Thorns? Can there be a viable build with this skill?

[Legend_Defender]

Thorns? Can there be a viable build with this skill?

I have been experimenting with this skill and trying out combos to see if something can work with it.........the old conversion/thorns build still works to a certain extent but is just too dangerous when approaching later levels and when the turned monsters turn back with thorns aura on them still..........

I am currently trying a hammerdin build involving thorns but am finding that concentration aura really is the damage producer (feedback from other players) so really having thorns on seriously limits my damage output.....however I will persist with this build and just centre my attributes mostly around having lots of life and damage reduction......however has anyone made a successful thorns build?

I keep feeling like there is some use to this skill with the huge damage return output........

Opinions please.

 

[Zavior]

No. I cant think any.
Your hammerdin will be next to useless without conc :-/

 

[ArchAngel Tiberrius]

Thorns involves you getting hit, so you would need minimal blocking and maximum life.

I highly doubt this skill is viable.

 

[TopHatCat64]

The power of thorns has gone down dramatically over the course of D2 history.

The problem with thorns now in 1.10 is that monsters have a tremendous amount of HP in comparison to their damage output. No matter how much HP you have in Hell diff, you're still probably going to die before the monsters do to thorns.

Also since thorns doesn't add anything to your attack it means that your main damage output is going to be from monsters hitting you which is something all sane players strive to avoid.

So basically you're getting the crap kicked out of you, monsters aren't dying fast enough, you're getting swarmed, your attack is weak and slow, and you have no inherent minions other then your merc to help you tank.

I suppose you could go ranged with thorns and use the merc as a pincushion but it would really be more of a self-imposed handicap rather then an actual viable variant. A Ranger needs the damage output of fanat, HS, or HF to approach viable damage and versatility, a Templar needs conviction to really boost that damage, and a Hammerdin without concentration (as you've already pointed out) isn't too useful.

 

[Chimaira]

I don't think a Paladin will be able to build a good character around Thorns, as others have already said. A necromancer with an act 2 mercenary using Thorns could be quite viable. Amplify damage will increase the damage taken from Thorns making it more viable. You'll also have lots of minions to do the tanking for you, and you could have a poison/bone backup attack.

 

[sorcees]

yes thereis a necro build somewhere, with the runeword EDGE(bow), very cheap, and it gives thorns + lots of minions(revives) + AMP is HELL viable.
You get a great meatshield that does a lot of damage.
verry funny, lay back and let the monsters slain themselves.

Sorcees

 

[jiansonz]

Up to 1.09, the Returnomancer was a good build. Based an a Thorns merc, with a golem and Revives to provide more bodies to beat on, Amplify Damage, then Corpse Explosion when bodies began to drop. Easy to play, and quite effective too. You even had the prerequisite points (and what you received from +skills) to Raise Skeleton and Mage to play with. Even though they were exceptionally weak (especially without any Mastery) they still provided some destraction, and the cold and poison mages were useful.

PIs were taken care of either with bone spells, elemental damage Revives or Lower Resist + CE (if you had corpses around). Amplify did nothing against physical immunity in the former versions of the game.


I have not tried this build in 1.10 yet.

 

[chrisng]

I don't think it's viable at all

 

[Valinorean]

I think Thorns-aura would be a nice second aura in some situations, if you play a lot with necromancers, summon druids, or just in a large party with other paladins..

Lvl 30 Fana+lvl 30 Conc+lvl 30 Thorns would be better than
Lvl 30 Fana+lvl 30 Conc+lvl 1+skills Might/other

-Val

 

[BFD]

the old conversion/thorns build still works to a certain extent but is just too dangerous when approaching later levels and when the turned monsters turn back with thorns aura on them still..........

Converted monsters no longer retain their auras.

 

[Yossarian]

Here is what you need.

A Necro
Lots of summons. Skel and revives.
Lv 20 Iron Maiden 675% returned +25% per level after.
Also get a golem


Items
Cheap
Edge Bow LV 15 Thorns 810%
Carrion Ring LV 21 poison creeper
Wisp Ring LV 7 Spirit of the Barb 170%
After that Crank up + skills You should get at least 4 easy.

775+810+170=1755% returned


Expensive
Bramble LV 20 Thorns 1010% + 13 Sprit of the Barb 290%
Carrion Ring
After that Crank up + skills You should get at least 8 easy.

875+1010+290=2175% returned

The carrion creeper stops monsters from healing and with so many minions almost never dies.

Good Luck

 

[batuchka]

Hmm i am very interested in that build hehe. I was going with maxed skellies/mages/mastery/ironmaiden and with +10 skills to hit slvl 30 iron maiden and exploying an Edge Rogue merc Instead of clay i was fiddling with fire golem as his holy fire aura attacts lots of monsters so just a point in him and he could be a great monster magnet i think.