Patriarch Hogarth (http://img227.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pathogarthss6.jpg)

This is my third Mat/Pat, but my very first thread announcing it so I hope you all enjoy reading :thumbup:

Stats: (http://img229.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pathogarthstatssy2.jpg)
Character name : Hogarth
Character type : Barbarian
Character level : 81
Character exp : 770612938

Strength : 138(185)
Energy : 10(20)
Dexterity : 75(99)
Vitality : 257(257)

Life : 2705 / 1202
Mana : 277 / 88

Resistances:
Fire: 58
Cold: 13
Lit: 80
Poison: 14

Skills:
Whirlwind: 20
Axe Mastery: 20
Battle Orders: 20
Shout: 20
1 pt in one-point-wonders and prereqs

Gear(readout below):
eth "Oath" Berserker Axe
Death Cleaver Berserker Axe(Thanks Bassen!)
"Fortitude" Archon Plate(Thanks scottee for the base!)
Vamp Gaze
IK Belt, Boots, and Gloves
Highlord's Wrath
Rare leach rings with Lightning Res.

Charms:
Total of 600 poison dmg charms
Rest was life/res/AR



Oath
Berserker Axe
'ShaelPulMalLum'
One-Hand Damage: 156 to 461
Required Dexterity: 49
Required Strength: 128
Required Level: 64
Axe Class - Fastest Attack Speed
Indestructible
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 86
Fingerprint: 0xa4975dde
+10 to Energy
+335% Enhanced Damage
50% Increased Attack Speed
Prevent Monster Heal
75% Damage to Demons
+100 to Attack Rating against Demons
+12 Magic Absorb
Indestructible
30% Chance to cast Level 20 Bone Spirit on striking
Level 16 Heart of Wolverine (5/20 Charges)
Level 17 Iron Golem (5/14 Charges)
Ethereal (Cannot be Repaired), Socketed (4: 4 used)

Death Cleaver
Berserker Axe
One-Hand Damage: 80 to 239
Durability: 12 of 26
Required Dexterity: 59
Required Strength: 138
Required Level: 70
Axe Class - Very Fast Attack Speed
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 86
Fingerprint: 0xb6107a6b
+237% Enhanced Damage
+7 Life after each Kill
40% Increased Attack Speed
-33% Target Defense
66% Deadly Strike

Fortitude
Archon Plate
'ElSolDolLo'
Defense: 1584
Durability: 59 of 60
Required Strength: 103
Required Level: 63
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 85
Fingerprint: 0xd39a075b
+200% Enhanced Defense
+300% Enhanced Damage
+15 Defense
Damage Reduced by 7
Fire Resist +29%
Lightning Resist +29%
+5% to Maximum Lightning Resist
Cold Resist +29%
Poison Resist +29%
Replenish Life +7
+1 to Light Radius
25% Faster Cast Rate
12% Damage Taken Goes to Mana
20% Chance to cast Level 15 Chilling Armor when struck
+111 to Life (Based on Character Level)
Socketed (4: 4 used)

Order Grip
Ring
Required Level: 65
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 80
Fingerprint: 0x7dbbc50e
+44 to Mana
+68 to Attack Rating
Damage Reduced by 1
Fire Resist +20%
7% Life stolen per hit
Level 4 Dim Vision (30/30 Charges)

Havoc Whorl
Ring
Required Level: 46
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 80
Fingerprint: 0x6ef2d4ca
+28 to Attack Rating
Magic Damage Reduced by 1
Lightning Resist +29%
4% Mana stolen per hit
+1 to Mana After Each Kill


Merc:
Act 2 Blessed Aim

Gear:
Reaper's Toll
Vamp Gaze
Shaftstop


Thoughts:
I started this character a few months back(maybe two?) and got him most of the way through Act 2 normal. He was parked there for quite some time, mainly because clicking on every monster was boring the hell out of me. His build had no direction yet, other than that I knew I wanted a dual axe barb. Looking through my runes one day, I noticed I had all the runes to make an "Oath", which I thought would be perfect for him. I began searching for a suitable base item in the SPTF, but got no replies. A few weeks later, Bassen hosted a giveaway for a Death Cleaver Berserker Axe. I won it and parked it in my stash.

A while later, talk of a new MFO was floating around the forums and I started warming up against Pindle. After about 150 runs of nothing, this grey Berserker Axe drops. Must be a useless, one socket BA, right? Wrong. Pindle's minions dropped me a 4os eth Berserker Axe, exactly what I was looking for(sure, if it was 1.07 I would have loved it more, but beggars can't be choosers). I popped the runes in later that day and began playing my Barb again, eager to try out his new toys.

Until level 30, normal was treacherously boring. *Point* *Click* *Point* *Click* for what seemed like an eternity. At 30, I got Whirlwind which eased the misery, but things still weren't great. A few deaths resulted in normal due to skeletons and not paying attention. Acts 1-4 of Nightmare were a breeze...or at least I thought they were. Upon finishing Act 4, Hogarth hit level 64 and I was able to throw "Oath" on him. I flew through NM Act 5 on /p8 faster than I thought possible with a melee character. Next was Baal runs until 70, when Death Cleaver went on as well. Quite frankly, NM Act 5 felt like Normal Act 5.

Once I began Hell, I decided it was time to use that "Lo" rune I'd been saving to make a "Fortitude". I hit up the SPTF and scottee answered with a superb Archon Plate. I socketed it, threw in the runes, and couldn't have been happier with the roll. 1.375 health/clevel and +29 res all. The "Fortitude" nearly doubled my damage output, which was a huge plus. Since I still consider myself a novice when it comes to Hell(especially with melee builds), I stuck to players 1. In reality, had I been more comfortable, I probably could have cleared Hell on /p5(except Act 5 maybe). To say the least, Hell was a breeze. My only death was from Whirlwinding into a pack of Dolls in the Durance. For the most part, I was lucky with monster spawns. Physical Immunities barely showed themselves until Act 5. However, they were everywhere in Act 5. I whirlwinded through a few areas of Act 5 because of all the PIs. Baal and his minions went down without a fight, but everyone dropped garbage.

Notable finds:
29% Nagelring
Fal Rune(Hell Hellforge =/)

Hope you all enjoyed reading my first Pat thread! I'll be happy to answer any questions you might have :thumbup:

Thanks again to Bassen and Scottee for some of the items he used!


PS: If anyone is interested in using Death Cleaver on build, keep your eyes on the SPTF. Once I hit FTS(5 more trades) I plan on hosting a giveaway similar to Bassen's to pass it along.

Congrats!

As was mentioned in your thread from back when you started this project, DC has that annoyingly low durability. Just how troublesome was it (if it all?)

Very interesting choices with your gear and your mercenary as well.

Congrats!

As was mentioned in your thread from back when you started this project, DC has that annoyingly low durability. Just how troublesome was it (if it all?)

Very interesting choices with your gear and your mercenary as well.

Durability wasn't too cumbersome. I had to go back to town 2 or 3 times per act to repair(from what I recall anyways). The repair costs were low as well, topping out around 3k.

As for you comment on the gear: it's what I had available mainly. I don't have too Godly of barb gear, so I threw what worked best on him. Other than the resists, everything panned out great for him nonetheless:thumbup:

Congrats!

Just out of curiosity, what were your first 2 Mats/Pats?

Did the relatively low resists bother you much? I personally always try to get max resists on all of my characters.

Also, were the poison damage from your charms significant enough to make a noticeable difference?

Congrats!

Just out of curiosity, what were your first 2 Mats/Pats?

Did the relatively low resists bother you much? I personally always try to get max resists on all of my characters.

Also, were the poison damage from your charms significant enough to make a noticeable difference?

My first 2 were both sorceresses; one a Meteorber(who is now retired) and the other a pure Blizz(who I use now). I never posted threads because they sat after saving Anya for quite some time.

Surprisingly enough, the low resists didn't bother me at all. My constant attacking and leeching drowned out any effects poison had and no CE death explosions ever even seemed to dent my health. My fire res wasn't too bad, but I know during wave 3 I sat there and let the Hydras pummel me. I barely lost any health before they disappeared. I'm going to say if it wasn't for BO, the low cold res would have been a threat, but I think I just had too much life to notice any problems from it.

I think the poison charms helped a little bit. It seemed like monsters that weren't poison immune went down a lot quicker than ones that were, but it could have just been in my head =P. They probably weren't necessary, but I figured I fill my inventory up.