Speedrunning Baal

[nepeta]

Speedrunning Baal

Don't know whether you want to share your secret Baalrunning tactics before the MFO, but it seems to me it's all about luck anyway, so here's my question:

How fast do you run Baal and with how much MF? Or, if you're reluctant to share vital intel with me, what time should I be able to achieve with my fishymancer? I'm doing a run in 6 minutes now, option screen and back, is that any good time wise? Running is done on P1, for I lack a Beast and killing on P2 is just boring. I posted my gear at the bottom, I'm open to suggestions I considered changing the BKW rings for Nagelrings, but the gains on 60% more MF didn't appeal to me as did the two skills. I could have made it up with skillers, but that would take up 2x6 inventory space, and since skillers can't be fitted horizontally, I don't like it I'd really like some tips, because it's awfully boring doing all those runs, I particularly find myself picking my nose during the intermezzo between the waves when Baal does his magic dance, isn't there any way to speed him up coughing up his spawn?

Hopefully thanks for the input

regards,,

nep


Gear:

Harlequin Crest (Ptopaz)
Skulders Ire (Ptopaz)
Mara's Kaleidoscope
2x Bul Kathos' Weddingband
Thundergod's Vigour
Blade of Ali Baba / Homunculus (Pdiamond) // Naj's Puzzler
War travelers
Chanceguards

Gheeds Fortune
Summoning skillers
Resist charms

Space available: 4x4

 

[Nightfish]

This is pretty much how I do it. Well, rather how I did it when I was MFing in SC. Did about 1k runs, I reckon to get me within 20 items of the selffound grail.

http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=349147

6 minutes sound good if you're killing most of the things in WS K 2 and at least some in WS K 3 and the throne. Always depends on the spawn, of course.

 

[nepeta]

1000 runs, hmm, respect How long did a Baal run take you?

Seems you stole my gear setup although you must have died horribly on the hands (apendices?) of teh leet gloam things.

I'll try to do 500 runs in the MFO, 9 runs per hour, 8 hours a day, 7 days, see if I make it, or if my fingers give out, or my mental stamina :x

 

[kabal]

I average about 3:30 per run with my Enigmadin with p1 minions and p3 Baal carrying ~300 MF normally with another 150ish from an 'IstIst' Ali Baba on switch. I skip everything on WSK 2 and 3, and everything in the throne room except the monsters in the chamber where the minions spawn. If you're doing it for the MFO don't bother killing stuff on your way down since those don't count towards your Baal score anyways. I'd also fill up those empty slots in your inventory with charms and just use the cube to pick up and check items. It might sound slow and inefficient, but it's not like you have anything better to do while waiting for the next minion waves to spawn, so you're not really losing any time fiddling with the cube.

 

[shermo]

I average about 3:30 per run with my Enigmadin with p1 minions and p3 Baal carrying ~300 MF normally with another 150ish from an 'IstIst' Ali Baba on switch. I skip everything on WSK 2 and 3, and everything in the throne room except the monsters in the chamber where the minions spawn. If you're doing it for the MFO don't bother killing stuff on your way down since those don't count towards your Baal score anyways. I'd also fill up those empty slots in your inventory with charms and just use the cube to pick up and check items. It might sound slow and inefficient, but it's not like you have anything better to do while waiting for the next minion waves to spawn, so you're not really losing any time fiddling with the cube.

hehe, glad he's on my team

When I'm levelling I don't bother killing Baal. My hammerdin can do a p8 minion run in about 3 minutes, maybe a little bit over.

A delerium helmet on your merc will speed up your runs significantly. Why? Because the game doesn't recognise confused monsters as monsters. So baal will spawn his next wave even if there are still monsters from the previous wave. It can make things a bit hectic, but it is faster. I have a screeny of a skeleton fighting alongside a minion of destruction.

I also don't bother carrying a cube. cube = 2 fewer skillers. If anything godly drops I pick it up on my cursor and exit the game. If anything nice drops I wait until the waves are dead, pick it up on my cursor and exit. Very rarely do I get 2 nice drops in the same run.

 

[Nacaa]

A delerium helmet on your merc will speed up your runs significantly. Why? Because the game doesn't recognise confused monsters as monsters. So baal will spawn his next wave even if there are still monsters from the previous wave. It can make things a bit hectic, but it is faster. I have a screeny of a skeleton fighting alongside a minion of destruction.

Oh... that's really interesting indeed. Do you by any chance know how long the Confuse works on the minions?

A Fishymancer could really make this work in a great way with CE. Trapsin's too for that matter.

First Wave = Dies quick
Second Wave = Same
Third Wave = Confused
Fourth Wave = Confused
Fifth Wave = Start CE the bodies from Third and Fourth wave.

Shouldn't take too much time.

 

[nepeta]

Sounds cool about the Delirium, got to check my eth sup 3 OS elite headgear :/ And about the inventory, carrying 4x more skillers isn't going to do my skellies much good I think, but I'll try anyway, it won't hurt either

Also, is the aura on mercenaries capped at a certain level? Otherwise I might want to change my merc's bonehew for an Arioc's Needle, to get more +skills to might. Or I might give him a Crescent Moon for static field (for higher player settings)

 

[Summoned]

Sounds cool about the Delirium, got to check my eth sup 3 OS elite headgear :/ And about the inventory, carrying 4x more skillers isn't going to do my skellies much good I think, but I'll try anyway, it won't hurt either

Also, is the aura on mercenaries capped at a certain level? Otherwise I might want to change my merc's bonehew for an Arioc's Needle, to get more +skills to might. Or I might give him a Crescent Moon for static field (for higher player settings)

No, listen to Nacaa. Your character's a necromancer, necromancers can cast confuse without the aid of Delerium.

 

[Nightfish]

1000 runs, hmm, respect How long did a Baal run take you?

I don't really remember. Since I clean WS K 2 and the throne I think it was around 10 minutes.

Seems you stole my gear setup although you must have died horribly on the hands (apendices?) of teh leet gloam things.

I didn't die to gloams even once. Never do.

 

[nepeta]

No, listen to Nacaa. Your character's a necromancer, necromancers can cast confuse without the aid of Delerium.

Man, I feel as dumb as a sorc teleporting with Enigma :x

 

[nepeta]

Tip: upgraded Hone Sundan for killing Baal, trims down the time needed to kill with 50%. Warning: Insane dexterity requirements. (If you ever see a merc with a Ko socketed in his Guillaumes Face...) Oh well, killing speed, players 3 runs instead of players 1, hurray!

 

[Twhosel]

is everyone killing bale in hell or nightmare? My eq isn't eq isn't the best ant i cant even get to diablo with out me and my merc being killd by one hit wonders ? in hell

 

[Nightfish]

Doesn't make any sense to kill baal in NM. The stuff he can give you can be had from Hell Meph much, much easier.

 

[nepeta]

is everyone killing bale in hell or nightmare? My eq isn't eq isn't the best ant i cant even get to diablo with out me and my merc being killd by one hit wonders ? in hell

I find Diablo is much harder to run than Baal, for in Diablo's lair there are always Oblivion Knights, rotten bastards... What build are you playing by the way?

 

[jjscud]

is everyone killing bale in hell or nightmare? My eq isn't eq isn't the best ant i cant even get to diablo with out me and my merc being killd by one hit wonders ? in hell

The oblivion mages around diablo (and sometime baal's throne room) cast iron maiden. This bounces your merces damage back at him so that you most likely be your merc dealing out those one hit wonders. One option is to take away his weapon in the CS. he won't deal as much damage but won't one hit kill himself either, and you still get a tank and his aura.

Personally, I just prefer to make everything dead before my merc has to mess with it very much.

 

[nepeta]

Or you could get an eth upgd Hone and socket the helm with something else.

Any tips on this one? Seems I'll have an easier time trading for a Stormlash than an Eth Hone Sundan :/

 

[Disco-neck Ted]

Waste of a Ko to socket it in helm/armor when a perfect emerald gives the same +10 dex.

 

[nepeta]

Tell me beforehand :x

Guillaume's Face
Winged Helm
'Ko'
Defense: 217
Durability: 40 of 40
Required Strength: 115
Required Level: 39
Item Version: 1.10 Expansion
Item Level: 87
Fingerprint: 0xcf17cdb0
+15 to Strength
+10 to Dexterity
+120% Enhanced Defense
30% Faster Hit Recovery
35% Chance of Crushing Blow
15% Deadly Strike
Socketed (1: 1 used)