Javazon or Barb? (For Killing Hell Nihlathak)

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SnowyRedemption

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Javazon or Barb? (For Killing Hell Nihlathak)

I want to make either a Javazon (LF obviously) or a Barb (S/S or Maul), but can't really decide which.

Basically it comes down to... which do you think is better for killing hell nihlathak? Which is better overall?

Which would you recommend?
 
I'd make neither.
Characters that don't have teleport are much more likely to move around in a poison cloud than ones that do. And of course characters that don't have teleport take extra time getting there, but mostly it's the having no teleport around tomb vipers issue.

On top of that Tomb Vipers are immune to javazons (well, the lightning or the poison kinds anyways ^^) so if you made one of them the most dangerous thing on the run will be left alive for much longer than it should be.

With a baba there's even more running involved than with a java, making tomb vipers that much more dangerous...

Um yeah... sorry if you didn't want answers such as "make a sork", but that's what you're getting from me ^^
 
*Sigh* If it had to be a sorc, what type of sorc would it be? I don't really want to make another sorc since I already have one...

Are there physical immunes down there?
 
Snowy,
since you are wanting to make either a javazon or a barb, i guess the question at hand is which one would survive longer, or have the best opportunity to kill ole Nill... right?

in my opinion, the java zon, due to the fact that one of her skills (decoy) often overlooked for sake of other skills, but along with a merc(act2nm for added auras) a valk for distraction and added tanking, and the ever usefull decoy...to make the monsters less likely to concentrate thier attacks on the amazon herself, thereby making her more likely to make the kill. As for lightning fury use...yes it is a very powerfull skill, but as a poster prior mentioned there are monsters with resists to this skill. I have in the past made this very character, with passive skills around lvl 7-8 to utillize the zons dodge, and avasive skills, the 3-added mercs, merc/valk/decoy, and a titans...but also a harpoon/or throwing spear with alot of physical dammage, a cruel or something of that nature to use weapon switch and have a decent weapon to kill those monsters resistant to your massive lightning damage. I feel that with a good shield(resists) and a decent armor along with fast feet and evasive skills the javazon when properly used is a most versitile character.
good luck
-freewynd
http://www.thehorde.s5.com
 
The problem with Freewynd's reasoning, which in just about any other situation would be very sound, is that Viper poison clouds can sometimes do a lot more damage to non-targets than to direct targets. The cloud is bugged so that it deals physical damage for every frame you're in it, but if you're the direct target and you don't move, you only take damage from the initial bone spear. So the advantage of the evasive skills doesn't end up helping you much at all.

Javazons don't even have half as much life as Barbs. In addition, Lightning Fury will inevitably kill quite a few monsters around Nihlathak before he himself dies, giving him plenty of ammo for his Corpse Explode.

I'd have to agree with Omikron8 and go one step further: IK Barb. You speed race down to Nilly, Leap Attack him, then Conc 'til he's dead. Much safer IMO than many other builds and can even pack on some MF.
 
SnowyRedemption said:
*Sigh* If it had to be a sorc, what type of sorc would it be? I don't really want to make another sorc since I already have one...

Are there physical immunes down there?
Click to expand...
Yes, but you can pretty much ignore every monster down there and go straight for the bastard necro without killing anything.

I wouldn't do it myself though... too much running in an area where I'd prefer to be standing still.
 
CE shouldn't be a problem, I'm planning to get something with Slain monsters rest in peace, probably that unique ring or something before I start killing him.

So I guess the vote more or less goes to barb, what type of a barb should I make in terms of stats/skills? (generally speaking)
 
agreed on barb.

imho the best way to kill nilathak, other than a sork (><) or a natures peace char (double ><, who uses that crappy ring anyway) is a barb. just leap+howl+zerk or whatever kill method you have.

of course, getting to nilathak is the hard part....
 
At some point you're going to whirl/move when you wished you hadn't and the Vipers are going hand you your a55 (in a box, neatly wrapped). Personally I don't think there is a safe character for running Nith, even an IK Barb.
 
Safety is relative. It would take a decent lag spike plus more than a couple vipers to down an IK Barb. Plus, some of us aren't content sitting around playing this game without even attempting the ubers quest. :p
 
What I picked up in 20 Nihlathak runs today (using a CL/Nature's Peace Sorc):

1 - the Halls of Pain are set-up much like the Durance Level 2. Follow the left wall, or go clockwise around the outside, and you'll usually find the stairs rather quickly. The only really dangerous creatures in the Halls of Pain seem to be the Frenzytaurs. Once you get to the Halls of Vaught, nearly everything is dangerous.

2 - Even if your merc does no damage AND you use Nature's Peace, you will still get CE'd. Nihlathak does the Shenk-like whip em into a frenzy thing that makes his minions blow up. If they do so before you kill them, they leave a body.

3 - FE and Cursed are BAD BAD mods on Nihlathak. His Corpse Explosion damage appears to be about 1k with 2 people in the game (not sure if the #players affects this) normally, but with FE, it is significantly more. Amp... well, that goes without saying.

4 - At first I debated whether to use ES or not. There is no doubt in my mind now. USE IT. There are too many things that hit too hard down there, from CE to the Charging Re-Animated Dead. There are also Frenzytaurs in the Halls of Pain. The near-instant emptying of your mana pool when the Vipers hit you is insignificant compared to... well... dying.

5 - Sol Runes are your friend. Load up with em. Put em in every socket except your weapon. I currently have damage reduced by 39, and it nearly negates the physical damage part of the viper's bugged attack. It still makes the machine-gun sound and drains your mana pool, but your life drops very little or not at all.

6 - Nihlathak can be Lightning immune. Your options are pretty limited with a Lightning sorc if he is, especially if you use a very low damage Insight weapon. Of 20 runs, I only actually killed him on 17 of them, and on two of those I had to switch to a different character to kill him.
 
Why not build LF+Poison javazon, rather than pure LF. LF and PLague javelin are in the same tree, so you can use the +javelin equipment to rise the damage of both skills.
I found Plague Javelin very useful aagainst dangerous monsters. It can reach huge damage over zeveral seconds - 25-28k easily, even without Bramble. It's good because once a monster is poisoned, you don't need to attack it any more for sveral seconds - you can use the time to avoid his attacks. Usually a single PJ throw is enough to kill a monster in some time.
With Nihlathak, I think, it'll only take 1-2 PJ throws to kill him - no need to constantly be close to him.
 
The problem with a zon is going to be that you actually have to clear the Halls of Pain to get to the Halls of Vaught. Things in there move very fast, so there's no running past them. Pure Lightning is out, as the stupid guys that run away from you in act 3 are there in force, and they don't run away.

IF for some reason, you were absolutely set on a non-sorc, this would probably work:

Conc Barb with 1 in Whirlwind and a lot of damage reduction (straight DR, not %). With Gladiator's Bane and Gerkes, both Sol'd, you'd probably have enough DR to ignore the Vipers. Use WW to blast your way past everything until you find Nihlathak. Run around to draw his minions away, leap past them, and Conc him down. It sounds good in theory anyway.
 
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