my barb - finishing touches

[javasirc]

hello, i recently made a barb, guess its bva, mostly vs casters tho.

Level: 80

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GEAR
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Arreats [Um]
Enigma (archon)
Dungo (34/13)
Grief (zerker)
Beast (zerker)
Dracs (15 str)
Soul Spur
Highlords
Raven (16 dex)
Raven (20 dex)
2x Doom (zerker) {switch}

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STASH
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Treachery (dusk)
Demon Limb
160 Light Resist Monarch
Stormshield [Um]
Wisp (11%)
Dwarf
Tgods
Fortitude (wyrmhide)
Angelics rings+ammy
2x Wizard Spike and 2x SoJs {for baal running}

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CHARMS
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Sorc Torch (20/18)
Anni (19/13)

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STATS
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Str: base
Dex: base
Vit: all
Eng: base

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SKILLS
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(prerequisits)
Leap: 1
WW: 20
BO: 20
Axe Mastery: 20
4 skills above masteries: 1 each

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ILL BE GETTING
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20/xx barb torch
higher dungos
20 dex raven
3/20/20s

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RESISTS
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Fire: 23
Cold: 51
Light: 105 (75 cap)
Psn: 21

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NOTES
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dracs+torch+anni+soul spur = 103 str, exactly enough to use archon enigma.

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QUESTIONS
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1. Should i go with Coa over Arreats?
2. How can i get my resistances up? (without the anya quests, as i hear its glitched)
3. Ive been hearing something about Increase Speed. Can someone tell me about it, and any breakpoints i should reach?
4. Does Warcry have any decent effect at all? (i tele on them, warcry, then ww, and it seems to do absolutly nothing, *should stun like mind blast, as it says on the skill*)
5. Can someone give me some tips about using Leap?
6. Where do my skill points go now?
7. Is there anything else i can do to improve my barb?

[Volvagia]

My first post in quite some time, here goes..

Answering your questions..

1. I would keep a CoA in stash if you can afford to have both(which it looks like you can), because it's definatly the better helm against windys, and some prefer it over Arreat's against smiters and other melee chars.

2. I didn't know Anya was glitched, but if so, since resists are only a problem against sorcs, I would keep a pair of rare fcr rings with some good resists in your stash to speed up the tele, and give some resists. Also, against sorcs especially, have an Arach's handy, the +1 skills will raise your resists a little more assuming you put a point in nat resist, and 20 fcr never hurts when chasing down a sorc.

3. 1 point in increased speed is fine, against casters you'll be using tele (plus enigma has 40 frw), and against other melee, especially bvb, you dont want to run fast. Faster running = less ww hits.

4. Warcry is useless in pvp, except maybe against summoners who like their iron maiden. But they can still be beaten without warcry. Waste of a point IMO. If you want to stun, invest in leap.

5. Max leap. You'll be able to stun opponents offscreen, hopefully with a namelock, allowing a quick tele+whirl. Biggest tip, dont leap offensively, you'll end up leaping into a hammer, fireball, blizzard, etc. and dying. Leap in place, and let them come to you. With leap maxed you'll be able to stun them offscreen, and with a namelock+quick tele, they're gone.

6. As I said above, max Leap. You'll never regret it.

7. Follow what I said about the extra equipment in stash, and my leap advice, and with a little practice, you'll be fine. Also if you havn't perfected the triangle whirl, gets some tips, or better yet someone who can do it, to coach you on it. And finally, get a Widowmaker. It's GA skill is the best harrassment tool out there, especially against hammerdins trying to trap you, and fire/light sorcs who like to shoot from a distance.

My first time back to the forums in awhile, so I don't know for sure, but if mcm's "barb fights on video" is still floating around somewhere, watching it would definatly help you. Visual demonstration is always the best teacher.

[Halciet]

You don't really need to max leap, just make sure you have somewhere between 19-22 points in it with your +skills. Otherwise, I agree with the rest of the above advice.

-Hal

[sorceressgod]

the amount of dex on raven frost wouldn't matter for a barb.

unless you are a bow-barb or you depend on it for block rate. if it's 15 dex and 250 AR raven frost, you own a godly ring there :P.

[javasirc]

Dont each dex point add 10 attack rating tho? On single player, i was trying it out and for each dex point i put on, ar went up 10.

[Halciet]

Each point in dex raises base ar by 4, which is a horrible trade-off, considering that you can get items that will raise your base AR by over a thousand. Much better to put the points in vitality; the only reason to invest in dex is to equip weapons or obtain max block.

-Hal

[javasirc]

Im having trouble against wind druids and blizz sorcs.
I can usually kill everyone else, but once a wind druid or blizz sorc comes, i have a lot of trouble.

Druid: Once i kill their oak and wolves, they tele away and resummon them.

Sorc: I can never get to them. No matter what i use, blizzard kills me in 1-2 hits. In the rare case of me getting to them, they use blizzard on top of theirself, and i die.

Can anyone give me a good strategy to kill them?

[Omikron8]

Stack cold res like crazy against blizz sorcs

every damn source you can get, as long as you can still teleport and whirl well :)