Moving this over from the item find thread:
I was sort of angling towards using my 30IAS CoA for a bow build since it'd cover a ton of resists and I wasn't really considering Enigma over Fort, so I don't think I'd need all the FCR from 1.07 Valkwing. 30 from helm and 20 from gloves would be just enough for 7fpa with a -10 wsm bow. I think I'd slam it in a Mat bow if not for the fact that I'd like to be able to use it on an A1 merc at some point.
How important is using a ctc Amp amulet versus Highlord's?
Also, I bit the bullet and stuck a Cham in a 140AL Shako for my blizzsorc. I'm pretty surprised by how much more pleasant it's made runs.
I haven't found a good use for Faith on an A1 merc yet, even though I put mine - in part, a long time ago - in a non-zon bow just to have that flexibility. There just aren't many characters out there where you would (when optimizing) take an A1 merc over an A2 merc (using Insight, Reaper's or Infinity, the power trio of A2 merc weapons). (e.g.
Riftadin.) You're going to use it when you need the IAS from Fanat and you can't get it sufficiently elsewhere.
Your CoA is a great helm for a bowa - res, IAS, skill, FHR. Only issue is the strength investment to get there.
The thing about Highlords is that you (should) have a huge CS already (likely ~71%, so the plus 35% DS from HW or so actually adds four or five percent on top of that. The +1 skill/IAS/LR makes it a great ammy, but if you're facing a lot of damage to kick out at a concentrated pack - i.e. Baal runs = Atma's **will** regularly trigger the Amp (w/i a wave, e.g.) and you're doing much more damage that HW ever could boost. I run with the Atma's/Pride set-up quoted in the IFT, so no Reaper's for me. I haven't noticed much of a difference, except that when the Amp triggers it shuts down the wave very, very quickly. It takes away from my +2 zon caster ammy I generally use and requires me to use a caster craft belt b/c I don't have a good enough dual leech /w FCR ring, but if you're not going Enigma, you don't need to worry about that route.
You need either Atma's or Reaper's available to you with a Bowa, I've concluded. b/c I have Pride (+300% off-weapon ED), I use that on A2 merc (so I have Fanat, Might, and Conc auras active) plus Atma's now. Works great. If you don't need the IAS from HW, you have options. I think it goes faster than HW + Reaper's in the long run and is less reliant on your moron.
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