How can I make my build work?

[tl998]

I'm deviating from the norm and going for a pure physical build for my Claw/Shield sin.

I am currently level 76, in nightmare still and have invested the following:

20 TS
1 Cobra
20 CM
1 BOS
1 Fade
1 Venom
20 Shadow master
1 Cloak
3 Mind blast

None in traps at all, and one point in all the prereqs. I have 7 points left over. Note that I am using normal attack as a finisher

Now my shadow is a veritable tank, rarely ever dying, and deals out a healthy dose of damage herself. I'm currently using Jade talon, and plan to switch to Nat's claw once I find one (I won't go into hell before having the whole Nat's set).

In nightmare, my strategy for crowd control is to mind blast a few times to get half of the monsters converted, and then take out the remaining half one by one. By the time the conversion wears off, if the crowd is still too big for my merc, my shadow and I to handle, I'll mind blast some more.

The two things I am worried about for hell is:

1) Will I do enough damage using regular attack as a finisher?
2) How will I deal with PIs?

My immediately thought is using an atma's scarab, but that'd involve getting one :uhhuh: and I'm not sure if I'll ever find one. I have a buriza on switch, but my AR is horribly low (1600 around) do you guys think it'll suffice against PIs? Or should i just convert them and then run past them?

[Bonescorpion]

Venom would do wonders, also maybe a firelizards? With 2 +3 shadow claws, and ur 7 points u would very easily be able to get a decent damage out of venom. It is very difficult to get through hell nowadays doing purely physical, but with some time and patience It is possible, but not easy, gl, maybe find a 5% chance to cast amp claw? Cast amp then switch to jade might work.....

[tl998]

Thanks. Do you have any thought about whether my damage will be enough if I don't use a special finisher? I can probably put one point into any finisher I please, since I am only level 76. I'll level up some more definitely

[tl998]

*bump*

No one has any thoughts on this?

[bleuless]

Thanks. Do you have any thought about whether my damage will be enough if I don't use a special finisher? I can probably put one point into any finisher I please, since I am only level 76. I'll level up some more definitely

can you stand in a crowd? my 72 is already in hell, dying often ofcourse, but i find that NM gets boring. but i am a dtalon build. i think in hell you'll be fine with level 20 TS. you just need to be able to take the hits monsters dish out and elemental attacks. oh, and in hell, everything is in swarms, meaning packs and packs of monsters tightly together. you might have to face few champions, 1 possesed, 2 ghostly all together.

[tl998]

I guess I'll have ot mind blast a lot then. I currently have a level 26 or 27 TS I think after +skills. It's listed as +1800% damage! :D

[machomitcho]

personally i dont think that build will work, but seeing as ur softcore, anything goes... but i have a suggestion u might wanna try. if u like to melee rather than trap (as in my case) Dtail + TS is far superior than any combination of MA skills, in terms of pvm. reason being that Dtail is multiplied with TS rather than added. meaning ur 2000ed TS is mutliplied with 300ed Dtail to dish out that amount of dmg in fire, with a 4 yard radius all around. at level 40/40 u get about 40k for just those 3 charges. if u are interested lemme know and ill fill u in on the details

[tl998]

Well I'm going to try it anyways. Need to level up to level 79 to wear nat's claw, and then I'm heading into hell. I don't think nat's boots are great for kicking damage anyways. But I AM interested in how TS is multiplicative with DTail.