Golemancer Attempt No.1

@ShazamLies - I'm actually not using Bone Wands at the moment. I have Crushflange and a Poison/Cold Rare Javelin on switch - these are helping me at the choke points when Gumby isn't killing and Aliza is shooting at walls. When the right Wand(s) come along, all that will change. I have two Heads equipped, one is +2 to Golem Mastery, the other is +2 Bone Armour, for pre-buffs. I'm anticipating some decent equipment any day now!

@MadMantis - thanks for that. I realise I am following Insane Wayne's posting format to a great extent, but if a thing works, don't fix it! I wonder how far I'll get too (I'm trying not to speculate too much at this point).

@Bliphgar - I certainly expect Gumby to play a key role against Duriel. Whether Aliza does or <ssshhh> a new mercenary with a polearm </ssshhh> remains to be seen.

@Kirah - Lore will make an appearance (I hope), just looking for the right helm and the small matter of the Ort and Sol runes (not easy, untwinked and playing single-pass [so far])
 
Congratulations. You have inspired me to make a pure golem mancer. I believe I'm going to choose Iron as my golem of choice. This will be a just for fun character but I intend to get him to about level 85.
 
This is a great thread :)

However, because I think one can beat hell with a freeze merc and 1 pt amplify, I challenge one of the regulars here to do Loz's build on hardcore players 8, NO MERC ^^
 
sirwhere said:
This is a great thread :)

However, because I think one can beat hell with a freeze merc and 1 pt amplify, I challenge one of the regulars here to do Loz's build on hardcore players 8, NO MERC ^^
Click to expand...

Can you say twinked EBOTD Iron Golem?

Anyhow this build is already hard enough, untwinked it will be hard to find enough appropriate merc gear.


 
Canyon of the Magi

In preparation for the Tombs, I did a bit of shopping at Drognan's and came up with a couple of useful Bone Wands - a +15 to Energy/Lightning Resist +10%/+3 to Clay Golem and a Lightning Resist +6%/6% Life stolen per hit/+3 to Golem Mastery. The second Wand combines with a +2 Golem Mastery bonus on one of my Necro Heads for a fine pre-buffed Clay Golem with 1144 HP (according to the LCS). I imagine the "Pet Calculator" will tell me the true position.

The Canyon itself held no challenges, with Gumby easily tanking Hell Cats and Crushers alike. We even had time for my favourite game of kick the trapped urn and see who gets stung. Aliza's turn this time.
The first false tomb I tried held Ancient Kaa, so there was no big build-up ... he was, somewhat surprisingly, easily dispatched. Other boss Unravelers faired little better, at least initially. Each Tomb was a procession of doorway bootlenecks, Amping the monsters in front, casting Confuse on the massed monsters behind and if they are in range, Dim Visioning/Attracting the Ghoul Lords and Unravelers - it was becoming routine. The only fly in the ointment ... I was forever running out of mana. One of the bottlenecks proved to be a stalemate, I was unable to get to the Unravelers prevent them raising their undead and my supply of blues/purples wasn't unlimited. Eventually I saw a chance to tip the scales in my favour - Gumby was recast in front of the Unravelers, I cast Attract on one of their number and Aliza and myself snuck through the door. We were then able to take the fight to the enemy much more effectively. The final boss could have been tough but actually spawned with very little in the way of support.

I've cleared the six false tombs and only the Tomb of Tal-Rasha stands between my little group and Duriel. This will be a very big test.

Tech Stuff and Thoughts
I now have 70 unallocated Stats point and 3 unused skill points. I imagine the pressure to add to Vitality will steadily grow as I approach Duriel's Chamber. As for Skill Points, I'm torn between switching to Golem Mastery or sticking with Clay Golem. I've still managed everything at Players 8 but even the merc's kill speed is starting to suffer. The good news is that I have found a 3os Superior Short Battle Bow, which I can socket with the usual elemental gems. Current "best switch" resists are 65F, 75C, 50L, 75P - I still want to improve my Lightning Resistance. The Rare Javelin I've had since early Act 1 has been jettisoned as it was no longer doing any damage. Crushflange sits in my Inventory and the two Wands fill my weapon slots.

I really am dreading Duriel. The decision to stick with Aliza or to go for an Act 2 merc occupies much of my thoughts. I'll check her stats when she gets her new Battle Bow, maybe that will help make up my mind.

Golemancer GumbyBalboa - Level 28, Act 2, Tal Rasha's Tomb
 
@Gluttony - my final choice of Golem will very much depend upon what items I can put together for a super-dooper Iron Golem. If all else fails, Gumby will have to do but he isn't the most awesome killer in the game. A deadly Iron Golem would perhaps lend itself to a more pure form of Golemancer, i.e. one that is less Merc dependent. I have to say thought that this build may end up being a slog, but I am hoping that its challenges will make me a better player.

@Mad Mantis - that isn't an easy question to answer. I don't think it is entirely realistic to expect this build to finish the game in Hell difficulty, although it may be possible. One indicator that I have given up is if I feel I must twink to proceed further. Most likely the build will stall at some point, but the terms of my experiment are to see how far I can take it.

@sirwhere - :grin: <scribbles down "Freeze Merc" on notepad> Thanks for the tip! I decided against HC as I didn't want the build to fail simply because I hadn't come to understand it. But yes, HC will be a real test, for some of the better players here in the forums. I intend to go Players 8 all the way - again, I'll see how far I can take that.

@ShazamLies - untwinked is one of the rules I stipulated in Post 1. The experiment ends if/when I decide I want to twink th character.
 
still need to read some of your entries, but he's a suggestion: once you maxed Clay Golem and have about 10 pts in Golem Mastery, focus on Fire Golem as a synergy to make your Clay Golem do more damage. By that time your Golem will have plenty of life and damage is really what you need.
 
@jinzo - I've skimmed the thread previously, but you reminded me to take a closer look at it. Thanks! :thumbsup:
(I'm on Page 19 but I really ought to be doing some work right now.)

@Ed from Russia- that's sound advice and matches what I've been thinking.
I've been upping CG rather than GM in an effort to get more damage more quickly. The Gumby still seems to survive as a tank at this stage - only one hard point at present but I have +5 skills for the pre-buff.
 
ShazamLies said:
Can you say twinked EBOTD Iron Golem?
Click to expand...

Well, twinking is a cheesy option :p

I think golemmancer with no merc on HC players 8 is a challenge par with SuperDave's passives-only zon. Without twinking, you won't have a uber iron golem to pwn hell with :)

The curses will make sure you have adequate firepower to overcome immunes. Just raise an iron golem out of buzzing sword and cast lower resist :)



 
Speaking of threads to read, have you seen the golemancer tournament?

Based on my experiences there, I have three suggestions:
  • Gumby plus Iron Maiden pwns Duriel (and all act bosses).
  • I would max Golem Mastery first, rather than of CG. Later your damage will come from IG or FG, and mastery helps all golems. You will wish the points in CG were spent elsewhere...
  • Also pump Dim Vision to a high level (~10+ by Hell). Since the golem (and merc) only target one monster at a time, you'll need good crowd control to protect you from those archers and magi.
Good luck!
 
Nice going dude! Keep it up. SuperDave seems to be on vacation in his thread...so I'm checking yours daily now...

Iron golem ( Malice RW anyone, crush flange too...hmmm) is going to be your killer later on. You'll need the ow or cb to get anywhere in hell.

Good luck!
 
The Final Tomb

My preparation for Duriel consisted of researching Runewords and cubing up Emeralds, Topazes and Sapphires to use in Aliza's 3os Short Battle Bow. I soon discovered that I currently lack the runes and/or the necessary items to make any of the runewords I've shortlisted for GumbyBalboa or Aliza. To make matters worse, I found that I was one chipped emerald short of a flawless. Grrr. In the end, I settled for putting in a flawless topaz and a normal sapphire for now. I felt sure I'd pick up a chipped emmy in time for my meeting with Duriel ... it never happened :prop:

Progress through Tal Rasha's true tomb was practically painless. GB and Co were never really threatened.

Duriel at first looked impervious to harm. For twenty seconds or so, it seemed we were doing no damage to him at all. We stuck to the gameplan of casting Iron Maiden for speedy damage and, when the golem's health was in the yellow, Decrepify to give Gumby a respite in which to heal. Eventually, some progress was made ... Nevertheless, Gumby needed to be recast two or three times during the fight. In the end, it was a race to see who died next, Gumby or Duriel. Aliza, still missing an emerald in the last OS on her bow, was never in any real trouble.
Alas, poor Gumby never saw Duriel's death throes - he's two for two as far as dying at the same time as the Act Boss (not to mention missing Radament's demise).

Drops were nothing special, an Angelic Halo and some useless rare items. More importantly, the way across the Sea is now open and Kurast beckons.

Tech Stuff and Random Thoughts
No Stats or Skill Points have been spent in this session. I'm playing suck it and see. I was slightly irritated that I had miscounted my emerald stash for Aliza's bow, but no harm done and it will soon be remedied.
I must say, I'd built up Duriel in my own mind (based upon how much my Summoner struggled against him in Normal). He turned out to be fairly easy, I just needed to sink 4 or 5 Mana potions during the fight.

Some Answers
@jgreg7 - thanks! The Golemancer Tournament thread is largely responsible for starting me on the path to trying out the build. I will need to re-read the thread for useful ideas, but it was that tourney which put the first germ of an idea in my head. And you were right - IM ensured that Duriel helped speed up his own demise.
As for the GM/CG skill point issue, I think you are probably right, but I will eventually be maxing out CG in any event. In Normal mode, it should all work out the same in the end. At some point my emphasis will switch to GM/IG/FG - I'll know when I get there what to do (I hope!).
It's my firm intention to put enough points in Dim Vision to provide cover from Gloams/Archers/etc. I have a deep-seated fear of such things!

@Josiphos - Runewords for my IG occupy my mid to long-term planning thoughts. I suspect that Strength will play a part in this, with its CB and Life Steal abilities. It's a shame that Ancients Pledge has no offensive capabilities - the elemental resists might be quite tasty on an IG. I may well sacrifice my Crushflange to make an IG for Diablo - the fire resistance and CB would be hepful, perhaps - but I'd rather wait for another useful melee weapon to come way first. Not that I'm meleeing these days. Shame about the Malice, though ...

@sirwhere - :grin:

Golemancer GumbyBalboa - Level 28, Act 2, Kurast Docks
 
If it were up to me, i'd get a cold merc, sparky and LR to go through normal. Looks like you're doing fine on your own though.
 
In the jungle, the mighty jungle ...

Setting off from Kurast Docks, we met a Dark Wanderer out walking his dogs - but that's another story.
When we saw our first Thorned Hulks, we weren't sure what to make of them but Gumby tanked them easily and Aliza's shafts were very effective. Balboa threw Poison Pots, mainly because he had them, but also to make up for the empty socket in Aliza's bow. When a stretch of water intervened, the 'Hulks were even less impressive.

At some point, Aliza disappeared into the bushes ... I'm not sure what she was doing but she seemed happier afterwards.

The Spider Cavern needed only a modicum of caution when being explored. Immediately after this picture though, we were approached on all three sides by the gigantic spiders. Some ducking and weaving was needed to avoid Balboa getting too much punishment. Not cautious enough!
Despite that, when we approached the final chamber and the chest, it all seemed to be going a bit too easily. With the Chest in sight, a sudden mob of Spider minions descended upon us, beating us back for many yards. Gumby required a recast as that Spider venom really didn't agree with him. We eventually gained the upper hand and fought our way back to the chamber. Khalim's Eye fell to the floor as some unidentified boss was slain.

The Great Marsh threw Drowned Carcasses and Fetish/Soul Killers at us with glee. Some of the bosses needed careful handling. When Gloams appeared, Balboa's state of alertness was heightened, but he couldn't resist a photo opportunity when it arose. The lightning didn't hurt him too much, with 40-50% resistance, but one case of Mana Burn was enough for him. Gloams received the care they warrant after that. One tactic that he tried, for an single Gloam accompanied by other monsters, was to cast Attract on it. This tied up the Gloam but at the same time allowed Amp Damage to work on the nearby monsters. This is slightly more efficient than simply Dim Visioning the whole group, but slightly riskier too, I feel.

Another, even stronger, Carcass boss made an appearance, backed up by Fetish with blow pipes, but we'd already dealt with his kind before so we knew what we were doing.

Nearing the Flayer Jungle, the tests became harder and creative use of curses (and so running out of mana) became the norm. A normal Shaman and a Ghostly one were turned against each other with Attract. Larger, more widespread groups were dealt with using Confuse and/or Dim Vision.

The Flayer Jungle Waypoint is ours.

Tech/Random
I finally found an emerald so I can cube up a flawless gem to fill Aliza's last socket.
Gumby appears to be suffering at the moment so I need to think about splurging some points into GM - currently have five points unspent. I will hold off allocating points to CG, particularly as I don't want the mana cost going any higher right now. The reason I keep upping CG instead of GM is simply this - I feel guilty using Gumby simply as a tank for the merc. I want him to be a killing machine and CG ups the damage he does whereas GM does not. I realise that this is foolishness, by the way! On the other hand, I could put some points into BG, IG and FG ... no, GM first.
Balboa's life hasn't been at great risk now since Act One, I think, although he had his Bone Armour stripped away once, today. 80 unspent stats points and still the decisions to made regarding Strength (for gear), Dex and Vitality. Hmm ...

I think this is the first time I've used an Act 1 merc in Act3 to any great extent - so much easier than a Spearboy! I'm having to think about when the Act 2 merc will make an appearance. Not sure at this point.

Golemancer GumbyBalboa - Level 30, Act 2, Flayer Jungle
 
Nice. Keep it up. I've been following this since the beginning now but haven't said much (except that it inspired me to make one at some point). Looking foreward to your future encounter with mephisto. :smiley:
 
Long Haul to Travincal

Long Haul to Travincal
Working our way through the jungle to a good deal of time, partly as a result of having mislaid the Flayer Dungeon. Balboa's spirits were high though, as a result of finding a great pair of rare gloves and obtaining a nice rare ring from Ormus.

The Swampy Pit kept the team on its toes, with Gloams appearing at odd moments. Balboa welcomes these encounters as he needs practice dealing with the more dangerous kinds of Gloams and Souls to come.
Aliza was starting to cause some concern, her mind didn't seem to be on the job. Getting hurt was only to be expected.
Care and caution were essential in the Flayer Dungeon, a dangerous place where it's easy to get trapped. Success came to us in the end.

It was good to finally leave the jungle behind. Working our way through Lower Kurast, a favourite venue for Rune hunters, was like putting on an old pair of shoes. Kurast Bazaar itself held few terrors, save only the possibility of stairtraps in the assorted temples that adorn that place. Oddly, no stairtraps were in evidence in the Disused Fane or the Ruined Temple. There were other dangers ... the reward of a second Isenharts Horns raised a smile.

The Sewers beneath Kurast were very challenging. Horadrim Ancients patrolled the passages in great numbers - their effects could be felt whilst they were out of range of Balboa's under-powered Dim Vision. In fact, shortly after this picture was taken, poor Aliza was caught in a crossfire from several 'Ancients and lost her life - her first such misfortune. Once revived, Aliza rejoined the team and was able to share in the push to the second level of the Sewers.

Upper Kurast fell to us with no real dramas. Indeed it was the Forgotten Temple that presented the only real scare - a stairtrap of Bone Scarabs. Balboa was ready though, with Terror hot-keyed and Crushflange (with its knockback) in hand. The large numbers of Wailing Beasts and Spider/Serpent Magi were effectively contained. A green Longsword fell from one boss - Cleglaw's Tooth.
The team were very tired at the end of a very long day's adventuring - three of Khalim's relics are in our possession. THe Travincal Causeway is next and all our strength and guile will be needed against the Sextons and Heirophants that await us.

Tech Stuff and Such
The stairtrap incident has highlighted Balboa's deficiencies in terms of vitality and dexterity. The relative weakness of Bone Scarabs meant that the trap wasn't lethal, but it could easily have been if Spider Magi had formed the reception committee. The time to decide between vitality or vitality/dexterity mixture is approaching.
I've allocated a further 5 strength points (and jettisoned some strength charms to save space) to ensure I can use the rare boots that are currently equipped. 85 Stat points and 7 Skill points are unused. The poison sources in the Sewers meant Gumby was often recast, but otherwise his survival was fairly good. No rush to put points in GM yet.
What's very pleasing is that Balboa's resists are now all at 75%, on his best switch. Ormus' rare Ring, the rare Heavy Gloves and a rare Skull Cap found at some stage today were the final pieces of the puzzle. A number of resist Charms are now stashed, freeing up valuable inventory space.
Oil and Rancid Gas Potions are proving useful as backup artillery for when Aliza is, ahem, unavailable.

Golemancer GumbyBalboa - Level 32, Act 2, Travincal
 
SSoG said:
How could anyone make Patriarch with a mojomancer? Mojomancers have no enemy-independent way of dealing damage (read: nothing but Confuse, Attract, and IM), and would therefore have no means whatsoever of dispatching any Act Bosses or the Ancients.

With that said, I don't think a Golemancer is possible. I simply think it won't deal enough damage even to overcome monster regen in Hell.
Click to expand...
a golem won't deal enough damage, but his merc sure as heck will :p

by the way, the mojomancer got through hell only killing necessary monsters, i.e. act bosses, quest bosses, ancients, etc.

http://purediablo.com/columnists/a-maldar1.shtml



 
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