What to do now? Questions of a HC Zealot

[dirtycash]

This is what I'm running:

CoA 2 x um
Up'd Guardian Angel um
Stormlash Shael
Steelrend
Exile
String of Ears (dunno if I should up)
2 x Ravenfrosts
Goreriders (going to up)

So I put points into light resist so I have 95 fire cold light in hell. Poison is 90.
Max block.

20 Zeal
20 Holy shield
20 Fanat
prereqs

I believe I have something like 14 skill points saved up.

I like to smite bosses, but I think that the extra damage isn't needed as most of the damage comes from crushing blow and static.

Ditto to sacrifice. I think Stormlash won't benifit as much since it has all the other goodies. Let me know if I'm wrong.

I thought about getting redemption, but I have none of its prereqs. This would be nice in the Worldstone to clear out Oblivion bodies before the 2nd wave comes. Dolls too.

Even though I have defiance on my shield, I still have to put hard points into it for Holy Shield to get bonus. Am I right on this? Does the synergy work the same as the holy shield bonus? ie. Does it raise def by the same way or calculated differently? The way I'm thinking it would be like double holyshield. Each go up by 15% each point.

I thought about getting holy shock because I already have points into resist light, but I think I'd like to stay with a normal zealot.

I have 22314 def right now before upping Gored and maybe string. I really would like for everything to have a 5% chance to hit me, but I am not sure how much def that would take. Also I guess it depends on my level, since currently I'm only 82.

Any suggestions? Am I completely missing something?

TIA!!

[belth]

The Defiance aura from Exile doesn't synergize Holy Shield - I tested my zealot with cubemod before I built him on ladder and tested Exile and HoZ - had higher defense when cast HS using HoZ and switched to Exile, than just casting HS with Exile.

[Radu]

If you have no point into Redemption, you definately must allocate at least 1, it a wonder skill! All the rest points can be allocated to Defiance, as synergy for Holy Shield.

[dirtycash]

If you have no point into Redemption, you definately must allocate at least 1, it a wonder skill! All the rest points can be allocated to Defiance, as synergy for Holy Shield.

Thats what I was thinking. Just get redemption, and start maxing defiance. Do you know how the synergy bonus works?

[Radu]

http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/skills and http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp for any issue regarding the game.