Matriarch Venus - Archmage
Hi all! This is the first time I've beaten Hell Difficulty and it feels great! Thanks to everyone that helped me by donating items in giveaways/trading and to those that gave me advice and info on D2 LOD. You know who you are! :thumbsup: I've had fun playing and developing this character and plan to level her up until about 93.
Below is some of her character info:
Venus lvl 88
Base Stats:
Strength 156
Dexterity 196 (max block)
Vitality 78/ Life 1039 (with items)
Energy 100/ Mana 614 (with items)
Resists: 75% All
Equipment:
Tal's Set
- PTopaz in Tal's Mask
- Tal Rune in Armor
Gloves: Magefist/ 40% Chance Guards
Shields: Stormshield (Eld)/ Grim Shield Rhyme
Boots: Waterwalk/ 40% War Traveler
Rings: Raven Frost/ Nagelring
Dwarf Star/ Fortuitous Ring of Fortune
Now for her skills/points and damage output. I followed the skill placement suggested by Melianor in an Archmage thread. Keep in mind that Tal's set gives negative 15% enemy resistances to fire and lightning as well as add 15% to cold damage. The set adds +6 to all skills and the Lidless Eye that my character has adds +2 to masteries. Magefist adds +1 to fire skills.
Skills
Fire Tree
Fireball lvl 6 = 1016.30 – 1193.40
Meteor lvl 20 = 4131.80 – 4339.50
Fire Mastery lvl 1
Lightning Tree
Charged Bolt lvl 20 = 3105.30 – 3394.20 (129.38 – 141.42 per bolt of 24)
Lightning lvl 13 = 8.7 – 2215.20
Lightning Mastery lvl 5
Cold Tree
Frozen Orb lvl 18 = 374.10 - 393.50
Cold Mastery lvl 1
Merc Equipment - lvl 88 Fazel (Holy Freeze)
Gladiator's Bane/ Skullder's Ire
Reaper's Toll/ Tomb Reaver
Guillaume's Face/ Harlequin Crest
Well, developing an archmage is an overall challenge since her skills are split between all 3 trees. This generally makes her weaker so it's important to equip items that give + to all skills which also includes skillers. I found that at level 86, she could handle most challenges. Hell Ancients gave me a problem at first. I decided to level her up to 88 after a few tries before finally beating them. I just double teamed each Ancient until I won. Hey, they used that strategy on me so... Anyway, my merc actually survived all three Ancients on my last try. Hell Baal was a surprise because of the mana burn from him and his increased hitpoints but he eventually went down.
As I mentioned before, I'm going to go up to level 93. This will add a few more points to her skills. I'll be running NM Andy for SOJs and will cube Grand Charms for Skillers.
Well, that's it. Hope this read wasn't boring.
-ES
Edit: I've been playing this character since the end of February for about an hour or two each night. RL really takes me away from the game but I kept at it until I beat it.
Hi all! This is the first time I've beaten Hell Difficulty and it feels great! Thanks to everyone that helped me by donating items in giveaways/trading and to those that gave me advice and info on D2 LOD. You know who you are! :thumbsup: I've had fun playing and developing this character and plan to level her up until about 93.
Below is some of her character info:
Venus lvl 88
Base Stats:
Strength 156
Dexterity 196 (max block)
Vitality 78/ Life 1039 (with items)
Energy 100/ Mana 614 (with items)
Resists: 75% All
Equipment:
Tal's Set
- PTopaz in Tal's Mask
- Tal Rune in Armor
Gloves: Magefist/ 40% Chance Guards
Shields: Stormshield (Eld)/ Grim Shield Rhyme
Boots: Waterwalk/ 40% War Traveler
Rings: Raven Frost/ Nagelring
Dwarf Star/ Fortuitous Ring of Fortune
Now for her skills/points and damage output. I followed the skill placement suggested by Melianor in an Archmage thread. Keep in mind that Tal's set gives negative 15% enemy resistances to fire and lightning as well as add 15% to cold damage. The set adds +6 to all skills and the Lidless Eye that my character has adds +2 to masteries. Magefist adds +1 to fire skills.
Skills
Fire Tree
Fireball lvl 6 = 1016.30 – 1193.40
Meteor lvl 20 = 4131.80 – 4339.50
Fire Mastery lvl 1
Lightning Tree
Charged Bolt lvl 20 = 3105.30 – 3394.20 (129.38 – 141.42 per bolt of 24)
Lightning lvl 13 = 8.7 – 2215.20
Lightning Mastery lvl 5
Cold Tree
Frozen Orb lvl 18 = 374.10 - 393.50
Cold Mastery lvl 1
Merc Equipment - lvl 88 Fazel (Holy Freeze)
Gladiator's Bane/ Skullder's Ire
Reaper's Toll/ Tomb Reaver
Guillaume's Face/ Harlequin Crest
Well, developing an archmage is an overall challenge since her skills are split between all 3 trees. This generally makes her weaker so it's important to equip items that give + to all skills which also includes skillers. I found that at level 86, she could handle most challenges. Hell Ancients gave me a problem at first. I decided to level her up to 88 after a few tries before finally beating them. I just double teamed each Ancient until I won. Hey, they used that strategy on me so... Anyway, my merc actually survived all three Ancients on my last try. Hell Baal was a surprise because of the mana burn from him and his increased hitpoints but he eventually went down.
As I mentioned before, I'm going to go up to level 93. This will add a few more points to her skills. I'll be running NM Andy for SOJs and will cube Grand Charms for Skillers.
Well, that's it. Hope this read wasn't boring.
-ESEdit: I've been playing this character since the end of February for about an hour or two each night. RL really takes me away from the game but I kept at it until I beat it.
.
