Hideous Blow

[Shadowy Reality]

I have been playing a Hideous Blow warlock. I am currently in the mid epics.

Generally Warlock has been super solid so far and is actually a very fun class to play with. I had absolutely no trouble leveling, even without summons it has been smooth sailing. This thread is about Hideous Blow in particular and how it compares with regular blasts.

What I have been feeling is that Hideous Blow does everything a Blaster Warlock does but in melee range, for less feats. Looks great at first glance. Spoiler alert, it isn't.
Blaster takes 5 Feats to get to 27d6 Blast damage and Greater Hideous Blow only requires 2 feats to reach 26d6 Blast damage.

However. Going Dex yields more AC, and Warlocks have terrible AC to begin with. Using chain you are looking at 48 and going cloth and Dex looking at 53. And about 4 of that AC can be breached.

Eldritch Armor is an absolute trap as it stands. To reach 24 Str, and still have 18 Charisma for Spells and Con not to die, you cannot have 13 Int for Expertise to start with. It also only increases your AC by 2 iirc.

The feats you save aren't really that useful. You might get Toughness and Armor Skin, which the Blaster route cannot get. You have 30 more HP but still less AC.

And the biggest issue of all. You have to be in melee range. This is so so so bad, everywhere.
For PvE, with many pacts having access to Haste on cooldown why would I be in melee when I could be kiting everything? Those scary dragon bosses? Not so scary if they can't reach you.
For PvP, you have to be in melee range of things that kill way faster than you. In this day Warlock AC is not enough for anything, you have d6 HD and can hardly go over 16 Con because of Stat requirements. You will lose the damage race vs Dex Divines (or just Dexers to be honest) because your touch attacks can actually miss. You will lose the damage race vs any flavour of WM because of how bursty they are. Archers will just kite you instead, mages the same.

The damage from the blast is not that impressive to begin with. 26d6 average at 91. Thats 182 per round, some of which can be negated by essences and elemental resistances/immunities. You can pretty much just chug healing potions, move a bit and you will never be in any real danger. And Hideous Blow by virtue of being melee will have more problems applying this damage once it's target decides to start moving.

Hideous Blow is also clunkier than regular melee and sometimes works weirdly, I have been sneak attacked when 1v1 a mob while using Hideous Blow, which should not happen. Sometimes it also does not work against large model creatures, such as Dragons, I just stay at range running the combat animation but no attacks.

[malcolm_mountainslayer]

did they remove the DI boost eldritch armor gave?

[Svrtr]

did they remove the DI boost eldritch armor gave?

Yes. Long ago. Was replaced with the ability to cast hideous blow inside improved expertise.

[malcolm_mountainslayer]

did they remove the DI boost eldritch armor gave?

Yes. Long ago. Was replaced with the ability to cast hideous blow inside improved expertise.

Sadface