Remaking PvM Frenzy. Best Optimization?

[DeadInside.DOA]

Well I just "finished" my first Frenzy Barb and he was great fun until I reached Hell. Once in Hell my killing speed was greatly slowed (weapons were Baranars and Horizons Storm) and he came close to death often unless I potted or Lifetap managed to kick in. Now that i have the equipment I orriginally wanted I am going to remake him and tweaked hopefully just enough to make him how I want him. However before I remake him I need some help fixing the problems I ran into with him last time being slow killing speed and his resists not being wonderful. Basically I want him as my main pvm char and I will be doing countess runs, trav runs, and probably key finding with him. May even take him to Uber Trist some time ;) Now for what I will be doing with him is this the best Skill Setup?

1 Leap Attack
1 Berserk (for immunes)
1 Iron Skin
1 Natural Resist
1 Shout (will have +3 to this skill to make it 4 after Arreats, this enough?)
20 Frenzy
20 BO
Now would the next 20 points be better spent in a mastery or in berserk? Mastery grants critical damage but maxing Berserk would increase Frenzies damage and make it extra powerful for killing bosses/immunes. Which is the better choice here?
Next I need to either max Taunt or 2x Swing for Frenzy Synergy. I supose which ever of the two doesnt really matter so I will probably max 2x Swing so my attack will be stronger against mana burn baddies.

Here's the equipment I have planned out. One problem which my last barb had also is a lack of CB.

Helm-Arreats
Armor-Duress Dusk Shroud
Ammy-Highlords
Belt-Tgods
Boot-Goblin Toe (not Gores so I can have higher CB)
Glove-Dracs
Ring-Raven
Ring-Open (anything to compliment whatever I am lacking)
Weapon 1-Oath Eth Scourge (if max a mastery I will be maxing mace)
Weapon 2-Schaefers (Tried to get Storm Lash for CB but is tough to find. I do hope to eventually get it but am not sure when so I am not including it in the build.

So with Goblin Toe and Duress I will have 40 CB. My last barb didnt have Duress so this is already an improvement but its still not very high. Will 40 be enough or should i swap Arreats for Guilumes? That will give me great CB but I lose resists and 2 to all skills and 4 to combat skills.

I hope to get some help with my skill choices and my CB question so I can begin remaking my Frenzy Barb soon. I am open to suggestions about equipment but I play ladder so plz dont tell me to just get CoH, Beast and Doom and pvm will be easy. Ty for any help and if anyone hasnt tried a Frenzy Barb yet you should they are alot of fun :thumbsup:

[Omikron8]

Every single barbarian needs a mastery maxed, whether its conc or ww or frenzy or double swing or thrower or whatever, except singer or bowbarb. Seriously if you don't max a mastery you lose HUGE amounts of AR, 22% critical strike and a nice damage bonus.

Taunt should never go beyond one point on any barb, except a singer

On a physical barb build weapon mastery >>>>>>>>> synergies, except battle orders for concentrate since every barb maxes BO (unless they are an idiot)

With my dual axe frenzy barb i did

20 bo
20 frenzy
20 axe mastery
20 double swing
10 shout
rest in nat res/speed/leap attack

If you really want a PI backup get 2x baranar or 2x gimmershred on switch, berserk is a waste for any 2x weapon barb, i don't even put one point in it for 2x weapon barbs due to the requirement of 3 prerequisites of the middle branch of the combat skills tree

Gores > Goblin Toe for pvm, you lose 10% CB but gain more double damage and run/walk which the lack of WILL annoy you very much.

Schaffer's is obsolete in 1.10/1.11 due to stormlash, you should be able to find a crappy ED regular stormlash for a fairly cheap rune price.

No barb should dare take off arreat's, with the exception of some pvp CoA barbs

Second ring requirement will be manald heal due to lack of mana leech, my frenzy barb uses death ettin which gives 7% leech so he uses 2x raven because barbs have horrible AR problems in hell even with maxed frenzy + maxed mastery, and angelic combo = no CBF and no highlords

[DeadInside.DOA]

Ty very much for your tips! I think that clears everything up. One last thing though, in Uber Trist wont it be hard to target the Ubers without Berserk because Frenzy will be hitting all the minions also?

[chubbypuppy]

In another thread someone posted that he thinks once u trigger frenzy, u can switch to double swing and still benefit from all the +ar and +dmg, in addition to the speed. omnikron or halcient, do u guys know if this is true? Thanks!

[Mehatesmaphackx]

Try using indestructible weapons, in my experience frenzy eats up durability like crazy.

[Omikron8]

In another thread someone posted that he thinks once u trigger frenzy, u can switch to double swing and still benefit from all the +ar and +dmg, in addition to the speed. omnikron or halcient, do u guys know if this is true? Thanks!

The AR and damage of double swing will always be derived from the skill itself, regardless of how much your frenzy is charged up. The speed of the double swing on the other hand IS boosted by a charged up frenzy. This is due to frenzy boosting the attack speed of any swing attack (not whirlwind) when you charge up frenzy and switch to another combat skill (or regular attack). This is often what i do for big crowds of small monsters where even a 6 fpa frenzy has trouble cutting through, charge up with frenzy and then hold down shift and double swing.

[Taz]

Skills:
20 frenzy
20 mastery of choice
20 BO
20 Shout
1 in nat rez, inc speed, ww, berzerk, bc
the rest in iron skin or inc speed.
Synergies are not worth of any skill investment with 8%ed per skill point.
Stats:
the usual str&dex - enough for gear, eng - none, rest - vit
Gear:
Imo, achieveing arround 1.5-2k medium dmg makes ~30%cb enough, anything more helps only to improve kill speed vs bosses and doesn`t justify losing rezists/pdr/speed etc.
Treachery armor makes a nice option for a frenzyer. Of cource duress/fort makes a better option but only if u don`t lack ias/pdr/rezists.