Hey SPF, I came across this site while browsing diabloii for info and figured I'd sign up here seeing as that place is pretty dead and this looks like a community that fits what I'm looking for.
About Me:
I was introduced to Diablo 2 in 2002 as a Freshman in high school. On my first day I sat with some upper classmen I knew from my neighborhood and they were all talking about the game. I looked into it and picked up the battle chest. Even though the strategy guide it came with was mostly out of date at that point I read that thing front to back multiple times. I can still remember the smell of that book. I played off an on all the way up till Diablo 3's launch (which I quit after 3 days due to disappointment from expectations that realistically couldn't have been met no matter what). Then picked up D2 in 2016 again and have been on it since with little breaks here and there. I can't wait for Diablo 4 but this time with tempered excitement and realistic expectations, a little older a little wiser.
Up until about 2019 I was strictly a battle net only player, playing on East. I was challenged one day by a friend to do a solo hardcore run, at first I was against the idea because playing solo sounds so lonely to me but I gave it a shot and I ended up really enjoying the challenge of it and felt some pride in self finding everything and not relying on anyone for help. Since then I've been a solo hardcore player trying to complete my first ever run. I don't have all the game knowledge stored in my head so its been a lot of trial and error and finding my own way through it. I'll look at guides for reference but ultimately its important to me that I sort of find "my" way through it, I don't want to follow someone else's build to a T, or if I end up making the same build as someone else I want to have come to it on my own trial and error.
Rules I follow:
1. No mods I only play regular D2.
2. No character backups as Ivan Drago would say "If he dies, he dies"
3. No P8 cheesing such as popping chests. I typically only use P8 in the beginning of normal to gain levels a bit quicker.
4. I do have ladder runewords enabled
5. I don't multi instance
6. I don't trade, everything is self found and every character has to find their own gear.
I try to keep the experience as pure as the game was originally intended.
Current Character:
My current character is a summon Druid named LizardSike. Currently level 85 farming Pits/Andy. When I had first reached hell and was doing my first pit runs I had 0% MF, it took me about 3-4 days and I was finally able to get it up to 162 and boy did just that make a world of difference today my drops were much improved.
I'm now working towards getting 3 more Ptopaz to put in the Griswold's to get me to 234. Right now the only parts of my build that I have the items for are Gore Riders, Frostburn and Spirit shield so still lots to be found. I'm a Sur rune away from a Bramble and I'm trying to make an Obedience for my merc but still need a Fal.
With my best items on here is where Lizard currently sits.
What's Next:
I'd really like to get my Merc obedience for some killing power and a bramble for myself for mana before moving onto Act 2. I'm confident I can hold my own in A2 but not dying is of the most importance, so I'm taking my time and making sure I'm ready before moving on. I've died many times from moving on to early when I wasn't ready because I had ants in my pants and this time I don't want to make that mistake. Luckily I have all my stat resets still and my normal socket quest.
I'm not quite confident to up the player count in pits yet some of the archer packs can be totally brutal even with shockwave but once I get this Griswolds socketed gear should be coming in at a decent enough pace. I still don't have a great plan for physical immunes. I've put my extra points into Fissure but I need to figure something out to deal with them better. I've seen people mention using a bow but haven't looked into it much as I don't have to worry about them in Pits, I get the occasional one in Andy but it doesn't affect me but I know once I get to Arcane its going to be a problem.
There is no time limit to finishing this character its just important that I do get my first HC clear, after that I'd like to do the same thing with every other class in the game but that is a ways down the road. I'll continue to update my progress or lack there of at the end of each day hopefully culminating in downing Baal in HC Hell once and for all. Look forward to being a part of the community, take care for now.
About Me:
I was introduced to Diablo 2 in 2002 as a Freshman in high school. On my first day I sat with some upper classmen I knew from my neighborhood and they were all talking about the game. I looked into it and picked up the battle chest. Even though the strategy guide it came with was mostly out of date at that point I read that thing front to back multiple times. I can still remember the smell of that book. I played off an on all the way up till Diablo 3's launch (which I quit after 3 days due to disappointment from expectations that realistically couldn't have been met no matter what). Then picked up D2 in 2016 again and have been on it since with little breaks here and there. I can't wait for Diablo 4 but this time with tempered excitement and realistic expectations, a little older a little wiser.
Up until about 2019 I was strictly a battle net only player, playing on East. I was challenged one day by a friend to do a solo hardcore run, at first I was against the idea because playing solo sounds so lonely to me but I gave it a shot and I ended up really enjoying the challenge of it and felt some pride in self finding everything and not relying on anyone for help. Since then I've been a solo hardcore player trying to complete my first ever run. I don't have all the game knowledge stored in my head so its been a lot of trial and error and finding my own way through it. I'll look at guides for reference but ultimately its important to me that I sort of find "my" way through it, I don't want to follow someone else's build to a T, or if I end up making the same build as someone else I want to have come to it on my own trial and error.
Rules I follow:
1. No mods I only play regular D2.
2. No character backups as Ivan Drago would say "If he dies, he dies"
3. No P8 cheesing such as popping chests. I typically only use P8 in the beginning of normal to gain levels a bit quicker.
4. I do have ladder runewords enabled
5. I don't multi instance
6. I don't trade, everything is self found and every character has to find their own gear.
I try to keep the experience as pure as the game was originally intended.
Current Character:
My current character is a summon Druid named LizardSike. Currently level 85 farming Pits/Andy. When I had first reached hell and was doing my first pit runs I had 0% MF, it took me about 3-4 days and I was finally able to get it up to 162 and boy did just that make a world of difference today my drops were much improved.
I'm now working towards getting 3 more Ptopaz to put in the Griswold's to get me to 234. Right now the only parts of my build that I have the items for are Gore Riders, Frostburn and Spirit shield so still lots to be found. I'm a Sur rune away from a Bramble and I'm trying to make an Obedience for my merc but still need a Fal.
With my best items on here is where Lizard currently sits.
What's Next:
I'd really like to get my Merc obedience for some killing power and a bramble for myself for mana before moving onto Act 2. I'm confident I can hold my own in A2 but not dying is of the most importance, so I'm taking my time and making sure I'm ready before moving on. I've died many times from moving on to early when I wasn't ready because I had ants in my pants and this time I don't want to make that mistake. Luckily I have all my stat resets still and my normal socket quest.
I'm not quite confident to up the player count in pits yet some of the archer packs can be totally brutal even with shockwave but once I get this Griswolds socketed gear should be coming in at a decent enough pace. I still don't have a great plan for physical immunes. I've put my extra points into Fissure but I need to figure something out to deal with them better. I've seen people mention using a bow but haven't looked into it much as I don't have to worry about them in Pits, I get the occasional one in Andy but it doesn't affect me but I know once I get to Arcane its going to be a problem.
There is no time limit to finishing this character its just important that I do get my first HC clear, after that I'd like to do the same thing with every other class in the game but that is a ways down the road. I'll continue to update my progress or lack there of at the end of each day hopefully culminating in downing Baal in HC Hell once and for all. Look forward to being a part of the community, take care for now.
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. On the very next run I find a Thresher but it was 4 sockets 
You have skillfully accomplished something which I have not.