Returning for the reset

[Morannon]

Returning for the reset

Hi!

It's almost becoming a yearly tradition for me to pick up D2 and return to the forums in time of the ladder reset. This year Blizzard is a bit "late" so I thought I'd use the gap to ask for some strategy tips.

I'm a pretty item finding oriented gamer, I love making my own wealth from scratch in this game. Basically I want to make a boss runner for uniques and sets, then a good crowd killing char for socketables, runes, charms, jewels and gems. If I can get a friend to help me I will also do hellforge rushing. Later I also want to do keys/organs/ubers.

Here are the chars and the order I will make them:

1) Blizzballer (Boss runner, rusher, keys)
My main char. I will use her to find the essential uniques and sets at NM meph and later hell meph + andy. Alternatively I go for more safty and first make a Orb/TK sorc in order to milk NM meph so that my blizzballer can get decent gear from start.

2) Conc barb (BO slave)
I will use him on my second set of CD-keys.

3) Poison nova nec (Crowd killer)
Hunting socketables, runes, charms and gems in the hell pits. Alternatively I hunt for those items with a javazon in hell cows. Or perhaps I make both chars.

4) Smiter/zeal pala (organs, ubers)

Questions:
a) Can Blizzballer handle key hunting?
b) Should I make Orb/TK before Blizzballer?
c) Poison nec or javazon or both?

So will my plan make me filthy rich or just frustrated?

 

[Samsung]

Blizzballer can handle keyrunning, it's just that countess is lightning immune, and nithilak has bugged vipers around him. You need DR and not the %dr, just straight damage reduction. I don't know the number to aim for, but it's what negates the bugged vipers. You also should have on a natures peace, because Nith will own your sorc within a couple of CE's.

 

[PhatTrumpet]

Blizzballer can handle keyrunning, it's just that countess is cold and fire immune, and nithilak has bugged vipers around him. You need DR and not the %dr, just straight damage reduction. I don't know the number to aim for, but it's what negates the bugged vipers. You also should have on a natures peace, because Nith will own your sorc within a couple of CE's.

Fixed that for you.

a) Yes, but I would wait until you have the BO Slave up and running.
2) Yes.
d) I prefer the Javazon because, at least the way I play them, they tend to be a little faster and a bit more durable, but if your experiences have been different go ahead with the Necro.

 

[MoUsE_WiZ]

1) Don't make a sorc to equip a sorc. If you want decent starting gear from NM or early hell, or even late hell off e/s/p, do a hammerdin/trapper/javazon/summoner to get her running. Also, I personally go Norm baal (Viper and such) --> NM baal (wizzy/shako) --> hell meph, NM meph has always struck me as a waste given the fact that you can get a pile of levels while getting better gear from norm/nm baal.

2) The conc barb need not be a BO slave! If you mf a bit with your sorc you can turn him into a fairly uber dkey runner... I could do it much cleaner than my sasas could with the baba, Xey's lightning sork was a bit faster, but not by enough to matter with the RD problem. This does not take uber gear, but you will need decent gear... I was doing with SS/Oath being the most expensive two pieces as things like "amulet of life everlasting" and gladiators bane are inexpensive (as mentioned PDR is a necessity with a barb... not so much with a sorc, but still recommended).

3) Javazon, hammerdin, trapper, light sork... these are the most common. Though the blizzballer would do fine in this role well, not cows but if you're able to equip a poison necro in this role your blizzballer could probably solo hell baals in reasonable time; minions for charms baal for fathoms!

a) Yes, but your bo baba could be made to do dkey runs then trade those for others 3:1 and probably do a better job at it. This, of course, depends on what the economy's like at the start of next season though.
b) Not unless you plan to skip the blizzballer entirely (or at least until something unfortunate happens to the other sorc). A javazon can double in the role of easy to play untwinked equipper and later cow farmer if you go with it first though.
c) Poison necros are rare for a reason. But huge style points if you do make one =D

 

[Morannon]

Thank you all for the answers.

@ MoUsE_WiZ

So in conclussion you would recommend:

1) Javazon (early equipper, crowd killer)
2) Blizzballer (Boss runner, rusher)
3) Conc barb (dkeys runner, BO slave)
4) Smiter/zeal pala (Organs, ubers)

That sounds solid to me. I like the fact that I have a chance to get every useful item in the game. Is this the way you would build up your wealth?

I've read on the forum that poison nova nec is suppose to be the best pits runner. There are no poison immunes there and the build is relatively cheap; doesn't require HR.

 

[Nilaripper]

1) Blizzballer (Boss runner, rusher, keys)

Any kind of sorc can begin at ladder start:
helmrt-sol
armor:tal-eth
weapon:spirit
merc:combat-merc(prayer) with insight weapon
as soon as i get a whitstan shield i go for hell meff, yes with this gear.

2) Conc barb (BO slave)

I would recommend that

3) Poison nova nec (Crowd killer)

No,no,no...imho a poisonnec needs good gear to be a killer, no starter char

4) Smiter/zeal pala (organs, ubers)

I prefer to make a ghettosmiter in the first week:
weapon:black rw
armor:rattlecage
shoes:goblin toe
shield:spirit
just in case if a ip goes nuts and the clone shows up

Questions:

a) any kind of sorc can do it
b) it is up to your choice, i like the lightnin sorc
c)as soon as you get hands on a titan,go javazon,a summoner is imho the strongest starter char,poisonnec is a late ladder char.

So will my plan make me filthy rich or just frustrated?

It depends how many time you invest in doing runs

 

[MoUsE_WiZ]

1) Javazon (early equipper, crowd killer)
2) Blizzballer (Boss runner, rusher)
3) Conc barb (dkeys runner, BO slave)
4) Smiter/zeal pala (Organs, ubers)

That sounds solid to me anyways, you could possibly make a 50ish enchantress at either 0) or 1.5) to speed up the others as well but it isn't especially needed.

 

[Wordplay]

c) Playing as a plaguezon at the moment and have to say that it is a different build to play. Mostly because it's all about hit'n'run. E.g: throw a plague-javelin, run away, let the monsters die. Very little risk in that, especially when your valkyrie, decoy, and merc can divert. You'll be doing 7k damage easy, be it lone monsters or groups.

 

[Samsung]

Fixed that for you.

a) Yes, but I would wait until you have the BO Slave up and running.
2) Yes.
d) I prefer the Javazon because, at least the way I play them, they tend to be a little faster and a bit more durable, but if your experiences have been different go ahead with the Necro.

Thank you. I was thinking cold and fire, but my fingers typed lightning.

@wordplay - that 7k poison damage won't be doing anything in hell considering a poison necromancer can do quite a bit more damage and still not be very good without a deaths web.

 

[Wordplay]

Depends. Plaguezon isn't about instant-killing, but chucking in a plague-cloud, retreating while it works on the monsters, and then repeating. The way I see it, poison necromancer tries to do the same, but with higher risk. After all, he needs corpses and poison nova has only a limited range.