Talents
As Helena, different talent points will have differing values depending on what point of progression you're at in the game. Generally speaking you'll focus on defensive talents whilst you unlock everything.
The Talent builds below outline the best general defensive set-up you can have at every stage, as well as the best end-game options based on Legendaries, once acquired. Typically for most players acquiring your Legendary will happen once you have roughly 12 Talent points available. With this in mind, the build progression for all builds tends to remain the same until that point. If you happen to acquire a Legendary sooner with less points available, make sure you swap build earlier, using the information below to be as informed as possible.
The nodes I'd consider mandatory would be: Gleaming Shield, High Command, Front Line Defender and Greater Shockwave. Everything else can be interchangeable depending on what you want so feel free to play around with your talents, try things out, and see what you enjoy!
General
This general build is designed entirely around the idea that you do not have a Legendary and you're progressing through Leagues in the beginning of the game.
Talent Points:
2
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
3
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
4
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
5
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
6
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
7
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
8
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
9
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
10
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
11
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
12
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
13
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
14
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Early on we supplement some of our weakness and lack of sustain with talents like Sword & Board and Lingering Rush, before transitioning into nodes such as Gleaming Shield for more damage reduction and damage. Later on we pick up Martial Command simply because in the cases where it shines, it's impact is extremely noticeable, and even in the dungeons where it's not at its best, it's still a solid pick.
Towards the end we have a lot of points to spare so we drift into Aftershock for some additional damage, as well as Master Of War for just generic CDR on Grand Melee to help pugging.
Shield Throw Legendary build
This is what I'd consider the one of the best end-game Shield Throw builds possible, fully supplemented by the Legendary Masochistic Razor Loop.
Talent Points:
2
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
3
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
4
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
5
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
6
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
7
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
8
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
9
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
10
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
11
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
12
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
13
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
14
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
There's a lot of discussion behind the top row talents being good in combination with this Legendary, however they are fairly weak outside of Sword & Board, which doesn't interact with Shield Throw.
The Best Defense is okay, equating to roughly 30% more Shield Throw casts. Shield Mastery requires significant damage intake to provide enough value to be worth taking hence why it's not taken at all. It's highly possible Shield Mastery starts being worthwhile the further we get into Eternal, however, until that point it's just a waste of 2 talent points.
Lastly, Sword & Board recently had it's PPM changed to a flat 50% chance on Power Strike, making it scale incredibly strong early. However, we don't talent Sword & Board simply because there are better options available, and the lack of a filler once we start to scale towards the end-game makes this talent worse, but it is still a very good choice regardless of Legendary and build, even in the end-game despite it not interacting with Shield Throw at all.
If you prefer you can opt out of Martial Command for a combination other talents, for more flexibility and versatility. Being able to talent Master Of War depending on the dungeon and your pulls can be pretty nice to have. Aftershock provides a solid amount of damage even without the appropriate Legendary for it, and Punishing Strikes is an okay option but falls off a bit late game because of the lack of many filler abilities.
HTL Legendary Build
Talent Points:
2
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
3
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
4
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
5
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
6
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
7
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
8
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
9
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
10
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
11
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
12
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
13
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
14
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
This build has incredible value in combination with the Linked Heavy Metal Cloak legendary. The legendary enables you to output the highest amount of Shockwaves possible whilst also having a very high amount of Shield Throws for the maximum Toughness generation possible. As a result we opt into talents like Aftershock for the insane synergy and large amounts of damage output this legendary enables.
Shockwave Legendary Build
Talent Points:
2
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
3
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
4
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
5
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
6
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
7
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
8
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
9
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
10
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
11
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
12
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
13
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
Talent Points:
14
/
14
2
2
2
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
3
3
3
1
1
1
This build heavily focuses on buffing Shockwave as much as possible to pair nicely with the additional uses we will be getting from our Bindings Of The Blackened Vanguard Legendary. This build also opts into Martial Command over Second Wind but they are interchangeable depending on the dungeon. Martial Command is very powerful on bosses that do large amounts of group damage so I typically recommend it for everyone pugging. It's also a large amount of ultimate generation.