chubbypuppy
10-04-2004, 06:06
I really like hydras, but they are underpowered in comparison to meteors, due to the following factors:
1) Hydra's 2 sec delay timer is very long.
2) Hydra's 10 sec lifespan is too short.
3) Hydras takes a look around before starting to spit after they arrive, adding to the delay.
4) Hydras are stupid. They like to spit at fire immunes (or at walls with a monster behind it). They are really determined to try the impossible.
5) Meteor's synergies are much better, gaining 5% of damage instead of 3%.
6) Fireball is synergized by meteor and not by hydras. This makes for a weaker support fireball when using hydra.
7) Meteor has a residual burn that is actually comparable to hydra's damage.
8) Some hydras actually ask for stock options and medical plans, while others chew on the carpet.
Having said all of that, hydras are just plain fun, and they excel when everyone runs from Gloams. Here's the best build I've been able to plan for Orb and Hydra is as follows. Total skill pts 97. I don't want to call it a guide, because this post pales in comparison to the excellent guides out there. Maybe it will help some people, since some people do ask for guides to seemingly obvious guides like pure blizzard or pure meteor.
With +10 skills you will have:
Orb 415-435, -115% cold resist
Hydra 1155-1323 per spit
Fireball 1051-1173
With +12 skills, you will have:
Orb 445-466, -125% cold resist
Hydra 1332-1517
Fireball 1226-1360
Fire:
Warmth 1
Firebolt 1
Fireball 15*
Enchant 1
Hydra 20
Firemastery 20*
Lightning:
Static 1
Telekinesis 1
Teleport 1
Ice:
Frozen Armor 1
Orb pre-reqs 5
Frozen orb 20
CM 10
* If you want more fireball damage so you can spam fireballs to help the hydras, put 20 in fireball and 15 in fire mastery instead. The hydra damage will hurt though.
If you actually like the build and go past level 86, then put the rest of the points into fireball or fire mastery, whichever one you did not max. To maximize hydra damage, pick fire mastery over fireball.
Stats:
Ever since I discovered the changes in Energy Shield and toughness of monsters, I've changed my builds. I used to always go for high mana, no block, ES builds. No more. Now I go for max block, high life, no mana. Orb and Hydra both do not need mana, being timered spells.
Str: Whatever your eq requires. In general, 80 natural points is enough, with annihilus and all that pushing you past 100 for Skullders.
Dex: What you need for max block. In general I put 2 pts per level into here when I level.
Vit: The rest.
Ene: None. Blue coolade tastes good and Orb/Hydras are cheap manawise.
So in general, when I level I put in 1 str/2 dex/2 vit. Just a rule of thumb though. Actually the first few levels I put it all into str so I can wear my Hsarus boots and belt (super nice newbie eq).
Levelling:
Recently I've been playing the game more and rushing less because it's more fun, and also I read someone's post who made a statement that stuck in my mind. He (I think it was a he) said "What's the rush? More endless Baal runs?". When you play in a party, the levels come reallly fast. You don't even notice it and you are level 24 already, then you can go on your baal runs :)
I really like to do tomb runs once I am able to. They are very fun, not narrow like Arcane, and very good exp. I like it over act 3 because act 3 maps are just crazy, and I keep getting lost.
To help my new sorcs, I always keep the following items on my mules.
+3 ice blast staff, level req 6
+3 fireball staff, level req 12
Leaf (Tir Ral) runeword made out of a +fireball staff. This will take you easily into level 30s or to whatever you will use at the end.
To find these staves are not that hard. Make normal games with a higher level guy until you get an act 2 town map where Drognan is next to the town exit. Run in and out until you find these staves. The hard one of course will be to find a +3 fireball staff with 2 sockets (remember, only white or gray staves, no blue staves). If you get a +2 fireball one, it's good enough.
I've read you can also use things like completed Killiam's Will (act 3 mace with the parts, which supposedly can do crazy newbie damage), Hellforge hammer, the completed act 2 quest staff, etc. All are good.
Level 2: Warmth
Level 3: Fire bolt
Den of evil: Frozen armor
Level 4: Ice bolt
Level 5: Save
Level 6: Static, ice blast. (equip ice blast staff)
Level 7: Telekinesis
Level 8: Frost Nova
Level 9-11: Save
Level 12: Fireball (equip fireball staff). You will use this spell until you get the orb.
Level 13-17: Fireball
Level 18: Teleport, glacial spike, Enchant.
Level 19-23: Fireball
Level 24 and on: Here it gets a little fuzzier. You can do the blizzard prereq, or more into fireball. I suggest that your fireball should be strong enough to be useful until level 30, so do the blizzard prereq, then save up the points until level 30, when you will get all of your major skills all at once.
Equipment-wise, no special recommendations. Obviously, since I pump dex for blocking, I use a shield. I like Lidless wall for the +1 skill and faster cast (which helps for fireball only), and even 40% block is better than nothing. You can also go for the other usual stuff like Mosers. If you want Stormshield, you need to adjust your str investment.
Mercwise, my personal favorite is the act 2 holy freeze. This sorc is dual type, so you don't need a might merc to do the physical damage. Hydras also work slowly, so having the monsters gather around the merc is good for the hydras. Good (and reasonable) equipment for the merc is rockstopper/duriel shell/reaper's toll socketed with Amn.
That's it. I hope this is useful to someone. Typed this up to promote hydras (they are getting fat sitting on the sofa at home). Remember, this is a fun build, although I believe viable. Just not as brutal as other sorc builds, and requiring patiences for the hydras to work. I usually end up using the orb because it's so efficient.
1) Hydra's 2 sec delay timer is very long.
2) Hydra's 10 sec lifespan is too short.
3) Hydras takes a look around before starting to spit after they arrive, adding to the delay.
4) Hydras are stupid. They like to spit at fire immunes (or at walls with a monster behind it). They are really determined to try the impossible.
5) Meteor's synergies are much better, gaining 5% of damage instead of 3%.
6) Fireball is synergized by meteor and not by hydras. This makes for a weaker support fireball when using hydra.
7) Meteor has a residual burn that is actually comparable to hydra's damage.
8) Some hydras actually ask for stock options and medical plans, while others chew on the carpet.
Having said all of that, hydras are just plain fun, and they excel when everyone runs from Gloams. Here's the best build I've been able to plan for Orb and Hydra is as follows. Total skill pts 97. I don't want to call it a guide, because this post pales in comparison to the excellent guides out there. Maybe it will help some people, since some people do ask for guides to seemingly obvious guides like pure blizzard or pure meteor.
With +10 skills you will have:
Orb 415-435, -115% cold resist
Hydra 1155-1323 per spit
Fireball 1051-1173
With +12 skills, you will have:
Orb 445-466, -125% cold resist
Hydra 1332-1517
Fireball 1226-1360
Fire:
Warmth 1
Firebolt 1
Fireball 15*
Enchant 1
Hydra 20
Firemastery 20*
Lightning:
Static 1
Telekinesis 1
Teleport 1
Ice:
Frozen Armor 1
Orb pre-reqs 5
Frozen orb 20
CM 10
* If you want more fireball damage so you can spam fireballs to help the hydras, put 20 in fireball and 15 in fire mastery instead. The hydra damage will hurt though.
If you actually like the build and go past level 86, then put the rest of the points into fireball or fire mastery, whichever one you did not max. To maximize hydra damage, pick fire mastery over fireball.
Stats:
Ever since I discovered the changes in Energy Shield and toughness of monsters, I've changed my builds. I used to always go for high mana, no block, ES builds. No more. Now I go for max block, high life, no mana. Orb and Hydra both do not need mana, being timered spells.
Str: Whatever your eq requires. In general, 80 natural points is enough, with annihilus and all that pushing you past 100 for Skullders.
Dex: What you need for max block. In general I put 2 pts per level into here when I level.
Vit: The rest.
Ene: None. Blue coolade tastes good and Orb/Hydras are cheap manawise.
So in general, when I level I put in 1 str/2 dex/2 vit. Just a rule of thumb though. Actually the first few levels I put it all into str so I can wear my Hsarus boots and belt (super nice newbie eq).
Levelling:
Recently I've been playing the game more and rushing less because it's more fun, and also I read someone's post who made a statement that stuck in my mind. He (I think it was a he) said "What's the rush? More endless Baal runs?". When you play in a party, the levels come reallly fast. You don't even notice it and you are level 24 already, then you can go on your baal runs :)
I really like to do tomb runs once I am able to. They are very fun, not narrow like Arcane, and very good exp. I like it over act 3 because act 3 maps are just crazy, and I keep getting lost.
To help my new sorcs, I always keep the following items on my mules.
+3 ice blast staff, level req 6
+3 fireball staff, level req 12
Leaf (Tir Ral) runeword made out of a +fireball staff. This will take you easily into level 30s or to whatever you will use at the end.
To find these staves are not that hard. Make normal games with a higher level guy until you get an act 2 town map where Drognan is next to the town exit. Run in and out until you find these staves. The hard one of course will be to find a +3 fireball staff with 2 sockets (remember, only white or gray staves, no blue staves). If you get a +2 fireball one, it's good enough.
I've read you can also use things like completed Killiam's Will (act 3 mace with the parts, which supposedly can do crazy newbie damage), Hellforge hammer, the completed act 2 quest staff, etc. All are good.
Level 2: Warmth
Level 3: Fire bolt
Den of evil: Frozen armor
Level 4: Ice bolt
Level 5: Save
Level 6: Static, ice blast. (equip ice blast staff)
Level 7: Telekinesis
Level 8: Frost Nova
Level 9-11: Save
Level 12: Fireball (equip fireball staff). You will use this spell until you get the orb.
Level 13-17: Fireball
Level 18: Teleport, glacial spike, Enchant.
Level 19-23: Fireball
Level 24 and on: Here it gets a little fuzzier. You can do the blizzard prereq, or more into fireball. I suggest that your fireball should be strong enough to be useful until level 30, so do the blizzard prereq, then save up the points until level 30, when you will get all of your major skills all at once.
Equipment-wise, no special recommendations. Obviously, since I pump dex for blocking, I use a shield. I like Lidless wall for the +1 skill and faster cast (which helps for fireball only), and even 40% block is better than nothing. You can also go for the other usual stuff like Mosers. If you want Stormshield, you need to adjust your str investment.
Mercwise, my personal favorite is the act 2 holy freeze. This sorc is dual type, so you don't need a might merc to do the physical damage. Hydras also work slowly, so having the monsters gather around the merc is good for the hydras. Good (and reasonable) equipment for the merc is rockstopper/duriel shell/reaper's toll socketed with Amn.
That's it. I hope this is useful to someone. Typed this up to promote hydras (they are getting fat sitting on the sofa at home). Remember, this is a fun build, although I believe viable. Just not as brutal as other sorc builds, and requiring patiences for the hydras to work. I usually end up using the orb because it's so efficient.