Matriarch Inessa - Level 87 LF/CS Javazon

BBS_Agonistes

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Jun 27, 2014
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Diablo 2: Resurrected
Matriarch Inessa - Level 87 LF/CS Javazon


This is the first Amazon I've ever completed the game with and I'm hooked. Despite having been into D2 years ago, I mostly focused on making Mat/Pat with weird builds and avoiding the traditional builds. On top of that, I started some Amazons and just didn't like them, but I decided to give it another go. I'm glad I did, as this was the most fun I think I've ever had playing through the game.
Inessa.png

Stats
Strength: 136/196
Dexterity: 108/129
Vitality: 266/308
Energy: 15/25

Fire: 75%
Cold: 57%
Lightning: 85%
Poison: 75%
FHR: 86% breakpoint

Stat notes: I spent points somewhat liberally in strength and dexterity so I could try different equipment combinations.

Full LCS:
LCS.png

Equipment
Helm: "Wisdom" Diadem - CBF, 33% Piercing Attack, MPK, AR Bonus
Weapon: Titan's Revenge
Shield: "Spirit" Monarch
Armor: "Chains of Honor" Dusk Shroud
Gloves: Laying of Hands
Belt: Thundergod's Vigor
Boots: Silkweave
Ring 1: Bone Grasp - life steal, all resists, etc.
Ring 2: Manald Heal - to help with mana
Amulet: Highlord's Wrath
Switch: Gul / "Rhyme" Bone Shield for MF
Charms: Gheed's, +1 Javelin Skills / +36 Life, the rest FHR and resist charms

Equipment notes:
This build uses mostly cookie-cutter equipment, with the exception of the "Wisdom" runeword, which I find to be a pretty cool item. I didn't think the new runewords would be available to single-player offline yet, but after seeing some others on the forums test them out, I gave it a try.

"Wisdom" Runeword:
w.png
"Wisdom" features both 33% Piercing Attack and Cannot Be Frozen, which frees up slots usually taken by Ravenfrost and Razortail. That enabled me to get more life leech, mana leech and resists from my rings, but more importantly, I could equip Thundergod's Vigor, which was helpful against Gloams (more on that in questing), as well as giving a nice +3 to LF. Since I have no Griffon's Eye, the other setup that occurred was Harlequin Crest with Razortail and Ravenfrost, which I tested, but I think "Wisdom" was more helpful with maintaining my mana.

I tried crafting and shopping to get some +2 or +3 Javelin / 10-20 IAS gloves with no luck. I ended up with some OK crafts, but the IAS and Fire Resist on Laying of Hands seemed convenient.

Skills
Passive and Magic Skills
1 point in each

Javelin and Spear Skills
Jab: 1/11
Power Strike: 20/30
Poison Javelin: 1/11
Lightning Bolt: 20/30
Charged Strike: 20/30
Plague Javelin: 1/11
Lightning Strike: 5/18
Lightning Fury: 20/33

Skills Notes:
This is another area where the power of this character made it hard to know what to do with points. I didn't feel I needed the Valkyrie, so I just ended up pumping synergies for Charged Strike and Lightning Fury. That said, I could see pumping her up until she was a tank since my main attacks were pretty strong without maxing synergies as much as possible. Also, I think some advocate against a point in skills like Dodge and Evade, so I may respec out of those after I do my research.

Mercenary: Hazade, A2 Prayer Merc
Helm: Andariel's Visage (Ral)
Weapon: "Infinity" Ethereal Thresher
Armor: "Treachery" Ethereal Wyrmhide

Mercenary Notes:
This guy stayed alive pretty well. I actually forgot he was a Prayer Merc, which was nice for convenience, but perhaps a Might Merc might be preferable for more aggressive killing. I feel I could have quested through Hell pretty quickly, but I did spend some time leveling to make him a little beefier, since if he dies, I lose my Conviction aura.

Questing/Gameplay

Normal:
I took Inessa to level 42 as a Bowazon using this guide. https://www.wowhead.com/diablo-2/guides/amazon-leveling-best-build-skills-gear It may be absolute crap. While I really enjoy D2R, it has resulted in a new infusion of misinformation into the scene. I used 3 Tal and 3 Ort bows with armor and helms full of Tir runes and she seemed to level pretty quickly. By the time I reached level 42 and could equip Titan's Revenge, I was at the final quest of A5 of Normal and thought perhaps I shouldn't respect to Javazon yet, since I was used to the Bow and it might throw me off for fighting Baal. I ended up switching, however, and was floored at how powerful Lightning Fury and Charged Strike were. This was going to be a fun playthrough.

Nightmare:
I tore through Nightmare at breakneck speed. With "Insight" on the Prayer Merc, I think I actually didn't use a single potion of any kind until Act 3 or maybe later. It was in the Worldstone Keep that I encountered my first lightning immunes, which I was able to run past or just slowly kill with the physical damage of the javelins.

My one concern with creating a Javazon was some of the more expensive gear ("Infinity"), which I didn't think I'd be able to swing. But later that same day running Lower Kurast I popped a Ber rune with my Sorceress. I realized I also had a Sur in the stash that was one of my first high runes to drop in LK, but I'd somewhat forgotten about it because I had no immediate use. My Javazon was so much fun, I felt she deserved "Infinity" so I kept running, knowing Sur has a ton of drop patterns and lucked out with another Sur that day or the next. I then was able to farm an Ethereal Thresher from the Cows, and so over the weekend, I was able to put together "Infinity" before finishing Nightmare. I think I completed all of NM on /players 8.

Hell:
I'm very glad I was able to put together "Infinity," as I could certainly tell a difference when facing a ton of lightning immunes. Really the only thing that felt dangerous was when I and my merc would be mobbed with Gloams. Even when Faded, the merc could be killed and then I would be without a Conviction Aura and forced to try to make my way to safety. That's why the "Wisdom" diadem came in handy, as it freed up the belt slot so I could take advantage of the 85% LR / 20% Lightning Absorb from Thundergod's, which made the Gloams less threatening in the first place, and not a NDE situation when my merc died.

On that note, the mercenary died less than in the past, mostly because I was able to kill monsters so quickly. So it was a team effort, but if I slowed in my attacks he'd go down, and then my kill speed would be greatly reduced. This encouraged a very aggressive, though relatively safe form of gameplay, which I think was my favorite part of the build.

I ranged from /players 1 to /players 8 through Hell, but took on Baal and his waves at /players 8 for the sense of achievement.

Bye-Bye, Baal!
Screenshot006.png

Deaths:
None. This is actually a first for me!

Drops:
Lem and NM Hellfore, Pul at Hel. Another Pul dropped somewhere along the way and then an Ohm in the Frozen River. I did farm Shenk and Eldritch a bit to level up and had drops Doombringer, Stormshield, Baranar's Star, Black Hades, Jalal's Mane, and Blackhorn's Face. Nihlathak dropped Griswold's Heart.

In conclusion, I greatly enjoyed this character. It is a fairly conventional build, but I guess that's why the conventional builds attained that status: they are effective and fun.

Now it's off to run some Cows!
 
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Cool write up (and I love those characterscreens in D2R).

I loved playing a zon so much. Even though I still need some more end game equipment like Infinity and Titans and I won’t be able to use the new head runeword on that build. I think I am going to parc here until I get that Infinity
 
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Nice Mat (y) And it seems like a great use of the new 'Wisdom' runeword to me.

This reminds me I should re-visit my 'zon eventually. She completed the game as a hybrid Lightning Fury / Freezing Arrow build, but I have two re-specs left so I could go all-in on Lightning Fury + synergies and forgo the bow on switch. I can't make 'Infinity' yet but it would still be pretty strong anyhow.

Did you upgrade your Titan's Revenge?
 
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Thanks for the kind words!
Great write up!! Fun and powerful character for sure, and the Infinity just makes it that much better!
I always enjoyed enchantresses, but found it sad that they didn't have an AoE spell that synergized directly with Enchant. This is kind of like that, which is why I find it so fun--you have the Charged Strike melee attack and then the Lightning Fury ranged attack and they are both very powerful and keep you moving around.
Cool write up (and I love those characterscreens in D2R).

I loved playing a zon so much. Even though I still need some more end game equipment like Infinity and Titans and I won’t be able to use the new head runeword on that build. I think I am going to parc here until I get that Infinity
I've been making my RWs in a bit of a backward order (I get the feeling people usually prioritize Enigma), but I wanted to do some stuff I hadn't done back in the day. NM Mephisto seems to drop a lot of Titan's... I think he's dropped me 3 so far. Still looking for that Ethereal one!

Did you upgrade your Titan's Revenge?
I was originally planning to upgrade but never got around to it, as I was unsure I wanted to spend the points to meet the 151 Dex requirement. The extra leech would be nice, but I found with the helm, Silkweave, and Manald Heal, I didn't really have mana problems. If I find an ethereal one I think I will certainly upgrade it and perhaps switch to a Might merc.
 
For me the usual way to do runewords doesn’t work. I’m more of a practical man and make the ones I need, like Grief when my pally didn’t get through act V Hell. Or Fortitude and CoH when I thought I needed them for other builds.

Enigma will maybe be next… but maybe I will try phoenix or dream first (not sure if that last one is D2R. That really is kinda a thingie with all the new builds and words and all)
 
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