Socketing Tiamat's Rebuke, Baranar's Star

[BlizzBallerSorc]

I’m currently working on a Frost Zealot, and I’d like him to use Tiamat’s Rebuke (already using it) and Baranar’s Star as his endgame gear, (a) because I found both of these making my first Mat, and (b) because it seems like it’d make a slightly boring build interesting, having all the elemental damage. Together they’d make:
36-295 Fire Damage
2-320 Lightning Damage
I’m not sure how the cold stacks with the duration, but:
(Baranar’s) Adds 1-200 Cold Damage, Duration 0-7 sec.
(Tiamat’s) Adds 27-53 Cold Damage - 6 Second Duration

So my question is, I feel like perhaps I should throw a socket in both of these with my Larzuk quest. Obviously, one socket doesn’t have that many possibilities. For the shield, my obvious thought is an Um or PDiamond.

I’m not as sure for Baranar’s Star. Some ideas:
-Shael rune. I guess I’d need to run an IAS calc to see if a Shael would make any difference for a breakpoint.
-Hel rune. This would let me keep my strength down. If I don’t put a Hel rune in, I may just upgrade the Tiamat’s from a Dragon to a Monarch since my strength will be up anyway.
-PGem- Going with the “just-for-funsies” idea of elemental damage.

Any other ideas?

If everyone agrees this is just a terrible waste of a Larzuk quest, I'll give up on my silly idea.

Also, I'll have to look through my jewels and see what I have. There might be something decent there.

 

[pharphis]

shael or eth imo. Eth will make it easier to hit and since you aren't using an AR boosting aura it would probably help a lot with hitting.... but if you can attack faster with shael that would be my first choice (or ias/something jewel if it gives you the same attack speed)

 

[BlizzBallerSorc]

Thanks, pharphis! I hadn't thought of Eth, so I'll look into both.

 

[BlizzBallerSorc]

It looks like I may go with Eth, unless I have a better jewel in my stash. B’s Star already has 50% IAS, so according to the online calculator, I’d need an additional 30% to get the next break point, so the 20% from the Shael won’t quite get me there.

 

[pharphis]

10% gloves? 20% gloves + ias jewel?

Anyway, whatever the choice it won't make a huge difference

You can also put an ias jewel elsewhere in your gear (including your shield)

 

[helvete]

This kind of build used to be popular in 1.09, before monsters had their HP boosted with 1.10. The idea was to run conviction, while cranking out as much elemental damage from gear as possible. For this build to work in 1.13, just go with the items you mention. It won't shine though, dual "dream" builds far surpass this old stylish build.

 

[BlizzBallerSorc]

This kind of build used to be popular in 1.09, before monsters had their HP boosted with 1.10. The idea was to run conviction, while cranking out as much elemental damage from gear as possible. For this build to work in 1.13, just go with the items you mention. It won't shine though, dual "dream" builds far surpass this old stylish build.

Interesting. This is only my second character, so I don’t have anywhere near the runes for a Dual Dream Paladin (though you never know what will drop), and Baranar’s is about as much damage as I’ll be able to get even without the elemental damage. That said, if the runes drop for the Grief Runeword, I’ll certainly take it—I’m not dead set on Baranar’s, but rather just using what I have on hand and not counting on some fantastic drop.

Obviously, this build would work nicely with a Merc wielding Infinity, but if I had the runes for that, would I really be using this build?

 

[NoisemakerArrow]

You could also get 10 IAS from the belt.

Yeah, why not? What's wrong with this build? I am going to make a Holy Freeze Zealot once I find a good Heaven's Light and I make a COH.

Guillaume, crafted Blood Gloves, COH, Highlord's, Heaven's Light, Herald, String, Raven Frosts, Gore Rider. 91% CB, almost 50% DS, high physical damage, high cold damage (+8 to all skills, + 6 Offensive GCs), helped by a Might merc with Infinity, life and mana leech, 23% DR.

 

[RobbyD]

I'd put your best jewel of thunder in the shield.

 

[maareek]

Shael or Eth definitely the front runners for socketing the weapon. PDiamond/Ral/Ort for res, Eld Rune for blocking% (saves a bunch of points in Dexterity) or a jewel seem like the most sensible choices for the shield. Also I wouldn't bother upgrading the shield as 1. Defense doesn't really matter that much and 2. Upgrading it limits your options of using it on later characters.

If you can work a way to get 40 IAS above the Baranar's 50 without giving up too much I would really advise you do it, as shaving 6 frames off an attack cycle is a big deal, but if you can't then Ething the Baranar's will still do wonders. I'd probably rather have the Eth than hit the 30IAS breakpoint, even, since that breakpoint only shaves off a single frame, unless the AR is really good.

 

[BobCox2]

I have used both but generally I tend to keep Tiamat’s Rebuke and I would P-diamond it as not worth a um IMHO but swap out the Baranar's Star for something faster and with more elemental damage especially on the low end (the 1-X00 can roll low a lot) or with a runeword.

I have found that Glimmershred or Demon's Arch is nice as you can use thrown on the AK's and others you don't want to get close to.

 

[krischan]

For Baranar's Star, the relevant IAS breakpoints with zeal (and no fana) are at 50%, 78%, 89% and 120%, but only the 89% one is worth reaching (and the 292% one ) while the others just decrease the time between separate zeal rounds. Baranar's already has 50%IAS, so it depends on your other IAS gear. I wouldn't add a gem, but perhaps Hel (saves 30 points in str which makes 90 life) or Amn. Eth might be a good idea as well, as said.

Tiamat's Rebuke has pretty bad base blocking, so an Eld rune or a +dex jewel might do a rather good job. Otherwise you could add a pdiamond, in case resists aren't maxed. If another 15% IAS makes you reach the 89% breakpoint, then it's an IAS jewel. Edit: I wouldn't add anything with a level req too much beyond Tiamat's, as you might find a better shield later and you can still use Tiamat's for leveling other characters later then.

Attack speed calculator

 

[BlizzBallerSorc]

Thanks for all the ideas everyone! Special thanks krischan for clarifying regarding IAS, and good point about upgrading Tiamat's making it less usable for future characters, mareek. I hadn't thought about that. For both items, I can still use Hel+STP to open the socket up again, right? So that would be a plus for PDiamond (for the shield) and low level runes that I wouldn't mind destroying later on to make room for something else when using with other characters.

For Baranar's Star, I'm leaning toward Eth at the moment, or a Jewel that compensates my weaknesses nicely.

For the sheild, I'll probably just wait until I get to Hell and see how my resists and blocking are shaping. Eld if blocking is lacking, the PDiamond if resists are lacking.