[2015] The Committed Tournament [by kestegs]

[Vildecor]

Lv19, just took the stairs to Jail 3, had to park Pitspawn, that is one overpowered boss!

 

[Vildecor]

So very tempted to join with a bowazon of some sort... I'll think on it.

1 Point FA 5-10 CA/max EA and IA. Totally fun freezing and roasting them.

 

[Vildecor]

Lv19, just took the stairs to Jail 3, had to park Pitspawn, that is one overpowered boss!

Unless he is trapped inside a jail cell and you're a ranged attacker.

 

[Vildecor]

Ema has defeated Andariel after roughly 1000 laps around the bloody pond in the outer chamber and hundreds of poisoned javelins. Man that demon woman has some serious poison resistance.

We shopped for quite some time to finally purchase a 3os breast plate to put 3 chipped skulls in, since we won't have any support until Act III. We also found a wonderful Bone shield of deflection from Droghan. We were finally able to gamble a rare javelin and rare pilum that "replenishes quantity". Getting tired of all the town trips to repairs on the javelins, not expensive just annoying.

Feeling the lack of MF, however Ema took down some "Extra Fast" Ghoul Lords and they dropped Hsarus' shield somewhere in Catacombs.

Ema, Level 20, Lut Gholein

 

[Vildecor]

If it were me, I'd also remove/modify/condense rule #15 into rule #19. It's clear to anyone that actually reads the rules that they can't wear any MF, but rule #15 isn't entirely correct on it's own.

Makes sense, not sure why I didn't catch that

Currently level 18 sitting in Jail Lv1 somewhere. Needed to take a break, I don't know how some people can beat the game with Attack... And untwinked at that! I thought Battle Cry would be the turning point for me, but with 1 point it hardly makes a notable difference. Going to walk away for a while.

So far the going has been Howl/Taunt to take stuff on 1 on 1. With a rare Spiked Club, and about 10-14 damage in fire/lit charms.

You have picked a tough build for sure, and an especially tough build until level 30. Patience will be required. Good luck!

I'm thing of joining this and doing an offensive aura pally with even stat distribution and hoping for the runes for any runeword that would grant me some form of attack. Either passion or kingslayer. I figure only stat wasted would be energy (extra dex will be needed for blocking without hs and maybe not even that if I manage to get vengeance. I will be able to Max all the good auras if I make it that far too.

Either that or go with defensive auras and really hope for vengeance weap for more challenge.

Sounds pretty solid, those auras are very powerful on their own, and those runes are reasonable to find.

So very tempted to join with a bowazon of some sort... I'll think on it.

Magezon could be very solid for sure, thought about one myself.

Ema has defeated Andariel after roughly 1000 laps around the bloody pond in the outer chamber and hundreds of poisoned javelins. Man that demon woman has some serious poison resistance.

We shopped for quite some time to finally purchase a 3os breast plate to put 3 chipped skulls in, since we won't have any support until Act III. We also found a wonderful Bone shield of deflection from Droghan. We were finally able to gamble a rare javelin and rare pilum that "replenishes quantity". Getting tired of all the town trips to repairs on the javelins, not expensive just annoying.

Feeling the lack of MF, however Ema took down some "Extra Fast" Ghoul Lords and they dropped Hsarus' shield somewhere in Catacombs.

Ema, Level 20, Lut Gholein

Nice work! Killing Andy with poison would surely suck.


I have entered with Rhett, the Druid. He will be a wind druid. His main build only requires 80 points, so I guess eventually he'll get some fire skills pumped too. He will use an act 2 prayer merc and only vitality. I quickly realized a few things...1. 15 strength doesn't go very far. 2. I don't get any good skills to kill stuff with until tornado at level 24. And without a merc this was going to make act 1 nearly impossible. So I decided to put a point in firestorm and molten boulder. Molten boulder absolutely destroys things in the early game, so that'll get me through act 1 at least. Of course I gambled a ridiculous 23% MF dual resist pair of gloves...

I'm not so sure about this base strength, gear is going to be really limited!

Rhett, level 14, Dark wood

 

[Vildecor]

Mago the summoner Necro has started off well. Progress is faster than I thought it would be without a merc.
I have 1 point in the golem skills so far. Blood Golem became available just before entering the Barracks where we are now.

Skeletal Mages is at level 3 and Mastery is at level 8. My one skeleton is quite sturdy and does decent damage. Mago's main task has been to kill fallen shamans but now that takes a bit too many swings with his 2s Scepter (socketed with chipped sapphire and an Ith (from Countess)) and monsters start to hit harder so now I am simply recasting Raise Skeleton on the fallen corpses as they die. Mago has Vicious Javelin of Replenishing on the switch.

At the start of a session, I currently unsummon and recast my mages so I have only fire- and lightning mages.
There is no need for chilling or regeneration stopping yet, it's better to maximize the damage. Enemies have a hard time killing any of my summons - I think mages are yet to die, and bosspacks have killed the clay golem and the skeleton about once each. I enjoy the good times while it lasts.

The ban on MF gear really changes the early focus and economy - quite interesting.
Hehe, the only things we can do with an Ist rune in this tourney (unless we mule it off for other characters) is to wait for one more (to cube a Gul) or sell it for gold...

Maggot Lair in Normal might get interesting with this build since I still don't have a merc there, but at least I will have a better weapon and Iron Golem will become available partway through it.


Question: do you know if MF value transfers to an Iron Golem?

 

[Vildecor]

Question: do you know if MF value transfers to an Iron Golem?

The consensus (at least over at the Necro forum) is that no, it doesn't. The Arreat Summit lists it as an ability which does not transfer over (along with mana steal, indestructibility, and a few others) if it is on an item that creates an Iron Golem.

Apparently nobody is 100% certain on this, since AS tends not to be the most accurate of resources. The feeling is that even if it does translate over (although there is no reason to believe it does), your iron golem would act like a mercenary, and only his kills would be affected by the increased MF.

I personally think it's safe to say that it does not transfer over, but we'll leave the final decision up to @Kestegs to whether or not IGs should be allowed to be made out of MF items.

Of course, if you are wearing MF, it will transfer over to any kills by the IG, but we don't have to worry about that in this tournament.

 

[Vildecor]

Mago the summoner Necro has started off well. Progress is faster than I thought it would be without a merc.
I have 1 point in the golem skills so far. Blood Golem became available just before entering the Barracks where we are now.

Skeletal Mages is at level 3 and Mastery is at level 8. My one skeleton is quite sturdy and does decent damage. Mago's main task has been to kill fallen shamans but now that takes a bit too many swings with his 2s Scepter (socketed with chipped sapphire and an Ith (from Countess)) and monsters start to hit harder so now I am simply recasting Raise Skeleton on the fallen corpses as they die. Mago has Vicious Javelin of Replenishing on the switch.

At the start of a session, I currently unsummon and recast my mages so I have only fire- and lightning mages.
There is no need for chilling or regeneration stopping yet, it's better to maximize the damage. Enemies have a hard time killing any of my summons - I think mages are yet to die, and bosspacks have killed the clay golem and the skeleton about once each. I enjoy the good times while it lasts.

The ban on MF gear really changes the early focus and economy - quite interesting.
Hehe, the only things we can do with an Ist rune in this tourney (unless we mule it off for other characters) is to wait for one more (to cube a Gul) or sell it for gold...

Maggot Lair in Normal might get interesting with this build since I still don't have a merc there, but at least I will have a better weapon and Iron Golem will become available partway through it.


Question: do you know if MF value transfers to an Iron Golem?

You look like you have done your research on skeleton mages. They will own places that skeleton warriors struggle. (Arcane and Maggot Lair) IG does not get MF or GF from items from what I've read.

 

[Vildecor]

I have no problem with making an IG out of an item that has MF on it.

 

[Vildecor]

@kestegs great idea for a tournament, seems like it's going to be really hard. I'm looking forward to following the progress. I think pure vitality is going to be difficult given the equipment limitations of base strength. Best of luck.

 

[Vildecor]

Pretty much he has to keep every strength charm he finds or even reroll some charms he finds and hope for strength if he picks up something particularly good. Either that or get it as a bonus on his equipment (Might be a reason to use Pammys in gear for once). Overall its not "that" difficult since as a caster most of his stuff shouldn't be that heavy. Just early game will suck until he gets those strength charms or gems.

 

[Vildecor]

I have no problem with making an IG out of an item that has MF on it.

Okay, good. If I survive long enough, there is a decent chance you'll get to see at least one Insight golem.



In order to clear the last floor of Act I in peace and not have it be an anticlimax after the boss battle, I have started a habit of casting a TP in the big room (usually around that spot to the right where there is a Dark Shaman and some gold you have to burn your toes to pick up). Then I lure Andariel out of there, at least to the blood pool (sometimes all the way to the first room of the floor), exit by stairs, run to the level 2 waypoint, then take the portal back.
Sirian calls this method (TP where you want to end up, exit by stairs) 'Schlonglor's reversed portal parking'.

When Mago did his Andriel luring, she pulverized his 4-skeleton army, so he had to build it up again in the big room.
I was just about to attack Andariel with my army, when I realized I had forgotten to boost resist with antidotes and also to bring my extra supply of bigger healing potions and rejuves. So I fled up the stairs and TPed out. I lost my melee skeleton, but I was quick on my return to get to the other side of Andariel. This kept all mages alive:

Pretty quick fight and not as painful as I had thought. Mago had 140 life here, and not-too-bad blocking. He's using a gambled Bone Shield. I was satisfied with the base blocking of a Bone Shield (I can get pickier in the next act where I can shop them). In fact, I had forgotten the mods on it and checked now in ATMA: it's an 18% Viridian (hey, that was actually useful in the fight!) Bone Shield of Self-Repair.

Mago the Golemancing Lord of Mages, level 20, Lut Gholein

 

[Vildecor]

Okay, good. If I survive long enough, there is a decent chance you'll get to see at least one Insight golem.



In order to clear the last floor of Act I in peace and not have it be an anticlimax after the boss battle, I have started a habit of casting a TP in the big room (usually around that spot to the right where there is a Dark Shaman and some gold you have to burn your toes to pick up). Then I lure Andariel out of there, at least to the blood pool (sometimes all the way to the first room of the floor), exit by stairs, run to the level 2 waypoint, then take the portal back.
Sirian calls this method (TP where you want to end up, exit by stairs) 'Schlonglor's reversed portal parking'.

When Mago did his Andriel luring, she pulverized his 4-skeleton army, so he had to build it up again in the big room.
I was just about to attack Andariel with my army, when I realized I had forgotten to boost resist with antidotes and also to bring my extra supply of bigger healing potions and rejuves. So I fled up the stairs and TPed out. I lost my melee skeleton, but I was quick on my return to get to the other side of Andariel. This kept all mages alive:

Pretty quick fight and not as painful as I had thought. Mago had 140 life here, and not-too-bad blocking. He's using a gambled Bone Shield. I was satisfied with the base blocking of a Bone Shield (I can get pickier in the next act where I can shop them). In fact, I had forgotten the mods on it and checked now in ATMA: it's an 18% Viridian (hey, that was actually useful in the fight!) Bone Shield of Self-Repair.

Mago the Golemancing Lord of Mages, level 20, Lut Gholein

I'm tempted to run a second character and copy your idea for the most part, since I really have fun playing with the LoM build and this is one of the few tournaments we could use it in.

 

[Vildecor]

Marnie, the Dex-Tastic Amazon, has defeated Blood Raven in a duel of bow-wielding warrior women (one of whom cheated on the definition of "dual" by working with an ever-growing pile of zombie goons), then jumped through some magic stones to rescue Deckard Cain from a funny little box.

Cold Arrow is a surprisingly efficient killer at low levels, doing about 21-45 total attack damage at skill level ~8. Blood Raven yielded a Hunter's Bow with a nice 10% IAS, so she's able to spread out her chilling quills at a nice rapid pace.

Not as efficient is her Stamina stat. She's too proud to keep any white potions on her belt, but has to resort to one from the backpack every few minutes or so.

The levels are picking up rather nicely, thanks in part to some good shrine luck:

A Prayer mercenary will join the party in the next town, should Marnie make it that far.

Marnie, Dex Bowazon - Level 14, Blood Moor

 

[Vildecor]

Found Arctic Furs and Binding so far. Normally, I would be ecstatic, but the 40% MF is a curse in this tourney... I'm about to clear Catacombs 3, and should turn level 20. Maybe 21 by the time I kill Andy!

 

[Vildecor]

I think I'll go with a Combat Skills Paladin, with these skills:

20 Holy Bolt
20 FoH
20 Sacrifice
10 Hammers
10 Holy Shield
4 Zeal

FoH, and Holy Bolt for undeads. Sacrifice/zeal for everything else, and FoH for any non-undead PIs, but maybe I'll make Lawbringer if I get lucky with my rune drops. Hammers are just there for synergy, and I'll be dumping points there last.

As for the mercenary...I don't feel like using a desert mercenary as the whole point of this tournament is for me to only use 1 skill tree...having an aura would feel like cheating. Considering I'm going to go completely even with my stat placement, I think an Act V Barb would be the most helpful in order to have a buddy at the front line. Could even use the Lawbringer I hope to make. Crossing my fingers to craft a sweet dual leech blood ring!

 

[Vildecor]

Single tree sounds interesting (if I ever get around to finishing my Skill-less tourney char).

Was thinking of an Assassin ... haven't played one of them for a while. Martial Arts tree could give a Phoenix Striker or a Kicker, but without any Shadow skills for defence or CC it could be a short journey? Just Shadow skills would work - no offence, so merc and Shadow Master killing everything, but that is pretty common for my tourney chars. It does get boring though. So that would leave Traps, which seems just a little bit cheesy. Although without the defence and CC from Shadow skills maybe not so much cheese?

Some extra commitment to reduce the cheese factor could be:

1. No casting DS (points in it for synergy would be okay)
2. Using a Rogue merc. So no tank.
3. Committing to the Energy stat ... yes, I wrote Energy

Probably just one of the above would be a big enough handicap/challenge ... but I'd be interested in hearing what others think.

 

[Vildecor]

@Dezrok No tank, no points in vitality, no crowd control skills... It'll probably be a blast to play, but I don't think it will get you very far. Nightmare is pretty manageable with Ruby Armor/Helm and +Life belt/ammy, tho. If you either go for even distribution or vitality or get a tank merc, it should be a easy Guardian, so I guess you want a bigger challenge. Good luck!

 

[Vildecor]

I think I'm going to start the sorceress tonight. My amazon in the Passive Aggressive tournament is going really well, but I'm much slower than most people due to a busy RL. I don't want to finish her just to have nobody still running this one, so I'm going to run both, depending on the mood!

Introducing Atronach, the Hydra Summoning Enchantress! I've considered several different mercenaries, and while I want to try with an A5 merc (never used one), I'm not convinced I'll live that long without a mercenary. I'll just a desert mercenary. A synergized enchant should make him suitably strong. We forge forth this evening...

 

[Vildecor]

Enter Fatema, the budding Magezon. She's currently level 6, the Den is cleared and she fetched the Cold Plains waypoint.

No finds. She's currently using a shopped 3os short bow and debating on whether to wait to shop a 3 socket hunters bow, or go ahead and start stuffing the short bow with the one gem she's found.

No NDEs, but it's early yet.

Probably will cheese it with an A2 merc, if she makes it that far.

She's going with P7 in act one; solid bow tree; even stat distribution (one point per every time; two points per every 4th level).

Fun so far: let's see how long my interest holds, and how much time I have to play... There's still John and his Birds in the Passive tourney, plus some other stuff going on, plus RL type stuffs.