Skill-less tournament (3rd edition)
- Thread starter epaminondas
- Start date
After getting to act 4 (without any big events; will do writeup in the weekend) I realised I have at least 1 100 000 gold in items stashed away. 900k in cash too, so now I only really need something useful to gamble. Sashes come to mind (have death gloves, so belt would make end game gear). Also pikes for merc pwnage, but gambles can't be eth so they'd need a lot of ED and probably leech. Circlets are kind of out, seeing as that gear slot will be used to gain skills once needed. Amulets and rings would drain my gold too fast, and weapons for self use are probably better shopped, crafted, found or rolled with gems....
Ooops! Died to normal Diablo =( Lvl 35, thought I could refill potions to my belt in mid-battle, and then he hosed me.
I could have done that better in a number of ways, like:
- not using max players setting
- not using max MF gear
- being more careful
The most important goal WAS achieved though, because I had lots of fun playing. Well, watching my merc kill stuff, but still fun and sometimes challenging, even in normal difficulty.
I could have done that better in a number of ways, like:
- not using max players setting
- not using max MF gear
- being more careful
The most important goal WAS achieved though, because I had lots of fun playing. Well, watching my merc kill stuff, but still fun and sometimes challenging, even in normal difficulty.
epaminondas
New member
@helvete: I would have liked your post except for the deeds part 
.
I'll take this chance to post another progress table:
.I'll take this chance to post another progress table:
Code:
Alive characters:
Forum Name Class Char Name LVL ACT WP Version
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jiansonz Assassin Helena 85 A5(H) Arreat Plateau 1.13
Sput Sorc Skilllass 84 A3(H) Kurast Docks
Dazliare *Barb Vladimir >=73 A1(H) Rogue Enc
Dezrok Necro Unlikely 72 A5(N) Frozen Tundra 1.13d
japanzaman Barb Babs 57? A3(N) Travincal 1.13
felixbavaria Amazon Adynate 50 A1(N) Black Marsh 1.13d
Naturallog Necro Spineless 30 A3 Spider Forest 1.13d
michajo2k *Paladin Meridian 20 A2 Lut Gholein
Jocular *Paladin Raft 16 A1 The Barracks
BulletJon *Druid Denzi 8 A1 Cold Plains 1.13
imakeigloospat Druid Glenn 1 A1 Rogue Enc 1.13d
xXxGrimmxXx Amazon WaffleStrike 1 A1 Rogue Enc 1.13d
Atroz *Assassin ? 1 A1 Rogue Enc
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dead ones:
Forum Name Class Char Name LVL ACT Place of Deeds Version
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SunsetVista Necro Yredelemnul 81 A3(H) Travincal 1.13
HanShotFirst ***Sorc Two 86 A3(H) Flayer Jungle
felixbavaria *Paladin Incompetentus 72 A5(N) WSK 1 1.13d
epaminondas *Assassin Adriana 56 A2(N) Palace Lvl 2 1.11
illya_ Barb Mentor 35 A4 Diablo 1.13c
helvete Barb Slow 35 A4 Diablo 1.13
illya_ *Assassin Maxwell 22 A2 Rocky Waste 1.13c
Southpaw8668 *Paladin Lucious >19 A2 Duriel 1.13
xXxGrimmxXx **Druid Roland >=17 A1 Monastery 1.13d
Southpaw8668 Necro Goulash 14 A1 retired 1.13
xXxGrimmxXx **Assassin Noctyria 9 A1 Cave Lvl 1 1.13d
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes:
* = this class has been randomly chosen
** = this class has been somewhat randomly chosen
*** = this character needed a random decision that it would not be random :)Cows completed. Vladimir is comfortably level 74. I have a really bad habit of underestimating cows, and Haseen saw a grave many times on P8. We killed ~8 cows and my game crashed (first time this tournament. I'm not sure what caused it). I came back on P3, which was still a bit hairy, but much more manageable. I parked a pack just to make up for the crash.
Now, normally, cows are mostly a bore for me. I'm not a big fan of the lack of enemy variety, which really just means I use the same strat for the entire map. However, today's cow session netted some great finds:
View attachment 853
I can almost guarantee I won't use these, but they are a grailer which is cool. The best find though:
View attachment 854
I went into this tournament hoping I'd find one, so this is great. The extra gold will be great for merc resurrection, repairs, and some gambling. The IAS is just gravy.
I changed gear around a lot after cows. The setup I settled on uses Treachery. With fade, I have max all resist, and just shy of 300 mf when Haseen kills someone (which is everyone). I have two helms that I swap between: a +2 battle command/+3 bo, and a find item helm with 2 perfect topazes. I also shopped a +3 warcries axe from NM larzuk. Put that all together and Haseen has ~2k life with bo, and Vladimir has ~1.7k.
For weapons, I have a few that I swap between. On swap I have the +3 warcries axe, and a want with life tap charges. I have a terror charges wand in the cube for break up nasties. My main weapon is a coldsteel eye. The damage is irrelevant, but the hit blinds target and slows target are phenomenal for crowd control and bosses. I can taunt stragglers and blind them with coldsteel, and take some heat off Haseen.
Speaking of strategy, that's the exact strategy I used to take out Baal's minions (and baal himself!) and P8. The throne room plus baal took nearly 3 hours, but I think the increased drops and exp were worth it. Also, how many people do you know who could do NM baal on players 8 with no skill tree
Waves 1-4 were pretty easy. We just pulled enemies back to the entrance of the throne room and took them out one by one. The MoD's, though, were much harder. We kited them in circles around the middle pillar, put life tap on so Haseen could live just a few seconds, then Vladimir would taunt one and pull it away. TP out and back in, and we were able to successfully take them one at a time. Mission accomplished. We venture forth into the fires of Hell next.
Vladimir and Haseen, level 74 Demon Slayers. Hell Next.
Now, normally, cows are mostly a bore for me. I'm not a big fan of the lack of enemy variety, which really just means I use the same strat for the entire map. However, today's cow session netted some great finds:
View attachment 853
I can almost guarantee I won't use these, but they are a grailer which is cool. The best find though:
View attachment 854
I went into this tournament hoping I'd find one, so this is great. The extra gold will be great for merc resurrection, repairs, and some gambling. The IAS is just gravy.
I changed gear around a lot after cows. The setup I settled on uses Treachery. With fade, I have max all resist, and just shy of 300 mf when Haseen kills someone (which is everyone). I have two helms that I swap between: a +2 battle command/+3 bo, and a find item helm with 2 perfect topazes. I also shopped a +3 warcries axe from NM larzuk. Put that all together and Haseen has ~2k life with bo, and Vladimir has ~1.7k.
For weapons, I have a few that I swap between. On swap I have the +3 warcries axe, and a want with life tap charges. I have a terror charges wand in the cube for break up nasties. My main weapon is a coldsteel eye. The damage is irrelevant, but the hit blinds target and slows target are phenomenal for crowd control and bosses. I can taunt stragglers and blind them with coldsteel, and take some heat off Haseen.
Speaking of strategy, that's the exact strategy I used to take out Baal's minions (and baal himself!) and P8. The throne room plus baal took nearly 3 hours, but I think the increased drops and exp were worth it. Also, how many people do you know who could do NM baal on players 8 with no skill tree
Waves 1-4 were pretty easy. We just pulled enemies back to the entrance of the throne room and took them out one by one. The MoD's, though, were much harder. We kited them in circles around the middle pillar, put life tap on so Haseen could live just a few seconds, then Vladimir would taunt one and pull it away. TP out and back in, and we were able to successfully take them one at a time. Mission accomplished. We venture forth into the fires of Hell next.Vladimir and Haseen, level 74 Demon Slayers. Hell Next.
Quick update. We've completed blood raven, the mausoleum, and the crypt. I forgot the crypt and mausoleum are such high alvls - lots of rare elite uniques to vendor. Unfortunately, none of them were any good. However, the best find we've had so far came in the crypt:
View attachment 865 View attachment 864
I don't think I can ask for a better merc helm that's actually within the realm of possibility for a single pass tournament.
View attachment 865 View attachment 864
I don't think I can ask for a better merc helm that's actually within the realm of possibility for a single pass tournament.
Skilllass and Durga have cleared all the way up to the Travincal waypoint and are now level 85. Not much to report; there were no stair traps in any of the temples! Tactics remained the same as previously discussed. I'm not feeling a detailed write-up right now, but will definitely provide more details on the Council/Mephisto.
Going into this tournament, I honestly didn't expect to make it into Nightmare. As such, my main goal when Vladimir's journey started was to make it to Hell. My last tournament character (Priscilla in the Green and Gold Tournament) met her demise at the Ancients in Nightmare, so hell seemed like a good goal. We've far exceeded this goal, and the Demon Queen met her demise on this very eve.
View attachment 874
Haseen was unable to take the pain that Andariel could unleash, and after the first two deaths, we let him stay on the sidelines. I Humongous Giant Axe dropped earlier in the Catacombs, which had the coveted Crushing Blow. Chugging antidotes and making several trips to town to refresh supplies proved a very viable strategy. It took awhile, but was relatively safe. Only 3 purples were used in the fight, two of which were on haseen when trying to have him deal the final blow.
Today was a pretty long session, going from the Countess to Andariel in two sittings. Vladimir and Haseen will continue their journey after a well deserved rest. For the time being, it was neat to see this many affixes on a magic item:
View attachment 875
Vladimir and Haseen, level 78 Demon Slayers. The harsh Desert awaits
View attachment 874
Haseen was unable to take the pain that Andariel could unleash, and after the first two deaths, we let him stay on the sidelines. I Humongous Giant Axe dropped earlier in the Catacombs, which had the coveted Crushing Blow. Chugging antidotes and making several trips to town to refresh supplies proved a very viable strategy. It took awhile, but was relatively safe. Only 3 purples were used in the fight, two of which were on haseen when trying to have him deal the final blow.
Today was a pretty long session, going from the Countess to Andariel in two sittings. Vladimir and Haseen will continue their journey after a well deserved rest. For the time being, it was neat to see this many affixes on a magic item:
View attachment 875
Vladimir and Haseen, level 78 Demon Slayers. The harsh Desert awaits
I think Sput and I are the only ones still working on this. It'll be nice to have a good competition! We're level 79, and have a Horadric Staff. Radament is vanquished and the deserts are barren once again.
I must admit I'm quite disappointed in myself. We had to park the majority of the Halls of the Dead due to a nasty stair trap at the level 2 entrance. We would have died if it wasn't for terror charges and a well placed TP. Until then, we had a successful full clear. But alas, we forge ahead into the noble palace.
We found a Fleshrender Barbed Club, which while the damage is low, has been invaluable with PMH, Deadly Stirke, Crushing Blow, and Open Wounds.
Vladimir and Haseen, level 79 Demon Slayers. The Palace awaits
I must admit I'm quite disappointed in myself. We had to park the majority of the Halls of the Dead due to a nasty stair trap at the level 2 entrance. We would have died if it wasn't for terror charges and a well placed TP. Until then, we had a successful full clear. But alas, we forge ahead into the noble palace.
We found a Fleshrender Barbed Club, which while the damage is low, has been invaluable with PMH, Deadly Stirke, Crushing Blow, and Open Wounds.
Vladimir and Haseen, level 79 Demon Slayers. The Palace awaits
jiansonz
New member
Nice going getting past the Claw Viper Temple.
Too bad about the stairs trap. Losing full clears is annoying.
Fleshrender was the weapon my Set/Unique Worshipper tourney barbarian used in the late game. He found it in Act IV Nightmare and managed to upgrade it to elite in Act IV Hell (Hellforge rune was Pul).
Too bad about the stairs trap. Losing full clears is annoying.
Fleshrender was the weapon my Set/Unique Worshipper tourney barbarian used in the late game. He found it in Act IV Nightmare and managed to upgrade it to elite in Act IV Hell (Hellforge rune was Pul).
epaminondas
New member
I actually have a Pul that dropped in early Act V nightmare, so I might consider upping Fleshrender. Though to be honest, part of me is holding out on the chance of a mal for Oath. We'll see.
Also, I'm desperately hoping to find a Ko to make Obedience. In a half decent base, it would more than double Haseen's damage, give him max all res, and give him the most useful stat of Crushing Blow. Especially considering my Insight is in a bad base, with a terrible roll, and the only mana I use is for horking.
SunsetVista
New member
I'm still watching! I was so proud of how I did in this tourney and I want to watch others finish their characters too!
Well I've had worse drops from Duriel, but this one's pretty bad.
View attachment 914
I spent nearly 14 hours this weekend doing the arcane sanctuary through the tombs. I can safely say, I can't stand ghosts. Single immune to physical bosses, I can handle, but having to split up a set of 5 ghosts because neither I nor the merc can leech is just a chore. We blew through nearly 2 million gold in repairs and resurrections just in the tombs. At first, the unravelers were annoying, but I figured out that you can pull the skeletons out of range, and they can't be resurrected. Easy peasy. The mummy sarcophagi were also annoying at first, but those two have a weak spot. If you stand right in front of them, they won't keep spawning!
I'm not a big fan of act 2 in these tournaments. But I love acts 3 and 4. The atmosphere is excellent. Act V is a bit of a chore, but I'm hoping that if I get that far, momentum will keep me going to the end.
We're level 81, and significantly further than I ever expected to make it. At this point, I'm taking every cleared area as a victory. If I happen to make Guardian, that'll be wonderful, but at this point, I consider Vladimir a successful character.
We're level 81. We venture forth into the jungle and ruins next.
Vladimir and Haseen, level 81 Demon Slayers. The Jungle awaits
View attachment 914
I spent nearly 14 hours this weekend doing the arcane sanctuary through the tombs. I can safely say, I can't stand ghosts. Single immune to physical bosses, I can handle, but having to split up a set of 5 ghosts because neither I nor the merc can leech is just a chore. We blew through nearly 2 million gold in repairs and resurrections just in the tombs. At first, the unravelers were annoying, but I figured out that you can pull the skeletons out of range, and they can't be resurrected. Easy peasy. The mummy sarcophagi were also annoying at first, but those two have a weak spot. If you stand right in front of them, they won't keep spawning!
I'm not a big fan of act 2 in these tournaments. But I love acts 3 and 4. The atmosphere is excellent. Act V is a bit of a chore, but I'm hoping that if I get that far, momentum will keep me going to the end.
We're level 81, and significantly further than I ever expected to make it. At this point, I'm taking every cleared area as a victory. If I happen to make Guardian, that'll be wonderful, but at this point, I consider Vladimir a successful character.
We're level 81. We venture forth into the jungle and ruins next.
Vladimir and Haseen, level 81 Demon Slayers. The Jungle awaits
jiansonz
New member
Well, you did roll set quality on two of the items (blue items in an act boss' quest drop are always failed set items).
Did you check if the Hatchet Hands was a failed unique?
Okay, the treasure class picks sucked - nothing exceptional, even.
That's a good way to see things.
I'm somewhere in the great marsh, but I have a question. What is the ethic on S&E to reset the monster roll for an area? I went into the arachnid lair, and there were two immune to physical spiders right by the entrance. I didn't have enough room to isolate them, so I had to park the entire arachnid lair. I didn't kill any enemies or hit any chests. Would it be bad form if I save and exit to reset the enemies so I can clear it?
I'm pretty torn. Part of me says it's fine since I didn't kill anything, but another part of me is thinking to the future when hell lords spawn and I decide to reset rather than trying to figure out a way to keep going. Thoughts?
I'm pretty torn. Part of me says it's fine since I didn't kill anything, but another part of me is thinking to the future when hell lords spawn and I decide to reset rather than trying to figure out a way to keep going. Thoughts?
felixbavaria1
New member
I guess for general single-pass it would be OK to reset, but in this tournament it is forbidden:
