Zealot questions : stats & skills

[Xylario]

I just got back from a very very long break of D2X and now that i got back, I'm trying to become a zealot but i'm having some questions

i have
20 Zeal (main attack)

20 Sacrifice (synergy)

20 Fanaticism (main aura)

now i was wondering where the rest of my points should go, resists? or something else maybe?

and i read that i need enough str to wear my end game gear... but i have absolutely no idea what that would be...
and they also say i should get enough dex for max block, but i have no idea what that is as well :)

thanks in advance :)

[Xylario]

Ok, i guess maybe i should go for holy shield?

[stfrn]

Yes, definately get holy shield. IMHO, it's one of the most powerfull skills in the game, giving massive more block chance, more defense, and speeds up your block to only 2 frames. Get it, max it, love it.

[Lanceor]

Welcome to the forums! :wave:
*steals pants and wallet before Evrae gets to them*

THIS is what you need. :)
http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=425449

Even though it's advertised as a 1pt Smiter, it's actually a Zealot that is near invincible in PvM.

After maxing Zeal, Sacrifice and Fanaticism, max Holy Shield (one of the best defensive skills in the game). Once you've maxed that, put further points into Defiance to synergise Holy Shield (or a handful of one-point-wonders of your choice.

[Xylario]

thanks,
i had been reading that topic as well, seems nice, i can't get myself to read all the replies though... 100+ pages?! :D
then i was checking on some of those items he recommends, and i think i saw some with 150 str or something, so does that mean i should get some charms etc to get there? or just raise str til somewhere in that region?

[Xylario]

oh, and any hints maybe the dex for max block as well if that's possible? :)

or what is the max block? 75%? And should i raise my dex high enough for my block rate to be 75% with holy shield on?

[korialstraz]

the max block is 75% and depends on how much increased block you have from items as well as your shields chance to block.

for stat points im not really sure, but i would use a phase blade for its fast attack speed and that you dont need to repair it:jig:

anyways with the shield i use akaran targe with no additional increased chance to block from items i have 74% chance to block with 172 dex. this is one of the reasons i suggest a phase blade too. its to prevent you from loosing too much life because you put so much in str/dex. i did this with my build (though i take ubers easy) and this is the stats i ended up with after equipment and charms:

str: 153
dex:172
vit: 267

im using a grief berserker axe and it requires138 str. lets now say you use a phase blade (anyone will do, even 2x shael 2-4x um or something). the str for phase blade is 25 and dex req 136 you will save many points since your dex will be much more than 136 anyway. hope this helps:smiley:

[stfrn]

The one thing with getting enough str/dex, is a lot of the great gear also gives you extra stats. For example duriel's shell gives more str. So if you upgrade to gear that gives more str after investing a lot, you might find you have too much str, and not enough vitality... which is why some people plan characters far in advance :)

[Xylario]

yeah, but as this is my first char i want to play with it and not be planning for it first :) i just want to play... and especially because i haven't played in such a long time i don't really know any of the items so planning would take so much research/time that i want to spend playing :)
i guess i'll just stop spending points in str and dex for now and just save enough points so i can use them should the need arise...

[Lanceor]

Yeah, just play the character and spend points in Strength and Dexterity as you need them. It will be practically unplayable if you save the points while waiting for perfect gear. If you really like the build, you can always make another one after you've built up a perfect set of gear.

Keep in mind, a strength of 103 after equipment will allow you to wear Archon Plate, which is probably the highest defense armor that doesn't have a ridiculous strength requirement. Most of the best equipment requires 155 strength or less.

P.S. If you need to add any extra comments after a post, just edit it if it's less than 2 hours otherwise the mods might get a little trigger happy. ;)

[Xylario]

hehe, thanks for the tip lanceor ;)

and could you maybe give me a hint of how much a decent base str would be? because i have no idea how much +str one usually gets from equipment and charms...