Lagromancer and killing bosses?

[n00b1977]

Heres my lagromancer NL
20 SM
20 RS
20 CE
1 Amp
1 IM (for PvP)
1 Decrep
1 Summon Resist
1 Bone Armor
20 ish points saved
misc prereqs.

Stats:
90ish Str
170ish Dex (for max block with homo)
rest vit (I think Im at about 1026 Life)

Gear

Um Shako
Mara
Archon Engima
Trangs Gloves
Trangs Belt
Marrowwalk
2 sojs
2 Homonculus
Beast in a berzerker axe
Arm of King Leoric
Anni

Merc Gear - A2 NM Might Aura
Gaze
Shaft with Fal so I can use Bonehew
Eth Bonehew with Amn+Eth

Right now my party is made of 12 Skeletons a Gumby and my merc. Im not interested in making more summons as it seems this character can handle almost everything. The problem I have is this character really sucks at killing baal, diablo, and probably DC.

I was concidering investing points in iron golem and making him with IK maul socketed with eth+eth.

Will this help me kill bosses faster and safer?

Also as far as the skill IG I have heard some people say that its better to but 1 point in IG and max mastery instead what are the pros and cons about this?

Thanks

[Necrochild313]

The fastest way to kill a boss is to set up your merc with crushing blow gear. The IK maul has crushing blow but in my experience he doesn't live as long/land as many hits as he should.

My current merc for my venomancer uses this gear:

Upped etherial hone sundan "sheal amn hel"
A guilluimes face with an IAS jewel
A duress armor

This gives him 95% crushing blow, the most a merc can have. I will tell you that he eats through bosses faster than anything I've ever seen.

You're hone sundan doesn't need to be upped or eth to be effective, it's still damn nice exceptional for it's 45% crushing blow.

As far as IG goes, 1 pt and max mastery would be the best way to go, as damage return is relatively useless now, and more points into the golem does not increase his health.

[Myrakh-2]

The problem I have is this character really sucks at killing baal, diablo, and probably DC.
...
Will this help me kill bosses faster and safer?

What kind of problems?

My own Skelemancer has 13 warriors, 13 magi, and Gumby (of course :-)). He finds killing Andy, Duriel, Mephisto, Diablo and Baal rather boring, since there isn't really anything going on: cast Gumby at the boss, cast decrep, and wait a bit. Refresh the decrep. I also put in firewalls (I'm using a TO build atm --- building an MF necro, but not yet completed).

Because of the game being too boring, he was looking for a new hobby. Spawned three diablo clones so far, got three annis. Main asset here are Revives with crushing blow; other than that, Diablo clone really DOES manage to kill skeletons (without using iron maiden). And mind you, this is a cheap ladder Skelemancer --- gear bought for pgems and a lum, no SoJs, not even prevent monster heal on the merc.

There is one thing that's different from what you read about other chars (I've never had a successful char until I made my first Skelemancer last ladder): I don't kill diablo clone in less than 30 seconds. I don't even kill baal in less than 30 seconds. But I kill everything without ever getting anywhere near "trouble", with diablo clone being the only monster in the whole game that's still some kind of challenge.

So, maybe you need to describe your problems a little more :-) If it's just "speed" you are after: CE versus normal monsters, crushing blow on the merc for bosses. I don't have a CB weapon for him yet --- I would probably keep that around for DC killing; maybe this will enable me to do DC without using Revives.

[INyCxT]

put one point into mage and one into revive.

why you say? to revive urdars, blunderbores, gorebellies, maulers, etc etc.

those monstesr have crushing blow. your plus skills should give you about 10 revives.

since you have enigma, teleporting to durance, palace cellar 1, river of flame should be no problem for you.

get them, cast decrep on baal, get the cold mages, get the clay golem.

baal will be so slowed that he will almost never attack.

teleport onto him then back off as your minions, especially the crushing blow dudes destroy baal.

DC doesnt take much longer.

my skellies are lvl 46, SM 46, 24 revives, and 11 mages. i usually dont get the revives, but for baal or dclone, i usually stunlock them so they dont move at all.

8 player pwnage of baal and DC in less than a minute.

[n00b1977]

I'm more complaining about the speed at which the character does it not the effectiveness. Yet he can safely kill ball but it takes about 3-4 minutes, which is slow compared to the time and safety you have when wandering the game with the lagromancer.

[INyCxT]

revive 10 urdars. teleport onto baal

3-4 minutes?

try 30-40 seconds.

[Necrochild313]

basiacally, as you can see from the posts above, the trick to killing bosses quickly is crushing blow.

[INyCxT]

in addition hell baal has roughly four times more hit points than hell diablo so there ya go, that explains why ti takes so long.

check out arreat summit

[n00b1977]

Ok I've done some testing and IG made with IK maul < Clay Golem. The slowing of the enemies keeps you safer and even with and eth eth in the IK maul the dudes CB is amlost unnoticable. In conclusion in case of a boss kill that needs to go fast get Udars.

Another question about CB monsters. Do the Udar like monsters in act2, Bishbones or whatever, have CB as well? Also, do Claw Vipers have CB as well?

Thanks for the help.
Long live gumby!

[Mad Mantis]

Another question about CB monsters. Do the Udar like monsters in act2, Bishbones or whatever, have CB as well? Also, do Claw Vipers have CB as well?

All the Urdar type monsters have CB. Claw Vipers do not.

[Necrochild313]

the crushing blow looking effect from claw vipers is actually graphic indication that you've been "charged" (hit with thier charge skill). Pindleskin and his buds do that as well.