09-23-2006, 09:38 AM
Update: NobleExperiment soloed all of Nightmare, primarily as an auraless Malicious Auto-Smiter™, and has begun his adventures in Hell. Executive summary: Dirsch has it exactly right.
I leveled NE to 49 in Normal Minion runs before killing Baal. His gear when he started NM included a blue +3 Combat Skills circlet, rare +1 Paladin Skills amulet, Goblin Toe, Blood crafted gloves with 20% IAS and 8% Crushing Blow, and Blood crafted belt with 9% Open Wounds. His primary weapon/shield combination was a Malice Cinquedeas with a Rhyme Akaran Targe (54% Resist all); on switch, he used a Black Flail with a rare Royal shield giving +1 Paladin Skills and 48% Resist all. This gear remained unchanged through NM. At level 53, he received a Principle Wyrmhide armor. Smite and Holy Shield were both maxed when he started NM, with all points earned in NM going into Fanaticism until it was maxed; points since then have been saved.
Since he was level 28, NE has been accompanied by Vikhyat, an Act II Prayer specialist wielding the ethereal +16 Meditation Insight Partizan mentioned in my previous post. An ethereal Face of Horror gave him the Str to equip the Partizan at level 27; his armor is Boneflesh.
Auraless, Malicious auto-smiting proved a very effective way to solo NM in two-player games (on US West SCL, with another character idle in the game on a second computer). By Act IV, a single Smite was not enough to kill, even with Open Wounds. However, with 33% CB, two or three hits with the shield was usually sufficient to dispatch a monster. NobleExperiment switched to Fanaticism with the 73% CB Black Flail combination only for Act bosses, Izual, and the occasional high-HP random Unique monster. He threw Arcing Balanced Knives (1-351 Lightning damage) in the Chaos Sanctuary, with Fanaticism active; no Knights were encountered in the WSK.
After dispatching NM Baal at level 67 or 68, NE's resistances were insufficient for Hell. I delayed his first foray into the Hell Blood Moor until his level 85 elder sister, StickToYourRibs, had supplied him with a gambled rare Coronet affording +2 Combat Skills, 19% Resist all, 54% Fire resistance, and 17 Str, and a 43% Resist all Protector shield which fell in The Pit. The temptation was strong to make Spirit in the shield. I resisted (:P) the temptation, because NE's ultimate objective is Uber Tristram, where resistances are of paramount importance; another shield that good might not come his way. I stuffed it with four PDiamonds for 119% Resist all. He was also able to start Hell with a Malice Phase Blade, thanks to Relic's generosity.:)
NobleExperiment has already encountered a couple of PI Stone Skin bosses. While Open Wounds can slowly dispatch such monsters once they've taken damage, Smite's refusal to transmit elemental or poison damage makes them difficult opponents for a Smiter. However, the Cold, Poison, and Lightning damage on Vikhyat's Insight enables him to break the physical immunity; the 25% OW from Boneflesh allows the Desert Warrior to bleed such monsters, while NE keeps them stunned and stationary.
![[Image: blackhawkpi.jpg]](http://files.upl.silentwhisper.net/upload2/blackhawkpi.jpg)
It's not fast, but it's fun.:D
My thanks again to all who've contributed their experiences to this thread. Special thanks to Librarian for the slide show, and to Dirsch, whose predictions NobleExperiment has confirmed.B)
I leveled NE to 49 in Normal Minion runs before killing Baal. His gear when he started NM included a blue +3 Combat Skills circlet, rare +1 Paladin Skills amulet, Goblin Toe, Blood crafted gloves with 20% IAS and 8% Crushing Blow, and Blood crafted belt with 9% Open Wounds. His primary weapon/shield combination was a Malice Cinquedeas with a Rhyme Akaran Targe (54% Resist all); on switch, he used a Black Flail with a rare Royal shield giving +1 Paladin Skills and 48% Resist all. This gear remained unchanged through NM. At level 53, he received a Principle Wyrmhide armor. Smite and Holy Shield were both maxed when he started NM, with all points earned in NM going into Fanaticism until it was maxed; points since then have been saved.
Since he was level 28, NE has been accompanied by Vikhyat, an Act II Prayer specialist wielding the ethereal +16 Meditation Insight Partizan mentioned in my previous post. An ethereal Face of Horror gave him the Str to equip the Partizan at level 27; his armor is Boneflesh.
Auraless, Malicious auto-smiting proved a very effective way to solo NM in two-player games (on US West SCL, with another character idle in the game on a second computer). By Act IV, a single Smite was not enough to kill, even with Open Wounds. However, with 33% CB, two or three hits with the shield was usually sufficient to dispatch a monster. NobleExperiment switched to Fanaticism with the 73% CB Black Flail combination only for Act bosses, Izual, and the occasional high-HP random Unique monster. He threw Arcing Balanced Knives (1-351 Lightning damage) in the Chaos Sanctuary, with Fanaticism active; no Knights were encountered in the WSK.
After dispatching NM Baal at level 67 or 68, NE's resistances were insufficient for Hell. I delayed his first foray into the Hell Blood Moor until his level 85 elder sister, StickToYourRibs, had supplied him with a gambled rare Coronet affording +2 Combat Skills, 19% Resist all, 54% Fire resistance, and 17 Str, and a 43% Resist all Protector shield which fell in The Pit. The temptation was strong to make Spirit in the shield. I resisted (:P) the temptation, because NE's ultimate objective is Uber Tristram, where resistances are of paramount importance; another shield that good might not come his way. I stuffed it with four PDiamonds for 119% Resist all. He was also able to start Hell with a Malice Phase Blade, thanks to Relic's generosity.:)
Quote:In hell however, mindlessly auto-smiting will no longer work because damage is lacking without an aura, but with the judicious use of skill switching, one can use auto-smite to control the crowd, then switching to an aura on the RMB, while continuing to use single-smiting on the LMB. Switching techniques in this way allows you to have both great crowd control and an aura damage boost. You can have your cake and eat it too.NobleExperiment's early adventures in Hell confirm Dirsch's statements in every detail. Auraless auto-smiting with the Protector Shield (536-999 damage, avg 767) is insufficient to kill anything within a reasonable time except Foul Crows. However, it is invaluable for quickly stunning four or five monsters, starting them bleeding with Malice's Open Wounds, and preventing them from regenerating with Malice's PMH. Once they're stunned, it's much easier for me to switch to Fanaticism and target them with left clicks, using either the Malice / Protector Shield combination ( 906-1686 damage, avg 1296; 33% CB) or the Black / Rhyme Akaran Targe combination (926-999 damage, avg 962; 73% CB). (For Act bosses, obviously I'll use Black with the Protector Shield, unless another high resistance elite shield comes my way.)
NobleExperiment has already encountered a couple of PI Stone Skin bosses. While Open Wounds can slowly dispatch such monsters once they've taken damage, Smite's refusal to transmit elemental or poison damage makes them difficult opponents for a Smiter. However, the Cold, Poison, and Lightning damage on Vikhyat's Insight enables him to break the physical immunity; the 25% OW from Boneflesh allows the Desert Warrior to bleed such monsters, while NE keeps them stunned and stationary.
It's not fast, but it's fun.:D
My thanks again to all who've contributed their experiences to this thread. Special thanks to Librarian for the slide show, and to Dirsch, whose predictions NobleExperiment has confirmed.B)
Zyr