PhineasB
Diabloii.Net Member
Most of my gaming time is focused on the 99ers, but there are some builds I still want to try. So I decided to level some new characters when I need a break from Chaos Sanctuary, but tied into a themed project. 
All three characters will clear every A85 area in Hell. The first two characters are twinked and leveling as quickly as possible to equip end game gear. The last is untwinked with some extra limitations: no extended stash, and a modified single pass approach where, in each difficulty, he can select 5 areas/targets to rerun 5 times each.
I’ll do a quick overview of the planned builds, and then a section at the end with current status of all three sets of twins that I’ll update as this moves along. I’m very interested to get feedback on gear selection for the first two, in particular.
Build. Max Fend, with maxed Lightning Strike/Charged Strike as backup, and the standard one-point wonders. She’s currently upping critical strike, with any remaining points likely going to beef up the decoy.
Gear. She used my standard twinking gear: Envy, to gemmed damage weapons + Cow set, to Ribby, then an Honor spear and the Zon runeword armor (to use it). She equipped end game gear in A5 NM: Silence, Fortitude, Guillame’s w RJoF, Highlords, Nos Coil, Sandstorm Trek, Laying of Hands, BKWB, and Ravenfrost. CtA and Lidless on switch.
Inventory is full of Sharp GCs with life plus one FHR Harpoonist’s skiller, with mostly fine SCs but a few resist and more FHR. She hits fastest fend speed, meets the 86 FHR breakpoint, and has all resists maxed in Hell except cold.
Merc. The merc, Olena, is a Cold Rogue with Faith, Fortitude, and Tal’s mask (will be Andy’s if she reaches that level).
After how much fun the Beardin was in my 7x7, I’d been thinking of an over-the-top Auradin for a while. Then my 99er Sin got an eth Nightwings and an Ice Blast Ormus – that actually was the final push to really tackle this project, because the A3 cold mage might actually do some damage
So Kaleid was born. He has completed Normal, and picked up a Lightning mage for now because I’d never used one before.
Build. He is running Conviction, and will max the resist element synergies for Dreams, Hand of Justice, and Dragon.
Gear. Hand of Justice, Dream shield, and Dragon were made for him. I used the Dream headgear during my 7x7. I haven’t really settled on the rest of the gear, but am thinking of going over-the-top elemental damage and CtC effects, so likely Highlords and BKWB/Ravenfrost for jewelry. Probably Goreriders for boots (can’t think of any elemental damage boots); gloves might be Lavagout for extra elemental damage fun, and then one of the unique belts with elemental damage.
Merc. Merc will wear 15/14/15 Ice Blast Ormus with a cold facet and the Eth Nightwings (only 9%, so I may actually give him a perfect one with facet that I have). I think he will use a Voice of Reason for the -eCR and cannot be frozen. For the shield, it seems like Spirit might be best for +skills and FCR? Maybe Lidless with a cold facet?
The final twins, Death and a Barb merc, will be a long-term project, going untwinked without extended stash. He will be allowed to rerun up to 5 targets/areas per Difficulty, but otherwise is single pass.
Build. Given the playthrough, he will be a Berserker, with Warcry to stun crowds and Howl to clear out space if he gets swarmed, and a couple points in Concentrate to allow some leeching. Insight is the great equalizer.
He’s made it through Normal without a death and with some decent drops. I had forgotten how good the Barb mercs are, or maybe it's just in the early going. I’ll post a separate update on him, likely later this week when I get the screenshots and notes organized.
Sense (Lvl 82) and Olena the Cold Rogue – Matriarch
Kaleid (Lvl 87) and Vanji the Cold Mage – Patriarch
Death (Lvl 83) and Ragnar the Barb – Patriarch
A Trio of Twins
The basic concept is to use mercs other than A2 town guards, and pair each of the remaining mercs with a “twin” – Amazon and Rogue, Paladin and A3 Mage, and a duo of Barbs. Each character has to hire a twin as soon as they become available – the Paladin and Barb can use a Rogue until they can hire the twin in Normal.All three characters will clear every A85 area in Hell. The first two characters are twinked and leveling as quickly as possible to equip end game gear. The last is untwinked with some extra limitations: no extended stash, and a modified single pass approach where, in each difficulty, he can select 5 areas/targets to rerun 5 times each.
I’ll do a quick overview of the planned builds, and then a section at the end with current status of all three sets of twins that I’ll update as this moves along. I’m very interested to get feedback on gear selection for the first two, in particular.
Meet the Twins
I had an amazon, Sense, parked in A2 Normal that was intended to be a Silence-wielding fendazon. While doing some numbers crunching, I realized the Matriarchal Spear for Silence wouldn’t be able to reach fastest attack speed on fend without wearing Treachery. But she wanted to wear Fortitude for extra damage, so I decided a Faith wielding Rogue was the way to go.Build. Max Fend, with maxed Lightning Strike/Charged Strike as backup, and the standard one-point wonders. She’s currently upping critical strike, with any remaining points likely going to beef up the decoy.
Gear. She used my standard twinking gear: Envy, to gemmed damage weapons + Cow set, to Ribby, then an Honor spear and the Zon runeword armor (to use it). She equipped end game gear in A5 NM: Silence, Fortitude, Guillame’s w RJoF, Highlords, Nos Coil, Sandstorm Trek, Laying of Hands, BKWB, and Ravenfrost. CtA and Lidless on switch.
Inventory is full of Sharp GCs with life plus one FHR Harpoonist’s skiller, with mostly fine SCs but a few resist and more FHR. She hits fastest fend speed, meets the 86 FHR breakpoint, and has all resists maxed in Hell except cold.
Merc. The merc, Olena, is a Cold Rogue with Faith, Fortitude, and Tal’s mask (will be Andy’s if she reaches that level).
* * *
After how much fun the Beardin was in my 7x7, I’d been thinking of an over-the-top Auradin for a while. Then my 99er Sin got an eth Nightwings and an Ice Blast Ormus – that actually was the final push to really tackle this project, because the A3 cold mage might actually do some damage
Build. He is running Conviction, and will max the resist element synergies for Dreams, Hand of Justice, and Dragon.
Gear. Hand of Justice, Dream shield, and Dragon were made for him. I used the Dream headgear during my 7x7. I haven’t really settled on the rest of the gear, but am thinking of going over-the-top elemental damage and CtC effects, so likely Highlords and BKWB/Ravenfrost for jewelry. Probably Goreriders for boots (can’t think of any elemental damage boots); gloves might be Lavagout for extra elemental damage fun, and then one of the unique belts with elemental damage.
Merc. Merc will wear 15/14/15 Ice Blast Ormus with a cold facet and the Eth Nightwings (only 9%, so I may actually give him a perfect one with facet that I have). I think he will use a Voice of Reason for the -eCR and cannot be frozen. For the shield, it seems like Spirit might be best for +skills and FCR? Maybe Lidless with a cold facet?
* * *
The final twins, Death and a Barb merc, will be a long-term project, going untwinked without extended stash. He will be allowed to rerun up to 5 targets/areas per Difficulty, but otherwise is single pass.
Build. Given the playthrough, he will be a Berserker, with Warcry to stun crowds and Howl to clear out space if he gets swarmed, and a couple points in Concentrate to allow some leeching. Insight is the great equalizer.
He’s made it through Normal without a death and with some decent drops. I had forgotten how good the Barb mercs are, or maybe it's just in the early going. I’ll post a separate update on him, likely later this week when I get the screenshots and notes organized.
The Twins’ Progress
Updated 1/24/19Sense (Lvl 82) and Olena the Cold Rogue – Matriarch
Kaleid (Lvl 87) and Vanji the Cold Mage – Patriarch
Death (Lvl 83) and Ragnar the Barb – Patriarch
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