Anything Goes D2 Lounge!

[snickersnack]

As a break from matting and patting, I've dusted off my trav barb. Now that he's found his first good rune there (Lo*), I'm considering making a Grief Phaseblade. Here're his current weapons:

Death

Spoiler

Colossus Blade
HelElVexOrtGul
One Hand Damage: 195 - 513
Two Hand Damage: 460 - 909
Durability: 26 of 26
Required Level: 63
Required Strength: 144
Required Dexterity: 80
Fingerprint: 0x77a72a83
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion
100% Chance to cast level 44 Chain Lightning when you Die
25% Chance to cast level 18 Glacial Spike on attack
Indestructible
429% Enhanced Damage
20% Bonus to Attack Rating
+50 to Attack Rating
Adds 1 - 50 Lightning Damage
7% Mana stolen per hit
50% Chance of Crushing Blow
44% Deadly Strike (Based on Character Level)
+1 to Light Radius
Level 22 Blood Golem (15/15 Charges)
Requirements -20%
Ethereal
5 Sockets (5 used)
Socketed: Hel Rune
Socketed: El Rune
Socketed: Vex Rune
Socketed: Ort Rune
Socketed: Gul Rune

Oath

Spoiler

Cryptic Sword
ShaelPulMalLum
One Hand Damage: 33 - 550
Durability: 23 of 23
Required Level: 61
Required Strength: 89
Required Dexterity: 99
Fingerprint: 0x1709b73
Item Level: 87
Version: Expansion
30% Chance to cast level 20 Bone Spirit on striking
Indestructible
+50% Increased Attack Speed
379% Enhanced Damage
+75% Damage to Demons
+100 to Attack Rating against Demons
Prevent Monster Heal
+10 to Energy
+11 Magic Absorb
Level 16 Heart of Wolverine (20/20 Charges)
Level 17 Iron Golem (14/14 Charges)
Ethereal
4 Sockets (4 used)
Socketed: Shael Rune
Socketed: Pul Rune
Socketed: Mal Rune
Socketed: Lum Rune

What are the chances that a Grief PB doesn't improve my kill speed in trav (usually /p3)? Obviously, losing Glacial Spike will slightly boost my drops overall (the loss of mana leech can be covered by a dual leech ring).

Is there an obvious winner between Death/Oath, Grief/Death, and Grief/Oath?

Also, I have two Grief BAs. Should I respec into axes instead?

This is for a whirler. Other gear: fort, LoH, SoE, Gores, Highlord's, crafted and rare rings, dual lemmed babas** on switch. Act 2 merc with reaper, kira's, guardian angel.

* which was found after less than 100 runs, though I'm not using a run counter.
** while I'm here .... best item(s) to gamble?
*** also, any point in using a superior PB? I have a 15%ed with no sockets....

 

[PhineasB]

I’d go grief for sure and keep the Oath. My experience is that Grief is a major upgrade for WW, and two of them even more so. But the dual axe griefs are also great options of up for the repairs along the way. Some people prefer the extra reach from the axes, as I recall.

 

[snickersnack]

I’d go grief for sure and keep the Oath. My experience is that Grief is a major upgrade for WW, and two of them even more so. But the dual axe griefs are also great options of up for the repairs along the way. Some people prefer the extra reach from the axes, as I recall.

After posting, I remembered that I have a Zeal barb, so I've been doing some trav runs with him using one of my Grief BAs and a Passion BA (1.07 eth). So far, it's just as safe and roughly as fast as my previous trav runner, plus ~500 more life.

Also, one of my Grief BAs has 30% ias, so it can't hit the last ias bp.

 

[maxicek]

If you haven't got one already, a Phase Blade Grief is great, especially on a Paladin. I would make one anyway.

A good compromise for WW is a Zweihander. Range 3, almost double the durability of a Zerker and always hits the last WW breakpoint. It also looks cool.

Grief
Zweihander
EthTirLoMalRal
One Hand Damage: 19 - 35
Two Hand Damage: 29 - 54
Durability: 40 of 50
Required Level: 59
Required Strength: 125
Required Dexterity: 94
Fingerprint: 0xe50d44e4
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
35% Chance to cast level 15 Venom on striking
+30% Increased Attack Speed
Damage +395
Ignore Target's Defense
-25% Target Defense
+172% Damage to Demons (Based on Character Level)
Adds 5 - 30 Fire Damage
-21% to Enemy Poison Resistance
20% Deadly Strike
Prevent Monster Heal
+2 to Mana after each Kill
+12 Life after each Kill 5 Sockets (5 used)
Socketed: Eth Rune
Socketed: Tir Rune
Socketed: Lo Rune
Socketed: Mal Rune
Socketed: Ral Rune

Without doing the numbers, I would go for 2x Grief BA if you have them, even if one doesn't hit the last BP.

 

[snickersnack]

I’d go grief for sure and keep the Oath. My experience is that Grief is a major upgrade for WW, and two of them even more so. But the dual axe griefs are also great options of up for the repairs along the way. Some people prefer the extra reach from the axes, as I recall.

Also, since this is a GF barb, repair costs aren't a problem. And, yes, reach was one of my concerns. Thanks!

If you haven't got one already, a Phase Blade Grief is great, especially on a Paladin. I would make one anyway.

A good compromise for WW is a Zweihander. Range 3, almost double the durability of a Zerker and always hits the last WW breakpoint. It also looks cool.

Grief
Zweihander
EthTirLoMalRal
One Hand Damage: 19 - 35
Two Hand Damage: 29 - 54
Durability: 40 of 50
Required Level: 59
Required Strength: 125
Required Dexterity: 94
Fingerprint: 0xe50d44e4
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
35% Chance to cast level 15 Venom on striking
+30% Increased Attack Speed
Damage +395
Ignore Target's Defense
-25% Target Defense
+172% Damage to Demons (Based on Character Level)
Adds 5 - 30 Fire Damage
-21% to Enemy Poison Resistance
20% Deadly Strike
Prevent Monster Heal
+2 to Mana after each Kill
+12 Life after each Kill 5 Sockets (5 used)
Socketed: Eth Rune
Socketed: Tir Rune
Socketed: Lo Rune
Socketed: Mal Rune
Socketed: Ral Rune

Without doing the numbers, I would go for 2x Grief BA if you have them, even if one doesn't hit the last BP.

Zweihander is a great idea! The low range on the PB did seem like a drawback. If I'm willing to let the damage suffer slightly to get lower requirements, even Flamberge is an option. Thanks for pointing that out! (Though points spent in STR boost damage and my level 90 barbs are not suffering from low life.)

I'm also frankly kind of surprised that I don't already have a Grief PB. I will probably be making one of those, then.

One of my options *is* to roll a new Grief BA trying to get that last bp (I have two LOs). Maybe I'm missing something while using this (https://d2.lc/IAS/) ias calc, but it looks like using one low rolled Grief BA slows down the entire attack. Do dual wielded weapons get hit checks at different speeds?

It just occurred to me that a Grief Zweihander just might, maybe, make a good weapon for a barbarian merc....

 

[SirName]

@snickersnack
One hand weapon damage is doubled for barbarian mercs. So a 2-hander Grief would be inferior to a one hander for them.

This might have been discussed in this thread. Can’t find it now of course. :/

edit: This does of course not mean a Zweihander Grief would be a bad weapon for a barb merc! Will surely be effective. Just not as good as a PB Grief.

 

[snickersnack]

@snickersnack
One hand weapon damage is doubled for barbarian mercs. So a 2-hander Grief would be inferior to a one hander for them.

This might have been discussed in this thread. Can’t find it now of course. :/

edit: This does of course not mean a Zweihander Grief would be a bad weapon for a barb merc! Will surely be effective. Just not as good as a PB Grief.

This probably explains the poor performance of Tostig! I had him using Death, Oath, and Lawbringer in two-handed bases.

 

[saracen85]

^^Apparently an upped ethereal Headstriker offers the highest raw DPS for a barb merc (by virtue that Death/BOTD can't be made in one-handers). Grief's +damage doesn't get factored in this bug/bonus.

 

[snickersnack]

^^Apparently an upped ethereal Headstriker offers the highest raw DPS for a barb merc (by virtue that Death/BOTD can't be made in one-handers). Grief's +damage doesn't get factored in this bug/bonus.

Thanks!

So here's what I made:

Grief
Superior Phase Blade
EthTirLoMalRal
One Hand Damage: 31 - 35
Indestructible
Required Level: 59
Required Strength: 25
Required Dexterity: 136
Fingerprint: 0x2b42a8d
Item Level: 85
Version: Expansion 1.10+
35% Chance to cast level 15 Venom on striking
+35% Increased Attack Speed
Damage +376
Ignore Target's Defense
-25% Target Defense
+3 to Attack Rating
+166% Damage to Demons (Based on Character Level)
Adds 5 - 30 Fire Damage
-21% to Enemy Poison Resistance
20% Deadly Strike
Prevent Monster Heal
+2 to Mana after each Kill
+15 Life after each Kill
5 Sockets (5 used)
Socketed: Eth Rune
Socketed: Tir Rune
Socketed: Lo Rune
Socketed: Mal Rune
Socketed: Ral Rune

 

[maxicek]

Question for all you untwinked single pass Tourney players:
What do you equip your merc with if you are not using Ladder RWs? Apart from Honor?

 

[Maltatai]

Malice

 

[Pb_pal]

Savage polearms to start (they can carry you quite far if you get a good base roll), and then hope for a decent rare/unique to drop. Usually you'll get a useable unique that you can upgrade to exceptional at least, if not one that's useable enough for end-game (Hone Sundan, Kelpie, etc)

 

[maxicek]

I guessed a Rare would be the case, so I think I have covered that in my general outline "find a weapon with lots of damage."

I'm playing through as I write, I managed to cube a Savage Partizan. I need to fing a 4os Armour for my gems though.

 

[Pb_pal]

Where are you in the playthrough?

Big damage is paramount, yes. Leech is nice for comfort and keeping resurrection costs down, but that can be covered with socketing, or helped by a Blood Helm once PGems are available.

4os armours only start dropping in NM. I think Gothic Plates are the first but I'm pretty sure jiansonz covers that in his single-pass MFing guide.

 

[maxicek]

Just starting NM now. I'm doing limited re-running, so I'm not that restricted. I'm expecting a new player wil run a boss for a bit of loot, but won't if I say "Now run Meph 1000 times until ..."

The guide is mostly done now, just polishing a few things up. Actually I had to re-read my own claw guide before I realised you can't shop +2 tree claws from Anya in Normal

 

[Rawness]

Here is a question. Has the RoF superchests pattern bee catalogued somewhere? The only thing I can find is this. I am doing chaos sanctuary runs, and since I got a close spawn to the chests i am adding them on to the runs, but it would be nice to know the drop patterns a bit more.

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[Luhkoh]

@Rawness yep! Thats the data summarized from @Fruit 's calculator.

 

[d2lover]

What is the merc level in 1.10a/s from the merc-sellers?

charlevel-5 to -2, or fixed?

 

[Rawness]

What is the merc level in 1.10a/s from the merc-sellers?

charlevel-5 to -2, or fixed?

If i remember correctly its fixed. level The stats are higher on normal mercenaries, but you will have to level them. NM will have lower stats than normal, and nm higher than hell. Levelling them up was such a chore.

 

[d2lover]

mmh, since Insight is not possible in this patch

what would be a good merc for hell andariel runs then there(in 1.10a)?

babarian mercs have good Ai and very easy to gear in the end (and naked before that probably haha) since I have alot of Bulkathos big swords to spare

don't know if mercleech was fixed then, someone knows?