(06-06-2012, 05:21 PM)ima_nerd Wrote: I made it to the Sin Hearts portion of A3-NM last night. I've been dreading the Phasebeasts since I saw them in Normal. I knew they would be the first boss packs with the potential to be extremely deadly.
I find Soul Rippers to be far deadlier. Phase Beasts you can at least kite to a point, while Soul Rippers have such huge range with their tongues (to say nothing of the damage, which trumps Phase Beast).
(06-06-2012, 05:21 PM)ima_nerd Wrote: I've had minor trouble with various boss packs during my time in NM but this was the first one that I really had no chance to defeat without dying at least once. I can slog through them well enough but I'm thinking ahead to Hell (trying to not think about Inferno). Even without two immobilizing powers it's hard to avoid getting trapped on the narrow walkways. I'm considering swapping SS or even Sentry for Vault with Rattling Roll. What strategies have y'all used to avoid getting cornered?
Learning how to properly kite is a skill that takes practice to get right, and relies heavily on situational awareness. That said, knowing when (and where) to place your Caltrops so you're not constantly out of Discipline, combined with Numbing Traps for those times when you do get cornered, and Impale - Impact to break the flow of mobs while kiting, as well as spamming it to tear down a mob's health rapidly are all essential things to learn for your build. 2.1k DPS is plenty for NM, although your health could definitely use some work.
Beyond that, I'd say just keep practicing with your positioning and kiting. Experiment in the fields of Act I, where mobs aren't too plentiful, are easy to avoid, and you have lots of space to run. Then try your mettle in the Halls of Agony, where mobs are more challenging, hit harder, and move faster - in addition to narrow pathways, twisting corners, and plenty of obstructions in the landscape. If there's one thing that farming Halls > Warden > Butcher in Inferno has taught me, it's how to kite, as well as subtler nuances like when (and where) I can take a (albeit brief) stand under cover of my Caltrops (with Numbing Traps passive) and Sentry - Guardian Turret.
Roland *The Gunslinger*