Patriarch Jeremy - Brother #3 - 2H Death Berserker

[jonny5]

Patriach Jeremy – Berserk Barbarian

My eldest son, Jeremy, has a bit of a temper. Especially when he was younger, he had some extreme tantrums where he went berserk and howled like you wouldn’t believe. There, a lame but very straightforward connection to the build I chose to represent him. He is my third family member-themed character following his brothers Milo and Cameron.

Since his end-game weapon was a big two-handed axe, I leveled him through the game with big two-handed axes. Progression, with character level in parentheses, was as follows: Axe of Fechmar (8), Goreshovel (14), The Chieftain (19), ‘Honor’ Bearded Axe (27), The Minotaur (45), and finally Death (55). Level 55 is unfairly low for that weapon. Onto the details!

Stats/Skills

Name: Jeremy
Class: Barbarian
Experience: 1631891002
Level: 90

Naked/Gear

Strength: 110/175
Dexterity: 20/78
Vitality: 405/405
Energy: 10/10
HP: 1813/1857 (3175 w/BO)
Mana: 99/139 (237 w/BO)
Stamina: 561/561
Defense: 1018/4886/0 (base/shout/Berserk )
AR: Concentrate: 7000, Berserk: 12,318
Damage: Concentrate: 4227-7453, Berserk: 7606-14K
MF: 71 (171 hork)
Block: 8
GF: 182
FR/W: 43
FHR: 87 (86% 4 frame breakpoint)
IAS: 85 (78% 12 FPA breakpoint)
FCR: 0

Resistances with Battle Command (+ with Fade)

Fire: 23(75)
Cold: 25(75)
Lightning: 26(75)
Poison: 15(75)

Skills (including Battle Command)

20(27) Berserk
20(23) Axe Mastery
20(23) Howl
20(23) Shout
10(13) Battle Orders
1(4) each Taunt, Battle Cry, Battle Command, Increased Stamina, Iron Skin, Increased Speed, Natural Resistance
1(8) each Leap, Bash, Stun, Concentrate
101 Total (+4(7) Find Potion, Find Item, Grim Ward from Heart Carver on Switch)


Gear

Short version:

Helm: Arreat’s Face w/ Dun Jewel of Fervor (8% Damage Taken Goes to Mana)
Amulet: Amulet of Life Everlasting (24 iPDR)
Weapon: 398% ED Death Ethereal Silver-Edged Axe (383% ED roll in a 15% ED superior base)
Armor: Treachery Light Plate
Gloves: Immortal King’s Forge
Ring: Raven Frost (15/195)
Belt: Immortal King’s Detail
Ring: Gold Ring of Fortune (84 AR/23 MF)
Boots: Immortal King’s Pillar

Switch: Heart Carver / Gull for horking

Long version:

Spoiler

Amulet of Life Everlasting
Amulet
Required Level: 37
Fingerprint: 0x43d2ffcc
Item Level: 60
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Damage Reduced by 24


Jeremy's Death
Superior Silver-edged Axe
HelElVexOrtGul
Two Hand Damage: 463 - 821
Durability: 19 of 19
Required Level: 55
Required Strength: 125
Required Dexterity: 44
Fingerprint: 0xd65635ae
Item Level: 79
Version: Expansion 1.10+
100% Chance to cast level 44 Chain Lightning when you Die
25% Chance to cast level 18 Glacial Spike on attack
Indestructible
398% Enhanced Damage
20% Bonus to Attack Rating
+50 to Attack Rating
Adds 1 - 50 Lightning Damage
7% Mana stolen per hit
50% Chance of Crushing Blow
45% Deadly Strike (Based on Character Level)
+1 to Light Radius
Increase Maximum Durability 10%
Level 22 Blood Golem (15/15 Charges)
Requirements -20%
Ethereal

5 Sockets (5 used)

Socketed: Hel Rune
Socketed: El Rune
Socketed: Vex Rune
Socketed: Ort Rune
Socketed: Gul Rune

Hel Rune
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: Requirements -20%
Armor: Requirements -15%
Shields: Requirements -15%

El Rune
Required Level: 11
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +50 to Attack Rating
+1 to Light Radius
Armor: +15 Defense
+1 to Light Radius
Shields: +15 Defense
+1 to Light Radius

Vex Rune
Required Level: 55
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: 7% Mana stolen per hit
Armor: +5% to Maximum Fire Resist
Shields: +5% to Maximum Fire Resist

Ort Rune
Required Level: 21
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: Adds 1 - 50 Lightning Damage
Armor: Lightning Resist +30%
Shields: Lightning Resist +35%

Gul Rune
Required Level: 53
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: 20% Bonus to Attack Rating
Armor: +5% to Maximum Poison Resist
Shields: +5% to Maximum Poison Resist


Jeremy's Treachery
Light Plate
ShaelThulLem
Defense: 99
Durability: 52 of 60
Required Level: 43
Required Strength: 41
Fingerprint: 0xd111c0b5
Item Level: 57
Version: Expansion 1.10+
5% Chance to cast level 15 Fade when struck
25% Chance to cast level 15 Venom on striking
+2 to Assassin Skill Levels
+45% Increased Attack Speed
+20% Faster Hit Recovery
Cold Resist +30%
50% Extra Gold from Monsters
3 Sockets (3 used)

Socketed: Shael Rune
Socketed: Thul Rune
Socketed: Lem Rune

Shael Rune
Required Level: 29
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +20% Increased Attack Speed
Armor: +20% Faster Hit Recovery
Shields: +20% Faster Block Rate

Thul Rune
Required Level: 23
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: Adds 3 - 14 Cold Damage Over 3 Secs (75 Frames)
Armor: Cold Resist +30%
Shields: Cold Resist +35%

Lem Rune
Required Level: 43
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: 75% Extra Gold from Monsters
Armor: 50% Extra Gold from Monsters
Shields: 50% Extra Gold from Monsters


Raven Frost
Ring
Required Level: 45
Fingerprint: 0xf424b4f6
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+195 to Attack Rating
Adds 15 - 45 Cold Damage Over 4 Secs (100 Frames)
+15 to Dexterity
+40 to Mana
Cold Absorb 20%
Cannot Be Frozen


Gold Ring of Fortune
Ring
Required Level: 31
Fingerprint: 0x5fcdec9f
Item Level: 51
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+84 to Attack Rating
23% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items


Immortal King's Detail
War Belt
Defense: 194
Durability: 22 of 24
Required Level: 29
Required Strength: 110
Fingerprint: 0x500b673a
Item Level: 80
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+36 Defense
+25 to Strength
Lightning Resist +31%
Fire Resist +28%

Set (2 items): +105 Defense
Set (3 items): +25% Faster Hit Recovery
Set (4 items): +100% Enhanced Defense
Set (5 items): Damage Reduced by 20%
Set (6 items): +2 to Masteries Skills (Barbarian Only)


Immortal King's Pillar
War Boots
Defense: 118
Durability: 23 of 24
Required Level: 31
Required Strength: 125
Fingerprint: 0x5911581b
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+40% Faster Run/Walk
+110 to Attack Rating
+75 Defense
+44 to Life
Set (2 items): 25% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Set (3 items): +2 to Combat Skills (Barbarian Only)
Set (4 items): +160 Defense
Set (5 items): Half Freeze Duration


Immortal King's Forge
War Gauntlets
Defense: 228
Durability: 21 of 24
Required Level: 30
Required Strength: 110
Fingerprint: 0x90f0b603
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
12% Chance to cast level 4 Charged Bolt when struck
+65 Defense
+20 to Strength
+20 to Dexterity
Set (2 items): +25% Increased Attack Speed
Set (3 items): +120 Defense
Set (4 items): 10% Life stolen per hit
Set (5 items): 10% Mana stolen per hit
Set (6 items): Freezes target +2

(2 items): +50 to Attack Rating
(3 items): +75 to Attack Rating


Jeremy's Arreat's Face
Slayer Guard
Defense: 360
Durability: 51 of 55
Required Level: 42
Required Strength: 118
Fingerprint: 0x3e16d11e
Item Level: 86
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+2 to Combat Skills (Barbarian Only)
+2 to Barbarian Skill Levels
+15% Increased Attack Speed
+30% Faster Hit Recovery
20% Bonus to Attack Rating
5% Life stolen per hit
+198% Enhanced Defense
+20 to Strength
+20 to Dexterity
All Resistances +30
8% Damage Taken Goes To Mana

1 Sockets (1 used)
Socketed: Dun Jewel of Fervor

Dun Jewel of Fervor
Jewel
Required Level: 31
Fingerprint: 0xf94c45f7
Item Level: 45
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+15% Increased Attack Speed
8% Damage Taken Goes To Mana


Gull
Dagger
One Hand Damage: 2 - 19
Durability: 16 of 16
Required Level: 4
Fingerprint: 0x194decf8
Item Level: 15
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Adds 1 - 15 Damage
-5 to Mana
100% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items


Heart Carver
Rondel
One Hand Damage: 44 - 110
Durability: 20 of 20
Required Level: 36
Required Strength: 25
Required Dexterity: 58
Fingerprint: 0xbae30ea0
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
192% Enhanced Damage
Adds 15 - 35 Damage
Ignore Target's Defense
35% Deadly Strike
+4 to Grim Ward (Barbarian Only)
+4 to Find Item (Barbarian Only)
+4 to Find Potion (Barbarian Only)

Charms:

Short version:

Assortment totaling 538 AR, 13 max damage, 12% FHR, 3 Dex, 20 poison res, 50 poison damage, 3% FRW, 23% MF, 132% GF while leaving room for cube, TP tome, keys, and 2x4 open space

Long Version:

Spoiler

Sharp Grand Charm
Grand Charm
Required Level: 21
Fingerprint: 0x3e3b8859
Item Level: 86
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+8 to Maximum Damage
+72 to Attack Rating

Viridian Small Charm of Inertia
Small Charm
Required Level: 27
Fingerprint: 0x4631b45
Item Level: 49
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+3% Faster Run/Walk
Poison Resist +6%

Viridian Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 10
Fingerprint: 0xdb51f19a
Item Level: 23
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Poison Resist +7%

Viridian Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 10
Fingerprint: 0x77f49d5c
Item Level: 23
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Poison Resist +7%

Steel Small Charm of Anthrax
Small Charm
Required Level: 49
Fingerprint: 0x85de3a27
Item Level: 81
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+32 to Attack Rating
Adds 50 Poison Damage Over 6 Secs (150 Frames)

Fine Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 21
Fingerprint: 0x84cb8bad
Item Level: 82
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+2 to Maximum Damage
+17 to Attack Rating

Steel Large Charm of Dexterity
Large Charm
Required Level: 44
Fingerprint: 0xaf1027ce
Item Level: 84
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+72 to Attack Rating
+3 to Dexterity

Gheed's Fortune
Grand Charm
Required Level: 62
Fingerprint: 0x69cd4401
Item Level: 86
Version: Expansion 1.10+
132% Extra Gold from Monsters
Reduces all Vendor Prices 14%
23% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items

Iron Grand Charm of Maiming
Grand Charm
Required Level: 63
Fingerprint: 0x60f8fd9e
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+3 to Maximum Damage
+82 to Attack Rating

Steel Grand Charm
Grand Charm
Required Level: 29
Fingerprint: 0x5b556f3a
Item Level: 60
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+95 to Attack Rating

Iron Small Charm
Small Charm
Required Level: 31
Fingerprint: 0x7b381ef9
Item Level: 68
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+20 to Attack Rating

Steel Grand Charm of Balance
Grand Charm
Required Level: 29
Fingerprint: 0xef383cdc
Item Level: 77
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+12% Faster Hit Recovery
+90 to Attack Rating

Steel Large Charm
Large Charm
Required Level: 36
Fingerprint: 0x8205915d
Item Level: 51
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+58 to Attack Rating

Mercenary:

Short version:

A2 NM Offensive
Tal’s Mask
Duriel’s Shell
Insight Thresher

Long version:

Spoiler

Mercenary:
Name: Hazade
Race: Desert Mercenary
Type: Off-Nightmare
Experience: 88458924
Level: 90
Dead?: false

Naked/Gear
Strength: 195/215
Dexterity: 157/162
HP: 1967/2117
Defense: 1444/2232
AR: 1970/486590

Fire: 189/149/89
Cold: 219/179/119
Lightning: 189/149/89
Poison: 189/149/89

Duriel's Shell
Cuirass
Defense: 670
Durability: 43 of 150
Required Level: 41
Required Strength: 65
Fingerprint: 0xad1fa3cc
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
+175% Enhanced Defense
+112 Defense (Based on Character Level)
+15 to Strength
+90 to Life (Based on Character Level)
Cold Resist +30%
All Resistances +20
Cannot Be Frozen
+100 Maximum Durability


Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest
Death Mask
Defense: 118
Durability: 19 of 20
Required Level: 66
Required Strength: 55
Fingerprint: 0x13e0fc9d
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion 1.10+
10% Mana stolen per hit
10% Life stolen per hit
+45 Defense
+60 to Life
+30 to Mana
All Resistances +15


Insight
Thresher
RalTirTalSol
Two Hand Damage: 48 - 461
Durability: 32 of 65
Required Level: 53
Required Strength: 152
Required Dexterity: 118
Fingerprint: 0xb7334dae
Item Level: 82
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Level 14 Meditation Aura When Equipped
+35% Faster Cast Rate
227% Enhanced Damage
+9 to Minimum Damage
246% Bonus to Attack Rating
Adds 5 - 30 Fire Damage
Adds 75 Poison Damage Over 5 Secs (125 Frames)
+6 to Critical Strike
All Stats +5
+2 to Mana after each Kill
23% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items

4 Sockets (4 used)

Socketed: Ral Rune
Socketed: Tir Rune
Socketed: Tal Rune
Socketed: Sol Rune

Ral Rune
Required Level: 19
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: Adds 5 - 30 Fire Damage
Armor: Fire Resist +30%
Shields: Fire Resist +35%

Tir Rune
Required Level: 13
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +2 to Mana after each Kill
Armor: +2 to Mana after each Kill
Shields: +2 to Mana after each Kill

Tal Rune
Required Level: 17
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: Adds 75 Poison Damage Over 5 Secs (125 Frames)
Armor: Poison Resist +30%
Shields: Poison Resist +35%

Sol Rune
Required Level: 27
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Weapons: +9 to Minimum Damage
Armor: Damage Reduced by 7
Shields: Damage Reduced by 7

Observations, finds, and random musings (per usual, text wall ahead):

Firstly, I found this character much safer than Cameron or Milo. Despite generally running with zero defense and not using a shield, the high life pool, damage reduction, and amazing crowd control made almost any situation a breeze. As with the previous two boys, I did Normal and Nightmare on /players8, Hell Acts 1-2 on /players7, and acts 3-5 on /players5. The only death while questing occurred when fighting Amp Witches + Frenzytaurs in the Hell Infernal Pit. And even then, I only died because I was also watching TV at the same time. I have seen others describe Howl as a panic button of sorts, and that is an excellent description. Anytime things got too dangerous, one blast of Howl and the situation was instantly 98% safer. When fighting fewer but tougher enemies (including bosses, who can’t be Howled), Battle Cry was great. It cut enemy damage by >25%, and essentially made sure my attacks never missed with >50% reduced enemy defense. Lastly, when there were too many ranged enemies (or they had meatshields of their own), Taunt was great at luring them in close. Taunt is particularly useful against Unravelers, as not only do they have hordes of minions in front of them, but they are frequently magic immune and a semi-synergized 1-point Concentrate only kills so quickly. Still, concentrate even with only 1 point invested, was still a very viable Magic Immune solution (hitting for about ~4-7k damage). Berserk itself is great. HUGE damage and AR bonuses, very useful synergies, and very few immunes (easily dealt with). I encountered one (79) dual immune in the Lost City, and although I could have steadily whittled him down, nobody has time for that! I chose to go for max damage based on skill selection, and balance that with survivability based on items. In the end I think it was a good decision as my life pool was plenty high with only 10 hard points placed in BO. As this character is not a dedicated MFer, it seemed smart to skip Find Potion/Find Item and get FI from Heart Carver on switch. I had 37% hork after + skills, I think. Still not bad!

Some of you will surely question some of my gear choices, although I assure you that every piece of equipment used serves a very specific purpose. Arreat’s Face is all-around goodness with +skills, FHR, %AR, stats, and resists all proving useful to this build – the leech and defense are the only non-useful mods. Plus add an open socket for more IAS and it was a no-brainer. Having the ‘dun’ prefix on the jewel was a nice touch too, as even with Insight mana didn’t go back up instantly after getting mana burned and I could visibly see my mana jump right back up after getting hit by burners on many occasions. A nice little insurance policy. Treachery was massively useful – huge and badly needed IAS, a massive resist boost (very appreciated when running shieldless), and some %DR never hurts when getting constantly hit (even if applied after iPDR). Given Fade is based on a 5% CTC when struck mod, it seemed almost tailor-made for a zero-defense character. It triggered rapidly and almost never wore off while questing. Even when doing Eldritch/Thresh runs at the end to level a little more, I was faded about 3/4 of the time after finishing with Eldritch and on my way to Thresh. The IK 3-piece was a surprisingly good fit for this build, as it rounded out my IAS needs, gave a nice bump to FHR (hitting a high breakpoint here seemed important with zero defense…), topped off my fire and light res, has huge stat bonuses (thus allowing more points in vita and a 3.2k life pool with only 10 hard points in BO, again important without any defense!), a nice little bit of MF (something I always like in my builds), good boosts to AR and life, and the +2 combat skills is actually pretty useful for this build due to the big, linear damage boosts afforded by each level of Berserk combined with the huge base damage of the weapon. Ravenfrost was for AR and CBF, per usual, but what about those other two pieces of lol-worthy jewely? Well, in short this reduces incoming physical damage of normal monsters by ~25-30% in most cases. Of course, +2 barb skills on top of the iPDR would’ve been fantastic, but this was still a useful item. Regarding the ring, I valued AR very highly as Berserk is a slow(ish) single-target attack, and I didn’t want to miss! Tack on some MF and that ring seemed just fine to me. I didn’t need resists or leech, so why not? Sure, this character could have been turned into more of an offensive machine than he already was, but he probably would’ve died a whole lot, too. Put on Gores, Guillaume’s, and Highlord’s, and you get the classic 100/100 CB/DS, but it results in a glass cannon with only moderately more killing power than this guy already has. Death (40) is an incredible weapon, with 50% CB, 45% DS (scaling), huge %ED, and the Indestructible mod. When combined with big %ED from Berserk, it leads to some fun LCS numbers. The 25% CTC Glacial Spike, while not triggering as frequently as I would have liked or freezing for as long as I would have liked, was still a nice little source of crowd control and damage reduction. With a faster attack, it would probably keep most non-CI mobs frozen almost constantly.

One particularly satisfying aspect of this character is that my previous two characters almost single-handedly generated his Death (similar to how Milo found two key jewels for Cameron's Tomb Reaver). Milo found the 15% ED ethereal superior Silver-Edged Axe and scored a Gul off his Hellforge, and Cameron found the Vex when he was nearly done leveling in AT. Such helpful little brothers! As always, I try to run with at least 50% (preferably 100%+) MF on my characters, to make the drops a little more exciting along the way. With this character I also had the opportunity to hork, which is something I’ve never done in earnest before. This guy had 71% MF on kill and 171% on switch (37% chance to hork), and drops were decent on the journey to 90, mostly while leveling against Eldritch and Thresh. Things started off with a handy little charm very early on, and a Riphook from normal Diablo was surprising. Nightmare had nothing useful to offer, but once in Hell I finally started getting some better finds including three Jade Talons, Sazabi’s Ghost Liberator, Hellslayer, some nice rare gloves, a Druid elemental skiller, that previously-reported Ber Rune, Bonehew, Titan’s Revenge, Lacerator, a Necro summoning skiller, crappy Shadow Dancers, 2/25 Shadow Dancers, Earth Shifter, M’avina’s True Sight (last missing piece to that set!), Medusa’s Gaze, and a 3/26 Boneflame. Hellforges were Fal in NM and Fal in Hell. My one pass at the Countess in hell yielded yet another Fal. Meh. x3.

I found this corpse corpse entertaining; how have I never noticed that before? Have you ever been trapped by Alkor before? A massively powerful barbarian and I can’t even shove that old man out of my way. Embarassing. Faded characters are fun because of how easily they can hide behind blizzards. At level 90 minus 40M exp, I went to the Summit to challenge the Ancients. They were a walk in the park. Just tanked all three of them at once and used maybe 3 big reds. The WSK itself was much tougher. Baal went down quickly and dropped crap (+LCS on kill).

TL;DR: This character was a blast. Make Death! Make a berserker!

Last but not least: If by some miracle you're still reading, I wanted to ask the community: Do you generally enjoy Mat/Pat threads, even if they're of fairly cookie-cutter builds? I'm still working my way through a lot of the basic D2 builds but I enjoy sharing my thoughts and experiences, in the hope that they're valuable or at least enjoyable to others. I see so many crazy builds by wealthier players these days that mine feel pretty bland. Be honest in your answer; I won't be offended if you find posts like this boring. I just don't want to waste anyone's time if that's the case!

Thanks for reading!

 

[Pb_pal1]

ALWAYS love a good Mat/Pat/Guardian thread, no matter the build. Bonus points if there are thoughts on gameplay, special/unusual gear, or just random musings.

The M/P/G collection is one of the pillars of SPF accomplishments, and whatever we can do to continue to build on it is good in my books.

Congrats on the Pat!

 

[Kitteh1]

I love your approach to parenting

Alos, I love these threads, it's why I make my own, although they are nowhere near as detailed as this. However, as Pb said, the M/P/G threads are one of the core resources of this forum. I regularly take a read through and pick out random threads to read, either for nostalgia or inspiration. Keep em' coming!

 

[Zyr]

Congratulations, and thanks very much for the rich detail!

Do you generally enjoy Mat/Pat threads, even if they're of fairly cookie-cutter builds? I'm still working my way through a lot of the basic D2 builds but I enjoy sharing my thoughts and experiences, in the hope that they're valuable or at least enjoyable to others. I see so many crazy builds by wealthier players these days that mine feel pretty bland. Be honest in your answer; I won't be offended if you find posts like this boring. I just don't want to waste anyone's time if that's the case!

Oh, Hell, yes! Particularly when they're as detailed as yours are. Because I play HC, this was a particularly valuable data point:

The only death while questing occurred when fighting Amp Witches + Frenzytaurs in the Hell Infernal Pit. And even then, I only died because I was also watching TV at the same time.

I'm still planning my own first Berserker, and had been thinking in terms of cramming on as much iPDR and %PDR as possible to counter the Defenselessness. So your experience, with your gear, was (and will be) extremely helpful to me. But even aside from the virtues of this report, no matter how cookie-cutter the build, it seems there's always some idiosyncratic variation in every M/P/G report to interest me. So, please, MOAR!

 

[jonny5]

@Kitteh No one is perfect, not even one's own children. All the better if you can try to have a laugh at some of their more... challenging qualities :-D.

@Zyr I'm glad you found my observations useful! When deciding to try that amulet, I went to the Arreat Summit to look at monster damage numbers in Hell, and for the most part even 24 iPDR takes a hefty chunk of their damage away. Of course, Cursed Extra Strong Might-Enchanted puppies cut right through that reduction and remain dangerous no matter what, so stay cautious!

All, thanks for the support. This report was particularly wordy for whatever reason and they won't usually be quite this detailed I suspect, but this character was so different for me that I had quite a few thoughts about it. I also didn't have as much time as I would've liked to cut down and make the post more succinct - was mostly just trying to get it out before the weekend. Looks like I'll just have to keep posting pat/mat threads moving forward!

 

[TopHatCat64]

Last but not least: If by some miracle you're still reading, I wanted to ask the community: Do you generally enjoy Mat/Pat threads, even if they're of fairly cookie-cutter builds? I'm still working my way through a lot of the basic D2 builds but I enjoy sharing my thoughts and experiences, in the hope that they're valuable or at least enjoyable to others. I see so many crazy builds by wealthier players these days that mine feel pretty bland. Be honest in your answer; I won't be offended if you find posts like this boring. I just don't want to waste anyone's time if that's the case!

Thanks for reading!

You'll notice that in the mat/pat threads we have multiple versions of the same build, but I think each one is valuable to the community in it's own way. The most useful, in my opinion, are those that explain the thought process behind why they picked the gear they picked, the tactics they used, and the challenges they faced along the way (like you did). I'd imagine just about everyone who's active on this forum has pat/mat'ed multiple characters, so I avoid talking about the more mundane aspects of questing and focus on the higher-level questions of "Why did you build this character?" and "How did it play?".

Not everyone approaches the game the same way, so it's always interesting to hear different perspectives.

I've ended up making a good number of builds after someone gave me a new idea in one of my pat/mat threads.

Keep posting!

 

[Zylo]

Excellent write-up! The detail is amazing.

I’ll echo everyone and say pat/mat threads, no matter how cookie cutter, are still quite welcome. You learn a good deal by reading someone’s gear choices and closing thoughts. I’ve never made a 2h berserker, but thanks to you, he’s now on the to do list.

Good roll on the earth shifter?

I look forward to your next thread... maybe more kids are in your future?

 

[jonny5]

@TopHatCat64 Thanks for the feedback; much appreciated!

@Zylo Nah, 264% (the second word, "Shifter" was linked to the ID'd item). But still a grailer for me! Glad I could inspire you to make one of these down the road. I assume 100% DS + CB on yours though .

Well, I'm currently out of kids but I do have several builds in the queue that I'll continue to post Pat/Mat threads for as they finish up. I'm in need of a dedicated LK runner geared specifically for that purpose, and she's already in the works so that will be next. Nothing very exciting, hence the original question I posed.

 

[T72on1]

Congrats. And +1 to mat/pat threads !! They are such a big resource of inspiration and knowledge.

 

[PhineasB1]

Nice write up. I'm another +1 to enjoying these write-ups. Please keep 'em coming!

 

[TheGuardianXXXIII]

Great post! This is actually really similar to the style of character i'm currently running (level 67 atm). I even did the same thing w/ naming him after my son lol. My barb's name is Maximus (still amazed my wife let me name my son that ).

This post helps answer some questions as i prepare to move onto hell in how to better gear up. I wanted to go 2h berserker and thought a lot of the builds around it focusing on warcry or shields left something to be desired in my mind. I wanted a big maul or axe wielding behemoth and not really a fan of warcry! I found howl & taunt easily covered my crowd control needs (These 2 abilities are OP). Warcry seemed pointless compared to those, especially with battle cry to reduce boss/champs' (immune to howl/warcry) effectiveness. So my build has ended up being really close to yours. Main difference i see is i have maxed BO and am currently working to max mace mastery with shout being saved as a filler for whatever is left. Do you think maxed BO is overkill?


I am currently rocking upped Steeldriver, Duriel Shell, string of ears, IK boots+gloves, and a ias/min jewel in gface with 2 piece angelics, and a decent 10FCR/AR/life/LRez ring (wanted a little FCR for emergency howls). On caster switch i have a Suicide branch + Spirit crystal sword for buffed cries and fast howling if i'm just racing through an area. My resistances on my kill switch are pretty poor (all negative in hell except lightning), caster switch they are actually pretty decent. I just defeated nm Baal so haven't done anything in Hell yet. Treachery seems like a really great way to boost up but i lose CBF. Still trying to find arreat's and IK belt. I have a verdungo's i will be equipping most likely. I also have a +2 Arkaine's Valor and shaftshop, but i'm not sure if i want either of those over Treachery. In any case i think a lot of res charms and jewels are in my future lol. Ideally i don't want any cold damage because of hork, and i really enjoy the howl/run past all the white mobs and focus down boss/champs style of play. Basically that fodder are unworthy of battle vs. Maximus - he only wishes to test his might against the bosses

 

[jonny5]

@TheGuardianXXXIII Thanks! You definitely seem to have come to a lot of the same conclusions I have.

Regarding BO, in my case it would have definitely been overkill, but that was largely due to 1) huge damage and 2) some built-in safety features (iPDR, %DR, good resists). The high damage allowed me to eliminate any threats I encountered pretty quickly (and selectively thanks to Howl and Taunt). For you, I would be a little concerned about protracted battles due to the lower damage weapon (this in turn also means added synergy points add less damage for you than they did for me) leading to a greater chance of taking one too many hits in quick succession, but the crowd control is so good that it may not matter. If you're looking for more safety, more points in BO never hurts. If you want bigger damage numbers and don't mind a *slightly* riskier experience, consider less BO. If, as you describe, your goal is to Howl away fodder and focus on champs/uniques, I personally would go with less BO since you're less likely to get surrounded.

About your gear, I think Treachery is almost unbeatable for the perks it provides to this build. If you have Trang's Belt, that's a nice way to get CBF but you give up the IK 3-piece option. Otherwise, using Ravenfrost is still probably better than Duriel's Shell despite the shattering (since this isn't exactly a speed demon 800% MF pit barb).

Also consider this: If you up the Steeldriver to a Thunder Maul and slap in a Shael, you get 60% IAS + 45% IAS from Treachery, which immediately and perfectly nets you the 105% IAS (13 frame) breakpoint. That then immediately frees up your ability to use Gore Rider, Trang's Belt, and whatever gloves best help fit your needs (as examples), without having to worry about IAS anywhere else on your gear. I also wouldn't worry about the 10% FCR as barbs have super fast casting to begin with and 10% only gains you 1 frame/cast.

 

[TheGuardianXXXIII]

That's an interesting point on the shaeld tmaul steel driver + treachery. I forgot to mention I do have a perfect ik maul sitting in stash. Do you think that would be a better choice for berserk? My understanding is that all of that elemental damage doesnt work with berserk mods, but with a shael + dmg jewel it would probably still be better, right?

My sorc also recently found a grandfather, but not sure i want to switch to swords. I really like 2h mauls and axes.

Of course there is also the oath runeword which I could stick in a 2h axe and I already have the runes for that.

Sorry to hijack your thread with my questions and thoughts. I just love this build and want to do a similar thing with my fairly poor wealth lol

 

[jonny5]

That's an interesting point on the shaeld tmaul steel driver + treachery. I forgot to mention I do have a perfect ik maul sitting in stash. Do you think that would be a better choice for berserk? My understanding is that all of that elemental damage doesnt work with berserk mods, but with a shael + dmg jewel it would probably still be better, right?

My sorc also recently found a grandfather, but not sure i want to switch to swords. I really like 2h mauls and axes

What's the roll on the Steeldriver? That, combined with what breakpoints you can hit and what IK set bonuses you gain, are what affect the answer. And yes, only your physical damage is affected by Berserk. Thunder Mauls are slower but hit a bit harder than Ogre Mauls, so there are tradeoffs everywhere. You really need to consider the build as a whole to efficiently piece it all together.

 

[TheGuardianXXXIII]

Steeldriver roll is i think 235% ED. I remember the top end is 331 dmg, so i think that comes out to 235% ED.

How are you coming to the 105% IAS breakpoint? When i look at the German weapon ias calculator, it looks like the 13 frame BP is 75 IAS and 109 IAS for 12 frame. I'm kind of dumb when it comes to IAS and breakpoints, so i could very easily just misunderstanding what i'm looking at.

The more i think about your post, the more i'm loving Treachery for this build. Depending on the above BP question.. that could also free up both IK maul sockets for damage jewels instead of a shael and still hit 12 frame berserk. Treachery (45) + IK Maul (40) + my jeweled GFace (15) = 100 then almost any piece of gear w/ 10 IAS to finish it out. Or replace GFace w/ Arreats (if i ever find it) and stick w/ IK gloves for 2pc 25 IAS bonus and could go w/ Trang's belt as you suggested for CBF. Treach really opens up some options!

The double dmg jewels ( i think i have a couple of ~30% ED jewels laying around) would bump the IK maul up to about 439 average base damage, which is a massive upgrade over the exceptional Steeldriver (268 average) and even the elite up'd steeldriver (355 avg). Not to mention IK also has 40% crushing blow and all that bonus damage to demons/undead AND the ~500ish avg elemental damage from 3pc bonus.

Interesting options you've given me to think about!

Again, i'm really sorry for hi-jacking your Pat thread with all my stuff.... but hopefully at least it's valuable to others looking to copy you who are too poor to afford Death runeword or would try to run something similar w/ 2h mauls

 

[jonny5]

Don't apologize! I'm thrilled that my write-up has been useful to you and that it's inspired this conversation. All good stuff for people to learn from!

Regarding the IAS, 2x upped Steeldriver = Thunder Maul (base speed = 20) and IK Maul = Ogre Maul (base speed = 10)

According to the German calc, Berserk breakpoints for 14/13/12 FPA are as follows:
Thunder Maul: 78/105/152
Ogre Maul: 54/75/109

The difference in base weapon speed has a huge effect on the IAS breakpoints, hence the different numbers for the two weapons. Hitting 12 FPA with the Thunder Maul would be tough and would require too much sacrifice (in my opinion) from other needs.

Regarding damage, the Thunder Maul has a much higher average damage of 106.5 compared to the Ogre Maul's 91.5, but again, that's at the expense of speed. Although, at worst in this case you're looking at a loss of 1 FPA for the Thunder Maul compared to the Ogre Maul. I come up with the same Steeldriver damage number as you (106.5 x 3.35 = 356), but your IK Maul damage looks too high. Even with 2x 30% ED jewels factored in I get 91.5 x 3.6 = 329, a little bit lower than the Steeldriver (356). However, against demons and undead you would get 91.5 x 5.6 = 512, which is quite nice indeed, and the CB is always a perk.

The final consideration is the stat cost: IK Maul requires 225 Str whereas 2x upped Steeldriver requires 127. That's almost a hundred extra points to put toward Vita (Assuming no other high str equipment) if you want to get more life that way rather than more points in BO.

Again, don't worry at all about hijacking the thread as this is the type of discussion I had hoped to encourage anyway. Feel free to continue here or via PM. I also use a very rudimentary spreadsheet for planning my builds in advance that I'd be happy to share with you as well.

At any rate, I want to see the finished product once you've settled on your gear and skills and patted him!

 

[Zyr]

@TheGuardianXXXIII, I, too, appreciate your contributions to this already invaluable thread.

 

[TheGuardianXXXIII]

Regarding the IAS, 2x upped Steeldriver = Thunder Maul (base speed = 20) and IK Maul = Ogre Maul (base speed = 10)

According to the German calc, Berserk breakpoints for 14/13/12 FPA are as follows:
Thunder Maul: 78/105/152
Ogre Maul: 54/75/109

The difference in base weapon speed has a huge effect on the IAS breakpoints, hence the different numbers for the two weapons.

Ahh, i see then. Ok that makes a lot of sense now. I can finally use that website and understand what i'm doing lol.

I come up with the same Steeldriver damage number as you (106.5 x 3.35 = 356), but your IK Maul damage looks too high. Even with 2x 30% ED jewels factored in I get 91.5 x 3.6 = 329, a little bit lower than the Steeldriver (356).

Wow, i'm not sure what i did to get such an off number... maybe i took the IK Maul damage and multiplied it by 1.6 instead of the base Ogre Maul damage... Thanks for the correction, and that definitely tips the scales much more evenly between the two weapons.

I think now the best way to compare the 2 would be in terms of DPS since they are different base speeds. I checked my jewels and i have a 40% ED and a 33% ED. Using the extra 73% ED I end up with 341 avg dmg for IK vs. 356 of Elite Steeldriver (ESd). So in terms of DPS we have 709 IK DPS vs. 682 ESd DPS. This is before adding in IK's bonus dmg vs. demons/undead and the ~520 avg elemental damage.
The other thing here that i like about IK is the faster speed helps ensure my attack lands before the monsters', putting them in a hit recovery and not me. With the huge damage + CB this usually HR locks them long enough for them to die in the 1-3 hits it usually takes me (on players 8).

The final consideration is the stat cost: IK Maul requires 225 Str whereas 2x upped Steeldriver requires 127. That's almost a hundred extra points to put toward Vita (Assuming no other high str equipment) if you want to get more life that way rather than more points in BO.

Great point! This is definitely a tough pill to swallow since i'm using a wire fleece Treachery and nothing else in my gear will take anywhere near this 225 STR requirement. This is definitely a big boon for ESd over IK... scales balacing back out a bit...
That said, since I'm already maxed out in BO with 2.7k life, i think sacrificing the extra STR points is a pill i can swallow. It's not like the 100 STR is just wasted, as getting +1% base weapon dmg per STR is not too shabby. And +life charms are easier to stack and work with BO, so i can adjust that way too. I'm going to put my next few levels of points into STR and get some charms to hit this and test out the IK maul and see how my survivability with -just- 3k life goes. I also like having a little padding in my STR stat in case i do find something better later on that doesn't have the sweet -30% requirements mod. I suppose there is always a respec option, but i prefer not to if possible, at least until the character is "finished" and i just want to make final optimizations.

Speaking of survivability, i made my Treachery last night in a Wirefleece (the only 3 socket non-heavy armor i had on hand). WOW, this armor rocks! Once fade procs, my resistances are actually salvageable, and the curse reduction is amazing. Was really funny in WSK... Baal was just curse spamming me since his decrep kept ending so quick. The increased IAS is amazing. Really loving this armor!

@TheGuardianXXXIII, I, too, appreciate your contributions to this already invaluable thread.

I'm glad it's been useful! I've definitely learned a lot as well.

 

[jonny5]

@TheGuardianXXXIII Very nice considerations all around. I was leaning toward the IK Maul as well. If hardcore, then the Steeldriver would've been preferable for the increased survivability afforded by more vita points, in my opinion, but here I prefer the IK maul for the better damage potential.

Did you manage to hit the 109% IAS BP for Ogre Mauls? I found 12 FPA was plenty fast when hitting hard enough with this build. And yes, Treachery is fantastic. Given your zero defense, Fade procs quickly and almost never wears off before being triggered again, so it's essentially a permanent level 15 Fade boost to your character.

Also, if you decide you need more fire/light res, IK belt is fantastic for not only that but it also helps boost your strength, FHR, and maul elemental damage. You lose Trang's CBF, but Ravenfrost always lingers as an easy-out there (in spite of the corpse shattering potential). Just more food for thought, because IK gets so many partial bonuses on each individual item it's easy to forget how much each added piece can enhance the others (except for the helm, but there are better options there anyway).

 

[TheGuardianXXXIII]

Did you manage to hit the 109% IAS BP for Ogre Mauls? I found 12 FPA was plenty fast when hitting hard enough with this build.

I'm actually not high enough level to equip IK maul yet, so still waiting, but yes, i should hit it no problem with my current setup once i reach that level (IKM[40] + Treachery[45] + GFace jewel [15] + IKG[25]) = 125. Even have room to squeeze in LoH[20] but i'll probably keep IKG for the +STR and set bonuses. Really a lot of room here, could swap GFace out w/ Arreats and and still be at 110 for the 12 frame BP.. Assuming i ever find Arreats...

Also, if you decide you need more fire/light res, IK belt is fantastic for not only that but it also helps boost your strength, FHR, and maul elemental damage. You lose Trang's CBF, but Ravenfrost always lingers as an easy-out there (in spite of the corpse shattering potential).

IK belt does look really nice, but unfortunately i haven't found it or Trang's yet. I agree, the partial bonuses on the various pieces are deceptively powerful (same w/ Tal's for sorc's). Easy to overlook all those mods at first glance.
So for now i'm still using String of Ears and possibly going to Verdungo's (poorly rolled and i kind of like having leech on String for those times i use WW/Conc). I ended up throwing Ravenfrost on because not having CBF was just unbearable. It seemed like everything was chilling me when i didn't have it. I'll just deal w/ the corpse shattering for now lol.