05-13-2003, 01:02 AM
Hello Malo,
In Diablo, a high speed bow and sufficient damage ensure you can hold (nearly) any opponent stunlocked until it dies. From that point of view, there can be no doubt: massive/swiftness is the best there is.
Still, I always preferred Windforce, for several reasons. First of all, I liked to use unique items. Secondly, I was, and perhaps still am, a lousy rogue player who needed the knockback to stay alive. Overcoming the awkward effect was a lesser challenge as certain monsters posed. Another reason was that a bear bow offered some mob control, eliminating the need to hit-and-run for each large group. Apart from all that, I didn't mind it was one of the highest damage bows around, and pretty easy to find.
Since long, I no longer look upon the bear effect as awkward. It turned out to be a versatile tool, which allowed for new tricks and tactics to explore. And once you got used to it, that 'knocking around' wasn't making things harder at all. I realized you no longer needed to kill the monsters immediately, as long as you had their walking path covered (with ranged attackers, you retreat a little to get them walking first, ofcourse). Yes, you do have to apply some skills for it to work, but most do not really differ from the basic skills for 'normal' archery you can find described on the better Diablo sites (like using shift, lining up and shooting along walls).
I'm not saying Windforce is better against certain opponents. A massive/swiftness bow can take out any single target faster. In fact, I'll admit that one type of monster can turn knockback into a nightmare: chargers. If they are not dead by the time they are pushed to more then 4 tiles range, they will charge you. And charging monsters are immune to everything. Monsters who don't follow, like mages, can be a little tougher then average. However, once you have them lined up and facing you, its usually over for them, the only drawback remaining that they might die far away against some wall.
In coop, knockback is just what you want it to be: hated or helpful. Shooting at monsters when they are about to be hit by your warrior partner, is seldom welcomed. Not unlike with fireballs, for that matter. But you can also use it to keep others from being overwhelmed, or to stall monsters so that others can have their share in the kill.
With Windy and some practice, you can control a large group of attackers almost as easily as one or two. That is where its strength lies: not in killing monsters, but in controlling them. And if you think such can be more fun then being the fastest killer, Windforce will surely be your favorite bow.
In Diablo, a high speed bow and sufficient damage ensure you can hold (nearly) any opponent stunlocked until it dies. From that point of view, there can be no doubt: massive/swiftness is the best there is.
Still, I always preferred Windforce, for several reasons. First of all, I liked to use unique items. Secondly, I was, and perhaps still am, a lousy rogue player who needed the knockback to stay alive. Overcoming the awkward effect was a lesser challenge as certain monsters posed. Another reason was that a bear bow offered some mob control, eliminating the need to hit-and-run for each large group. Apart from all that, I didn't mind it was one of the highest damage bows around, and pretty easy to find.
Since long, I no longer look upon the bear effect as awkward. It turned out to be a versatile tool, which allowed for new tricks and tactics to explore. And once you got used to it, that 'knocking around' wasn't making things harder at all. I realized you no longer needed to kill the monsters immediately, as long as you had their walking path covered (with ranged attackers, you retreat a little to get them walking first, ofcourse). Yes, you do have to apply some skills for it to work, but most do not really differ from the basic skills for 'normal' archery you can find described on the better Diablo sites (like using shift, lining up and shooting along walls).
I'm not saying Windforce is better against certain opponents. A massive/swiftness bow can take out any single target faster. In fact, I'll admit that one type of monster can turn knockback into a nightmare: chargers. If they are not dead by the time they are pushed to more then 4 tiles range, they will charge you. And charging monsters are immune to everything. Monsters who don't follow, like mages, can be a little tougher then average. However, once you have them lined up and facing you, its usually over for them, the only drawback remaining that they might die far away against some wall.
In coop, knockback is just what you want it to be: hated or helpful. Shooting at monsters when they are about to be hit by your warrior partner, is seldom welcomed. Not unlike with fireballs, for that matter. But you can also use it to keep others from being overwhelmed, or to stall monsters so that others can have their share in the kill.
With Windy and some practice, you can control a large group of attackers almost as easily as one or two. That is where its strength lies: not in killing monsters, but in controlling them. And if you think such can be more fun then being the fastest killer, Windforce will surely be your favorite bow.