For the love of god! Save me!

[Psychic_sumo_ninja]

:ph34r:
*Builds temple to lurker-gods. Sacrifices small tropical fruit. Pleads for help*

My barbarians level 71 and in hell act 3. Heres his equipment set up:

Natalyas Totem/IK helm/Blackhorns face(Helm)(donno what to choose)
Blessed ornate plate(Armour)
Butchers pupil(Axe) and moser's shield with 2pd. On switch have a Buriza(xbow)
Crafted saftey amulet(The 4 random mods stink)/rare amulet with + to warcries(Ammy)
Laying of hands(Gloves)
Rite of pasage(Boots)
Gloom's trap(Belt)
Manald heal & Stone of Jordan(rings)

It's taken me plenty of Nm Baals runs to get this stuff. (and a few hell andy runs too :P )

Why am i dying so often? What am i doing wrong? Is this setup any good? Help me out here people.

I use concentrate and battle cry/battle orders/shout.

before i hit the big D himself :wacko: I need better equipment i think. What sort of stuff can i expect at this point of time? My MF tops out at 200 roughly.

any more info needed, please let me know.

Cheers
:ph34r:

[Occhidiangela]

:ph34r:
My barbarians  level 71 and in hell act 3. Heres his equipment set up:

Natalyas Totem/IK helm/Blackhorns face(Helm)(donno what to choose)
Blessed ornate plate(Armour)
Butchers pupil(Axe) and moser's shield with 2pd. On switch have a Buriza(xbow)
Crafted saftey amulet(The 4 random mods stink)/rare amulet with + to warcries(Ammy)
Laying of hands(Gloves)
Rite of pasage(Boots)
Gloom's trap(Belt)
Manald heal & Stone of Jordan(rings)

It's taken me plenty of Nm Baals runs to get this stuff. (and a few hell andy runs too :P )

Why am i dying so often? What am i doing wrong? Is this setup any good? Help me out here people.

I use concentrate and battle cry/battle orders/shout.

before i hit the big D himself  :wacko:  I need better equipment i think. What sort of stuff can i expect at this point of time? My MF tops out at 200 roughly.

any more info needed, please let me know.

Cheers
:ph34r:
[right][snapback]66435[/snapback][/right]

EDITED: I realize yesterday's reply was a bit hurried, so I have added a few questions and comments. 1-27-2005.

A small part of your "to hit" problem lies in the Level Gap. 71 vs 80 something. The slower the bad guys die, the more often they get a shot at you. The less often you hit them, the slower they die. Using Battle Cry is a good technique to improve your base "to hit" chances and to cut their damage to you. However, if swarmed, you can die sorta quick.

As a reminder: % Chance to Hit for Melee Attacks: 100 * AR / (AR + DR) * 2 * alvl / (alvl + dlvl)

AR = Attack Rating; alvl = Level of Attacker; dlvl = Level of Defender.

Conversely, their 80-82 alvl versus your dlvl gives them a bonus to hit you due to level differential.

For you, the reduction is rougly 71*2/(71+81) (.934) and their bonus is 81*2/71+81 (1.07) so there is roughly a 7% penaly to you and a 7% bonus for them. FWIW.

Q: May I assume that you have you maxed out Axe Mastery?

1. What is your total leach percentage, and how much life do you have with and without BO?

2. Have you tried to use Taunt in a tactical sense? Taunt is a prereq for Battle Orders in any case. To split some of the bad guys off into smaller, bite sized groups, Taunt at range, kill a few at a time using your Battle Cry and Concentrate pattern, rinse and repeat. It has an added bonus, before you overwrite it with BattleCry, of reducing their AR and Damage to you. Only applies to regular monsters, Champs and Bosses are immune to Taunt.

3. What kind of mercenary are you using? Some Act II mercs help more than others in Hell. Ii have found that a two socketed Lance, with Amn Tir (Strength Rune Word) is a decent weapon that uses stuff you have probably found by now. Crushing blow does not hurt, and the life leach helps keep the merc alive against all but Undead and Act End Bosses.

4. How are you Handling Physical Immunes? Berserk?

5. Is your problem Undead Soul Killers, i.e., the exploding bi*** rats from hell? Or is everything killing you?

5. What part of Act III are you in? Taunting the Flayers who shoot at you with blow guns is a good way to reduce the "death by a gazillion little missiles" problem.

6. What is your resists posture? From your equipment, it appears that you may be a bit low on resists. Low on resists will be a real mess for you in Hell Act IV, particularly fire, from the Balrogs, and Lightinig, the gloams. Not to mention the Abyss Knights and Oblivion Knights.

For What It's Worth:

7. Butcher's Pupil is a fine Axe. Monster HP are high in Hell, takes a while to kill each one, as you have not doubt noticed.

8. For hats . . . I suggest, given your current equipment, Blackthorn's Face. You might want to socket it with a resist rune, pick an element, or an Um, if you have one, since its Prevent Monster Heal and Slows Target are very handy Mods. Monster Regeneration rates, especiallly for mini bosses, are rather nasty in Hell Difficulty. PMH shuts it off for the duration of most fights.

The poison damage on your gloves does something similar, stops regen for a few seconds (until your next hit hopefully) so maybe the IK hat, socketed with two resist runes(Ral and Ort are a good choice) or with a couple of Sol runes (if you have them they will add up to -14 Physical Damage reduced.) The +2 to Warcries does not hurt, certainly.

9. You can probably gamble some good belts, not sure why you focused on Mana Regen with your equipment, however, not everyone drinks blues as often as I do. With mana leach severely curtailed in Hell Diff, I just accept that I have to drink more and pick up the blue pots that drop consistently. To each his own.

10. Boots and Belts with decent resists I have gambled frequently. Depends on how much gold you tend to pick up and how often you pick up items (staves, wands, Sceptres, orbs) that go for big bucks at vendors.

11. Consider rings with resists in your set up. Low resists on your amulet and ring slots may be a place to, versus certain foes, change up equipment. The rare +warcries amulet has, I hope, some decent resistances?

12. Have you put a point into Battle Command? A buffing order like this: Battle Command, Battle Orders, Battle Command, Shout helps boost all of your warcries and masteries and skills a bit. More points from + warcries and + skills just means a shorter refresh for the +1 boost.

13. Hang in there. You may want to go back to Acts I and II and build a few levels in Champ/Boss rich areas before hitting Act IV.

Occhi

[Psychic_sumo_ninja]

Thanks for the info. Very helpful.
I attacked hell yesterday. took on diablo and won. Only died at the hands of lord de sies and oblivion knights.

I found duriels shell. Is it worth keeping? Or should i give it to my merc?

Q: May I assume that you have you maxed out Axe Mastery?

Yes i have. Here are my stats:
Axe mastery/Iron skin: Maxed
Increased speed/Increased stamina: 1 pt
BO/BC/Shout/Beserk: 1 pt
Whirlwind: 9 pts
Concentrate: 13 pts

1. What is your total leach percentage, and how much life do you have with and without BO?

Not sure about leech. Life without BO: 850. without BO: 1195

3. What kind of mercenary are you using? Some Act II mercs help more than others in Hell. Ii have found that a two socketed Lance, with Amn Tir (Strength Rune Word) is a decent weapon that uses stuff you have probably found by now. Crushing blow does not hurt, and the life leach helps keep the merc alive against all but Undead and Act End Bosses.

I had an act 3 merc, but ditched him for an act 2 might merc in hell. He currently has hwanins helm+mail and tannr gorebod lance. He dies too often. Where can i get him to lvl up?

4. How are you Handling Physical Immunes? Berserk?

Yup.But the 0 defense is painful. Usually i just get swarmed and die. But maybe with taunt, i can take care of the problem now.

5. Is your problem Undead Soul Killers, i.e., the exploding bi*** rats from hell? Or is everything killing you?

They are the problem. How can i take care of them? Higher defense or life? Or both? but theyre not the only ones. died at the hands of urdars too. (even died against a flayer once)

5. What part of Act III are you in? Taunting the Flayers who shoot at you with blow guns is a good way to reduce the "death by a gazillion little missiles" problem.

I'm doing meph runs. Its the little champion rats in the durance that are problematic.

6. What is your resists posture? From your equipment, it appears that you may be a bit low on resists. Low on resists will be a real mess for you in Hell Act IV, particularly fire, from the Balrogs, and Lightinig, the gloams. Not to mention the Abyss Knights and Oblivion Knights.

My resits are all maxed now.(thanks to duriels shell) Only lightning is low. (AFAK it's 77)


Thanks for all the help.
Btw, i have Whitstans guard in inventory. Is it worth keeping? I heard it has the highest chance to block. What sort of dex should i aim for to get the elusive 75%?
Right now it's 143 with equip.

cheers :ph34r:

[Lord_Olf]

Hail,

Yes i have. Here are my stats:
Axe mastery/Iron skin: Maxed
Increased speed/Increased stamina: 1 pt
BO/BC/Shout/Beserk: 1 pt
Whirlwind: 9 pts
Concentrate: 13 pts
Not sure about leech. Life without BO: 850. without BO: 1195
[right][snapback]66574[/snapback][/right]

First off: I haven't played D2LOD in quite some time, so some things I mention may not be 100 percent to the point (synergies, exact percentages of boni etc.).

I'm not really sure what would help you Barb right now, but some things to consider:

I would not have maxed Iron Skin and gone for Shout instead. Shout starts with +100% Defense, not sure about Iron Skin, but its percentage is less. Sure, it is not a passive skill like Iron Skin, but its mana cost is low, so you can recast it often, if need be.

BO is really low, I think; I definitely would have gotten it higher. Two reasons for that: First off, the benefit of BO itself, i. e. more life. But you are using concentrate, and BO gives 10% damage bonus to Concentrate per level. If you pump Concentrate itself, it's only 5% per level. Granted, the AR increase is useful, but I would have at least divided the points between Concentrate and BO, if not even kept Conc at 1 and pumped BO instead.

Otherwise, I'm not sure if Whirlwind works that well with Axes. I seem to remember that the weapons range enters into the WW equation somewhere, and also think that Swords have better range. But that's a matter of style, afterr all.

So, I can't offer you any "quick fix" to your problem, as Skills are what they are and resists seem sound. But if you build another barb, you might consider doing things a bit differently - but as always, YMMV.

Take care,
Lord_Olf

[Occhidiangela]

I found duriels shell. Is it worth keeping? Or should i give it to my merc?

Yes. Nice armor. :)

Not sure about leech. Life without BO: 850. with BO: 1195

More BO skill pts and more Warcries plusses if you can find t hem will be a help for both Mana and Health in Act V Hell.

I had an Act 3 merc, but ditched him for an act 2 might merc in hell. He currently has hwanins helm+mail and tannr gorebod lance. He dies too often. Where can i get him to lvl up?

Tanner Gorerod is a Pike, base damage a bit lame for Hell Diff . . . or did you upgrade it to a Lance with the Horadric Cube? Might want to try gambling for a rare lance, hopefully with life leach. Or, the Strength Rune Word, (Amn Tir in a two socketed Lance,) if you stumble over one, is handy. Exceptional Pole Arms are handy too, if the Damage Mods are high enough. If you find a War Pike, blue, KEEP IT. You may be able to cube it using three perfect gems to have enhanced damage.

What level was merc when you got him? What level is he now? What is his Aura?

If he is in his 60's, level him up in NM Baal Run Games, but you go to Glacial Trail or Ancient's Way while the other folks are whacking Baal. When he gets into the 70's, he should slowly catch up to you in normal play. If not, wander around Act II areas to add a few more levels to him, places where you don't get swarmed all the time. Avoid the Arcane Sanctuary, since you are a Barb and Spectres are Physically Immune. Too much work.

(With Berserk) Usually i just get swarmed and die. But maybe with taunt, i can take care of the problem now.  They are the problem. How can i take care of them? Higher defense or life? Or both? but theyre not the only ones. died at the hands of urdars too. (even died against a flayer once)  I'm doing meph runs. Its the little champion rats in the durance that are problematic.

Taunt them to your merc one at a time, let him kill them. He won't die from their explosions, but will from being swarmed.

My resits are all maxed now.(thanks to duriels shell) Only lightning is low. (AFAK it's 77)  Thanks for all the help.

Btw, i have Whitstans guard in inventory. Is it worth keeping? I heard it has the highest chance to block. What sort of dex should i aim for to get the elusive 75%?
Right now it's 143 with equip.

Total Blocking = (Blocking * (Dexterity - 15)) / (Character Level * 2)

Insert values into the formula for dex and set Total Blocking to 75 as you go up levels to see what you need to keep it at 75.

As of now, your total blocking with Whitsun's would be

(92%*(143-15)/72*2 = 82% (capped to 75 %.) Might want to socket it with a perfect Diamond for the resists, or an Um if you stumble across one.

EDIT: I typed 87%, the calc says 82. Not sure what I did there.

(PS: I assume you got another level on the way to kill Diablo? Grats on laying the Smack Down on Big D.

Occhi

[Occhidiangela]

Hail,
First off: I haven't played D2LOD in quite some time, so some things I mention may not be 100 percent to the point (synergies, exact percentages of boni etc.).

I'm not really sure what would help you Barb right now, but some things to consider:

I would not have maxed Iron Skin and gone for Shout instead. Shout starts with +100% Defense, not sure about Iron Skin, but its percentage is less. Sure, it is not a passive skill like Iron Skin, but its mana cost is low, so you can recast it often, if need be.

BO is really low, I think; I definitely would have gotten it higher. Two reasons for that: First off, the benefit of BO itself, i. e. more life. But you are using concentrate, and BO gives 10% damage bonus to Concentrate per level. If you pump Concentrate itself, it's only 5% per level. Granted, the AR increase is useful, but I would have at least divided the points between Concentrate and BO, if not even kept Conc at 1 and pumped BO instead.

Otherwise, I'm not sure if Whirlwind works that well with Axes. I seem to remember that the weapons range enters into the WW equation somewhere, and also think that Swords have better range. But that's a matter of style, afterr all.

So, I can't offer you any "quick fix" to your problem, as Skills are what they are and resists seem sound. But if you build another barb, you might consider doing things a bit differently - but as always, YMMV.

Take care,
Lord_Olf
[right][snapback]66577[/snapback][/right]

1. FWIW

Shout Versus Iron Skin

DR % Increase
100-290 from level 1-20 Shout
30-220 from level 1-20 Iron Skin

If one pumps Shout, a point in Iron Skin still helps with that "first point is a great point" boost. :)

2. WW does account for Weapons Range.

Occhi

[Psychic_sumo_ninja]

Tanner Gorerod is a Pike, base damage a bit lame for Hell Diff . . . or did you upgrade it to a Lance with the Horadric Cube? Might want to try gambling for a rare lance, hopefully with life leach. Or, the Strength Rune Word, (Amn Tir in a two socketed Lance,) if you stumble over one, is handy. Exceptional Pole Arms are handy too, if the Damage Mods are high enough. If you find a War Pike, blue, KEEP IT. You may be able to cube it using three perfect gems to have enhanced damage.

What level was merc when you got him? What level is he now? What is his Aura?

I think he's level 52. He's still level 52 :P He has a defiance aura. I haven't upgraded Tannr. It's still a pike. My mistake.

(PS: I assume you got another level on the way to kill Diablo? Grats on laying the Smack Down on Big D.

Yup am level 72 now. Thankee. :D

Also, i've found the goldwrap unique belt. Seeing as the Gloo'ms trap was more for mana, i'm using the goldwrap. Should i upgrade it?

I replaced my Buthcers pupil with an honour(Runeword) ettin axe. Bad or good decision?

What sort of equipment should i aim for? Also for my merc. you know end game equipment?


Also, i keep finding 3 socket chaos armour near meph. Is the duress runeword active?(I've never made armour runewords, other than stealth, so i don't know)
It seems pretty decent. If i get my hands on an um rune is it worth using?

My stash is basically overflowing with gems(9 pskulls 6 p rubies etc) Are they worth keeping or should i sell them?

Thanks for all the help.
cheers :ph34r:

[Lord_Olf]

Hail Occhi,

1.  FWIW

Shout Versus Iron Skin

DR % Increase
100-290  from level 1-20 Shout
30-220 from level 1-20 Iron Skin

If one pumps Shout, a point in Iron Skin still helps with that "first point is a great point" boost. :)

2.  WW does account for Weapons Range.

Occhi
[right][snapback]66622[/snapback][/right]

thanks for providing that info - I was not quite remembering it and too lazy to look it up at the Arreat Summit.

And about putting that one point in Iron Skin: I couldn't agree more!

Take care,

Lord_Olf

[Occhidiangela]

I think he's level 52. He's still level 52 :P He has a defiance aura. I haven't upgraded Tannr. It's still a pike. My mistake.
Yup am level 72 now. Thankee.  :D

Also, i've found the goldwrap unique belt. Seeing as the Gloo'ms trap was more for mana, i'm using the goldwrap. Should i upgrade it?

I replaced my Buthcers pupil with an honour(Runeword) ettin axe. Bad or good decision?

What sort of equipment should i aim for? Also for my merc. you know end game equipment?
Also, i keep finding 3 socket chaos armour near meph. Is the duress runeword active?(I've never made armour runewords, other than stealth, so i don't know)
It seems pretty decent. If i get my hands on an um rune is it worth using?

My stash is basically overflowing with gems(9 pskulls 6 p rubies etc) Are they worth keeping or should i sell them?

Thanks for all the help.
cheers :ph34r:
[right][snapback]66716[/snapback][/right]

Honour Ettin Axe sounds to me like a good weapon.

I would not upgrade the Tanr, I'd gamble pikes/Lances at Atma or Jamella until a rare Lance pops out. Or, Shop the Act V arms dealer until a heave damage lance arrives in the shopping screen.

I'd personally use the rubies to Blood Craft an Elite Axe. Blood Crafting "can" yield sick damage in excess of 300%, however, it may take quite a bit of crafting to get there.

If you find a rare dropped by a Hell Level critter, which means it has a pretty high Alvl/ilvl, you could try to re mod it by putting it in the Horadric Cube with six perfect skulls. Sometimes it works, sometimes you just burned six skulls.

If you are into treasure hunting, upgrading the Gold Wrap sounds like good use of a few runes to me. :)

Occhi

[mjagger]

If you are into treasure hunting, upgrading the Gold Wrap sounds like good use of a few runes to me. :)

Occhi
[right][snapback]66801[/snapback][/right]

Also by upgrading the goldwrap you get to hold 4 extra potions in it i personaly have been saved more than once in wsk by having those extra potions

just my $0.02

[ShadowHM]

Also by upgrading the goldwrap you get to hold 4 extra potions in it i personaly have been saved more than once in wsk by having those extra potions

just my $0.02
[right][snapback]66854[/snapback][/right]

I have found several rare belts that were worth upgrading. Those rare sashes (and other normal rares) that drop with good mods on them can be turned into four row exceptionals with the Ral+Tal+Perfect Amethyst recipe.

[Occhidiangela]

I have found several rare belts that were worth upgrading.  Those rare sashes (and other normal rares) that drop with good mods on them can be turned into four row exceptionals with the Ral+Tal+Perfect Amethyst recipe.
[right][snapback]66856[/snapback][/right]

Yes. Makes sashes worth picking up again. :) Regrettably, we can't upgrade a cracked sash that way.

Occhi