hello guys, i just registered on the forum. Looks like the boss caught me talking
well... i wrote those things because actually i deeply tested the melee variants (pure tank, light tank, assassin) and i see:
- pure tanks doing really good versus epic mobs even if takes a while to take em down. barricade is imo the best pure tank active RA around even if sometimes is not really effective (it's only melee abs and for instance, diablo casts a pbaoe). also the armsman have the best growth rate anytime (polearm style) among pure melee and can also dual wield with a 1h polearm (kings pointer) and a 1h slash/thrust/crush offhand.
- the savage at high ranks and high levels quads a lot. with procs "could" be the best candidate in terms of DPS. the savage have no really useful active RAs, have no custom skills, savagery stops at 49. yes shock and awe + zeal helps clearing big spawns but there are better toons for that.
- Shadowblade, Nightshade, infiltrator. i tried em all with 8.0 weapons and the standard capped gear i switch on my chars. well they are all capable of insane DPS. i tried both critical strike builds and dual wielder builds.. then i sticked with the shadowblade (highest hitpoints table among stealthers, weaponskill on par with nightshade) with 80 left axe 80 axe. i recall 2hitting inquisitors in nightmare at level 65, legion was a 10 seconds kill, diablo2 a 15-20 seconds kill (more or less..)
still i havent finished it to level 80 realm but i "suppose" that would kill diablo3 fast but still somehow able to survive spamming abhorrent heals. just need a sufficent health pool (troll or dwarf, aug con 5, toughness 5, AOM5, buffs).
now for now among melee toons, the fastest low bosses/minions killer is the shadowblade specced left axe with the valewalker being just behind in terms of DPS by spamming blizzard blade (198 pbaoe anytime).
about the valewalker, it gets good abs buffs, good hitpoints table, good weaponskill and those really nice anytime pbaoe and dd procs... that's my second favorite melee dps so far, just second because some bosses are immune to the vale style procs (talic for instance).