06-25-2012, 10:33 PM
With my Wizard for nightmare and hell, I use Magic Missle-Seeker and Venom Hydra for offense. On defense, I have Diamond Skin, Teleport, Frost Nova-Cold Snap, and Energy Armor. Seeker doesn't become available until level 52, and I often get to the entrance to nightmare Diablo's lair at around level 51, so I stay back to level in nightmare until I get to 52. With this setup, if you play absolutely perfectly, you won't take any damage from Diablo at all. Since it's nearly impossible to play perfectly, you'll take a few hits here and there, but the encounter will still be trivial.
In phases 1 and 3, when you are in his main chamber, toss out a venom hydra, run around to the opposite side of one of the two crystal pillars from Diablo, and shoot magic missle-seekers around the corner. When he teleports to you, Frost Nova him, run around the pillar, refresh your hydra and cast more magic missles. If he teleports on you again before Frost Nova comes off cooldown, teleport away. When he fires his red fire attack that spawns the firey pool, try to get out of the area before it lands, but if you can't get far enough away before it lands, Diamond Skin to absorb any damage from the fire ticks. When he starts casting cages, run around and watch for the black patches on the ground. If you're moving, you usually won't get caught by the cages, but sometimes a black patch might appear in front of you, so you might have to turn. When he stops casting the cages, refresh your hydra, get on the other side of a pillar and cast magic missle seekers at him again. The lightning breath and fire explosion attacks are trivial, because they will be stopped by the pillar.
During the shadow phase, I haven't come up with anything fancier than cast hydra, run around keeping Diablo at a distance, and fire off some magic missle seekers when you have plenty of distance on him. When D teleports on you, again Frost Nova or Teleport. The clones are easy to take out from a distance as you noted. 4-5 magic missle seekers plus any damage from the hydra should more than easily take them out. Some people have mentioned that you can run away from the clones and eventually they will despawn on their own. However, I don't do that because the Wizard clones are so easily killed and I don't want to have to deal with them and Diablo at the same time. However, I may sing a different tune when I get to Diablo in Inferno.
In phases 1 and 3, when you are in his main chamber, toss out a venom hydra, run around to the opposite side of one of the two crystal pillars from Diablo, and shoot magic missle-seekers around the corner. When he teleports to you, Frost Nova him, run around the pillar, refresh your hydra and cast more magic missles. If he teleports on you again before Frost Nova comes off cooldown, teleport away. When he fires his red fire attack that spawns the firey pool, try to get out of the area before it lands, but if you can't get far enough away before it lands, Diamond Skin to absorb any damage from the fire ticks. When he starts casting cages, run around and watch for the black patches on the ground. If you're moving, you usually won't get caught by the cages, but sometimes a black patch might appear in front of you, so you might have to turn. When he stops casting the cages, refresh your hydra, get on the other side of a pillar and cast magic missle seekers at him again. The lightning breath and fire explosion attacks are trivial, because they will be stopped by the pillar.
During the shadow phase, I haven't come up with anything fancier than cast hydra, run around keeping Diablo at a distance, and fire off some magic missle seekers when you have plenty of distance on him. When D teleports on you, again Frost Nova or Teleport. The clones are easy to take out from a distance as you noted. 4-5 magic missle seekers plus any damage from the hydra should more than easily take them out. Some people have mentioned that you can run away from the clones and eventually they will despawn on their own. However, I don't do that because the Wizard clones are so easily killed and I don't want to have to deal with them and Diablo at the same time. However, I may sing a different tune when I get to Diablo in Inferno.