HC Single Pass Barbarian Thoughts & Plans

[Crudesash]

So I was thinking about trying this out, and I was looking for some feedback from some HC pros. I've thought a lot about the really dangerous parts of Hell, not that I'm overlooking the challenges of Normal and NM, it's just that unless I'm careless or very unlucky, I should make it through NM, and I started thinking about how the build should look, and what type of gear I can reasonably aim for. For my skill setup, I think this is reasonable; it assumes using 2 X Spirit on Switch, and having Unbending Will for my weapon. My goal was to try to hit some benchmarks with skills; -20% damage with Taunt, +200% defense from Shout, 50% resist from Natural Resistance.

For Stats, I'm thinking around 146 for Strength (That plus the bonus from UW can let me use a Monarch), Enough Dex for Max Block, I'm thinking ~175 but I haven't done the math, the rest in Vit.

For gear, I think UW is a viable goal, all I need is a phase blade, and Larzuk. it works in a Colossus Sword as well, but those are rarer and slower. My other thought was to go with Axe Mastery and craft Blood Axes, but Berserker Axes are also rare drops, so unless a crazy good weapon drops, I can sink a point into Sword Mastery early for a little extra damage. For Armor, Myth and Smoke are both fairly easy to make and both have their pluses, so it may come down to how bad I need resists. For Shields, I'd like to equip Rhyme for some MF and Resists, but the +2 skills on Spirit make that hard to resist. Blood gloves, and whatever I can get for rings, ammy, belt and boots. since it is SP, I'll probably save gambling for amulets, since gambling coronets is kind of pricy.

For Merc, I am torn. The Defiance merc will add a solid layer of protection, but Might will help leeching so I am not sure which will be best, it might depend on how lucky I am when building gear.

My biggest concerns in Hell are undead archers, gloams, PI's, and of course, the Ancients. I plan on rerolling them if necessary; if I get that far I'll be shocked tbh.

I plan on this single pass except for when a game is restarted of course. I might get two cracks at Eldritch that way, but I won't game for that; if I can get to the next waypoint, that will be that.

Well, thanks for reading, and any feedback will be appreciated. I'll update progress here and hopefully it will be a successful conclusion

 

[AntiRush]

I don't think you can count on Fal + Io in a single pass run. Even getting the runes for 2x spirits can easily not happen. A single pass melee barb can get pretty stuck in hell unless you get lucky on a weapon drop. For untwinked single pass play War Cry is a lot more predictable. You can shop wands with fcr and a lot of mana and hopefully get at least 1 spirit.

If your set on melee it'll definitely be a fun challenge but I suspect you'll have to audible based on what weapons happen to drop.

 

[Crudesash]

I don't think you can count on Fal + Io in a single pass run. Even getting the runes for 2x spirits can easily not happen. A single pass melee barb can get pretty stuck in hell unless you get lucky on a weapon drop. For untwinked single pass play War Cry is a lot more predictable. You can shop wands with fcr and a lot of mana and hopefully get at least 1 spirit.

If your set on melee it'll definitely be a fun challenge but I suspect you'll have to audible based on what weapons happen to drop.

Good point. An Honor Ettin Axe would be the next best cheap possibility, but it is sort of slow. I could start with Axes, craft Blood axes when possible, and if I find an Ettin, try to make Honor. My math might be a bit off, but assuming I only have my skills/STR I'd be around 700-1300 damage with one of those, probably leeching 50 or so life per hit...not great if I am swarmed.

I thought about a War Cry build, not like a singer but more like War Cry-attacks, rinse and repeat. Very slow but very safe. That will probably be the go-to if I can't find the runes I need. Maybe even if I do XD

 

[Arjan]

So I was thinking about trying this out, and I was looking for some feedback from some HC pros. I've thought a lot about the really dangerous parts of Hell, not that I'm overlooking the challenges of Normal and NM, it's just that unless I'm careless or very unlucky, I should make it through NM, and I started thinking about how the build should look, and what type of gear I can reasonably aim for. For my skill setup, I think this is reasonable; it assumes using 2 X Spirit on Switch, and having Unbending Will for my weapon. My goal was to try to hit some benchmarks with skills; -20% damage with Taunt, +200% defense from Shout, 50% resist from Natural Resistance.

For Stats, I'm thinking around 146 for Strength (That plus the bonus from UW can let me use a Monarch), Enough Dex for Max Block, I'm thinking ~175 but I haven't done the math, the rest in Vit.

For gear, I think UW is a viable goal, all I need is a phase blade, and Larzuk. it works in a Colossus Sword as well, but those are rarer and slower. My other thought was to go with Axe Mastery and craft Blood Axes, but Berserker Axes are also rare drops, so unless a crazy good weapon drops, I can sink a point into Sword Mastery early for a little extra damage. For Armor, Myth and Smoke are both fairly easy to make and both have their pluses, so it may come down to how bad I need resists. For Shields, I'd like to equip Rhyme for some MF and Resists, but the +2 skills on Spirit make that hard to resist. Blood gloves, and whatever I can get for rings, ammy, belt and boots. since it is SP, I'll probably save gambling for amulets, since gambling coronets is kind of pricy.

For Merc, I am torn. The Defiance merc will add a solid layer of protection, but Might will help leeching so I am not sure which will be best, it might depend on how lucky I am when building gear.

My biggest concerns in Hell are undead archers, gloams, PI's, and of course, the Ancients. I plan on rerolling them if necessary; if I get that far I'll be shocked tbh.

I plan on this single pass except for when a game is restarted of course. I might get two cracks at Eldritch that way, but I won't game for that; if I can get to the next waypoint, that will be that.

Well, thanks for reading, and any feedback will be appreciated. I'll update progress here and hopefully it will be a successful conclusion

maybe it's me but I can't see your skillpoints through the link you provided.

Wich is a bit of a shame seeing I am making a SC barb at this moment how also will have a double spirit. The sword he is using allready, but he can't equip the shield yet.
My set up so far has been fairly safe, I could stand toe to toe with Big D with the bulb only emptying when he used his ray of firy death and lightning... and that was only a bit.

the only NDE's were in act I with that annoying archer in the 2nd cave. My main attack is the single point I put in concentration, am working on bezerk as main skill for later on

 

[Crudesash]

maybe it's me but I can't see your skillpoints through the link you provided.

Wich is a bit of a shame seeing I am making a SC barb at this moment how also will have a double spirit. The sword he is using allready, but he can't equip the shield yet.
My set up so far has been fairly safe, I could stand toe to toe with Big D with the bulb only emptying when he used his ray of firy death and lightning... and that was only a bit.

the only NDE's were in act I with that annoying archer in the 2nd cave. My main attack is the single point I put in concentration, am working on bezerk as main skill for later on

I'd never used the WH calc before, so maybe it's buggy? Basically, Conc, BO, and a weapon mastery at 20, a point in all war cries and passives, but adding a few hard points to taunt shout, nat. resistance, iron skin. 1 pt in Berserk to help with PI's.

My first ever Pat was a Zerker barb, and it was a lot of fun, but I don't think my heart could take that on HC w/o twinking

 

[Arjan]

I'd never used the WH calc before, so maybe it's buggy? Basically, Conc, BO, and a weapon mastery at 20, a point in all war cries and passives, but adding a few hard points to taunt shout, nat. resistance, iron skin. 1 pt in Berserk to help with PI's.

My first ever Pat was a Zerker barb, and it was a lot of fun, but I don't think my heart could take that on HC w/o twinking

My plan is somewhat the same, and well at this point I am playing the game the way your going to play all the time: Conc (1 hard point), BO and I have some hard points in swordmastery. 1 in all passives but only the BO part of the war cries.

I have a Spirit crystal sword (please, please, please use one with more than 20 durability... your sanity will thank you later) and use Sigons shield and boots for as long as it takes to be able to use the spirit Monarch shield. Then I'll use em both for 5 levels until I swap the sword with a Grief one.
I have a myth armor now, but that will be changed into Treachery when I reach NM I think.
Belt and gloves are IK, helm a simple Lore mask and jewelery is from the Angelic set... If you find them, use em!

another thing: use the charms with elemental damage! Spirit is a nice enough sword but not doing anything much on the damage side of things. Using a mix of extra elemental damage should help your kill speed in normal and nightmare. your probably not going to use it a lot, but if you do this will help.

 

[Crudesash]

My plan is somewhat the same, and well at this point I am playing the game the way your going to play all the time: Conc (1 hard point), BO and I have some hard points in swordmastery. 1 in all passives but only the BO part of the war cries.

I have a Spirit crystal sword (please, please, please use one with more than 20 durability... your sanity will thank you later) and use Sigons shield and boots for as long as it takes to be able to use the spirit Monarch shield. Then I'll use em both for 5 levels until I swap the sword with a Grief one.
I have a myth armor now, but that will be changed into Treachery when I reach NM I think.
Belt and gloves are IK, helm a simple Lore mask and jewelery is from the Angelic set... If you find them, use em!

another thing: use the charms with elemental damage! Spirit is a nice enough sword but not doing anything much on the damage side of things. Using a mix of extra elemental damage should help your kill speed in normal and nightmare. your probably not going to use it a lot, but if you do this will help.

My only plan for spirit on switch is for the warcry buffs, so I don't think durability will be an issue. I just think they'll be easier to find in a single pass run than 2 +3 echoing weapons, but you never know.

Just hit level 5, so a really long way to go.

 

[Arjan]

My only plan for spirit on switch is for the warcry buffs, so I don't think durability will be an issue. I just think they'll be easier to find in a single pass run than 2 +3 echoing weapons, but you never know.

Just hit level 5, so a really long way to go.

Yeah figured so much when I was done writing, sorry!

 

[AntiRush]

My only plan for spirit on switch is for the warcry buffs, so I don't think durability will be an issue. I just think they'll be easier to find in a single pass run than 2 +3 echoing weapons, but you never know.

Just hit level 5, so a really long way to go.

If shopping is ok for your single pass run, you can shop warcry weapons in a5.

 

[Crudesash]

If shopping is ok for your single pass run, you can shop warcry weapons in a5.

Yeah, my current plan is to look when I go back and forth for game reasons, and not just to keep refreshing the vendor, but I’m not set in stone. Another thing that was very handy was a wand with life tap charges, I should be able to grab one as well.

 

[Crudesash]

I'm probably insane, but I think I want to try this build as a 2H barb, high defense using the Defiance merc. I imagine I may change my mind a few times along the way. Thanks for all the feedback!