not hearing "max block" for skelemancer

[Etemenanki]

I read the great 1.10 skeleton warrior/amp/might/CE guide on this site. I read it up and down, and from reading it I can tell the guy knows what he's talking about. Except for the max block thing.

First of all, I play my Skelemancer on Hardcore. Assuming I use Homunculus, best case scenario, I'll need like 200+ points into DEX by 99. Realistically that's almost 200 points, because hardly anybody makes it to 99. So that's like, what, 350-400 hp I'm giving up, and for what? When am I ever going to use this max block anyway? Minions are supposed to take the heat, right?

I need the hp for things like Gloams, lightning enchants, cold enchants, fire enchants, etc. etc. etc.

Anbody with a high level skelemancer actually find physical attackers more life-threatening than the things I mentioned?

[gvandale]

It's all about personal preference. Max block can really save your hide at times, but sometimes it's not that important. As you mention, your army is your 'blocking'. I've gone back and forth on this. Some of my summoner's have it, some do not.

Which guide did you read?

g

[Etemenanki]

Which guide did you read?


http://strategy.diabloii.net/news.php?id=509

[gvandale]

his build is not what is considered a standard skellymancer in today's terms (odd since he coined the term).

his build utilizes some melee aspects. with this in mind, then maxing block is a good idea.

now-a-days everyone maxes rs / sm / ce and curses, and lets them do the killing.

to boil it down:
if you go melee, max block
if you don't melee, dont max block

g

[Etemenanki]

On a side note, I've read you can block Diablo's lightning hose. True?

[Daimyo]

The lightning hose is half physical, half lightning damage. It's likely that the physical portion of the damage can be blocked.

[gvandale]

On a side note, I've read you can block Diablo's lightning hose. True?
assassins can block that, and other spells as well. afail, nobody else.

daimyo: that's the dmg, doesn't make it blockable.

g

[GenXCub]

My stand on max block:

I had the bone armor + marrowwalk bonus and max block and I wasn't touched... ever... however, I think with the bone armor as strong as it was, I could have done without it, added more to VIT to handle being hit by the big elemental damages.

At level 86, I still had 1000hp, max block and maxed resists in Hardcore hell difficulty, so I truly think it depends on your style.

[Myrakh-2]

The first Skelemancer I made on the old ladder used "max vita, no dex". He made it to clvl 90 before the reset, the last 15 or so levels with normal play (i.e. no baalrunning other than soloing through WSK to get to baal).

The one I'm making now on the new ladder uses "max vita, no dex". Go figure what I think about blocking :-)

As you said, I find Black Souls the most dangerous beasts in the game, and their lightning is both piercing and nonblocking. Resists and life, life and more life shines. I was killed once by them, and had a few close calls, so my handling of them still needs some improvement.

I'm naturally afraid of dolls; I don't think I ever got hit by a doll expliosion: their range is somewhat limited compared to the black soul lightning :-) Don't know whether this can be blocked; it doesn't need to blocked as it is easy to avoid.

The attacks that DO hit me and COULD be blocked are javelins from those spearcat-type monsters. These are often found in the Shenk area. Still, with max vita I can take a few of them, so I don't think blocking this deserves 200+ points in dex. Dim Vision can cut down the number of javelins in the air :-)

Other than that, there is the occasional getting hit by a meteor or the meteor splash, a lightning or blizzard in travincal, or even a cold death explosion (although I can usually avoid this). For all of this, blocking is useless, and vita+resists are much more useful. I find that 1K+ life along with decent resists (not Paladin-style 95/95/95/95, though :-)) provides a decent safety net in just about any area; it's really just the black souls that are REALLY dangerous.

It has something to do with playing style as well: in act 1 I tend to run around a lot, both to pickup lot while the battle is still going on, and to direct my skellies to the shamans. I cut down on this "running around" as the act number increases, staying closer to my skellies and retreating immediately when I see a monster pack. I never let myself get swarmed; even rushing into an a1 or a2 "room" is still a planned action: getting visual first, thinning out the crowd at the door, then slip through, hide in a quiet corner, and cast gumby in front of me should an enemy decide to approach.

I still get hit by the occasional enemy missile, but that's nothing to worry about as it just chops off a little bit from the top of my red globe. With lots of vita and no blocking I'm feeling a lot safer than with a lot less vita and max blocking, since there ARE elemental attacks and magic attacks...

This is, btw. a TO-based build. I have not yet been able to collect the gear for a unique- or even runeword based Skelemancer, and I'm still working on TO (and Arm) for the new ladder...

[AlienForce]

I feel Max block allows me to play a little more aggresively than no block. If there are a group of monsters just up ahead, I can run up, cast a couple Attracts and DV while my skellies meander in. Without block, I'd be playing more of the waiting game, never exposing myself and always trying to stay behind my army. Sometimes that doesent work, you have to move out away from your army to lead it to the point you like.

And also max block's saved my butt on quite a few occasions I've been trapped in a bone prison with a mob (Leoric's curse :rant: ).