[2018] Tournament: Set/Unique Worshippers 2017 [by jiansonz]

[Grisu]

I'm jelly of these Act Boss drops that everyone else is getting. I've had nothing but trash from them.

 

[Grisu]

For mark! no sooner was I fairly found
Pledged to the plain, after a pace or two,
Than, pausing to throw backward a last view
O'er the safe road, 'twas gone; Cold Plain all round:
Nothing but plain to the horizon's bound.
I might go on; nought else remained to do.

So, on I went. I think I never saw
Such starved ignoble nature; nothing throve:
For flowers---as well expect a cedar grove!
But cockle, spurge, according to their law
Might propagate their kind, with none to awe,
You'd think; a burr had been a treasure-trove.

No! penury, inertness and grimace,
In some strange sort, were the land's portion. ``See
``Or shut your eyes,'' said nature peevishly,
``It nothing skills: I cannot help my case:
``'Tis the Last Judgment's holy fire must cure this place,
``Calcine its clods and set my prisoners free.''

(with apologies to Robert Browning)

Roland the Paladin, Normal, Act I, Cold Plains

PS: It is only going to get worse before it gets better

 

[Grisu]

I'm jelly of these Act Boss drops that everyone else is getting. I've had nothing but trash from them.

Understandable.

Diablo's drop was great for me, but the only S/U item I had from the first three was a Cathan's Mesh from Duriel (that messed up my magic finding).

 

[Grisu]

Durbane has killed Mephisto. Mephisto dropped a THUL and several rare items to sell. No S/U.

He is level 26 and has found 2 Cathan's Mesh, Sandar's riprap, Cleglaw's tooth and the Axe of fechmar. The act 3 cold merc is using the cleglaw's tooth and wearing one of the Cathan's Mesh. Durbane wears the other Mesh, Sandar's riprap and has the Axe of Fechmar in the offhand. His current weapon (until he finds another S/U weapon is a long bow with 3 emerald sorts that add up to +53 poison damage. He wears a helm with two jewels that add up to 37 LR, 6 life and 27% extra gold. He has had so much bad luck with charms that it is hard to believe. Total magic find is at +6. He did have an armor with +27, but he now wears a Mesh. He had a helm with +9 MF, but prefers to wear the one with 37 LR.

With a total of 74 Lightning Resist, 3 Poison resist and no other resists, this is going to be a really careful trip to the forge.

 

[Grisu]

Okay, that makes it three players past Act II, I think. Nice going!



Then he must have a whole lot of areas left to do for later. "Normal" level after Duriel is 28 (rarely even 29).

No, I have done full clears everywhere. However, I wonder if there is something I have forgotten. I use Players 8 (except for Duriel), but could I be doing it incorrectly?? I just hit "Enter" and then say players 8. There does seem to be a large number of monsters to kill, so I think it is working. Is there some way to be sure that the program recognized my Players 8 request??? By the way, I am at level 26 after dilling Mephisto. Again I wimped out and used P1 on him.

 

[Grisu]

@Wolron You need to hit Enter and then type "/players8". You will then get a message saying "players set to 8" (note that this is a different message to what you typed).

If you type the wrong thing by mistake you will get a message that just repeats whatever you typed, without the "set to" wording. So you can tell if it has worked or not.

There is no difference in the number of monsters between the various player settings. What changes is the toughness of the monsters, their XP and their loot.

Does sound like you have been playing p1.

 

[Grisu]

Thanks for the info. I think I better play very carefully when I really do this correctly!! If I manage to kill off Durbane, at least I know how to use P8 now and can start over. I may start over anyhow.

 

[Grisu]

@Wolron - Yep, you've been on /pl1. Don't restart though, as you've had a lot more sets/uniques than some of us, and your levels will catch up if you can start on /pl8. Be careful though: In normal, it's just HP, experience, and 'nodrop' chance that change, while in NM/Hell, the monster damage is also affected.

One extra Set/Unique: Nokozan Relic in the Arcane Sanctuary.
All areas completed, all super uniques slain, and Duriel taken down on /players8.

A lot of the weird bugged poison that takes 10hps/second, and lasts for several minutes. Anyone know what causes this? It has to be some bug, as most of the time, Poison is barely noticeable.

[highlight]Goldilocks, Level 28 Amazon, Kurast Docks, Sets/Uniques: 4[/highlight]






Apologies for the chain of images, I don't know why they've attached as big images this time, but better than my first attempt that posted these four images four times each..

 

[Grisu]

@Drystan: I prefer big images.

As for the poison: yes, the really long-lasting ones that are also strong is probably a bug. You have to respect poisonous melee hits from mummies, greater mummies and Plague Bearers, and be prepared to go to town, touch a well or drink an antidote.

 

[Grisu]

@Drystan I think that heavy poison comes from getting hit by a poison crit. Greater mummy melee attack seems to be the nastiest one.

 

[Grisu]

Andariel is dead and I now have some new gloves to go with my hsarus bootsView attachment 7930

What Amulet did you get?

 

[Grisu]

I've been working on my stages of grief amazon recently, but haven't made enough progress to warrant an update. Even so, I definitely will join this one since S/U tournaments have been a favorite of mine.

I have a few build ideas in mind. I've done two phoenix strike assassins which are great fun, but want to try something different. Frenzy barb could be cool, but also sounds really risky given weapon drops. Singer sounds boring honestly

Another idea I'm toying with is a shock zealot with max block. This could also be challenging, but fun. Frost zealot would be safer, but someone else is doing that, so I'd rather do something different

Don't want to do amazon, necro, assassin

I've done a Hydra sorc before, which is amazingly fun, and wouldn't require killer items to be successful. Definite possibility

The other one I'm toying with is a rabies druid. I played one briefly on battle net around 2007 but didn't take it very far, and have always wanted to give it another go.

So yeah, kind of a tossup between hydra sorc, shock zealot, rabies druid. I'll make a decision soon I promise! Unless anyone wants me to play one of these specifically

 

[Grisu]

My first thought was, Cain lied in every word,
That hoary cripple, with malicious eye
Askance to watch the working of his lie
On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford
Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored
Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby.

What else should Cain be set for, with his staff?
What, save to waylay with his lies, ensnare
All travellers who might find him Tristram near,
And ask the road? I guessed what skull-like laugh
Would break, what crutch 'gin write my epitaph
For pastime in the dusty town square,

If at his counsel I should turn aside
Into that Black Marsh which, all agree,
Hides the Dark Tower. Yet acquiescingly
I did turn as he pointed: neither pride
Nor hope rekindling at the end descried,
So much as gladness that some end might be.

So, quiet as despair, I turned from Cain,
That hateful cripple, out of his highway
Into the path he pointed. All the day
Had been a dreary one at best, and dim
Was settling to its close, yet shot one grim
Red leer to see the plain catch its estray.

(More apologies to Robert Browning, almost finished and will go back to more standard progress updates)

Roland the Paladin, just about to enter the Black Marsh

 

[Grisu]

I haven't touched Viridiana since here first session due to other projects, which are now finished. So just Viridiana and Caessa ongoing, so I should get some game time soon

 

[Grisu]

My problem of deciding whether or not to start a new character has been decided by Diablo. I had him down below half health before he finally caught me in a mouse mistake. Durbane had no fire resistance, and of course my low level (due to not doing the Players 8 correctly) did not help.

So, I am goiing to start another Druid summoner and see if playing P8 the correct way helps. Nonetheless, if anyone knows any good way to get fire resistance, I would appreciate the hint. I expect that charms and lucky S/U's are the way, because by the time you get to Diablo, it is likely that using runes or diamonds in a shield is probably not an option because you will by forced to use S/U's that negate the shield.

 

[Grisu]

Going through the game on P8 will help a lot, because you will be a few levels higher. The biggest dangers of big D are the lightning hose and firestorm abilities. As long as you stay mobile, and try to let your minions and mercenary do the work, you should make it through ok. There is also no shame in dropping the player settings for that fight. I've done several tournaments on P8, only to take Diablo at P3 because I didn't have enough fire riesistance

 

[Grisu]

My problem of deciding whether or not to start a new character has been decided by Diablo. I had him down below half health before he finally caught me in a mouse mistake. Durbane had no fire resistance, and of course my low level (due to not doing the Players 8 correctly) did not help.

Ouch.

So, I am goiing to start another Druid summoner and see if playing P8 the correct way helps.

Yay!

Nonetheless, if anyone knows any good way to get fire resistance, I would appreciate the hint. I expect that charms and lucky S/U's are the way, because by the time you get to Diablo, it is likely that using runes or diamonds in a shield is probably not an option because you will by forced to use S/U's that negate the shield.

Charms and lucky S/Us are indeed the way. On the Diablo session, be on the lookout for shrines as well.

Fire resist is easier to grab than lightning resist. There are a couple of quite common items with a good amount: Nokozan Relic, Crushflange, Hsaru's boots, Berserker's helm, Sigon's belt.

In this tourney, you aren't allowed to put diamonds or runes in sockets anyway.
But if the shield slot is still 'open', you can put topazes in sockets. With some luck, you might have found resist jewels, if they are the right colors.

 

[Grisu]

Managed most of Act II fantastically.

1st drop of Act II didn't come until the dead halls:


Gorefoot. 20% Faster Run Speed is greatly appreciated!

At the end of the Viper Temple, this bad boy dropped:


Sucks I'm down to 2 rows of pots....but:


Lucky me! Boost to MF and Def. Bring on the gloves and bow!

Least the merc would enjoy it

Also, some temporary relief

 

[Grisu]

Well I pulled the trigger on a rabies druid. Pestilence enters the fray!

Only done Blood Moor and Den so far, so not much to write here. I haven't really decided how I want to build the character yet. Some kind of hybrid with Rabies and either Hunger or Fury could work. Maybe a grizzly for additional tanking. No idea yet honestly.

Quick question - I found a gem shrine in Blood Moor. It won't stay a gem shrine if I S&E right? I want to use it on a topaz, but it would be nice to save it for a potential normal topaz from Andariel. I've never done Act 1 without a muling trip though...

 

[Grisu]

Wuzhul started in the Rogues' Camp and worked his way on to confronting Blood Raven, The Countess and ultimately Andariel, who were all easy battles for his Skeletons and Diane the Fire Rogue who was using a Composite Bow with two chipped, Emeralds and green, Jewel of Envy. He eventually found enough chipped, Topazes to fill Diane and his Ring Mail and Helms just prior to confronting Andariel. He received an "El" rune from The Countess and a Crushflange dropped in Catacombs Level 3. Andariel dropped nothing of use.



Just before heading to the desert Wuzhul hired Kyoko, because Diane was a few levels behind Wuzhul. He upgraded her bow with a newly found Composite Bow with two flawed, Emeralds and another green, Jewel of Envy. Once they were moving through the Tombs a wonderful drop happened to outfit Kyoko with. It will be nice to upgrade that eventually!

Two Cathan's Rings dropped while in the Tombs, one was by Duriel who was taken down on /p3.



Wuzhul and Kyoko, Act III, Level 28