Hello! Another Single Player fan here who wants to join in the fun
- Thread starter little birdy
- Start date
- May 11, 2022
- 442
- 773
- 93
- May 11, 2022
- 442
- 773
- 93
Back to work on the melee Necro. This guy has gone through several stops and starts, I play him for a bit and then get distracted by something else and forget about him. Trying to stay focused this time.
Picked up where I left off in Act 3 NM and this morning defeated Baal and then did one run through the Secret Cow Level. I was just a hair away from level 70 after Baal, and then Cows bumped me up to 70.
I don't normally stick around in NM too long, but I got such a nice map that I am thinking about running Baal a bit to grind out a few more levels.
One Teleport from WP to stairs to level 3 (I have a Spellsteel unique Bearded Axe on switch with Teleport charges)...
...and then a quick jog around a corner to the stairs to the Throne of Destruction.
Equipment consists of:
Andariel's Visage would be so perfect for this guy. If I luck out and find one then I will for sure use it. Otherwise, I am struggling to think of anything else I can upgrade. If I find really nice rare boots with big resistances then I'll swap Nat's out for those. Maybe a really good rare Ring instead of one of the Angelics.
I have exercised quite a bit of restraint when it comes to using Corpse Explosion, because I don't want to just use CE all the time and not get into the melee action as much. It's been a lot of stabby stabby and just a hint of CE in stickier situations. Though I did go a bit wild with the CE in NM Cows because there's something very satisfying about seeing all those Cows collapse simultaneously
I will probably make much more liberal use of CE in Hell, as it will no doubt be much more challenging than NM was.
Picked up where I left off in Act 3 NM and this morning defeated Baal and then did one run through the Secret Cow Level. I was just a hair away from level 70 after Baal, and then Cows bumped me up to 70.
I don't normally stick around in NM too long, but I got such a nice map that I am thinking about running Baal a bit to grind out a few more levels.
One Teleport from WP to stairs to level 3 (I have a Spellsteel unique Bearded Axe on switch with Teleport charges)...
...and then a quick jog around a corner to the stairs to the Throne of Destruction.
Equipment consists of:
- Wormskull
- 'Obedience' Mancatcher
- 'Treachery' Great Hauberk
- Death's Gloves and Sash (+30% IAS, +15 all res., +8% life steal, and CBF -- a very nice little combo IMHO!)
- Nat's Boots
- Angelic Amulet and 2x Angelic Rings
Andariel's Visage would be so perfect for this guy. If I luck out and find one then I will for sure use it. Otherwise, I am struggling to think of anything else I can upgrade. If I find really nice rare boots with big resistances then I'll swap Nat's out for those. Maybe a really good rare Ring instead of one of the Angelics.
I have exercised quite a bit of restraint when it comes to using Corpse Explosion, because I don't want to just use CE all the time and not get into the melee action as much. It's been a lot of stabby stabby and just a hint of CE in stickier situations. Though I did go a bit wild with the CE in NM Cows because there's something very satisfying about seeing all those Cows collapse simultaneously
I will probably make much more liberal use of CE in Hell, as it will no doubt be much more challenging than NM was.
- May 11, 2022
- 442
- 773
- 93
As mentioned just now in the Item Find Thread, I got my first Torch!
The Ubers turned out to be easier than I was expecting. I'm not sure if that's because they're actually easy, or if it's just because I was actually well prepared for once in my life
Preparations for taking on the Ubers included:
My gear:
I think farming torches, now that I've done it and realized that it's not that hard to do, could become a big distraction for me for a little while here... I have several characters that would love to have one!
The Ubers turned out to be easier than I was expecting. I'm not sure if that's because they're actually easy, or if it's just because I was actually well prepared for once in my life
Preparations for taking on the Ubers included:
- Re-spec'ing my Pally to a Smite build and equipping him with the best gear I had
- Loading up some extra Lightning Res. SC's from other characters and investing unspent skill points into Resist Lightning
- Making my first ever 'Call to Arms'
My gear:
- G. Face (Um)
- 'Grief' Phase Blade
- Herald of Zakarum (P. Diamond)
- 'Chains of Honor'
- Dracul's Grasp
- Goblin Toe
- Thundergod's Vigor
- Raven Frost
- Wisp Projector
- Rare amulet with +2 Paladin skills and some resistances
- Tal's mask
- 'Obedience' eth Thresher
- Shaftstop
I think farming torches, now that I've done it and realized that it's not that hard to do, could become a big distraction for me for a little while here... I have several characters that would love to have one!
- May 11, 2022
- 442
- 773
- 93
My poor melee Necro finds himself on the backburner again… I started leveling a Martial Arts Assassin the other day and it has been so much fun. I’m going dual claws with this character, using Tiger Strike and a mix of Dragon Claw and Dragon Tail. Started out with Katars loaded up with random gems/jewels, and then at level 23 switched to two ‘Pattern’ Blade Talons I had stashed. It’s a solid rune word early on! Once I hit level 42 I can transition to dual Bartuc’s. I also have three Jade Talons stashed away in case I need the resists in Hell.
- May 11, 2022
- 442
- 773
- 93
Update on the MA Assassin: Absolutely crushed Normal difficulty and now we're starting in NM. I finished Normal a bit over-levelled (46!) because I was a bad boy and grinded out a few extra levels vs. Eldritch (35-38). It was super fast on p8. He gives so much EXP. Dual Bartuc's at level 42 were a game-changer. As for skills, I maxed Claw Mastery and then Tiger Strike. Also got a point into Burst of Speed. Now I'm putting points into Dragon Tail. D.Tail is so powerful with full charges from Tiger Strike. It feels like I'm triggering Corpse Explosions when I kick. Build up charges, one or two kicks, and everything around me just topples over. Extremely fun!
- May 11, 2022
- 442
- 773
- 93
Crushed it in NM too
As you can see, vovinam completed NM at level 73. The introduction of FI monsters in Act IV was an interesting little test, but they didn't slow me down too much. Physical damage from Tiger Strike, kicks, and regular attacks, was adequate.
I have maxed Claw Mastery, Tiger Strike, and Dragon Tail. Also got a point in Venom and a few extra points in Dragon Talon to potentially do a budget Crushing Blow setup on switch. But I haven't made up my mind about that yet. I have unspent skill and stat points, as well as both Normal and NM re-specs available, so I'm going to think on it some more. Claws of Thunder was my other idea for a secondary element against FI's.
Gear:
The merc is an Act V Frenzy Barb, currently using dual Headstrikers. I have a Cham burning a hole in my pocket, so I might make him a 'Plague' sword if I can find a good base. CTC Lower Resist and Cleansing aura would be very handy additions for this character in Hell.
As you can see, vovinam completed NM at level 73. The introduction of FI monsters in Act IV was an interesting little test, but they didn't slow me down too much. Physical damage from Tiger Strike, kicks, and regular attacks, was adequate.
I have maxed Claw Mastery, Tiger Strike, and Dragon Tail. Also got a point in Venom and a few extra points in Dragon Talon to potentially do a budget Crushing Blow setup on switch. But I haven't made up my mind about that yet. I have unspent skill and stat points, as well as both Normal and NM re-specs available, so I'm going to think on it some more. Claws of Thunder was my other idea for a secondary element against FI's.
Gear:
- Dual Bartuc's
- Rockstopper
- Duriel's Shell
- String of Ears
- Rare 2/20 gloves
- Nat's boots (upped to Boneweaves)
- Rando junk rare amulet
- Manald Heal, Nagelring
The merc is an Act V Frenzy Barb, currently using dual Headstrikers. I have a Cham burning a hole in my pocket, so I might make him a 'Plague' sword if I can find a good base. CTC Lower Resist and Cleansing aura would be very handy additions for this character in Hell.
- May 11, 2022
- 442
- 773
- 93
My latest character (to steal playing time away from the melee Necro (that will perhaps never finish his quest through the game)): barras the Concentrate Barbarian! Here he is pictured wielding a Ribcracker after having completed Normal difficulty tonight:
As you can see, barras finished Normal at level 44, right around 50% of the way to level 45.
After defeating Baal, I decided to jump into a Normal difficulty Terror Zone to see what kind of EXP it would grant me. It was Kurast Bazaar (and Ruined Temple and Disused Fane). About 15 minutes later, two partial clears of the Bazaar and full clears of the two temples, and I was at level 46 with ease, and the EXP bar was still growing nicely if I wanted to keep running the TZ to get to level 47 and beyond. I'm sure there are diminishing returns the higher you go, but to me this feels like the new go-to method for catching up on levels if needed prior to making the jump to NM, instead of running Eldritch, Pindle, or Normal Cows. No super interesting drops came from the Normal TZ, but I did get a few flawless gems out of it.
The plan for barras is to eventually switch to an 'Insight' elite staff, but Ribcracker works great for now. Concentrate is not the fastest--I really wish I had some splash damage!--but it is still quite powerful and very safe. He's basically always at full life.
The plan was also to employ an Act V Barb merc, but the Freezing Arrow Rogue that Kashya set me up with in Act I has been fantastic so far. I probably shouldn't mess with success.
As you can see, barras finished Normal at level 44, right around 50% of the way to level 45.
After defeating Baal, I decided to jump into a Normal difficulty Terror Zone to see what kind of EXP it would grant me. It was Kurast Bazaar (and Ruined Temple and Disused Fane). About 15 minutes later, two partial clears of the Bazaar and full clears of the two temples, and I was at level 46 with ease, and the EXP bar was still growing nicely if I wanted to keep running the TZ to get to level 47 and beyond. I'm sure there are diminishing returns the higher you go, but to me this feels like the new go-to method for catching up on levels if needed prior to making the jump to NM, instead of running Eldritch, Pindle, or Normal Cows. No super interesting drops came from the Normal TZ, but I did get a few flawless gems out of it.
The plan for barras is to eventually switch to an 'Insight' elite staff, but Ribcracker works great for now. Concentrate is not the fastest--I really wish I had some splash damage!--but it is still quite powerful and very safe. He's basically always at full life.
The plan was also to employ an Act V Barb merc, but the Freezing Arrow Rogue that Kashya set me up with in Act I has been fantastic so far. I probably shouldn't mess with success.
- Mar 14, 2020
- 1,923
- 2,635
- 113
Interesting to see how the Normal and NM Terror Zones work, and it makes sense that it would surpass Pindle given what everyone is seeing for the Hell version and XP. I will likely use that option to level my Sorc once she beats NM Baal.
- May 11, 2022
- 442
- 773
- 93
It occurred to me today after working on my new Random Tournament Druid: I have an HC Summoner Druid parked at the start of A2 Hell that is level 68... why not use him to test out NM Terror Zones? When I jumped into a game around 2:20 this afternoon, Barracks and Jail were Terrorized. I did two mostly full clears of the Terrorized areas on p8 (with a few phone/email interruptions--I wasn't clearing at full speed) and by 3:00 I was just a sliver away from level 74. Not bad for less than 40 minutes work!
- May 11, 2022
- 442
- 773
- 93
Back to work on barras, the Concentrate Barb!
Finished NM around level 74-ish, can't remember exactly. /p8 NM was a breeze with Concentrate as the primary attack with an 'Insight' Elder Staff. The rest of the gear was IK gloves, boots, belt, and helm, and Duriel's Shell armor.
At level 67, I took my super duper nice 'Mist' Matriarchal Bow off my Bowazon and equipped it to my Rogue merc. That was an incredible upgrade!
I'm sure barras would have completed Hell difficulty with ease with the above setup; however, the game threw me a curveball recently (Wolfhowl) so I decided to change plans for Hell.
Pretty good rolls IMHO.
barras did a quick bit of grinding in NM TZs to reach level 79 and then did a re-spec.
I was getting a bit tired of the 'Insight' staves that had been used up to this point, so I decided to switch to axes. Specifically, Messerschmidt's Reaver unique Champion Axe. I found it a long time ago and had been wanting to use it ever since. It is very cool looking and hits pretty hard too.
I also mixed up the other gear: Out with Duriel's and the IK stuff, in with 'Fortitude', Laying of Hands, Gore Riders, and Nosferatu's Coil.
So far, I have only maxed Axe Mastery and Battle Orders, and put 5 points into Natural Resistances because barras is a little weak in that resists department. I haven't decided what I want to do with the rest of the points yet. I will probably max Shout next... and then I'm not sure what. Maybe 1 point into Berserk to switch out of wereform to tackle physical immunes... I'm not sure.
I played as a Werewolf up until Outer Cloister and it was a bit too easy on /p1. I'm usually content to leave it at /p1 for Hell because I don't have a ton of awesome gear so many of my characters get slow in Hell on higher players settings... this guy might be an exception!
Finished NM around level 74-ish, can't remember exactly. /p8 NM was a breeze with Concentrate as the primary attack with an 'Insight' Elder Staff. The rest of the gear was IK gloves, boots, belt, and helm, and Duriel's Shell armor.
At level 67, I took my super duper nice 'Mist' Matriarchal Bow off my Bowazon and equipped it to my Rogue merc. That was an incredible upgrade!
I'm sure barras would have completed Hell difficulty with ease with the above setup; however, the game threw me a curveball recently (Wolfhowl) so I decided to change plans for Hell.
Pretty good rolls IMHO.
barras did a quick bit of grinding in NM TZs to reach level 79 and then did a re-spec.
I was getting a bit tired of the 'Insight' staves that had been used up to this point, so I decided to switch to axes. Specifically, Messerschmidt's Reaver unique Champion Axe. I found it a long time ago and had been wanting to use it ever since. It is very cool looking and hits pretty hard too.
I also mixed up the other gear: Out with Duriel's and the IK stuff, in with 'Fortitude', Laying of Hands, Gore Riders, and Nosferatu's Coil.
So far, I have only maxed Axe Mastery and Battle Orders, and put 5 points into Natural Resistances because barras is a little weak in that resists department. I haven't decided what I want to do with the rest of the points yet. I will probably max Shout next... and then I'm not sure what. Maybe 1 point into Berserk to switch out of wereform to tackle physical immunes... I'm not sure.
I played as a Werewolf up until Outer Cloister and it was a bit too easy on /p1. I'm usually content to leave it at /p1 for Hell because I don't have a ton of awesome gear so many of my characters get slow in Hell on higher players settings... this guy might be an exception!
Google