- Mar 14, 2020
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In August 2016, I finished the 7x7 project that I had begun when I restarted in late 2012 and opened a thread to document what was ultimately planned to be a 7x7+2 thread. After finishing the two remaining class-specific set characters, I completed the project in April 2017. In 2016, I shifted my focus almost exclusively to untwinked 99ers, hence the delay on finishing those last two characters who were already both in Hell.
That project was really about building up a stash and trying lots of different builds. The characters weren't planned or played as individual Septs, just picking up whichever class and build suited my fancy as I expanded my D2 playing from Magic Find runs with cookie cutters to more diverse approaches. I tried to focus on a real Hell playthrough (not just running through areas to progress) so I really experienced the character. But the Normal - Nightmare character generation process eventually started getting dull, which prompted my pivot to the untwinked 99ers.
After finishing the last character, I got some questing in through untwinked tournament play as breaks from the 99er grind (including three characters who became 99ers). But I hadn't really played any twinked characters until early 2020, when I decided to do a themed Sept using some of the fancy runewords from completing the Runeword Grail. From then until I finished my Untwinked 99er in March 2022, I mixed some themed Septs in with my 99er pursuits, having settled on completing another 7x7+2. And I kept mixing things up between Septs and untwinked 99ers as I tackled a second untwinked 99er Sorc who pinged earlier this year, leaving only a few characters to complete the second 7x7+2. Which I've now done!
Below is a quick overview of each Sept, with the two extra characters briefly covered at the end. My usual approach for playthroughs, which I think was followed for all of them (except Untwinked 99er Sept) is to quest through Normal and Nightmare at p8, and then complete all quests in Hell and full clear all A85 areas (I usually also clear all Temples in A3), with p-setting in Hell determined by strength of the character, but as high as possible without becoming unneccessarily tedious.
1. Runeword Bonanza Sept (link)
Timeline: Started January 2020 and completed June 2020.
Theme: After completing the Runeword Grail, use some of the fun toys. A rule imposed was that each character had to equip a Jah+ value runeword for end-game build (this can include two Bers), but Enigma and Infinity (equipped on the merc) don’t count. And the eTomby counted for the Druid.
Timeline: Started March 2016 and completed March 2022.
Theme: Get a character from each class through to 99 untwinked. Full details in Untwinked 99er Progress Thread.
3. Unfinished Business Sept (link)
Timeline: Started January 2021 and completed April 2022.
Theme: Tick through some of the longstanding builds or rebuilds on my to-do list that hadn't gotten a look while I was focused on the Untwinked 99er Sept.
4. Two-Handed Melee Sept (link)
Timeline: Started January 2021 and completed July 2022.
Theme: Each character must equip a 2H melee weapon as part of core build.
5. The Lesser Skills Sept (link)
Timeline: Started March 2021 and completed February 2023.
Theme: Use skills that I've never used, or that got only limited use when leveling, because they are not as strong as other options.
6. The oSkill Sept (link)
Timeline: Started May 2023 and completed January 2024.
Theme: Each character must use a non-class oSkill as a main feature.
Timeline: Started January 2024 and completed November 2024.
Theme: Clear out remaining build ideas from my to-do list (during the playthroughs two more got added back, so still not finished!)
The +2
Nathaniel: 2H eDeath Fanzealot who Pat'ed shortly after I fnished the original 7x7+2 (no Pat post that I can find).
Faith: 'Faith' Strafer w A2 Reaper's Might Merc (completed November 2024).
What's Next
In terms of playing, I have less time to play than in the past due to work. But I will probably keep playing my D2R untwinked Sorc off-and-on, and there is a fun little project that I will start as something to do with small chunks of time next year. But my main focus will be finishing the udpate to the Mat/Pat/Guardian thread, including adding the many characters posted since my last update in January.
That project was really about building up a stash and trying lots of different builds. The characters weren't planned or played as individual Septs, just picking up whichever class and build suited my fancy as I expanded my D2 playing from Magic Find runs with cookie cutters to more diverse approaches. I tried to focus on a real Hell playthrough (not just running through areas to progress) so I really experienced the character. But the Normal - Nightmare character generation process eventually started getting dull, which prompted my pivot to the untwinked 99ers.
After finishing the last character, I got some questing in through untwinked tournament play as breaks from the 99er grind (including three characters who became 99ers). But I hadn't really played any twinked characters until early 2020, when I decided to do a themed Sept using some of the fancy runewords from completing the Runeword Grail. From then until I finished my Untwinked 99er in March 2022, I mixed some themed Septs in with my 99er pursuits, having settled on completing another 7x7+2. And I kept mixing things up between Septs and untwinked 99ers as I tackled a second untwinked 99er Sorc who pinged earlier this year, leaving only a few characters to complete the second 7x7+2. Which I've now done!
Below is a quick overview of each Sept, with the two extra characters briefly covered at the end. My usual approach for playthroughs, which I think was followed for all of them (except Untwinked 99er Sept) is to quest through Normal and Nightmare at p8, and then complete all quests in Hell and full clear all A85 areas (I usually also clear all Temples in A3), with p-setting in Hell determined by strength of the character, but as high as possible without becoming unneccessarily tedious.
1. Runeword Bonanza Sept (link)
Timeline: Started January 2020 and completed June 2020.
Theme: After completing the Runeword Grail, use some of the fun toys. A rule imposed was that each character had to equip a Jah+ value runeword for end-game build (this can include two Bers), but Enigma and Infinity (equipped on the merc) don’t count. And the eTomby counted for the Druid.
- Amazon – “Ice” Ice Maiden w Infinity merc (Matriarch Glacier, Level 87)
- Assassin – Warrior monk w “Fury” claw (Matriarch Cat, Level 85)
- Barbarian – Frenzy w “Last Wish” and Azurewrath (Patriarch Frenzy, Level 87)
- Druid – eTomby Fury (Patriarch Reaver, level 89)
- Necromancer – Iron Golemancer w “eBoTD” and “Pride” Blessed Aim merc (Patriarch Precious, Level 87)
- Paladin – Conviction zealot w “Doom” and “Destruction” merc (Patriarch Doom, Level 87)
- Sorceress – Self-wielding “Infinity” charged boltress (Matriarch Amber, Level 87)
Timeline: Started March 2016 and completed March 2022.
Theme: Get a character from each class through to 99 untwinked. Full details in Untwinked 99er Progress Thread.
- Amazon – Furyzon (Matriarch Quinta, Level 99, 12/27/19)
- Assassin – Trapper (Matriarch Mercy, Level 99, 5/21/17)
- Barbarian – WW (to 98) / Concentrate (for Nihl) (Patriarch Death, Level 99, 12/31/20)
- Druid – Windy (Patriarch Septimus, Level 99, 3/5/22)
- Necromancer – Poisonmancer (Patriarch Pestilence, Level 99, 7/29/19)
- Paladin – Hammerdin (Patriarch Phaedrus, Level 99, 11/12/18)
- Sorceress – Blizz (to 98) / Lightning (for Nihl) (Matriarch Hiatus, Level 99, 12/24/17)
3. Unfinished Business Sept (link)
Timeline: Started January 2021 and completed April 2022.
Theme: Tick through some of the longstanding builds or rebuilds on my to-do list that hadn't gotten a look while I was focused on the Untwinked 99er Sept.
- Amazon – Windforce Strafer with w Cold Faith Rogue (Matriarch Windforce, Level 86, 2/21/21)
- Assassin – Fleshripper Kicker with Dual Dreams (Matriarch Blade, Level 83, 10/2/21, MP)
- Barbarian – Cow King BarBearian with Last Wish and HF Infinity Merc (Patriarch Ursine_Bovine, Level 82, 4/2/21)
- Druid – Earthshifter Fury Druid with Reaper Might Merc (Patriarch Aldur, Level 86, 4/15/21)
- Necromancer – Bone Necro with Might Insight Merc (Patriarch McCoy, Level 84, 4/5/22)
- Paladin – Ice Ranger with Conviction Aura and Faith Rogue (Patriarch Craft, Level 81, 3/27/22)
- Sorceress – Chain Lightning/FO Sorc with Insight Merc (Matriarch MFO, Level 83, 10/9/21)
4. Two-Handed Melee Sept (link)
Timeline: Started January 2021 and completed July 2022.
Theme: Each character must equip a 2H melee weapon as part of core build.
- Amazon – Ribcracker Fuzzy Dodger w Faith Rogue (Matriarch Soteria, Level 85, 5/8/22)
- Assassin – eBotD Venomous Bearsin w Faith Rogue (Matriarch Praxidike, Level 84, MPed, 2/7/21)
- Barbarian – Doombringer WolfBarb (Patriarch Romulus, Level 85, MPed, 10/18/21)
- Druid – eTomby Flaming Mauler (Patriarch Hephaestus, Level 88, 6/7/22)
- Necromancer – 'Kingslayer' Lord of Mages Meleemancer w Harmony/Faith Rogue (Patriarch Alastor, Level 85, MPed, 1/24/21)
- Paladin – Insight Stave Abbott with Faith Rogue (Patriarch Coeus, Level 84, 6/25/22)
- Sorceress – 'Doom' Enchantress SorcBear with Infinity Might Merc (Matriarch Hestia, Level 88, 7/13/22)
5. The Lesser Skills Sept (link)
Timeline: Started March 2021 and completed February 2023.
Theme: Use skills that I've never used, or that got only limited use when leveling, because they are not as strong as other options.
- Amazon – Poison Javelin w Bramble and CS/LS backup w A2 Merc (Matriarch Elly, Level 83, 11/5/22)
- Assassin – Fire Dancer w A2 Infinity Merc (Matriarch Ariel, Level 84, 1/28/23)
- Barbarian – Throw Barb with Faith Rogue (Patriarch Bulls_Eye, Level 84, 2/12/23, MP)
- Druid – Bowler, w A2 HF Infinity Merc (Patriarch Spare, Level 84, 11/12/22)
- Necromancer – Dentist w A2 Merc (Patriarch Doc_Holliday, Level 85, 1/11/23)
- Paladin – FOH / Smite w Conviction and A2 HF Merc (Patriarch Phaedrian, Level 82, 2/20/23)
- Sorceress – Dual Nova Tal's Set w Prayer Insight A2 Merc (Matriarch Talith, Level 83, 4/2/21, MP so others provided Infinity)
6. The oSkill Sept (link)
Timeline: Started May 2023 and completed January 2024.
Theme: Each character must use a non-class oSkill as a main feature.
- Amazon – War Pike Zerkazon with A1 Faith Merc (Matriarch Zerka, level 84, 1/1/24)
- Assassin – Chaos Sin with Infinity A2 Might Merc (Matriarch Elinor, level 86, 7/16/23)
- Barbarian – Wolfhowl with eTomby (Patriarch Wigand, level 86, 9/30/23)
- Druid – Vengeance with Hurricane and Grizzly and A2 Infinity Might Merc (Patriarch Stormfront, level 85, 12/3/23)
- Necromancer – Trang Fire Mage Lord of Mages with Lower Resist (Patriarch FireMage, Level 84, 8/14/23)
- Paladin – Conviction Dual Dream Bearadin with Grief and A2 Might Merc with Doom (Patriarch Rem, level 88, 5/14/23)
- Sorceress – Zeal Dual Dream Enchantress with A2 Infinity Merc (Matriarch Nikita, level 87, 6/24/23)
Timeline: Started January 2024 and completed November 2024.
Theme: Clear out remaining build ideas from my to-do list (during the playthroughs two more got added back, so still not finished!)
- Amazon – Silence Fendazon with A1 Faith Merc (Matriarch Sense, level 82, 10/1/17)
- Assassin – Infinity PStriker with A2 Doom Might Merc (Matriarch Infinite, level 86, 2/19/24)
- Barbarian – eBotD Whirler with Leap Attack (Patriarch Inhale, level 86, 9/1/24)
- Druid – Fire Druid with Infinity Merc (Patriarch Hobbs, level 87, 4/2/22)
- Necromancer – Commandomancer with Beast (Patriarch Attack, level 87, 11/9/24)
- Paladin – Auradin with A3 Cold Merc (Patriarch Kaleid, level 87, 2/8/18)
- Sorceress – Firewall / Orb / Lightning /Chain Lightning (Matriarch Luna, level 85, 10/19/24)
The +2
Nathaniel: 2H eDeath Fanzealot who Pat'ed shortly after I fnished the original 7x7+2 (no Pat post that I can find).
Faith: 'Faith' Strafer w A2 Reaper's Might Merc (completed November 2024).
What's Next
In terms of playing, I have less time to play than in the past due to work. But I will probably keep playing my D2R untwinked Sorc off-and-on, and there is a fun little project that I will start as something to do with small chunks of time next year. But my main focus will be finishing the udpate to the Mat/Pat/Guardian thread, including adding the many characters posted since my last update in January.
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