Not sure how to spend the rest of my skills on my LF Javazon.

[TheMightyGoat]

I built my first Javazon recently. Awesome character, I should've done it earlier. Anyway, I'm not sure how to spend her skill points. I've read all of the guides but I'm still undecided.

Generally I tend not to spend any skills or stats until I need them. As of now she's level 77, and has beaten Hell with 50+unused skills and 150+unused stats (I've since thrown 100 of those into Vitality, 'cause I'm using my end equipment, and I figure I'll need the health sometime). The only skill I've maxed is Lightning Fury.The rest, though, are in need of allocation.

She can kill pretty much anywhere fairly well and doesn't have any problems surviving, but when she runs into something like LI's, obviously, she doesn't do so well. It takes a lot of jabbing to bring 'em down. Likewise with PI's, only because she can't leech and she drains her mana orb in about 5 throws. I find myself swigging down mana potions all the time.

Equipment:
Um'd Gaze.
Upped ethereal Titan's/Stormshield.
Regular Titan's/Stormshield on switch (for when the ethereal Titan's are low).
Cat's Eye (looking for Highlord's).
CoH Wire Fleece.
T-God's.
Rare Crusader Gauntlets; 118 defense, 20%ias, 3%ml, 25%lr, 12%pr.
Sandstorm Treks.
Rare Ring: 10% FCR, 3%ml, 8%ll, 26%lr, 23%fr.
Ravenfrost.
Anni.
Torch.
Javelin GC.

Stats (after equipment):
Strength: 206
Dexterity: 180
Vitality: 270
Energy: 45
Remaining: 65

Skills:
Maxed LF, prerequisites, one in each passive/magic.

My LF damage is 1-1,349. Is that low?

I gather the traditional method of coping with LI's is to max out Plague Javelin/synergies (that is, in lieu of Infinity, which I could acquire but I hate relying on a merc). I'm wondering how efficient a killer that route is and if I might be better off making a hybrid Faith/strafe build?

I guess it wouldn't hurt to beef up Pierce and Valk. Anything else?

Also, I don't s'pose there's anything that can be done about that no-damage-while-dodging-glitch is there? I find this affects my killing speed quite a great deal.

[TheMightyGoat]

I also meant to ask - any ideas on socketing the Stormshield(s)? My resists are maxed in Hell so I'm not gonna bother throwing Um's into 'em. I've actually thought about Tir runes or +mana after kill jewels... but that seems like such a bastardization of a Stormshield for a marginal mana payoff.

This Amazon is built for general PvM, by the way.

[Veilside]

Max out charged strike for boss killing and lightning strike (which is awesome in cows). That should be enough for synergies IMO, if you find your lightning damage too low then put points into the other synergies. Using an infinity merc really is the best option for this char to kill LI's but you could always use an insight merc if you're having real mana problems. Plague javelin can work but it's a little slow at killing and really needs to be synergised to kill very effectively later on.
Only thing to be done about no damage when dodging is to put no point into d/a/e meaning you can't have a walk, use your decoy to try minimize that effect.
Swapping the tgods for razortail is probably a very good option, as is trying to shop/trade/find a rare ring with 5+ml and a hefty mana bonus.
For your stormshield you could always socket it with an ias/xx mod jewel allowing you to possibly use a different amulet with +2 skills/mana/leech etc.

[crawlingdeadman]

your eth titans are running out because you're having to throw more because your light damage is indeed low. at the very least max charged strike for synergy/boss killing. it'll make your pi killing better, since you'll be throwing fewer javs and using less mana.

for li i suggest having more damage of other elemental sources (that will help with killing the li/pi bosses you come across). either demon limb enchant + jab or demon's arch + tiamats rebuke + jab. a bow switch is another option but much of your dificulty, like veilside said, would be taken care of with infinity.

if i remember correctly a lot of LI's are also poison immune ghosts so i dont think those jav skills are the way to go, though i've never personally used them.

[TheMightyGoat]

Well I went and got an Infinity. Put Duriel's and another Gaze on the merc with it. Sure enough, two steps into the Worldstone Keep he was dead. Not even from Souls. Three of those skeleton mages took him down while I emptied my belt with shift on. I don't understand how people center their builds around that damned polearm when the mercenaries are so fragile.

[crawlingdeadman]

i'm a bit confused on your luck there. what kind of mages? i assume they were the lightning ones that your merc's infin was unable to break thier immunity? what kind of aura is he (aside from conviction that is)? what were you doing, were you just waiting for him to kill them? skellitons are unleechable so he's bound to die vs a lot of them that are being revived, but only three seems like a problem...

one more question what kind of pole is it in?

[WrongdayJ]

I don't know if people center their builds around the merc as much as they use the merc for the conviction aura. NEVER rely on an Act II merc to stay alive. Simply cut down as much fodder as you can and hope fully he stays alive long enough for you to kill everything dangerous.

You gotta admit. . .breaking an immunity (or even lowering the resistance) of the type of elemental damage you do is pretty darn attractive if your main source of damage is elemental.

If you don't go with an infinity Merc. . .then you gotta have a real good switch weapon that deals another form of damage than your main type. A tiamats rebuke shield + Demons Arch + Jab usually does the trick nicely.

[TheMightyGoat]

i'm a bit confused on your luck there. what kind of mages? i assume they were the lightning ones that your merc's infin was unable to break thier immunity? what kind of aura is he (aside from conviction that is)? what were you doing, were you just waiting for him to kill them? skellitons are unleechable so he's bound to die vs a lot of them that are being revived, but only three seems like a problem...

one more question what kind of pole is it in?

They were the poison ones. I went in and threw a few bolts, and there happened to be those three left so I figured it'd be a chance to see how well the merc could handle them. I know he can't leech off of them, but the three of them killed him in only a few seconds. He's Holy Freeze. Maybe Defiance would be better.

It's a Grim Scythe. Yeah, it isn't an ethereal CV. I didn't want to restrict his armor/helm with a high strength requirement and I'm hoping that the increased attack speed will make up for the decreased damage in terms of damage per second, as well as possibly promote a more efficient basis for life leech.

I've also maxed my lightning synergies, which does help, but obviously not against the poison immunes.

[xNamastex]

Here are some thoughts:

- do Razortail vs Tgods (you will like the 100% chance to Pierce)
- do Phoenix vs stormshield (no mana/health worries, 350% ED to your physical damage, -35% to enemy fire resists)
- prebuff youself, merc and valk with Enchant from demonlimb (last about 5-7min)
- go with shako (griffs would be more fun)
- highlords, 20%IAS/+2 java skills gloves, 15% RA/15%IAS jewel in helm (55% IAS hits the last feasible bp for this build)
- lots mf charms and mf boots (travs)
- infinity might merc with eth shaft and eth gaze
- 20 LF/20 LS/20 CS/20 valk & rest in 1pt wonders and remaining synergies
....and you are set

[AnimeCraze]

What's your merc's poison resist? Those mages do a lot of damage (if your resist is poor), as far as I know. I usually use duriel's shell for CBF, resist, and +str, so CV's are never a problem. Though, a few seconds does seem a bit too quick.

[TheMightyGoat]

Here are some thoughts:

- do Razortail vs Tgods (you will like the 100% chance to Pierce)
- do Phoenix vs stormshield (no mana/health worries, 350% ED to your physical damage, -35% to enemy fire resists)
- prebuff youself, merc and valk with Enchant from demonlimb (last about 5-7min)
- go with shako (griffs would be more fun)
- highlords, 20%IAS/+2 java skills gloves, 15% RA/15%IAS jewel in helm (55% IAS hits the last feasible bp for this build)
- lots mf charms and mf boots (travs)

- infinity might merc with eth shaft and eth gaze
- 20 LF/20 LS/20 CS/20 valk & rest in 1pt wonders and remaining synergies
....and you are set

I have a spare Razortail, but I'm really enjoying being completely impervious to those damned Black Souls. With 85 Lightning Resist and the absorb from T-God's I can stand in a cluster of them in Hell in an 8 player game and let them fill the screen with lightning with no adverse effect (well, other than the perpetual dodge it creates, making me unable to actually deal any damage against them should I decide to attack).

I have a spare Shako too, but if I were to abandon my Gaze and Stormshield, I'd have no damage reduction (save for 8% or something on CoH). Do you think the skills would really be worth the trade-off?

I've acquired Highlord's since my original post and also maxed LF synergies.

Balls on magic find. Balls right on it.

The rest of your suggestions I will take into consideration. The Phoenix idea is of particular interest.

Anime, my Merc's resists are 65 I think. I also loaned him my CoH to see how he'd do with it. Not much better.

[crawlingdeadman]

shako's got 10%dr too. skills are everything to any caster build (which is what a javazon is essentially). it also has that huge mana and life bonus. it really is that good. ss, not so sure about. if you like it, keep it. i prefer spirit or a sanctuary trollnest myself.

[TheMightyGoat]

What about Delirium over Shako? I found a nice superior bone visage today that would put the defense over 400. It wouldn't give me mana or as much life, and I couldn't socket it with an IAS jewel, but the defense would be great with +2 skills.

[AnimeCraze]

Why would zons need defense? And how can they even get a nice defense, anyways?

[TheMightyGoat]

Well I've switched to Phoenix shield. That completely solved my mana problems. I've never seen cows disappear so fast. I still haven't resolved the merc/lightning immunes thing, but I'm in the process of acquiring a Deamon Arch.

[TheMightyGoat]

One more question. I have 20 skill points left right now with all the synergies maxed. I'm debating whether it's worthwhile to max my Valk, or disperse the skills throughout Pierce/Penetrate (keeping in mind I don't plan on using Razortail). I guess there's no point in raising D/A/E since those piss me off enough as it is. What do you guys think?

[crawlingdeadman]

all of them? so charged strike, power strike, lightning bolt, lightning strike, and fury?

[DudSpud]

One more question. I have 20 skill points left right now with all the synergies maxed. I'm debating whether it's worthwhile to max my Valk, or disperse the skills throughout Pierce/Penetrate (keeping in mind I don't plan on using Razortail). I guess there's no point in raising D/A/E since those piss me off enough as it is. What do you guys think?I vote for pierce. 1pt in a synergy gets you, what, 20 extra max damage. Pierce lets you double your damage, maybe triple if you herd correctly. It's not really a question, in my book, between those two.

As for Valk, she'll help with LI, and you can cast her from town with a +3 passives Circ/Glove/Ammy combo to reach the magic lvl 17, but I think she will be more of a monster distraction than a killer.

DudSpud

[TheMightyGoat]

all of them? so charged strike, power strike, lightning bolt, lightning strike, and fury?

Well, 3 of 4. Maybe I should max the fourth instead?

[Summerfun]

Get as high as possible damage. i would say go with the razor belt so you can get 100% or close to 100% pierce.
If you really want that light absorb, try a whisp ring, though its not really needed.

If you do use phoenix, then you shouldent need any leech at all right?
allso, if you play smart i dont even think you need any dr with phoenix.
you rarly get hit and when you do, you life should fill right up.

how much wealth do u have acces to? could you possible get griffons?
I allso think ias is something many people forget on javazons, get atleast
52 or even better 89 (i think thats the right bps some one correct me please)

keep valk at lvl 1, just recast it as much as needed.

My gear looks like this, its build for pvp though.

Griffons
Cats eye (the frw is only needed in pvp)
eth upped 199% titans
jewelers wire fleece of stability with 4* 15ias/15res jewels
storm shield with 15/15 jewel
Some rare gloves with ias, skills and str
razor tail
rare boots with frw and res and fhr
raven frost and 1 free ring for whisp/raven/dwarf

[DudSpud]

Well, 3 of 4. Maybe I should max the fourth instead?Again, I have to go with Summerfun (I think...) - get a high lvl of pierce, then start with the damage synergies. "High lvl of pierce" is obviously a matter of opinion, but I like to have something in the upper 70's, at least. Remember, when you pierce, you double your damage, including the physical that you do to the baddie hit with the piercing Jav. If you don't want to use RTail, it is certainly up to you, but I say again: Pierce makes the LF zon much more effective. Perhaps you should give RTail a whirl and see if Pierce really makes the difference I am talking about.

Good luck,
DudSpud

[Summerfun]

I think you already know this, so im just stating the obvious.
When you throw a LF at a pack of monsters with a high lvl of pierce
the javelin hits the first monster and explodes into X bolts, then if the javelin
pierces and hit another monster it explodes into X bolts again.

So with 100% pierce and say 100 cows in one big pack you might get 1 javelin to explode 10-20 times depending on the angel at wich you throw.

Again im sure you already know this. :thumbsup:

[crawlingdeadman]

use razortail and put the points you would have needed to put in pierce into a synergy instead. <-- my opinion.

[xNamastex]

Well I've switched to Phoenix shield. That completely solved my mana problems. I've never seen cows disappear so fast. I still haven't resolved the merc/lightning immunes thing, but I'm in the process of acquiring a Deamon Arch.

If your merc has Infinity, LI should be no problem. With Might aura from merc, >350%ED from Phoenix, upped titans, 1 pt in critical strike and highlords, you also should do a fair bit of physical damage as well.

Stick a eth shaft and eth gaze (both socketed with ums/15% RA jewels) on your merc and you will see his survivability increase.

[DudSpud]

So with 100% pierce and say 100 cows in one big pack you might get 1 javelin to explode 10-20 times depending on the angel at wich you throw.A slight correction, er, well I am really not sure what to call it, as I can't find the link I am looking for...

I believe the max number of pierces is capped (like around 5), either a hard cap or a formula of diminishing returns for each pierce, but again, I cannot find the link to the discussion (if it really exists...). Anyone know?

But your point is bang on - more pierce is more better, and the fireworks are a sight to behold.

DudSpud

[Summerfun]

I believe the max number of pierces is capped (like around 5), either a hard cap or a formula of diminishing returns for each pierce, but again, I cannot find the link to the discussion (if it really exists...). Anyone know?

Its not. I have just testet myself, with 100% pierce i can pierce all the cows i can line up. There were atleast 100 and i used normal throw, it was impossible to see anything with LF. But when using LF i can still see it pierces allot more than 5 times, im sure its still all the cows

[TheMightyGoat]

If your merc has Infinity, LI should be no problem. With Might aura from merc, >350%ED from Phoenix, upped titans, 1 pt in critical strike and highlords, you also should do a fair bit of physical damage as well.

Stick a eth shaft and eth gaze (both socketed with ums/15% RA jewels) on your merc and you will see his survivability increase.

Lightning immunes are no problem for the ten and a half seconds my mercenary might stay alive. Beyond that, they become a problem again. I'm planning on making Chains of Honor for him out of a superior ethereal Hellforge Plate. I think the defense was somewhere around 900. Think that would be better than an ethereal Shaftstop?

[xNamastex]

I have tested a lot of different combos. Eth shaft and Eth gaze is by far the best combo. The DR and MDR is awesome for the merc. I have kept track of how my merc dies and 95% of the time its due to physical damage (not including IM).

Regardless, a javazon kills so fast that merc should never even has the chance to die. Make sure you switch to CS to rid the LI's. I have never had the slighest problem with LI's, 99% of the time the Infinity breaks the immunity and then CS does them in.

I also use a valk (20 pts - but should have stopped at about 5) to distribute any monster damage over 2 chars vs just 1.

For the rare LI/PI bosses/uniques, I kill all surrounding monsters and then just keep hacking away until the fire damage from the CTC firestorm (torch + Phoenix) plus the fire damage from enchant charge prebuff, does them in.

Good luck!

[Perfect Hatred]

I am building a Javazon too, I was wondering if maybe putting points into Jab would be good for handling LI monsters.

[crawlingdeadman]

no, one point in jab is all you ever need.