Gold / Amazon / Assassin

joe05 · Post by **joe05** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:53 pm

Guys - sorry, but I'm back with more questions

.... I will try and be clear this time around and not run the post into one long confusing paragraph

1) GOLD(unique) items - I added two Gold weapons for my Might Merc; one a Trident the other a Spetum ... both have different modifiers = so I'm confused ... I did keep both and my inventory is full ... Trident: req lvl=12 / fast attack speed / +20% to attack speed / -60% to target defense / slows target by 25% / some other modifiers at the end / phy dam for my Merc is 75-150 ... Spetum: req lv=22 / very fast attack speed / +40% to attack speed / 1-80 Lightning damage / some more modifiers at the end / phy dam for my Merc is 110-220
So, when deciding amonst Gold or Yellow items, is there a general rule to follow ?
Does the req lvl give a good indication of which is beter for Nightmare/Hell ?
Do certain modifiers have more importance ?

2) Amazon - I read the builds and the sticky ... seems the "bow" is the way to go ? ... however, with my limited manual dexterity, I may have problems with this build ....if I have to hold the key to "stand and fight" + mouse click to bow, then I'm unable to use this build ... just mousing; well, it will be iffy ? ... is there a reliable melee build for the Amazon or should I give the Strafezon a try and if it's a no go, just forget this character

3) Assassin - read the builds and am a bit concerned ... one build/post mentioned "quickly toggling" between Tiger and Cobra strike to leech life/ mana ? ... quickly toggling + mousing will get me killed often :-( .... did I read the sticky build correctly = does this build require "in fight" toggling ? ... I may give it a shot and see ... so, my question really turns to the TRAPSIN build(... someone mentioned it was easy and effective) ... I didn't see any info on this build .. does someone have a general outline on this build ... I may need to try it in case the Tiger/Cobra strike build is too difficult for me

4) Guess while I'm here = I read the Barbarian post below and it sems in PvM, dual wielding is preffered ? ... I went with Mace/Shield(...Mace Mastery / Concentrate / Berserk) ... I seemed to wuss my way thru the game at times

... I'm thinking of redoing it with dual-wielding ... is this build far superior... will it give me a better chance in Nightmare/Hell

Sorry to throw a whole bunch at you guys, but after all the hours I put in, I don't want to keep redoing characters ... plus the stickys are confusing with all the abbreviations etc

It seems Normal mode is just training for Nightmare/Hell = according to my reading of posts ... seems the "game changes" after Normal mode and one must have the correct build to advance ... whereas in Normal mode, it seems you have latitude is you mess up a bit

So, if you can help me out with question 1-4, I'd greatly appreciate it !!!
May re-do the Barbarian = damn, I was looking forward to doing the Assassin.
All these question are for Lord of Destruction / v 1.10

As always guys = thanks for your time(...Havoc / Moltovir/ Dottie / LonleyPilgrim / Noober ... hope I didn't forget someone)
I didn't think I'd be back so soon to pester you guys, but the more I read, the more confused I get + I have very little wiggle room when it comes to being proficient(... due to my disability) ... so I need to get things right; make them simple + be smart when playing

Dottie · Post by **Dottie** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 2:41 pm

joe05 wrote: So, when deciding amonst Gold or Yellow items, is there a general rule to follow ?
Does the req lvl give a good indication of which is beter for Nightmare/Hell ?
Do certain modifiers have more importance ?

There is no general rule to follow regarding color of weapon. Sometimes gold weapons are better and sometimes yellow or blue or runewords.

The level requirements are not a good indicator unfortunatly. Gold weapons generarly have lower than yellow ones, but it doesn't say much about how good a weapon is for your particular character.

Yes, modifiers vary a great deal in importance. Unfortunatly different mods are good for diffirent builds, there are no general rules to follow here either. Most builds benefit much from added physical damage on weapon, but not all builds.

2) Amazon - I read the builds and the sticky ... seems the "bow" is the way to go ? ... however, with my limited manual dexterity, I may have problems with this build ....if I have to hold the key to "stand and fight" + mouse click to bow, then I'm unable to use this build ... just mousing; well, it will be iffy ? ... is there a reliable melee build for the Amazon or should I give the Strafezon a try and if it's a no go, just forget this character

I cant help you with amazon builds unfortunatly, but have you tried changing your right button skill to "attack" or the skill you want to use to attack? That way you can use only your mouse button to stand still and fire.

May I ask how many mouse buttons you have/can use? can you use a mouse wheel? If so it might be good to try to make a configuration wich allows you to use more skills. Perhaps you can utilize the fact that skill configuration is specific for your weapon selection. If you have one button to switch weapons and set up the configuration for both weapons prior to battle it will be possible to choose between for different skills with only one mouse button.

3) Assassin - read the builds and am a bit concerned ... one build/post mentioned "quickly toggling" between Tiger and Cobra strike to leech life/ mana ? ... quickly toggling + mousing will get me killed often :-( .... did I read the sticky build correctly = does this build require "in fight" toggling ? ... I may give it a shot and see ... so, my question really turns to the TRAPSIN build(... someone mentioned it was easy and effective) ... I didn't see any info on this build .. does someone have a general outline on this build ... I may need to try it in case the Tiger/Cobra strike build is too difficult for me

Yes, that will require "in fight" toggling, so will likely be difficult.

Here is a trapsin build for you. It still uses two main skills, but you only need to toggle for immune monsters so it should be much easier.
http://www.diabloii.net/strategy/x-arti ... ndit.shtml

4) Guess while I'm here = I read the Barbarian post below and it sems in PvM, dual wielding is preffered ? ... I went with Mace/Shield(...Mace Mastery / Concentrate / Berserk) ... I seemed to wuss my way thru the game at times ... I'm thinking of redoing it with dual-wielding ... is this build far superior... will it give me a better chance in Nightmare/Hell

I don't think the build will be far superior. I don't play barbarian much, so you should try to get a second opinion though.

Sorry to throw a whole bunch at you guys, but after all the hours I put in, I don't want to keep redoing characters ... plus the stickys are confusing with all the abbreviations etc
It seems Normal mode is just training for Nightmare/Hell = according to my reading of posts ... seems the "game changes" after Normal mode and one must have the correct build to advance ... whereas in Normal mode, it seems you have latitude is you mess up a bit

I think your doing the right thing. When I started to play D2 I had my own ideas of how I wanted my characters and refused to listen to anyone who told me it wouldn't work past normal difficulty. I paid for it by having to replay boring parts several times.

Noober · Post by **Noober** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 3:36 pm

1) There is no general rule. Most high end items tend to be magical as their modifiers, though fewer in number, can have greater values (e.g. +3 to a skill for magical vs. +2 for rare). Godly rares, however, are possibly the best in the game, though the rarest of any items by far. Certain modifiers of course take precedence depending on what type of character you are (e.g. life steal isn't exactly good for a sorceress).

2) The most reliable melee build is the Charged Strikezon. Very powerful for both PvM and PvP. The strafezon only requires a mouse click (it even targets for you!).

3) Yes, it requires 'in fight' toggling. The basic Trapsin's skills are as follows (fire traps are very bad, except for stunlocking):

Lightning Sentry: 20
Death Sentry: 20
Charged Bolt Sentry: 20
Shock Web: 20
Fire Blast: 1
Weapon Block: 10+
Burst of Speed: 1
Shadow Master: 1
Mind Blast: 1
Pre. reqs.: 1

You may need to switch to Mind Blast to stun and convert, however if you run around enough, and lay traps so they hit enemies off screen it is possible to avoid using Mind Blast. You might also be interested in a program to allows for all skills to be put on left click, though I don't think it works in v1.11.

I wouldn't recommend the trapsin guide that Dottie linked to as it suggests 20 Wake of Inferno and unmaxed Death Sentry (practically any good player will recommend against this; don't forget about synergies)!!!! You deal with immunes by using your Merc, running past, Death Sentry's corpse explosion or Mind Blasting very slowly to death (Shadow Master can also help). Wake of Inferno is so weak that it would probably be as slow (I have no idea where they got 10K-12K from, it's actually 250-291 once maxed + prereqs and w/o synergies). It also makes no reference to Weapon block which you will find very useful as dual-claw = more skills.

4) You probably shouldn't bother with a shield as in PvM physical attacks are, generally, the least of your threats (e.g. what's worse, Diablos attack or his lightning hose?). You would do much better by diverting all your dexterity to vitality of much more HP (after warcrys). Dual wielding also gives more damage (or course), and if you have a good item with an aura (e.g. Beast runeword, though that is rather expensive), you can double your effectiveness. Having two weapons also increases your options regarding modifiers.

joe05 · Post by **joe05** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:03 pm

Dottie & Noober = thanks for your help ... I will try all the builds and hope the in fight toggling isn't that tough ... with a one mouse click Starafezon; then it looks like we're in business + auto targeting ??? = died and gone to heaven(... save me alot of angst) ... if I have doubts, I'll ask for a Charged Strikezon build ... guess I save all my Gold/Yellow goodies

... I will replay the Barbarian with double swing and see how it goes(...might have to add other skills - not sure of the synergies used with douyble swing) + I now know what to keep and what to look for etc(... you can bet I'll keep magic finding amulets/rings etc !!!) ... yep, have to spend another month on the Barbarian, but I want to get it right ... Dottie: two mouse buttins + mouse wheel ... copied all your info and will do my due dilligence

... hopefully you guys won't here fom me next week(LOL)

You guys really do help alot = probably more than you know
I only go to other boards if gamebanshee doesn't cover the game I'm playing.
Seems everyone here will help to the utmost and answer even the stupid/basic questions.
I may need help decyphering the sticky build info when I get to the higher difficulties = alot of language I doin't understand + abbreveations that had me looking to see what was being reffered to

Maybe one day I'll know enough to help someone = if I keep replaying characters, it might be sooner rather than later

moltovir · Post by **moltovir** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:45 am

Here is a list of the most commonly used D2 abbreviations.

joe05 · Post by **joe05** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 11:58 am

Moltovir - Thanks for the link.

I should start my double swing Barbarian tonight

3 quick, short easy questions:
1) I'm guessing only 1pt in "double swing" ?
2) Any preference on the Merc .... I used the Merc from Act 1 the first time around ... may use her again or try the Iron Wolf(... little guy looks cool) ... did not see a Merc preference in the sticky
3) Have any of you guys noticed if the Axe, Mace or Sword has better odds of being found as Yellow/Gold ? ... is it all just random luck OR should I favor one over the other

I'm going Yellow or Gold = as Dottie said way back in my very first post

I've learned my lesson the hard way ... and will save all I find just in case I find one is better than another !

moltovir · Post by **moltovir** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 1:26 pm

You should use Frenzy instead of Double Swing, basically it's DS but with a higher damage bonus. Here is a link to a great Frenzybarb guide

joe05 · Post by **joe05** » Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:54 pm

Molotovir - thanks for the help ... I'll give it a try ... a bit different from my usyal style + many skills I never tried = I think I may be re-doing this Barbarian until I get it right

... but it looks fun to play