Golemancer Attempt No.1
- Thread starter LozHinge the Unhinged
- Start date
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
A Lesser Evil? Uh, huh ...
Preparations having been made for the confrontation under the Monastery, we travelled to the L2 Catacombs Waypoint. I felt I knew a direct path to the stairs to Level 3, but Balboa insisted that the entire level be cleared, and Level 3 as well. We travelled with a Gumby this time so all killing was left to Aliza. I noted that her kill speed was becoming too slow, especially without the help of a Rusty. Balboa had a plan in mind though - two plans in fact. Naturally, neither one was what we ended up doing, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Plan A was a 3-soc Short Battle Bow for Aliza, socketed with the best rubies we had. With this we thought to have a strong attack against Andariel. A Gumby would supply the necessary tanking ability, Balboa would either augment the slowing effect with Decrepify or, if that proved unnecessary, speed up the killing with AmpDam. If this proved ineffective, Plan B was a Malice Rusty, with Aliza keeping her existing tri-elemental Razor bow. Balboa would almost certainly need to employ Decrepify for this option, but surely one or the other approach would prove effective.
Before putting either plan into effect, we needed to clear the creatures out from the Level 4 stair room and the ante-chamber. This actually proved rather tricky.
It wasn't going to be practical to lure the Fallens into the stair room, as their proximity to the Shamans in the ante-chamber meant we would be facing enemies front and rear when they were revived. Balboa's idea, which I wasn't entirely convinced about, was to make a break into the ante-chamber and use crowd control tactics to keep the Fallens at bay whilst Aliza assassinated the Shamans. This actually worked after a fashion, but there were tense moments. Balboa and Aliza slipped past the fight and into the ante-chamber; the fight itself was contained at the doorway with Gumby tanking all comers. The presence of a Possessed Afflicted, being curse-proof, was worrying but the situation was stable. The only problem was Aliza could not get a clear shot at the Afflicteds, as revived Fallens kept intervening. Balboa thought to speed things up - before I could stop him, he cast Confuse on the crowd in the doorway.
Idiot! The monsters fell upon each other as planned, but the increased clamour and commotion attracted the attention of the massed ranks of Fallen waiting deeper in the ante-chamber. A wall of monsters charged Balboa and Aliza, and panic gnawed at our resolve. Quickly, Balboa cast Terror at the Fallens and raced to the corner of the room. Any returning creatures were Terrored - repeatedly. Incredibly, the tactic worked - necromancer and mercenary all at once stood unmolested as the battle again raged in the doorway. Balboa daren't move a muscle after that!
When the Afflicted were gone, Balboa judged the moment right to try to engage the Shamans at the far end of the room. Confuse, Dim Vision and Terror were cast to the left and right as Balboa attempted to position Aliza to attack the Shamans.
I was convinced that our team was doomed (even before its encounter with the first Lesser Evil) but Balboa's daredevil tactics actually worked and the first battle for the ante-chamber was won.
With fear and genuine reluctance, Balboa pushed open the doors to the main chamber. Ghouls were encountered straight away, and were easily dispatched. Sending the Gumby forward as a scout, more Fallens charged our team. A plan long agreed upon meant a controlled retreat from the ante-chamber back to the stair room - drawing the Fallen back with us and out of range of the Shaman we knew waited within. This process was repeated again and again, until finally the Shaman was isolated and slain. A final cast about for further enemies was cut short as a wave of poison was hurled at us. Andariel was here.
I wanted to bring Andariel into the ante-chamber, away from any allies that lay in the main chamber. Such was the ferocity of her charge, we were pushed back in some disarray into the stair room. Gumby rallied at the doorway and I used the opportunity to assess how well our tactics were working. It didn't look good, as a matter of fact.
Aliza's fiery bow was all but ineffective - damn! - and the supposedly invulnerable Gumby was being torn apart by Andariel's poison. By Decrepifying Andy, the golem's life was extended slightly, but little damage was being inflicted on her. The mana cost of Decrepify and Clay Golem was ruinous and Balboa's supply of pots would not last.
Thinking quickly, Balboa improvised - Aliza's original tri-elemental bow was returned to service and AmpDam was used instead of Decrepify. More damage was being done, less mana was required for cursing, but the cost to Gumby was extreme. He needed recasting two or three times a minute. Ouch.
The battle raged from one side of the room to the other. The double-doors were closed to prevent ingress by any creatures left alive in the main room ... we needed all the room we could get! The dwindling supply of pots was worrisome, especially once the odd few left behind by the dead Fallen were scavenged and used up. And then, quite suddenly, we realised that we were winning!
Unfortunately, with Andariel within a sliver of her life, we ran out of potions. Balboa raced to the portal he had created at the beginning of the fight and restocked potions in Town. He had hoped that wouldn't be necessary but he'd underestimated his requirements. Lose some style points and bragging rights.
Andariel's last sight was the death of the golem that had been tormenting her. She didn't live to see Gumby re-cast in the fires of her death. Exhausted, the team looked over the treasures left behind by the Demon. A unique scythe might make an interesting Iron Golem at some stage but the rest was junk. The day was won for the forces of light, but foreboding over the trials and challenges of the future lay heavy on our hearts.
Thoughts ...
None, I'm too tired! Actually, one thought - we are severely underpowered!
PS - thanks for comment, Ed from Russia. Try an usual character, you'll either love it or you'll hate it!
PPS @Gluttony - I am having the best fun with this character. So challenging! :grin:
Preparations having been made for the confrontation under the Monastery, we travelled to the L2 Catacombs Waypoint. I felt I knew a direct path to the stairs to Level 3, but Balboa insisted that the entire level be cleared, and Level 3 as well. We travelled with a Gumby this time so all killing was left to Aliza. I noted that her kill speed was becoming too slow, especially without the help of a Rusty. Balboa had a plan in mind though - two plans in fact. Naturally, neither one was what we ended up doing, but I am getting ahead of myself.
Plan A was a 3-soc Short Battle Bow for Aliza, socketed with the best rubies we had. With this we thought to have a strong attack against Andariel. A Gumby would supply the necessary tanking ability, Balboa would either augment the slowing effect with Decrepify or, if that proved unnecessary, speed up the killing with AmpDam. If this proved ineffective, Plan B was a Malice Rusty, with Aliza keeping her existing tri-elemental Razor bow. Balboa would almost certainly need to employ Decrepify for this option, but surely one or the other approach would prove effective.
Before putting either plan into effect, we needed to clear the creatures out from the Level 4 stair room and the ante-chamber. This actually proved rather tricky.
It wasn't going to be practical to lure the Fallens into the stair room, as their proximity to the Shamans in the ante-chamber meant we would be facing enemies front and rear when they were revived. Balboa's idea, which I wasn't entirely convinced about, was to make a break into the ante-chamber and use crowd control tactics to keep the Fallens at bay whilst Aliza assassinated the Shamans. This actually worked after a fashion, but there were tense moments. Balboa and Aliza slipped past the fight and into the ante-chamber; the fight itself was contained at the doorway with Gumby tanking all comers. The presence of a Possessed Afflicted, being curse-proof, was worrying but the situation was stable. The only problem was Aliza could not get a clear shot at the Afflicteds, as revived Fallens kept intervening. Balboa thought to speed things up - before I could stop him, he cast Confuse on the crowd in the doorway.
Idiot! The monsters fell upon each other as planned, but the increased clamour and commotion attracted the attention of the massed ranks of Fallen waiting deeper in the ante-chamber. A wall of monsters charged Balboa and Aliza, and panic gnawed at our resolve. Quickly, Balboa cast Terror at the Fallens and raced to the corner of the room. Any returning creatures were Terrored - repeatedly. Incredibly, the tactic worked - necromancer and mercenary all at once stood unmolested as the battle again raged in the doorway. Balboa daren't move a muscle after that!
When the Afflicted were gone, Balboa judged the moment right to try to engage the Shamans at the far end of the room. Confuse, Dim Vision and Terror were cast to the left and right as Balboa attempted to position Aliza to attack the Shamans.
I was convinced that our team was doomed (even before its encounter with the first Lesser Evil) but Balboa's daredevil tactics actually worked and the first battle for the ante-chamber was won.
With fear and genuine reluctance, Balboa pushed open the doors to the main chamber. Ghouls were encountered straight away, and were easily dispatched. Sending the Gumby forward as a scout, more Fallens charged our team. A plan long agreed upon meant a controlled retreat from the ante-chamber back to the stair room - drawing the Fallen back with us and out of range of the Shaman we knew waited within. This process was repeated again and again, until finally the Shaman was isolated and slain. A final cast about for further enemies was cut short as a wave of poison was hurled at us. Andariel was here.
I wanted to bring Andariel into the ante-chamber, away from any allies that lay in the main chamber. Such was the ferocity of her charge, we were pushed back in some disarray into the stair room. Gumby rallied at the doorway and I used the opportunity to assess how well our tactics were working. It didn't look good, as a matter of fact.
Aliza's fiery bow was all but ineffective - damn! - and the supposedly invulnerable Gumby was being torn apart by Andariel's poison. By Decrepifying Andy, the golem's life was extended slightly, but little damage was being inflicted on her. The mana cost of Decrepify and Clay Golem was ruinous and Balboa's supply of pots would not last.
Thinking quickly, Balboa improvised - Aliza's original tri-elemental bow was returned to service and AmpDam was used instead of Decrepify. More damage was being done, less mana was required for cursing, but the cost to Gumby was extreme. He needed recasting two or three times a minute. Ouch.
The battle raged from one side of the room to the other. The double-doors were closed to prevent ingress by any creatures left alive in the main room ... we needed all the room we could get! The dwindling supply of pots was worrisome, especially once the odd few left behind by the dead Fallen were scavenged and used up. And then, quite suddenly, we realised that we were winning!
Unfortunately, with Andariel within a sliver of her life, we ran out of potions. Balboa raced to the portal he had created at the beginning of the fight and restocked potions in Town. He had hoped that wouldn't be necessary but he'd underestimated his requirements. Lose some style points and bragging rights.
Andariel's last sight was the death of the golem that had been tormenting her. She didn't live to see Gumby re-cast in the fires of her death. Exhausted, the team looked over the treasures left behind by the Demon. A unique scythe might make an interesting Iron Golem at some stage but the rest was junk. The day was won for the forces of light, but foreboding over the trials and challenges of the future lay heavy on our hearts.
Thoughts ...
None, I'm too tired! Actually, one thought - we are severely underpowered!
PS - thanks for comment, Ed from Russia. Try an usual character, you'll either love it or you'll hate it!
PPS @Gluttony - I am having the best fun with this character. So challenging! :grin:
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
Cows Weak
I'd forgotten the Cow Level in Normal! D'oh.
It was decided that we return to Normal difficulty and see what happens. Rusty, currently constructed from a spare Cleglaw's Tooth (just for the Hell of it) tanked an extraordinary number of Bovines. The Confuse curse helps, of course! The Cow King readily identified himself with his Charged Bolts and so it was a simple matter to let him escape.
Lut Gholein's Sewers were easily cleared - skeleton archers were either Dim Visioned or Confused, whilst Rusty tanked the melee monsters. Aliza cut through Burning Dead with satisfactory efficiency. Radament was easy - he only raised about four revives, I don't think his heart was in it.
The Stony Tomb was relatively simple, although some hit and run tactics were required when Rusty struggled.
The Dry Hills Waypoint was obtained just before Balboa called it a night.
Stats'n'Such
89 Stats and 7 Skill points unspent
Best Resists: F80, C63, L80, P80 (very pleasing)
I'm re-thinking my Skill point allocation plans - certain ideas are suggesting themselves as I learn about this build. Thankfully, I do not believe that many (if any) of the points I've spent have been wasted. The main issue I have at this time is how high do I pump Dim Vision?
Slayer GumbyBalboa - Level 54, Act 2 Nightmare, Dry Hills
I'd forgotten the Cow Level in Normal! D'oh.
It was decided that we return to Normal difficulty and see what happens. Rusty, currently constructed from a spare Cleglaw's Tooth (just for the Hell of it) tanked an extraordinary number of Bovines. The Confuse curse helps, of course! The Cow King readily identified himself with his Charged Bolts and so it was a simple matter to let him escape.
Lut Gholein's Sewers were easily cleared - skeleton archers were either Dim Visioned or Confused, whilst Rusty tanked the melee monsters. Aliza cut through Burning Dead with satisfactory efficiency. Radament was easy - he only raised about four revives, I don't think his heart was in it.
The Stony Tomb was relatively simple, although some hit and run tactics were required when Rusty struggled.
The Dry Hills Waypoint was obtained just before Balboa called it a night.
Stats'n'Such
89 Stats and 7 Skill points unspent
Best Resists: F80, C63, L80, P80 (very pleasing)
I'm re-thinking my Skill point allocation plans - certain ideas are suggesting themselves as I learn about this build. Thankfully, I do not believe that many (if any) of the points I've spent have been wasted. The main issue I have at this time is how high do I pump Dim Vision?
Slayer GumbyBalboa - Level 54, Act 2 Nightmare, Dry Hills
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
Good call, Josiphos!
The options for creating a Rusty are numerous - unique, rare, runeword, crafted. Makes my head spin!
I will probably be forced to research the subject more thoroughly once I start hitting a wall.
I'm determined to come up with a Rusty that at least matches the merc's kill speed. Even if I have to nerf the merc to do it! (I know, I'm a CHEAT! :grin: )
The options for creating a Rusty are numerous - unique, rare, runeword, crafted. Makes my head spin!
I will probably be forced to research the subject more thoroughly once I start hitting a wall.
I'm determined to come up with a Rusty that at least matches the merc's kill speed. Even if I have to nerf the merc to do it! (I know, I'm a CHEAT! :grin: )
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
Halls of the Dead
Just a quick update to say that the Halls of the Dead have been cleared and the Far Oasis Waypoint secured. The Halls were a real tactical challenge - my established gameplan was to cast Attract on the Hollow Ones and Slingers, Confuse when Rusty was in danger of being overwhelmed, and Dim Vision and AmpDam where required. Sometimes I had to draw the undead away from the influence of the Hollow Ones to make progress, at other times I would charge into a room and try to assert control with liberal use of the aforementioned curses. All the time, I was dodging missiles and teleporting bosses whilst trying to position Aliza effectively. I LOVE this character!
Eventually, I grew tired of Rusty's increasing inadequacy. The Cleglaw's Tooth I used for him was just an experiment so I decided to let him go. A Malice sabre was the next thing to try, but first I placed all my unused Skill points into Blood Golem, to bring his life up a bit. The LCS shows a tad under 4000HP, which is reasonable. The Open Wounds mod is very effective at this point, if a little messy.
94 Stat points unused, no spare Skill points. Allowed skills are all at 1 point except for LR and BP (still zero), GM 20, CG 13, BG 9 and IG 5. I found a Nightsmoke in the Far Oasis (hooray for more non-charm based resists and another row for potions!). Best resists now 80 for all except Cold which has gone down to 33% (no longer wearing Artic Binding). Aliza has a 4-soc Cedar Bow, with PEmerald, PSapphire, PTopaz and a Nef inserted. Nice piece of kit! I was going to put a PRuby in instead of the Nef, for style points, but practicality won through in the end. The slightly slower attack speed compared to the Razor bow is more than compensated for by the bigger damage.
Found a lovely rare necro Circlet, +2 to the ... PnB tree
and a superb rare necro Wand with +2 to ... PnB, again. Sheesh.
Still going strong at /players 8 and still having a great time with this character! Hope that's still the case when I brave the Maggot Lair!
Slayer GumbyBalboa - Level 55, Act 2 Nightmare, Far Oasis
Just a quick update to say that the Halls of the Dead have been cleared and the Far Oasis Waypoint secured. The Halls were a real tactical challenge - my established gameplan was to cast Attract on the Hollow Ones and Slingers, Confuse when Rusty was in danger of being overwhelmed, and Dim Vision and AmpDam where required. Sometimes I had to draw the undead away from the influence of the Hollow Ones to make progress, at other times I would charge into a room and try to assert control with liberal use of the aforementioned curses. All the time, I was dodging missiles and teleporting bosses whilst trying to position Aliza effectively. I LOVE this character!
Eventually, I grew tired of Rusty's increasing inadequacy. The Cleglaw's Tooth I used for him was just an experiment so I decided to let him go. A Malice sabre was the next thing to try, but first I placed all my unused Skill points into Blood Golem, to bring his life up a bit. The LCS shows a tad under 4000HP, which is reasonable. The Open Wounds mod is very effective at this point, if a little messy.
94 Stat points unused, no spare Skill points. Allowed skills are all at 1 point except for LR and BP (still zero), GM 20, CG 13, BG 9 and IG 5. I found a Nightsmoke in the Far Oasis (hooray for more non-charm based resists and another row for potions!). Best resists now 80 for all except Cold which has gone down to 33% (no longer wearing Artic Binding). Aliza has a 4-soc Cedar Bow, with PEmerald, PSapphire, PTopaz and a Nef inserted. Nice piece of kit! I was going to put a PRuby in instead of the Nef, for style points, but practicality won through in the end. The slightly slower attack speed compared to the Razor bow is more than compensated for by the bigger damage.
Found a lovely rare necro Circlet, +2 to the ... PnB tree
and a superb rare necro Wand with +2 to ... PnB, again. Sheesh.Still going strong at /players 8 and still having a great time with this character! Hope that's still the case when I brave the Maggot Lair!
Slayer GumbyBalboa - Level 55, Act 2 Nightmare, Far Oasis
That is what amazes me. I thought you'd have to switch back a long time ago.
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
Glass Cannons and a Big Worm
The team was ready for The Maggot Lair and the search for the Staff. Malice Rusty was proving himself a capable killer - there is a synergy between him and Aliza that is a delight to watch. Often, a golem submerged in enemies has some of the heat taken off him by Aliza's tri-elemental knock-back arrows. In return, Rusty intercepts creatures who attempt to overwhelm the deadly, but fragile Rogue mercenary.
Rusty, mindless automaton that he is, seems to have a sense of the absurd nonetheless. Balboa shook his head at the golem's antics, but there is a serious side to metallic monster. There was nothing amusing about the bloody trail of destruction that Malice Rusty is capable of leaving when given free rein.
The Ancient Tunnels proved no challenge to a team that has honed its underground fighting skills and strategies.
The culmination of this evening's endeavours was the dangerous Snake Temple. Claw Vipers and Salamanders can be dangerous foes, but they had no answer to Balboa's Attract curse. Their swift attacks were turned against themselves and their allies, and the serpents showed their glass cannon fragility. Aside from a stair trap, the only really difficult moment was at the Serpent Altar itself.
Having decended the stairs, the team was charged by Bone Warriors and Rusty was hard-pressed to hold back the tide. Aliza knocked-back and occasionally shattered the odd skeleton that broke past. Balboa was unable to make his curses really count as Guardians, out of range, replaced virtually every skeleton that fell. A few Vipers that were mixed in with the crowd were Attracted and eventually fell, but after a few gains a stalemate ensued.
Balboa himself had to create the opening - he Terrored the Bone Warriors repeatedly until he and Rusty were able to advance and get a line on the Guardians. Repeated castings of Attract on the Guardians eventually caused the Bone Warriors to turn on them, which gave Balboa the breathing space he needed. He Attracted the two separate groups of Guardians and unleashed Rusty on one of them. Aliza picked off the occasional skeleton that attempted to get at Balboa, and then turned her attention to the Vipers at the Altar. After a long, bitter fight where quarter was neither asked nor given, the Guardians' hold on the situation was broken - unable to raise skeletons, they at last became vulnerable to attack and the tide of the battle had turned.
With daylight returned to the land, Balboa and his team returned exhausted and triumphant to Lut Gholein, for an important briefing from the City's ruler.
Stats'n'Such
Balboa has 99 Stats and zero Skill points unused (a skill point was added to BG this evening).
No significant change in equipment, but the refinement of skills and tactics continues. Still at /players 8, I'm sure some folks would consider the kill rate too slow to be enjoyable but for me, this is part of the challenge. There are no quick answers to tricky situations and bulldozing my way through simply isn't an option.
I must say, the final battle with the Guardians, Bone Warriors and Vipers was special. Switching between the curses, making sure Rusty wasn't over-whelmed, dealing with half a dozen different factors at once is exhausting, but exhilarating. I'm buzzed right now!
Some answers
@garion - thank you very much! The Maggot Lair was a breeze really, only one scare when I was caught with Beetles/Scarabs in front and behind. Aliza's knockback and Rusty's tanking ability saved the day. Haven't got to the 'Sanctuary in this difficulty yet, should be fun. Both the Sanctuary and the Lair are enjoyable with this build - as a Summoner they're a pain as your (larger) army just trips itself up all the time.
@Sivy - thanks. I really enjoy the updates on your project and hope to read of some more successes from you soon. :thumbsup:
@MadMantis - P8 is no problem so far (save for Blood Raven - she really is a pain). I'm sure I will need to drop the setting eventually but not for a while yet, I think. Maybe not until Hell ...
Slayer GumbyBalboa - Level 56, Act 2 Nightmare, The Palace of Lut Gholein
The team was ready for The Maggot Lair and the search for the Staff. Malice Rusty was proving himself a capable killer - there is a synergy between him and Aliza that is a delight to watch. Often, a golem submerged in enemies has some of the heat taken off him by Aliza's tri-elemental knock-back arrows. In return, Rusty intercepts creatures who attempt to overwhelm the deadly, but fragile Rogue mercenary.
Rusty, mindless automaton that he is, seems to have a sense of the absurd nonetheless. Balboa shook his head at the golem's antics, but there is a serious side to metallic monster. There was nothing amusing about the bloody trail of destruction that Malice Rusty is capable of leaving when given free rein.
The Ancient Tunnels proved no challenge to a team that has honed its underground fighting skills and strategies.
The culmination of this evening's endeavours was the dangerous Snake Temple. Claw Vipers and Salamanders can be dangerous foes, but they had no answer to Balboa's Attract curse. Their swift attacks were turned against themselves and their allies, and the serpents showed their glass cannon fragility. Aside from a stair trap, the only really difficult moment was at the Serpent Altar itself.
Having decended the stairs, the team was charged by Bone Warriors and Rusty was hard-pressed to hold back the tide. Aliza knocked-back and occasionally shattered the odd skeleton that broke past. Balboa was unable to make his curses really count as Guardians, out of range, replaced virtually every skeleton that fell. A few Vipers that were mixed in with the crowd were Attracted and eventually fell, but after a few gains a stalemate ensued.
Balboa himself had to create the opening - he Terrored the Bone Warriors repeatedly until he and Rusty were able to advance and get a line on the Guardians. Repeated castings of Attract on the Guardians eventually caused the Bone Warriors to turn on them, which gave Balboa the breathing space he needed. He Attracted the two separate groups of Guardians and unleashed Rusty on one of them. Aliza picked off the occasional skeleton that attempted to get at Balboa, and then turned her attention to the Vipers at the Altar. After a long, bitter fight where quarter was neither asked nor given, the Guardians' hold on the situation was broken - unable to raise skeletons, they at last became vulnerable to attack and the tide of the battle had turned.
With daylight returned to the land, Balboa and his team returned exhausted and triumphant to Lut Gholein, for an important briefing from the City's ruler.
Stats'n'Such
Balboa has 99 Stats and zero Skill points unused (a skill point was added to BG this evening).
No significant change in equipment, but the refinement of skills and tactics continues. Still at /players 8, I'm sure some folks would consider the kill rate too slow to be enjoyable but for me, this is part of the challenge. There are no quick answers to tricky situations and bulldozing my way through simply isn't an option.
I must say, the final battle with the Guardians, Bone Warriors and Vipers was special. Switching between the curses, making sure Rusty wasn't over-whelmed, dealing with half a dozen different factors at once is exhausting, but exhilarating. I'm buzzed right now!
Some answers
@garion - thank you very much! The Maggot Lair was a breeze really, only one scare when I was caught with Beetles/Scarabs in front and behind. Aliza's knockback and Rusty's tanking ability saved the day. Haven't got to the 'Sanctuary in this difficulty yet, should be fun. Both the Sanctuary and the Lair are enjoyable with this build - as a Summoner they're a pain as your (larger) army just trips itself up all the time.
@Sivy - thanks. I really enjoy the updates on your project and hope to read of some more successes from you soon. :thumbsup:
@MadMantis - P8 is no problem so far (save for Blood Raven - she really is a pain). I'm sure I will need to drop the setting eventually but not for a while yet, I think. Maybe not until Hell ...
Slayer GumbyBalboa - Level 56, Act 2 Nightmare, The Palace of Lut Gholein
yeah i agree..those two are slow going...although sanctuary might be easier than arcane...less turning around...and forks...and more predictable...
thanks for the awesome reads!....this has been the best thread in ages! (That isn't a guide or off-topic or anything but just pure gaming fun~ness (so good we had to make up a word!)
BRAVO Are you going to do the sewers before you leave act 2? You seemed to have rushed to the maggot lair (unless I missed it somewhere). I'd like to see you fight radament for his skill increasing book. I enjoyed this and the tacticalness must be very entertaining. Good luck :smiley:
"Still at /players 8, I'm sure some folks would consider the kill rate too slow to be enjoyable but for me, this is part of the challenge. There are no quick answers to tricky situations and bulldozing my way through simply isn't an option."
yeah u have right because 95% people playing D2 choose allmighty build like: hammer, blizz sorc, java etc. why? because on BN when u will be play ur mancer people ridicule you... nobody understending what is a lots of fun playing that build and another no "allmighty" with no tax etc. yeah big BEER :thumbsup: for everybody who likes play "not special" build... we know what is the best... :thumbsup:
btw. sorry for my english i still learing this language... it's my second
cu soon when i stop play on 1.09:wave: ... maybe i will back fast if new ladders gives new patch :jig:
Greet Sivy
yeah u have right because 95% people playing D2 choose allmighty build like: hammer, blizz sorc, java etc. why? because on BN when u will be play ur mancer people ridicule you... nobody understending what is a lots of fun playing that build and another no "allmighty" with no tax etc. yeah big BEER :thumbsup: for everybody who likes play "not special" build... we know what is the best... :thumbsup:
btw. sorry for my english i still learing this language... it's my second
cu soon when i stop play on 1.09:wave: ... maybe i will back fast if new ladders gives new patch :jig:
Greet Sivy
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
@Gluttony - Radament was done in Post #83 (94+ posts, what the ...? :grin: ). Like most Superuniques, he seems a lot easier in NM than he does in Normal.
@Sivy - your second language beats mine, hands down!
Don't play with Ladders, stick to SP :grin:
@Sivy - your second language beats mine, hands down!
Don't play with Ladders, stick to SP :grin:
Yeah, I missed it. Your thread accumulates lots of posts very quickly and I must have overlooked it. :smiley:
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
Vault of Heaven
Jerhyn's briefing made for sober listening - demons and slaughter within the very Palace of Lut Gholein. We resolved to investigate and deal with the Hellish incursion.
Blunderbores, although intimidating in size and demeanour, were the least of our problems once we had decended into the lower levels of the Palace. Skeletal mages and archers were the most dangerous denizens down there. Having managed a boss and his retinue, we had only turned a corner when a champion pack of poison mages and archers caught us in a deadly crossfire. Dim Vision took much of the sting from these attacks but there was considerable cost in terms of red & blue pots. A tremendous find on the second Harem level made the work seem more worthwhile - Balboa is certain he can find a good use for the Humongous Giant Axe :grin: .
The portal to the Arcane Sanctuary marked a threshold in the team's progress. The paths through the yawning gulfs of heaven inspire awe, but the creatures we faced were some of the toughest we've met to date. Malice Rusty struggled to cope with the fireballs of Ghoul Lords, the quick strength of the Goat Clans and the stacked Spectres - sometimes all at once. Balboa was too slow creating an escape portal and, inevitably, Rusty gave up the unequal struggle. Several Rare weapons were used to create a succession of unsuccessful Iron Golems. In the end, Balboa selected the Soul Harvest unique scythe - Open Wounds, resistances, enhanced attack & damage, and fast attack speed ... a decent package, if a little inferior (kill speed-wise) to Malice.
Anticipating a struggle to find him in the celestial maze, the Summoner proved to be easy to find - at the end of the first spur we tried, in fact. Balboa, Aliza and Rusty were more than a match for the Summoner and his two Ghoul Lord bodyguards - he gave up after a small struggle.
Further exploration of the Sanctuary led to a difficult encounter with a large group of Ghoul Lords and their Boss. The leader proved easy as he had foolishly teleported across to us, whereas his minions were more circumspect; they fireballed and fire-walled us from across a gap. We couldn't use the portal to engage them hand to hand - there were too many of them. A long duel ensued, Balboa' curses and Aliza's shafts vs the fire spells of the Ghouls. Rusty could only pace, impotent and ineffectual. It was some time before we felt that the Sanctuary had been cleansed of evil - Rusty certainly left his mark on the paving stones of the strange structure.
Both Palace and Sanctuary have been reclaimed from the forces of Hell - and the Canyon of the Magi awaits.
Stats
109 Stat points spare, no Skill points unused. Skills are as before save for BG - now up to Level 12.
I am really chuffed with the Humongous Axe - I have that plus enough runes for two Strength runewords. An ample supply of CB is just what this build needs, I feel. I don't know whether it will be possible, but ultimately, I want the IG to provide as near an equal share of the killing as the merc. It's an aim, anyway.
Oh yes, Balboa hasn't made use of the Imbue, Socket and Personalise quests rewards yet - I wonder if/when he will.
Best rune to date - a Dol from, IIRC, a random nasty in the Mausoleum in NM.
Slayer GumbyBalboa - Level 58, Act 2 Nightmare, Canyon of the Magi
Jerhyn's briefing made for sober listening - demons and slaughter within the very Palace of Lut Gholein. We resolved to investigate and deal with the Hellish incursion.
Blunderbores, although intimidating in size and demeanour, were the least of our problems once we had decended into the lower levels of the Palace. Skeletal mages and archers were the most dangerous denizens down there. Having managed a boss and his retinue, we had only turned a corner when a champion pack of poison mages and archers caught us in a deadly crossfire. Dim Vision took much of the sting from these attacks but there was considerable cost in terms of red & blue pots. A tremendous find on the second Harem level made the work seem more worthwhile - Balboa is certain he can find a good use for the Humongous Giant Axe :grin: .
The portal to the Arcane Sanctuary marked a threshold in the team's progress. The paths through the yawning gulfs of heaven inspire awe, but the creatures we faced were some of the toughest we've met to date. Malice Rusty struggled to cope with the fireballs of Ghoul Lords, the quick strength of the Goat Clans and the stacked Spectres - sometimes all at once. Balboa was too slow creating an escape portal and, inevitably, Rusty gave up the unequal struggle. Several Rare weapons were used to create a succession of unsuccessful Iron Golems. In the end, Balboa selected the Soul Harvest unique scythe - Open Wounds, resistances, enhanced attack & damage, and fast attack speed ... a decent package, if a little inferior (kill speed-wise) to Malice.
Anticipating a struggle to find him in the celestial maze, the Summoner proved to be easy to find - at the end of the first spur we tried, in fact. Balboa, Aliza and Rusty were more than a match for the Summoner and his two Ghoul Lord bodyguards - he gave up after a small struggle.
Further exploration of the Sanctuary led to a difficult encounter with a large group of Ghoul Lords and their Boss. The leader proved easy as he had foolishly teleported across to us, whereas his minions were more circumspect; they fireballed and fire-walled us from across a gap. We couldn't use the portal to engage them hand to hand - there were too many of them. A long duel ensued, Balboa' curses and Aliza's shafts vs the fire spells of the Ghouls. Rusty could only pace, impotent and ineffectual. It was some time before we felt that the Sanctuary had been cleansed of evil - Rusty certainly left his mark on the paving stones of the strange structure.
Both Palace and Sanctuary have been reclaimed from the forces of Hell - and the Canyon of the Magi awaits.
Stats
109 Stat points spare, no Skill points unused. Skills are as before save for BG - now up to Level 12.
I am really chuffed with the Humongous Axe - I have that plus enough runes for two Strength runewords. An ample supply of CB is just what this build needs, I feel. I don't know whether it will be possible, but ultimately, I want the IG to provide as near an equal share of the killing as the merc. It's an aim, anyway.
Oh yes, Balboa hasn't made use of the Imbue, Socket and Personalise quests rewards yet - I wonder if/when he will.
Best rune to date - a Dol from, IIRC, a random nasty in the Mausoleum in NM.
Slayer GumbyBalboa - Level 58, Act 2 Nightmare, Canyon of the Magi
I feel for the loss of your iron golem and the failures of the rare golems. It appears now that only uniques/runewords are going to be effective in the trials ahead. Even so you have enough items that if everything goes as they have been will last you up to act 4. As long goal plans what will you do if you run out of items for your golem? Will you go back and farm to get new runes so you can replace him?
LozHinge the Unhinged
Active member
Hmmm, it's going to have to be a very special rare item golem to beat uniques and runewords - but that is always the case with rares.
I believe that I am going to be able to maintain a slender supply of uniques and RWs, sufficient for my needs, as long as I am more careful. The last Malice I lost was completely avoidable, had I exercised my usual level of caution. With the current Soul Harvest golem, I have a total of four potential boss-beating Rustys - Soul Harvest being the least of these. If I haven't lost the current golem before I get to the CS, I will undoubtably lose him there with the OKs. I have a strategy for keeping Rusty alive against OKs, if I absolutely have to, but it will mean a long, and I mean LONG, process. I'll have to transfer this save from my laptop to my desktop to make it work as I won't be able to Save&Exit in the meantime! Please don't make me go that route!
I will hold off farming for runes/uniques/socketables as long as I can. If I cannot beat the game without doing runs, then the first stage of my experiment is over - can a Golemancer beat the game on single-pass and full-clear?
I believe that I am going to be able to maintain a slender supply of uniques and RWs, sufficient for my needs, as long as I am more careful. The last Malice I lost was completely avoidable, had I exercised my usual level of caution. With the current Soul Harvest golem, I have a total of four potential boss-beating Rustys - Soul Harvest being the least of these. If I haven't lost the current golem before I get to the CS, I will undoubtably lose him there with the OKs. I have a strategy for keeping Rusty alive against OKs, if I absolutely have to, but it will mean a long, and I mean LONG, process. I'll have to transfer this save from my laptop to my desktop to make it work as I won't be able to Save&Exit in the meantime! Please don't make me go that route!
I will hold off farming for runes/uniques/socketables as long as I can. If I cannot beat the game without doing runs, then the first stage of my experiment is over - can a Golemancer beat the game on single-pass and full-clear?
What you should do is to have a stock of gold enough to buy a couple buzzing weapons to make rustys out of
Then cast lower resist and gogoogo
By the way, what happens to a malice rusty if he gets to 0 health from life drain? (sorry if you already answered that.. didn't read the whole thread.. lol)
Then cast lower resist and gogoogo
By the way, what happens to a malice rusty if he gets to 0 health from life drain? (sorry if you already answered that.. didn't read the whole thread.. lol)
