Best PvM Character and Class?

[Voldomort]

I was just wondering what is widely considered the best character, class, and uber build is widely considered to be the best PVM class in D2?

I've build a Necro up to 32. I built a bone mage/skelly hybrid, and was dissapointed with the results. I want a hell difficulty PvM character. Keep in mind I'm not gonna have uber equipment.

I hear good things about a Zon and the Were druids. Can someone help?

Thank you.

[GenXCub]

There is no correct answer to this question. It really depends on your playing style. My favorites are Assassins and Necromancers, but I think I play all classes well.

[Subby_man]

Although they're tons of them, Hammerdines are awesome PvM. With max blessed hammer and synergies and concentration you will have upwards of 9000 dmg per hammer with some plus skills items like a shako (cheap nowadays), Skullders, HOZ (little pricey) a +3 pally weapon or HOTO if u can afford it. Just make sure you have decent FCR to keep those hammers going. My Liberator (Hammer/Charge) pally can solo hell and do solo hell baal runs.
Hammerdines are over powered, so If you need a little more challenge. My Furyzon rocks too. She uses Thunderstroke and full Disciple gear. She can solo hell a5 but cannot do her own Hell Baal runs (Lightning Immunes).

[Voldomort]

Pally with hammer, I assume is hammerdines.

Do you have to have an uber hammer to be affective?

I've also heard that Sorcs are overpowered.

Thanks guys, can I get builds for these characters?

[Anthraquinone]

Hammerdins don't use hammer-like weapons, they cast magic hammers using the spell "Blessed Hammer". Most often, they wear weapons that give a faster cast rate.
Blessed Hammer info (http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/skills/paladin-combat.shtml#blessedhammer)

-AnQ

[Voldomort]

Cool, thanks. I'm glad this is the n00b board, because I woulda got so flamed elsewhere, lol.

[Amburn]

*warning* *personal opinion forthcoming*

I've just restarted playing D2 about 1 month ago. I had played 1.09 quite a bit, but left the game just before 1.10 came out :cheesy:

I've relied on *this* forum a ton for advice and guidance...and if you're willing to consider the words of a fellow newcomer then read on...

My goals upon returning to the game were two things, stockpile quality gear so that I can attempt any character type/build down the road, and have characters capable of adroitly achieving any quest at any difficulty level.

I started with a barbarian; the high defense/shield wearing/low damage variety that is pretty good at killing any one monster, but not so good at killing mobs (and when was the last time you can remember not being mobbed). I worked him to level 75 before becoming frustrated at my lack of 'crowd control' ability, then parked him. BUT - now I had a maxed battle cry barb that I could use with my next character to buff them for bosses.
[pause]
:drink:
Next I started a Meteor/Fireball Sorc. This, IMHO, is the most dominant wealth-producer in the game with ABSOLUTELY no peer. As I played through with her I was frustrated by my inability to kill fire immunes and gave in to the temptation to pump up Frozen Orb a bit. I've second guessed dropping points into the pre reqs for frozen orb, then 5 or 6 points directly into the skill, but at level 85 it's not so bad to be able to help my Act 2 Freeze Aura merc kill fire immunes with the odd ice blob. If I could do it all over again (and isn't that Diablo's most Apropos subtitle: Diablo 2-Doing it all over again,and again)
I would do 1 thing and do it very VERY well. All Fire All the time, and when the fire immunes pop up I'll have teleported 6 screens away. Getting to hell and through it was no problem - and when it became difficult, my abandoned barbarian would log in on computer #2 and pump my life/defense levels to near-unkillable levels. Hell Mephisto. Master the art of teleportation, and all of Mephs many hang-points and the wealth of diablo is yours to trade horde and barter. Once you can serial kill Meph, all that's left is to improve your magic find gear and keep your breeding-like-rabbits mule accounts current.
:drink:
Finally, with my wealth producer in place, and my parked buffer in tow, it was time to build the hammerdin. Hammerdin with 90 to resist all in hell is formidible to say the least. Once you have this 3rd and final character in place at level 80, your stable is full. He can handle Diablo, Ancients, and solo baal without difficulty. You can now serial rush your mules to Hell Hellforge ad naseum and have the ability to trade for any item you can think of to attempt any esoteric/unusual character class or template your heart desires.
now try your assassin
try your singer barb
make 4 different necro builds
make that rolling boulder druid that you've always dreamed of
go nuts! you have the resources to make it all happen.

Thanks for getting this far and *damn!* some 'o them there sentences were long mutherz!

[Gandalf[RTG]]

Well, that was the longest non-guide post I have seen. :clap: I'm in a simmalar situation with a simalar build. I did take the rout of adding points into frozen orb and a few into cold master, just because I can't stand not being able to do EVERYTHING, yes I could let my merc do the job, but thats not time effecient enough for me so I chose the meteorb build found on the sorceress strategy page. I must say that without decent all around gear there isn't alot you can do on your own. At lvl 80 nm mephisto owns me and I don't know why :scratch: maybe I don't have enough % chance to block, maybe my defense is too low, maybe my resistances are too low, maybe I put more into dex of what should have gone to vit, I just can't tell. Maybe someone could help me out with this, I am considering starting this char over and putting more into vita than dex this time through, just not sure if it will solve my problem so I don't want to waste the time. Any suggestions?

[skilledlord]

i doubt hammerdins need too much fcr. yes they are extremely strong but hard to control fer the newcomers. i've mad one my self and some times i find monsters in the corner tat are more difficult to target. sorcs are godly i would say, but also very fragile. i would go with a hammerdin or a bowazon is always fun but with low damage. and skelemancers kill awfully slow in hell. so i would go with a hammerdin or a hybrid sorc. orb/metoer.

[Fercil]

and skelemancers kill awfully slow in hell.Uh? If my skelliemancer kills awfully slow in hell then I don't even want to see what decently fast is because I couldn't keep up. Yes killing Baal/Diablo himself takes some time, though they're totally unable to do anything during that time, but everything else goes down in seconds. You do have might merc, cast amp/decrepify to support your skellies and have maxed both mastery and the skeleton summoning itself right?

[GenXCub]

Like fercil said, it's the support skills you learn to help your skeletons. Very few summoners are without Corpse Explosion and a few good curses like attract.

[yossi512]

i think hammerdins are the best pvms there are
furyzons are great pvm too

[SilentMagik]

*warning* *personal opinion forthcoming*
Next I started a Meteor/Fireball Sorc. This, IMHO, is the most dominant wealth-producer in the game with ABSOLUTELY no peer.

I agree 100%. Plus they are a ton of fun to play. This is not an opinion, this is a fact!! ;) ;)




As I played through with her I was frustrated by my inability to kill fire immunes and gave in to the temptation to pump up Frozen Orb a bit.

I always max frozen orb first and foremost. In nm there are very few (if any) cold immunes and FO will take you to hell with very little effort. In hell start pumping those fire skills.. You don't need 10k fireball to kill monsters fast and a pure fire sorc is somewhat unflexible imo.

The combo of FO and fireball are awesome. Cast orb and while the cast delay throw in som fireballs. For FI/CI bosses do static field and let your merc do the rest.

[Wolv]

There is no correct answer to this question. It really depends on your playing style.

He's right. It depends on what you really enjoy playing.

I have the folowing chars that are all good vs pvm, and are fun:
Furyzon - blows thru packs, a lil slower w/ singles. Defiance Merc + valk make her unstoppable.

Hammerdin - Crushes everything, aiming can be a pain in the *** tho.

Skellymancer - very fun build, w/ so many options esp. when wearing full trang. U stay busy w/ this build. Might merc is huge here. Slower run times than fury/hammerdin

IK WW Barb - Enjoyable, but hardest to keep alive.

Meteor/orb sorc - very good for certain runs. Defiance merc a must. Fun build, but not as good pvm as the above others IMO.

I wanna build a wind druid. I saw a good one cruise thru hell no problemo.

Keeping in mind you wont have uber equipment:
Furyzon is a cheap build (shaft, titans, tgods, etc). Full trang for skellimancer and full IK for barb is cheap now too. If those aren't an option either, skellimancer is prolly the cheapest build.

Overall I'd go w/ a furyzon backed up w/ plague jav.

Good luck :)

[Subby_man]

First decide what class you want to play then check out the strategy guides on diabloii.net for the class you want to play and they'll give your 4 or 5 different build for each class. You choose the one you like or do what I do and mix a few up and make my own.

[Voldomort]

I've decided:

I'm building a MF Meteorb sorc, then a Hammerdin, and after that, I will finally finish my Skelly Necro.

[LorveN]

skelliemancers are the funniest build, and can be done with cheapest equip. You dont really need any items to get skellies that can kill decent, and with dozens of manapotions you can do it all.

However, i wouldnt say skelliemancers are cheap. Ideally.
They are be made damn expensive when "perfect". The Beast runeword does the trick (fana-might-skellies), and the price isnt that low. Most other items for skelliemancers can be bought even with pgems though :)

[probo24]

the best...easy, what ever character im building atm

[Lilly.m]

I've been incredibly pleased with the following 2 builds...both quite able to kick some serious arse completely untwinked :)

Frost Zealot (see guide in pally forum) <--- very fun build IMO. If you have the gear, it's nigh unstoppable.
Fireball/Meteor/Orb sorc...as others have mentioned, great MFer ^_^