Bows for strafe/FA zon

[ALnitak]

Rereead the bow, I'm using shael lysanders to meet the 9/2 frame rate

Perhaps I've expressed myself badly when I said that :

One thing I don't understand here : why can't you keep cannot be frozen while having knockback with Lycander's ?

I was meaning : considering you can have knockback on gloves (and not only on a bow), why can't you have it, even if your Lycander's aim is shaeled ? Now I have the answer, it's because you need 30% IAS from Sigon's boots and gloves.

Have you considered using Steelskull as a helm ? If you think putting a 15%IAS jewel in a %MF item is kinda a sacrilege, you could try to find or trade for a low %MF one, so that it would be no big deal. Compared to Tal Rasha mask, you'll lose 5% to both leeches : I think your mana leech is high enough as it is, with 14% from 2 manald heal and 10% from Tal Rasha ; losing 5% there won't change things radically I guess. Plus, if you really have mana leech problems, the other part of the equation (that is damage, not only mana leech) has to be taken into consideration : try to wear +to max damage (or min damage) charms, +to dex charms... etc... boost your physical damage a bit so that you can handle the use of level 20 freezing arrow.

I think it would be easier with Lycander's, and the 10+15=25%IAS from IASed stealskull will allow you to drop sigon's boots and gloves for better stuff and mods, including the knockback you seem to be attached to : you'll have to craft or trade for 20%IAS hitpower gloves, to keep your 8th frame with Lycander's. You could even have mana leech and or life leech on them.

Another thing that could make you hesitate switching your Tal Rasha mask would be the +to life and resists it provides. Well, +60 to life may be appealing : keep in mind you can have that on 3 small charms, whereas IAS or knockback, you can't have it on charms... Do you have some room in your inventory ?

As for +15 to resists, I really think that doesn't change much. My bowazons have around -70 or -40 to resists in hell : the point is not to be hit. I would say that poison resist is useless (except versus Achmel the Cursed, but if you are far away enough from him, there's no problem) ; I usually counter my low cold resist with cold absorb on ravenfrost, but as you use two manald heal, that will be maybe impossible for you.. hum... Duriel's shell allows you not be frozen, that's the most important. About lightning resist, 15% won't change the result of a MSLE boss (unless you are at max lightning resist with Tal Rasha, and even...) : against such monsters, the trick is either to avoid the missiles by your own - being careful -, or use slow missiles. Last, fire resist... The most annoying monsters to me are stygian furies : same here, I use slow missile to keep me out of danger.

I try to convince you resists are not that important for a bowazon, provided she can kill fast, move quite fast. Considering you'd have knockback and lycander's aim, fire at 8fps with the little gear changes I proposed, it would be easy not to die that often. Anyways, you're on your own, and what I proposed can surely be improved. And if you feel like your resists are too low, you could improve them using resist small charms, adapted to your needs (either +5% resist all charms, or +11% to a precise resist).

CorwinBrute raised a point about freezing duration : if you go for Lycander's, you won't have cold damage on your bow - you'll have it from FA skill, though. Consider unsing some +to cold damage charms (the longer the better), or ravenfrost (if you feel like it's possible to give up a manald heal : Lycander's aim has mana leech, so that could be possible IMO).