heilskov
10-02-2004, 04:05
Inspired by hals conc. build, this is my Beserkers building guild.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since 1,10 the ww barb have died out, and so has the barb killing speed, thus most players went else where. Today everbody has a hammerdin, that seems to be the soultion to everybodys problem, or a sorc of some kinde.
Well I wanna put the barbs back on the world map.
My main goals when developing the Beserkers Bard were as follows:
-Getting a high enough dmg for one hit kills
-Obtain maximum blocking
-Reach max resists
-Achieve a decent level of physical damage reduction
-Obtain a pool of hit points/mana to not be using concentrate for the leech
-Go beserk ^^ quote "When you have slain all of your enemies, what is left to fear?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glossary of Commonly Used Game Terms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
AR: Attack Rating
BP or BPS: Breakpoint(s)
CBF: item property “Cannot be Frozen”
Clvl: Character level
Dual Leech: an item that has both Mana and Life leech.
ED: Enhanced Damage
FCR: Faster Cast Rate
FHR: Faster Hit Recovery
IAS: Increased Attack Speed
ITD: item property “Ignore Target’s Defense”
LL: item property “Life Leech”
MF: Magic Find
ML: item property “Mana leech”
PDR: item property “Physical Damage Reduction”
PMH: item property “Prevent Monster Heal”
Prismatic: a property on an item that gives +all resists
PvM: Player versus Monster
PvP:Player versus Player
R/W: Run/Walk (as in run/walk speed)
Slvl: Skill level
TP: Town Portal
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Stat Point Distribution
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Strength
Get a base high enough to support the highest str. req. of the eq. you plan on/ wish/dream of using, cuz who know one day it might drop and you´ll be wanting to use it here.
Dexterity
what can I say, that you all havnt already heard ? And for those first timers, get enough dex to keep a constant 75% blockrate. Also take your dream eq. into consideration, if eg. a stormsheild is it be prepered to invest about 222 stat points into dex. I wouldnt recammende you go past the dex amount req. for max block, seing as how beserk get innormous AR boosts.
Vitality
this will be where the rest of your stats will go, the 1 vit for 4 hp is a good deal, and with the BO making the outcome of 1 vit more or less 8 hp you cant go wrong with stat points in here.
Energy
none, barbs energy vs. mana gains are so low it isnt worth spanding stat points in it. I do however recammende you get some either items or charms that boost your mana pool, besically the bigger the pool the more swings you can do with beserk before you´ll be forced to use a conc. to get that bulb back up agian for more beserks.
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Skill Point Distribution
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This is what makes the build, and some sick name that fits the theme of a beserker ^^, The basis in this build are DMG DMG DMG... on the other hand being able to stay alive long enough to deal it is equally if not more important :P. It could all be boilded down to Beserk, weapon mastery, shout and battle orders.
where this build veriates from most other beserk build is that we dont waste the 20 skill points most other do on warcry. Instead we relie on the crowd control skills the barb has and a max block rate.
the skills:
Beserk: 20 skill points
the skill the build is named after, its damage is next to none when it comes to the barb, also the only skill you´ll be able to get these much loved one hit kills hits we so long after. The synergies are higher too than most other synergie damage bonuses most other skills get to. And the reason we use it is because it does magical damage, this is however also one of its weaknesses, seeing as how this most likly is the reason the skill doesnt leech.
Battle Orders: 20 skill points
whats there to say ? it doubles your life ^^, which is why we have it.
The skill also grants a +5 second/level bonus to Shout and Battle Command.
Shout: 20 skill points
def ?? why ? we´re gonna be using beserk half of the time anyways... well thats true but it does give a nice 10% damage bonus pr lvl invsted in it for beserk, aswell as give the 5 second/level bonus to Battle Orders and Battle Command. Apart from that... its party friendly, so what the heck.
weapon mastery: 20 skill points
I dont recammende you try a beserk build of this ones natur without using max block, so pick a weapon mastery that has a weapon that can be used singel handedly. Besically that leaves axe,swords,maces.
I recammende you pick either swords, for the sole reason of this one item called the Grandfather ^^, other than that sword have nice base weapon speeds vs. damage.
Secondary Skills
Concentrate 1-10 (optional using more than 1 point, is a AR question)
you have it as a pre request for getting beserk, its +% to AR isnt to high, but thats the reason we couse a weapons mastery. Basically you´ll be using this skill whenever one of your bulbs get too close to being empty, the reason your using this skill and not just eg. your basic attack is this one comes with a semi good ed %, meaning higher leech values. Also this skill gets +10% Damage Per Level for each point spent in Battle Orders.
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The One Point Wonders ( taken directly from hals guild, seing as he does a better job of discriping them and there uses than I probably could )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Battle Command
BC always deserves a point of investment, just because it is so useful. BC first, then use Shout and Battle orders for a lovely +1 skill boost to both of those when they are cast. BC also receives some nice synergies that make it much more powerful in the patch: +5 second/level boosts from Shout and BO. Thus, once you max those two, you can cast BC, Shout, BO, and then BC again to get the +skill boost to it, increasing all of your skills for a good 4 minutes!
Howl
One of the main issues with playing a Concentrate barb is the fact that it’s a “one enemy at a time” skill; thus, you don’t have much in the way of crowd control. That’s where Howl comes in. When swamped with enemies, a blast from Howl will throw them into a panic, forcing most (if not all) of them to flee from your character. While most of the time this won’t be necessary for your barbarian, thanks to his huge defense, you will run into several occasions where you are pitted against an enemy class that ignores your defense (like Moon Lords, Gore Bellies, and their kin). A quick spamming of this will give you some time to breath, and thin out the mod quite a bit, making it much less frantic and more manageable. This skill works wonders with Taunt as well, and tactics combining the two have been explained in the Gameplay section.
Howl has a limit on its terror inducing ability, designated by the formula slvl + clvl + 1, as compared to the monster’s level. Likewise, certain enemy types, as well as all act bosses, champions, and unique/super unique enemies are immune to this skill.
Taunt
Ok, this is probably going to turn out to be a somewhat lengthy rant. Taunt is, without a doubt, my favorite skill, one that is so under-appreciated that it is ridiculous; it is a skill that has so many applications that I feel it should be a staple for nearly every barbarian made post-1.10.
So what’s so great about Taunt? Here we have a skill that forces an enemy to stop what it is doing and move into melee range to attack you, while lowering his damage and accuracy. While it may not seem too great at first, to an Ironbarb, is an incredible, incredible tool! Following activation of the skill, one of three things is going to happen:
1. The enemy will swing, and the attack will be negated by your blocking;
2. The enemy will swing, and miss, thanks to your huge defense;
3. The enemy will swing, make it past your blocking and defense, but do meager damage, thanks to pdr from the skill and your equipment.
But wait, there’s more! Taunt is also extremely party friendly, allowing you to pull enemies off of your weaker compatriots and onto yourself. You can also use this to your advantage when working with your mercenary, as you can use it to keep heavy hitters off him. Furthermore, taunt works wonders against ranged attackers, forcing them to stop shooting and walk right up to you. AND, you can use it in combination with Howl for some INCREDIBLE crowd control. Howl to scare off the crowd, taunt to pull back the ones you want to deal with as you feel like it. All of this for just ONE point!
Battle Cry
For one point, you get a skill that significantly lowers the damage dealt by enemies and halves their defense, making them much, much easier to hit. Battle Cry has the added bonus of working on nearly everything in the game as well, making it a wonderful tool to use against bosses like Duriel and Diablo and other high-defense, high-damage uniques. Also nice for when you are being mobbed, because even with your defense and equipment pdr, it’s nice to get every possible edge you can in combat in 1.10.
Note: Battle Cry works in PvP.
Leap Attack
Another staple for most barb builds, LA is basically barbarian line-of-sight teleport. Lets you get across rivers, gaps, hills, groups of monsters, and many other obstacles you will encounter in the game.
Find Potion/Find Item/Grim Ward
I’ll just lump all of these together. Find Potion and Find Item are included for obvious reasons…you never know when you’ll score that Zod rune or high-end unique using FI, and FP will let you stock up on potions for long excursions when you don’t have a TP.
Grim Ward is a whoooooole other story. I know most of the readers of this guide would probably see this as a wasted point, but it is actually quite the contrary. GW is a very powerful tool in the right hands. While most of the time, you’ll rather use Howl instead, the ward shores up for Howl’s weaknesses. For example, in close quarters, Howl will scare off the enemies, but if they hit a wall, they will just turn around and come right back, attacking you regardless of the fear. Grim Ward handles this case very well, putting up a defensive zone that nothing will enter for 40 seconds; thus, when the enemies hit the wall and come running back, they’ll just turn around again and scurry off. This is nice to use when you come up against a powerful unique boss as well, giving you 40 seconds to dance with him alone. You can also employ some very powerful tactics involving the ward. Set a few up in a perimeter and any enemies trapped within will become panicked, running back and forth between the wards while you take them apart. It’s also really nice for parties, since you can create safe zones for casters, archers, and throwers, and use it when at lower levels to safely navigate dangerous terrain, or ensure your retreat by throwing one up while on the run.
Battle Cry
For one point, you get a skill that significantly lowers the damage dealt by enemies and halves their defense, making them much, much easier to hit. Battle Cry has the added bonus of working on nearly everything in the game as well, making it a wonderful tool to use against bosses like Duriel and Diablo and other high-defense, high-damage uniques. Also nice for when you are being mobbed, because even with your defense and equipment pdr, it’s nice to get every possible edge you can in combat in 1.10.
Note: Battle Cry works in PvP.
Leap Attack
Another staple for most barb builds, LA is basically barbarian line-of-sight teleport. Lets you get across rivers, gaps, hills, groups of monsters, and many other obstacles you will encounter in the game.
Find Potion/Find Item/Grim Ward
I’ll just lump all of these together. Find Potion and Find Item are included for obvious reasons…you never know when you’ll score that Zod rune or high-end unique using FI, and FP will let you stock up on potions for long excursions when you don’t have a TP.
Grim Ward is a whoooooole other story. I know most of the readers of this guide would probably see this as a wasted point, but it is actually quite the contrary. GW is a very powerful tool in the right hands. While most of the time, you’ll rather use Howl instead, the ward shores up for Howl’s weaknesses. For example, in close quarters, Howl will scare off the enemies, but if they hit a wall, they will just turn around and come right back, attacking you regardless of the fear. Grim Ward handles this case very well, putting up a defensive zone that nothing will enter for 40 seconds; thus, when the enemies hit the wall and come running back, they’ll just turn around again and scurry off. This is nice to use when you come up against a powerful unique boss as well, giving you 40 seconds to dance with him alone. You can also employ some very powerful tactics involving the ward. Set a few up in a perimeter and any enemies trapped within will become panicked, running back and forth between the wards while you take them apart. It’s also really nice for parties, since you can create safe zones for casters, archers, and throwers, and use it when at lower levels to safely navigate dangerous terrain, or ensure your retreat by throwing one up while on the run.
A nice bonus to all three of these skills is that they provide you with a form of corpse disposal, which is extremely useful when facing mobs of resurrecting foes.
Increased Stamina/Increased Speed/Iron Skin/Natural Resistances:
All of these skills provide powerful passive boosts to your character. While in previous versions of the game, it was prudent to play a good 5+ points in Increased Speed and Natural Resistances, this is not the case anymore thanks to synergies. One point in each one is enough; with +skill items, battle command, and good equipment/charms, they will all be upwards of 7 or more with just one point invested.
Leap/Stun
Not really much use in either of these skills; they’re really just pre-requisites.
There now. That should all add up to 110 skill points, the maximum amount you can acquire whilst playing through the game. Since it will be excessively difficult to level past 80 in the patch, I would recommend working on your weapon mastery and bash skills last, as they do not provide much other than increased damage and AR; all of the other skill point investments provide you with useful tools for handling your foes in the patch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
this build is great, Ive enjoyed playing it. I recammende you try it.
more updates to come with time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Introduction
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since 1,10 the ww barb have died out, and so has the barb killing speed, thus most players went else where. Today everbody has a hammerdin, that seems to be the soultion to everybodys problem, or a sorc of some kinde.
Well I wanna put the barbs back on the world map.
My main goals when developing the Beserkers Bard were as follows:
-Getting a high enough dmg for one hit kills
-Obtain maximum blocking
-Reach max resists
-Achieve a decent level of physical damage reduction
-Obtain a pool of hit points/mana to not be using concentrate for the leech
-Go beserk ^^ quote "When you have slain all of your enemies, what is left to fear?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glossary of Commonly Used Game Terms
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
AR: Attack Rating
BP or BPS: Breakpoint(s)
CBF: item property “Cannot be Frozen”
Clvl: Character level
Dual Leech: an item that has both Mana and Life leech.
ED: Enhanced Damage
FCR: Faster Cast Rate
FHR: Faster Hit Recovery
IAS: Increased Attack Speed
ITD: item property “Ignore Target’s Defense”
LL: item property “Life Leech”
MF: Magic Find
ML: item property “Mana leech”
PDR: item property “Physical Damage Reduction”
PMH: item property “Prevent Monster Heal”
Prismatic: a property on an item that gives +all resists
PvM: Player versus Monster
PvP:Player versus Player
R/W: Run/Walk (as in run/walk speed)
Slvl: Skill level
TP: Town Portal
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stat Point Distribution
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strength
Get a base high enough to support the highest str. req. of the eq. you plan on/ wish/dream of using, cuz who know one day it might drop and you´ll be wanting to use it here.
Dexterity
what can I say, that you all havnt already heard ? And for those first timers, get enough dex to keep a constant 75% blockrate. Also take your dream eq. into consideration, if eg. a stormsheild is it be prepered to invest about 222 stat points into dex. I wouldnt recammende you go past the dex amount req. for max block, seing as how beserk get innormous AR boosts.
Vitality
this will be where the rest of your stats will go, the 1 vit for 4 hp is a good deal, and with the BO making the outcome of 1 vit more or less 8 hp you cant go wrong with stat points in here.
Energy
none, barbs energy vs. mana gains are so low it isnt worth spanding stat points in it. I do however recammende you get some either items or charms that boost your mana pool, besically the bigger the pool the more swings you can do with beserk before you´ll be forced to use a conc. to get that bulb back up agian for more beserks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skill Point Distribution
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is what makes the build, and some sick name that fits the theme of a beserker ^^, The basis in this build are DMG DMG DMG... on the other hand being able to stay alive long enough to deal it is equally if not more important :P. It could all be boilded down to Beserk, weapon mastery, shout and battle orders.
where this build veriates from most other beserk build is that we dont waste the 20 skill points most other do on warcry. Instead we relie on the crowd control skills the barb has and a max block rate.
the skills:
Beserk: 20 skill points
the skill the build is named after, its damage is next to none when it comes to the barb, also the only skill you´ll be able to get these much loved one hit kills hits we so long after. The synergies are higher too than most other synergie damage bonuses most other skills get to. And the reason we use it is because it does magical damage, this is however also one of its weaknesses, seeing as how this most likly is the reason the skill doesnt leech.
Battle Orders: 20 skill points
whats there to say ? it doubles your life ^^, which is why we have it.
The skill also grants a +5 second/level bonus to Shout and Battle Command.
Shout: 20 skill points
def ?? why ? we´re gonna be using beserk half of the time anyways... well thats true but it does give a nice 10% damage bonus pr lvl invsted in it for beserk, aswell as give the 5 second/level bonus to Battle Orders and Battle Command. Apart from that... its party friendly, so what the heck.
weapon mastery: 20 skill points
I dont recammende you try a beserk build of this ones natur without using max block, so pick a weapon mastery that has a weapon that can be used singel handedly. Besically that leaves axe,swords,maces.
I recammende you pick either swords, for the sole reason of this one item called the Grandfather ^^, other than that sword have nice base weapon speeds vs. damage.
Secondary Skills
Concentrate 1-10 (optional using more than 1 point, is a AR question)
you have it as a pre request for getting beserk, its +% to AR isnt to high, but thats the reason we couse a weapons mastery. Basically you´ll be using this skill whenever one of your bulbs get too close to being empty, the reason your using this skill and not just eg. your basic attack is this one comes with a semi good ed %, meaning higher leech values. Also this skill gets +10% Damage Per Level for each point spent in Battle Orders.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The One Point Wonders ( taken directly from hals guild, seing as he does a better job of discriping them and there uses than I probably could )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Battle Command
BC always deserves a point of investment, just because it is so useful. BC first, then use Shout and Battle orders for a lovely +1 skill boost to both of those when they are cast. BC also receives some nice synergies that make it much more powerful in the patch: +5 second/level boosts from Shout and BO. Thus, once you max those two, you can cast BC, Shout, BO, and then BC again to get the +skill boost to it, increasing all of your skills for a good 4 minutes!
Howl
One of the main issues with playing a Concentrate barb is the fact that it’s a “one enemy at a time” skill; thus, you don’t have much in the way of crowd control. That’s where Howl comes in. When swamped with enemies, a blast from Howl will throw them into a panic, forcing most (if not all) of them to flee from your character. While most of the time this won’t be necessary for your barbarian, thanks to his huge defense, you will run into several occasions where you are pitted against an enemy class that ignores your defense (like Moon Lords, Gore Bellies, and their kin). A quick spamming of this will give you some time to breath, and thin out the mod quite a bit, making it much less frantic and more manageable. This skill works wonders with Taunt as well, and tactics combining the two have been explained in the Gameplay section.
Howl has a limit on its terror inducing ability, designated by the formula slvl + clvl + 1, as compared to the monster’s level. Likewise, certain enemy types, as well as all act bosses, champions, and unique/super unique enemies are immune to this skill.
Taunt
Ok, this is probably going to turn out to be a somewhat lengthy rant. Taunt is, without a doubt, my favorite skill, one that is so under-appreciated that it is ridiculous; it is a skill that has so many applications that I feel it should be a staple for nearly every barbarian made post-1.10.
So what’s so great about Taunt? Here we have a skill that forces an enemy to stop what it is doing and move into melee range to attack you, while lowering his damage and accuracy. While it may not seem too great at first, to an Ironbarb, is an incredible, incredible tool! Following activation of the skill, one of three things is going to happen:
1. The enemy will swing, and the attack will be negated by your blocking;
2. The enemy will swing, and miss, thanks to your huge defense;
3. The enemy will swing, make it past your blocking and defense, but do meager damage, thanks to pdr from the skill and your equipment.
But wait, there’s more! Taunt is also extremely party friendly, allowing you to pull enemies off of your weaker compatriots and onto yourself. You can also use this to your advantage when working with your mercenary, as you can use it to keep heavy hitters off him. Furthermore, taunt works wonders against ranged attackers, forcing them to stop shooting and walk right up to you. AND, you can use it in combination with Howl for some INCREDIBLE crowd control. Howl to scare off the crowd, taunt to pull back the ones you want to deal with as you feel like it. All of this for just ONE point!
Battle Cry
For one point, you get a skill that significantly lowers the damage dealt by enemies and halves their defense, making them much, much easier to hit. Battle Cry has the added bonus of working on nearly everything in the game as well, making it a wonderful tool to use against bosses like Duriel and Diablo and other high-defense, high-damage uniques. Also nice for when you are being mobbed, because even with your defense and equipment pdr, it’s nice to get every possible edge you can in combat in 1.10.
Note: Battle Cry works in PvP.
Leap Attack
Another staple for most barb builds, LA is basically barbarian line-of-sight teleport. Lets you get across rivers, gaps, hills, groups of monsters, and many other obstacles you will encounter in the game.
Find Potion/Find Item/Grim Ward
I’ll just lump all of these together. Find Potion and Find Item are included for obvious reasons…you never know when you’ll score that Zod rune or high-end unique using FI, and FP will let you stock up on potions for long excursions when you don’t have a TP.
Grim Ward is a whoooooole other story. I know most of the readers of this guide would probably see this as a wasted point, but it is actually quite the contrary. GW is a very powerful tool in the right hands. While most of the time, you’ll rather use Howl instead, the ward shores up for Howl’s weaknesses. For example, in close quarters, Howl will scare off the enemies, but if they hit a wall, they will just turn around and come right back, attacking you regardless of the fear. Grim Ward handles this case very well, putting up a defensive zone that nothing will enter for 40 seconds; thus, when the enemies hit the wall and come running back, they’ll just turn around again and scurry off. This is nice to use when you come up against a powerful unique boss as well, giving you 40 seconds to dance with him alone. You can also employ some very powerful tactics involving the ward. Set a few up in a perimeter and any enemies trapped within will become panicked, running back and forth between the wards while you take them apart. It’s also really nice for parties, since you can create safe zones for casters, archers, and throwers, and use it when at lower levels to safely navigate dangerous terrain, or ensure your retreat by throwing one up while on the run.
Battle Cry
For one point, you get a skill that significantly lowers the damage dealt by enemies and halves their defense, making them much, much easier to hit. Battle Cry has the added bonus of working on nearly everything in the game as well, making it a wonderful tool to use against bosses like Duriel and Diablo and other high-defense, high-damage uniques. Also nice for when you are being mobbed, because even with your defense and equipment pdr, it’s nice to get every possible edge you can in combat in 1.10.
Note: Battle Cry works in PvP.
Leap Attack
Another staple for most barb builds, LA is basically barbarian line-of-sight teleport. Lets you get across rivers, gaps, hills, groups of monsters, and many other obstacles you will encounter in the game.
Find Potion/Find Item/Grim Ward
I’ll just lump all of these together. Find Potion and Find Item are included for obvious reasons…you never know when you’ll score that Zod rune or high-end unique using FI, and FP will let you stock up on potions for long excursions when you don’t have a TP.
Grim Ward is a whoooooole other story. I know most of the readers of this guide would probably see this as a wasted point, but it is actually quite the contrary. GW is a very powerful tool in the right hands. While most of the time, you’ll rather use Howl instead, the ward shores up for Howl’s weaknesses. For example, in close quarters, Howl will scare off the enemies, but if they hit a wall, they will just turn around and come right back, attacking you regardless of the fear. Grim Ward handles this case very well, putting up a defensive zone that nothing will enter for 40 seconds; thus, when the enemies hit the wall and come running back, they’ll just turn around again and scurry off. This is nice to use when you come up against a powerful unique boss as well, giving you 40 seconds to dance with him alone. You can also employ some very powerful tactics involving the ward. Set a few up in a perimeter and any enemies trapped within will become panicked, running back and forth between the wards while you take them apart. It’s also really nice for parties, since you can create safe zones for casters, archers, and throwers, and use it when at lower levels to safely navigate dangerous terrain, or ensure your retreat by throwing one up while on the run.
A nice bonus to all three of these skills is that they provide you with a form of corpse disposal, which is extremely useful when facing mobs of resurrecting foes.
Increased Stamina/Increased Speed/Iron Skin/Natural Resistances:
All of these skills provide powerful passive boosts to your character. While in previous versions of the game, it was prudent to play a good 5+ points in Increased Speed and Natural Resistances, this is not the case anymore thanks to synergies. One point in each one is enough; with +skill items, battle command, and good equipment/charms, they will all be upwards of 7 or more with just one point invested.
Leap/Stun
Not really much use in either of these skills; they’re really just pre-requisites.
There now. That should all add up to 110 skill points, the maximum amount you can acquire whilst playing through the game. Since it will be excessively difficult to level past 80 in the patch, I would recommend working on your weapon mastery and bash skills last, as they do not provide much other than increased damage and AR; all of the other skill point investments provide you with useful tools for handling your foes in the patch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
this build is great, Ive enjoyed playing it. I recammende you try it.
more updates to come with time.