v1.10s; Sometimes using Amp Damage is inferior

[Crystalion]

All v1.10s info. Forgive me if I missed seeing this posted earlier in v1.10 change info posts...

I have recently (and correctly) been reproved for not bowing to the uberness of Conviction. As I have now added it to my mental list of uber skills that probably should be slightly nerfed (CE, Enchant, Conviction, etc.) for play balance I hope I will forgiven for previously overlooking it (the key thing for me is not the lower resist uberness, which is awesome to be sure, but the huge -DR% that nearly grants assured hits--which is very useful for attackers that are enchanted etc.).

If you are a Paly who uses Conviction it is fairly likely that you also know Sanctuary (as it is a pre-req). It turns out that if your personal attempt to damage an undead monster by physical damage via melee or ranged attack is being frustrated by the monster being physically immune, you should consider Sanctuary along with the other "normal" options:

1. change to non-physical attack (vengence, holy bolt, blessed hammer, enchanted, berserk, etc. etc.)
2. get an Amp Damage off on the monster to break its immunity
3. get a Decrepify off on the monster to break its immunity

The reason is that the patch message saying:

Ignores resistances

several times about Paladin skills is somewhat in error. Holy Bolts (also from FoH) do ignore undead resists. FoH lightning does not ignore resists. Blessed Hammer does ignore resists of both demons and undead (this is one of the "etc." on my nerf/balance list above). But, last and surely not least, they don't mention that having the Sanctuary aura up apparently grants your melee and ranged attacks the ability to ignore undead resistance to physical completely.

In other words, in some situations, Sanctuary is a "one point wonder".

If you rely on physical damage, then any undead with decent physical resist or immunity are excellent candidates for the Sanctuary treatment. I suspect some helpful Lurker will reply with a near exhaustive list of such, eh? :)

And, finally, this explains (another reason) why Azurewrath having the Sanctuary aura is so cool... your decent physical damage will not be impeded by undead phys resist/immunity. (FYI the other reason is the neat "sparkly" animations).

Of course, if you are Amping/Decrepifying the monsters, I suppose Sanctuary also probably negates the benefit of getting undead below zero physical resist, but I've not tested that. I've also not tested "unusual" physical attacks (e.g. blade skills of an Assassin using Azurewrath, etc.). And before you ask, no, using Berserk (converts physical to magic damage) isn't benefited by Sanctuary (indeed, if the undead monster is both phys and magic immune, using Berserk with Sanctuary eliminates all damage).

edit: FYI for those of you not totally familiar with Paly auras: Sanctuary is one of those "personal" auras, so it doesn't enhance anyone but the aura wielder. I also have no idea if wielding Azurewrath on a weapon switch works, but I assume not.

p.s. re: the nerfing comments... YMMV, so please send all hate mail to Bolty, as he is the villain responsible for letting me post here. ;)

[Nicator]

But, last and surely not least, they don't mention that having the Sanctuary aura up apparently grants your melee and ranged attacks the ability to ignore undead resistance to physical completely.

In other words, in some situations, Sanctuary is a "one point wonder".

Sanctuary ignores undead's PI, and also adds to melee damage. It's, indeed, an anti-undead "one point wonder". I must add that this effect comes from 1.09. Several times I fought undeads PI MsLebs at realms, and people always asked how the hell I could stand them. Using LSabre, 90 lightning res and leeching from them, was the answer. I enjoyed everytime I had to fight an oblivion or ghost boss, because I could leech. The few times I had to use it as a must was when surrounded by skellies and couldn't leech a single point.

Of course, if you are Amping/Decrepifying the monsters, I suppose Sanctuary also probably negates the benefit of getting undead below zero physical resist, but I've not tested that.

At least in 1.09 that didn't happen. I used Atmas and everytime the undeads were cursed, they became of butter, literally vanishing. I assumed that the game was taking Sanctuary before applying AD.

I haven't tested it thoroughly in 1.10s, just the leeching and extra melee damage. I haven't noticed if AD is working before Sanctuary, because the few undeads I've fought died too fast after switching to Sanctuary. Btw, I thought I posted about it a year ago and someone replied it was a bug. I guess my memory isn't the same.

[Nicator]

I made a visit to hell Izual, and had the chance to fight 3 gloam bosses with minions. AD didnt break their PI, but increased the damage made on the minions while using Sanctuary. Furthermore, at slvl 2 was making more damage than Fanaticism slvl 21.

Gloams' attacks reminded me 1.09 bowazons PvP guided. I thought that (the bugged) Charge and Smite would work, and it did for a clvl 87 fanatic zealadin, 70 lightning res and lightsabre. However, I noticed something I didn't in 1.09: Smite takes bonus from Sanctuary. Besides that, I couldn't think on a better way to deal with those fast floating run away mana burners.


edited: typography

[ShadowHM]

Sanctuary ignores undead's PI, and also adds to melee damage. ... I must add that this effect comes from 1.09.

It isn't just melee damage, at least in v1.09. It also works with ranged weapons.

[Crystalion]

Sanctuary ignores undead's PI, and also adds to melee damage. It's, indeed, an anti-undead "one point wonder". I must add that this effect comes from 1.09.

Since Bolty has linked to this thread from the front page I have noticed the following now up at (site name censored but you can guess)...

D2X Fact of the Day --
Physical Immune monsters monsters are difficult to kill, not least because you can not leech life of mana back when you battle them.  There is a way to get around this though, but only for one class. If you are a Paladin with the Sanctuary Aura active, you can leech mana and life from PI monsters.  They do not take damage, but you can at least heal yourself and fill your mana back up, mid-battle.  Thanks to Ice Foxxx.

No comment. :blink:

[Nicator]

If you are a Paladin with the Sanctuary Aura active, you can leech mana and life from PI monsters.  They do not take damage, but you can at least heal yourself and fill your mana back up, mid-battle.

:blink:

No leeching from some undeads (like skellies, gloams), and they always take damage from Sanctuary, no matter if PI or not.

[Freepaperclips]

Azurewrath just became all powerful. Especially since Slvl 13 gives a radius of 11.3 yards which cannot be increased by + to skills keeping it well within the screen and not waking up anyone uninvited.