Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

woodenidol

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Apr 25, 2006
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Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

I have been playing Diablo 2 since its release, off and on. I had a couple of Pats on BNet, but never even close on single player. Part of the reason is I only really seem to stick with Barbarians, my gear was pretty so so and I have a love for Double Swingers, and its all that ever kept my interest.

So months ago I started playing again, once again, settling on a DSer that I didnt imagine would ever finish hell. I have always dabbled in other skills with my DSer and usually its Whirlwind. As most people know, they are fun together, but not really ideal for using the same gear.

So I decided on one last try, but as a pure Double Swinger, and everything else poured into survival. That meant.

9 in DS
Maxed BO
Nearly maxed Natural Resistance (reason for this later)
20 in bash
10 in shout (used alot at beginning of Hell, rarely at all after act 2)
1 in all three weapons as I kept hoping I would find an elite weapon (I sort of did)

I went for straight damage reduction. I had Jewelers armour with 2 damage reduction (best I ever found) and four sols. I had a circlet with middling resist all, socketed and 26 total Damage resistance. My Ammy was another resist all with 24 Damage reduction. I had two Safety items that pushed my total Damage reduction to 80 even. I was hoping for 100+, but I never was able to improve on my gear.

So I had 80 damage reduction, 11% from SOH (not real help, but the best belt I found) and maxed Resistances in Hell except for poison which was at 71%.

My offense was not bad, until Hell when I reached the sanctuary and what I thought was the end of the trail when I ran into the Phys immune ghosts. This time however luck was with me. My first boss Blood lord dropped what is the best item I have, Lightsaber. Suddenly, filled with new hope I began to go through the sanctuary. My family thought me crazy as I laughed and screamed at the screen that this time I will make it. For the rest of the game I paired it with my three socketed Aldurs which had Orts in it. So I relied on Physical damage and Lighting along with a meager 7% crushing blow. Im sure its slow by everyones standards, but I felt quite powerful. Things died slow, but I died slower.

I had no deaths in Hell until a miscue in the Halls of Vaught. I died once more in Hell before the ancients. I beat the Ancients first try, it was slow as two were cold enchanted and it slowed me to a crawl. I fought with no Mercs most times.

Finally I made my final push. I was never in much danger even with only 80 damage reduction. Lister and his pack stymied me a bit. I quickly peeled off four, using a Fire Rogue from act one, but could not dent Listers Physical and Fire resistance. I was constantly stun locked. I ran for it and looked into my stash. I grabbed my Sureshrill Frost, hired a Cold Rogue and headed back in. Lister was slowed enough that I very slowly whittled him down. He fell dropping almost nothing.

I kept the Sureshrill and my Cold Merc and headed to finish the job, I didnt anticipate any real problems. That was essentially the case, it was just a very slow slog, had to go to town three times for health potions. My merc died twice.

Finally after all this time Baal fell before me. I dont know if I will ever Pat another character, but Im glad I managed it once and that it was with my beloved DSer.

Idol
 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

Congrats on finishing the game, and for sticking with your favorite skill through to the end. :) While it doesn't get a lot of respect as an end-game skill, I like that DS is basically mana-free and attacks superfast without pausing in between like Zeal.
 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

Congrats! :thumbup:

I don't really play barbs or melee characters much, but it's always great to beat the game with a build you love.
 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

I loved this write-up:) Don`t know what else to say; Congratulations!
 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

Congratulations!!! I can really relate.

I have a somewhat similar story making a 1.09 Frenzy Barb my first pat. Back in the day (when 1.09 was current), I ran into a wall at the Hell Ancients, so I came back earlier this year to give it another try with a Frenzy Barb - and I also used Aldur's Rhythm as one of my weapons (Fleshrender instead of Lightsabre in the other hand - I had some points in Berzerk as my PI solution).

Here's to settling old scores!
 
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Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

Gratz on the Pat. I'd never thought of DS'ing for an end game skill.

I take it you didn't have much in the way of LL at the end?
 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

Huge congratulations on your first SP Pat! :thumbsup:

I liked how you utilized low end to mid range gear to defeat different types of bosses and managed to pat your Barbarian with your favourite skill and an unusual build overall!
 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

Congrats! The first one, as they say, is the sweetest. Double Swing and PDR crushes a Fishymancer with standard gear in the stylepoints column, and that's by far the most important one when the crying is over and Tyrael's portal stands open before you...
 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

Congrats man, good job :thumbup: I felt somehow the same after finishing my sorc mat (yea thats easier but felt great once I finished Hell first time in my life :D)

This part made me laugh xD:
My family thought me crazy as I laughed and screamed at the screen that this time I will make it.


 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

That was an amazing story. Nice idea of making a total tank, and then have the patience to slice the enemies with whatever elemental damage you could scrounge up.
 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

Gratz on the Pat. I'd never thought of DS'ing for an end game skill.

I take it you didn't have much in the way of LL at the end?

If LL is Life Leach, no, I had about 18% on gear, and then Aldurs has 10% I think. My damage wasnt all that good in the physical department, so moslty it just negated poison.

I also have somewhere around an additional 5-100 lightning damage from charms. Most things went down pretty fast, as I think I was getting 5.5 frames attack speed. I think I only bypassed a couple of bosses, Lightning and Physical immunes.

I have tried running the countess, its not too bad, but I lack patience for it. I can run the pits pretty safe until Im cursed, then if mobbed, that usually lets the damage pile up fast enough to do me in. I relied on not taking much damage rather than leaching it back.

To be honest, with a bit better gear, I think I would have foregone BO and maxed WW. Most times I forgot to activate BO after I was playing a while, and it rarely made a difference. Either I was safe or was not. If they were punching through my damage reduction, the extra life just gave me a chance to run or maybe shout.

WW would have been a nice help in some places. Its a great compliment in Nightmare, but loses its luster with my weak weapons in Hell. I think if I were to have the new patch, I would Double swing until WW, WW until hell, and then play like I have.

My second biggest excitement was cubing up to being able to make Treachery. However, I determined that it was not going to help me in this build, considering I relied almost entirely on damage not getting through.

Im considering a Paladin with the Lightsaber. It would be easier to increase the Damage reduction, though I would lose Battle Cry. Not crucial I dont think, as I found it more usefull as a tool to hit more than protection.


Anyway, thanks for the congratulations, it was fun, and Im already thinking of starting another run, knowing that I have Lightsaber.



 
Re: Hurrah, Finally a Pat after all these years

Ah! The first one is always the best :thumbup: - Just like the first beer:guiness:
 
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