Beserk Barb

[Vash]

1) The bad news: I'm constantly getting block-locked with my berserk barb. He has about 70% effective blocking. He's using the unique pavise (which does not give any fast block). Should I be using a shield with fast block? Or should I just be more careful about running into crowds.

2) The good news: I just 3 chipped a 296% Cruel Colossus Blade! My first one ever! Yay! I'm wondering what I should put in it. Would putting shael in be a waste (as in should I be holding out for a jewel that gives both damage and speed)? If I were to put shaels in, how many should put in?

[whereagles]

I had a berserk baba once. To avoid blocklock you just spam that stunning warcry and then *whack whack whack* :D

[Dozer]

To #1: Try putting a Shael in the shield. that 20% faster block will really improve it (IIRC).
To #2: Jewels with %ed AND IAS are SUPER rare - someone got the probability down somewhere, but I can't find it :/. But two shaels and an ed would work really well, and that -35 on the speed will hit the last WW breakpoint..... oh wait, you're a beserker, so that doesn't matter :D . Put in one shael, and see if that is fast enough for you, then put the second one in if it's not. Congrats on the sword by the way, you are very lucky ^^

[Vash]

Would it make me even more of a bastard if I told you that I started playing on closed B.net again 5 days ago? :lol:

But don't feel too bad...I've been trying to chip a cruel C Blade for months on single player =)

Edit: About shaeling a shield...20% fast block will be good....but would an additional 20% (40% total) make much of a difference?

[Wrathraven]

for any kind of Berserk build, I'd heavily advise using War Cry to keep your enemies at bay. Things like stacked Apparitions are ANNOYING and tough to handle with Berserk, but toss a War Cry every couple of seconds and they will drop like flies with next to no damage to you. 1 point + whatever +skills you have is all you need to make your life much easier.

[Vash]

Stun length for a level 1 warcry (or even say level 5) is very short in hell. 1 point is enough?

[SwiftSlayer2]

Heh... Im using a 298% ccb on my WW barb : P Just thought I would throw that in there.

Swiftslayer2

[gekko]

Stun length for a level 1 warcry (or even say level 5) is very short in hell.  1 point is enough?

Duration is not reduced in NM or hell. And the trick is, you'll figure out very quickly that if it's still alive with you berserking it with a 296 CCB while stunned (did anyone mention that the warcry stun is 100% unblockable and works even on most bosses and uniques?), you should definately be getting the heck out of there before the stun wears off.

That warcry is so much fun.

gekko

[Vash]

Hmm...I was under the impression that stun length, like freeze length, is reduced for nm and hell.

[Sir_Die_alot]

I used a shield with my berserk barb and had the same problem as you, plus my damage wasn't what I wanted it to be. The solution? Ditch the shield go 2 handed. Use warcry to stun and you should find things become easier. Even better; you won't have to worry about blizzard's ridiculess blocking formula. :P

[Wrathraven]

Hmm...I was under the impression that stun length, like freeze length, is reduced for nm and hell.

nope, 1 point + warcry skills is all you need (like most warcries), you should be able to get 2 secs of stun easily. War Cry/Berserk is the only way I can effectively deal with ghosts.

[whereagles]

From experience, I can tell warcry works on every monster, though I realized it was on a percentage basis. For instance, I could stun Lister's minions no prob, but Lister himself would only get stunned like 20% of the time. Baal, Meph and Diablo you can't stun, but I think I remember Duriel and Andariel being stunned.

In any case, there is some random chance in the stun formula, so if any of the workshop gurus cares to decode it, we'll know for sure :)

Berserk babo works great. Here are some xtra tips from my experience again

- You don't need sheild, but you need good resists to get close to elemental monsters and stun them.
- Warcry lev 20 is mucho better than 1+skills. It's weapon masta and battle orders you don't need to max. 15 is enuff.
- Use some dam -> mana item. Or mana leech + alternative weap slot 2. You need mana to feed warcry.
- Hire prayer merc. Otherwise you gonna need a bunch of potions.
- After 1.10 you prolly want to use some deadly strike items like Gorerider boots, Highlord's amulet, etc..

[Logic_X]

Warcry IS blockable (i've tested this many times....and barbarians aren't even my primary.....trust me - it's blockable). Also it has a lower % chance of effecting bosses/uniques/champions than standard enemies (100% chance on normal enemies...like 30-40% chance on champions, little less on superuniques and bosses).

I recommend a Might merc or a Holy Freeze merc personally.....might will ramp up that berzerk damage......or holy freeze can slow them down even more (warcry + holy freeze = they aren't goin anywhere).

Shield vs. No-shield is a kinda underground debate from what i've heard....at higher levels I'd go with shield...but lower levels I'd go without a shield. reasoning is as follows:

even though your defense hits 0 with berzerk, it's still part of the formula (ie it exists) - and the chance to hit formula is still taken into account (also a few enemies have "ignore target defense" already in their attacks.....about 1/4-1/3rd of the enemies in the game). At high levels - they will miss more often because of your level (it will offset their AR after a certain point) - and you can dodge the attacks based on level alone. Where at low levels they have the advantage over you, and will hit you 95% of the time defaulting to the shield (and thusly block lock).

FBR will help.... a 2 shael moser's blocks rather nicely. or a shael whitstan's.....and that's for all but the slow block characters (non-shifted druid or necromancer).

[Dozer]

Umm..... I don't know off of the top of my head.... Why don't you jamella it up and test it out?

[Sporky Smurf]

Actually, I believe War Cry will work on Champs/Bosses (but not super uniques) but only if you are 1 tile away from the monster.

[Enishi Yukishiro]

Hey, why don´t you try doing a Silence or a Fury? And do this: get as many sockets as you can in an armor (the AC doesn´t matter, as yours will be 0 most times). To solve the crowd problem, use Grim Ward. It is very good to keep the minor minions away while you kill the unique or the champions.
I have the impression tha faster hit recovery would avoid stun lock...
I have figured this strategy for my Berserker, but my character level is too low. Try this if you will. If you do, tell me the results please.

[Vash]

Hey, why don´t you try doing a Silence or a Fury? And do this: get as many sockets as you can in an armor (the AC doesn´t matter, as yours will be 0 most times). To solve the crowd problem, use Grim Ward. It is very good to keep the minor minions away while you kill the unique or the champions.
I have the impression tha faster hit recovery would avoid stun lock...
I have figured this strategy for my Berserker, but my character level is too low. Try this if you will. If you do, tell me the results please.

Yeah okay. Why don't YOU give me the runes for those runewords and I'll try it out, k? ;)

Sockets in armor? For what?

I've never tried Grim Ward before, but Warcry is serving me quite well for the puposes of singling out champs and bosses.

Yeah fast hit recovery definitely helps. I don't think I have any on my items right now, but I have a few FHR charms.

Thanks to those who suggested Warcry. Warcry is only level 10 right now and it's like...INCREDIBLY broken. The stun length is 2.6 seconds (VERY LONG) and it works on just about anything.

[Wrathraven]

Yeah okay.  Why don't YOU give me the runes for those runewords and I'll try it out, k?  ;)



Thanks to those who suggested Warcry.  Warcry is only level 10 right now and it's like...INCREDIBLY broken.  The stun length is 2.6 seconds (VERY LONG) and it works on just about anything.

pfffft, doesn't everyone have a few Vexs and Jahs lying around? ;)



and yep, have fun with War Cry, people think the only cry is Battle Orders, show em different!

[Enishi Yukishiro]

Why should you get a 4-socket armor? I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you that. Put in it 4 Ber runes (I still don't know where you are going to get it from, but it's your problem). It would give you a 32% damage reduction. Combining with String of Ears (10-15% Demonhide Sash), Vampire Gaze (15-20% Grim Helm) and Stormshield (35%), you would get a 93-103% damage reduction. About the Demonhide Sash, as you will depend mostly on full rejuvenation potions, it might not interest you, but, anyway... There is an Armor that gives you 30%. It is Shaftstop Mesh Armor. Add a socket and a Ber rune, and you shall get 38% damage reduction (therefore: 99-109%). I don't know, but it should make you invincible (at least to melee). I'm almost 100% sure that faster hit recovery works for block lock. Try getting charms tha raise it. A good strategy is to get a Defensive Mercenary in ACT II Nightmare. It uses Holy Freeze Aura, and, together with your Warcry, you will have your enemies frozen and your mercenary safe. About Grim Ward, it should help you with uniques, giving time to kill them, while your mercenary kills the other monsters.
By the way, what is Deadly Strike? And Crushing Blow? Surely, if Deadly Strike kills in one attack (which I don't think is the truth), 100% of it (combined with Jah rune, which makes you hit every time) should kill monsters in 1 attack, right? Wrong. I've tried it and it doesn't happen... Maybe I got the wrong idea about Deadly Strike, it might be only a critical hit or something...

[Wrathraven]

ya man just load a sword with Jahs and you win the game!!!!








But seriously, this is usualy a hack-free forum dude, no one will ever have such numbers of Bers or Jahs. When you have an actual strat come back k ^_^