[2016] The Gemmed Warrior Tournament [by twilight]

[Grisu]

DISCLAIMER: Migration finished

This tournament has already ended. It was originally started by twilight on May 17, 2016. The last post was made May 20, 2016.
(link to original thread on diabloii.net) ​

This came to me as kinda pet-project, which never realised.
Remember how gems are never used aside rolling equipment because of all the runewords, uniques as more? Well, let's give them the major role this time!

"I used to have me pretties. some are hidden ... Where only I can see. you want to see?"

Core rules:
- anything that can be socketed (helm, armor, weapon, shield) to be used on the player must be white or grey (cracked/normal/superior). No magic, rare, set or unique at those slots.
- for Gloves/Boots/Belt/Rings/Amulet anything goes.
- in sockets only gems can be inserted (any quality)
- player x is valid
- single pass (at least until Hell Ancients. Must be noted if you go and gain more levels there)
- single life

Optional rules:
- no items allowed which can not be socketed
- only cracked/low quality/crude/low quality items allowed
- restrictions apply on mercs too
- no extended stash (you can not import what you export - shouldn't need this anyway given the restrictions)

Obligations:
- must give printscreen of backpack + stash content per finished difficulty (just to give the overview, no need every item's attribs)
- must give all charms-in-backpack attribs (no need picture) and all equipped stuff (with picture - edit them to one picture) per finished difficulty
- if you do a "naked run" (like using only cracked stuff + no amu/ring, or no equipment at all), you must record your fight with Hell Ancients to us showing all your equipment too in the video (including charms)

Extra Bragging Rights:
- if you use cracked elite items socketed by the three runequests

---------

I think the easiest go would be trap assa (although Hell Ancients might be a problem), summon necro or sorceress.
Yes, you may use class-specific items - as long as they are white/grey, according to the rules.

I took a sorceress. I'm in Act 3 currently. Used Firebolt, respeced at lvl 30 to Frozen Orb.
Merc was a fire A1 (free), changed to Prayer A2, will change to A2HF.
Using helm*2 chipped sapphire, and previously used chipped topazes in weapons. Usually dismissed emeralds. Concentrating on collecting diamonds (aiming monarch shield when it comes, as diamonds are the only real source of resistance here. No Smoke armor or such). Managed to avoid using up more gems until now.

Strange note is, the only thing not giving elemental damage is the amethyst. Given there won't be +XXX% damage on weapons (neither weapon ias), weapon-users don't seem attractive to me. Still, something long with 6 amethyst makes Enchant considerable.
Plan is mana or health gems in helm/armour, and diamonds in shields. Later maybe skulls in helm/armour.
The lack of +skills and major fcr will hurt too.

Lightning enchanted bosses/scarabs are a scare given almost no resists at this point.

NDE: in the Maggots' Lair I walked through some door, and ZOUNDS of scarabs hit me. Fortunately teleport saved me with almost empty life orb. Gave more point to vitality there. Hint: let the merc enter rooms, especially in Maggot's Lair.

NOTE: i'm playing in single w/o the 1.10 ladder rws (means no Insight in plan), using core rules of this tournament. Might change my mind later.

Funny: since ages I have a Tome of Identification in my backpack.

Possible build if she survives:
1 Ice Bolt
1 Frost Nova
1 Ice Blast
1 Glacial Spike
1 Blizzard
20 Frozen Orb
20 Cold Mastery
---
1 Telekinesis
1 Teleport
1+ Static Field
---
20 Warmth
20 Enchant
20 Fire Mastery
OR
20 Fire Bolt
20 Fire Ball
20 Fire Mastery
1+ Warmth

I don't think I could pull out Firewall/Hydra.



Table of progress:

Forum Name      Class       Char Name          LVL    ACT     Merc
-------------------------------------------------------------------
twillight     Sorceress   DaGemmedWarrior      48     A1NM    Prayer

Southpaw8668  Necromancer ???                  ???    A1      -
-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Grisu]

Not going to participate because of the 'A Lack of Information' tournament and my 99er, but this should be interesting. Good luck .

Some weapon users might be possible (although more difficult, because they have to get up close to the enemy). Elemental MA Sin and Holy Freeze / Shock / Fire Paladin come to mind. Give them a 6os Phase Blade and their speed should be ok.

 

[Grisu]

Some weapon users might be possible (although more difficult, because they have to get up close to the enemy). Elemental MA Sin and Holy Freeze / Shock / Fire Paladin come to mind. Give them a 6os Phase Blade and their speed should be ok.

The damage might be there, also the AR, but given no ed% they'd lack physical damage, so they'd fail at Hell Ancients (I had a shocker pala using upped Horadric Staff so I know). Also, you can not shael your phase blade here, so probably a 5 sox scepter of nice skills would likely give better result.
Also do not forget the lack of fhr, ench def%, physical damage reduction, and probably resists. I strongly advise against even thinking a melee build, or even an amazon (wether bow or javelin).
Any summon-based non-necro would also be in trouble given no summon gains can not be frozen (once I had a pure summon druid, and it got stuck at A5 Nm for good against some cold-fallen-shamans).

My bets on working builds - prove me wrong, prove me true:
- lightning trapp assa (has to solve enough points in shadow/master or will die at Hell Ancients)
- necro (summon and bone too)
- sorceress (dual element)
- wind druid? (not familiar with this one)
- hammer pala

My current stash:


Collecting stuff to make a Strength (Amn+Tir) for the merc (currently using Malice, but that can't go on a HF-merc).

My resists are 20/60/50/50, and none of my sockets are filled (except helm - could not yet find a 3sox Mask).

First unique was found in A3 Crossway, a Soul Harvest.

 

[Grisu]

Depends on what you call a working build. MA Assassin and Holy something Pally surely won't be easy (as I stated in my previous post). But I'm sure it can be a fun and challening tournament character, and that's what this thread is about, no? And such a character surely is able to reach at least Hell Act 1, maybe even further, given enough patience and dedication of the driver. The Pally would probably be very hard, due to a lack of cc skills. But Assassins are very safe through MB and CoS, Amazons because they are ranged, have Decoy and Valk and can freeze all non-CI with FA, Druids through Shockwave and summons, ...

 

[Grisu]

Depends on what you call a working build. MA Assassin and Holy something Pally surely won't be easy (as I stated in my previous post). But I'm sure it can be a fun and challening tournament character, and that's what this thread is about, no? And such a character surely is able to reach at least Hell Act 1, maybe even further, given enough patience and dedication of the driver. The Pally would probably be very hard, due to a lack of cc skills. But Assassins are very safe through MB and CoS, Amazons because they are ranged, have Decoy and Valk and can freeze all non-CI with FA, Druids through Shockwave and summons, ...

Anyone and their cat can reach Hell Act 1 with a well-geared merc. I'm talking about beating the game, and that means Hell Baal.

As mentioned above druid summons worth nothing against chilling resurrecting hordes. And that character has multiple summons unlike an amazon.
And amazon normally rely heavily on physical part of the damage, so I pretty much doubt there's a saving factor for that, given can't invest into both fire and cold. Also would lack the weapon-ias, which simply hurts amazon.

But feel free to give it a go. You have been warned.

 

[Grisu]

Didn't Superdave beat the game with an all-passive amazon wearing nothing but a cracked sash?

 

[Grisu]

He did. I think he might have put on some other cracked gear too, just to not have to worry about accidentally picking stuff up. Awesome read, highly recommended.

 

[Grisu]

Doubting his ability to do just that is what started this whole adventure. @superdave should come out of retirement and show us how it's done with SS and video as requested by OP.

 

[Grisu]

If you use your merc without restrictions, any of the builds that can play naked would be fine.
So passive zon should work. Probably a Leap Barbarian if you wanted to get extra tedious.
Bone/Summon

Didn't Superdave beat the game with an all-passive amazon wearing nothing but a cracked sash?

yeah with the right merc gear drops and patience, there are a number of viable naked builds

 

[Grisu]

I'm going to start this with no other than my favorite build, a Necromancer Summoner and my mercenary will not follow the same equipment restrictions. Where the heck am I going to find the time for this tournament, with my 99er Windy and Sword of Destiny Barbarian??? Oh well, I definitely won't be in any big hurry and he'll be SC, so I can keep on with him after his first deeds which I'm predicting will be in Act 3 Hell.

 

[Grisu]

This was from Anya, too bad any reliable rule can't be made up to give it some use as it is very good at this point:



The bow is a Ravenclaw to export, second unique I found. I keep finding sets instead of uniques this time.

Thinking on allowing muling for socketing recipes.

Act 5 done.

Spoiler

Overview:


Equipment (I assume you can just show gomule item codes as usual if you prefer):


Baal dropped a Tearhaunch, and this is a nice find too, but I went for the regeneration for the moment:

 

[Grisu]

@Twilight - I vote yes on the extended stash for crafting purposes, as it's restrictive enough without that added hinderance and I hate having my stash all packed with various gems and low runes. Let me know as I just ventured out into the Cold Plains last night.

Tournament table perhaps?

 

[Grisu]

@Twilight - I vote yes on the extended stash for crafting purposes, as it's restrictive enough without that added hinderance and I hate having my stash all packed with various gems and low runes. Let me know as I just ventured out into the Cold Plains last night.

Tournament table perhaps?

First post updated.

Oh, and before I forget again:



Just for the heck of it. Let's see if Enchant w/o the exploding uniques worth anything.

Charms:
SC: fres 6%*3, 1 dex 5% cres, 1 str 5% cres, 1-5 l dmg 7% cres, 6% lres, 2*5% pres, 6% pres, 7% pres, 5 life 7% pres
MC: 8% fhr 4% pres
GC: 6 str 17% lres

 

[Grisu]

@twillight - Kind of like a squishy Demon Hunter. [emoji2]

 

[Grisu]

DGW got into NM A3. Have 4sox armor and 3 sox helm, although both norm quality, so there's room to expand. Merc now has a Strength in Bedeco-rbin. I liked that cocoa.

Random question: Anyone knows why the reanimated horde keeps moaning "Muad-Dib"?

Found a Razortail - pretty nice if I'd make a bow enchantress once. I mean a real one. Of course I won't make it ever, as finding an eth Vampiregaze, a Leviathan, a proper Gladiator's Bane, the Demon Machine etc. is just impossible.

EDIT 1: Random Thought: Atma used to say "There's no trouble Atma can't cure" she being a healer. Well, that's a false. As all healers in the game Atma neither can do anything about being chilled.

EDIT 2: All I have to say about A3 is: I still hate dolls. And I put 1 PD in my shield. Still not found any exceptional version.

EDIT 3: the good in A4 is the lack of need for keys. HF was Lem. Now what to do with it? And why can't I find better gear than I already have?

EDIT 4: I hate everything fast. Zealots, dolls - you name it. Hard to run behind the merc which ALWAYS go the other direction just to mess with me. Also, cold immuns are annoyingly hard. I'll have to respec to fireballs I'm pretty sure. But enchant WILL drag me through Nightmare, so there.
Nihlatak had tons of snakes, but I survived. Let's find the ancients. And some better gear. I'm ridiculously undergeared.

EDIT 5: in the cave under the Ancient's Passage a horde of frenzytaurs (I think extrafast cursed) combod with gloams (including champions) awaited at the entrance. Had to save&exit.
I also hate that you can only see at best a third of the whole screen, AND the top of that ranged ENEMIES can release aimed shots at you. This stinks.

EDIT 6: Nightmare finished.

Spoiler

Charms in inventory:
GC: 27% poison res, 6 str + 17/ lightning res, 5 dex + 30% fire res
MC: 8% fhr + 4% poison res, 15% fire res, 13% cold res, 14% cold res, 17 life + 33 mana, 5 max dmg + 46 AR + 7-13 fire dmg
SC: 5 life + 9% lightning res, 2 max dmg + 11 AR + 19 life, 1 dex + 6 coldres, 1-5 lightning dmg + 7 % coldres, 5% fhr, 6 poison dmg + 11% poison res, 1 dex + 16 mana