Most viable untwinked PvM [poll] [Archive] - Diablo 3 & Diablo 2 Forums

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phor

11-01-2007, 00:20

If you were starting over with a ladder character and chose a barb, How would you build your barb so that you could make it as far as possible in the game? (mostly solo play)

Morathi

11-01-2007, 00:30

i am making a HC Untwinked berserker barb now. They are great fun and very good going untwinked.

SSoG

11-01-2007, 00:56

Best options would probably be as follows:

#1- Warcry/Berserk. Use War Cry to stun monsters, then berserk them while they just stand there.

This is the best option, because it offers huge ED (which makes up for poor weapons from playing untwinked), because it has the best built-in PI and IM solution (berserk), and because it offers a high degree of safety (Taunt + War Cry + Battle Cry = Game over, monsters). Use 2-handed weapons, because a shield doesn't really add anything if everything is already stunned.

#2- Double Throw. Leap = knockback, Howl = flee, Grim Ward = safe haven, Throw = dead monsters.

Probably the slowest of the three options, but having a ranged attack gives you an extremely high degree of safety. Use crowd control (especially Leap) to keep monsters far, far away from you, and then throw them into submission. This route requires lots of repairs and has pretty slow kills, so a lot of people don't find it very fun, but it's definitely viable. Plus, IM is like nothing.

#3- Concentrator. Crank up Shout, Battle Orders, Concentrate, etc.

This option is pretty safe, thanks to the ridiculous PvM defense (even no-twink), but falls behind the other two thanks to the lack of a reliable IM solution (you can use a 1-point Berserk, but you aren't really built for sustained berserking). Outside of IM areas, though, it's very safe and effective.

Morathi

11-01-2007, 02:22

dont forget howl.... with a berserker. If they surround you or your dieing just howl and they run away giving you enought time to get to town, drink potion etc.

SSoG

11-01-2007, 08:28

dont forget howl.... with a berserker. If they surround you or your dieing just howl and they run away giving you enought time to get to town, drink potion etc.
Howl's annoying for two reasons. First, you have to then track down the monsters that you howled away (or taunt them back 1 by 1). With War Cry, those monsters will stop hitting you, but they'll also stand still so you can kill them without chasing them down.

The other annoying thing with Howl is that if they run into any barriers, they'll usually just turn and run right back at you. This is especially true if they run into other monsters. If you're super-surrounded and you howl, not much will happen- the closest monsters will run into the further monsters and then turn around and come back.

Morathi

11-01-2007, 13:13

SSoG

11-01-2007, 14:39

true however if it is HC it is a very handy skill. Not only does is it a synergy for Berserk it allows you to escape bad situations. You may be surrounded and quickly get cursed and some thing which is extra strong/stone skin/ FE/ Special hit attacks you and your life drops to barley a sliver. You cast Howl and the pack breaks (apart from the unique monsters) you run into open area and tp back to town ALIVE.

So you see it is quite useful.

I use Howl a lot for convenience reasons (if I don't feel like dealing with monsters, I'll just howl them away), but I still think that War Cry makes a better panic-button skill. As I said, often times you Howl monsters away only to have them turn around and come right back- with War Cry, they stay stunned no matter what for the full duration. Also, War Cry has a 10% chance of working on Champs and up (while Howl has a 0% chance).

Howl is handy for saving yourself some time, and it's cool that its radius increases, but 95% of the time War Cry is the better option, IMO.

Morathi

12-01-2007, 00:15

you are right but if you look at Nightfish's guide for a HC Untwinked Berserker barb he maxed both War cry and Howl. And that is what i am doing. His skill set up will be.

20 Berserk
20 War cry
20 BO
20 howl.