The Vanquisher, defined - a guide to smite/hammer paladins <

[Quietus]

yes i have gore riders for open wounds. but after keeping duriel at around 1-2% hp for 10 seconds he would somehow heal back up to around 10-20% rapidly then i would get him down again and he would heal. kept happening. im only lvl 79 and my smite is doing 744 dmg max, so crushing blow on heavens light and gores really are the only thing that allowed me to kill him. and being constantly frozen from his aura really made things more difficult. luckily 1 hammer was enough to kill him after i had him down at really low hp.

oh here ill list my gear:
shako
4 socket akaran targe (110 cold res- 2 p saphires in it since i read that duriel has cold attacks)
mageplate enigma..1 def from perfect
+3 skill/268% ed/2 socket heavens light
sanders gloves
rare ring with 14 str, 24 life, 6 all res
raven frost 15 dex
198 ed gore riders
ik belt
seraph ammy

Ah, hm... your attack is a bit slow, my recommendation would be to put two shael runes in the Heaven's Light, and wear Death's gloves and belt - together with a dual shaeled heaven's light, you get a 7 frame smite with no fanatacism, and it frees up your ravenfrost finger, since death's belt gives you cannot be frozen.

You really, really shouldn't be trying to run the ubers with this. However, if you're insistent on doing so, then try getting Spirit into that akaran targe (though a better base sheild would be VERY helpful!), replace the ravenfrost with something that will give you better resists, and either Um or Ort that shako, in addition to the abovementioned things about shaels and death's set.

If your holy sheild isn't maxed, then again, you shouldn't be doing this. You don't have the gear to handle that high level type stuff with any sort of ease! But if you insist on doing it, make sure holy sheild is maxed, since that's your primary source of damage.

 

[dawnovan]

Hi quietus,

I've been away from d2 since 2003.. Just gotten back today. Great change in d2lod. I don't know where to seek updated infos n helps from, so pardon my noobness, hereby if you are able to give some tips I'd be appreciated much. Browsed your guide on the Vanquisher while I was going to have my lunchbreak, and finished reading after my work, I was in awed, despite the fact that I'm always interested of starting one too. First of all, what I need to know is, am I playing just like a usual hammerdin in same perspect? And between the switch of Charging, Smite after casting the hammers, I kept having problems tanking(of course, I'm stil low level yet starting up from scratch w/o any friends I know in USEast Realm) What are the things to ensure myself r on the right track towards a true Vanquisher rather then a normal hammerdin? Seen the guide of Hammerdin but when I tried it on myself, dying is somehow like my middle name.

 

[junlee]

Ah, hm... your attack is a bit slow, my recommendation would be to put two shael runes in the Heaven's Light, and wear Death's gloves and belt - together with a dual shaeled heaven's light, you get a 7 frame smite with no fanatacism, and it frees up your ravenfrost finger, since death's belt gives you cannot be frozen.

You really, really shouldn't be trying to run the ubers with this. However, if you're insistent on doing so, then try getting Spirit into that akaran targe (though a better base sheild would be VERY helpful!), replace the ravenfrost with something that will give you better resists, and either Um or Ort that shako, in addition to the abovementioned things about shaels and death's set.

If your holy sheild isn't maxed, then again, you shouldn't be doing this. You don't have the gear to handle that high level type stuff with any sort of ease! But if you insist on doing it, make sure holy sheild is maxed, since that's your primary source of damage.

guess what?
http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=uberowned5bf.jpg
!! nobody said icould do it but..i finally did. nobody helped except my sorc friend who stood there and casted my lifetap wand for me. i killed the ubers and managed to tank a ton..and i mean a ton (wow didnt expect so many) summons and mobs. . i did manage to finally get a grief pb. and i put on a stormshield. other than that my gear is the same that i listed earlier. also note this screenshot was taken in a normal game after..my resists were like -50 in trist lol

 

[Quietus]

guess what?
http://img236.imageshack.us/my.php?image=uberowned5bf.jpg
!! nobody said icould do it but..i finally did. nobody helped except my sorc friend who stood there and casted my lifetap wand for me. i killed the ubers and managed to tank a ton..and i mean a ton (wow didnt expect so many) summons and mobs. . i did manage to finally get a grief pb. and i put on a stormshield. other than that my gear is the same that i listed earlier. also note this screenshot was taken in a normal game after..my resists were like -50 in trist lol

Congratulations! It's always a good feeling, coming out of Tristram in one peice. Now that you have a bit of experience, and a feel for the build, you'll be able to tweak as you see fit - as I'm sure you noticed, having -50 resists just isn't going to work very well, but that's still really great that you were able to take them down!

Hi quietus,

I've been away from d2 since 2003.. Just gotten back today. Great change in d2lod. I don't know where to seek updated infos n helps from, so pardon my noobness, hereby if you are able to give some tips I'd be appreciated much. Browsed your guide on the Vanquisher while I was going to have my lunchbreak, and finished reading after my work, I was in awed, despite the fact that I'm always interested of starting one too. First of all, what I need to know is, am I playing just like a usual hammerdin in same perspect? And between the switch of Charging, Smite after casting the hammers, I kept having problems tanking(of course, I'm stil low level yet starting up from scratch w/o any friends I know in USEast Realm) What are the things to ensure myself r on the right track towards a true Vanquisher rather then a normal hammerdin? Seen the guide of Hammerdin but when I tried it on myself, dying is somehow like my middle name.

Hey Dawnovan, welcome back to D2 - good to see that we're not all losing the addiction. :thumbsup:

In all seriousness, if you're just now returning.. three years is a long time to have been gone. Were you here when 1.10 was released? If you're not familiar with synergies, and how the game has changed, then a Vanquisher is going to be an incredibly difficult build for you to put together. Toward the end of my guide, I listed a 'budget Vanquisher' set of skills and equipment, if you are going to attempt a Vanquisher with nothing in your pockets, that's the one I would aim for - keep in mind, it'll only really do well into late nm/early hell, and even early hell will pose problems for you.

In going after that end of the build, I would focus on concentration, blessed hammer, and vigor to start with, and yes, just play like a hammerdin for the first part of your life. That'll give you the ability to go into nightmare cows and farm flawless gems, to buy the rest of your gear. I'm sure, since you have some experience, that you have an idea of what mods will be helpful and which won't, so if you find something interesting - feel free to judge it, and use it if you feel it's helpful! After all, this guide is just that - a guide.

Since you're just starting out, if you feel the Vanquisher isn't working out for you, then perhaps you might want to try something more along the lines of a meteorb sorceress (there's a guide in the sorceress forum) or a summoning necromancer, also known as a fishymancer (there's a guide for this in the necro forum). Both of those can be played with minimal gear as well - the one thing they lose is the awesome name. :grin:

 

[junlee]

well the hardest part was definately all the minions that meph kept summoning..that was just nuts. i found the best way to take him was to clear all the summons around the red portal then lure him to the portal...because he didnt seem to summon at all around the portal so there was only 1 or 2 skele mages attackin me. baal and diablo hit me both at the same time..that lasted for a bit then i lured baal away and he was a piece of cake. then at the end diablo and lik 10 of those gargoyles were surounding me but i managed to survive venquisher ftw! all i need is baals eye and im ready to go again

 

[Quietus]

well the hardest part was definately all the minions that meph kept summoning..that was just nuts. i found the best way to take him was to clear all the summons around the red portal then lure him to the portal...because he didnt seem to summon at all around the portal so there was only 1 or 2 skele mages attackin me. baal and diablo hit me both at the same time..that lasted for a bit then i lured baal away and he was a piece of cake. then at the end diablo and lik 10 of those gargoyles were surounding me but i managed to survive venquisher ftw! all i need is baals eye and im ready to go again

lol yep - that's why I love this build so much, it does things that people don't expect it can. Hell, I can only imagine how much of a pain it must have been... at -50 light res, you must've been getting killed quite a bit. I run 36 after conviction and he still one-hits me sometimes.

Good luck on your next run!

 

[junlee]

ok i quit this stupid game now. killed meph and baal and diablo almost dead then connection interupt and game doesnt exist..ya SCREW THIS STUPID GAME

 

[Quietus]

ok i quit this stupid game now. killed meph and baal and diablo almost dead then connection interupt and game doesnt exist..ya SCREW THIS STUPID GAME

Heh, it happens sometimes. That's why I only ever use keysets that I found myself; If that happens, I lose two hours or so, which is a lot less to me than, say, some amount of material wealth I spent on an organ set. I know it's rough, but you've got to just keep rolling. It's just a game, after all - a few pixels, nothing more than that.

 

[junlee]

i found all my keys...and all my organs. i spent so many hours sitting in front of this game for them. and for what? so blizzard can screw me over. and it will probably happen again.

 

[Quietus]

i found all my keys...and all my organs. i spent so many hours sitting in front of this game for them. and for what? so blizzard can screw me over. and it will probably happen again.

Probably. But it's just time - it's just a game. It's a game I take very seriously, mind, but it's just a game nonetheless. If you let one bad thing happening get you down, then it'll ruin your entire experience. I wish I could help, but unfortunately, we all know Blizzard's stance on this.

All I can say is.. keep playing, and you'll find bigger and better stuff eventually!

 

[junlee]

well i did manage to do another trist and got a pally torch for myself. but now it seems like i have accomplished everything there is in d (ive been playing for 6 years) so im not sure if i want to keep playing anymore. blizzard has pretty much forgotten about diablo now, theres no hopes of new expansions or a diablo 3 anymore.

it would be nice if they went up to act 10 and raised the lvl cap to 200 or so and had new skills..that would be awesome

 

[Quietus]

well i did manage to do another trist and got a pally torch for myself. but now it seems like i have accomplished everything there is in d (ive been playing for 6 years) so im not sure if i want to keep playing anymore. blizzard has pretty much forgotten about diablo now, theres no hopes of new expansions or a diablo 3 anymore.

it would be nice if they went up to act 10 and raised the lvl cap to 200 or so and had new skills..that would be awesome

Awesome, but unrealistic. But there's still a great deal to do - have you gotten a char to level 99? You could try to go for full synergization of Hammers and max holy sheild, and just utterly destroy everything. You can make weird builds, play hardcore, any number of things.

Congrats on the pally torch though - very smooth

 

[mxxerr]

I have enought runes to make Kingslayer, I also have a +3skill Heavens Light.

It seems to me Heavens Light with Shael and Mal socked is better than Kingslayer. You only lost 50% open wound, but damage is larger and have 3 more skill points.

Am i right?

 

[Quietus]

I have enought runes to make Kingslayer, I also have a +3skill Heavens Light.

It seems to me Heavens Light with Shael and Mal socked is better than Kingslayer. You only lost 50% open wound, but damage is larger and have 3 more skill points.

Am i right?

The problem with that is that it would only reach 9 frames per attack, without fanatacism. Dual shael gets you 8. With a level 10 fanatacism, anything over 25 ias gets you 7 frames, and it would take 65 total to reach 6.

I recommended Kingslayer because it has all the mods you are looking for in a smite weapon, combined with the inherent speed of a phase blade. No other equipment is needed to reach a natural 7 frame attack speed, and you can reach 6 frames with 65% ias total (meaning, 35% added from gear). With fanatacism, a kingslayer phase is an automatic six frame attack.

If you want to try a fanatacism variant, then by all means, go ahead and use the heaven's light; Get some ias other than what is naturally on it somewhere, and get 7 frames, or get 65 total ias and go for 6 - it's entirely up to you. It can be effective, I'm sure, and the skills would certainly be helpful, but I find Kingslayer to be preferrable, personally.

 

[mxxerr]

I recommended Kingslayer because it has all the mods you are looking for in a smite weapon, combined with the inherent speed of a phase blade. No other equipment is needed to reach a natural 7 frame attack speed, and you can reach 6 frames with 65% ias total (meaning, 35% added from gear). With fanatacism, a kingslayer phase is an automatic six frame attack.
.

Thanks, but I no longer need Kingslayer, because I just made a Grief. And I killed uber Tristram for the first time. It is much easier than I thought. But I died twice because I don't have "can't be frozen" and often I hit other monsters, not ubers, so life tap didnot give me enough life.
Unfortunately, I got a sorceress Torch. :sad2:
From now on, I will be uber hunting. :thumbsup:

 

[Quietus]

Thanks, but I no longer need Kingslayer, because I just made a Grief. And I killed uber Tristram for the first time. It is much easier than I thought. But I died twice because I don't have "can't be frozen" and often I hit other monsters, not ubers, so life tap didnot give me enough life.
Unfortunately, I got a sorceress Torch. :sad2:
From now on, I will be uber hunting. :thumbsup:

Grief works too It's too bad there are so many dupes out there; Kingslayer and Grief cost the same on useast NL now. But both work well, as you've seen, so congratulations on your torch!

Just remember; It might not be a pally torch, but a torch is still a torch - and can still be put to use. If everyone found nothing but pally torches, do you think they'd be nearly as expensive as they are?

 

[BooNGaRD]

I have a question....how much zeal/smite dmg do u do?
Because i want to try your build out.....
Do you mind writing a more detailed walkthrough of this build?
e.g. wot points to put in what levels etc......would be very much appreciated!

p.s. an exile shield would have wayyyy higher smite dmg than hoz right?

 

[Quietus]

I have a question....how much zeal/smite dmg do u do?
Because i want to try your build out.....
Do you mind writing a more detailed walkthrough of this build?
e.g. wot points to put in what levels etc......would be very much appreciated!

p.s. an exile shield would have wayyyy higher smite dmg than hoz right?

I think perhaps you could do with a reread of this guide. For one, I don't have any points into zeal at all. I do zero damage with zeal, strike zero times, and get an automatic migraine from simply trying. :shocked: As far as damage goes, when I'm running in hybrid mode (I built my vanquisher to be able to go full hammerdin when needed) I have 5k damage smite, with 11k damage HAMMERS.

The purpose of this guide, is to be exactly that - a guide. It already reached sixteen pages in a microsoft word document, which to me says that I put a great amount of detail into it, and I have hardly even touched on the pvp aspects of it. I'm working on testing fanatacism variants myself at the moment... by the time I'm finished, I expect it to reach twenty to twenty five pages. Without a detailed "This point at this level" portion.

I've never believed in that sort of thing anyway. I have always simply felt that working as you go will be preferrable - choose which style of build you're going to work with first, and I recommend putting your points into hammers first - maxing hammers, concentration, and one synergy first will give you more than enough damage to carry you through nightmare easily, and Hell with a bit of patience. After that, put points where you feel they will serve you best.

And no, Exile would not give a wayyyy higher smite damage than HoZ. In fact, a regular hoz (non upgraded) will have 20-26 damage, for a 23 average. An exile (assuming it's in an elite sheild) will have 46 average, no matter which sheild it's put in. All elite sheilds have 46 average damage. Add to this the 120ish average damage from holy sheild assuming you have decent gear, and overall you're not losing a big chunk. In fact, since HoZ adds +4 to holy sheild, you will actually get +16 or more average damage from casting holy sheild with it, as opposed to no holy sheild bonus from Exile. You lose... approximately 9 or less base damage, using a regular HoZ instead of an elite exile. And get a huge bonus to your hammer damage with HoZ as well. To top it all off, if you use an upgraded HoZ, you get the 46 average damage of an elite sheild, PLUS the added holy sheild damage, giving you a HIGHER damage than the exile could possibly manage.

 

[BooNGaRD]

how do ya up a hoz?

1 Ko Rune + 1 Lem Rune + 1 Perfect Diamond + Exceptional Unique Armor = Elite Version of Armor

?

 

[Evrae Altana]

Yes, that's the recipe. Note that it's a Ladder only recipe.