Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

[TheBigClown]

Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

Hi. I got this lightning sorc (with orb as sidekick) that I do Countess- and Summonerruns with. I would like to do Nihlathakruns too, but I've never done a single Nihlathakrun, so I don't know what to expect.

Thing is that I need the merc for Insight, but he will provide corpses for Nihlathak, which isn't good for any of us.

What to do about that?

Would it be an idea to give the merc a low insight weapon in order to give him a bit leech (enough for surviving while tanking), while keeping his killing power low (fewer corpses this way)?

Okay, this is my build (lvl **) and gear:

Max orb.
1 CM.
Max Lightning.
Max CL.
Max LM.
1 TS.
1 Teleport.
Rest in CB.

+3 lightning circlet.
+3 lightning amu with 14 life.
25% unsocketed viper.
33% spirit monarch.
35% spirit sword.
waterwalk 46.
fcr belt.
magefist.
2 x rare rings with res all, str, dex and mana. (one will be exchanged with Nature's peace ofc).

Can't remember my res (I'm thinking of using a wz accually). Socket's will most likely be sol runes I guess.

My total fcr is 123+ (I know the bp's, however).

Well, I hope I recieve some advise on what to do. But please don't tell me to just smack on a Nature's Pease and see if it works, as I don't have this item. And I really don't want to trade for it only to find out that a sorc with a merc can't handle Nihlathak.

 

[redground]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

try doing it without the merc. Tele in one of the corners of the room, static field everthing and Chain light until most monsters are dead. then tele closer to Nitla and Static field until half hit points. Then tele away and cast lightning until he is dead.

You will find problems when monsters in the room have fanatism aura or when there are the vipers, because they are light imune. all the rest dies easily with this method.

 

[MagpieLee]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

There's always Natures Peace as you suggested which I don't have with my Metorb sorc. I usually do something like...spam meteor and fireball from "one-side" of the entrance to Nihi's square until a lot of bodies start to pile up and pop.
Then I tele to the other entrance and do the same. I tele to myself if my merc needs healing which is often as the corpses explode. You must stay out of Nihi's range at this point and its pretty easy to do that.

Then? I tele to town and click on Malah
Back I go and...its magic...bodies have disappeared! (this is my #1 tip lol).

I repeat the process until the number of bodies lower - I hold my breath and tele straight into his den and Fireball/frozen orb him - there are no bodies where I am because they are still at the "entrance". The process doesn't take long.
Your chain lightning will make even more shortwork then FB/Meteor will because mine does relatively weak damage. I don't use static for the mobs, only Nihi himself.

The only possible trouble are light immunes because FO is quite "short" in travelling distance and there are some nasty things when teleing to Nihi himself. That being said your BPs and Res should be over 105FCR and definately at 75 all.

 

[TheBigClown]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

That being said your BPs and Res should be over 105FCR and definately at 75 all.

I guess I'll go for a Wizardspike for the 75% res all then, which shouldn't be too bad as it will pump my mana (I might look into doing all 3 keyruns w/o a mercs), and I will have the option of going for 200% fcr - if I get wealty at some point.

I've just made 3 runs w/o a Nature's Peace, and I think this ring is a must for me (I think the extra trouble takes too much time - my merc dies all the time).

Anyone got experience with a low damage dealing merc vs Nihlathak?

 

[MagpieLee]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

Well the higher damage your merc does, the more bodies he'll himself, a non-nature's peace ring wearer will produce and he'll become the harbinger for his own death. So you can't win

Personally I like teleporting which is why I do what I do and also because I'm not super rich as I used to be (10x 20life scs ;D etc) so I expect to be a little slower then usual.

 

[TheBigClown]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

Update about the merc situation.

I've been fooling around with a low damage dealing merc. It's an act 2 hell combat merc. That's the one with the Prayer aura. He's lvl 87 and Prayer gives 34 life each time it triggers (btw, anyone know how often in terms of frames Prayer heals?). He use an Insight Scythe for a total damage of 350-492 (that's even with the poison damage from Insight!). Along with a pdr armour (an eth gladiator with 20 pdr socketed with a sol would be the best armour - a jeweler's armour of Amicae isn't within my reach and if I had one I wouldn't dream of letting a merc use it!) and a pdr circlet I think he should be able to survive quite alot. Lowest possible pdr with this setup would be 22 from gladiator (sol) plus 21 from a helm (grey socketed 3 x sol) - a total of 43 pdr. I aim to give the merc more pdr ofcourse :thumbup:

Now, I don't have the Nature's Peace ring yet, but I really think this low damage dealing merc could make the cut. I keep Insight and a tank.

Now, what's your thought on this prayer/pdr merc? I will test it asaply (I don't have Gladiator or the pdr helm yet), but I would like some comments, as I enjoy talking builds in theory :thumbup:

Edit: Btw, Prayer heals me 34 life each time it triggers - Waheed seems to heal much more! Waheed heals 177 life each time Prayer trigger. He seems to heal more life the first time Prayer triggers, however. Could be an illusion as I'm kind of tired right now!

 

[DH Amazon]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

I have pure lightning sorc (lvl ** now) and she does those nihlathak just fine.
Haven't found nature piece, so that not option for me either.

I use aldur's boots (50 fire resist) and for nihlathak runs I change amu to that lvl10 uniq that gives 50 fire resist (3L +10fcr elsewhere). I have that fire absorb ring too, not sure it that helps a lot.
With those two items I have exactly 80 fire resist (so I can take couple of explosion).

I just tele in Nihlathak room, park my sorc next to wall and just use Lightning to kill him fast. Merc tanks, I don't mind if he kills one or two. Fast and clean kill usually. Sometimes need to tele and chase Nihla as he tele around.

You don't need insight with dkey runs, as same 3 maps everytime and maybe 20-30 telejumps to get next to Nihla.

I have both Insight (thresher) and Reaper's Toll (thresher) for merc, I use Reapers in Nihlathak runs. Gaze (not socketed yet) as helmet and bad armor.

Decrepify curse makes nice non-moving monster wall to protect my merc/char in those runs. So only those explosions can take me down. But so far sorc have been over 70% life all the time. No close calls.

If he is immune, then its merc job.

 

[TheBigClown]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

You don't need insight with dkey runs, as same 3 maps everytime and maybe 20-30 telejumps to get next to Nihla.

My sorc runs the countess and the summoner - I would like her to also do nihlathak in the same run. Thing is: I don't wanna give up Insight that fast. I know I can tele around w/o Insight. Last season I also had a lightning/orb sorc (completely different gear, however), she had a merc with the reaper's toll, but as much as I loved this great item I hated the fact that I had to drink blue pots, which is why I don't wanna give up Insight.

There's no point in debating blue pots with me - some people just finds it very unsatisfying to drink blue pots when playing sorcs and nothing will change that, I'm one of thoose...

But on to the content of your post... You just ignore the monsters and only kill nihlathak?

 

[DH Amazon]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

My sorc runs the countess and the summoner - I would like her to also do nihlathak in the same run. Thing is: I don't wanna give up Insight that fast. I know I can tele around w/o Insight. Last season I also had a lightning/orb sorc (completely different gear, however), she had a merc with the reaper's toll, but as much as I loved this great item I hated the fact that I had to drink blue pots, which is why I don't wanna give up Insight.

There's no point in debating blue pots with me - some people just finds it very unsatisfying to drink blue pots when playing sorcs and nothing will change that, I'm one of thoose...

But on to the content of your post... You just ignore the monsters and only kill nihlathak?

I don't mind drinking some pots, so its 50% time for insight and 50% for reapers. Both are good. If run needs lots of teleing, then its Insight. Insight-merc is so bad tank, when I need good one, then its Reapers time.

And Nihlathak, usually there is 3-4 monsters between me and nihlathak, those get killed about same time or little sooner than nihlathak. Merc and me are so gunhapppy that usually whole room is cleared after run. Easier to pickup loot.
No witnesses, is my usual way. Harder the monsters, more eager I am to kill those. Some easy monsters I can leave alive.


As dkeys are about 3x faster to get when you have char to do that, no point to run those other keys anymore. You can trade those when needed.

I still do arcane sometimes, then my merc uses insight-thresher. Usually I clear then whole place, killing all. Lots of lem etc... low runes drop and skillers/other charms. My main target is not that one key then.

While doing countess, then insight is only option. Hate to drink too much blue pots while teleing.

To sum it up, I have both insight-thresher and Reapers in stash. I don't do all runs at same game, I decide what to run and then choose merc weapon.
For countess, arcane its Insight for sure. Those are nice to run at same game.

While I run nihlathak, I do Baal in same game, so Reapers is my choice then, as pure lightning, I need good merc to clear throne and kill couple immunes there.

And in full games, Reapers is nice choice while clearing Pits or doing Eld/Shenk. Insight is almost as good. Reapers is good too when need to help others in travi or duri etc...

If I run just all 3 keys in same game, then I would pick insight for merc. I like to have little variation in runs, thats why two elite polearms for merc. I like to keep merc alive, I feel failed if he dies. Its not just that 50k, I have usually over 1M in stash, so money is not problem. Its so annoying to do extra visit in town to just rehire merc.

I don't do runs without merc, as I like that extra challenge to keep merc alive.
If I see some extra fast, cursing, conviction miniboss, I can't resist to leave it alone, need to kill it somehow. And keep merc alive while doing it. And throne, I try to clear it everytime, whatever monsters there is, so its quite hard time sometimes for my merc, so Reapers is needed sometimes. Insight-merc is not enough for me in all situations.

 

[TheBigClown]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

I guess it ain't that difficult to run dest keys. I have done about 20 so far and have never died - not even close. My merc dies quite alot however. He can't survive the bugged vipers. I'll go for a Reaper's (also covers the life leech, which is nice), Gladiator's and a 3 x sol hat setup. He will have a good amout of pdr, which should allow him to walk around thoose bugged vipers. Now, my merc has about 50 res all. I guess a ral would be a good option for the Gladiator's to boost his fire res to 75%?

Point taken on having both Insight and Reaper's. I'll go for Reaper's when I run destkeys. And Insight if I need to tele alot.

The low damage dealing merc isn't that great when the bastard is lightning and cold immune.

 

[Feanturii]

Re: Lightning sorc with merc vs Nihlathak?

Hey bit of a question here, I know how potent pure pdr is from sol runes and such. But with "low" amounts of pdr, isn't %pdr more effective? Thanks