Beast Base

[snickersnack]

I just got a Ber rune in LK (IFT post "soon"), and I'm thinking that Beast would be the best way to open up some new builds and keep the game alive for me. Chains of Honor is great, but not game-changing, and Last Wish is quite far away since I have no spare Jah runes. I already have Enigma and Infinity. Wrath, while interesting, seems less useful than Beast.

The search function seems to be broken, so I'm asking what is probably a well-over-done question: What's the best base item for Beast? Berserker Axe?

I would definitely take Beast for a spin on my fishymancer and also likely on my eBotD meleemancer, but I also want to play a fuzzy dodger and probably a barbearian as well. Maybe also a bear sorc. None of these require Beast on the main hand to work, and I'd guess that in most cases, Grief is a better mainhand, except the barbarian where I'd probably try to use eBotD/Beast on the main hand switch. Are there many cases where saving str with a double axe is much use?

 

[little birdy]

I made my ‘Beast’ in an Ettin Axe. Not sure if that’s the best, but it works for me! Berserker Axe seems like a nice choice too if you can find or cube one with 5 sockets. Ettin Axe makes it a bit easier because it can’t get 6 sockets.

 

[snickersnack]

I made my ‘Beast’ in an Ettin Axe. Not sure if that’s the best, but it works for me! Berserker Axe seems like a nice choice too if you can find or cube one with 5 sockets. Ettin Axe makes it a bit easier because it can’t get 6 sockets.

I have all three 1-hand, elite axes that can get 5 sockets with 5 sockets (though far fewer in BA). I have this:

Superior Berserker Axe
One Hand Damage: 26 - 78
Durability: 29 of 29
Required Level: 64
Required Strength: 138
Required Dexterity: 59
Fingerprint: 0x42452984
Item Level: 94
Version: Resurrected
11% Enhanced Damage
Increase Maximum Durability 12%
5 Sockets (0 used)

but wild repair costs would be an annoyance if I tried a build that actually swings the runeword. Have you used yours that way, btw? Or, did you only end up using it for casting the wereform or as a stat stick?

 

[Miron]

I used it for trav runs together with demon limb (frenzy barb), the repair costs were ok at least compared to enchant charges. The lower durability was more annoying than repair costs.

Never liked to share end-game equipment between chars so ended using Beast on 2 char:

1. Off-hand for wolf-barb (main is Griswold's Redemption)
2. Auradin (vanilla) with: concentration, defiance, fanaticism, might and holy freeze

 

[ziambe]

I don't want to disappoint you, but imo the best base is a double axe so that all of your would-be bears can use it on swap without any str and you don't have to worry about the roll >.<

 

[saracen85]

I don't want to disappoint you, but imo the best base is a double axe so that all of your would-be bears can use it on swap without any str and you don't have to worry about the roll >.<

This was my initial thought process, until I realize the strength bonus from beast in a berserker axe is just enough (with min-roll) to equip a monarch. So, I'm not really wasting that much stats plus it comes with the possibility of other melee usage.

 

[little birdy]

I have all three 1-hand, elite axes that can get 5 sockets with 5 sockets (though far fewer in BA). I have this:

Superior Berserker Axe
One Hand Damage: 26 - 78
Durability: 29 of 29
Required Level: 64
Required Strength: 138
Required Dexterity: 59
Fingerprint: 0x42452984
Item Level: 94
Version: Resurrected
11% Enhanced Damage
Increase Maximum Durability 12%
5 Sockets (0 used)

but wild repair costs would be an annoyance if I tried a build that actually swings the runeword. Have you used yours that way, btw? Or, did you only end up using it for casting the wereform or as a stat stick?

Yeah I think repairs could be a pain with a superior base.

I use ‘Beast’ as the off-hand weapon on my Wolfbarb for the Fanaticism, +Lycanthropy, and the option to sometimes be a Werebear instead of Werewolf (though I haven’t played around with that idea too much yet). The main weapon an ethereal ‘Death’ Berserker Axe. I don’t think ‘Beast’ loses any durability in this setup.

 

[snickersnack]

Thanks, everyone, for your perspectives!

I used it for trav runs together with demon limb (frenzy barb), the repair costs were ok at least compared to enchant charges. The lower durability was more annoying than repair costs.

Never liked to share end-game equipment between chars so ended using Beast on 2 char:

1. Off-hand for wolf-barb (main is Griswold's Redemption)
2. Auradin (vanilla) with: concentration, defiance, fanaticism, might and holy freeze

Did your sup BA have +Dur% also or just +ED%? Iirc, it's the +Dur% that makes repair costs so high.

Wolfbarb is one that I definitely want to try. Grief/Beast would be nice. That auradin would need the BA instead of a DA, and I hadn't thought of doing one of those.

I don't want to disappoint you, but imo the best base is a double axe so that all of your would-be bears can use it on swap without any str and you don't have to worry about the roll >.<

This was my initial thought process, until I realize the strength bonus from beast in a berserker axe is just enough (with min-roll) to equip a monarch. So, I'm not really wasting that much stats plus it comes with the possibility of other melee usage.

Those are both good points, and I'm still torn. Paladins and Barbarians don't need to wield a monarch for the prebuff, though the fuzzydodger does. Also, my fishymancer already has enough str for a monarch (to prebuff with CtA), so he can wield a BA as a stat stick. I can't really think of a build I'm eager to try that would swing Beast, so the extra damage doesn't seem so useful.

The main examples where I see the double axe as better is when you don't otherwise need high str: barb or pally using a PB as the main weapon. But, those builds are likely doing physical damage with melee attacks, so ... more str = more damage.

Maybe, I'll just eventually make a second Beast and I should go with whatever's the most convenient at present.

Edit: Any thoughts on using this?

Caduceus
One Hand Damage: 37 - 43
Durability: 69 of 70
Required Level: 66
Required Strength: 97
Required Dexterity: 70
Fingerprint: 0x38e76bd0
Item Level: 85
Version: Resurrected
+150% Damage to Undead
5 Sockets (0 used)

 

[ziambe]

Edit: Any thoughts on using this?

Small detail is that the level requirement of a caddy will be higher than the runeword by 3 levels, which will make the journey for non-druids a little longer

 

[snickersnack]

Small detail is that the level requirement of a caddy will be higher than the runeword by 3 levels, which will make the journey for non-druids a little longer

Hmm, I'm okay with that, and it'll make for a much better swinging weapon due to the higher durability. Hmmmmmmm. I'm going to mull it over a bit, maybe hash out pros/cons with a spreadsheet, and maybe scour reddit some more.

Edit: decision made... post in IFT to follow...

 

[ffs]

I would make it in a low-req base. For PvM purposes, the most interesting use cases for Beast are rather about chars like for example Bear Sorc or some Necro build (Summoner or PN), who typically don't have that much str/dex. The only char I have that uses a Beast in an elite axe is PvP WW Barb (Berserker Axe).

 

[snickersnack]

@ffs I went with a caduceus as the main drawback of a BA seemed to be the durability. I decided that no matter what I chose, it would have drawbacks, so I shouldn't worry too much. I think all of my existing characters will be able to hold the caddy with little or nothing extra spent in str/dex; torch+anni helps with that a lot. (I went for max block on my fishymancer, and he wears enigma, so...)