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[2007] Tournament : The Bountyhunter's heaven [by Merlin The Wizzard]
- Thread starter Grisu
- Start date
Sorry about that death, Butz. Was it the Icy Ball of Death that got you, or Ligthning? I assume you had buffed up the cold resist with thawing potions, no?
Maryam is well on her way to avenge her sister´s death. (@ Morathi: yes, it´s exactly the same build. I know I am on to something - can´t have the challenge end like that...).
I´ll stop for an update, since gameplay will be a bit boring for a while now (no potential goodies before Great Marsh...) I may even take a couple of days off from this character, to get the appetite up.
It was quite tough in the areas just before level 18 (where I got Dragon Tail, which helped tremendously). Blaise the Cold Rogue had to use a plain Short Bow for the entire act. She was still a very good help.
The sword Corpsefire gave me had a good "fighting feel" to it, in terms of range and attack speed. I may well use it as PS weapon later. Now I use it as Blade Fury weapon on the switch. I can usually get Amp to trigger within a few seconds. Andariel was kind enough to give me a claw. If she hadn´t, Dark Elder´s drop would have cut me off from Fists of Fire use.
A Ghoul on Catacombs 4 dropped a Scythe. That was good enough for my new merc. The weapon Dark Elder "cursed" him with does about the same damage but it´s slower. The only good thing about it is the cold damage.
Current Junk (and its origin):
* 2s Skull Cap with a flawless topaz (Wildcard; bought from Charsi, gem originally from Andariel)
* (No amulet yet :sad2: )
* Consecrated Wrist Blade (Wildcard; Andariel)
* Rare Leather Armor; +1 life, +3 mana, attacker takes 1 damage, self-repair (SU; Corpsefire)
* Spiked Shield of Balance (Trophymob; Ghoul in Catacombs 3)
* Heavy Gloves of Dexterity (2) (Wildcard; Andariel)
* Rugged Ring of the Fox (8) (Trophymob; Plague Bearer in Ancient Tunnels)
* Belt (Trophymob; Plague Bearer in Lost City)
* Tangerine (5) Ring (Trophymob; Hungry Dead in early area)
* Chain Boots (Trophymob; Plague Bearer in Ancient Tunnels)
* Bronze Short Sword of Amplify Damage (SU; Corpsefire)
* 1s Buckler (Trophymob; Hungry Dead in early area)
Emilio the Prayer Merc:
* Rare Skull Cap; 10% ctc level 3 Nova when struck, +5 ENE, +4 mana, Resist Fire 10 (Trophymob; Plague Bearer boss in Ancient Tunnels)
* Rare Trident; +26% ED, +41 AR, adds 1-2 cold damage (SU; Dark Elder)
* 3s Ring Mail (Trophymob; Plague Bearer in Lost City)
The vultures dropped like crap. Very high number of no-drops. I met them both on Hills and in Oasis (plus a bosspack in the Waste) but I think the only non-junk I got was a chipped skull and a rejuve from a boss, and another rejuve from a regular vulture.
Dark Elder´s other drop was a 2s Mechanic´s Hunter´s Bow of Ease.So now I have three SU weapons - a spear, a bow and a one-handed sword. Always some junk for a merc to use...
Maryam the PS Assassin-to-be, level 25, Jerhyn´s Palace next.
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Bloody.. .You sure as hell know how to speed a character along, jiansonz
Damn... Two sessions, and you are once again past Pasmani.
Well, the plan is to take up PAsmani again once I defeat Mephi with the thrower barb. He is doing full clears, but he can start now at the Kurast Causeway to Travincail, so the worst is done... And the goings are easy, since he gambled a very pretty 73% ED,1-66 lightning dam, 21 poison/4sec, +5 min dam, +57 AR rare balanced axe... That one works like a charm so far
Edit : Just now I noticed that you bought that skull cap? Hmm... I dont think I clarified what to do with shopped socketable items and socket fillers... Oh well, I guess a legal loophole can be allowed
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Does it make any difference that by the time I got the topaz from Andi, I had not found any trophymob headgears at all? So it was clearly allowed to use by then.Merlin The Wizzard said:Edit : Just now I noticed that you bought that skull cap? Hmm... I dont think I clarified what to do with shopped socketable items and socket fillers... Oh well, I guess a legal loophole can be allowed
Was it your intention that once that rare Skull Cap dropped, I should have kept that and my plain Full Helm from trophy monsters, and sold the Gemmed Skull Cap?
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1. Yep, not denying that at all. I was getting tired and was quite overconfident. I hadn't used a thawing potion, I underestimated the threat he posed, particularly in normal with next to no resists. I can only blame myself for the death. It actually says a little about how my concentration had slipped that I don't know for sure what killed me, I "think" it was the cold ball, but it might have been a lightning bolt. (I vaguely recall it might have been one of each spammed pretty fast).Merlin The Wizzard said:
2. Yeah, I thought I had a pretty decent roll too, but apparently not. The vamps gave me just a dozen or so kills in Act 1, the Slingers didn't give anything useful in Act 2, the Vamps in the Arcane Sanctuary were few and far between, mostly goats and ghosts in there, etc.
3. I hope I didn't give the wrong impression, I was tired and frustrated when I hit deeds, and didn't re-read my post before hitting submit (which I almost always do!). I think the tournament was a fantastic idea with great potential. I think it was just my journey through the first few acts, and the sparcity of my monsters that frustrated me...but that's the luck of the draw. As I did mention, the annoying thing was that I was going to have OKs in Act 4 and they are all over the place, followed by fairly common reanimated horde in Act 5, so potential loot was about to sky-rocket...damnit!
If I manage to lose a few characters in other tournaments (which of course isn't the agenda at all), I'll come back and have another tilt at this one, but I definitely need to make myself a little less stretched in terms of active characters!
Good luck guys, I'll be watching!
Butz. :dunce:
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Condolences to the fallen, that was some very bad luck there in situations that are normally easy.
jiansonz said:I put in a chipped sapphire, because it´s by far the most useful weapon socketable I have at the moment (the damage is too low to warrant a flawless skull, that´s for sure...). Behold the mighty artifact that shall make the Nightmare monsters tremble with fear:
Mary's Shadow Razor
Wrist Blade
One-Hand Damage: 5 to 11
Durability: 52 of 52
(Assassin Only)
Required Dexterity: 33
Required Strength: 33
Required Level: 3
Claw Class - Fast Attack Speed
Item Version: 1.10 Expansion
Item Level: 12
Fingerprint: 0x38d8b0e
+15% Enhanced Damage
+19 to Attack Rating
+1 to Maximum Damage
Adds 1-2 fire damage
Adds 1-3 cold damage over 1 seconds
10% Increased Attack Speed
Socketed (1: 1 used)
Is this akin to a zon's ability to successfully use a cracked jav with lightning skills? That weapon is hilariously feeble, and quite amusing with the socketing! The first Blood Moor quill rat could probably drop something better. Indeed, these item source restrictions must be quite a challenge.
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As I said, it was the only item I had that could benefit from a socket. And the little sapphire was the only socketable I had that would make a noticeable improvement.Insane Wayne said:
Fists of Fire, Claws of Thunder and Blades of Ice can only be used with a claw (or two claws, or bare fisted). Fists of Fire was a great asset for Mary up until Phoenix Strike reached about level 5 and could pull the character´s weight by itself.
Phoenix Strike can be used with any melee weapon (but not bare fisted). I have only three criteria for a good PS weapon:
- one-handed
- fast
- range more than 1
Anything else is a bonus.
The rare Wrist Blade did a good enough job. I could only choose between that weapon, a magical War Axe (too heavy!), rare Balanced Axe (would have worked as PS weapon, but I put it on the switch), a rare staff and something else I don´t remember. The Superunique trophy critters tend to drop crappy weapons in this tournament...
1. It happens. You have no idea how many barbs I lost to szaark because of that. Every time I figure... I just killed duriel.. .what is that foolish spider gonna do? Well, have me for breakfast. I must have lost over 20 HC barbs that wayButzull said:1. Yep, not denying that at all. I was getting tired and was quite overconfident. I hadn't used a thawing potion, I underestimated the threat he posed, particularly in normal with next to no resists. I can only blame myself for the death. It actually says a little about how my concentration had slipped that I don't know for sure what killed me, I "think" it was the cold ball, but it might have been a lightning bolt. (I vaguely recall it might have been one of each spammed pretty fast).
2. Yeah, I thought I had a pretty decent roll too, but apparently not. The vamps gave me just a dozen or so kills in Act 1, the Slingers didn't give anything useful in Act 2, the Vamps in the Arcane Sanctuary were few and far between, mostly goats and ghosts in there, etc.
3. I hope I didn't give the wrong impression, I was tired and frustrated when I hit deeds, and didn't re-read my post before hitting submit (which I almost always do!). I think the tournament was a fantastic idea with great potential. I think it was just my journey through the first few acts, and the sparcity of my monsters that frustrated me...but that's the luck of the draw. As I did mention, the annoying thing was that I was going to have OKs in Act 4 and they are all over the place, followed by fairly common reanimated horde in Act 5, so potential loot was about to sky-rocket...damnit!
If I manage to lose a few characters in other tournaments (which of course isn't the agenda at all), I'll come back and have another tilt at this one, but I definitely need to make myself a little less stretched in terms of active characters!
Good luck guys, I'll be watching!
Butz. :dunce:
2. I guess I'll put vampires on my not so desireable mobs as well... Perhaps I underestimated the potential drop ratio from the mobs, eh? Ah well, there have been naked tourneys, so I guess y'all should count yer blessings that you can at least use SOME stuff in this here tourney :jig:
3. It's ok. I guess I overreacted too. As i stated, there are now only 2 active players left (well, and a couple that have mentioned they will come back to this tourney later). On one hand, I can quite imagine... There are more tourneys out there, and especially the twelve days be4 Xmas tourney sounds like insane fun (just as the other scavenger hunts did
Agreed, that weapon plus socketing choice was the best option available considering the circumstances, I didn't mean to impugn your weapon.jiansonz said:
But it's definitely the lamest quest socket I've seen in a while, probably since I put an MF jewel in the Angelic Sickle. I remember once putting a flawed sapphire in a rare pike, way back when gems were rarer, pike jabs were faster, and before I knew any better.
Sorry, I'm engrossed in "No Vitality" right now. Unlike jiansonz, Butz, and many others; I dislike splitting time between multiple characters. I've done it before and felt it negatively affected the momentum, like I lost focus of the character's goals and tactics. I much prefer grinding one out from start to finish, through feast and famine, until death or Guardian. Plus I like not having any loose ends. Sure, I've passed up some interesting tourneys, but that's how it is.Merlin The Wizzard said:Perhaps this tourney is starting to sound insane enuf to attract the attention of a certain Wayne...
I've been keeping up with the progress in this thread; it's certainly an excellent concept. However, I haven't joined it yet is because the rules are extremely complex.Merlin The Wizzard said:
I feel that the simpler the rules are, the more people will join a tourney. I avoided having a point system in mine for this very reason. Points usually make the rules twice as long or more, and they are a chore for some people to keep up with during the tournament.
Consider remaking this one down the road, but only with a goal + restrictions, like mine. People won't be officially penalized for using a Skelly + CE Necro, but on the other hand, people will be more impressed with someone who completes the tourney with a melee Barbarian, even if the Barbarian completes it later. That's how I decided not to add a points system to penalize the easier characters during my tournament.
I may join yours at some point anyway. I can't guarantee it though 'cause I'm in like 4 tournaments already!Right now I'm on an older computer since my laptop's charger broke, so I'm not playing Diablo II.
True. I think there may be too many rules as it stands. I tried to ease some of the heavy eq restricts with some more rules (notably the act boss wildcard rule, and the naming quest reward rule), which isn't exactly an optimal solution
As far as the scoring goes... I tried to take into account that char A with a certain group of bountymob draws can have it a whole lot easier then char B with the same bountymobs. Even if the chars are same class, same build, because most areas are filled with random monster types, and somethimes, the bountymob just isn't there.
That makes for a harder struggle, and I wanted to have that reflected in the final score.. .hence the scoring rules.
Sorry for the deeds...I thought jiansonz would simply walk through this whole tournament with a steady pace :undecided:
Merlin The Wizzard said:
Hey, I didn't drop out yet
It's just like I said...Pindlethon, Afterlife Angel (almost done!!:laugh: ) and than the Mephathon...I think I'll split up time between Mephisto runs and this one, because I think the tournament is simply awesome!
So, expect a new update from me by the end of the week!
Good Luck in the meantime!
Good to hear Grisu! Now that I parked my thrower barb in Act IV, it's time to boot good ole Pasmani up again. Of course, once I am not about to fall asleep of course... He isn't exactly the well geared up, after all
Yikes! A certified NDE against Ancient Kaa, because my merc kept poking away when I was stunlocked by the bolts! (a nasty effect of lousy resist).
I overreacted (would be such a total shame to die so soon again, eh?) and chugged a whole bunch of potions, including both my rejuves (I probably should not have cubed up a full one...)
So I had no rejuves against Duriel. That dÃdn´t matter - didn´t even need any greater healers. Thawing potions for both of us, 35% blocking, almost 300 life and the lowest players setting meant the danger was not so high. It did not matter if I used TS + DTail or FoF - both methods provided major pain for the Lord of Pain. He fell long before I was even thinking about checking his life bar...
I am looking forward to the jungle. I may get a veritable feast in the Marsh and Swampy Pit (Gloam and Zombie potential), or I may get nothing at all there. Flayer Jungle is a huge area. Vultures there, and I do the happy dance! :azn:
Maryam the PS Assassin-to-be, level 28, Spider Forest next.
@Merlin:
With the possible exception of the first act and maybe the second on a low players setting, I am pretty sure you earn money by shopping keys. We can pick up gold, scrolls and most potions from the chests. Every resource needs to be treasured in this tournament; merc resurrections are expensive down the road.
(Hehe, I am an assassin, I don´t need any keys anyway. :badteeth
That is one reason I played the cow level (and will play it with Maryam as well). It´s good for a couple of thousand gold, I am sure.
Another reason is that my personal septavirate rules accept nothing less than an attempt at a complete game clear.
Pasmani died in the Claw Viper temple, due to a combination of bad luck and sheer carelessness. I was hit by a viper charge, stunned and knocked back into the reachof a enbalmed hero with his minions, cold enchanted, I was trying to kill. They hit me hard, and combnied with another charge by the viper, were enough to kill me.
I'm sorry guys, I am pretty sure this was my last character in this tournament. While I enjoy the concept (I should, I invented it
Oh, btw, dont ask for an item readout etc. I was quite disgusted with losing, I simply deleted him in the character screen... Sorry
RIP Pasmani.
I know those deaths where you get very frustrated. I miss most Deeds screen screenies for that very reason!
Good luck in your next challenge!
Butz. :dunce:
