that by focusing on two abilities: Spirits and Penitence.
Anyway, here is the build and I'll explain it afterwards:
To Start:
Favor Item: Blood of the Fallen (Swift Anklet does work pretty well too, but BoF is just better.)
First Purchase: Monks, Totem of Revelation (Why not? You can't buy a pot or scroll and the vision really does help.)
Skills:
Level 1: Spirit Ward I
Level 2: Divine Justice I
Level 3: Soul Power I
Level 4: Penitence I
Level 5: Penitence II
Level 6: Spirit Ward II
Level 7: Penitence III
Level 8: Spirit Ward III
Level 9: Save
Level 10: Penitence IV, Spirit Ward IV
Levels 10-14: 2 Surge of Faith, 2 Divine Justice
Level 15: Soul Frenzy
Level 16-20: Rally, Surge of Faith III, 2 Soul Power, Last Stand
While I adapt skills from levels 11-20, based on the game, levels 1-10 are always the same (sometimes I flip 2-3.) So, obviously, no Shield. As I said, it's a great skill, but there is just no room for it. The most important thing with this build (with any DG, really) is being able to do a ton of damage before your opponent realizes how fast they are dying.
Take Spirit Ward at 1 because you don't have the mana to repeat cast Penitence or Shield anyway. 2-3 take your essential passive skills, but at this point it isn't worth it to put more than 1 point in either one. If you're hurt, take Divine Justice first; if there is an enemy DG that you think you can drop, take Soul Power. After this your priority is always Penitence then Spirit Ward until they are both maxed at 10. After 10, if catas are out, take Surge of Faith first; if you find you can drop enemy DGs but are getting hurt doing so, focus on Divine Justice first. Then it's really up to you. You can also go with Morale after 15, but this build is about using your minions to help you kill, not relying on them.
Your purchases should go like this:
Monks, ToR (see above)
Siege Archers
Velmish Faceguard (if you're back at shop and can't afford it, get Banded Armor and Scaled Helm instead to stay competitive, you will sell them soon)
Hauberk of Life
Bishops, Siege Demolishers (whatever the level IV archers are called)
Second Mana helm, Theurgist's Cap or Plenor Battlecrown
After that, it's up to you. Obviously, Unbreakable Boots are awesome, and Gloves of Fell-Darkur are good with this build. Narmoth's Ring is also great if you can afford it, and your team can spare the gold for team upgrades at that point.
The basic strategy is this. Find a key flag in a creep lane (Health if it's on the map, like Cataract) and camp it. Creeps are everything to you, they replenish your spirits, they heal you and your minions; don't spend too much time chasing down flags. As Alex Baldwin says in GlenGarry GlenRoss: ABDW- Always Be Dropping Wards. Especially if you are leaving your lane. You are at the most vulnerable when you have no spirits, so even if you won't be engaging for a minute, make sure your army is full. If you do die, your first priority is to get a Ward down. After that there are three rules: Penitence, Penitence, Penitence. Seriously, if Penitence isn't the single best ability in the game, it's in the top 3 with Bite and Spit. It is relatively cheap, has a near instant cast time, quick cool-down, interrupts, does hefty damage, slows and, most importantly, increases the damage your opponent takes from everything. It's absurd how good it is. It is your bread and butter. Hit them with it as soon as they get in range, hit them with it as soon as it cools down, hit them again as they flee to finish them. With a little practice, you will get numerous kills this way: Enagage an enemy Tank DG, UB, LE, etc. Penitence them to start, try to get them below 2/3 health, and hopefully use some mana and potions. Then, when they have worn you down a bit, to say 1/2 health, turn and flee. Most dumb players will follow you, thinking if you are running you must be out of mana or potions or are just scared. Right about the same time your Penitence cools down again, your priests should be just about to heal you. Target them while you are still runnning; Oak will turn and cast before they realize it is a trap, and then attack. All of your fleeing minions will converge, you'll start taking chunks out of them with your axe, and right about then your priests will heal, you'll be close to full, and they'll be below half on the wrong side of the map getting pounded by all your minions and they will decide it's time to run. Except of course, your spirits are the fastest units in the game, they are slowed from Penitence and just as they might be getting back out of range, your Penitence cools down again and they die.
Anyway, if you've made it this far, it's because you like the in-depth strategy that goes with this game, and I hope you found something in here that wil make you a better Oak player. He really should be more successful than he is, so go kill some Unclean Beasts!
