Defiany Paladin Build

[DarkPriest]

Hi all. Sup?

Been idle for a while.
Here is another unusual build. A defiant paladin. I figure why not try something new?
A defiant pally is basically a zealot, except that you use Defiance aura rather than fanaticism.
Basically you maximize the following:

- Defiance ( 20 pts)
- Holy Shield ( 20 pts )
- Zeal ( 20 pts )
- Sacrifice ( 20 pts )
the remaining are wasted pre-requisites, a few in Smite , and a few in Salvation for resistance against casters.

Now here is the idea:
The synergy between Defiance and Holy Shield gives you very high defence. Much higher than a Fanat Zealer could hope to have. Further more, there is a bug with the Exile runeword shield. The lvl 15 Defiance aura that the shield gives you stacks with your own Defiance, giving you a base total of lvl 35 Defiance.( much in the same way that the Marrowalk bug stacks the bone armor totals ). An additional +5 from various items , and you will have lvl 40. Add this to Holy Shield , wear a high defence armor like Stone Sacred armor, and your defence will border on the obscene. We're talking over 50 k here.

The gear i tried in single player is as follows ( lvl 80 paladin )

- armor : Stone Shadowplate ( i think this is the highest defence armor in Diablo2)
- helmet : Giant Skull ( socketed with 2 max ed/as jewels of fervor )
- belt : T-Gods
- boots: Goreriders or 15/15 Sandstorm Treks
- shield: Exile Vortex Shield ( Godly defence there, and the bug makes the Defiance stack for a higher total )
-ammy : Highlord's Wrath
-rings : 2x Frostravens
-Weapon : ?????
- Gloves : 44% ed Steel Rend


Consider this: A Defiant Zealer will have to sacrifice high damage for high Defence. He cannot rely on Zeal alone to deliver the damage ( The fanat zealer is superior in this area ) For this reason, the Defiant must rely on Crushing Blow and Deadly Strike to deliver the damage. It is for this reason i chose :

-Giant Skull ( it gives 10 % Crushing Blow and excellent Strength boost needed to wear the Shadowplate or Sacred armor . I also socketed it with 2 ed/ias jewels )
-SteelRends (another 10 % crushing blow and good Str bonus - tho not quite as good as GSkull)
-Goreriders ( it gives 15 % Crushing Blow and 15 % deadly strike , but the downside is no Str and Vit. bonus . I may opt for Sandstorm treks instead )
-Highlord's Wrath ( potentially high deadly strike % )

Weapon: I am not sure. many options available and your suggestions are welcome. ( a few names are candidates, notably LAST WISH and DEATH runewords )

I plan to make a melee paladin capable of challenging Fanat Zealers and ww barbs .


Any ideas???

[Sirbub]

Couple things I see theat you may want to think about.

1. If you plan on doing any PvM in hell you have to be carefull of the Knights that cast Amplify Damge on you which would negate any armor what so ever.

2. One thing that Fan gives you that you may be by passing is atk rating and for PvP the more atk the better. Personally I have an 81 zealer with max fan and zeal, 2 angel rings and ammy and I only have 13000 atk atm.


Just my thoughts
Sirbub

[adeyke]

1.  If you plan on doing any PvM in hell you have to be carefull of the Knights that cast Amplify Damge on you which would negate any armor what so ever.
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I'm not sure what you mean by this. Amp will decrease your physical resistance by 100%. It won't have any effect on your defense.

[Occhidiangela]

Couple things I see theat you may want to think about.

1.   If you plan on doing any PvM in hell you have to be carefull of the Knights that cast Amplify Damge on you which would negate any armor what so ever.

2.   One thing that Fan gives you that you may be by passing is atk rating and for PvP the more atk the better.  Personally I have an 81 zealer with max fan and zeal, 2 angel rings and ammy and I only have 13000 atk atm. 
Just my thoughts
Sirbub
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Last I checked, and as discussed at Tommi Gustafsen's page, Amp Damage multiplies damage, it does not negate DR. Cloak of Shadows, Inner Sight, and Conviction negate DR. Amp Damage does not.

Amp does significantly impact the % Damage Reduction's beneficial protective effects, but does not change base DR. When you do get hit, you get whacked for, nominally, double damage. 0% Damage Reduction hits you for 50 points, being cursed or Amped for -100% Damage Reduced yields 100 points. If you had 50% Damage Reduced un Amped, you'd only take 25 points. If you had 50% Damage Reduced and got hit with amp, you'd take 75 points. (3x what you expected.

If you get hit.

I don't think this has changed? You sure you quoted the correct Curse?

Occhi

EDIT: Looks like adeyke got his post in while I was editing. Scooped again! :blink:

[DarkPriest]

Last I checked, and as discussed at Tommi Gustafsen's page, Amp Damage multiplies damage, it does not negate DR.  Cloak of Shadows, Inner Sight, and Conviction negate DR.  Amp Damage does not. 

Amp does significantly impact the % Damage Reduction's beneficial protective effects, but does not change base DR.  When you do get hit, you get whacked for, nominally, double damage.  0% Damage Reduction hits you for 50 points, being cursed or Amped for -100% Damage Reduced yields 100 points.  If you had 50% Damage Reduced un Amped, you'd only take 25 points.  If you had 50% Damage Reduced and got hit with amp, you'd take 75 points.  (3x what you expected.

If you get hit.

I don't think this has changed?  You sure you quoted the correct Curse?

Occhi

EDIT: Looks like adeyke got his post in while I was editing.  Scooped again!  :blink:
[right][snapback]73622[/snapback][/right]

[DarkPriest]

Hi all. Sup?

Been idle for a while.
Here is another unusual build. A defiant paladin. I figure why not try something new?
A defiant pally is basically a zealot, except that you use Defiance aura rather than fanaticism.
Basically you maximize the following:

- Defiance ( 20 pts)
- Holy Shield ( 20 pts )
- Zeal  ( 20 pts )
- Sacrifice ( 20 pts )
the remaining are wasted pre-requisites, a few in Smite , and a few in Salvation for resistance against casters.

Now here is the idea:
The synergy between Defiance and Holy Shield gives you very high defence. Much higher than a Fanat Zealer could hope to have. Further more, there is a bug with the Exile runeword shield. The lvl 15 Defiance aura that the shield gives you stacks with your own Defiance, giving you a base total of lvl 35 Defiance.( much in the same way that the Marrowalk bug stacks the bone armor totals ). An additional +5 from various items , and you will have lvl 40. Add this to Holy Shield , wear a high defence armor like  Stone Sacred armor, and your defence will border on the obscene. We're talking over 50 k here.

The gear i tried in single player is as follows ( lvl 80 paladin )

- armor :  Stone Shadowplate ( i think this is the highest defence armor in Diablo2)
- helmet : Giant Skull ( socketed with 2 max ed/as jewels of fervor )
- belt :     T-Gods
- boots:   Goreriders or 15/15 Sandstorm Treks
- shield:  Exile Vortex Shield ( Godly defence there, and the bug makes the Defiance stack for a higher total )
-ammy : Highlord's Wrath
-rings   : 2x Frostravens
-Weapon : ?????
- Gloves : 44% ed Steel Rend
Consider this: A Defiant Zealer will have to sacrifice high damage for high Defence. He cannot rely on Zeal alone to deliver the damage ( The fanat zealer is superior in this area ) For this reason, the Defiant must rely on Crushing Blow and Deadly Strike to deliver the damage. It is for this reason i chose :

-Giant Skull ( it gives 10 % Crushing Blow and excellent Strength boost needed to wear the Shadowplate or Sacred armor . I also socketed it with 2 ed/ias jewels )
-SteelRends (another 10 % crushing blow and good Str bonus - tho not quite as good as GSkull)
-Goreriders ( it gives 15 % Crushing Blow and 15 % deadly strike , but the downside is no Str and Vit. bonus . I may opt for Sandstorm treks instead )
-Highlord's Wrath ( potentially high deadly strike % )

Weapon: I am not sure. many options available and your suggestions are welcome. ( a few names are candidates, notably LAST WISH and DEATH runewords )

I plan to make a melee paladin capable of challenging Fanat Zealers and ww barbs .
Any ideas???
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[DarkPriest]

I still cant figure out which weapon is best :whistling:

DEATH?
LAST WISH?
OR BEAST?

[DarkPriest]

sorry about the double post.
please ignore

[Occhidiangela]

I still cant figure out which weapon is best  :whistling:
DEATH?
LAST WISH?
OR BEAST?
[right][snapback]73673[/snapback][/right]

BEST? What do you mean by that? Should I presume that you will use a Might Merc? If so, Last Wish drops off the list and then, for my money, if getting your hands on runes is no object Death or Beast are full of fun for the whole family.

Death

100% Chance To Cast Level 44 Chain Lightning When You Die
Who cares?
25% Chance To Cast Level 18 Glacial Spike On Attack
197-213 Cold Damage per pop. With a fast enough Zeal . . . PI's start to get cold feet when seeing you approach.
Indestructible
No repair costs, which is nice I think, and you can make an Ethereal Sword into this. As this boosts Base damage by 50%, not to be sniffed at.
+300-385% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Not as big a boost as Beast, see below for why.
20% Bonus To Attack Rating
Never hurts.
+50 To Attack Rating
BFD
Adds 1-50 Lightning Damage
BFD
7% Mana Stolen Per Hit
Keeps you zealing
50% Chance of Crushing Blow
Excellent feature, though PI's will laugh in your face. ONly one or two items needed to max this out.
+0.5-50% (per Character Level) Deadly Strike (Based on Character Level)
What's not to like? you double damage 4 to 5 times out of each 10 swings.
+1 To Light Radius
BFD
Level 22 Blood Golem (15 Charges)
YAY! Fun for the whole family, and he heals you should you ever get hit, but he is the most likely reason to cause you to lose HP since you are in the insane DR mode.
Requirements -20%
What's not to like?

Marvelous Piñata weapon. It lacks ITD. BG gives at least some comic relief.

Beast?

Level 9 Fanaticism Aura When Equipped See what that does for ED in the +186%
+40% Increased Attack Speed Actually, +69IAS, since you get the Fanat bonus as well.
+240-270% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Add Fanats 186%ED to 240-270 and you get 426-456% ED. Add 25-40% ED from the Strength boost puts you in teh 480-500 ED range.
20% Chance of Crushing Blow
Needs help from other items
25% Chance of Open Wounds
Needs help from other items.
+3 To Werebear
+3 To Lycanthropy
I don't remember if you can Zeal in this form, but add 64% ED and +35% DR if so. Like you need more defense. Wheeeeee! Call this character "The 46 Defense" (Chicago Bears Super Bowl defense)
Prevent Monster Heal
Handy when dispatching Diablo XP for your friends.
+25-40 To Strength (varies)
See the ED issue.
+10 To Energy
BFD
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
BFD
Level 13 Summon Grizzly (5 Charges)
FUN! Your Defiance Aura helps him avoid being hit, and your Fanat makes him faster and more deadly. His life is a bit low for Hell Monsters, he'll tend to drop.

Yet another lovely Piñata weapon.

I'd take Beast Piñata over Death Piñata, particularly if you can Zeal in Werebear form. You have to have the runes first. Otherwise, since your stated intent is to get the Deadly Strike and CB up, take the Death item and use a few extra points to boost Dex. In any event, a Might Merc would be a good choice if your feel Damage boosting is the most important criterion. Might at 17 gives +200ED . . . since you are going for insane uberness, why not equip him with an ethereal Silence War Pike . . . the +2 skills adds to Might which helps you, a Tarn Helm and any +2 Skills Armor for the insane boost.

If you are going to go nuts, go completely nuts. If this character iis aimed at Duelling, an ITD weapon makes your build irrelevant, and the CB does not work versus other players.

Or just for the heck of it. That is always a good reason to make a build. :)

Occhi

[Daemon]

Requirements -20%

Beast? 

Level 9 Fanaticism Aura When Equipped  See what that does for ED in the +186%
+40% Increased Attack Speed Actually, +69IAS, since you get the Fanat bonus as well.
+240-270% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Add Fanats 186%ED to 240-270 and you get 426-456% ED.  Add 25-40% ED from the Strength boost puts you in teh 480-500 ED range. 
+10 To Energy

I think Beast's 240-270% ED counts as On-Weapon ED. As for the Fanat 186% ED and the STR bonus', those count as Off-Weapon ED iirc, so they cannot simply be added.

If this character iis aimed at Duelling, an ITD weapon makes your build irrelevant, and the CB does not work versus other players.
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I thought ITD did not work in PvP? Unless the Eth rune bug is still around... <_<
Cheers!

-D

[DarkPriest]

Speaking of high defence::

I had a friend of mine quick-build a lvl 75 barb on single playr, and, using local connection, had him use SHOUT on me. ( the one that increases defence )

my defence reached a total of exactly 58,655
ROFLMAO

Does anyone know of a weapon or item that has Shout ability ( charges ).

We know that CtA has Bo And Bc but no shout..
:whistling:

[Occhidiangela]

I think Beast's 240-270% ED counts as On-Weapon ED.&nbsp; As for the Fanat 186% ED and the STR bonus', those count as Off-Weapon ED iirc, so they cannot simply be added.
I thought ITD did not work in PvP?&nbsp; Unless the Eth rune bug is still around... <_<
Cheers!

-D
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Good points to raise! :D If it is on weapon ED, then that tilts the advantage further to Beast's benifit. :)

The PvP ITD, not sure either. I had thought Eth bug fixed in 1.09.

Occhi

[adeyke]

I think Beast's 240-270% ED counts as On-Weapon ED.&nbsp; As for the Fanat 186% ED and the STR bonus', those count as Off-Weapon ED iirc, so they cannot simply be added.

Quite right.

I thought ITD did not work in PvP?&nbsp; Unless the Eth rune bug is still around... <_<
Cheers!

-D
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ITD indeed has no effect in PvP. The Eth bug was fixed. Eth runes (and similar effects) work at half effectiveness against players (and bosses, etc.).

[DarkPriest]

i tried Beast

you can't zeal in werebear form :angry:

[Occhidiangela]

i tried Beast

you can't zeal in werebear form&nbsp; :angry:
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Rats. That would have been so cool. Guess it's just a gimmick, unless you are a werebear druid . . .

Occhi