How to Play a Javazon Properly? (Baal runs in particular)

[Conundrum]

Hey, I like to run baal runs a lot, until now I've been using my hammerdin with 125% Fcr breakpoint and 15.5kish hammers.

Recently I've seen how well a lightning javazon can clear out the minions and rip baal apart in a couple seconds.

My Question is: What Skill are they using to clear out the minions? I've heard lightning fury and ive heard charged strike. Charged strike seems to have the damage for a single mob, but to clear a pack as fast as I saw it just wont do that. Lightning fury seems to be the skill that would clear these packs this quickly. with my current skill it will do a minimum of about 3,000 damage (if every single bolt hits for 1) or a maximum of 240,000 if every single bolt hits its max (currently 5,000) which means an average of 121,500 per throw.

My next question is: What is the IDEAL gear to have for baal running? Currently, money is no object to me, I can get whatever I need, and I *think* i have most of it.

Currently I wear:

Enigma/Chains of Honor depending on the situation. (for resists or tele if i need it)
Perfect Griffons with 5/-5 light facet (on death)
191 ED ethereal Up'd Titan's
T-gods belt
Spirit shield and a 20/-20 monarch depending if i want max damage or some resists. (I have a stormshield and the strength to use it as well as a 5/-5 light facet on death if i want to socket it with that)
Stone of Jordan/rare with 4% mana leach, 66 mana 33 life, resists and always the other is a raven frost (cuz that freeze just destroys me - I also have a bul'kathos if need be).
29 Mara's
15/15 Sandstorm treks
Currently my gloves are meh, I'm trying to buy a pair of 3 java skills/20 IAS
20/18 Torch, however I usually am not able to use this in baal runs as the firestorm effect drops games frequently.
20/12 anni
8x plain java gcs (I have a 9th but i like to have tomes of town portal on me)
Rest of slots are filled with small vitas (20 life)

On switch I have 6 BO CTA with Spirit.

My main problem is that I instantly run out of mana. But with the minimal mana leach gained from my rare mana leach ring, i find the stone of jordan with the +25% mana and 1 to all skills is a lot more useful. Then I just spam mana pots =/.

However, with my hdin I never had to mana pot, or health pot, seeing as I had max block and meditation on my merc. I currently use infinity on my javazons merc for LI's, would it be smart to throw an insight on my merc?

I usually run with a light sorc and he carries infinity on his merc at all times, and usually does the running (as obviously I dont have the fcr for teleling - though I can switch to a 20fcr neck/35fcr spirit/wizspike if i absolutely need to tele).

I note that my ias is not great, is there certain pieces i should switch out for faster attack speed?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[WrongdayJ]

To answer the question on the skills used:

I run Lightning Strike on the 1st three groups of minions. Rips right through them with no problem at all. Once the 'bigger' bodied minions start up. . .I switch to Charged Strike and cut through 'em like butter. Then Baal himself simply LOVES the CS. :point: He begs for 'em.

"Please J. . .may I have another 15k damage. . .PLZZZZZ"

[KOMARAC]

dude u don't need that stone of jordan ... i mean , what is more important: mana leech or mana bulb capacity?? - mana leech! so, stock up on mana leech...

[Bjorgin]

dude u don't need that stone of jordan ... i mean , what is more important: mana leech or mana bulb capacity?? - mana leech! so, stock up on mana leech...

I'd rather have the soj than lets say, manald heal.

[Jaago]

For mana problems there are several answers, the best one being a Phoenix monarch, the redemtion it gives outshines every other option in sheer mana advantage. Other options are stocking mana leech, or maybe even better, +mana after each kill items (or both). Silkweave boots give +5 mana after each kill, that's enough for most situations.

It really depends if you want anything else from your shield than big mana gain. if you don't, go with Phoenix, it seems you can afford it. Otherwise, use silkweaves.

About the skills, you just have to test and find what fits for you. Lightning fury is awesome against larger tight packs, and it's safe as it's ranged. Lightning strike is good too. Charged strike totally pwns bigger monsters.

And finally about the rest of your gear. It's awesome as is, but you could swap the T-gods for a razortail to get 100% pierce; if you use a lot of LF, you won't regret it... Javelins with 6 to jav skills and 40 ias can be used to increase your attack speed, they're pretty rare though. Another option is a jeweler's armor of something (usually whale or stability) socketed with 4 15ias/15allres jewels, resulting into something like a 60/60/100 or 60/60/24, which are just godly :evil:.

[Rawness]

the best one being a Phoenix monarch
The most despicable and evil one, yes.
I'd have it on switch, phoenix that is.
but i'd rather have a pair of Up'ed titans and a 2java/20 3 mana leech gloves + Mana leech ring if necessary.

Get alittle more IAS, get the last ias BP, it makes you deal ALOT more damage.

[Leohappy]

i wouldn't bother with a javazon these days... it's getting more and more unpopular, since LF can easily crash the game

get a light sorc

[Master Q]

As skills, in Baal runs I use:

LS for everything all the way WSK, unless I'm in haste and throw a couple of LF sometimes.
Strictly LF when dealing with Knights or anyway they're present on the level (you don't wanna being cast Iron Maid from a mage hidden on a corner of the screen, never consider you safe if you don't see 'em). For Baal himself, go CS. He's down in few secs if you good equipped and synergized well your zon.

EDIT: I never crashed using LF, you sure it's a common thing Leohappy?

[Perfect Hatred]

EDIT: I never crashed using LF, you sure it's a common thing Leohappy?
It is!, trust me on this one.

[Leohappy]

the games have been crashing ever since they patched the dupe glitch

any skill that can "overload" games momentarily is likely to crash the game sooner rather than later (necro bone walls, zons LF, CS, multishot, sorc meteor)

anyway, i just wanted to warn you of this

[Veilside]

the games have been crashing ever since they patched the dupe glitch

any skill that can "overload" games momentarily is likely to crash the game sooner rather than later (necro bone walls, zons LF, CS, multishot, sorc meteor)

anyway, i just wanted to warn you of this


hence why lightning strike is now a very good choice and people are actually using it. I've had more game crashes using my icemaiden than java, though suprisingly, haven't crashed with a CtC pala.

[Aiglos]

LF zons do crash games. Meteor is also notorious for this, but the REAL culprit is everyone using their torches. I've been in plenty of games with double LF zons with no crash, so long as neither of them were using their torches and were judicious about their use of the skill.

I have NEVER known an Ice Maiden to crash the game...not saying it doesn't happen, but I run a pure Ice Maiden, and she has NEVER crashed a game that I know of.

I've just gotten to the point where if I'm Baaling at all, I won't even bother to wear my torch.

[fallen angel of satan]

ye game crashes are anoying, number 1 culprit is torch, anoying to loose the +3skills but if you are in an 8player game with all of u in 1 place u shud never use it.

3 years or so since i played my javazon, but pretty sure not much has changed since 1.10.

I used Light fury on trash, in 8 player games 1-5 javalin throws killed the minions

and used charged strike on baal, this was 5-10hits=dead baal

I prefer thunderstoke (or whatever its called) for baal running as it offers better damage. I just had 1 row of mana pots and filled that up each run. I was a glass cannon though, purely Light fury+synergies

armor: best damage output is 20/-20 light 100life armor: (4xlight facet)

I used 2xsoj for the skills and the mana and 20/-20 monarch

yup, she died fast, but the char was there to purely to make baal runs for my m8 uber fast. noone, and I mean noone could match her killing speed.

[Veilside]

LF zons do crash games. Meteor is also notorious for this, but the REAL culprit is everyone using their torches. I've been in plenty of games with double LF zons with no crash, so long as neither of them were using their torches and were judicious about their use of the skill.

I have NEVER known an Ice Maiden to crash the game...not saying it doesn't happen, but I run a pure Ice Maiden, and she has NEVER crashed a game that I know of.

I've just gotten to the point where if I'm Baaling at all, I won't even bother to wear my torch.

It's probably more the full piercing 8 frame strafe with torch that does it, with all the frost novas and such casting, though it does on occasion kick me from single player games when i'm only using FA.