I've tried the exact same thing from scratch, however I've never played anything but HC. I'm testing with sc but using standard HC thinking. My zon is level 23 in a2 (died once because I thought I could run in and get the cube in the last room of halls of the undead instead of clearing it out). I'm playing solo at /players 6 most of the time.
Stat points:
I've never used a system for stat points such as "2 in str, 2 in dex 1 in vit" per level. At least in the early goings of the game, my system is to meet the minimum str/dex required for a reasonable weap, and dump everything else in vitality. It's better to do that early when 100 hp can still get you through half of act 1. Once you have a usable weap, you're going to be killing pitifully slow regardless of whether or not you have 50 dex, or 70, so you might as well stick some in vitality. I think I left act 1 with somewhere around 200-210 hp.
Using skills:
In the early going, don't count on using the offensive skills much. Your mana pool is just too small to field it. For decent sized mobs, I unloaded a mana globe or 2 of multishot, and then switched to normal attack to finish them off. If my merc was being mobbed, I switched to cold arrow to slow the monsters down. Basically, only prolonged use of MS when there were big mobs, otherwise, just a 1-3 volleys and clean up with normal attack.
Skill breakdown:
3 in cold arrow (mainly for frozen arrow later)
4 (or so) in MS
1 in dodge/evade
6-7 in critical hit
Next, gems are pretty much the best you can get item/armor/weapon wise, or thats been the case for me.
Act 1, i ran around using a 3 socket hunter bow: chipped ruby, emerald, and topaz. My merc had a similar bow, except hers had a sapphire. I've since upgraded to a 6-21 damage short battle bow, woopty do. All the chips i saved up I cubed put some to use in my armor. 3 socket armor - 1 normal ruby, 2 flawed sapphires (mana is a pain in the ass and a half). Don't waste your money on anything charsi sells besides like a 3 socket bow, gold is better spent on gambling in the hope you get a decent weapon.
Andariel was about what I expected, slow but easy. Clear out everything else and have a big stock of health pots and antidote potions. You can pretty much just stand in her face and shoot her with normal arrows while popping pots, and going to town to refill if necessary. I didn't bother resurrecting my merc.
Good luck.
Stat points:
I've never used a system for stat points such as "2 in str, 2 in dex 1 in vit" per level. At least in the early goings of the game, my system is to meet the minimum str/dex required for a reasonable weap, and dump everything else in vitality. It's better to do that early when 100 hp can still get you through half of act 1. Once you have a usable weap, you're going to be killing pitifully slow regardless of whether or not you have 50 dex, or 70, so you might as well stick some in vitality. I think I left act 1 with somewhere around 200-210 hp.
Using skills:
In the early going, don't count on using the offensive skills much. Your mana pool is just too small to field it. For decent sized mobs, I unloaded a mana globe or 2 of multishot, and then switched to normal attack to finish them off. If my merc was being mobbed, I switched to cold arrow to slow the monsters down. Basically, only prolonged use of MS when there were big mobs, otherwise, just a 1-3 volleys and clean up with normal attack.
Skill breakdown:
3 in cold arrow (mainly for frozen arrow later)
4 (or so) in MS
1 in dodge/evade
6-7 in critical hit
Next, gems are pretty much the best you can get item/armor/weapon wise, or thats been the case for me.
Act 1, i ran around using a 3 socket hunter bow: chipped ruby, emerald, and topaz. My merc had a similar bow, except hers had a sapphire. I've since upgraded to a 6-21 damage short battle bow, woopty do. All the chips i saved up I cubed put some to use in my armor. 3 socket armor - 1 normal ruby, 2 flawed sapphires (mana is a pain in the ass and a half). Don't waste your money on anything charsi sells besides like a 3 socket bow, gold is better spent on gambling in the hope you get a decent weapon.
Andariel was about what I expected, slow but easy. Clear out everything else and have a big stock of health pots and antidote potions. You can pretty much just stand in her face and shoot her with normal arrows while popping pots, and going to town to refill if necessary. I didn't bother resurrecting my merc.
Good luck.