Strength. Armor type preference.

[sevencreature]

Hi!

As I am quite new to b.net (played SP for years), I am not used to realm gaming, so I would be glad to hear your opinions a preferences about those two topics.

1. Strength. Obligatory - how much? What is your 'sweet spot'?

Yes, I know, 'the less, the better' :-) Seems to me that a lot of people here prefer zero investment in STR. Presumption: In that case you need to have access to Torch and Annihilus? And basically those are 'ultimate' builds (builds you are creating to play only in difficult areas of Hell - CS, Frozen Caves comes to my mind?) - I mean, builds you are not actually using until after clvl 76-80? Correct me if I am mistaking something.

As I still prefer (well, at least enjoying it so far - I guess over the time it is normal wanting to move to Hell ASAP to experiment with gear) playing the game from (partly Normal) and Nightmare to Hell, getting all quests and clearing all maps (at least with selected favorite characters), I am spending points in STR - I think around 55-75-85 would be enough though. I would like to know your experience with various STR tresholds (twinked/untwinked) :nod:

2. Body Armour type. Which one do you like the most?

I am talking about armor types used for runewords. Aesthetics aside, probably the best choice (functionality-wise) would be Dusk Shroud.

Still, Dusk Shroud is, kinda, unimpressive looking. Not ugly (like Archon Plate and alike) or non-uniform (like Great Hauberk).

So far my top Amazon choice is Sharktooth Armor (Kraken Shell is heavy like kraken, sadly, otherwise I would gladly use it - if only because of the name :smug:). What about yours?
I guess DEF really doesn't matter, does it? :wink:

[Hector]

Strength is indeed tricky specially untwinked.

Too many points are a waste, but too little can lead you to be forced to use a +Strength item when you could be using something better for your overall damage (doesn't help using only +Strength items, having huge Dexterity, but not enough item slots for maximum IAS, for example).

My latest realm Bowazon used a Faith GMB and had like 70 base Strength (I added 50). I had around +35 from Torch/Anni, +10 from Travs, +15 from Nos, and +15 from a rare Mana leech ring. I could have gone with slightly less Strength, but I didn't want to suffer from the "Strength bug" - if you meet Strength requirements via Charms, your zon looks like she's "punching arrows out of her fists". As I'm a huge style freak, I didn't want that to happen so I added some extra Strength, to not need to rely on Torch/Anni, much less perfect ones. lol. :P

It all depends on your items, really. If you like Razortail over Nos' Coil, for example, you get +15 Dex on it, but loses out +15 Str on the Coil. War Travs gives +10 Str, but if you prefer Gores, that's another +10 you need to add, and so on.

As for body armor, I'm a great fan of Dusk Shrouds. Light, pretty looking and has low requirements. Just perfect. Defense doesn't really matter - Amazons have crap defense no matter what, due to no % enhanced defense skills available for us, so just scrap defense altogether.

I don't recommend the Sharktooth because it slightly slows your running. And if you use Charms to meet its requirements, you'll look like 'naked' anyway, due to the Strenght bug I mentioned (it applies to all Equipment including helm, weapon and armor).

[sevencreature]

Thanks for answer.

Yes, I am aware of the slight slowdown of medium armor, but still, I prefer its style for some of my zons (mostly javazon/bowazon hybrids). While its STR requirement is a bit steeper, I think it compares to bows' requirements (and when I am not using armor to grant STR bonus, I am taking it as an extra - you need STR for bow, you also get the STR for armor at the same time).

I'd say, I am a bit of style freak myself (though some would say otherwise - mostly because I grew to like Tal's Crest and Armor combination - though alone Fugly is really fugly). I have prefered bowazons with minimum body armor (Dusk Shroud - Scarab Husk), but recently (probably since I've started experimenting with MF strafers) I begun to appreciate medium armors - mostly Field Plate and Gothic Plate (to lesser extent).

Pity there basically isn't any other option than Dusk Shoud for 4 socket runewords (especially CoH) :-/ (and that only 2-6 armor types from 15 are usable :-)

*sigh* Decisions, decisions... I am torn between DS and Wyrmhide (both has pros and cons - style-wise...) in light-armor area.

[Dacar92]

If you're not after style points and looking for 4 sockets why not consider Wire Fleece and Scarab Husk?

[sevencreature]

But I am after style points :-) I'd say Tal's Armor and Helm purple combination is acquired taste - I kinda like it now (aside that pony tail thingie that is). Plain Death Mask, especially when combined with light armor is fugly though.

Wire Fleece is looking ugly on zon and Scarab Husk is looking exactly like Wyrmhide, but has steeper STR requirements (though I don't consider Wyrmhide to be bad looking - at least to some degree... both Dusk and Wyrmhide has pros and cons in this regard - in my humble opinion, of course :-)

[Dacar92]

A lot of people like Wire Fleece. There is a thread around here somewhere in which people place their opinions on which they like and why. I don't think it was a poll. I'll try to find it.

[Hector]

If I remember correctly, I like the Wire Fleece look a lot. Isn't it the one that grants that cool old-school Twitchthroe look? :thumbsup:

As we can see, personal preferences are really unique!

[sevencreature]

Heh, I should emphasize more that this is my personal preference :-) I guess a lot of people doesn't like the look of Tal's armor too.

Well, my gripe is with the look of the lower part of this type of armor (Wire Fleece and similar)... I'd prefer Dusk Shroud to it any day :-)
http://diablo3.ingame.de/tips/Modenschau/ama/

I'd say that if you are not wearing full body armor, the only head gear possible for zon is circlet (well, I guess somebody will say "the ONLY possible option for zon head gear is circlet" .-).

[evild2player]

A cap is cool! Oldschool grim helm too.

[Mimeaphone]

I like the tal's helm look from behind. From the front....uggg.

[Dacar92]

It is ugly but the mods are nice for a zon.