Need help with a Frenzy Barb

[Svampus]

Need help with a Frenzy Barb

Hello fellow Diablo players!:wave:

Recently i started a Frenzy Barb and he's currently level 30:smug:
This is untwinked and LAN so no ladder items or expensive stuff.

He currently uses:
Sigons Visor
gothic plate 168 def, FR 16%, 24 FHR, 10% CTC lvl 3 Nova and repairs durability
+1 warcry amulet
+1 max dmg, 10% FR ring
+71 AR, rep life +5 ring
Light plated boots 15 def, +11 to stamina,+19% mf, 10% run/walk, half freeze
Plated belt def 9 +15 life
Heavy gloves 5 def, +1 str/dex, light resist +8%, PLR 25%
Two hand sword runeword Malice 2-20
Crystal sword 7-26 fire resist +9% and 21 poison over 4 secs
2x +3 str large charms
1x +2 str large charm
1x +2 dex large charm
1x small charm +10 life
1x large smarm +12 life
1x large charm +28% fire resist
1x large charm +10 life
1x small charm 5% cold resists

His skills are:
Howl 1
Shout 1
Battle orders 7
Battle Command 1
Iron skin 1
Natural Resistance 1
Bash 1
Dual Swing 9
Double Throw 1
Frenzy 7

His stats are:
70 str, buffed up 79
30 dex, buffed up 33
120 vit
10 energy
Life 650, With BO 890
Def 338, buffed 676

Uhm... He got boosted into act 1 NM and such but now he's completely stuck, i mean he cant even solo mephisto yet :sad: and i would appreciate some advice on what to do next and most of all where could i get better gear? Remember it's non-ladder so i cant buy stuff, It has to be found.

Thanks in advance:wave::wave::wave:

 

[Svampus]

Re: Need help with a Frenzy Barb

Due to the limited edit time i cant edit but i recenly got RWM and RRM so now i can use ladder runewords to :smile: And due to that i got a BIG question.... Should i use Axe or Sword for dual wield. I heard Phase blades were pretty awesome and such and Ettin axes and Zerkers sounds EVIL but i dont know and i really doubt i will be able to find a couple of those so... Any advice?

 

[Slaytanist]

Re: Need help with a Frenzy Barb

By Act 5 Normal you should find it pretty easy to get a couple of 5sock weapons, and the runes for 2x Honour. Foothills and Tundra are an easy way to look for these. They should get you to the point you can find exceptional 5sock weapons without much pain, even if the rest of your gear sucks. Some IAS gloves would be nice - even +10% here will hit a higher breakpoint and you can shop them from Charsi. Mana leech on one of your rings is pretty essential. Cover your resists and I like to hit a moderately high FHR BP too because once you stop leeching you die : )

I always make Malice and it always rots in my stash. You could switch one Honour for Strength for the bosses for the CB. I don't bother - bosses shouldn't be a problem for you until you can get CB on your boots or find an Um for Duress. OW or Amp on a rogue merc is always nice at this point for the bosses. If you're lucky enough to find a Riphook or Goblin Toes you should be set.

I've always gone with axes so I can't help with that question without bias : )

 

[stephan]

Re: Need help with a Frenzy Barb

By Act 5 Normal you should find it pretty easy to get a couple of 5sock weapons, and the runes for 2x Honour.

Not really. In normal items drop what a maximum of 3 sockets, and in NM with a maximum of 4. It is possible for some items to get 5 sockets with socket recipy/quest (if their ilvl allows it), but even then Amns are fairly uncommon in Normal.

 

[Slaytanist]

Re: Need help with a Frenzy Barb

Not really. In normal items drop what a maximum of 3 sockets, and in NM with a maximum of 4.

Ah, I wasn't aware of this. I use the recipie anyways.

It is possible for some items to get 5 sockets with socket recipy/quest (if their ilvl allows it)

I use War Axes at this point in the game, and if found in Act 5 Normal they allegedly get 5 sockets 1/3 of the time from the recipie which seems to hold true for my experiences. They won't drop every run but if you do Frozen Tundra and Bloody Foothills every game you'll find a few soon. Glacial Trail seems to drop more War Axes but without Cannot Be Frozen I find it doesn't yield as well for obvious reasons.

but even then Amns are fairly uncommon in Normal.

True, and you'll need more trying to 5-socket them (so an average of 4 per axe instead of just 1). I easily find the 2 Sols in this time though. I tend to find enough runes before the axes in total but it could just be luck.

I said "easily" in a relative way, sorry. It's a pain to be truthful but I've never found a better Frenzy weapon in Normal and you don't have to rack up +MF to get it. If you'll settle for 1x Honour plus 1x Strength for the crushing blow, or use Larzuk for one of the axes, you shouldn't have as much of a problem.

If anyone has a better suggestion though I'll happily concede as well as try it on my next untwinked barb : )

 

[stephan]

Re: Need help with a Frenzy Barb

Don't get me wrong. Honor is great.

I think if you have found the weapons it's better to start hunting NM countess for the runes. Act 1 NM is IMO much easier than Act 5 Normal.

 

[Slaytanist]

Re: Need help with a Frenzy Barb

I think if you have found the weapons it's better to start hunting NM countess for the runes. Act 1 NM is IMO much easier than Act 5 Normal.

The majority of it yeah. My frenzybarbs always cut through Foothills and Tundra like butter, especially in normal where there are no slingers/skellies to deal with. I certainly agree with your point though; getting the runes themselves from NM countess a lot less painful!

For either the only really important resist would be fire, wouldn't it? Would it be advantageous to ditch the majority of gear and focus on FR and the standard frenzy stuff (damage, leech etc)?

Would you suggest using different weapons for the runs? Some %ed weapons, found, shopped or cubed, with skulls and/or a leech ring would speed things up a lot I feel. Certainly the way I'd do it.

 

[Porkchopsamwich]

Re: Need help with a Frenzy Barb

The thing with Frenzy is that each hit only takes into account the weapon in the hand that swings.. so you need to have TWO good weapons instead of just 1.. I was swinging a last wish phase blade and a king slayer phase blade (one with 70% crushing blow, the other with 35% crushing blow) so I thought i had 105% crushing blow! Actually I had 70% with one swing and 35% with the other haha.

Anyways, make sure you have two weapons that are good, so that not only half of your chops are doing damage. The skill is a blast though, it makes the barb look like he's a zealer who runs faster than any character i've ever seen haha. life and mana leach are great, since you hit so fast and so much.. just make sure you have the dex to hit most of the time..

P.S. the faster you can swing your weapons the better, since frenzy is all about the speed and amount of hits you can get instead of slowly taking giant amounts of health you take quick small pieces. Get fast swining weapons and IAS involved.