Originally posted by AJK on Sep 3, 2007:
Pat. Avenger. Lots of hurt.
Warnink! Tl;dr ahead!
Patriarch Augshyanyeeld*, lvl 88 Fanavenger.
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The char
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Not too long ago, a thread about min. damage avengers caught my eye. While I already have 2.5 avengers in my stable of toons, one post in particular still possessed the power to make my twink nerve go *twitch*. Eric Xanthu posted the unholy idea of coupling an avenger with a 'Faith' merc to boost damage and more importantly, freeing up jewel slots occupied by IAS.
Now I'm a couple of roonsies short of 'Faith' myself, but I do have a 'Beast' axe. Not that I actually found a Ber for it; I mooched one off colony when he left. It was more of a joke on my part, but he actually gave one to me. I was going to make a lord-of-the-dorks commandomancer with it, but as stated in the previous paragraph, I got distracted by the possibility of one sick sick sick avenger. To the spreadsheetmobile, batman!
A few evenings later, I started to realize that this one was going to be, er, 'rather powerful'. Calculations revealed that no piece of Gris' equipment had a place in my setup. The spread between the weapon's min and max damage also ruled out a min. damage setup, so to the black market I went to score a few +max damage jewels. Best runes I ever spent.
As I got more and more +maxers, a red mist of excitement and anticipation rose before my eyes when I realized with a shock that 9k average was going to be attainable without resorting to 1.07 hax (apart form the eth bugged beast zerker, that is). It meant that I had to cram every nook and cranny of my inventory full of max. damage charms. I even traded for three PCombat skillers with added max. damage on them.
The result: an avenger with the following
stats.
For the click-o-phobes:
Vengeance damage (LCS) : 3230 - 15k
Vengeance damage (own calcs): 3232 - 14940 --> 9080 average, 8 FPA attack.
Also:
Life: Not enough, 1.1k. Thank Zod for 75% block.
Mana: not really relevant. Would have liked a bit more though, for long charges across empty parts of the map.
AR: Severe overkill, 6.2K. With enemy defenses lowered to 8%, you can probably guess that I'm ~3K over the mark there. But the AR came free with the damage charms, so I'm not complaining.
Resists: 85/81/90/72
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Gear
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Rich (BB code):
Headpiece:
Crown of Ages
Corona
Defense: 374
Required Strength: 174
Required Level: 82
Indestructible
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 88
Fingerprint: 0x70e7a108
+50% Enhanced Defense
+50 to Maximum Damage
+125 Defense
Damage Reduced by 10%
All Resistances +27
30% Faster Hit Recovery
+1 to All Skill Levels
Indestructible
Socketed (2: 2 used)
Neckpiece:
Chaos Clasp
Amulet
Required Level: 67
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 91
Fingerprint: 0xa4f2c0eb
+15 to Dexterity
Fire Resist +18%
Lightning Resist +58%
Cold Resist +18%
Poison Resist +18%
+2 to Paladin Skill Levels
Poison Length Reduced by 25%
Slaypiece:
Beast
Berserker Axe
'BerTirUmMalLum'
One-Hand Damage: 122 to 414
Required Dexterity: 49
Required Strength: 128
Required Level: 64
Axe Class - Very Fast Attack Speed
Indestructible
Item Version: Expansion
Item Level: 87
Fingerprint: 0xa9a34d0
+30 to Strength
+10 to Energy
+241% Enhanced Damage
40% Increased Attack Speed
+3 to Lycanthropy
+3 to Werebear
Prevent Monster Heal
25% Chance of Open Wounds
20% Chance of Crushing Blow
+2 to Mana After Each Kill
Level 9 Fanaticism Aura When Equipped
Level 13 Summon Grizzly (2/5 Charges)
Ethereal (Cannot be Repaired), Socketed (5: 5 used)
Chestpiece:
Fortitude
Archon Plate
'ElSolDolLo'
Defense: 1587
Durability: 57 of 60
Required Strength: 103
Required Level: 63
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 88
Fingerprint: 0xd20d109d
+200% Enhanced Defense
+300% Enhanced Damage
+15 Defense
Damage Reduced by 7
Fire Resist +26%
Lightning Resist +26%
+5% to Maximum Lightning Resist
Cold Resist +26%
Poison Resist +26%
Replenish Life +7
+1 to Light Radius
25% Faster Cast Rate
12% Damage Taken Goes to Mana
20% Chance to cast Level 15 Chilling Armor when struck
+88 to Life (Based on Character Level)
Socketed (4: 4 used)
Blockpiece:
Gemmed Sacred Targe
Defense: 128
Chance to Block: 60%
Smite Damage: 22 to 70
Durability: 45 of 45
(Paladin Only)
Required Strength: 86
Required Level: 50
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 79
Fingerprint: 0x36a5af19
+103 to Maximum Damage
All Resistances +45
Socketed (4: 4 used)
Handpiece:
Fiend Finger
Light Gauntlets
Defense: 9
Durability: 17 of 18
Required Strength: 45
Required Level: 35
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 91
Fingerprint: 0x6e1aa878
Fire Resist +29%
Cold Resist +29%
Poison Resist +15%
3% Life stolen per hit
20% Increased Attack Speed
12% Chance to cast Level 4 Nova when struck
Ringpiece:
Bone Circle
Ring
Required Level: 74
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 87
Fingerprint: 0x9a80f8e9
+60 to Attack Rating
+5 to Minimum Damage
Fire Resist +11%
Lightning Resist +31%
Cold Resist +11%
Poison Resist +11%
3% Life stolen per hit
6% Mana stolen per hit
Another ringpiece:
Wraith Grip
Ring
Required Level: 66
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 97
Fingerprint: 0xa2000a63
+16 to Strength
+15 to Mana
+79 to Attack Rating
+5 to Minimum Damage
8% Life stolen per hit
6% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Pantsdrop-preventerpiece:
Trang-Oul's Girth
Troll Belt
Defense: 163
Durability: 17 of 18
Required Strength: 91
Required Level: 62
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 99
Fingerprint: 0xd8795352
+66 to Life
+30 to Mana
+30 to Maximum Stamina
+99 Defense
Replenish Life +5
Requirements -40%
Cannot Be Frozen
***Partial Set Item Bonuses***
Cold Resist +40%
***Partial Set Item Bonuses***
Runpiece:
War Traveler
Battle Boots
Defense: 132
Durability: 47 of 48
Required Strength: 95
Required Level: 42
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 75
Fingerprint: 0xba2becf
GUID: 0xc2c25e43 0xfc6c6393 0x0
+10 to Strength
+10 to Vitality
+175% Enhanced Defense
+15 to Minimum Damage
+25 to Maximum Damage
+30 Maximum Durability
Attacker Takes Damage of 9
50% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
25% Faster Run/Walk
40% Slower Stamina Drain
Switchpieces:
Astral War Scepter
One-Hand Damage: 10 to 17
Durability: 70 of 70
Required Strength: 55
Required Level: 30
Mace Class - Fast Attack Speed
Item Version: Expansion
Item Level: 71
Fingerprint: 0x63596cb3
+3 to Holy Shield (Paladin Only)
+1 to Redemption (Paladin Only)
+1 to Charge (Paladin Only)
149% Damage to Demons
150% Damage to Undead
+176 to Attack Rating against Demons
Herald of Zakarum
Gilded Shield
Defense: 454
Chance to Block: 82%
Smite Damage: 20 to 28
Durability: 50 of 50
(Paladin Only)
Required Strength: 89
Required Level: 42
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 87
Fingerprint: 0x3b5bc9a1
+20 to Strength
+20 to Vitality
+169% Enhanced Defense
+30% Increased Chance of Blocking
All Resistances +69
+2 to Paladin Skill Levels
30% Faster Block Rate
20% Bonus to Attack Rating
+2 to Combat Skills (Paladin Only)
Socketed (1: 1 used)
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Moron's corner
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Delirium
Tiara
'LemIstIo'
Defense: 309
Durability: 15 of 25
Required Level: 52
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 79
Fingerprint: 0xd07bca21
+10 to Vitality
+261 Defense
50% Extra Gold from Monsters
25% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
+2 to All Skill Levels
11% Chance to cast Level 18 Confuse on striking
6% Chance to cast Level 14 Mind Blast when struck
14% Chance to cast Level 13 Terror when struck
1% Chance to cast Level 50 Magic Shrine when struck
Level 17 Attract (60/60 Charges)
Socketed (3: 3 used)
Treachery
Archon Plate
'ShaelThulLem'
Defense: 514
Durability: 48 of 60
Required Strength: 103
Required Level: 63
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 85
Fingerprint: 0x67bb7c39
Cold Resist +30%
50% Extra Gold from Monsters
+2 to Assassin Skill Levels
45% Increased Attack Speed
20% Faster Hit Recovery
25% Chance to cast Level 15 Venom on striking
5% Chance to cast Level 15 Fade when struck
Socketed (3: 3 used)
The Reaper's Toll
Thresher
Two-Hand Damage: 59 to 700
Durability: 33 of 33
Required Dexterity: 79
Required Strength: 104
Required Level: 75
Polearm Class - Very Fast Attack Speed
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 87
Fingerprint: 0x25f49672
+232% Enhanced Damage
Fire Resist +21%
Adds 4-44 cold damage over 2 seconds
11% Life stolen per hit
Requirements -25%
15% Increased Attack Speed
Ignore Target Defense
33% Deadly Strike
33% Chance to cast Level 1 Decrepify on striking
Ethereal (Cannot be Repaired), Socketed (1: 1 used)
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Some remarks about the gear
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I can hear some discomforted mumblings in the back. "But 'Beast' doesn't have the indestructable mod.?!"*postreported!*
Enter 1.07 ethereal weapons. Blizzard, in their infinite wisdom apparently saw fit to release a beta upon us in the form of the 1.07 expansion CD. Too bad they didn't quite figure out what to do with ethereal. This means that eth weapons from 1.07 get a slight additional bonus to max. damage, and *drumroll* they retain the 'indestructable' mod when you unsocket a zod or other runeword granting indestructability from it. Bummer about the bear charges though.
For the armor, I wondered if a four-socket max damage jacket would outperform 'Fortitude'. Short answer: nowai! Longer answer: the 300% ED boost to all charms and off-weapon socketed damage jewels is so large that even a perfect +120 suit won't outperform it damage-wise. The resists, life, and chilling armor also pushed my forti plate rather firmly onto the char.
For the hat and shield I needed sockets and skills. It didn't take long to figure out that +skills << +damage, so I focused on +resists and sockets instead. Six sockets and +72 res. all made my avenger a happy camper.
The rings and amulet provided more needed leech and resists. Originally I thought I'd need more mana leech, but a quick tour of the Hell Blood Moor made me ditch the plain +2/7% ML amulet in favor of a more suitable one I had lying around in a random stash somewhere. The total leech (14% life / 6% mana) turned out to be just right and comfortable. Only against bosses I would have liked a bit more leech, but that was nothing a few quick zeal cycles or a few drinks couldn't fix for me.
The belt has CBF, I wouldn't have cared if it had only that and 16 packets. It's a damn shame that I can't upgrade death's belt, because I would have.
The gloves are my prrecious. They have everything a melee build wants: the 20% IAS I needed to hit the 8 frame breakpoint, good resists, and 3% leech.
Charms: +88 to max total. Free AR included. Also has +3 to PCombat skills hidden in there to buff holy shield. Combined with rings and hat/shield/boots my equipment adds 25-266 damage.
Switch: I needed every skill point I could get to synergize vengeance, so I ran for a +3 to holy shield scepter at Akara's in 1.07. I wanted it to have at least +3 HS and +1 redemption, but the one I ended up with turned out even greater: with +1 to charge. Thanks to charge I could run through open areas like the wind, even desynching myself in the process. It has also been used a lot in late act V, Hell, where evil sometimes turned out too hot to handle. HoZ for added prebuff, of course.
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Thoughts
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The positives:
* /P8 all the way, and feeling the need to check regularly.
* 9k average damage. Without -res from conviction factored in.
* 95% chance to hit on all that moves except bosses** and the bunnies.
* Thanks to the fanaticism AJK can go AFK and let the merc kill stuff. Effectively, even.
* Delirium is awesome. Confusion has defused more dangerous situations than I can count on the fingers on the hands of a flock of pianists.
The negatives:
* Stuff that charges at me, it kills. I can handle taurs, witches, arches and other nasty stuff, but a Pindle runner he ain't.
* I expected him to do better against gloams. Not that I can't kill them, they go down in a few hits, but their lightning still hurts, even at 90 res. all. Maybe the infamous Anya bug has something to do with it.
* 1.1k life does not a safe avenger create. Strong the force within him is, but easily death surprise him does.
* Even if it's swung at 8 frames, vengeance it's still a
single-target left-click attack. I don't think he'll ever get to 5 minute Baal runs because of that. Especially the decrep wreaks havoc on his kill speed.
* Mana burn unleechables. Manageable with the redemption on switch, but still a pain in the a[connection interrupted].
Random ramblings:
* Needlessest death: The palace cellar, surrounded by archers, as in not going *run, AJK, run!* when the merc poofed instantaneously.
* Stubbornest deaths: Chaos Sanctuary. Guess why. 4k average physical damage may have something to do with it. Oblivion Knights also.
* Weirdest death: getting surrounded by beetles in act II with chilling armor active. The charged bolts triggered ice bolts triggered charged bolts triggered... the game nearly froze and even though I had 90% light res. my health bulb went *gurgle gurgle drain* in less than a second. A while later in the canyon it happened again, only this time the chain reaction didn't kill me but killed the game. I had to re-terminate the summoner.
* Annoyingest death: Going into the Icy Cellar for some XP and getting reamed by several boss packs vipers, gloams, and witches. And discovering that I didn't pop the Ancient's Waypoint yet. [expletive!] Charging back at /p1 was fun though. One-hit vengeance instakills.
* Brutalest death: my first encounter with the ancients. Instagibbed. The second fight too was over before I could hit the TP panic button.
*
The third fight with the ancients brought victory. Amazing what the merc (the little white froggy biting Korlic's ankle) can do for you if he doesn't croak during the first two seconds.
* Scarediest moment: entering the Glacial Trail. Two boss packs, one cursed wraith pack and one extra strong viper pack nuked the merc in an instant. Run time. I managed to separate the nasties and whack them one by one, but still. There aren't many critters this char's afraid of, but charging anythings, especially extra strong ones, are definitely among them.
* Delirium still owns.
Without. With.
* I lub my prebuff scepter. Not having to spend points+prereqs in holy shield *score!*. Charging merrily along cleared parts of the map *score!* while tanking red and blue from the stiffs *score!*.
Retirement plan:
* Runs towards level 96, if Baal and his dorks let me.
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Stuff I found in Hell
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Norm | NM | Hell forge drops: Couldn't be arsed | Um | Pul
Claw viper Temple: 40/-15 Ruby jewel of Freedom. Not really sure what to do with that one.
Random lvl 79 dork: ring, 8% LL/5% ML/10% FCR/+95 AR/8% FR/18% PR. A decent enchantress ring?
Plains of Despair: Chilling GC of Life [14]
River of Flame: 20/20 Iron SC of Vita.
Eldritch runs towards level 87: +3/161%ED Widowmaker
Worldstone Keep II: Cerebus' Bite
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Thanks
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* Major number one props to colony of course, for simply giving his eth bugged 'Beast' zerker to me when he left us. Thanks to my +3 to mooch ring, I guess.
* Big props to Asmodeous and Disco-neck Ted for their avenger threads that inspired me to build several of 'em, with this being my ultimate avenger.
* Thanks to all kind traders at the SPF. This project would not have been as succesful if I had to find all charms/jewels on my own.
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*: Ancient atlantean for "Delights in lighting cow farts at night."
**: Of course excluding the monster's block %, for pretty skewed numbers.