Poison/Raven Build Guide!

[MatMan]

I recently tested out a new hybrid Druid that utilizes Poison Creeper and Raven exclusively, with max synergies, on the ladder. I hope this guide proves useful to anyone considering such a build.

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MatMan's Poison Creeper/Raven Strategy Guide, v.1.0

Part I: Overview

This build sucks a big one. Don't even think about it.

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If you have any comments, or feel there were any ommisions, feel free to post them. Sorry I didn't go over equipment; I was pressed for time, and since this was an untwinked ladder build, I didn't really have access to all the phat lewt.

MatMan

[Bob_TheMadCow]

Fool. You're not gonna get very far with just one type of damage, now are you?

Why not max Cyclone Armour and Arctic Blast as well for some cold damage :thumbsup:

[Rauth]

Nonono. Cyclone armor might actually be useful. You have to max Spirit of Barbs.

[MatMan]

You know, the funny thing is, I actually built this guy. Honest. By the time I got halfway through Act II Normal, progress had become so slow, I quit. The one good thing I got out of the experiment, though, was learning how to build an amazingly resilient merc. In fact, my weaker early-game characters (poison or skellie Necros; some Sorcs) now have no problem with Normal Duriel, since all my Act-II mercs can now take him down with no difficulty. (That process might make a decent guide, actually...hmmmm.)

And I find it odd that Raven and Poison Creeper neither provide nor receive synergies with any other skills. They're intentionally useless.

[Rauth]

Ravens can be very useful for pvp. Make those pallys pay for having 75 block. They can send chars into block recovery. This stops them for a second. Very useful. Also makes zons dodge.

Ravens arn't meant to kill anything by themselves. Basically all they do for pvm is blind stuff.

[Mad Mantis]

Poison Creeper is not that useless. It gives a nice synergy to Rabies. :p
But apart from that it sucks.

[Aerath]

And a fully pumped Poison Creeper can take you through Normal quite nicely. After that it'll blow, but the first part of the game it'll be easy as heck.

[Rauth]

Just like a holy fire pala.

[TheGreatStickels]

oh god... I can't believe you are all in here dissing the almighty skill that is Poison Creeper

[skygoneblue]

Hey, Poison Creeper is more useful than a leech skill that drops your damage -75%! :lol:

[Bob_TheMadCow]

its the poor combination we're dissing. Poison Creeper got me through all of /players 8 normal without much trouble. Amazingly good skill. But once your out of Normal, you want to be moving over onto Rabies.

Ravens can also be useful in the right build... just not in a "can't live without them" kinda way...

[Green_Squirrel]

Just like a holy fire pala.

Holy fire pallies are completely viable through Hell.

[TheGreatStickels]

oh god... you people are almost making me want to start playing this game just so you can watch my poison creeper and puppies **** nightmare and beat their way through hell.

[Forcefeedback]

Well, you can, with methodical playing and good tactics kill everything from act2 forward with your merc(I made a windy who hacked his way to Act 5 normal with a Gull :cheesy: ), so I would imagine most characters could hack(melee) their way to nightmare without placing skillpoints.

[Bob_TheMadCow]

My mate did that with a Baba once, and wasn't there an article about a HC sorc doing it (Irene the Infirm?)?

I'm not saying that PC is bad, but that Rabies is better.Rabies needs maxed PC, so you max that first, ASAP. and you can rely on it for quite a lo9ng time afterwards. Sure you could use it in NM, maybe even in hell, but your Rabies at level 1 is doing PC's damage as its minimum damage, and it just keeps getting better. Sure PC is mana effecient and all that, and thats great when you low level, but not really a concern later on.

And I like ravens, but I have better things to be spending my skill points on...

[Rauth]

Holy fire pallies are completely viable through Hell.

They just run around those fire imunes? Hell, the fallen would eat him for breakfast(being fire immune). Unless you mean some sort of hybrid, or have a really kick *** merc. Maybe alot of cb too. But then your not really a pure holy fire pala are you? You become a crushing blow pala(whatever that is) with some fire damage. If theres a way to use holy fire effectively(in other words I better be able to kill something in 1-2 zeals) throughout hell,then I want to know about it.