never hear about Famine

[toolthegod]

In all the years of D2, I've only made 3 paladins. Charger, zealot and a hammerdin.
I've looked for a few days now, and all I see is eth botd zerk this and eth botd zerk that. :yawn:
true you do see a few others, but here, and in other forms it's all about the eth botd zerk. ( I'll prolly make one too if I find a eth zerk. ) :whistle:
But, I've looked at the mods on a Famine runeword, and it looks good.
now, wouldn't this be a sweet choice for a Elementalsit? ( I forgot what you guys call them) Great phys. dmg. and great elemental dmg too. But you ever hear ppl talking about this. I've only seen one person trading one too.
I have a 4 socket LM now, but I think I'll wait till I find a 4 socket zerk for the IAS. OR, with the right gear could I get the last break point with a LM? (can I even reach it with a zerker?) I've looked at the FAQs and have found nothing about. Zerk, or LM? What do pro's think? He's be mostly PVM, but I like to test chars in PVP too.

[Ash Housewares]

Famine is one of the runewords I noticed early on as a great pvm weapon, ITD, PMH, good damage, ias, and ALOT of elemental damage, it could work really well pvm if you wanted to make it, its just less flashy than some of the others, I would rather make Doom or Beast for their "neato" factor and that might be true of others

[toolthegod]

If I can get the runes, I'll use doom on my merc. and Beast would be for the fanat, right? But if my merc has HF, do I really need the xtra ias from beast?

[Any1]

The reason you don't hear a lot about Famine...

Famine (Fal + Ohm + Ort + Jah)
+30% Increased Attack Speed
+320-370% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Ignore Target's Defense
Adds 180-200 Magic Damage
Adds 50-200 Fire Damage
Adds 51-250 Lightning Damage
Adds 50-200 Cold Damage
12% Life Stolen Per Hit
Prevent Monster Heal
+10 To Strength

...is that there more popular runewords that use the same high level runes:

Jah: Enigma (teleport)
Ohm: Exile (Defiance aura + Life Tap + Repair), Doom (Holy Freeze aura), Call-to-Arms (Barbarian Cries)

It is a great runeword nonetheless.

[toolthegod]

True, true. But, if you have all of those, doesn't famine sound good for a Elementalist? ( I forgot the name again.)
other then botd, doom, and beast, what weapon would be better for this kind of build. keep in mind I'll be useing lots of elemental dmg charms too.
btw, on exile, I know use a eth shield, BUT, with +'s to dmg, or resist?
I would say resists. but then again, like I said, I've only made 3 pallys before. :lol:

[Any1]

True, true. But, if you have all of those, doesn't famine sound good for a Elementalist? ( I forgot the name again.)
other then botd, doom, and beast, what weapon would be better for this kind of build. keep in mind I'll be useing lots of elemental dmg charms too.
btw, on exile, I know use a eth shield, BUT, with +'s to dmg, or resist?
I would say resists. but then again, like I said, I've only made 3 pallys before. :lol:

It would be a great weapon for an Avenger or Elemental-Zealot.

As far as Exile goes the perference seems to be with resists, but if you find an Eth Vortex with +60%ED...you better believe it gonna get the runes. You can always get the resists from other places (i.e. charms, armor, circlet, etc.).

[sir goatscelot]

Yes the build is called the elemental zealot which was created by nickodemus222 back in 1.09. With famine and maxed conviction it's still viable. Zerker axe is the most popular because it's the best choice considering req's. range, dmg etc.

[danc133]

I agree famine is kinda like vengence on a stick. I want to make one in a phase blade (indestructible) as I suspect the repair costs would be kinda high. I'd rather gamble my gold then repair stuff.

[inkanddagger]

making it on a phase and using conviction sounds like that weapon could be a nightmare to anyone up against it. might do it myself.

[Diminished-Soul]

Uh ya nice thoughts on phase blade, cuz it can only be made in axes and hammer weapons.

Hope that helped some.

[danc133]

Uh ya nice thoughts on phase blade, cuz it can only be made in axes and hammer weapons.

Hope that helped some.


OOPS my bad I was thinking about crescent moon.

[toolthegod]

Now all I need is a 4 socketed zerker. I thought about a war spike, but I dunno. :scratch: I'm gonna try this out. with max coviction and LOADS of elemental dmg....
I'll look up break point and everything. reason being is I have a few 1-100 lightning dmg jewels. hmm... :scratch:
hmmm....It sounds cool. I mean do the math, thats is some sick dmg.
as for repair cost, I have a zon that has tons of +gold from monsters.

[Diminished-Soul]

Hmm I was gonna suggest War Spike since it has faster base speed and will require less IAS to reach 8fps break for vengeance.

[LovelyGods]

i don't know where u peopl get your information from but 85% of it is wrong.


Nickodomeus didn't create a ele zealot. Infact nobody did. It was just somthing that people tried. SInce it worked with fire / light / cold. Then other people created their own versions. To say that one person created a particular build is outlandish. Like me, i didn't create a liberator build. i just made it the way i think it should be made. But i didn't create the name or was the first person to ever try this.

Back on to famine..

Famine is a pwnage weapon. Not for pvm.
I still use my Famine and i pwn with it. Why you may ask . Because it has elemental / magical damage. More then half of all pala / other classes you duel will not have max resist, Even with max resist this weapon still hurts. Ask some of my friends Hehe...

And alot of you people have alot of misconceptions on what weapon's are used for. If i could i would use a BoTd. not because of its damage but because it adds Attackrating. Since the Eth bug is gone all pala weather they charge / zeal / sacrfice or normal attack, need high attackrating to hit just about anythying. Pvp or Pvm.

The Famine rune word/ although doesn't have any Ar, still carries its own with a mixture of great damage and elemental damage to boot.

BoTd is slightly better because of the high damage / ar. But is by far more costly.

The ultimate weapon possible for any pala would have to be a Upgraded Rare war axe to zerk with 400+ed / Max damage per char lvl / max ar per char lvl and other mods. This weapon would pwn any Eth BOTD zerk axe.

But i've yet to see one.

But do not over look famine, it has many good qualties that still are good. Just because everyone uses Botd doesn't mean you have to hehe..

once people start to realize that there are other weapons that do more damage then botd ( ie. famine / rares) then the botd cost will drop, and others will rise.

So the top weapons in my opnion would be Best to Worse

1. Rare Zerk with 400+ed / Fool's Mods ( lo , 40/15, or Um.)
2. BoTd Eth Zerk
3. Famine Zerk

Now that rare weapon is nearly impossible to get and 1% of people have seen one. So its not likely you will find it in any pvp game. BoTd is widly used because of Damage / ar. But most people over look famine because BOTd has more resale appeal. famine has more damage in some cases, So I still choose famine over some botd. But i would rather get a Uber Rare.

Mr.GoDs :worship:

[Killfrenzy]

famine=bstar on crack!

[sir goatscelot]

As far as the name elemental zealot goes, maybe nickodemus222 did not come up with name, but he did perfect the build, wrote the guide, and answered the questions people had concerning it. The guide was posted on this site in 1.09 and as far as 1.09 Pali's go, this imho was the most useful and well rounded build for the Pali class. So to sum up, we guys might not know 85% of the things we talk about, but we do know at something after all :)

On another subject, I do not believe it's a Moderators place to say what you did about the posters here. You could have simply said, "I believe some of the information here is incorrect" etc etc, and gone on to support your position. This is not a flame and just mho, so this all I will say about this. Happy gaming all :)

[WvX_leader]

famine=bstar on crack!

Etheral zoded bstar > Famine

:lol: brian :clap:

E-star is cheaper too... :drool:

[DemonSlayer]

wow famine is alot better then i thought....ill have to make one and put it on my zealot.

[theBlackKnight]

if you really want that sick elemental / phys damage, throw for the gold and make a throwsmealot using ethereal perfect demons arch.

hahahah pwnt :lol:

[Sir SDG]

I made a legendary mallet famine ..

it worked nice w my conv veng pally but for all the damage obvilion knights would still smoke me w weaken or whatever and I dies just the same in act 4...


melee has been nerfd so far w the bonuses to monsters and weaken spells that its a waste of time anymore to go past act 3. unless your a sorc in pally gear ( aka hammerdin or FOH)

[Shug_Ninx]

I think I speak for all of us when I say that you picked THE WORST weapon to make a Famine out of, and for a vengeance paladin no less? Why in god would you choose to specialize in an attack that gets up to 8 fps and then choose a base 20 weapon for it? Your attack rate is probably so slow that an Impalezon could compete.

[Pent]

lol... @ previous post reply

I think famine beats e-star, since it has 180-200 Magic Damage, ITD, and PVM.
And magical damage on a weapon = ownage :)

btw I have 4 socket zerker for sale, ;)

[sir goatscelot]

Gimmershreds is a nice elemental zealot weapon :)

[iceball_aarf]

Just a note, Fool´s can only appear on rares with up to 300%ed, still you could with some incredible luck craft a 300% BA with the extra 60% from the blood recipe and Fool´s....

[toolthegod]

estar > Famine? wouldn't that be alot slower then famine?
See I knew Famine was a sweet weapon. but you never hear about it.

[memememe173]

Eternity5 Socket Melee WeaponsAmn + Ber + Ist + Sol + SurIndestructible
+260-310% Enhanced Damage (varies)
+9 To Minimum Damage
7% Life Stolen Per Hit
20% Chance of Crushing Blow
Hit Blinds Target
Slows Target By 33%
Regenerate Mana 16%
Replenish Life +16
Cannot Be Frozen
30% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items
Level 8 Revive (88 Charges)


This is something you really never hear about

with BOTD around there is no stand out 5 socket max weapon to make this in

[Antiochous_3]

Hmm, mabey i missed something but lovely gods went on and on about the ar that botd gives and didint even mention that famine gives ITD. Does ITD essentally make it so u dont need ar? I may be completely wrong but thats how i understood it.

[iceball_aarf]

It is because ITD doesn´t work on bosses, champions nor other player characters... and ITD only does so, it ignores the defense of the monster you are attacking, but in the *to hit* formula the lvl of the attacker and the defender are taken into account, so you would still need some AR and/or to be of certain lvl in order to have a good chance to connect the hit.

[YomoKimyata]

Eternity5 Socket Melee WeaponsAmn + Ber + Ist + Sol + SurIndestructible
+260-310% Enhanced Damage (varies)
+9 To Minimum Damage
7% Life Stolen Per Hit
20% Chance of Crushing Blow
Hit Blinds Target
Slows Target By 33%
Regenerate Mana 16%
Replenish Life +16
Cannot Be Frozen
30% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items
Level 8 Revive (88 Charges)


This is something you really never hear about

with BOTD around there is no stand out 5 socket max weapon to make this in

I have never been a big fan of Eternity -- Many of the "good" mods come directly from the runes themselves rather than the rune word. Plus, I think that if you can afford Ber, Ist and Sur and an ethereal 5-socket, then you can afford Zod and Vex and an ethereal 6-socket. Extra credit for being unique, but I don't see this as a particularly useful runeword for the price.

Crescent Moon, however, is a bargain shopper's wet dream...

[memememe173]

I have never been a big fan of Eternity -- Many of the "good" mods come directly from the runes themselves rather than the rune word. Plus, I think that if you can afford Ber, Ist and Sur and an ethereal 5-socket, then you can afford Zod and Vex and an ethereal 6-socket. Extra credit for being unique, but I don't see this as a particularly useful runeword for the price.

Crescent Moon, however, is a bargain shopper's wet dream...
That's what I'm saying. IF there was no BOTD this would be godly, but because there is and there is no weapon that has max 5 better then a max 6 weapon it more or less sucks

[toolthegod]

Now this... :scratch:
4 socket zerker (0)
or
4 socket war spike (-10)
as for eternity, no ias. I think that turns ppl off about that.
...but in a 5 socketed eth scourge :drink:

[Omikron8]

I have never been a big fan of Eternity -- Many of the "good" mods come directly from the runes themselves rather than the rune word. Plus, I think that if you can afford Ber, Ist and Sur and an ethereal 5-socket, then you can afford Zod and Vex and an ethereal 6-socket. Extra credit for being unique, but I don't see this as a particularly useful runeword for the price.

Crescent Moon, however, is a bargain shopper's wet dream...

Eternity seems to be a runeword that blizzard created while the patch designers were high and/or drunk. It costs a Ber and Sur rune (far better spent on enigma or hand of justice), barely gives the damage of a good cruel and gives no IAS !?!?!?!?! Ridiculous, a complete piece of junk unless you are horribly rich in runes and can make anything that you want.

[Any1]

Eternity seems to be a runeword that blizzard created while the patch designers were high and/or drunk. It costs a Ber and Sur rune (far better spent on enigma or hand of justice), barely gives the damage of a good cruel and gives no IAS !?!?!?!?! Ridiculous, a complete piece of junk unless you are horribly rich in runes and can make anything that you want.


Since when is a Paladin in desparate need of weapon IAS (i.e. Fanat Zealot, Liberator. etc.). It's the highest damage weapon attainable without the use of a Zod (better than any Zod-free runeword, unique, set, rare, or craft). Plus the CBF modifier. Plus the revives. Plus 7% LL. Plus 20% CB. Plus 30% MF. I really can't understand why people are constantly putting down this runw-word.

P.S. It's possible to get an Ethereal 300% ED magical weapon with the "of Aging" suffix (indestructable).

[LordDrift]

Yea i'd Go Zod Bugged B-Star over Famine. Slap a Facet or Ohm in it and pwnage

[iceball_aarf]

of Ages is the suffix, and it isn´t possible on ethereals, the best you can hope for is self repair in any of its versions (including replenish for throwing weapons).

[jumbo_SHRIMP]

a 5 socket ethereal caddy with + skills or a 5 socket ethereal scourge would be magical with eternity:
scourge: 29-496 damage
caddy:~238-266(with possible +skills)
not the uberest uber, but pretty nice

phelix

[Rascargil]

somebody just give me an ohm and jah plzzz

[sawse]

I use a Famine Warspike on my Kick-a-sin and it's fantastic! I use a warspike because it doesn't need much ias to max out the attack speed and still has solid re-sale value. Dragon talon is a relativly low dammage attack that is delivered super fast. This distorts the value of famines elemental dammage because it is so high in relation to the kick itself. When you apply that elemental dammage 8 times a second it adds up fast!

Probably the best thing about that character is that after 22 skill points are spent (dt and bos), you can kill anything in the game and you can do pretty much anything you want with all the other points :)