Elite Pure Damage Zealot

[cracked sash]

So that I am pleased with the final results of a character, I tend to work out end game gear, resistances, balance issues, and other details "on paper" so to say. Your suggestions are appreciated, details below.

Elite Pure Damage Zealot

Zeal – 20 (105% AR, 5 hits, cost 2 mana)
Fanaticism – 20 (90% ED, 35% IAS, 140% AR)
Holy Shield – 20 Def/blocking bonus
Sacrifice – 20 - Synergy

I will have a few points left over during the upper lvls. I hear investing in Blessed Aim or Defiance with the leftovers, or drop them in a resist aura for the passive bonus. And I will probably put 1 point for Vengance to deal with the Physical Immunes.

Gear

BOTD Berserker Axe --- 540 dmg, 60 IAS, +30 All Attributes, 7% ml, 13% ll, PMH
Cham'd Eth Steel Carapace --- 2586 def, 20 FHR, +52 Cold Resist, DR-11, CBF
Eth Exile Vortex Shield --- 1164 def, lvl 14 Defiance, 61 ED, 108 AR, +2 Off Aura
Um'd Veil of Steel --- 396 def, +65 Resist All +15 str, +15 Vit
Laying of Hands --- 86 def, 20% IAS, +50 Fire Res, +350% Dam to Demons
Eth Sandstorm Trek --- 218 def, 20 FRW, 20 FHR, 49% Poison Res, +14 Str, +14 Vit
MelatGrid Amulet --- +438 AR, +303 def, +34 Resist All
Carrion Wind --- 7% ll, +55 Poison Res, 8% Chance of lvl13 Twister on Strike
Bul Kathos Wedding Band --- 5% LL, life per char lvl, +1 All Skills
Verdungo's Hearty Cord --- +31 to Vit, 14% DR, 10% FHR, 13 replenish Life

ON Switch --- +6 BP CTA, +1 Lidless Wall

18/17/8 Anni, 1 +5 res all sc

Resistances

+30 Anya Quests
+121 Resist All (Veil of Steel and MelatGrid, anni charm/+5 sc)
+50 Fire (LoH)
+52 Cold (Steel Carapace)
+104 Poison (Sandstorm Trek and Carrion Wind)

-100 Res Hell Penalty

Final

Fire- Max
Cold- Max
Lightning- 51
Poison-MAX

With 2 skills that provide AR bonuses I should have a good "to hit" rating. I considered Angelic Set but for PVM I need the resists of the MetalGrid. It looks like I am still going to be hurting for Lightning Resist. The 220 str req on the Armor is very steep, and will cost me some life. I am hoping the CTA, BK ring, and Verdungo's will help balance that out.

The real problem is that the BOTD is off-ladder, everything else is on. So until the ladder closes (anybody have a guess as to when that will be?) I will need to lvl him with another weapon. I know I may have IAS issues with a slower weapon. I have an Azurewrath though the lvl req is steep. I have a 2 soc Heaven's Light that may work well if double Ber'd.

Iron Maiden I fear is going to be a problem as well. I could use a Glimmershread or some kind of bow on switch but my CTA will be taking that slot. I guess I could keep it in my cube.

I have very little plus skills(only 1 from the BK ring), is 1 point in vengance enough to deal with the PI's?

-Sash

[Flaws]

iron maiden is the bane of all phys dmg chars so yeah there is no really proper way to deal with it as a zealot even with using a gimmershred i fear that ur dmg will still be too great for your handle a full set of zeals while iron in on you. on another note the 1 poin in vengence wouldnt usually be enuff..but if u slap on a gimmershred also it will prob be plenty after that..also about your extra points dont worry too much about ar in PvM go for the defense the less ur getting hit the better..you will hit plenty also consider maybe a raven spiral for some duel leech and 15 more resis cuz to be honest light resis is what u need the most in PvM.
-Flaws

[Stoutwood]

Do you think a gimmer would be enough if you say, took off Fanaticism?

[cracked sash]

iron maiden is the bane of all phys dmg chars so yeah there is no really proper way to deal with it as a zealot even with using a gimmershred i fear that ur dmg will still be too great for your handle a full set of zeals while iron in on you. on another note the 1 poin in vengence wouldnt usually be enuff..but if u slap on a gimmershred also it will prob be plenty after that..also about your extra points dont worry too much about ar in PvM go for the defense the less ur getting hit the better..you will hit plenty also consider maybe a raven spiral for some duel leech and 15 more resis cuz to be honest light resis is what u need the most in PvM.
-Flaws

Raven Spiral? that a duped rarre ring off ladder? Well i am trying to make this char on ladder so that is right out. Another suggestion in gear with good lightning res. It's take a few light rez SC's to make up for the light rez.

[Fallen Creation]

I usually keep a bow for backup when I'm in an area with Iron Maiden-casting enemies. A Buriza will do, but I prefer my +5 Guided Arrow Widowmaker :D

[NightBlade]

I assume this is pvm only?

Why don't you use an upped guardian angel instead of the ethereal carapace? You don't need really high defense for pvm...

[blackplague1]

yeah you could always drop those extra points into defiance to make holy shield more defence added so you wouldnt need the high str req armor and could use the g.a for the stats and res and net u more life not having to boost str so much good luck with your build

[AwesomeDude]

Just back off and hurl the Gimmers for PIs, and when you get high enough, a merc with a Reaper's Toll usually takes those out with the decrepify.

[cracked sash]

thanks for the feedback guys.

Thanks for all the tips. Ill keep a glimmer handy to toss while IM'd. Only takes up 2 slots anyway. As for the GA, well its a great armor but if you had an Eth Carapace and an Eth Exile shield would you not want to make a character that could use them. I honestly have never played a pally that was not a Hammerdin. I am more of a sorc/barb guy. But I may want to dabble in PVP later. Right now my pally is lvl 15. So I have a ways to go, but ill get there. So for now my main concern is PVM. And big def is never bad in PVM tho. Why can't i have both PVM/PVP? This set-up lacks DR tho.

The armor has a high str req, true, but it is Eth so that helps, 220 req. I wish I could wear more + str groves and boots but then I would have resist issues. The LoH grants bir fire resist. The only real concern is Lightning resists. I wish I had more items that granted Lightning resist. I have a wisp and a Tgods. But that is absorb, not resists.

As I am planning my character I am getting all these balance issues. The only two items I am fixed on using is the Eth Carapace and the Eth Vortex Exile. The rest of the slots are for resists mainly. Secondly +str which would result in more lifeI know but which is more important? To take care of this lack of life I was trying for BK ring, +6 CTA, and Verdungo's.

The Um'd Veil of Steel is an effort to play catch-up with the lack of all resists. Are their gloves, boots, belts or rings that give just lightning resist? (probably rares right?)

The pally seems more complex than other characters, but maybe it is just new to me.

-Sash

[Metal Mario]

The only thing I see that could be a problem in your build would be the Damage Resist, consider using a CoA with 2x Ber.

Paladins are still complicated and iv'e been lurking on this board 3 weeks. Nice to see that it has one of this biggest communites on the D2 forums though.

[cracked sash]

The only thing I see that could be a problem in your build would be the Damage Resist, consider using a CoA with 2x Ber.

Paladins are still complicated and iv'e been lurking on this board 3 weeks. Nice to see that it has one of this biggest communites on the D2 forums though.

With a dual Ber'd CoA, and Verdungos that would reach MAX Damage Reduction. Only what of resists? The UM'd Veil of Steel is +65 resist all. That seems unreplacable, even with CoA's +35 res all. 2xUM COA is 65 resist all, but the DR is minimal.

All these duelers that us the exile shield with the AR and Dmg mods and zero resistance, how can they deal with elimental weilders, either melee or casting? I am just having a really hard time balanciing this char for Hell mode. Maybe thats just it, they all duel in NM.

-Sash

[LovelyGods]

they dont have resist, because nobody has a elemental zealot.

im gonna make a elemental zealot soon i hope.

[Metal Mario]

How bout CoA with um/ber?

[joer]

haha no one expects an avenger!
my lvl 85 avenger was a 1-hit wonder with an azurewrath.
i killed a dood with ebotd zerker, exile, and coh in like two hits!! :D:D:D
even 15k defense becomes ~1200 under any decent conviction.

in hell the resists are -250(incl -100 hell penalty).

for leveling, and since elite was mentioned, why not an 300 ed eth Zod Ohm'd heaven's light? :D already has 33 cb. or a death cleaver or something.

right now i'm doing something similar but my focus is special mods.

so my equip is like:
stone crusher - shael (40% cb)
duress archon plate (15% cb & 33% ow)
+2 alma negra - um OR uppd HoZ - um
dracul's grasp (25% ow)
verdungos hearty cord
bk ring
ravenfrost
highlords wrath (30%-ish ds by the time u can use it)
gore riders(10% ow & 15% cb & 15% ds)
the jury is out on the helmet but i have andy's visage - ral'd, coa - hel'd for my weakling avenger, or maybe a delerium bone visage or corona.

[Metal Mario]

Would you rather have an addintion 30% resists or 35% DR? Thats all there is to it, I personaly would recomend the DR.

Ive never dueled in NM.

[ROMVS]

The only thing I see that could be a problem in your build would be the Damage Resist, consider using a CoA with 2x Ber.

Paladins are still complicated and iv'e been lurking on this board 3 weeks. Nice to see that it has one of this biggest communites on the D2 forums though.

Welcome to the Pala forum. :thumbsup:

[theBlackKnight]

Chains of honor > eth carapace imho, and draculs will take care of any possible need for you to have leech, freeing up the slot for a ravenfrost.

[NefariousNothing]

Would you rather have an addintion 30% resists or 35% DR? Thats all there is to it, I personaly would recomend the DR.

Ive never dueled in NM.

75% blocking is almost as good as max DR, Imho. The only thing I've ever had trouble with on pure zealots are ranged elemental attackers; ranged just in itself is deadly enough, but unblockable stuff (ie poison, fireballs, orbs, etc) will really tear you up. Just throwing in my two cents worth.

[-$-]

[LovelyGods]

i highly doubt that any venger killed a good zealot in 1 hit.

[Stoutwood]

i highly doubt that any venger killed a good zealot in 1 hit.

Probably not since .09 at any rate.

[ROMVS]

i highly doubt that any venger killed a good zealot in 1 hit.

I thought that is why you are making that new vengeance based pally? :thumbsup:

[Fallen Creation]

No, I think he's making an elemental zealot.... not Vengeance-based by any means...

[Metal Mario]

Welcome to the Pala forum. :thumbsup:

Thanks, I hope to be here for a while, I still need help with my pally build though, then i'll be able to provide a little more help.