Conc Nihil barb runner

[Wolfedude]

Conc Nihil barb runner

I play hardcore and want to build a key runner for nihiliak. I understand that a conc barb is one of the best for that. Does anyone have a build beyond what is listed in the sticky? I understand that DR is most important. I also want to be able to use fairly easily obtained equipment. I am not just starting out but the more exotic runewords and items are not available to me.

It would also help me to know what one handed weapon should use. I have available most of the middle of the road items like Nord's and the mid-level swords and maces & axes.

 

[MYK]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

The Easy Destruction Key Runner
Important skills:
Battle Orders
Weapon Mastery
Howl
Concentrate
Semi-important skills:
Natural Resistance (1-13 points can go here, depending on how bad your Hell Resistance + charms works out)
Leap
Leap Attack (Those two are just useful for getting around
Wary Cry (One point is usually good enough to stun things)
I like to work on BO and concentrate first, then Howl, then finish up weapon mastery.

The Goal: Quickly amass Destruction keys

The Obstacles:
1. Bugged Viper clouds! These babies pump out up to 60 damage per frame. 40 damage reduction makes this not a problem, 60 damage reduction makes it just a pretty green cloud that you run through like the bad out of hell you are!
2. Corpse Explosions! Even if you don't kill anything, Nihlathak spawns then blow-up dudes that think it's funny to run over and explode next to you so Ol' Nihl' can blast some of your life away. DR% gear makes CE blasts hurt less, but should come secondary to DR for the most part.

Itamz: In my opinion, DR and DR% come in the most quantity and thus more efficient usage from these four armor slots which should be socketed with either Sols or Um or pdiamons(In shields, of course) or whatever your barb needs depending on the choices you make.

Armorz -
Iron Pelt, Gladiator's Bane, Shaftstop, Artisans/Jewelers armor of Amicae (3/4 socket, 10+ DR socket this with sols, you can shop these in Act 1 Hell if you're that poor/dedicated)

Helmetz - A few good DR choices, and others that just generally make barb life easy.
Duskdeep, "Lore(Ort+Sol)" runeword, Vampire Gaze, Rockstopper, Arreat's Face, _____ circlet of Life Everlasting (pray that you get 2 sockets and Sol it up)

Shieldz - Stormshield, Gerke's Sanctuary, Moser's Blessed Circle, and MAYBE a "rhyme (Shael+Eth)" tower/grim if you've made it to hell without finding anything better.

Amuletz: _____ amulet of life everlasting (These can have up to 25 DR, most of mine were either 23 or 24, the best affixes are "Chromatic(up to 30 res all!)" and "Echoing(+3 warcries)"

Alright. Those choices take care of whatever DR, DR% and res you can manage to cobble together.
Boots, Belts, Gloves, Rings, and whatever other slots you don't need for DR can be dedicated to resists, IAS, and whatever else you're missing out on. Naturally your inventory will be pretty full of charms.

Weaponz - Get something fast and damaging (Yeah, that's pretty vague, I know) I used an "Oath" Balrog Blade, Lightsabre, Frostwind, Flamebellow, and for a few minutes a Grief Phaseblade. They all got the job done fast enough to make me realm down.

I hope this helps a bit and good luck.

 

[TheDarkSide]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

MYK has you covered there but I use a similiar build and maxxed Berserk instead of Concentration . I can now run my barb anywhere in the game without fear of Iron Maiden and he kills rather fast too ..

One key to using a Berserk build to run Nihl is a Prayer merc using Insight .. I use a low (200 max ) damage insight on mine so he cant kill things but has enough damage to leech life .. He's only needed for the regenerating life and mana aura's he provides anyways ..

I just found a 4 OS Eth Collosus Blade in Baals Throne and I want to make an Oath out of it . So I started a new barb to run Nihl but Im going to max WW and have a 1 point Berserk this time . I'll max WW , Bo , Mastery , Howl and get the 1 point wonders ..

Mines gonna use the following gears - not top end stuff really as long as ya have 30 - 40 PDr and some Dr% it's all good .

Eth Oath Col Blade
Stormshield - Sol'ed
Duress armor
Guimales - Sol'ed
String of Ears
Goblin Toes
Ravenfrost , Rare Str / Resists ring , PDR 24 ammy

Many different ways you can do a Nihl runner too , just depends on what ya have ..

:smiley:

 

[Khelavaster]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

here is my perfect Nihl Runner

Sol'ed Arreats
Sol'ed GBane
Stormlash with ed/ias jewel
Natures Peace
Dwarf Star
Sol'ed Gerkes
25dr Amulet
Ik Gloves
Ik Boots
String of Ears
2x +3WC Spears in 2nd Weapon Slot

Merc (Might aura):
eth Obiedience
Sol'ed Gbane
Sol'ed Gaze

Skills:
20Pts in Conc, Bo, Shot, Bash
1Pt in Battle Command, Howl,Increased Stamina, Increased Speed, Iron Skin, Natural Resistance, Leap, Stun,Berserk
Rest Pts in Mace Mastery

Damage is 200-4000
15% Chance of Static Field on Attack
33% Chance of Crushing Blow
All Res max

 

[lumpor]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Yes, i agree to khelavasters skill ditribution more than MYK's. Both are great though

 

[MYK]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Yes, i agree to khelavasters skill ditribution more than MYK's. Both are great though

His is more of a traditional skill point setup. It works great.

Howling them away or Shouting yourself into insane defense so they can't hit you - they achieve the same goal.

I sure like his gear, though. :guiness:

Many different ways you can do a Nihl runner too , just depends on what ya have ..

Total truth.

 

[Zelator]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

The Easy Destruction Key Runner
Important skills:
Battle Orders
Weapon Mastery
Howl
Concentrate
Semi-important skills:
Natural Resistance (1-13 points can go here, depending on how bad your Hell Resistance + charms works out)
Leap
Leap Attack (Those two are just useful for getting around
Wary Cry (One point is usually good enough to stun things)
I like to work on BO and concentrate first, then Howl, then finish up weapon mastery.

The Goal: Quickly amass Destruction keys

The Obstacles:
1. Bugged Viper clouds! These babies pump out up to 60 damage per frame. 40 damage reduction makes this not a problem, 60 damage reduction makes it just a pretty green cloud that you run through like the bad out of hell you are!
2. Corpse Explosions! Even if you don't kill anything, Nihlathak spawns then blow-up dudes that think it's funny to run over and explode next to you so Ol' Nihl' can blast some of your life away. DR% gear makes CE blasts hurt less, but should come secondary to DR for the most part.

Itamz: In my opinion, DR and DR% come in the most quantity and thus more efficient usage from these four armor slots which should be socketed with either Sols or Um or pdiamons(In shields, of course) or whatever your barb needs depending on the choices you make.

Armorz -
Iron Pelt, Gladiator's Bane, Shaftstop, Artisans/Jewelers armor of Amicae (3/4 socket, 10+ DR socket this with sols, you can shop these in Act 1 Hell if you're that poor/dedicated)

Helmetz - A few good DR choices, and others that just generally make barb life easy.
Duskdeep, "Lore(Ort+Sol)" runeword, Vampire Gaze, Rockstopper, Arreat's Face, _____ circlet of Life Everlasting (pray that you get 2 sockets and Sol it up)

Shieldz - Stormshield, Gerke's Sanctuary, Moser's Blessed Circle, and MAYBE a "rhyme (Shael+Eth)" tower/grim if you've made it to hell without finding anything better.

Amuletz: _____ amulet of life everlasting (These can have up to 25 DR, most of mine were either 23 or 24, the best affixes are "Chromatic(up to 30 res all!)" and "Echoing(+3 warcries)"

Alright. Those choices take care of whatever DR, DR% and res you can manage to cobble together.
Boots, Belts, Gloves, Rings, and whatever other slots you don't need for DR can be dedicated to resists, IAS, and whatever else you're missing out on. Naturally your inventory will be pretty full of charms.

Weaponz - Get something fast and damaging (Yeah, that's pretty vague, I know) I used an "Oath" Balrog Blade, Lightsabre, Frostwind, Flamebellow, and for a few minutes a Grief Phaseblade. They all got the job done fast enough to make me realm down.

I hope this helps a bit and good luck.

Nice guide. I think you have a talent for it. :thumbsup:

 

[Kordova]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Ok i know its a Half off topic half on, this is the set up of my runner. i can run all 3 in about 3-6 minutes each...if i dont get lost...HM is the devil

Frenzybaba

Eth prudance Archon
arreats
Valor
Natures, hi lords, raven
dungos..15%
Gores
Dracs...i only have 1pair and my smiter is wearing them...sooo i use a LT wand on the big baddies for now
EBOTDCB Main hand
Azurewrath pb Off hand...ill get ot my reasons later
...no charms, not even torch or anni
Bo sticks




i use azure Bc of the sanc aura and magic Dmg...this alone makes the majority of the PI's crumble...And it destroys Undead like no other!

 

[Arkardo]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

I had been planning on writing a Concentrate barb guide for running all key dropping bosses, but I dropped the idea because I couldn't free up the time...

In any case, most has been said already. Focus on DR and fire resist. Also, get FCR from dual HotO's and/or Wizardspikes on switch. Two Bahamut's Rings of the Apprentice would also be nice. Killing power isn't that much of an issue, because Nihlathak goes down quickly anyway.

About your gloves, I'd normally use Laying of Hands for the IAS and fire resist. But since you're Hardcore, Dracul's Grasp may be safer.

 

[Bornaloserbaby]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Could you guys give me some tips on how to run nith?

Do you just run//leap to him and single him out?

 

[MYK]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Depends on what your build is.

Did you go with Concentrate/shout, concentrate/howl, berserk/howl? Or maybe something else?

I'm a big fan of the Conk/Howl build because with a lot of PDR equipment on defense becomes less of an issue. Just howl to get stuff to leave you alone and go smacky Nihlathak around.
With a Conk/Shout you can pretty much do as you say and leap into him and keep swinging. Not much should hit you with crazy high defense.

 

[w-igor]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Why don't you guys use enigma? You just run?

 

[MYK]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Why don't you guys use enigma? You just run?

:funnyabove:
Running is fast. Fast enough to realm down, that is, unless you're running with really sub-par gear.

Enigma isn't used because it's not needed. In fact, as far as the PDR/Resists thing goes, Enigma is a suck choice. The only reason I'd use Enigma on a barb that runs Destruction keys is if I also wanted to run the other two key targets in the same game, but I wouldn't; a light sork does those way better/faster and legit to boot.

And Enigma is for the weak! ropeller:

 

[Bornaloserbaby]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Yea I'm going Shout//conc in the new ladder..Got my barb to 75 now and just looking for a half decent weapon...

A few questions tho.

Is max block a good idea?
Where are the break point tables for concentrate? Really need to know which weapon to make an Oath or Kingslayer in to reach the last BP.
Is grim ward a viable choice to replace howl? Since I'mnot going howl would a grim ward right next to Nith help with some crowd control?

Thanks for the help all...awesome fun char to build. Great for teamplay aswell...
Sorcs fall like flys around me whilst I tank everything!!! awesome!!

 

[MYK]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Max block if you've got a handy dandy shield to block with. Concentrate works with any shield. Berserk generally needs a shield with some FBR as the attack itself is interruptible.

For general indestructibility I like Gerke's sanctuary or Stormshield.

With the Shout and Concentrate build you'll likely have a TON of defense while swinging. Thus, not many monsters will hit you, and Howl becomes not as effective as just using Leap Attack onto Nihlathak and swinging away.

I'm not really too sure about weapon choice. I used the eth Balrog Blade for mine because it was a big 2 hander that got 4 sockets each time. If you can get one, a 4 socket Scourge would rock, too. Berserker Axes or Ettins are great, again, if you have access.
Google up your favorite weapon speed calculator and plug in the, what is it, 3 necessary options to check weapon speeds with concentrate. I'm pretty sure that none of them all by themselves will hit the last breakpoint - you'll need IAS gear elsewhere - which will most likely sacrifice resists/PDR/%DR. If you do make it work, let me know.

 

[Schmaleop]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Hi,

I have a few questions regarding this char build.

I'm guessing most of the input here is from a BNet perspective and i'm curious how it carries over to SP.

With 60 or so PDR it's suggested that the bugged poison dmg of pit vipers is not as threatening. I'm assuming this is done in a solo game but could you possibly clarify?
Would this figure also be viable against Baal's Minions of Destruction?

How does this char fair in other areas? Is the dmg good against high life enemies and will a figure of around 60PDR still negate a decent amount of dmg received?

I'm not sure if your familiar with SP but the capability to change the relevant number of players exist, allowing simulation of full Bnet game. How do your characters handle a full Bnet game?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[MYK]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Hi,

I have a few questions regarding this char build.

I'm guessing most of the input here is from a BNet perspective and i'm curious how it carries over to SP.

With 60 or so PDR it's suggested that the bugged poison dmg of pit vipers is not as threatening. I'm assuming this is done in a solo game but could you possibly clarify?
Would this figure also be viable against Baal's Minions of Destruction?

How does this char fair in other areas? Is the dmg good against high life enemies and will a figure of around 60PDR still negate a decent amount of dmg received?

I'm not sure if your familiar with SP but the capability to change the relevant number of players exist, allowing simulation of full Bnet game. How do your characters handle a full Bnet game?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Hi there,

60 PDR is a good chunk. Most regular monsters don't really do much more than 80-100 damage without other modifiers (Extra Strong, Might, Fanaticism, to name a few.) When you combine your PDR with Battle Cry (Decreases enemy damage%, which comes before your PDR,) it becomes even better. Couple your PDR, with crazy Defense and you've got a barb that can take quite a beating. A little leech is necessary to keep you topped off. Potions aren't terribly hard to drink, are they?

Battle movements are simple. Swing until stuff dies. If stuff is hurting you from a distance Taunt them over. If stuff in melee range is hurting you, cast Battle Cry. If they're still hurting you howl some away, or use War Cry to stun them into the War Cry-Smash-War Cry-Smash combo. Ruh roh... It's not just holding down the mouse button!

You won't be powering through a full baal run with a concentrate build unless you've got some seriously high-end gear, and even then other character classes will easily surpass you. You won't kill like a Blizzard Sorceress, but you'll probably still be standing when Lister spawns Extra Strong and Extra Fast and the game lags a little.

The strength of this build, or at least the one I posted, is to create an indestructibarb. I quested mine all through Hell, in games ranging from 1-8 people, in Hardcore. He didn't die until I hit the Delete button.

I never noticed the vipers doing more damage in full games, but I did notice that others monsters did more damage. Compound a full game with Might aura and things start to hurt really fast. So, keep your eyes peeled for the auras and keep your yells handy.

 

[Bornaloserbaby]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

With Oath in a ETH scourge I need 39% IAS to reach the last BP..EZY!
IK gloves + boots gives 25%IAS..and add a highlords or a cats eye for some extra dex (max block) and its done.

Shame I was already pumping strength a little becuase I was expecting to use a BB. NVM!:alright:

 

[Schmaleop]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Thanks for the info MYK, I appreciate it.

I think i'm going to go this route just to satisfy my curiosity

 

[Arutha]

Re: Conc Nihil barb runner

Depends on what your build is.

Did you go with Concentrate/shout, concentrate/howl, berserk/howl? Or maybe something else?

I'm a big fan of the Conk/Howl build because with a lot of PDR equipment on defense becomes less of an issue. Just howl to get stuff to leave you alone and go smacky Nihlathak around.
With a Conk/Shout you can pretty much do as you say and leap into him and keep swinging. Not much should hit you with crazy high defense.

I made a berserk barb this season to run nihl since it will be a while before I get an enigma to make a hammerdin. I gotta say I am quite pleased with the build, the lower defense when using berserk doesn't really hurt me at all because of the howl, and with any monsters that do attack me the %dr protects me quite well.