Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Here's the first double swing barb (Cleaver) I've played doing a Trav Run. I was going to upload two videos, but this one took 20 minutes to upload.

Cleaver running Trav

I twinked him. He ran most of normal with full angellics, Cathan ring + helm, and Death set, Goblin Toes. He enjoyed Cold Steel and Headstriker later on.

Cleaver has been a blast to play and is very safe. A good candidate for a hardcore character build. He is very sturdy with some stacked resists and lightning/fire absorbs. His only damage resistance is on Strings, but he also has battle cry to reduce damage as well as help him hit uniques/bosses. He doesn't "need" a high attack rating because his weapons ignore target defense of normal monsters.

Although Trav can get messy, most runs go pretty smoothly. I've only played him player 1 for trav runs. I played through hell at player 3. His faithful (might) merc sometimes dies when facing a conviction aura but is pretty sturdy.

I leveled Cleaver up to 85 on Baal runs and he has leveled to 86 (soon 87) on trav runs. Best finds so far: GUL, Um, Fire Facet (-3 resists/+5 damage), 40% ED jewel. And a 39% ED jewel while questing.

His equipment is decent, but no high rune words.

-Crescent Moon Phase Blade
-Light Saber (not socketed)
-LOH gloves
-Arreat's Helment (nothing in socket), 6% life leech
-Upgraded Duriel's Shell (can't be frozen) [not socketed yet]
-String of Ears with Damage Reduction 13%, and 6% life leech
-Gore Rider Boots
-2 Dwarf Stars
-Rare +1Barb amulet with some 39 Lightning/ 29 Poison resists

Charms
-various resists small charms, 5 with "of storms" mod.
- 2 Grand resists charms (14 res each), one has "of storms" mod
- 2 mastery GCs, one has 50 poison damage
-4 Warcry GCs, one with 26 life

Character Stats (naked) [basically everything not needed for equipment goes to vitality.]
-STR: 112
-Vit: 262
-Dex: 136
-Energy: base

He hasn't done the normal book quest. Hasn't respeced.

Combat skills:
Bash: Max
Double Swing: 3 (9 after equipment and battle command)
Leap 1
Leap Attack 1

Masteries: Sword Max and 1 in one point wonders.)4)

Battle Cry 4
War Cry 13
BO 20
Find Item 6 (51% chance after skills, BO sticks, and battle command.)
One point wonders+prereqs 4

I probably went a little too heavy on warcry (5 second duration.) Battle Cry could have used some of those points for a bit more damage reduction. Cleaver is very safe from elemental attacks but getting attacked with amped can hurt!

I may ditch some of those skill charms for more lightning damage charms.

I found Gore Riders is the best for the build by far. Goblin Toes was decent, but the increase in damage over Gores/Travs is very noticable.

Now I have to decide what to socket his helm/armor/light saber with. I could used those ED jewels to increase damage and maybe do runs on player 3 or I could socket the helm/armor with Sols for some damage reduction. What do you think?

I tried Crescent Moon + Passion Phase Blade but Light Saber words better with Crescent Moon.

Edit: I mean I tried CM and Kingslayer together.

Edit2: Oh, I'm forgetful as well as grumpy it seems.

Cleaver's merc wears unupgraded eth Duriel's Shell and Kiara's. He wields an eth bonehew socketed with Amn and Shael.

 

[Stryfe]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Congrats on the Patriarch.

You should probably switch the bonehew for a reapers toll if you have one. Decrep is awsome for a melee character, both for the added damage and that it slows the mobs down which gives less damage to you.

 

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Reaper's is great but it has cold damage so may shatter a monster. Shattered monster means no hork.

 

[AJK]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Cool, another frenzy horker. I've built several myself and I still use one to hork the Council.

It's true that Reaper's shatters a monster from time to time. But think of it this way:

No reaper's = 10/10 horks.
Reaper's = 9/10 horks + stuff dies (at least) 50% faster.

Conclusion: with Reaper's your runs are still 35% more efficient.

Note: if you learn to always target the monster your merc is fighting, you may be able to land the killing blow instead of your merc, preventing shatters. I hate to see unhorkeable ice cubelets, but Reaper's is simply too good to pass up. If you take into account that every Council member has 50% base physical resist, you will double melee damage when they're decrepified.

 

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

I'll do some runs with Reapers and see how it goes then.

Cleaver doesn't have frenzy though, just a synergized double swing.

 

[AJK]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Cleaver doesn't have frenzy though, just a synergized double swing.

Whoops, I guess my brain took the shortcut from barb and two weapons to frenzy. It's even in the thread title.

Reading hard. :crazyeyes: Smashing good.

 

[VoX Dei]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Nice to see a refreshing build. Congratulations on the Pat :thumbsup:

 

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Thanks. Well, he found Cham, Ohm, Vex, Gul, and Um runes on his first day of Trav running, along with useful charms, jewels, and uniques. My best "magic find" day in all my years of playing. Looks like the barb is indeed the king of rune find in 1.13. Of course I'm sure lightning won't strike so often in days to come.

The reaper looks like a keeper. My merc is not shattering corpses much at all. I wound up putting a Pul in the Light Saber and a 29ED/1-89 lightning damage jewel in Duriel's. Another rare ED jewel with fire resists in Arreat's.

I'm trying some runs at player 3 and they are doable but I think its more effective to run at player 1.

 

[stephan]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Nice.

Not having to deal with mana always seemed appealing to me and it's good to see it actually works reasonably well even with this kind of easy to get gear.

 

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Yeah, it is neat not being really dependent on mana. Although he does use warcries a lot. Taunt and Warcry allowed him to run CS and clear WSK throneromm with few problems. Doing Council runs he mostly just needs Warcry.

This is my first time to post a Pat. I posted it mainly to show that you don't have to have the high rune words to be effective in running the council. And that non-cookie cutter builds are not necessarily ineffective.

Well, I'm continuing my second marathon day. Cleaver found a Highlord's which upped his his Player1 Council killing speed to "spankage" so he has now stated running on player 3. He is level 88 now. And has found 3 more high runes. Vex, Ohm, and Sur. His find item percent is now 52. I see lots of builds opening up to me now.

 

[Stryfe]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Oh, so you're the one hogging all the drop-luck. Come on, don't be a grumpy old wizard! Share the luck around!

 

[Grumpy Old Wizard]

Re: Patriarch Cleaver: Double Swing Barbarian (Now Trav Runner)

Lol! I was having NO luck with hours and hours of Ancient Tunnel runs with my Bliz-baller. Looks like the council is hoarding them all!