Shadow/Slayer or Slayer/Shadow Hybrid

[Dainoji]

Any pit masters building a hybrid yet? If so, how's it going? I'm planning to take my current slayer all the way to the bottom of their tree but I can see some potentially wicked hybrid builds.

[Prinny]

Fenrich has some shadow skills, Beryll is going all the way to the bottom. Wont know the real difference till Beryll gets maxed out though and ofcourse wether I will want to switch up some skills on Fenrich :)

[Ogornomus]

I'm building a hybrid too. He's got Keen eye, Weapon Finess and Sixth Sense from Shadow skills. I wonder If I should get Blazing speed from shadow or Eviscarate from Slayer as the final skill. I don't know how good those skills are. Initiative is always good but more damage is good as well (though slayer is overloaded with actives).

He is doing realy good now. Best gladiator I ever had. The fighting style strike is very good.
And with Weapon finess and Sixth sense he hits reliably and hard. The lack of attack power boosting passives in the slayer skill tree is a bit toublesome. So that's why I went hybrid. Shadow has some nice passives.
Looking forward for the final specialisation so more options become available.

Meanwhile I'm looking to find a suitable slave to craft a Juggernaut out of.

[weaw]

I'm not sure i like to get a Slayer. Just because Slayer have no option to be defensive (I don't think the Juggernaut skill is a way to good defense, it's more likely some "cosmetic" skill).
I think, something about 75% of all the gladiators (or more) are looking for initiative, speed, attacks number and so on.
And it's not so interesting to build another one of that kind.

On the other hand, Slayer tree looks like a good construction kit to build offense exactly what You want.
And, it seems, an access to the Shadow tree is a good support to construct a good Slayer.

Because:

To use all offensive activates of Slayer Tree, we need to use a fast weapon. And even while we have a fast weapon, we almost can't control the skills, which will be used in the particular fight.
For a heavy (slow) weapon it's much worse.

So, if i could build a Slayer it will be a man with a heavy two-handed weapon (Or, may be, something like Falchion). He will have only two or three of salyer's activates. And two or three skills will be shadow's skills.

// And yes, it seems, there's no sense to pick Blazing Speed, having a heavy weapon and First Strike skill. One of these skills partially covers another even for a fast weapon...