Ill try and help with some general questions:
Melee in Classic is simply a very tuff way to start as getting a good weapon and a little crushing is a bit difficult, but not impossible. Two Hand Barbs can pretty much kick some major booty with some well shopped items and decent rares with WW.
Concentrate, Frenzy, Zerk are all some slow killers especially 1 handed as getting 1 hand big damage is very rare. So basically frenzy is very tuff without an item base to work with. Now not to scare anyone away, a Zerker and Conc barb are still very nice in a party setting but the WW barb can solo better. And yes of course CB makes all the difference in the world.
If you wanted to go with a dead simple build with a simple item plan it is Clegs Set. I have a lvl 56 Clegs Barb that can kill in Hell Classic and he will only get better. Yes he leech is a pain as the low end is so low that sometimes I have to drink mana and or life but the build works.
Also for those Holy Shocker guys, message me I found a couple scpeters with + to Holy Shock......sorry yours croaked unholy.
Personally I prefer Ancient Axes and Martels over any other builds. Lances are very nice but durability is so low it costs and fortune in TPs and TPs are cheap so that should tell you how much repair time you ahve in Hell. Nagas are simple the best 1 Hand weapon, but durability is also poor. I have a 70 Brb with a 90 Naga (90 is poor) and with GToes he kills just fine in Hell on East.
This list of items sounds like the easiets attainable list thier is but in fact is it pretty damn tuff to get.
GToes
Rattlecage
Frosties
Magis
Shard
Steel
Snap
Now in Xpac most people throw these away at least weekly and some daily but unfortunately in Classic these things dont drop all that much. Now as soon as you find one of them though your are liable to be blessed with 4-5 pretty fast as that is how it goes.
Angelics IMO are Godly for any Classic build especially thru Norm and NM, it has excellent stuff for Casters as well as melee.
Now I took things vrey slow in Asia, I wanted to get myself pretty setup before entering the next difficulty so I got myslef to the Council in Norm and NM and then I stayed there until I had aquired items to be ready to move on.
Norm Council supplied me with two full sets of Angelics and i started with 0 MF. I also got tons of gold and gems and made me a shiled and gambled some decent rares. I also got a Maelstrom which may be junk in Xpac but is very nice for a Hammerdin or Sorc in Classic. That was in Norm.
In NM I aquired a Shard, Frosties, more Angelics, and better rares as well as a ton more gold and gambled even better rares.
Now you guys, dont underestimate these normal items.
Angelics Armor is 236 Defense with 3 pcs!!! Not damn bad and like 50% FR also. Ring/ammy/armor gives a nice group of very handy mods, and once I establish in Classic on any relm those 3 items FILL my mules to the point of stupidity but they are simply irreplaceable IMO.
Hsarus Boots/Belt are sick AR (not as good as Angelics) but also give some life and two 20% Resists.
Sigs boot/Belt combo is my fav combo of the set, as that set gives 20FR 40CR 10 LL and 20 life. Glooves/Helm are very nice also but no resists!!! that blows IMO. IMO Hsarus beats Sigs other than if you need LL bad.
I garuntee you that with Hsarus boots and Belt a no dex Barb will kill in Hell, and can get his resists pretty easily with a minimal expense in natural rez.
Now, just a suggestion as we had a good number of deaths over the weekend. i think some of you are just pushing yourself a bit hard wiht no gear to accomidate your aggressiveness. Step back and take a few breaths and relax and just play the game as if rushing is impossible and I am willing to wager your will succeed much better. Dont go to the next area if you lack in certain things.
PLEASE dont set foot in CS without some pretty solid resits. If you are in CS norm at 24 you are simpl just asking to die as first, the exp isnt optimized as Flayer Jungle give better exp until lvl 28 easy, and at about 27+ anywhere else in Act 4 is very good exp. CS runs just arent needed until 32+. Monsterspawns in Act 4 mean a lot for good exp. Urdars, Balrog dudes, Mawfeins in the river, at least 2 sets are the best. Knights, bugs, "spiderlike guys" spirits just dont give the exp as well and are harder to kill, one for minion making and two for fleeing, mana drain and elements that you may not deal with well.
CoD (City of the Damned is probably the most over loked lvlin place in the game both in Classic and Xpac! The Lightning Ball shooters are some SIKC exp number for a 1-2 hit kill, a weak lvl 30 WW Barb can lvl fast here as well as sorcs. Main concern is lightning, but watch for Knights as a pack of them can hurt.
Flayer jungle at all 3 lvls is some nice lvling. Now some builds wont do great here solo in here, but if you pair up, use the tools Blizzard gives you you can do just fine and lvl very well. In Hell, LIs and CIs are half and half in there, and the Barbs and Hammerdins are the major killers but it is still good exp for all.
River runs are very good at all lvls also. Canyone runs, Act 2 are also great, especially for the Skellymancer.
There is tons more.....jsut ask
