Hi!
I've been questing my way thru Nightmare diff with my trusty barbarian, Erik. However, the Monastery is just too difficult, in Hell. I have no idea whether it is skills, stats, gear or just my noobish tactics =(.
Ok, raw statistics now:
Level: 77.
lets use GoMule format:
Strength (N/G)= 165/210
Dexterity = 125/183
Vitality = 150/170
Energy = 30/48
I have no idea why there are points in energy. I don't remember putting them there.
Skillz:
(These are weird.)
Bash: 5
Leap: 1
DSwing: 5
Stun: 6
DThrow: 1
Leap Attack: 1
Concentrate: 13
Frenzy: 1
WW: 1
Berserk:1
(masteries)
Sword: 4
Axe: 6
Mace: 10
Iron Skin: 3
Nat Resist: 9
(warcries)
1 in: well... all of them bar battle command (0)
Find Item (Hork): 3
Battle Orders: 8
For some reason, I started out being a conc barb, changed my mind... around late lvl 50's/60's, realized BO did something... oh yes, built very oddly indeed.
Right... Part 2, Gear.
Helm: 3socketed avenger guard with +2 to concentrate. My only +skill item.
Socketed with a Ptopaz, a Ptopaz and another Ptopaz.
Armour: [Yes, that is how it is spelt in the UK] 3socketed Sharktooth Armour, socketed with a Lem, Ko and a Tir rune (Wealth runeword).
Weapon 1: "Oath" zweihander.
Weapon 2: "Voice of Reason" rune sword.
Gloves: The Immortal King's Forge War Gauntlets.
Belt: Thundergod's Vigor War Belt.
Boots: The Immortal King's Pillar.
Jewellery: odd combination here...
Amulet: (For Magic Finding) Amulet of Luck (+32% MF)
(for killing things) Entropy Scarab Amulet. Which would be
+1 Necro skills
+8 to Energy
+56 to Life
+16 to all resistances
Half freeze duration.
The only two mods of any use are the +life and resists, as I found a:
Raven Frost Ring.
And the other shiny thing on Erik's fingers is a "Rune Turn" ring, providing:
+lightning damage,
+str,
+resist to Cold, Lightning and Fire,
and an additional 10% MF.
On the weapon switch is Earthshaker and Gerke's Sanctuary.
Part 3, LCS
according to it:
Damage (DSwing, after Might from Ilzan and the aura from the wolverine spirit, whatever it does)
between 600 and 1000 from the Oath, and less from the VoR.
Life: 1490 after BO.
That's all that matters really. Ilzan, the mercenary (might aura) has Tal Rasha's helm, Skin of the Flayed One, and Pierre Tombale Couant.
As you have probably guessed, I use the RWM, and I have a little stash in GoMule.
I have most excep set items, and quite a few uniques. My best item find was in Act1 Hell, a Wizardspike from the Blood Moor and an Ohm from the Den of Evil. Oh, runes-wise I have everything from El thru Fal plus an Um, Gul and that Ohm. I have many, many socketed excep items for runewords.
So, what are your suggestions and advice for Erik the Barbarian.
Thanks in advice
Ailelya
*collapses in front of text wall*|||Hi Ailelya, I'm not a barb expert but it seems as if you have spread your points too thinly. I would advise you read a little bit about different builds (concentrate, ww, frenzy etc) and find a good guide for what you think will be the most fun. After you have chosen a build there should be some guides how to spend your points. I would especially advise picking a weapon mastery and don't put points in others. Pick your main combat skill and max it etc, but the guides can direct you further.
I personally have a frenzy barb that is a lot of fun and does well in Hell. Good, detailed guides for this character have been written by Spankeh, Dabeas and Ash, Have a read of them and see if you fancy that. They also have a lot of useful information about what gear is good for barbarians in general.
Regarding equipment, I suggest you invest in better killing/safety equipment. You can trade decent stuff like arreats face, highlords amulet, etc for perfect gems or mid runes like pul-um. Your Ohm rune is worth a lot, if you don't want to use it you should be able to get a lot of good gear for that. Look on the trade forums.|||Your skills happen to be your issue, I would respec the following.
Max Frenzy. Battle Order til about five for now.
Natural Resistance 1 point (1 point in prereq)
Then dump points in frenzy synergies double swing & taunt to boost your damage.
Masteries I would leave about 5-10 points for til you figure out what weapon your going to be using end game + the bonus skill points you will have enough to max it.
Myself personally @ level 85.
I maxed frenzy, double swing, masteries, put one point into natural resist, put about 10 in battle order and started putting the final mastery for frenzy which is Taunt. 10 in B/O is enough for my health bonus so I started adding damage with the final synergy. Berserk IS technically a synergy for frenzy but it is a complete waste of points.
Now take it I got about +8-9 skills off gears & inventory items. You wanna do something along the lines I said above and you will see a HUGE improvement.|||Hi!
Thanks for your input. Frenzy seems to be the one to go for.
I have signed up for the trade forum and intend to trade away that Um rune for a spangly new IK's armour. I found the belt yesterday.
What about my stats? I find I die way too often, and I was wondering if this has anything to do with my quite low (by comparison) vitality, and high dex for greater attack rating.
Thanks
Ailelya|||You should only have enough strength and Dex to use your equipment (Including what your equipment gives you). Rest goes in Vitality. If I wanted to do blocking I'd make a Zealot Paladin.
Since you seem to have almost completed the IK set, why not get the weapon and Helm from that set as well? The bonuses are pretty good. 2 handed weapon means you'll have to make a Whirlwind barb though (nothing wrong with that!). A really good thing about the weapon from this set is it has NO dex requirement, so you get extra points for Strength/Vitality. Also it's the longest range Mace in the game.
Do you have much Life Leech? That's really important to have.
Are you thinking before you rush into that pack of extra strong, mana burn, cursed monsters? Remembering you can't leech from skeletons? Barbarian is surprisingly strategic, more so than a lot of characters.
You should have BO on at all times, I find it's a pain to remember to recast, but when I forget, I die. There's obviously a connection there!|||IK set is solid to roll without however like said in the previous post, to complete the set requires use of the 2 hand weapon which converts you from frenzy to ww. Using the set and staying frenzy just not using the IK weapon is still a good idea vs what you currently have. As frenzy you should be looking for some life steal items.
You should only have enough str and dex to match your gear requirements. Everything else goes to vit, you should try to pick up some ar charms via trade section to solve your ar issue. Try to grab a metalgrid if you can, serious ar increase. The price tag on them are kinda sticky but you might be able to swing a deal.|||I used to have loads of life leech, from dual Aldur's Rhythms - using double swing back then. Probably why I die so much nowadays.
I know Frenzy takes up quite some mana when used (3-ish) but when using dswing I never cared at all about those mana burn bosses. With my points in Concentrate, i could use that with the IK's SC, and i loved the idea that you could smack something and nothing could hit you back. Would Concentrate be the best choice for 2h weapons? Before the Aldur's I was using a tabar which was fine, but didn't hit often. I'll do my best to pick up all the charms that drop now.
I have applied for the IK's hat and armour from a giveaway but haven't had anything back to me yet. My Um will buy me the armour and if I don't get the rest of the set for free I have millions upon millions of pgems.
Two skills I have considered:
What about Berserk? It's good for PIs. though the elemental damage on the IK maul should solve that
On a mad note: What about DThrow? I have the Scalper.|||Berserk is a 1 point wonder, it can't deal with groups efficiently but it's good for the odd PI.
Concentrate also can't deal with groups well.
Frenzy is alright but needs 2 weapons.
Just go whirlwind, it's popular because it's good.|||Berserk is an epic skill to use with a two-handed sword and imo out-damages whirlwind in party play (i.e. when not soloing) but requires good gear. And a party to back you up. So just one point into that for you.
Using the IK set with whirlwind is a good option for a beginner. If I were you though I'd use the gul to trade for 3 or 4 mals and make myself 2 Oaths and a Gloom (armor). A small crescent (axe) is a nice base for Oath and will out-damage the IK set by quite a bit. Gloom (fal-um-pal) in a good base (like archon plate or wire fleece) has over 1500 defense and 45 all resist. Smoke and Treachery are other (cheaper) armor options but they lack in defense. A step up from these is 2 Grief swords and a Fortitude but for that you need 3 Lo and 2 Mal runes.
Thundergod's is a great belt and you can keep the raven. On the second ring you should look for mana and life leech and +attack rating, and resists are a nice bonus. You be able to get Laying of Hands (gloves) for pgems. As mentioned above the other things you should be looking for are Arreat's Face, Highlord's (amulet) and Gore Rider's (boots).|||Ok.
Thanks for all input but in the end, I got the IK set for free!
I have respecced.
The first time I did it I put 94 in dex, for the highest thing I had on, then thought... hmmm... shift-click adds five each click, right? Shift-clicked vit. I then had 415 in vit. ARRGGH. That required a minimize-to-desktop and an "end task" to put right. Glad I didn't press esc.
Went back into the game and all was fine. pheww. re-respecced and now have:
Clvl 79 (gone up a bit!)
Str - 237 after gear
Dex - 94
Vit -197 from memory
Energy -zilch.
I have maxed Concentrate and Mace Mastery
Have 1point wonders in sword mastery, berserk, whirlwind and prereqs.
8 or so in BOrders brings it up to 15 with gear. thank you IK
Got a few in Iron Skin and Nat Resist [enuff to have 75 to all resists]
Damage - 3100 to 5600 after Ilzan's Might aura
AR - 10001
Def Rating - much
Killing speed is infinitely faster now. Have 1 in berserk but it isn't really needed thanks to masses of elemental damage. Concentrate works well on group as while hitting one thing immense defense rating means nothing else hits me. Andariel was easy as hell! Going into the Arcane Sanctuary tonight or tomorrow.
I never liked the idea of whirlwind - I've tested it and I just don't like it. Feels unsafe or something.
@hubb if you didn't read the top bit I have an oath already. And I have never heard of a pal rune. Did you mean pul?
Thanks to all
-[F]Ailelya
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