Quote:The latter is still in development so changes may still occur with it.
This is half true. Hellfire: The Dark version 5.3 was just released this weekend. While on the topic, I have been working some new characters through normal mode (one of each class). Most are through the caves, two are just starting them. Before now I've only gotten a warrior completely through normal difficulty (~clvl 36). It's been great fun learning strategies for certain areas and builds. The butcher is on level 12 in TD, and comes with a pack of boars that charge and knockback with normal attacks. Luckily each of my characters encountered him last, so I had plenty of cave to decide where and how to funnel the group into my trap. Actually, my rogue got charges by him not far beyond the stairs, but with the handy warp spell (teleports you to farthest stair), I was able to escape him. As it turned out, the stair down was extrememly close to the stairs up, but the level was nearly "U" shaped with the stairs at either leg, so once again I was able to clear the whole level before dealing with the butcher. My rogue has been having fun with knockback too.
The monk was the easist to defeat the butcher, by far. He has built in demon-slaying, which gives a 50% chance to do double [total] damage against demons, which includes the butcher. I found a great place to fight where there was a very long lava divider, and only one corner spot where you are able to attack across the lava. From this spot I was able to take the mob on one at a time as they futiliy searched for a way to get me. If a boar knocked me back, it wasn't able to follow, so I was completely safe. When the butcher stepped up for his turn, I used the rage spell to increase my damage and blocking potential, but as it turns out, I only had to block him once, and otherwise I pretty much owned him.
The bard is the most interesting so far. Although she hasn't started the caves yet, she already does more damage than the rest of the characters when dual-wielding swords, which also enables her to get sweep damage. Unfortunately, with low AC, no blocking, and maximum stun chance at 55% in TD, she takes damage steadily without using a shield. Luckily I was able to a buy a decent shield of blocking for fast block, which will come to use in the caves. I was suprised at the damage she is able to do with only one weapon too. She was the luckiest in finding silver or other to-hit boosting jewels in the cats, so has no problem hitting or having enough damage to stun (again limited at 55%). Caves will be interesting with her.
My sorcer is actually pretty weak so far. Spells will hurt yourself in TD, so you don't want to be using splash damaing spells when enemies are next to you, or even closing in. With no form of teleport yet, I can only create a limited gap by walking that allows me to cast 2 or 3 splash effect spells before needing more room. In the caves, very little is not resistant to the spells I have, and the most effective are the splash damaging spells. For example, the overlords are tripple resistant (and resisted spells only do 1/8 the damage, instead of 1/4 as in diablo). They also have a fair amount of life. I have found success in summoning a guardian between me and the advancing overlords. Guardians fire inferno intead of firebolt, and the damage is significant, even when resisted. Nevertheless, it takes a good few seconds of roasting before they die, so in order to keep them in the flame, I fire arcane stars (high magic damage, 1/2 is splashed, knocksback) to knock them back into the guardian. This requires much less mana than using arcane stars alone. The only other alternative to keeping them in the guardian is to walk around it - but if you get hit by your own guardian's inferno... ouch. I suspect teleport will make things a little easier for him.
The warrior has done OK through the catacombs, and although his damage has been sufficient, it is nearly the lowest out of all my characters, which suprised me. He avoids knockback 3 times in 4 hits, which is very helpful and noticable against mobs that knockback, such as Gharbad the Weak and gang. There are packs which are analagous to "Act-End" bosses of D2, appearing at the end of each dungeon segment. Gharbad is one that appears on the last level of the catacombs. Warrior is about as good with a bow in the Dark as the rogue is good with melee in normal diablo. After bowing the first two levels in the church, he has only found a few occasions to bow through doorways in the cats. Most of the time when attempting to hold back tough ranged attackers like fire clan archers (they shoot flaming arrows, and we all know how buggy flaming arrows can be), he loses position becomes melee enemies get in the way and force a retreat. He did just get a new unique bow that does much more damage than his old bow, so that should help is arching skills. Other than that, melee isn't too much of a problem with good choke points.
All in all, there is a lot to master in this mod, and IMO it is worth the time moreso than in other mods... *cough* rebirth *cough*. Sorry, that isn't to offend anyone, but in all seriousness, having lurked the Dark forums for some time, an unhealthy amount of thought, strategy, playtesting, design, balance, and creativity went into creating TD. It is well rounded and is much more finished than Rebirth is at it's current state, meaing the time you invest in learning the game mechanics like you did for D1 will have more value. It's the same concept if you think deeply into D1, and not-so-much into D2.
