NM4 April 2016 Gear Guide for Primary Building Characters

Hello! I'm writing this guide because I have yet to see anything on Steam that has the current gear and class choices for end game play. This guide only has a select few builds that have been proven to work, and work well. It doesnt mean that they are the only viable specializations. I feel i've been fairly accurate in listing all of the items and their respective passives, but if im wrong please comment and I will gladly change the information.

I hope this guide helps you gear up and prepare for the horror that is NM4. As a side note, when first breaking into NM4 it is practically required that you run with atleast 3 DPS heroes to complete a map.

Added Apprentice Flamethrower Tower Build

New Players: Prioritize Defense Power/Defense Speed in your Stat Allocation, it should give you the most benefit when building.

Added Apprentice DPS

Stat Allocation:
200/200 Defense Health
Rest of points have no effect on walls

Spheres:
I believe these small spheres are standard

(S) Defense Health Sphere III, and V; Hero Health III

Medium Spheres have some wiggle room, and can be switched depending on if you are actively playing the character in a match or just using it to build. The inactive catagory really has no viable game changing sphere.

Active - (M) Shield Strength I, Cooldown Sphere I or Provoke Duration Sphere II
Inactive - (M) Defense Critical Chance Sphere in place of either aforementioned spheres

(L) Vengeance Sphere I (Inactive), Fight Me Not Sphere I (Active)

(U) Shielding Guard

Weapon - Defense Health | BiS Passives - Automation

Shield - Hero Health / Physical Resistance | Passive - Hearty Blockade 25%

Armor - Defense Health | Passive - Hearty Blockade 25%

Boots - Defense Health | Passive - Hearty Blockade 25%

Gloves - Defense Health | Passive - Hearty Blockade 25%

Helm - Defense Health | Passive - Hearty Blockade 25%, Automation

Trinket - Defense Health | Passive - Hearty Blockade 25%, Automation

Stat Allocation :
30/200 Tower Health
Max Defense Power
Max Defense Speed
Max Tower Range

Spheres:

(S) Defense Power V, Defense Speed V, Defense Critical Chance II

(M) Defense Critical Chance, Huntress Defense Range Sphere II

(L) Fire for Effect I

Elemental Chaos Uber

Gear:
You will want atleast 2 pieces with Defense Health instead of Defense Critical Damage to increase longevity of your traps. Repairing them every wave can cost you upgrades.

Weapon : Defense Power | BiS Passive Tripwire 3%, Def Crit 5%

Helm : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Tripwire 3%, Def Crit 5%, Volatile Schematics

Chest : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Tripwire 3%, Def Crit 5%, Volatile Schematics

Boots : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Tripwire 3%, Def Crit 5%, Volatile Schematics

Gloves : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Tripwire 3%, Def Crit 5%, Volatile Schematics

Trinket : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Tripwire 3%, Def Crit 5%, Volatile Schematics

Stat Allocation:

Max Defense Power
Max Defense Range
Remainder in Defense Health

Spheres:

(S) Defense Power V, Defense Speed V, Frost Tower Range II

(M) 2x Frost Tower Range I

(L) Freeze Sphere I

(U) Shielding Guard

Gear:

Weapon : Chilling Touch - Defense Power | Frost Fire Passive Max 100, Snowstorm 20%
Note: Having Defense Power on this weapon is not important(although it is ideal). The Frostfire passive is what really matters

Helm : Defense Power | Frosty Power 10%, Vector Corrector

Armor : Defense Power | Frosty Power 10%, Vector Corrector

Boots : Defense Power | Frosty Power 10%, Vector Corrector

Gloves : Defense Power | Frosty Power 10%, Vector Corrector

Trinket : Defense Power | Frosty Power 10%, Snowstorm 20%

Flamethrower Tower
I'm adding in this build because it is definitely viable for NM4 and i've seen it work. This tower is very strong, it is only weaker then traps because your towers can die and it requires excellent tower placement and perhaps a little luck to be successful.

Stat Allocation:

30/200 Defense Health
Max Defense Power
Max Defense Speed
Max Defense Range

Spheres

(S) Defense Power V, Defense Speed V, Defense Critical Chance Sphere or Flamethrower Range Sphere

(M) Defense Critical Chance Sphere, Apprentice Tower Range Sphere II

(L) Freeze Sphere I, or Flameburst Sphere (depending on wether or not you're using this Apprentice to build Frostbite towers as well)

(U) Flamethrower Uber

Gear

Weapon : Defense Power | Pyro 3%, Defense Crit 5%

Helm : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Pyro 3%, Vector Corrector, Defense Crit 5%

Armor : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Pyro 3%, Vector Corrector, Defense Crit 5%

Boots : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Pyro 3%, Vector Corrector, Defense Crit 5%

Gloves : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Pyro 3%, Vector Corrector, Defense Crit 5%

Trinket : Defense Power / Defense Critical Damage | Pyro 3%, Vector Corrector, Defense Crit 5%

Stats:

Defense Power MAX
Defense Range MAX
Defense Attack Speed MAX
Defense Crit Chance - Remainder

Spheres:
Defense Power (S)
Defense Crit Chance (S)
Defense Speed (S)

Defense Range x2 (M)

Lightning (L)

Gear:

Weapon: Defense Power | Defense Critical Chance 5%, Amped Up 3%

Helm: Defense Power / Defense Critical Hit Damage | Defense Critical Hit Chance 5%, Amped Up 3%, Radiance 3%

Chest: Defense Power / Defense Critical Hit Damage | Defense Critical Hit Chance 5%, Amped Up 3%, Radiance 3%

Boots: Defense Power / Defense Critical Hit Damage | Defense Critical Hit Chance 5%, Amped Up 3%, Radiance 3%

Gloves: Defense Power / Defense Critical Hit Damage | Defense Critical Hit Chance 5%, Amped Up 3%, Radiance 3%

Trinket: Defense Power / Defense Critical Hit Damage | Defense Critical Hit Chance 5%, Amped Up 3%, Radiance 3%

This build is not required to complete NM4, but helps tremendously if your walls are lacking by providing additional slow to waves and damage reduction to your walls. One serenity can cover every lane in Gates of Dragonfall with a maxed Karma Vortex/Radiance

Stat Allocation:
30/200 Tower Health
Max Defense Power
Max Defense Speed
Max Defense Range

Spheres:

Boost Centered

(S) Defense Power V, Defense Crit Chance II, Boost Aura Range I

(M) 2x Monk Defense Range II

(L) Boost Blockade Health Sphere

(U) None Available

Serenity Centered

(S) Defense Power V, Defense Crit Chance II, Serenity Aura Range I

(M) 2x Monk Defense Range II

(L) Serenity Range (without DPS chars), Serenity Damage

(U) None Available

Gear:

Weapon : Defense Power | Purge Evil Passive, Def Crit 5%

Helm : Defense Power, Defense Critical Damage | Radiance, Karma Vortex, Defense Crit 5%

Chest : Defense Power, Defense Critical Damage | Radiance, Karma Vortex, Defense Crit 5%

Boots : Defense Power, Defense Critical Damage | Radiance, Karma Vortex, Defense Crit 5%

Gloves : Defense Power, Defense Critical Damage | Radiance, Karma Vortex, Defense Crit 5%

Trinket : Defense Power, Defense Critical Damage | Idle Hands, Empower 21%
Note: You want lower % on Idle Hands, 80% Max

Stat Allocation:

Hero Damage 200/200
Hero Critical Damage 180/200

Spheres:

(S) 2x Hero Critical Chance I, Hero Critical Chance II

(M) Hero Critical Chance I, Mana Regeneration II (Replace with Cooldown Reduction if you get enough Mana Regen on gear)

(L) Charged Shot Sphere

(U) Stickynades (Optional: I prefer the stun now-a-days)

Gear:

Weapon: Hero Damage/Ability Power 4/s Burst Shot | Flameaggedon, Viscous Brew, Hero Critical Chance 5%

Helm: Hero Damage/Ability Power | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Superconductor, Concussive Shots

Chest: Hero Damage/Ability Power | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Concussive Shots

Boots: Hero Damage/Ability Power | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Concussive Shots

Gloves: Hero Damage/Ability Power | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Concussive Shots, Service Call (Prioritize this over anything else, this stat is ridiculously strong in NM4)

Ring: Ability Power/Hero Damage | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Flameaggedon, Superconductor

Stat Allocation:

15 Hero Health
15 Hero Damage
Max Ability Power
150 Hero Crit

Spheres:

(S) 2x Hero Critical Chance I, Hero Critical Chance II

(M) Marked Targets Sphere or Cooldown Reduction, Mana Regeneration II (Replace with Cooldown Sphere if you get enough Mana Regen on gear)

(L) Oily Weapon, or Freeze Weapon

(U) Cyclone Uber (I switch back and forth from the uber to nothing depending on if my lane is grounded or not) If the lane physical resist lane is grounded, you want to use the uber.

Gear:

Weapon: Hero Damage/Ability Power 4/s Burst Shot | Mana Bomb, Tornado Uptime, Hero Critical Chance 5%

Helm: Hero Damage/Ability Power | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Superconductor, Mana Regen

Chest: Hero Damage/Ability Power | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Arcane Shots

Boots: Hero Damage/Ability Power | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Arcane Shots

Gloves: Hero Damage/Ability Power | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Arcane Shots, Service Call (Prioritize this over anything else, this stat is ridiculously strong in NM4)

Ring: Ability Power/Hero Damage | Hero Critical Chance 5%, Tornado Uptime, Superconductor, Mana Regen

Stat Points:

200/200 Def Power
Max Def Speed
Max Def Range

Spheres:

Stay at Bay (required)

Gear:

Weapon : Defense Power | Explosive Arrows 400%, Def Crit Chance 5%

Helm: Defense Power / Defense Critical Hit Dmg | Archer Damage 10%, Def Crit Chance 5%

Chest: Defense Power / Defense Critical Hit Dmg | Archer Damage 10%, Def Crit Chance 5%

Boots: Defense Power / Defense Critical Hit Dmg | Archer Damage 10%, Def Crit Chance 5%

Gloves: Defense Power / Defense Critical Hit Dmg | Archer Damage 10%, Def Crit Chance 5%

Trinket: Defense Power / Defense Health | Archer Damage 10%, Def Crit Chance 5%, Explosive Arrows 400%