Bowazon <3

[worjd]

Well I've been playing D2 on and off since '99 or so and always stuck with the usual chars: blizz sorc, orb sorc, hammerdin, java and such. I always thought that bowazons were weak in LOD so I never bothered to make one. Well anyway, recently I made one and Holy Hell... I love this character!
I completely destroy monsters in hell, no matter the act or monster. Even Phys immunes aren't a problem.
Bowazons are my new favorite class! (BTW I'm a strafezon w/ Faith)

Just thought I would post here how much I like my Bowa :wave:

[AnEvilPeanut]

What is your damage? I am making one using Windforce right now and I have 2 problems. Chance to hit is low and my damage seems low.

[Eilo Rytyj]

You know what's better? A Bowazon with maxed Freezing Arrow and it's damage synergy. Still using Faith, focus on maximising both FA and physical damage. Now you have 2 powerful elements and Freezing Arrow is just, well, broken in your favour, with the whole mob-piercing-multiple-procs-with-just-one-arrow just like Lightning Fury. But the big difference between a LF javazon is: you shoot faster, and you have better physical damage for leech etc. to back you up, plus you have the skill points to max out Valkyrie and *almost* max out Penetrate too.

[D G F]

Pierce in about lvl 10 has a high enough chance that 2/10 arrows won't go through. Save the skill points and don't max it.

[worjd]

Strafe dmg is about 3800 and I have around 22000 ar which makes my cth 95% on every monster in the game.

I'm pondering getting an a1 merc, putting faith on her and using WF. Not sure yet though.

I also use Razortail so my pierce chance is 102% making every arrow pierce :)

[AnEvilPeanut]

can you list all of your gear and stats? my stafe isn't even in that ballpark and I need to know what I did wrong.
Thanks

[worjd]

Steal Skull (15iad jewel)
Highlords
+3 15ed GMB Faith
DS Forti
LoH
Razortail
War Travs
2x Raven Frost
19/14 Torch

I kinda messed up my stats but here they are
121 str
445 dex
59 vit
29 ene

[AnEvilPeanut]

ok so is it the Fort that gives all the damage? here's what I'm using and please tell me where I went wrong (this is my first bowa)

Windforce
COH Dusk Shroud
Steal Skull for now (Andy's eventually)
Rare 20ias gloves
Gore Riders
Ravensfrost
Angelic Ammy & Ring
Anni

I don't know my stats offhand but I'ev got a lot more Vit than you and a lot less Dex.

[MinionOfBoredom]

Well, Dex is a big part of a Bowazon's damage...perhaps try to rebuild, this time with no Vitality whatsoever?

Your damage should find an increase.

As for Fort, it manages to provide a nice chunk of damage as well...not so much as on weapon ED, but it's noticeable.

[worjd]

Things to consider: This is my first bowa as well but I spent loads of time reading guides online so here goes.
Faith gives me lvl 15 fana so a nice dmg/ias increase there
Might merc also gives dmg increase
forti is 300ed as well
drop gores. the mods aren't all that useful. War travs gives an increase of almost 200 dmg on strafe which works out to being more effecient that the gores AFAIK
I dont know the exact formula but DEX is much more important than VIT, I only have 500 life and I almost never die thanks to my merc and valk.
I think DEX works out to be like 2 dmg per pt or something?

Anyway, lots of things to look at

[KOMARAC]

go glass cannon all the way !

put all your points in dexterity !

and use standard pvm bowie gear(GMB Faith, Fort, 3 40/15's in helmet, cat's eye, razortail, ravenfrost(s), LOH, wartravs) and you'll see... fill your inv with some max damage charms and life charms and have CTA on switch.

get act2 might merc and you'll have around 7Kmax guided damage .

one point in dex means 1% enhanced damage for bows or crossbows.

[AnEvilPeanut]

well i'm currently at about 800 life or so. i hate playing low-life chars so i don't think i will rebuild. i will work on getting faith and i have a fort on another char already. i won't play with the 40/15's due to the fact that they are all fake imo. yeah yeah i know hrs too but whatever.

[worjd]

I feel the same way, I'll just stick with my plain old 15ias jewels.

[reclinemusic]

drop gores. the mods aren't all that useful.

say what now?

[Mythatic]

Travs provides more damage than Gores do.

[KremBanan]

Travs provides more damage than Gores do.

Physical damage yes. But imo, Gores are better when having high damage bowazons. Open Wounds are not to be underestimated. And some CB and extra DS is always good.

[lukefojut]

ok so is it the Fort that gives all the damage? here's what I'm using and please tell me where I went wrong (this is my first bowa)


Not able to remember off the top of my head, but does CoH grant a straight dmg bonus, or is it xxx% extra damage to demons etc.? If this is the case the lying character screen won't show your real killing power (well, against any monsters who are demons etc.).

[KremBanan]

CoH
+2 To All Skills
+200% Damage To Demons
+100% Damage To Undead
8% Life Stolen Per Hit
+70% Enhanced Defense
+20 To Strength
Replenish Life +7
All Resistances +65
Damage Reduced By 8%
25% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items

[lukefojut]

CoH
+200% Damage To Demons
+100% Damage To Undead


So my hypothesis re. lying character screen was right! Still a lovely armour, but Forti looks better if only for the much higher average damage (as it has set %ED, as opposed to against Demons and Undead).

[MinionOfBoredom]

I wouldn't venture so far to say that Fortitude has much higher damage, per se...

%Damage to Demons/Undead is off-weapon ED, just like the kind on Fortitude.

So, comparatively, while Fortitude provides 300% to everything, CoH provides (assuming that you effectively use stat points and thus utilize the strength bonus):

220% ED to Demons
120% ED to Undead
20% ED to Animals

Granted, it's not as high as Fort, but the actual difference is not as high as some would speculate it to be.

[lukefojut]

So, comparatively, while Fortitude provides 300% to everything, CoH provides (assuming that you effectively use stat points and thus utilize the strength bonus):

220% ED to Demons
120% ED to Undead
20% ED to Animals

Granted, it's not as high as Fort, but the actual difference is not as high as some would speculate it to be.

So, an average of 120% ED, Vs a constant 300% ED from Forti? You haven't convinced me :scratch: Also, Forti is cheaper - in some respects it seems a no brainer (yes, I know people will have different mod preferences based on the rest of their gear).

[tedglines]

Most powerful weapon for Amazon is a high-powered Valkyrie. Level 21 Valkyrie is a killing machine! Also boost Critical Strike, Evade, Dodge, and Penetrate (bonuses for Valkyrie). I started with Rogue back in 1996 (PlayStation) and Amazon is my most comfortable character (have tried the others).
:thumbsup:

[RoXoR]

i dun see the point in "average ed" as it is assuming you are fighting 1/3 animal 1/3 demon and 1/3 undead monsters :/ I only really fight in chaos/ws where low numbers(if any) monsters are other than undead/demon. Just seems like a missleading number to me :P

[maiku]

Travs provides more damage than Gores do.

Depends on skills & setup.

[reclinemusic]

Depends on skills & setup.

Definitely does.

Gores:
+15% Chance of Deadly Strike
+15% Chance of Crushing Blow
+10% Chance of Open Wounds

I may screw something up here but... 1 in 7 arrows deals double damage, and 1 in 7 arrows takes a percentage of the monster's health (10-25%?). When you're strafing or MSing hitting your fastest BPs... those chance to's are going to proc very often.

[lukefojut]

i dun see the point in "average ed" as it is assuming you are fighting 1/3 animal 1/3 demon and 1/3 undead monsters :/ I only really fight in chaos/ws where low numbers(if any) monsters are other than undead/demon. Just seems like a missleading number to me :P

Ok, even if you take my figure as entirely skewed and double it (being far too nice to CoH), it's still 60% lower. That's a heck of a difference and is probably unrealistic too.

[VoX Dei]

@ AnEvilPeanut, regarding the AR issue. Assuming you have 134 str for WF and you dont mind spending around 10k gold per charge you can try a demonlimb on switch (133 str req, 20 charges of lvl 23 enchant -> 11+ minute duration each, 200%+ Bonus AR, adds fire dmg).

I don't understand why this isn't considered more often by WF users as they don't get the huge chance to hit bonuses Faith users get. Is it simply a bad option or is the Cta + spirit pre-buff that important for pvm?