82.41.176.69: /* Shrines */

2011-10-03T04:14:30Z

Shrines

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:14, 3 October 2011
Line 387:		Line 387:


			{{D1 masternav\|Basics}}
	{{~~Diablo items~~}}

	[[category:D1 Strategy]]		[[category:D1 Strategy]]
	[[category:Diablo I]]		[[category:Diablo I]]

82.41.176.69 at 23:58, 14 February 2009

2009-02-14T23:58:41Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:58, 14 February 2009
Line 38:		Line 38:
	better in no time. But your money will be gone. There are two		better in no time. But your money will be gone. There are two
	philosophies that both have their merits:		philosophies that both have their merits:
	* Save your cash until after your first venture against the evil		* Save your cash until after your first venture against the evil hordes, and try to buy a decent set of leather armor asap.
	hordes, and try to buy a decent set of leather armor asap.		* Buy two small healing potions from the local healer. Both have their pros and cons - in the end it's up to everyone's
	* Buy two small healing potions from the local healer.
	Both have their pros and cons - in the end it's up to everyone's
	preference...		preference...

82.41.176.69 at 23:58, 14 February 2009

2009-02-14T23:58:12Z

New page

This colorfully-written guide to low-mid level Warrior play was written by Armin.

==Getting Started==

Good morning , Ladies...

Sit down, and cut the chatter.

My name is Wolfslayer, First Lieutenant, service number K302, second
regiment of the Lady Katrina's guards, Knights of Justice. Warrior of
the 29th circle. I'm here to talk about Bushido - the way of the
warrior.

There is an excellent [[Warrior_Bolty|lecture by General Bolty]] going on next door,
that covers all the finer points of strategy and tactics for the
experienced Warrior. But I advise that all of you who have just come
in fresh from boot camp, listen to some tips for the common grunt
first. After all, you'll want to survive the time and endless battles
it takes, to BECOME a Warrior of the 35th or higher circle in the
first place...

You can quit that "Sir, yes, Sir!" routine, ladies... You're not in
boot camp anymore and I'm not your drill instructor. You should
nevertheless listen to what you're gonna hear here, because it may
keep your butt out of trouble...

Now, you learned the basics. You should be in good physical shape, and
know how to handle the standard issue Tristram Defense Forces short
sword, buckler and club without embarrassing yourselves. Most of you
may have neglected the more theoretical and mental aspects of their
training, but I'll address that later.

The first question in most cases is usually, what to do with the money
you received when leaving basic training. Many tend to buy the best
protective equipment they can get for 100 gold from that overcharging
local blacksmith... I would advise otherwise. The cloak and simple cap
you may be able to afford won't last for long. You'll find - and NEED -
better in no time. But your money will be gone. There are two
philosophies that both have their merits:
* Save your cash until after your first venture against the evil
hordes, and try to buy a decent set of leather armor asap.
* Buy two small healing potions from the local healer.
Both have their pros and cons - in the end it's up to everyone's
preference...

==Into Combat==

Ok, now you enter the dungeons, searching for your first clash with
the evil hordes... Heed a few simple things and you will prevail.

First of all: Don't charge blindly into the fray. Hollow machismo like
that will certainly kill you. A wise Warrior will seek to be in
control of the battle at any time. Don't let the enemy dictate your
actions. By advancing slowly you should control how many enemies you
will face.

[Technical side note: Don't left click at every enemy you see,
especially not if they are at the other end of the screen! Your char
will walk towards it and activate more, as he closes... Unless you are
well over-equipped this will kill you in the long run.]

==Positioning==

Advance. Watch. Listen. Analyze the situation. Let the enemies close
on you and engage them at your terms. Look for a good position. Don't
hesitate to RETREAT to one. Retreating to a better position has
nothing to do with cowardice. But getting surrounded and killed has
very much to do with stupidity.

Good positions are: Next to a wall. That eliminates 3 positions from
which something could attack you. Next to a corner. Especially if you
just retreated around it. This will channel the enemies into attacking
you single file and keep them from surrounding you for the few seconds
you need to finish some off. IN FRONT of a door. Don't stand IN the
door at first. This will allow 3 enemies to attack you at once.
Standing one step in front of it, you can finish of ARMIES of monsters
one by one... Natural choke points. Like between pillars, barrels,
anything that keeps you from being surrounded.

==Healing Potions==

A note on healing potions: I use the small ones Pepin offers until
very late in my career. Unless money is of no more concern, the small
ones offer the better value for your gold. As you should never let
your life drop too far, you'd waste a lot from the expensive big pots
by drinking them early... I like to gulp a healing pot when my life is
down below 50%, just to be on the safe side... With small pots, you're
using your money to better effect.. And: learn to access your belt
well! If you have to think about where in it your next potion is, in a
tight spot you will die. None of the advanced strategies ever has the
slightest chance to work, if you don't manage to keep yourself alive
by drinking potions at the proper moment.

==Weapon Selection==

Now, which weapons should you use in the beginning? The basic problem
is: the old church and it's catacombs are infested by the undead...
You'll find many skeletons, and as they have no flesh left to cut,
your sword will only be half effective. A blunt weapon, OTOH, will
even do some extra damage against them. BUT: There are also animals
that will attack you. The scavengers and their stronger brethren take
only half damage from clubs, but extra damage from swords, so it can
often be a tough choice... Same goes for all the winged fiends - they
are animals, too... Well, I for my part take a sword, or any edged
weapon as my default weapon. The reasoning is: The scavengers and
winged fiends are usually more dangerous than the skeletons. If I meet
a mix of creatures, I'd rather kill the dangerous ones quick and take
some more swings at the skeletons. With some practice (and I advise to
practice all aspects of your skills anyway) you can switch weapons
quickly, especially if you heed my advice to advance with care, if you
see a large pack of skeletons advancing. On level three of the church
you will NEED a good blunt weapon, as this is the realm of King Leoric
and his skeletal hordes... (I'll come to that later)

[Side note: forget blunt weapons or switching weapons once you enter
nightmare or hell difficulty... The skeletons there drop just as well
from your sword as they lack 100, respectively 200 hit points due to an
unfixed bug]

As a Warrior, you'll need to constantly improve your weapons and
armor. Always look for the best armor you can find. Enchantments that
add to your abilities are nice, but you should focus on the best
possible protection. Select enchantments that increase the armor class
above all else. Same goes for the shield - and you should use one at
all times - a good AC is paramount, everything else is a nice added
bonus, if you can get it. And remember Colonel Da O'Toth's important
addition: Only a shield will let you block attacks, that would
otherwise hit you. Arrows, too, and even spells, if your resistance is
low.

[Important note for Hellfire owners: In Hellfire you might wish to
reconsider this. Blocking works slightly different than in classic
Diablo there. A Warrior with shield or a monk with staff will try to
block BEFORE hits or resistance are calculated. That way they can
literally "block themselves to death". The so called "block stun" can
be deadly if you're facing some ranged attackers that would normally
not cause that much damage, but force you to block ALL their attacks
now... Then you can't hit back - especially the melee monsters that
might be there, too. Well - in short: My Hellfire Warrior uses a
two-handed sword :)]

I advise to use a good sword, or other one handed weapon. Axes swing
slower, and they, as do Mauls, rob you of the shield's protection AND
the ability to block attacks with it. The higher damage an axe or maul
might offer is, IMO not worth it. For the helm again, take one that
has a good AC above all else. Secondary enchantments are nice, but no
use if you are hit too often... In the beginning, you should pick up
and sell everything you find lying around in the dungeons (except
perhaps rags and bucklers...) to raise the money for better equipment.
Conserve your money, by repairing your gear yourself. This will lower
the durability some, but in the beginning your equipment will be
raplaced by better things frequently. Let Grizwold fix only those
items you think you will keep for a longer time.

Oh, and something to heed for later: You may wish to keep a set of
replacement gear (probably the last set you used, before you found
better) in town, for the utmost emergency. If you die and only the
recall to town enchantment can bring you back from the dead, all your
gear not in your enchanted backpack will remain in the dungeon. To
retrieve it can be a pain in the butt for us, who depend most on their
steel... A good reason to learn the Telekinesis spell as soon as you
can. Retrieve your gear from a safe position, then show those nasties
who's the boss again...

I'll not discuss jewelry here - in the beginning be glad if you can
find ANYTHING useful... Later on, some enchantments that add to-hit
chance, life, resistances or all stats are very handy. Refer to [[Warrior Bolty|Gen.
Bolty's advanced lecture]] for details... Only note: The "of thieves"
enchantment is something never to pass up if you find it. Due to a
misspelling in the magic formula, it not only halves the damage you
receive from traps, but from EVERY ranged monster attack - be it arrow
or magic. [Ed. note: This has been fixed in version 1.07 - it is now
limited to trap damage as originally intended.]

The choice of weaponry is a philosophy in itself. I'll only mention
two basic considerations: Always look out for two things: Do I HIT the
enemies most of the time, and do I cause enough damage to "stun" them,
i.e. do they recoil from the shock and pain if I hit them? If the
answer to both questions is "yes", your weapon is fine, if not: look
for some better weapon that fixes the problem. Never throw items away,
that improve your magic skill, even if you are not going to wear them
in combat. Use them in town, to boost your understanding of the magic
arts and read a few more spellbooks! (Some call these things their
"reading glasses"...) Note that these glasses can come in handy in
item retrieval, too. Everything that helps you cast more spells will
help, once your best armor and weapon lie at the feet of some monsters
that killed you!

==Spells==

Some notes on spells: Many Warriors disdain the use of magic. They
think it not "honorable", or a waste of effort. I couldn't agree less.
I think that a wise Warrior will use any means at his disposal,
including all the spells he might come upon and learn in his travels.
Of course, one should not focus on offensive spells... We're simply no
match for the sorcerors, or even the sisters here. You'll always cast
too slow and hit too badly, to punch it with a fireball... But
especially early on, there are a lot of spells that will help you
greatly. Healing is the first. Learn it ASAP. Use your limited mana
and all the potions you may come upon, to preserve healing potions.
You will last longer. Don't bother with firebolt or charged bolt too
much... You'll do more damage with a sword... Sometimes, ranged
attackers can be an exception, but you'll still not be very good at
it...

Holy Bolt can come in handy early on, as you can take out some
of these pesky skeleton archers with it. They can really be a pest,
they flee from you and make you look like a porcupine at times. Holy
Bolt, even at your poor casting speed, can be quicker that chasing
them around. And as they tend to stand still while firing at you,
you'll even hit them most of the time...

Forget Inferno. For it to
work, the critters have to be close. And if they are close... *pats
the hilt of his sword* The very best early support spell is a decent
Fire Wall. Once you can cast one, it can be a great addition to your
fighting skills. Positioned behind the door you are fighting in front
of, or cast behind you to cover a retreat, it will weaken, even kill
lots of enemies before they close in. Later in the game, your skill
will probably not suffice, to keep the Fire Wall hot enough to
severely damage the tougher creatures. But early on, learn it and
learn to use it well. Town portal is a must to make you dungeon trips
more safe, AND more convenient... [Always cast a Town Portal in the
first safe corner on a new level!] Lightning, like Fireball,
Elemental, Chain Lightning, Flame Wave, has its drawbacks for a
Warrior. All these spells can be used to some effect, but face it -
you'll not even come close to a sorcerer's prowess with them... A
Guardian, later on, can be effective to recon around corners, to draw
out enemies and to support you with some firepower while you are
fighting. I will not even mention the spells of the 4th degree...yet.
Gen. Bolty covers the finer points of Telekilling, but leave that for
later... MUCH later...

==Attributes==

My opinion on training: Early on, as you gather experience, you'll
want to improve your stats. But what to focus on? I might be in
contradiction to many, but: early on, don't improve your strength too
much! Practice your hand-eye coordination, and raise your dex. This
will be VITAL for blocking with your shield, and hitting your
opponents. Harden your constitution, to improve vitality. You'll last
longer in battle. AND: Put some effort into your mental skill, and
learn magic, at least to stage 17 early, so you may learn healing, and
other spells later. Only train your strength from time to time, in
order to be able to use the next better weapon or armor. The only
benefit apart from that, is better damage in melee. And that depends
HEAVILY on your experience. A Warrior of the 10th circle, for
instance, needs 10 points of strength for a single added point of
damage. Once you are MUCH higher, pump all the iron you can, and get
your strength REALLY up.

[Or, put simple: Blocking, to-hit chance and AC bonus are based on
dex, High vitality gives more hit points and magic the ability to use
spells. Str*clvl/100 is the damage bonus you get in melee. As you see,
that is only really interesting at higher levels. The only other thing
Str is good for, is wearing better armor and weapons.]

==Some basic strategies==

I already mentioned the use of proper positioning, choke points and
the right speed of advancement/retreat against melee monsters. But now
comes the hard part: what to do against those cowardly ranged
attackers, that can REALLY ba a pain in the butt? Well, there is no
golden way, but there are quite a few things that work. Decide which
one to use depending on personal preferences and the situation. Think
before acting, and use your brains, not just your brawns.

The most important thing first: Don't get obsessed about chasing a
fleeing enemy. Abort the pursuit, as soon as it takes you into
undiscovered territory. I have seen many a fresh recruit die, when a
fleeing monster - be it a goat archer or a fallen one - lured him into
a pack of other creatures. Be patient. They will return. If you
activate some other, retreat, and finish off the pursuers first, then
return to the one that fled.

Try to use holy bolts, once you know the spell against skeleton
archers. Use Fire Walls later, to keep Goat Archers from fleeing (or
to barbecue them WHILE fleeing...).

Later, against some of the spell-casting types, like Magistrates or
Cabalists, even Advocates, if nothing else works and you are alone,
consider the use of a bow! You might not be as precise or as fast with
it as one of the sisters, but against those teleporting demons, a bow
can be your best friend at low levels!

But above all, practice the art of cornering ranged attackers. They
flee away from you - so retreat, circumvent them, drive the towards a
wall and then into a corner. Once there they won't stand a chance. It
even works against those mages. Once cornered they can only teleport
on the spot and will surely fall for your sword. Visit Gen. Bolty's
lecture for diagrams and further detail about it.

Be careful about those spitting doggies - if they have a boss they
often fire a barrage of deadly spit that can drop you in seconds. A
fire wall, again, is your best friend against them. Try to stay JUST
out of their reach, and warm up their behinds with it... Try to
isolate the remains and finish them off one by one. Oh, and: Heed the
advice of Colonel O'Toth again and STAND STILL while fighting them!
Running around among them you'll only end up standing in the puddles
of acid they leave behind when dying... [Translation: Use the SHIFT
key... see below...]

One other kind of trouble makers are those flying fiends that "Blink"
to another spot. Especially when with a boss the can be VERY nasty,
surrounding you in no time. Use a bladed weapon, as they are animals
[1.5x damage from swords], and some Firewalls to soften them up. When
in doubt, retreat (cover it with a firewall if possible).

A special mention goes to the Zombies of the "Black Death" variety.
Avoid them like the proverbial plague! They will cause sickness and a
degenerative condition, in which you lose health PERMANENTLY! Never
allow them to hit you! Use ranged attacks (Holy Bolt if possible), or
fight from a frim stand, to hit them before they hit you.

[Technical note: Not only for them Black deaths: PRACTICE THE USE OF
THE SHIFT KEY! Many Warriors neglect it. Stand in a spot, and swing at
advancing enemies when they are still two squares away. That way you
can "catch" them the very moment they try to enter the adjacent square
- seemingly even still one away. This can also work fine when in
pursuit of a ranged attacker. Your char will not swing while a square
behind, but if you hold the shift key and take a swing out of the
movement, you can often catch them, too. And did I mention the
usefulness of the shift key in coop games? You'll help those rogues a
lot if you don't run around the enemies like a beheaded chicken...]

And, the usual words about the two main bosses that might await you
early on:

==Boss Advice==

The [[Butcher]]... well, see if that strange toy that mage came up with,
that Landru automaton posts Prof. Pete's "Basic Butcher Bashing 101"
somewhere... it can usually be found somewhere on the black board
here. Just some short pointers: Don't think about using spells. You'll
run out of mana long before you run out of butcher... using a bow
might work, if you can catch him behind a grate (he is too stupid to
open doors) or in the stairs down (he's even to stupid to get out of
them). Otherwise, make sure you have some decent armor (leather or
hard leather, a decent cap and small shield should suffice), a good
weapon and a belt full of red pots, and bash it out with him... If you
don't feel up to it, leave his door closed. Go down to get some more
training and perhaps a better weapon and return later.

[[King Leoric]]... for him, too, there is an excellent treatment from
Prof. Pete that the automaton will continuously repost upon
requests... As he is a skeleton, use a blunt weapon. Preferably one
with a to-hit enchantment, as Leo can be hard to hit. You might try
some holy bolts, but with your slow casing speed and little mana,
you'll have much more trouble than a sorc or one of the sisters...

A side note: On occasion, I bashed both of them to death with a staff
of healing, when I had one... Just hit them again and again, and cast
a healing from the staff from time to time...

==Shrines==

And the survival tip on [[D1 Shrines|shrines]]: DON'T TOUCH ANY YOU DON'T KNOW. Hands
off goat shrines and cauldrons. The Ornate, Sacred and Fascinating
shrine will give you 2 levels for insignificant spells, and diminish
your mana pool by one tenth. Many may think that loss to be
insignificant to a Warrior.. They couldn't be more mistaken! We with
our limited supply of mana are even more dependent on it than those
over endowed sorcerers! Losing 40 out of 200 max mana is a lot WORSE
than loosing 100 out of a possible thousand! Check the list of shrine
effects in that field guide given below and proceed with extreme care!

Well, heed this and you might just stay alive long enough, to qualify
for General Bolty's lecture... But anyway, feel free to listen to it
right now. While much of the finer points might be outa reach for you
yet, it'll give you good pointers on where to go to...

Another thing you'll need later on is some good reference. Look up
everything you'll ever need in General (i.R.) [[Jarulf's Guide|Jarulf's field]].

And remember, ladies: No one of you undisciplined grunts is gonna die
in that dungeon, without my written permission!! Is that clear?

Dismissed.

Wolfslayer_K302

{{Diablo items}}

[[category:D1 Strategy]]
[[category:Diablo I]]

Warrior 101 - Revision history

82.41.176.69: /* Shrines */

82.41.176.69 at 23:58, 14 February 2009

82.41.176.69 at 23:58, 14 February 2009