Wolfbarbs-The ultimate guide (Revised verson)

Zero-unit

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Wolfbarbs-The ultimate guide (Revised verson)

Wolfbarbs-The ultimate guide (Revised verson)

By:Zer0-unit -Welcome back to my guide!

So..Some of you have a Wolfhowl sitting in your stash, other seek how to make a Wolfbarb..Want to make use of it or find a place of information? You came to the right place this guide will tell you how!

I. Introduction

II. Stat point distribution

III. Skill point placement

IV. Equipment

V. Charms

VI. Strategy

VII. General Information

VIII. Credits

I. Introduction-

In the vast peak of Mount Arreat had once stood a formed alliance within the Barbarians and Druids, the relationship between the two tribes were strong together. However it came to a day where King Bul-Kathos and Master Fiacla-Gear were thrown into augment about the period of the Uilescadh Mor, the final bout with Man and Demons. So it came to past that the leaders have chosen their seperate ways. Many Barbarians of Mount Arreat had taken sides with Fiacla-Gear to study the arts of the Caol Dulra, the nature arts of the druidic ways. In time of these teachings the students were able to moprh and change their bodies to now become Werewolves! Now, these warriors stand in the fight of the Uileloscadh Mor.

II. Stat point distribution-

To get started, stat points are the skeleton to a successful Wolfbarb. How you displace them later gives results how well your Wolfbarb performs. There are some things to consider when doing your status points such as life, damage, block, attack rating, and defense. For best results follow this.

Strength: Strength, this would only be important for wearing your equipment. For the fact that each point of strength is 1% enchanced damage a Wolfbarb's damage won't be greatly suppled by it. Find out your highest strength requirement and find out any added from equipment or charms. Add a minimal amount.

Dexterity: Now for those who are using shields dexterity plays a role in the chance to block. This is based on your level and how much dexterity you need, Formula: (2*clvl*75/Shield Block)+15. So an example for a level 85 Barbarian using a Stormshield would be (2*85*75/72)+15=193 dexterity for maximum block. dexterity also adds attack rating and defense, the attack rating would be formulated: ((Dex*5)-35+class bonus= base AR, so an example on 193 dex would be ((193*5=965)-35+20=950 base AR. As for defense every 4 poins of dexterity provides 1 defense.

Vitality: This is probably the most important of all your stats, life! The main advantage of a Wolfbarb is the insane life bonus's you can achieve. After strength and dexterity has been taken care of drop your remaining stats into here, each point of vitality gives 4 life. Teamed with Werewolf, Lycanthropy, and Battle orders gives a good sum of life.

Energy: Energy? There's no need for energy here, Battle orders adds enough for PvP or PvM.

III. Skill point placement-

Now to get to the meat of the Wolfbarb, every class has its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to skills. Wolfbarbs get a great advantage in this area, where as they draw strenght from Combat masteries and Warcrys. Heres a list of skills to follow.

20 to -Weapon- Mastery: Depending on your weapon of choice, choosing a weapon mastery will increase your damage and attack rating. Per point this skill grants 5% damage/ 8% attack rating/ Critical strike based on skill level.

20 to Iron Skin: This skill increases your base defense by a % making your oponents chance to hit minimal. Starting at 30% per point this skill grants 10% base def.

20 to Shout: Another defense modifyer this multiplys your over all defense by a % making you an even harder stone to break. Starting at 100% per point this grants 10% over all defense.

20 to Battle Orders: The main life mod for any Barbarian. This increases your maximum life, mana, and stamina by a %. Per point this skill grants 3% life/mana/stamina.

1 to Howl: A prequesite for Shout, Battle Orders, and Battle Command.

1 to Increase Stamina: A prequesite for Increase Speed.

1-5 to Increase Speed: Makes you run/walk faster, has its advantages over other runners.

1-10 to Natural Resist: Natural Resist is fairly useful for those who plan on fighting casters or elemental/melee, even those of monsters that have powerful attacks.

1-10 to Battle Command: A skill that increases every other skill by 1 point. Only add more to this skill if you wan extended cry duration. The extra extended time could outlast your Werewolf duration.

IV. Equipment-

Here we get to the skin of a Wolfbarb. Equipment! Here you want to look for faster hit recovery, attack speeds, defense, damage, and life in your gear. There will be two sides to this, battle equipment and prebuff gear. This also includes options for both rich and poor.

The Weapon-

A Wolfbarb is not tied to any specific weapon. Depending on the speed or damage you want will determine what you use. Usually you either go for the slower but more powerful or the faster and less powerful, to figure the speeds refer to TheDragoons calculator here . (Use the Normal Attack speed chart. The Feral chart is inaccurate.) Your weapon of choice would correspond to the correct -Weapon- Mastery you choose. Some weapons I would suggest are.

Lightsabre Phase Blade

Baranars Star Devil Star

Aldurs Rythm Jagged Star

Breath of the Dying:

Grisworlds Redemption Caduceus

Beast:

Azurewrath Phase Blade

DeathCleaver Berserker Axe

The Armor-

For your armor slot you would want to use this as your main source of defense. Iron Skin and Shout would receive most of its defense bonus from this. Seek an armor within the defense ranges of 1500-2000+ defense with likeable mods. Some armor of choice are.

Que-Hagens Wisdom Mage/Archon Plate

Shaftstop Mesh/Boneweave Armor

Stone:

Steel Carapace Shadow Plate

Arkaine's Valor Balrog Skin

Enigma:

Stone:

The Helm-

Your most obvious choice for a helm is a Wolfhowl! I really couldnt recomend another. it offers good defense, your shifting capabilities, 2-3 to Warcrys, and most importantly you only wolf attack. Belive it or not Feral Rage does help your damage and attack rating quite a bit, and has two nice additions. Life leech for PvM'ers and faster run/walk for any kinds of runners and caster killing.

The Shield-

As far as I know for all players a shield can be your best freind, PvP or PvM. As for those who like 2-handers That would only be useful as far as PvM. Refer to TheDragoons caclulator here for block speeds. However the shields I recomend are.

Sanctuary:

Spike Thorn Blade Barrier

Stormshield Monarch

Pheonix:

The Gloves-

Find a sutible glove that could help in places such as life, or hit recovery, even damage on the gloves. Gloves like these.

Bloodfist Heavy/Sharkskin/Vampirebone Gloves

Soul Drainer Vambraces

Dracul's Grasp Vampirebone Gloves

Steelrend Ogre gauntlets

The Boots-

For those who plan on fighting runners or such you may want to find a boot with a decent run/walk %. Otherwise find mods here similar to gloves or any other helpful mod. I suggest these boots.

Waterwalks Sharkskin/Scarabshell Boots

Wartravelers Battle/Mirror Boots

Sandstorm Treks Scarabshell Boots

Gorerider War Boots/Myrmidon Greaves

The Belt-

In this slot you would need to find phsyical damage reduction here and other helpful mods such as life. The belts of choice are.

String of Ears Demonhide Sash/Spiderweb Sash

Verdungo's Hearty Cord Mithril Coil

The Rings-

The rings are very helpful for the many mods rings can give you, look for attack rating and stats here. Find some rings like these.

Bul-Kathos Wedding Band Ring

Raven Frost Ring

Wisp Projector Ring

Angelic Halo Ring

The Amulet-

The amulet should correspond with your rings, combining them for maximum stat effect. The amulets I suggest are.

The Cat's Eye Amulet

Highlords Wrath Amulet

Mara's Kaleidoscope Amulet

Angelic Wings Amulet

Now we come to the prebuff side. Prebuff meaning that you acquire certain + all or skill tab skills and cast to improve any given stats. For maximum efficency especialy PvP you would want to have all your shift and Warcrys at the most it can be. The prebuff gear is lsited here.

Less unfortunate-

Arioc's Needle Hyperion Spear

Skin of the Vipermagi Serpent Skin/Wyrmhide Armor

Stone of Jordan/Bul-Kathos Wedding band Rings

The Eye of the Etlitch Amulet

Wolfhowl Fury Visor

More fortunate-

x2 Heart of the Oak's Flail

Chains of Honor -armor-

Stone of Jordan/Bul-Kathos Wedding Band Rings

Maras Kaleidoscope Amulet

Arachnids Mesh Spiderweb Sash

Wolfhowl Fury Visor

Well that's the end for equipment, but for those who need to find out about faster hit recovery once again refer here to TheDragoons calculator here .

V. Charms-

Charms! Who could play with out them. This offers a big importance to your wolfbarb search for these types of charms.

Assorted Small/Large/Grand Charms with attack rating, life, and maximum damage or hit recovery.

Annihilus Small Charm (If possible).

Combat Mastery Grand Charms with life or hit recovery.

VI. Strategy-

At last we are at the strategy part of the page! For all those duelist and PvM'ers this will tell you how to make the most of your Wolfbarb in certain cases.

For those who plan to be mage slayers, the advantage you have here is the fact you can take many many hits due to high life, speeds, and resist. Make use of the so helpful Anya quest do each of them 30 permanent resist you cant beat. Now Barbarians have this magical skill, Natural Resist puting at least 10 into this puts you well over the the 0 point. Make great use of Guardian Angel since it offer 15% to you maximum resist increasing its capacity, after that find ALL posible ways of gaining resistance either through 3-5 all resist charms or the Sanctuary runeword helps the most in this subject it offers 50-70 resist! Now the other things that casters do is that...they run! Or teleport, this becomes a problem you'de think but not for Wolfbarbs. Due to the awsome skill of Feral rage which offers an increase in run/walk speed up to 5 charges this teamed with Increase Speed and your boots would make a running force to be feared with. Since most casters have no really good source of hit recovery this is where you can shine in stunning them till they're dead find a really fast attacking weapon. Follow this and any caster would be toast. (Necromancers and Hammerdins will put up a tough fight.)

Howbout those Bowazons? Well the strategy kinda reflects upon the way of killing casters except most of them deal in physical damage. your plan here is to have maximum physical damage reduction, the "cannot be frozen" mod, top life, and the most run/walk you can acquire. In my experience of dueling Amazons I had seen that not many specailize in phsyical damage reduction and hit recovery so like casters a fast attacking weapon would be suitable for a case like this. The Feral Rage skill has its use here making it so that you would corner any Amazon.

Now for a melee subject, there are Barbarians and Paladins that have massive defense bonus making any one have a hard time hitting them. This kind of thing can be countered by the awarding attack rating Wolfbarbs can get. Being that there are five sources of attack rating it would make it posible for most defense to be peirced. Werewolf, -Weapon- Mastery, equipment, charms, and Feral Rage skill. So to make the most of your attack rating make sure you have the most of your prebuff as explained earlier in the guide. Your -Weapon- Mastery should be at its max, and you charms should be assorted life, attack rating, damage Small/Large/Grand Charms, finally the most important part of you attack rating set up the Angelic Halo/Wings combo this is very effective becuase when teamed together each ring gives 12 attack rating per level at 99 the attack rating given off is 1188. In the end your results should be within 26-30k or more attack rating.

As for the Werewolf Druid counter-part this should pose no problem towards us since they do not have the defense to compete with ours and constant attack speed like we do.

Leveling. Well we all have to go through it, and sadly Wolfbarbs get it bad. The best way I was able to level was to start with groups and play on through he game until level 24. Now It's important to conserve your skills so that later when developed, you can invest fully on your primary skills. After youv'e reached level 24 go as a group or have some high level take on the ancients and then proceed to Baal runs. Normally from there on you can leech upto level 44 and do Ancients yet again and on to Hell Baal runs. Most of the the time your a sitting duck becuase of Wolfhowls high level requirement however on the way of leveling you can make use of the Passion runeword which grants some nice skills.

That is about all the strategy information I have, unfortunatly for those of classes that have magic attacks I have no real strategy for them.

VII. General Information-

Well it's important to know your advantage and disadvantage to what ever you do as a Wolfbarb. Here is the list of those.

Advantages:

-Being frozen does not slow your attack speed at any frame.

-The speed you can go at is not limited. (4 frames being top which is fast enough.)

-Your Combat Masteries and Warcrys still apply in Wereform.

-Huge amounts of life, defense, attack rating, and speeds can be attained.

Disadvantages:

-Being frozen affects you run/walk speed. (Unless resisted by "Cannot be Frozen" mods.)

-Lack of damage.

-+ all Druid skills or Druid skill tab skills will not increase shift

VIII. Credits

This goes to the freinds that helped me with the information and helping me put together the whole guide. Thanks

Zabo

F1r3str1d3r

Kodachi

Thank you for reading this guide, and good luck for those who do attempt Wolfbarbs. Many thanks to my freinds that have supported me!

Dr@kE~
 
Looks like alot of fun, I've just found one of these helms so this should give me something to do, rather than equiping a sword i found, casting some hydras then turning into a wolf and running round like a barb with a personality crisis, nice one :thumbsup:

Edit. I should be constructive to, well written guide, I guess you use this mainly for pvp, but a bit more fleshing out on the pvm stratergy side would complete this good guide
 
Nice guide, much more informative in terms of alternate gear choices etc compared to the last one.

@D34D yes this is mainly a PvP build.

Once again nice additions, including the strategies for general PvP against classes.

@Zer0 Shall I start on the PvM aspect of the build?
 
Nice alternate gear selections, more in depth with the stat allocation, and dueling strategy.

Also another weapon choice is a Beast runeword for pvm, and transform into bear! This build is made for it. Also if you're on ladder a Shael'ed Azurewrath is nice
 
Kind of figured on that note, thank you all for the replies on my guide. I am aware an SoJ or BK ring can be quite pricey on ladder, in fact i play non-ladder so i am not up to date what goes on in ladder. Of course not every Wolfbarb needs one of these rings many do just fine w/o them.

Dr@kE~
 
Apologies for a silly question but the Wolfhowl is that a unique or part of a set?

Tried looking in helm section but cannot find it anywhere listed in the items page here on db2 nor on arreat?

Any pointers :scratch:
 
Kyo said:
Apologies for a silly question but the Wolfhowl is that a unique or part of a set?

Tried looking in helm section but cannot find it anywhere listed in the items page here on db2 nor on arreat?

Any pointers :scratch:

Unique Elite Barbarian Class-Specific Helm
 
good guide, seems pretty solid I did find out that i had 2 main questions what are the cost benefits of using warcry charms vs. max/ar/life charms and why not use druid shapeshifting charms instead ... I just think others might have this question so i thought i would ask for them.

Also for pvp what have you found to be the main necessity going for high damage and a lil slower weapon or going for top speed?
 
You mean mastery charms right? From my experiences not many value their Mastery charms so it would probably be found cheaper than max/ar/life although the skillers would offer more defense and almost as equal damage and attack rating, max/ar/life would offer more life. Well about the Druid shift charms it says (Druid only) since we are Barbarians, Wolfhowl only offers Druid skills but it does not change what class we are.

As a Wolfbarb personally i'de say speed is king for PvP. Trying to get the most hits i can being at high speed would be the advantage as a Wolfbarb.

Dr@kE~
 
carrion

I dont post much cause I usually look for everything I want to know but I cannot find this anywhere.
Carrion ring has lvl 21 poison creeper charges which is a synergy for rabies. When a druid if you put nothing in creeper then it adds 21 synergies to rabies when wereing this ring. Does this also apply to the barbarians rabies that he gets from wolfhowl.
Thanks
 
bone_crank said:
I dont post much cause I usually look for everything I want to know but I cannot find this anywhere.
Carrion ring has lvl 21 poison creeper charges which is a synergy for rabies. When a druid if you put nothing in creeper then it adds 21 synergies to rabies when wereing this ring. Does this also apply to the barbarians rabies that he gets from wolfhowl.
Thanks
he gets Feral Rage, not Rabies
 
yo vourius, this is deaths-reveng (*deaths-reborn) i made a wolfbarb, he is lvl 79, i got a couple questions thus far, 1. i have a 4 x shaeled 230% griz caddy, is this perfect for me? or do i only need 3 shaels? 2. when i attack, i use up my 230 mana very very fast, how i fix this problem?
 
Oh yes the mana...Well considereing if your PvP or PvM you will run out of mana attacking at such a rate as that. Mana leech is not something all players want to sacrifice gear for. Now when i PvP i rely on my angelics for mana due to 20% damage goes to mana mod on the amulet, this is a very reliable source. As for PvM i do not use a shield instead i use the Doom runeword so that way i will get hit much more often therefore replenishing my mana, to most this is not a smart idea but keep in mind that Wolfbarbs do have a very very nice life increase and i keep 45% PDR while doing PvM (Shaft, Verdungos.).

Ok, about speed. The majority of Wolfbarbs i know about all of them found a x4 Shael Gris caddy the top weapon they can find. The speed is very rewarding in some aspects, becuase many player and/or monsters have a low hit recovery frame a constant hitting will stun them by making them go into hit recovery animation alot, you will allow to hit others much much more than a slower weapon (I belive theres 56 hits in 20 seconds.) teamed with high attack and defense rating making it a pretty deadly weapon to be known.

Dr@kE~
 
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