Zealadin Vs Hammerdin PLEASE HELP ASAP!!

[Moosie]

Hello, I just came back from a long DII break and me and my friend decided to team up and get back in action. He wants to make a necro and I was wondering what would be a nice combo? I figured Pally cause of the auras. But i'm not quite sure which to go with. I'm kind of new to Pallies so I have a few questions.

Can anyone give me some pros/cons and also how well each does without godly gear/with and how much their effectiveness scales with gear?

I'm also open to any other character that would duo well with a necro. I was also thinking about a strafezon just because they sound fun, but I don't know anything about them :sad2:

Thanks,
Moosie

[NarmoTheArapino]

Hammerdin would be better than a Zealot in nearly every aspect. And since you've came back from a long break, I'm guessing you'll be starting out fresh. Hammerdins are good, even w/o nice gear.

I suggest you look at captain_bogus' Hammerdin FAQ. It's a very good guide for people who come back from a long break.

Off topic, but whenever I see someone who comes back from a long break, I feel like giving myself a hit in the face for not preserving my old account. If I just preserved it, I wouldn't need to worry about having currency for non-ladder <_>;;

Gah!

[Muzzy Roberto]

I think a Zealadin would work better with your buddy's Necro. A summoner and a Zealot will work in tandem better than a hammerdin/summoner. Summoners can't really help a Hammerdin. Zealot/Summoner would be a much funner team.

[Eilo Rytyj]

yep, while the hammerdin's concentration aura will provide more of a damage bonus than fanaticism (halved bonus for party), but the necro's ampify damage, decrepify and life tap work great with a zealot, no curse will aid the hammerdin's damage directly. fanaticism will ensure that your friends skellys always hit their mark (AR), and hard too.

The ultimate PvM combo would be something like a zealot and summoner, zealot with Last Wish (Might) and Exile (Defiance), running (Fanat.), necro with a full army, one merc a normal act2 offensive (Bless Aim) with Pride pole(Concent.), Bramble armor (Thorns), the other merc normal act2 defensive (Prayer) with Infinity (Convict.). 8 auras running in total, 7 party auras, 1 enemy aura. No immunities.

[Ken the great]

I actually had an encounter with a PnB necro and Hamerdin team. I was dueling them with my zealer (no tele) and they just messed me up with the bone prison from nec, then the hammer would park right next to me and pummel me with hammers.

Just my opinion, summoners whom show up to duels with an army of minions, are idiots. Its total BM!

The word 'duel' implies 1v1 or 2v2 3v3 and so on. NOT 32v1 or 30v2.

Anytime I've been in a duel game, and a summoner showed up trying that, he gets nk'ed till he leaves, and I'm glad to do it!

[Moosie]

Thanks for all the posts, but i'm not quite convinced yet. Can anyone give me more hard proof/better breakdown, maybe some math or something? I know it's a lot to ask but I just don't want to level something to 99 and find out it sucks for me and my friend.

Btw, anyone like my mini moose? =P

[Bladewind]

Zealots/Smealots/Zsmiters are waay more fun in PvM period.

Hammerdins are overpowered and waay boring. Go hammerdins if you don't like a challenge, sure they require skill to aim hammers but once they hit lvl69 for nigs their nearly untouchable and can kill almost anything with a few hits or even 1 for the rich.

Zealots must always be careful all the time at least, heck even with the most immortal zealot u can get if u get IMed in half swing during zeal that is your death warrant. But hey i wanted a challenge so dying a few times aint no biggie to me !

[MegaFlame]

I still think that as your very first hammerdin is the way to go. You'll find that zealers or other melee builds are weak as hell without good items, which you do not have.

[Bladewind]

Guil face < 10 pgems. Heck i sold mine for 3 pgems.
Gore riders: Pul to Um. NM elditch and shenk dropped em twice on me. :)

with crushing blow working it magic ye can kill almost any non PI. I know because i killed monsters with CtA flails by accident. :P