Which build is right for me

[TheOlympians]

Which build is right for me

im interested in making a bowazon and was wonder which build is right for me
i am mildly rich i cant get godly stuff but everything else is fair game i have limited knowlgde of amazons am more of a sorc barb nerco kinda guy but a bowazon recently struck my fancy any imput would be greatly apperciated

 

[Murderya]

A strafezon, they look so freaking cool. You don't really need godly gear. Witchwild, Fortitude, Faith(for merc), Crafted gloves, Raven Frosts, Cat's Eye. Look at the Witchwild strafezon guide that's in the sticky.

 

[Dacar92]

A strafezon is quite fun. Also, as I mentioned in anothere thread, a LF javazon is also fun to play. If this is your first attempt with a zon, maybe the LF javazon would be fun. It is not quite so dependant on gear. If you have titans, you need very little else.

 

[doraemon]

It is not quite so dependant on gear. If you have titans, you need very little else.

and 3 columns full of mana pots :wink3:

i must admit, LF zons are really fun to play, big packs = dead provided they're non lite immune...then you'd hit bita trouble.

if ur after bowazons, straferzons are the easiest to make, no synergies to take care of, no elemental immunities to be scared of, cept those pis ><, and enuf dmg to clear most packs.

have fun with whichever build you choose

 

[crawlingdeadman]

hybrid ftw!!

it's the best of both worlds; fury big packs, strafe leftovers and light immunes, and charged strike bosses/singles.

skill placement of a javazon taking out one synergy for strafe
stat placement of a bowzon (all dex)
have enough ias for a good strafe breakpoint then load up rest of gear with +skills

here's what i use on mine. she's now 92 and i've switched a few things around, but that's basically what i'm using now. i walked the game with her; every wp, every quest and i must say i've never had as much fun with another character as i've had with her.

she's taught me much about bow zons and lightning zons and although my gear is really good you can do the game with lower costing items since you have a strong main skill (fury) and a really good backup (strafe).

 

[Bladewind]

Hybrids are great if you have alot of high decent gear.

For untwinked, an LF zon (v1.11b) with a winged harpoon works all the way and even turns hell big d to swiss cheese. And that's in classic.

Tested and proven by Sirdoofuss, in HC.

 

[crawlingdeadman]

i disagree. i did highly twink my zon her entire way up and she did have no trouble whatsoever soloing in full games through normal and nm. however, on west i have started one with only a titans as her "end game" gear and she's done fine. normal up to lvl 30 was tough just like any starting character who's main endgame skill is lvl 30. once i got one point in fury everything started dropping. prior to that i was using a weak strafe and jab. this is where the hybrid part probably did better than a pure java. i would strafe or use normal bow attack when monsters were a ways away then when they got closer jab or use normal attack. the only twinkish items i had at this point were deaths gloves and sash. i know, i know those are godleh for their level and using them i am unable to say "untwinked" truely.

essentially through the early game you're a javazon so playing one untwinked is exactly like an untwinked java. you only start to need the bow skills in later parts of nm when you begin to run into LIs.

i've kinda lost track of what i was trying to say so i'll stop.

 

[Wordplay]

Plaguezon would be something different and it's what I'm playing at the moment. The bosses can be a challenge, since they are almost immune to poison, but I guess the same applies to every other elemental-based class. What makes plaguezons different, though, is that they are hit'n'run killers. Throw in a javelin, let it take effect, dead monsters and you don't necessarily even need to see them.

Plus, plaguezons are cheap to build and gain major advantage from Bramble -runeword. Double the damage, in fact, and all skill-items can raise it well past 40k after that (10k base, 10k from skills, 2x from Bramble). Basically, the only necessary skills are poison-javelin and plague-javelin, costing you only 40 skill-points in total. That leaves you about 60 points to spend anywhere you want (valkyrie, lightning-skills).

 

[Lord Nyax]

Ah, the Plaguezon. So good in Norm, so annoying to play in Hell. Though they're certainly...different, unless you have godly (as in SD level godly) levels of patience, you'll likely come over, kill Wordplay, then eat lunch, then read a book, then come back to D2, and find that Baal still hasn't dropped in life at all from your Plague Jav...it just takes too long.

My vote goes for a Passivezon. HotO + Spirit + stuff = invincible Valk, atleast according to SD and CDM (if they're lying, I'll kill atleast one of them...) and InsaneWayne. Not to mention that it's just so cool!

 

[Wordplay]

and find that Baal still hasn't dropped in life at all from your Plague Jav...it just takes too long.

Bosses can be a problem if you don't buy a 'lower resist' -wand or team up, yes. Not a problem if you play with a regular party like KTA.

 

[chipmc]

The saying that Strafers require too much high end gear to make effective is a bit of a misconception. Strafers can be pretty budget friendly. If you don't have a nice bow sitting in any of your character's stashes yet I'd suggest making a Harmony bow. Check out Wmeredith's guide:

http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=495941

A quote from one section: "Combine this RW with rune word Lionheart, Treachery or Duress for deadly-on-a-budget. You'll be surprised. (I recommend Treachery.)"

Some good cost effective uniques would include Lycander's Aim, Goldstrike Arch, and the Witch Wild String (my personal favorite of course ) Once upgraded any one of these can hold their own in Hell. And there's the Buriza too. Though it may be slow, it still packs a punch.

Of course, Windforces arn't all that expensive these days. Its been a little while, but the last time I was on USEast you could get one for a Pul. Give or take a little depending on how much ML it had.

As far as the rest of your gear goes they can be cost effective too. I've already given you a small list of suitable armors up there. I'd suggest the Smoke runeword as well if you find price and resists to be an issue. A Tal's mask, Laying of Hands, Cat's Eye, Razortail, and low Ravenfrosts are all extremely effective on a Strafer and can be bought for a few pgems a peice. For your boots Waterwalks are nice "all-around" boots. Wartravs might be pushing the price tag a little, but there's really no better boots out there for a Strafer.

Also put a point in Frozen Arrow. I always put at least one point in this on all my bowies. A one point FA will stop enemies in their tracks for quite a while depending on how much extra cold damage you have from your other gear. That is, of course, the enemies in question are not cold immune.

And lastly, get enough IAS for a 9/2 Strafe breakpoint. 8/2 if you can swing it.