Gosh darned Set Items

[Ballstone]

Just made it through Nightmare for the first time. And now I finally find the staff part of Cathan's Traps, except by now it's totally too weak and useless. Am I wasting my time with Set items?
Tal Rasha's set looks good. Maybe I should just hold out for that. I haven't seen any of that stuff though at all.

[Senshiki]

Yes, set items typically are "in-between" or mid-level items. Some early sets (Sigon's Complete Steel for example) are great for some 10-20 levels, but in the end most sets can't compete with a mesh of unique/runeword items.

Some sets, however, are extremely useful to some characters. The "big three" as I call them are Tal Rahsa's Wrappings, Trang Oul's Avatar, and The Immortal King.

Tal's is great for any Sorceress, especially ones meant for magic finding.

Trang Oul's is best for a Summon Necromancer.

Immortal King, or IK is a great Barbarian set, and I personally used an "IK Barb" for keyrunning.

[arbing]

and don't forget gris is also a great set

[Senshiki]

and don't forget gris is also a great set

Yes Gris is too, but mainly for cheap Trist Running. I don't think it is quite as versatile as the other three since Zealots and Hammerdins don't get much help from Griswolds set.

[SommerSky]

Am I wasting my time with Set items?
Tal Rasha's set looks good....I haven't seen any of that stuff though at all.

Hi,

No, you are not wasting your time, some set items are quite useful for low level characters. I do keep a few set items for starting a new character with.

The reason why you haven't seen any Tal Rasha items is that they are of higher levels, you'll probably start seeing them in late nightmare, but surely in early hell. The mask and the orb are the most common, while the amulet and especially the armor are really hard to find.

Good luck!

SS

[thegiantturtle]

The mask and the orb are the most common, while the amulet and especially the armor are really hard to find. The amulet, though rare, is the first of the items in the set that can drop. It can be found as early as Act 3 of normal.

[Thyiad]

No item is really useless. I've got a defence 6 belt on a char somewhere because it has 24%fhr (hits a breakpoint) and light resist (needed it).

Check the rares and magics; some of them can be fantastic. One of my barb mercs is using a yellow sword. I think it's great.

Corpse Bite
Balrog Blade
'Shael'
One-Hand Damage: 100 to 514
Two-Hand Damage: 376 to 812
Durability: 26 of 26
Required Dexterity: 77
Required Strength: 175
Required Level: 53
Sword Class - Fast Attack Speed
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 87
Fingerprint: 0x47500222
+359% Enhanced Damage
+132 to Attack Rating
9% Life stolen per hit
20% Increased Attack Speed
5% Chance to cast Level 3 Chain Lightning on attack
Ethereal (Cannot be Repaired), Socketed (1: 1 used)I'm on SP so no duped runes :grin:. The sorceress he's partnered with runs with rares apart from Magefists and Skin of the Viper and still has +6 skills, IIRC.

[Ballstone]

I guess what I'm doing differently is not replaying levels, but really just plowing through each quest. That's probably why I'm getting low level set items too late to use them.

[Thyiad]

Untwinked, single pass is one of the most difficult ways to play. Apart from naked or using cracked items (http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=480035).

The biggest mistake I made early one was playing characters in keeping. For example using spells to kill things with sorceresses. Fine at 18+ when you have some gear and mana but until then, give me a sword.

It is usual to hit hell and say "OMG I've been pwnd by a Quill Rat". I like mid 70's before Hell. I'm a wimp. The other thing is check your breakpoints and stuff.

If you're a sorc, you need to hit 63/105 or 117 for lightening. Have a look at FHR for melee. If you're close that extra 5% to get to the next break point may help.

And the other thing is expectations. Not every character will tear up hell. Slow down a bit.

[stekkelino]

Hi,

No, you are not wasting your time, some set items are quite useful for low level characters. I do keep a few set items for starting a new character with.

The reason why you haven't seen any Tal Rasha items is that they are of higher levels, you'll probably start seeing them in late nightmare, but surely in early hell. The mask and the orb are the most common, while the amulet and especially the armor are really hard to find.

Good luck!

SS

as said, tals amu can drop early, in act 3 normal from council member hc, first char :laugh:

[SommerSky]

as said, tals amu can drop early, in act 3 normal from council member hc, first char :laugh:

Yeah, I know that some items "can" drop quite early in the game. But hey, one doesn't always get to find what they want until later, if at all. I've only found 2 TR armor in my whole life, one is hell cow, and the other in hell durance of hate level 3 from a armor rack.

One fun/funny thing about the game is that you rarely find the "right" items at the "right" time and at the "right" place. ^^

Maybe I should have said that the chance for him to see any TR items increases later in the game, heh.

SS

[Frosty_The_Snowman]

and don't forget gris is also a great setIt's a great set, but the items from this set are very, very rare. So it's a pain to gather them all, even by trading :rolleyes:. Personally, I've rarely used full sets, but I once had a Mavina Amazon, and an IK Barb... Was a long time ago, though :grin:. Now, these sets are greatly eclipsed by Uniques, and especially Runewords.

[Tarantella]

I guess what I'm doing differently is not replaying levels, but really just plowing through each quest. That's probably why I'm getting low level set items too late to use them.


Increasing your magic find is a sure way of getting more set items to drop.Some low level set combinations can do this too.

Irathras set can take you through nightmare but other set items such as angel amulet/rings, deathset belt/gloves, sigon sets hold a good steady trading value in perfect gems to duellers/levelers and the like.

In multiplay I would advise anyone against deliberately setting out to get particular items in the game by finding them yourself.Trading with perfect gems and other items of similar value is the sane way to go.:smiley:

[Garisdacar]

i just think set items are fun to collect. my mules are LOADED with them...lol

[PFSS]

There are some AWESOME set items out there. Some are for late game characters - Tals Set for example but others are simply godly for leveling and are generally pretty cheap:

Examples:
ANGELIC SET - The ring/amulet combo is effective even at end game. I understand it is not uncommon even on high level PvP chars. You get massive life bonuses and never have to worry about AR for the rest of the game.
Artic Set - Very nice for amazons and gives great resists for any other character.
Civerbs - The weapon is IMO the best leveling weapon for the point at which you can use it and it grows with you so remains effective longer than many other weapons.
Deaths Set is very nice - particulary the Glove/Belt combo which is a 'must have' for LLD melee.
Sigons - great for any melee character all the way through normal.
Clegaws Set - the full set is pretty awesome for leveling, the sword is almost a 'must have' for any melee LLD.

Try making a new melee character with:
Full Sigons
2*Angelic Rings+Amulet
Civerbs Cudgel

At Level 12 you'll be "WTF PWN!!11one!!1" and will stay that way for a long time.

You'll have:

From Angelics:
+40 Life from Rings
+1.2life regen/second
+24/level AR
+75 Life from Amulet
20% damage to mana
+3 Light Radius
+10Dex

From Sigons:

From Helm:
+55 defense
+30 Mana
+8/char level AR
10% Life Steal
+100 Defense

From Armor:
+170 Defense
+30% Light Resist
Attacker takes Damage of 20

From Boots:
+12 Defense
20% Faster run/walk
Cold Resist +40%
50% MF
+50AR

From Shield
+25 Defense
+1 All Skills
+20% Increased chance to block

From Belt
20% Fire Resist
+20 Life
+10defense
+2/char level defense

From Gloves:
+15 Defense
+20AR
+10 Strength
+30 IAS

Full Set Bonus:
10% Life Steal
+100 Defense
+20Mana
+12% Fire Resist
+24 Fire Damage
Attacker takes Damage of 12
Damage reduced by 7

Civerb's Cudgel
8 - 36 Damage
+ 1 max/level
+75AR
+50% damage to undead


Sooo - at level 12 when you can equip it all (Sigons at Level 6, Civerbs at level 9,

Angelics at Level 12):

+135 Life with 1.2 life regen per second and 20% life steal.
+50 mana with 20% damage to mana

+10 Dex
+10 Strength

~400 Defense + 2def/Level

+30 Light Resist
+40 Cold resist
+32 Fire Resist

+1 All Skills

+30% IAS
+20% FRW
+20% Increased Chance to Block

+529 AR with +32AR/level
8-48 Damage + 24 Fire Damage with +1 damage/level
+50% Damage to Undead

Damage Reduced by 7
Attacker takes damage of 32
+3 Light Radius

Each of these items is very easy to get and should cost no more than 2-3pg

And Customisation!

The Shield, Armor, Helm and Weapon can all get a socket from Lazaruk:

Try:
Diamond in Shield for +All Resist
Rubies in Helma nd Armor for more life
Whatever +damage you want in the weapon

Or if you're feeling rich slap +9Max level 9 jewels in each of the sockets, although if you have that wealth lying about there are better options - this is a cheap and cheerful setup that will take you a long way

[MrKaxe]

For a low lvl melee char Sig's set is the way forward, i use it until i can equip whatever suits the build every time. My favourite twink for a low lvl caster is thus:-

Hsaru's Set at lvl 3
Bloodfist at lvl 9
Angelic Set at lvl 12
Manald at lvl 15

I have a magic Circlet with +8 to Resistance (for style) at lvl 16 and a rare ring with res and FCR at lvl 10 for the 2 gaps this setup leaves and you can use this until lvl 30ish for Skin, String etc then onward

(i'm exclusively HC btw so i always have a setup for starting new characters!)

[lagalot]

Those low level set items while a bane when magic finding in hell can be extremely useful for a new character that is going to be played through all quests and not rushed.

Some of the low level sets are quite good for low level duellers also.

[lagalot]

jinkazama was there a need to quote my post ? ..here and in other places also...??