I've noticed that no one plays str bear and I was wondering if it's because people just don't know how. Or maybe because it's because level 20 rhino is all the rage.
To start off, the main point of this build is to debuff and root people. Letting your auto be your main source of dmg which is great since hammer is op.
The skill build I use is 62 str rest dex, 6 rage, 6 crushing blow, 6 hell scream, and 1 crippling slash. You may be looking at this and be wondering why I don't use skills like stomp, super mega slash, or even iron blood. The problem with the first two skills is that they push your enemy away which is the last thing you want since you don't have the luxury of beckon to bring people to you. Iron blood is a skill you'd expect a str bear to have since it makes you even more of a tank. It does and does it well for the first 12 seconds, which is the main drawback of iron blood, crushing blow makes you take even less dmg and it can be done continually and it can't be healed so it's and even better dmg debuff than hell scream.
For my gear I use it's pretty simple. You'll need a level 20 bear 4-pack and level 20 rhino 3-pack. The other gear you'll need is a level 15 blacksmiths armor piece and a level 10 dex armor/hit ring since I don't think str rings are worth it.
The first gear set you'll have is your sword set. It consists of one of the plat helmets (pick which one is your favorite, I go for more hp regen), the sword from your bear pack, blacksmiths armor, the shield from your bear pack, and your ring. This set is used against every class since it makes you the most tanky while still sustaining a good amount of hit %.
The second gear set is your hammer set. It's going to be the same as your sword set but with a hammer from the rhino pack. Use this set for rhinos and mages.
How to fight each class as a level 20 str bear:
Other bears will basically be a toss up. Just try to land hs first and then root them with cs and debuff them with cb. If you miss your first or second hs you're basically dead, and it doesn't make a big difference if the bear is dex or str... Or even int for that matter.
Rhinos are really fun to fight with this build. Wait for them to charge you and press cs. The trick with this is if you're moving you'll be pushed farther so don't let rhinos kite you by charge temping you. After cs use cb to debuff them. Once they're rooted and rebuffed switch to your hammer set since rhinos can sometimes tank your sword. To keep them in the same spot you'll want to stunlock them which I'll touch on later.
For mages it's the same thing as rhinos except you'll have to keep chasing them until you can get your cs in. Dex mages will be a pain since they will be able to kite a lot better than str mages. If a str mage fights you with a sword or hammer it's almost a guaranteed win unless you miss your debuffs. Some mages are extremely tanky so just keep stun locking them and it'll be fine.
Foxes are simple, just hs them to stun and debuff them. After that try to root and debuff them with cs and cb. You can switch to your hammer set if they're completely debuffed but I'd just stick with sword since they can't heal like mages and rhinos.
For birds they will try to kite you but they don't do enough damage for it to matter and you'll eventually be able to hs them and do your thing.
OK so stunlocking is a really important skill to know. It makes it so your opponent will never be able to escape once they're initially rooted. After you cs your opponent you want to keep checking the cool down of it since it will help you time your hs. Cs has a 6 second cooldown but the root lasts for 5 seconds so there's a second opening for your opponent to run. But you have another skill in your arsenal, hell scream. If you tap it right before the cooldown of cs is over they won't be able to run and you'll be able to cs them again with no problem. There are only two things that counter this and it's extremely well timed heals and if you miss a skill.
