Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

[jread]

Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

Hello fellow necro folks,

I have a lvl 90 Fishymancer that is not built all that well, so I'd like to remake him and do it right this time. I have a lot of nice gear so I want to go as high-end as I can with him. I like Fishy's and prefer to have them as my main PvM/rusher/MF characters (damn a hammerdin). I've outlined below what I plan to do and I welcome any suggestions you guys may have:

Skills: No surprises here.. the usual stuff with maxed CE, etc. For my extra points, I'm thinking of going with Golem Mastery, or maybe half Golem Mastery and half Mages (I'm still not sure).

Gear:
Shako (socketed with what?)
Enigma (mage plate or dusk... opinions?)
Arachnid Mesh
Trang's gloves
Mara's
Homonculous (Pdiamond)
Arm of King Leoric/Beast axe
1 SOJ, 1 Whisp (guide says to use this.. what do you think?)
Marrowalk's

Merc:
Act 2 Might merc
Fortitude
Infinity
Ber'd Vamp Gaze (have this laying around... is there a better choice?)


That's what I have so far. Do you think I would run into any mana problems with this build (I love spamming CE like a madman)? Also, I'm thinking of using an Act1 merc with Faith, but I don't know if the Act2 merc would be better in the end. Another thing, and this is nutty, but what about using Faith on switch with my necro? I know the dex cost would be high, but I can only imagine the damage bonus would be crazy when combined with the might merc (not to mention it would be fun to fire off some arrows). Another weapon option is the HOTO, which I see that some of you like to use.

I'm not quite rich enough to make Insight iron golems, so I'd like to avoid that route if I can. It also seems like using insight on my merc would kind of suck given its lower damage.



Thanks for reading and I look forward to your replies

 

[canudig]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

for your mana.....just go with magefists.....I'd skip the act 1 with faith since you have beast already.....I'd skip you with faith since you liked CE'ing I thought?

 

[HCKull]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

I prefer to use clay golem over iron golem most of the time. It makes a great scout/decoy and I like to cast it in fround of charging bad guys also. Iron golem is good for bosses when you make it from an item with crushing blow.

I have near max golem mastery because it needs to stand up under a lot of damage. With just a few points in GM it dies too easily.

 

[NumtyDoo]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

I would go mages since you have infinity, conviction will basically double the damage of mages. I used to do the AOKL/boneflame switch to Beast/homonc. I later made a hoto and never used anything else, hoto/homonc all the way.

I have never used a "mana golem" as there are always blue pots everywhere. By lvl 90 mana shouldn't be a huge issue.

99% of your killing speed comes from merc and CE chain. So in my opinion bigger CE range and faster CE spamming is better than 2 more skellie skill points from AOKL. Hoto's resists and FCR helps keep you safe during tele.

I use CTA/Spirit on switch. The BO doesn't boost skellies alot but helps you and your merc, also helps with the mana problem.

The only time I notice the AOKL/BF*Beast/Homo being better is if you are soloing in an 8 player game. IMO, the rest of the time hoto/homo*CTA/Spirit is way better.

 

[zuke]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

I run a fairly similar fishy. I always recommend ptopaz in the shako for mf, pdiamond in the homonuculus for resists. There's no better shield for this build than a homonc.

I don't bother with a Beast runeword since most of the killing power doesn't come from the skellies but rather CE. Therefore, imho you don't really need Beast. Instead, summon with AoKL/homonuculus and then switch to Blade of Ali Baba with Homon for walking around. Since you're spamming CE for killing, the extra MF from Ali Baba is more beneficial. Pop a couple of ists into it for even more MF if you want. I also use Magefists for the FCR and +1 fire skills which helps CE.

I also think wisp projector is a good 2nd ring to use. Currently I use 1 soj and 1 nagelring. I'd wear a wisp if I had it for the lightning absorb because the only real elemental attack you need to worry about is lightning from black souls.

 

[deathpusher]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

I use nearly the same setup that you have listed. I use beast/homo and cta/spirit on the switch. I find my skellys are strong enough without using AoKL.

I have a single point in iron golem and pumped up GM quit a bit. I made him out of a low damage insight polearm and he hasn't died yet. Even when he's im'd, he can hit 3-4 times before I have to tele out of there and let his life regenerate.

btw, if you can afford all the gear that you listed, it shouldn't be to hard for you to have a few spare low insights on mule's. The additional aura coming off the iron golem is just to hard to pass up. I also spam CE like mad.

 

[maiku]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

I'm not quite rich enough to make Insight iron golems, so I'd like to avoid that route if I can. It also seems like using insight on my merc would kind of suck given its lower damage.

I'm not sure I understand. You list "Enigma," "Infinity," Shako, etc., which are high-end and expensive items, yet mention that making "Insight" IGs is for the really rich. Think about it... When the runes for an "Insight" can be obtained in bulk all over the place, from Normal to Hell monsters or purchased for a pgem a piece...this option is definitely not for the rich. It's open to everyone. If you're going to invest in Golem Mastery, I do recommend an "Insight" Iron Golem...unless you have something else special in mind. It's what I've chosen to do with my Fishymancer at Level 86. Had a few spare points and sunk them into Golem Mastery, and future points will go there. The only time my "Insight" IG has died is when I've died during weekend lag...which is not that often. Even if I died once or twice a week due to bad luck or lag, I'd still have the resources to make a couple dozen IGs.

 

[canudig]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

only if you are ladder

 

[NumtyDoo]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

How is everyone having mana problems? You guys soloing areas in 8 player games?You guys doing non stop CE chains in 8 player games?

 

[money]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

When you teleport everywhere and are going for pure speed it is really annoying to have to search for mana pots all the time on the ground, plus it makes your nec unstoppable in general.
Besides its not like clay golem gives much of a scout job when you just teleport into the front of a pack and then move out of the way to let your minions do the dirty work. Which is tanking at its finest I believe.

 

[jread]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

I'm not sure I understand. You list "Enigma," "Infinity," Shako, etc., which are high-end and expensive items, yet mention that making "Insight" IGs is for the really rich. Think about it... When the runes for an "Insight" can be obtained in bulk all over the place, from Normal to Hell monsters or purchased for a pgem a piece...this option is definitely not for the rich. It's open to everyone. If you're going to invest in Golem Mastery, I do recommend an "Insight" Iron Golem...unless you have something else special in mind. It's what I've chosen to do with my Fishymancer at Level 86. Had a few spare points and sunk them into Golem Mastery, and future points will go there. The only time my "Insight" IG has died is when I've died during weekend lag...which is not that often. Even if I died once or twice a week due to bad luck or lag, I'd still have the resources to make a couple dozen IGs.

Yeah, I screwed up. For some reason I thought that Insight used higher runes than it does. I think it will not be too hard afterall. I had no idea that you could buy them for pgems, so that does make things a little easier.

P.S. Anyone on USEast - Ladder want to rush my new necro? Msg me at account: *jread if you're up for it and I will pay you with an item/rune or something.

 

[maiku]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

If you were making "Pride" or "Infinity" IGs, I'd definitely say they are cost prohibitive...but "Insight" IGs on ladder aren't. :thumbsup:

 

[NumtyDoo]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

I tele all over, do CE non stop, I don't use mana golem by the way, I might have to drink 2 or 3 mana pots for a wsk or chaos run. I know that insights are not rediculously expensive, but when every 4th monster drops a mana pot, it's not like you have to hunt the mana pots down. Wouldn't that wealth be better spent elsewhere.

Just to be clear, I'm not disagreeing with anyones choice to use mana golem. I am just confused how lvl 90 characters with L33T gear are having mana problems. I even use BK's instead of SOJ's because I needed the life more than the mana, and I still don't have mana problems.

 

[deathpusher]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

For me at least, I don't use clay golem for scouting or need slow effect for bosses. So what good is he to me? I can survive no problem without insight IG, I have zero mana points invested and have to pot also every now and then.

Insight IG is cheap and effective and just speeds things up so why not?

 

[money]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

I tele all over, do CE non stop, I don't use mana golem by the way, I might have to drink 2 or 3 mana pots for a wsk or chaos run. I know that insights are not rediculously expensive, but when every 4th monster drops a mana pot, it's not like you have to hunt the mana pots down. Wouldn't that wealth be better spent elsewhere.

Just to be clear, I'm not disagreeing with anyones choice to use mana golem. I am just confused how lvl 90 characters with L33T gear are having mana problems. I even use BK's instead of SOJ's because I needed the life more than the mana, and I still don't have mana problems.

You're implying you use bk's instead of soj's because you have a "life problem"
Do you really have a life problem? That extra 50 life really help you to survive? Probably not. Same with mana, it's not really a mana 'problem', it's convenience and preference more than anything

 

[NumtyDoo]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

@Money

BK's mean I have a life problem? Huh? SOJ's give huge mana boost, I wasn't running out of mana, so I switched to Bk's, cause if I'm not using the extra mana, I may as well boost my life with BK's.

My point was, even with no points in energy, no mana boost from SOJ's, I still don't run out of mana. I was just asking how/why high lvl characters are running out of mana so much. I was asking, not because people mentioned they are using mana golems, but because people actually say "I am having mana problems". So I am not implying all mana golem users have mana problems.

I am not clowning on anyone, this is just not a problem that I have had, so I am just trying to understand it.

 

[maiku]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

My Fishymancer has about 500ish mana using Nagel rings. I could equip him with an SoJ and BK (BK was a drop from Hell Diablo as of yesterday!), but I prefer his equipment as is (~300% MF). Chain casting CE and reviving critters can deplete his mana bulb pretty fast, and while I can get by with popping a magic potion or two, it's a bit annoying. Mana golem keeps the bulb full and allows me to keep exploding, reviving, or summoning without worry.

 

[NumtyDoo]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

grats on the Bk

 

[canudig]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

yeah I have "mana problems" as well......but it's with goldfind equipment on (ali baba, chancies, goldwrap, 80 gf boots, dwarfs, etc) and I just mana pot when I need to. I only have to mana pot after I summoning my 12 skeles and 2-3 mages, which isn't too bad considering I have loaded the guy up with a ton of gold find.....

 

[NumtyDoo]

Re: Rebuilding my Fishymancer: opinions requested

Ah-ha. That is the answer I was looking for. Makes sense with full MF/Gf gear your mana pool might be reduced.