Skill Options for Aspiring Axe Fighter

[shaftstop]

After a few massicared (sp) Diablo runs and no.... it wasn't me wrecking havoc lol ;)
Some public D runs gone bad heh.
I picked up my probably all time favorite weapon etheral edge, It's no BoTD or whateevr but you can still play d2 w/o BoTD, Doom, Fury ect hehe and have fun ;p
it has near perfect ED dmg but the fire absorb is kinda weak its base so i'd say about 5% off from perf but anyway, Im alittle unsure how to build a good barb around these stats...
Gear I do have is Gaze, Shaft, Tgods, Highlords Ammy, Ik gloves, IK boots a Raven frost but more or less the other ring is empty atm unless I find a good leech/AR ring. I know the gear isn't much but i never said I am rich lol.

Im guessing Whirl Wind is my only shot with this thing?
20WW 20AM (axe mastery) 20BO and rest of my points in pre-requistes and iron skin/natural resistance since i wont have safty of a shield anymore.

PS Dimensional Blade make good 'Honor' runeword for mid level player?

[JohnofTesh]

I don't know if it is going to be as fast as you want for WW even after shaeling it, and I don't know if its range is going to be as high as you might want.


Hal's concentration barb is another option...

I have played a 2-handed berserker using ethereal edge and it is a nice weapon. My build is here:

http://forums.rpgforums.net/showthread.php?t=170153

[memememe173]

2 handed WW last break is -60, so Eth Edge can only hit the second last break with either a 15 IAS jewel or sheal

[shaftstop]

hmm...ok thank you, so possibly WW wont a viable option with this axe for pvp. I'll check around at soem guides have to resort to pvm until I can finda faster weapon...

[Evil ED]

I`d like to suggest you to invest in Battle Orders (you need life) and/or Concentrate (if you`re using a two handed axe) and/or Shout (BIG defence is a good thing to have). You didn`t said anything about life, defence and mana.

[shaftstop]

I`d like to suggest you to invest in Battle Orders (you need life) and/or Concentrate (if you`re using a two handed axe) and/or Shout (BIG defence is a good thing to have). You didn`t said anything about life, defence and mana.
well I haven't really built himyet after alot of trying I've only just finally got this weapon heh
but I'd be doing about;
160str (enough for weapon)
100dex
All vit
engery

I'd be doing
20BO 20Axe 20BO 20SHOUT*??*
I would have to consider pumping up Iron skin and Natural REsistance some due to lack of shield i would need to make up for that else where
Iron skin would need to be atleast 1 point i think with shout.

Im not really concerned about skills itself most are nessary like BO and Mastery So thats easy 40 points used up. Iron Skin I think is just preference
depending on how many +skill items one might have or wether they use a shield or not.
What im concerned about is how to best utilize this weapon for pvp heh since I can only do so much pvm and i dont believe in rushing, I do act1-5 all diffs myself for the most part.
Im wondering if WW would be best but from reading above Ethereal Edge is kinda slow.

[shaftstop]

/bump ^^:

my barbs lv 18, waiting on more info.
with about 15 skill points to use up, im wondering if there might be other options for me to use vs Axe, I rather like Ethereal Edge but if its still gunna be far to slow for PVP even after Shael'd what other viable choices might have? I have a Butcher Pupil I was gunna use for sorta low lvl pvp with Wistan shield.
I've only put enough points right now to keep good vit and enough str to wear sigons heh, if I cant use Ethereal Edge with WW, Im not really fan of zerk because of 0 AR but i thought Con would leave me just a open to a WWing barb in pvp.