Playthrough
Still to do: adding links to pics/pics
Early strategy
My recipe for melee characters is pretty straightforward... pick Sigon's set, upgrade the weapon here or there, and grab the damage charms asap. It will hold until the leveling in Act 5 and the 40/45, when I get access to the first really nice items (Ravenfrost, War Travellers, lvlreq 42 class specifics like Arreat's, Titan's, Bartuc's..., Vampire gaze, Duriel shell... not even speaking of runewords) and can build some interesting combinations.
So that was the followed path, and it worked no surprise.
Normal chapter
Normal mode had been a cruise through, as except for Act 1 on p8, difficulties have been managed in order to level in Act 5.
Leveling went from 27 to 33 at Eldritch, then Anya had been rescued in order to level at Pindle until 40.
Afterwards, it was time to face Ancients and Baal (killed at clvl 42), and a couple of runs to get to clvl 46 (dual leech rare ring lvlreq) and start Nightmare with new armor gear.
Nightmare chapter
Cain hadn't been rescued, and leveling had been managed on p5 in order to hit 48 before Andariel, which happened in Catacombs 2, and equip Swordguard.
From there, questing had been done on p3 killing packs/passing by most of the monsters. Merc is now a Might one - may be changed to a Holy Freeze later for safety, to get a damage boost for now. Duriel had been fought using General Tan Do Li Ga, because why should we be the only one slowed? In the end, Act 2 had been completed close to clvl 52, which had been catched at the end of the session out of Kurast docks.
Act 3 was still on p3. Easy enough, had to get through the Great Marsh. Took care of not killing the FE/LE council boss at Travincal to avoid a stupid death, even with over 1500 life with BO. Ended at clvl 56.
Act 4 then was still easy enough. Just handled enough killing to hit lvl 59 (and grab Grief) before Chaos Sanctuary, then switched to p7 and get the juicy xp, killing Diablo at lvl 61, and sitting now on over 2k hp with BO. Hellforge had been a Pul!
Act 5 was all p8 but Ancients. After leveling at Eldritch up to clvl 65, It was about time to save Anya, unlock Mara's and clvl 67 at Pindle, and take care of Baal and his minions at clvl 70. Leveling stopped there at 73, when Hell started.
Hell chapter
Act 1 had been quested on p8, and had a pretty nice density of uniques&champs, giving in the end quite some experience, from 73 to almost 78.
Hell could be probably fully handled on p5+, but given my lateness regarding my year's goal, I need to speed it up.
Therefore Act 2 had been leaped through on p1, grabbing a level in the process, so have been Act 3 (completed 79.5) and 4 (79.75), before some leveling in Act 5 at Pindle to get 81 - 40M xp before
Ancients, and journey had been completed without much difficulty at clvl 81, Baal delivering a big
Dragonscale as
last drop - take a look to his questing Haul pic in the Achievements post!