2 barb builds.

[submerge]

This is the build that my current barbarian character is working off of. Thank you very much, Halciet, for making an excellent conc barb guide.

Skills:
20 Mace Mastery
10 Iron Skin
1 Increased Stamina
5 Improved resistance
1 Howl
1 Taunt
5 Battle Cry
20 Shout
20 Battle Orders
1 Battle Command
1 Bash
1 Stun
20 Concentrate
1 Berserk
5 Leap

Stats:
Str: enough for EQ
Dex: enough for max block
Vit: everything else
Energy: not a drop

Weapon of choice: Excellent hammer with 'Doom' Runeword.

Before you yab at me about Zerker axes with botd on them, remember: I don't ever expect to get my mitts on a BOTD. Doom seems much more achievable as a final weapon (though it will still be a ***** to find), and hammers get a 1.5% damage bonus to them for each point of strength, just like a 2 handed weapon!

Shield: Either a stormshield or whitstan's guard.

Anything else: well, I'll figure something out. you all probably know better.

think it could use some tweaks? this allocates 112 skill points... but I can't remember if you get 111 or 112..... if it turns out to be 111, I'd ditch one level of leap.

Theoretical Build: Zerker barb

20 Howl
20 Shout or Battle Orders + 1 battle command
20 War Cry
20 Stun
20 Berserk

This would work off of the strategy of howling, chasing down a foe, stunning them, then finishing with berserk. War Cry could be used in easier fights or emergencies. Damage resistance and blocking would be a MUCH bigger focus in this build than defense, because zerking barbs have that nasty penalty.

I have war cry set to at target number of 20 so you can stun effectively all the way into hell.

This build probably won't work too well, but I think it would be worth a shot.

Comments?

[Evil Monkey]

If you plan on going all the way to lvl 99, you will have 110 skillpoints at your disposal with Den of Evil/Radament/Izual completed on all difficulties. I'd diminish either Leap or Natural Resistances.

For barbs, Stormshield has no equal especially not Whitstans Guard.

The ability to stun can be useful, but I'd leave it all to War Cry.

[sheepe2004]

Weapon of choice: Excellent hammer with 'Doom' Runeword.

Before you yab at me about Zerker axes with botd on them, remember: I don't ever expect to get my mitts on a BOTD. Doom seems much more achievable as a final weapon (though it will still be a ***** to find), and hammers get a 1.5% damage bonus to them for each point of strength, just like a 2 handed weapon!
Doom rw use more hr's than botd so it will be more expensive not less. The str bonus is more like 1.1 or 1.2% and axes get a hidden 50% ed to demons iirc to make up for it. If you want a good cheap weapon try oath small crescent (if your ladder if not a bad botd is cheap anyway)


20 Stun

dont bother, warcry is much better at stunning, its quicker and stuns all the nearby enemys and doesnt need to hit/not be blocked. Use those point to max bo/shout instead of just one.

edit: put one point in mastery at least