The most useless unique out there

Re: The most useless unique out there

Steel Shade is pretty weak for an elite, but I do remember a CS runner making good use of it on an A3 merc for the fire absorb at some point in the SPF.
For Steel Shade, I'm not saying it CAN'T be used. I'm just saying that it's pretty much the last option I'd go with for what it provides (really just mana leech and fire absorb - no one cares about 18 life regen in Hell diff), at the level you can equip it. [...] As for the fire absorb, I'd argue that you'd be better off with one of the unique helms that provide a big boost to fire resistance. Kira's, Rock Stopper, heck, even a 3 Ral mask would get you 90% fire resist.
Not for the application in question. My CS runner uses an A3 merc (clvl91) with Steel Shade. This mercenary has exactly two jobs: carry the "sanctuary" aura and survive (he sometimes gets lucky and fires a useful glacial spike, too). I can think of no helms, unique or otherwise, that help him with the first task. The helm slot, then, is dedicated to the second. As you might imagine, it is not hard to have maxed resistances with an A3 merc, given the luxury of a shield slot. Even maximum resistances, however, are often insufficient in the face of Diablo's fire attacks (and they are more infrequently insufficient in the face of balrog breath). With mere resistance, I would be forced to resurrect my mercenary between runs on a regular basis. Steel Shade changes that completely. Wearing it, my mercenary almost always survives CS runs (and what few deaths he experiences are typically due to his poor AI and my negligent babysitting around hard-hitting oblivion packs).

I am not saying that it is the only possible approach, but it is quite useful.

(For the curious, the setup is "Lawbringer" Crystal Sword, Steel Shade, Gladiator's Bane (Sol), Moser's Blessed Circle (2x PDiamond).)


 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Steel Sahde isn't useless. I've used is with sucess on act3 merc with hammerdin running CS. It's pretty darn good for that task imo.

I wouldn't know most useless unique, but it has to be some of 2 modded 1.07 uniques that made me go o_O

EDIT: Seems like we have ninjas around this thread..
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

I'll toss in a vote for Venom Ward. Because every character's dream is maxed-out poison resist...

Also Treads of Cthon.

Andariel.

Pretty much most of the items getting mentioned, are useful when playing untwinked because you might not have anything better :coffee:


 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Treads of Cthon are truly useless though. Except for a nice boost to FRW and stamina, they only give 10 life. In untwinked play...those mods(being FRW/stamina) are a luxury you can't afford at the price of fhr/resists.
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

So, you're saying that if you started fresh, or joined an untwinked tournament, that if Treads dropped, and you were wearing a blue pair of boots with +1 dex, you would still consider the Treads as 'truely useless'?
FHR/resists are not required throughout normal. And by the time you need resists, you're already over half way through the difficulty. The bonus speed/-stamina drain are incredibly useful for new characters. Just create a new character, and try running the act with no skill/item base FR/W, while wearing a Ring Mail (speed penalty, but first 3-os armour for topaz's.)

Almost all uniques have some value in various situations. Whether it be an untwinked item where no better items have been dropped, or a specialised/themed character, or certain tournament rule sets that require items to be exchanged, or targetting certain areas/uniques, basically every item can be used on some occasion (even if it is only a short period.)
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

While you completely extrapolated what I said (+1dex boots? What? I said FHR/resists...and tourny? Where did that come from? Of course they'd be nice for that, running faster/further than others would give you an advantage) your refute in the defense for Treads has weight.
But by the time Treads can/will drop you'd be using better boots than just +1dex. (And of course I'd exchange out +1dex boots for Treads, who wouldn't?)

Yes, they're useful on brand spanking new characters, but I was talking about untwinked. I have experience using characters with no +FRW, and I'm sure everyone has. It's not that much of a hindrance even with a heavy armor type on. The example of using 3os ringmail+Treads is a bit of a conundrum anyway, as if you are forced to shop a 3os ringmail then you're in early act 1, yet somehow you're using Treads too? So that character in turn has to be twinked, and you'd give them a 3os breastplate instead. (Though the point of mfing with a twinked character in Act 1 norm...eludes me).

Plus, this isn't the *Is it possible to find a time/place to use this unique thread*, and as you eloquently put it, there is such a place/time for any and every unique. This is the *Most useless unique thread*.

So I'll back off the statement about them being completely useless. However, in a choice between them, and FHR/minor mods boots in untwinked play, alone, not in a tourny, like I originally said, I would definitely choose the FHR/other mods booties.
 
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Re: The most useless unique out there

I was talking about untwinked as well (and as most tournaments are untwinked, I included them as a more specific area of untwinked play.) I was under the impression that Treadies could drop in Act 1, but apparently they can't! Not even Andy drops them. My bad. :(
Have a read through Jiansonz Guide to Single Player Untwinked early game MF'ing if you haven't seen it already. MF'ing in the early acts isn't as valuable as later acts on its own, but untwinked, and especially in tournaments, you can net some very useful uniques, as well as more rares. In untwinked/tournament play, you need to take whatever advantage you can get, and get as much as you can early (including gambling gold.) If you get your MF up early, you boost your chances of items dropping that will save your life later. It's about maximising potential, and normal is a very easy difficulty, so boosting your drops potential early on is much more important than survival gear.*

*Based on HC single pass/untwinked play style, where my experience has shown that even the most unorthodox and random character can get through Normal and NM fairly easily, even without trying to improve with survival gear (life, resists, FHR etc.)
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

serpentlord longstaff!!! worst unique ever
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Not for the application in question. My CS runner uses an A3 merc (clvl91) with Steel Shade. This mercenary has exactly two jobs: carry the "sanctuary" aura and survive (he sometimes gets lucky and fires a useful glacial spike, too). I can think of no helms, unique or otherwise, that help him with the first task.

I stand corrected, there is one good use for Steel Shade.



 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Aha, it was probably a writeup from Frozzen or jdkerr that I remember about Steel Shade on an A3 merc in the CS.

The FRW on Treads of Cthon is at least somewhat useful. Although at low levels, chugging stamina potions at the shops solves the running through the act problem quite dependably. Serpent Lord is an odd one and it's hard to see it being useful- maybe for a kicker with some mana-intensive other skills? Has anyone every upgraded one to take advantage of the 100% mana leech for some odd build?

Alma Negra is quite useless- I don't think I've ever equipped it and I'm having a hard time imagining a build that it would be appropriate for. A typical Anya reward pally shield would be competitive with that. It does have more enhanced damage than pally shields get as automods, but that's never much of a concern for pally shields particularly compared to the resist possibilities.

Gargoyle's Bite is pretty weak, again for a TC87 it's one that is hard to imagine being better than many many alternatives.

I did actually equip Templar's Might on my clotheshorse pally project, but it's also quite weak and suffers the indignity of not being Tyrael's...

@omgwtfbbqpwned: Glad to hear that a Stormspire was put to some use! Did you write that up? I might have missed it but I've also been on a (slow) project of trying to use all the TC87 uniques on some characters in some relatively meaningful way.
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Isn't the problem for some of the unique weapons the fact that their base weapon type simply has a low damage output? I mean, looking at Leadcrow for example, an item someone nominated, it certainly doesn;t have bad mods. +10 life, Deadly Strike, 70% enh. dam....

And as far as the Serpent Lord goes, certainly there's gotta be some use for 100% mana steal per hit? Perhaps as a cheap alternative for mana quaffing for a more melee oriented mana guzzling build?
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

This gave me an idea for a tournament :whistling:

This tourny would use items not found by the character using a generator to raffle from all uniques the final gear for the player. Each one of these items would have to be used as soon as the character had the required level.

To balance it out maybe create pools to avoid getting only useless uniques.
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Awesome idea nulio..

Not the pools though, it would be funnier to get something completely random (of course something had to be done about class specific items).

It would pretty much require someone to donate a grail though :p
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Well, why not just make it a tourney with an entry fee? Say like, in order to enter, you have to donate ... err... 10 normal uniques, 10 exceptional elites, and 5 elite uniques? or 15 10 5 or something like that. Then wait until you have 20 players, pool the uniques, give them numbers, use the raffle system or something.

If you want a fair share of good and useless unqies, just add an additional requirement. Just make a scale of poor uniques/good uniques for each of the normal/exceptional/elite groups. Place each unique in one column, and then state that you have to, for example, give like, 7 poor normal uniques and 3 good normal uniques.. etc.

I won't participate though, since as of right now, the toal amount of uniques I have found is around 10. Just normal ones too :p
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

That would kill the interest for me - since a such entryfee would most likely make it SC only..
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Well, it was just an idea... Anyways, isn't it coming close to the annual give away tradition? That might be a nice way to get some gear in order to run a tourney...
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

And it was probably a good idea :)

However, I don't play SC, and don't plan starting on it again, but I realize that I'm probably a part of the minority.
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Regarding the discussion on Steelshade armet

My merc ( Act 2 defiance ), is constantly dying in Baal runs, and its always to the council ( 3rd wave ). He has no trouble with Lister or any others. I can't figure out if its the lightning or fire hydras that are killing him. If Bartuc spawns with conviction he's dead for sure.

So should I equip him with steel shade armet or Blackhorn face death mask ( lightning absorb ) ? I happen to have both of these items..
 
Re: The most useless unique out there

Its the hydras that are causing you merc to die. Steel shade might work guardian angel + Kira's guardian works wonders if you have the items.

On topic: My vote goes for Tyrael's might. It's just plain useless. It's rarity is just icing on the cake.
 
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