Jav/Bow Hybrid Q-Help Please

[slick4hire]

I searched back about five pages on posts, the stickied guides and the strat compendium to check on posts for this topic and came up with nothing so please don't flame me if I missed something with 2 replies posted 2 days after the patch came out...

I want to run a LF/Either Strafe or FA hybrid zon. Has anyone run either one and what stat point allocations did you use that were successful?

According to the skill planner, both look viable on paper (of course, on paper and playing are two different things entirely):

LF/FA
20 points LF
20 points FA
20 points CA (synergy)
various into passives for dodge, evade, valk, and esp pierce

LF/Strafe
20 points LF
20 points Strafe
20 points MS?
various into passives for dodge, evade, valk, and esp pierce

Additionally, for LF/FA hybrid, I was thinking Mavs set with decent shield/titans on switch would be good combination. I have no idea for the strafe version.

Any imput anyone can lend would be appreciated. Thanks!

Edit: I read the guide on poison/plague javs with LF and it just doesn't interest me, maybe I'm poisoned out from my necro...

:flip:

[mgill1772]

yo-

I play a hybrid amazon more then any other character for monster play. I play softcore uswest ladder and it works very well for me, I would do LF and charged strike and then some freeze and cold arow, u could maxed them but i didnt, i also use some multi. really either way will work, i just like freezer and multi over strafe. u can wear nice gear is just depends what u have i guess, i highly recommend some ethereal titans if u can afford them. i use about 240 mf and the same gear in all scenarios cept sometimes throw on a wisp ring for worldstone and frozen river if the gloams are out.

jav is stronger than bow for me in hell, but i can use the bow all the way thru the game if desired, there are lots of options on the hybrid setup, so i think it more depends on what u got to work with.

[In_Remission]

Plan your equipment ahead of time. This affords you to allocate more dexterity and vitality as you approach your mid 80's.

Choose one bow skill. Strafe will rely on dexterity and AR to be effective. Strafe should be 20 before +skill items. Multi arrow can do well with less emphasis on AR and dexterity. Never having used this bow skill, holding back some points as you play and add to the skill as you feel you are lacking. You may find 12 pts before +skill items is the sweet spot for you.

LF and Charged Strike at the least if you are chosing the javelin. The synergy is an added bonus. The 2 skills compliment each other.

The last 2 things to consider will depend on the bow skill you choose/use.

Penetrate? Pierce? Lots of opinions here. Read and see what applies to you.

Last is comment on Etheral Titans. They don't work any better than the non etheral types. Have em used em both, compared them to 200, 198, 188, played with each.....alot. Monsters died just the same. I think the advantage to Titans is the mods, +skills and the leech. You can use cracked javelins to the same effect except no leech. You will miss the bragging rights about your equimpment though.

[Jek]

Having played tons and tons of lightning amazon variants, I've settled on the variant that suits me the best: LF/CS/1Strafe/1FA.

In multiplayer games you'll rely on your party to kill LIs, in solo games you'll be using a combination of jab and strafe/ga/multishot (all at level 1, at least that what I found the most effective). The level 1 FA is there for survival against that Extra Fast, Might enchanced etc etc etc boss pack, plus it's just hilarious with about 100% pierce. EVERYONE GOT THE BLUES!
--This addition allows for a Holy Freeze/Defiance merc, since you'll be able to deal out loads of physical damage, you don't need the physical support as much, but how ever, it's still up for personal flavor (I just find survival>kill speed).

CS synergiered by your other big killer - LF, will be how you handle most bosses, and you'll handle them faster than even a 14k hammerdin, once you reach the 80s..

PS: See if you can get by with a low level pierce, and then rely on +skills and Razortail, it really allows you to power up your attacks quite a bit.

Choose one bow skill. Strafe will rely on dexterity and AR to be effective.

Or just use a good bow like Eaglehorn with the "Ignore Targets Defense" mod, I think it can spawn on rares too.. :)

Last is comment on Etheral Titans. They don't work any better than the non etheral types. Have em used em both, compared them to 200, 198, 188, played with each.....alot. Monsters died just the same. I think the advantage to Titans is the mods, +skills and the leech. You can use cracked javelins to the same effect except no leech. You will miss the bragging rights about your equimpment though.

Often times Ethereal Titans and jabbing will kill LIs faster than strafe/multi/GA/low level-FA.

[GenXCub]

I have a hybrid with FA/CA/LF/Charged Strike. I have FA maxed, CA isn't maxed yet, but I do okay in hell with the LI's. I probably won't put any more.

I use lycanders aim, but I think I'd do well with Wizendraw as well.

I primarily use my Titans to handle everything except LI's.

[urban savage]

my hybrid skill allocation is
20lf
20strafe
20 charged strike
20 penetrate
and 1 into jab and all the passives

my setup is mainly aimed on making my non lf attack as effective as possible because you don't need much to make lf effective only about 80% pierce.

i use a wws at 9/2 speed and with a fast strafe with kb, nothing really touches you.

having never been a fan of frozen arrow because of the mana costs i cant see the point of it. but of course thats just me.
good luck with the build you decide on.

[MhUser]

my hybrid:
20 GA
some pasives
20 CS
20 LF
no VALK
rest in lightning synergies

I kill boss withing seconds with CS
and mobs with LF

and use guided for imunes
i have 2 use guided becouse my AR sucks coock becouse i dont need it for the java tree