overpowered early game weapons

[WhiskeyJack]

overpowered early game weapons

I've been playing through with a 2handed zealot (actIV NM currently), and was noticing last night that finally, I have to play with some skill. Currently he's equipped with a Spire of Honor, and well, with maxed sacrifice/zeal/fana +might merc, he's dealing around 2600 average dmg (I think, max is a bit over 4K). Simply put, for early game, this is a killer build (with the right gear). From c-level 31 through the first 2 acts of NM, I was using a Woestave, almost exclusively.

Legion's Woestave
Halberd
Two-Hand Damage: 14 to 54
Polearm Class - Fast Attack Speed
Item Version: 1.10 Expansion
Item Level: 49
Fingerprint: 0xf310343b
+21% Enhanced Damage
-3 to Light Radius
15% Increased Attack Speed
Hit Blinds Target +3
Prevent Monster Heal
-50 to Monster Defense Per Hit
Freezes Target +1
50% Chance of Open Wounds
Slows Target by 50%
Socketed (1: 1 used) (15%IAS jewel)

The damage isn't high at all, but with the mods it has (imagine if it had CB!), basically I could be surrounded by anything, and not be hurt (and yes, I realize equipment helped there as well- surprisingly, tancreds set, minus the weapon, is pretty good, looks stylish too), and packs (skellies, flayers, whatever) were almost a joke- the front line got frozen, and then whatever was in reach on the next zeal did too. Little things that ran (imps, flayers with blowguns) I charged, and killed as they stood there. I started throwing juvs away because I didn't need them and there were too many. I'm sure there are other, possibly better early game weapons, but so far, this is the most overpowered I've had on a zealot (a bonesnap, with it's high damage and 40%CB would be a killer too).

As this is obviously going to be dependant on class- what are some of the SPF's favorite supremely overpowered weapons in Norm (and even into NM)? What was the char type, and what was the weapon?

 

[vajurewi]

For normal and NM difficulty, one unique item that comes to mind - since I use it regularly for "baby" characters:

Goblin Toe
Light Plated Boots
Defense: 33
Durability: 10 of 18
Kick Damage: 8 to 16
Required Strength: 50
Required Level: 22
Unidentified
Item Version: 1.10 Expansion
Item Level: 87
Fingerprint: 0x7869a9a1
+53% Enhanced Defense
+15 Defense
Damage Reduced by 1
Magic Damage Reduced by 1
-1 to Light Radius
25% Chance of Crushing Blow

not a weapon but man that 25% CB just pwns the lower difficulties.

 

[farting bob]

The completed khalims flail is a good choice for beginnign chars, as it has no lvl reqs and does very good dmg (50 lightning dmg with other useful mods = pwnage) although you need to collect all the peices but then have someone else enter the durance in a MP game so you get the quest reward and get to keep the flail. then just mule off for future use.

 

[Summoned]

There are a ton of these, those that come to mind:

Ribcracker, Steeldriver (upgraded only takes its requirement up 5 levels), Civerb's Cudgel, Hone Sundan, Suicide Branch, White (runeword), Honor (runeword), Steel (yep, runeword), Black (yet again), Kuko Shakaku, N00b Cannon, The Oculus, Coldsteel Eye (50% deadly strike, slow, blind, and blindingly fast), Lycander's Aim, Titan's Revenge, etc. etc. etc.

Edit: By the way, I tend to hit nightmare at around level 42-43, that might change some people's choices.

 

[kabojjin]

Personally I sort of like Crushflange on low level characters. Decent damage with 33% crushing blow makes it pretty good for a while. Knockback is annoying though.

 

[Wyrmy]

Horadric Staff is great for lvl 1-15

 

[JicamaEater]

I don't twink but something I've found recently that can drag character's arses through much of Act I Normal (usually long enough for you to find *some* way of killing stuff, even if it's just unleashing a Town Guard on them) are...
Javelins.
With no requirements, range, and fairly good damage I really like them. Combined with a Rogue with a 3-chipped emerald bow you can easily complete almost all of Act I.

 

[jiansonz]

I don't twink but something I've found recently that can drag character's arses through much of Act I Normal (usually long enough for you to find *some* way of killing stuff, even if it's just unleashing a Town Guard on them) are...
Javelins.
With no requirements, range, and fairly good damage I really like them. Combined with a Rogue with a 3-chipped emerald bow you can easily complete almost all of Act I.

Absolutely! Even my sorcs love them. Sometimes I gamble for a decent rare Javelin. You know, 1-8 lightning damage, +2 max damage, that kind of useful crap. Helps quite a bit. However, Crude ones will also get the job done...

Fact of the day: it takes about 42 regular Javelins for a non-mastery, no-dex Barbarian to kill /p8 Coldcrow with Throwing.


Then you have the War Javelin that can be found from Normal Duarance and onwards. They also have very low requirements.

 

[NSXdreamer]

Overpowered early game weapon? Time to wipe out my cheese maul again:

Gemmed Great Maul
'HelHelHelHel'
Two-Hand Damage: 38 to 58
Durability: 60 of 60
Required Strength: 20
Mace Class - Slow Attack Speed
Item Version: 1.10 Expansion
Item Level: 85
Fingerprint: 0xa4432db2
4% Life stolen per hit
2% Mana stolen per hit
Requirements -80%
150% Damage to Undead
Socketed (6: 6 used)

Usable at level 1 for any character (except sorc at level 2). Combined with death's glove and sash, you got a pretty damn high damage weapon with decent attack speed, with leech too.

RTB got an even better one, with various jewels of ease.

 

[Milamber]

The completed khalims flail is a good choice for beginnign chars, as it has no lvl reqs and does very good dmg (50 lightning dmg with other useful mods = pwnage) although you need to collect all the peices but then have someone else enter the durance in a MP game so you get the quest reward and get to keep the flail. then just mule off for future use.

Actually, if you're partied up, doesn't everyone lose the flail? IIRC you have to mule off before shattering the Compelling Orb.

 

[corax1]

rixots keen/ pelta lunata combo. pwns j00 at lvl 2

 

[Summoned]

I had a 6-socketed 15%ed superior great maul in one of my giveaways, no one took it, though.

I always broke out those Jewels of Envy with starting characters. Mask - 60 poison over 2 seconds, breast plate: 60 poison over 2 seconds, crystal sword: 120 poison over 2 seconds. Large Shield: 60 poison over 2 seconds. :teeth:

 

[NSXdreamer]

Actually, if you're partied up, doesn't everyone lose the flail? IIRC you have to mule off before shattering the Compelling Orb.

I've heard that if you are in a different act, you don't loss yours, same for horodric staff.

 

[Milamber]

I've heard that if you are in a different act, you don't loss yours, same for horodric staff.

Cool, didn't know that. When I MP again, I'll have to see about this.

 

[bradley_turner]

i like doing what summoned said, but i never find jewels of envy for some reason im also a big fan of rixots keen, on all of my hc untwinked non tourny chars i seem to find that thing, and its 1337!

 

[kabojjin]

I had a 6-socketed 15%ed superior great maul in one of my giveaways, no one took it, though.

I always broke out those Jewels of Envy with starting characters. Mask - 60 poison over 2 seconds, breast plate: 60 poison over 2 seconds, crystal sword: 120 poison over 2 seconds. Large Shield: 60 poison over 2 seconds. :teeth:

Yeah Jewels of Envy are freaking amazing on starting chars.

 

[Tarr]

Well when I played HC on battlenet (wolf druid) my first order of business was trading chippies for a Bonesnap. Mmmmmmmm...bonesnap.

 

[Thrugg]

For those averse to the idea of as much cheese as twinking back quest items (yes they will evaporate if you complete the quest while using them, but you'd expect to have moved onto better weapons by then - the only real cost is having to take a char to the Viper Temple/Orb and then leave him there forever)...

You can fairly cheaply make a weapon that will be far better than the quest items anyway, if you don't insist on it being usable at the very start. Really, a naked sorc can punch her way to clvl 3 without any real danger, so you can probably put the twinking off for just a few seconds to get something really worthwhile.

You can get +4 min on a jewel (of Joyfulness) usable at clvl 3. You can put 6 of those in a Crystal Sword, War Axe, or Military Pick. A War Axe is marginally higher damage but heavier. If you are going to twink on +str gear also this is not a big deal, but if not, maybe go for the CS.

The point of using +min is that if the min damage of the weapon is ever above the max damage, the game raises the max damage to be min+1. So the 5-15 Crystal Sword becomes 29-30 with 6 +4 min jewels in it. The 10-18 War Axe will become 34-35. Compare those to Rixot's Keen (10-15), Khalim's Will (1-15, +1-40 lightning - but only physical damage is scaled up by stats, auras and skills), or NSX's Great Maul (38-58, but slow and 2-handed) and it is fairly competitive.

You can take it further - getting Joyfulness on rare jewels that are still usable at clvl 3.
I spent most of my 1.09 skulls on creating this:

Thrugg's Gemmed War Axe
One-Hand Damage: 34 to 35
Durability: 26 of 26
Required Strength: 37
Required Level: 3
Axe Class - Normal Attack Speed
Item Version: Expansion
Item Level: 61
Fingerprint: 0x1913db8b
+19 to Life
+26 to Attack Rating
+24 to Minimum Damage
+8 to Maximum Damage
+7 Defense
Fire Resist +12%
Lightning Resist +25%
Poison Resist +18%
31% Extra Gold from Monsters
Requirements -45%
Socketed (6: 6 used)

Not bad at level 3. That normally takes me through Act 1, by which time I am around level 18 and can swap for another 6-socket weapon with 6 jewels of Carnage in it. My current one (don't have a readout here) is a War Axe with +95 max damage, for a total of 10-113, with a few other second mods too. Low min damage is a bit of a nuisance but by level 18 you usually have other stuff going on too.

The other good alternative to that is Bloodrise at clvl 15. It just has a great combination of melee weapon mods.

At level 27, not much can beat an Honor weapon, till you get up into the "real" weapons in the exceptionals.

 

[inviso]

You can get +4 min on a jewel (of Joyfulness) usable at clvl 3. You can put 6 of those in a Crystal Sword, War Axe, or Military Pick. A War Axe is marginally higher damage but heavier. If you are going to twink on +str gear also this is not a big deal, but if not, maybe go for the CS.

Yep, those rock along with Jewels of Envy mentioned earlier. I've got some 4 socket leather armor and 3 socketed low level helms waiting for a few more

Not impossible to be looking at 17 sockets of very evil damage wearable at level 3 or maybe level 6. I'm pretty sure a set of gear like that would get you through act 3 pretty easy, maybe further ;o)

 

[sunbearie]

I always seem to find jewels of envy and thats what goes onto a 3-socket bow for my rogue merc. Myself, twinked, I always though an honor warfork was fast and good for zons/barbs. Otherwise its civerbs set for melee chars!