Best 8 person hardcore ironman party...

[algoresleftnut]

Going to get 8 people together for an ironman hardcore deally... Just curious what the best party would be...

I'm thinking a convic pally
a fanat pally
a conc pally
barb with some good warcries and beserk
a necro with amp and lower res
sorc
werebear with how
wolf with oak

Any improvements?... Looking for a group where every character benefits the group as a whole damage, ar, or life wise...

[Baylan]

Excuse me for this off-topic interruption, but am I the only one who finds his name just slightly... disgusting?

Let me put it this way, his name is algoresleftnut. With spaces wouldn't that be Al Gore's Left Nut? Thanks for the disgusting image.

Anyway, I don't think you will really find 'improvements' here. Most of us here aren't min-maxers, but people who enjoy a good hard game. Anyway, wouldn't an 8 man team that was entirely based around damage, ar, and life be just a *little* bit easy? *shrug* To each his own, I suppose. In this case anyway.

Baylan

[Layzd]

An amazon with slow missle and valkyrie could help. As with the necro having a few revives to get more bodies out there.

Sincerely,
Layzd

p.s. youre name is disturbing. >_<

[D-Dave]

Unless those 8 players are absolutely hopelessly unskilled, bad equipped, all the same character class and disorganized no party of 8 should have any real problems finishing the game. (not even in iron man)

If you are planning on some team effort I'd clearly go for a "themed" team which can be anything from ridiculously strong to hilariously weak (which can be even more fun).

Suggestion List (all tested and rated A+ on the fun ranking)

The Ancients (party of 3 Barbarians, resembeling our most beloved HC challenge: Korlic [Pole leaper] Madawc [Double Thrower] Talic [Sword/Shield Whirlwinder] )

Night of the walking Dead (Necro's only, one cursing, rest mucho skeletons, mages and revives plus some auxilary skills...biggest team we managed without major lag issues was 5 [imagine landing ~4 x 45 minions at any swarmed wp or tp, funny but lots of invisibility moments])

Disco Boys (Paladins only, auras chosen primarily for looks: Salvation (Rainbow Boy), Redemption (Smoke FX Boy), Holy Fire (Pyro FX Boy), Sanctuary (Starlight Boy), Holy Freeze (Cryo FX Boy), Holy Shock (Electic FX Boy), Conviction (Radiactive Boy) and Concentration (Dancefloor Lighting Boy) extra style points are awarded for using paladins non melee offensive potential

He-Man and Friends (anyone remember them?) He-Man (obviously the usual barbarian poser, needs a blond wig though) She-Ra his female companion (melee Amazon) Man at Arms (support Paladin) Skeletor (turned to the good side, Necro with bone helmet)
probably more, but i cannot remember the names nor what they were like...

Cookie cutter Artillery Battle Squad (One Amazon supported by her little helpers; only goal: maximizing damage output and safety of the amazon [need to stay away from uber damage bows as this makes the rest of the team pretty much pointless] Concentration Paladin, Might Paladin, Fanaticism Paladin, Conviction Paladin, Amp Damage Necro, HoW Druid
(Hint: create the Amazon on an independant account so everyone in the party can take the role of the gunner from time to time)

[Sen]

A few people at the Amazon Basin took a party of naked HC characters through the game.
I think some of them allowed themselves jewellry and circlets. I think some of the melee characters had weapons.
That makes you learn teamwork, especially w.r.t. LEBs.

[Occhidiangela]

Best? I'd suggest that the less melee item dependent the party was, the better. Mana regenerates, life doesn't, so getting hit becomes anathema.

One Singing Barbarian with Battle Orders
One Summoning Druid using Oak Sage
Two Sorceresses, one maxing Fire, one Lightning
One Necro for curses, CE, Golems and-or Revives
One Paladin, pick the aura depending on Location
Amazon Raw Fire Power
One elemental Assassin

Suggest either Act I, II, or V mercs to taste.

There will be enough minions to act as blockers, and the spell casters/ranged attackers simply AoE smear the monsters.

[Any1]

For pure physical damage:

Paladin w/ Concentration + Might Merc
Paladin w/ Fanat (maybe two because of range)
Werewolf w/ HoW
Necro w/ Amp Damage
Amazon w/ Strafe and/or Multi

You don't really need HP boost skills, since everything will melt away with one blow.

For Pure elemental damage:

Paladin w/ Conviction
Necro w/ Lower Resists
Sorc w/ FW, Meteor, and FM
Sorc w/ Nova, TS, and LM
Sorc w/ FO, Blizzard, and CM
Trap Assassin

Again HP boost is really not necessary.

[Kevin]

Problem is that Iron Man rules, the last time I checked, only allow Act I, and Act III mercs, because you can only go to town for quest related purposes, you can only talk to someone if it relates to a quest. That means you can get your "free" rogue and the Act III's are allowed because you used to be able to get one for free before LoD made mercs permanent. So, the Iron Man rules allowed you to hire one after completing the quest, but you have to take the first one on the list to simulate the random. If the merc dies, it stays dead. This means you can get a new one in NM or Hell after completing the appropriate quest.

Now the rules may have changed, or you could play by other rules, but then it wouldn't be Iron Man.

I do agree that since equipment will be scarce (only what you find), that ranged can be a big advantage. Bolts and arrows aren't hard to find. Mana pots are plentiful. Leech will be scarce because those things don't drop that often.

It should be fun though.

[dabea93]

Unless those 8 players are absolutely hopelessly unskilled, bad equipped, all the same character class and disorganized no party of 8 should have any real problems finishing the game. (not even in iron man)

If you are planning on some team effort I'd clearly go for a "themed" team which can be anything from ridiculously strong to hilariously weak (which can be even more fun).

Suggestion List (all tested and rated A+ on the fun ranking)

The Ancients (party of 3 Barbarians, resembeling our most beloved HC challenge: Korlic [Pole leaper] Madawc [Double Thrower] Talic [Sword/Shield Whirlwinder] )

Night of the walking Dead (Necro's only, one cursing, rest mucho skeletons, mages and revives plus some auxilary skills...biggest team we managed without major lag issues was 5 [imagine landing ~4 x 45 minions at any swarmed wp or tp, funny but lots of invisibility moments])

Disco Boys (Paladins only, auras chosen primarily for looks: Salvation (Rainbow Boy), Redemption (Smoke FX Boy), Holy Fire (Pyro FX Boy), Sanctuary (Starlight Boy), Holy Freeze (Cryo FX Boy), Holy Shock (Electic FX Boy), Conviction (Radiactive Boy) and Concentration (Dancefloor Lighting Boy) extra style points are awarded for using paladins non melee offensive potential

He-Man and Friends (anyone remember them?) He-Man (obviously the usual barbarian poser, needs a blond wig though) She-Ra his female companion (melee Amazon) Man at Arms (support Paladin) Skeletor (turned to the good side, Necro with bone helmet)
probably more, but i cannot remember the names nor what they were like...

Cookie cutter Artillery Battle Squad (One Amazon supported by her little helpers; only goal: maximizing damage output and safety of the amazon [need to stay away from uber damage bows as this makes the rest of the team pretty much pointless] Concentration Paladin, Might Paladin, Fanaticism Paladin, Conviction Paladin, Amp Damage Necro, HoW Druid
(Hint: create the Amazon on an independant account so everyone in the party can take the role of the gunner from time to time)

She-Ra his female companion (melee Amazon)

Wasnt she-ra he mans sister?
:huh:

[D-Dave]

She-Ra his female companion (melee Amazon)

Wasnt she-ra he mans sister?

That may well be, but the time of watching cartoons sunday morning were approximately 20 years ago so don't be too picky about this little mistake...please :ph34r:

-dave

[Casperi]

I think his female companion was Teela (Man-at-arms's daughter). She-Ra was another cartoon, a similar one marketed to girls.

Maybe you could have two groups in one game: He-Man, Man-At-Arms, Teela, etc. on one team and Skeletorr, Beast-Man, Evil-Lynn on another. Make separate parties and compete to see who can solve the quests first.

[kandrathe]

If I recollect correctly, She-Ra was He-Man's sister. But, in the androgenously psuedo-sexual world of cartoons, its pretty hard to distinguish to whom they were coupled.