BASHFUL BABA
23-08-2008, 00:08
PvP Titan Barb Guide
I just made this baba and am having quite a bit of fun with it. This is an updated version of the old guide in the archive here at diii.net. He can do PvM as well, obviously. The PvM gear setup is at the very bottom.
Stats:
STR - every last point
DEX - enough for weap
VIT - zero
ENE - zero
Skills:
20 Whirlwind
20 Polearm Mastery
20 Battle Orders
20 *Berserk (optional for PvP, could dump more in Leap)
1 Battle Command
1 Increased Speed
1 to a few in Natural Resistance
X in Leap
X in Find Item (great if you want to PvM)
* If you intend on playing PvM, maxing Berserk is a good idea.
PvP Gear (Scroll down for the PvM setup):
Weapon: ebotd Polearm (Great Poleaxe or Giant Thresher to hit last WW breakpoint)
Helmet: 31% dr Crown of Ages for melee, Arreat's for caster
Armor: Fortitude / Enigma for casters
Gloves: High Steelrends or Drac's
Boots: Gores / Tri-res boots for casters
Belt: 15% dr Dungo's and a high res belt for casters
Jewelry: Standard stuff (Angelics / Highlord's / Ravens / etc.)
Charms: AR/Max/Life or AR/Life, Anni, Torch
Switch: 2x +3 Warcry spears or Hoto
Stash: Standard sorb gear (Wisps, Dwarfs, Hotspurs, Tgods, etc.) + non-eth Doom Polearm for Smiters and Bowzons + Clegaw's gloves (this guy is mainly for pub dueling so BM away)
PvM Gear:
Weapon: Same
Helm: Shako / IK helm / Crown of Thieves / Stealskull
Armor: Enigma or if you can't afford that, a p-topazed unique like Skullder's / Tal's Armor / Shaftstop for the 30% dr
Gloves: Chance Guards
Boots: Cow King's or War Travs
Belt: Goldwrap
Jewelry: 1x Highlord's, 1x Ravenfrost, 1x Mana Leech ring (could even be 4% ML, since your dmg is so high)
Charms: Gheed's, Anni, Torch. I'd leave the rest open for loot pickup.
Merc: I'd go with a Blessed Aim merc, no joke. He's available in Act 2 Normal and Hell difficulties (Offensive). You'll be lacking attack rating and that aura should help out a lot. You won't need the Might aura due to your massive damage and Holy Freeze could shatter corpses, meaning you won't be able to use Find Item. For his equip, I'd use:
Merc Helm: Crown of Thieves / Ral'd Andy's
Merc Armor: Ethereal *Fortitude / Eth Shaftstop / Eth Stone / Eth Skullder's / etc.
Merc Weapon: Another high damage ebotd Polearm (or Spear if you want). If you can't afford that, then an eth Reaper's Toll or Bone Hew would be fine.
*Don't sweat Fortitude's Chilling Armor. It triggers a lot but the corpses don't shatter that often, so you can still Find Item.
FAQ (mostly PvP-related questions):
1.) The hell?
Yeah, I know what you mean. Sounds crazy but he can kill anybody and I do mean anybody, but also be killed by pretty much anybody. For every point in STR you get one additional percent in damage. With 500-600 STR, this is a huge bonus giving you absolutely massive damage.
If you're like me and have seemingly tried literally every build imaginable, love babas to deff, and just want to try something different and unique, give this a shot.
2.) Doesn't he die a lot?
All the time. But like I said, he can slaughter anybody with a couple of whirls, including max block characters. He's gear reliant, though. This isn't a poor man's build. You gotta have expensive melee charms.
3.) How much STR does your baba have?
Around 600 with Enigma on.
4.) Why a polearm? Why not dual axes or axe / SS?
Range. It's incredibly important for this build. Odds are you won't last too long in the blood moor (pub duel game) so having the extra range a long, two-handed weapon gives you is critical. It's beneficial vs. many builds; smiters, all casters, other barbs, etc.). A Great Poleaxe or Giant Thresher give you a range of 5 and also hit the last whirlwind breakpoint.
5.) Why not Spear mastery?
Can't hit last whirlwind breakpoint with a War Pike, even with the 60 IAS from botd. A Ghost Spear requires too much dex.
6.) Why not an ethereal Tomb Reaver?
Cryptic axes have a range of 4.
7.) Do you get any reactions in duel games?
Yeah, pretty often. Mostly "wtf", "omg", "what dmg?" with CAPS LOCK on.
Props for reading and good luck if you decide to make one.
I just made this baba and am having quite a bit of fun with it. This is an updated version of the old guide in the archive here at diii.net. He can do PvM as well, obviously. The PvM gear setup is at the very bottom.
Stats:
STR - every last point
DEX - enough for weap
VIT - zero
ENE - zero
Skills:
20 Whirlwind
20 Polearm Mastery
20 Battle Orders
20 *Berserk (optional for PvP, could dump more in Leap)
1 Battle Command
1 Increased Speed
1 to a few in Natural Resistance
X in Leap
X in Find Item (great if you want to PvM)
* If you intend on playing PvM, maxing Berserk is a good idea.
PvP Gear (Scroll down for the PvM setup):
Weapon: ebotd Polearm (Great Poleaxe or Giant Thresher to hit last WW breakpoint)
Helmet: 31% dr Crown of Ages for melee, Arreat's for caster
Armor: Fortitude / Enigma for casters
Gloves: High Steelrends or Drac's
Boots: Gores / Tri-res boots for casters
Belt: 15% dr Dungo's and a high res belt for casters
Jewelry: Standard stuff (Angelics / Highlord's / Ravens / etc.)
Charms: AR/Max/Life or AR/Life, Anni, Torch
Switch: 2x +3 Warcry spears or Hoto
Stash: Standard sorb gear (Wisps, Dwarfs, Hotspurs, Tgods, etc.) + non-eth Doom Polearm for Smiters and Bowzons + Clegaw's gloves (this guy is mainly for pub dueling so BM away)
PvM Gear:
Weapon: Same
Helm: Shako / IK helm / Crown of Thieves / Stealskull
Armor: Enigma or if you can't afford that, a p-topazed unique like Skullder's / Tal's Armor / Shaftstop for the 30% dr
Gloves: Chance Guards
Boots: Cow King's or War Travs
Belt: Goldwrap
Jewelry: 1x Highlord's, 1x Ravenfrost, 1x Mana Leech ring (could even be 4% ML, since your dmg is so high)
Charms: Gheed's, Anni, Torch. I'd leave the rest open for loot pickup.
Merc: I'd go with a Blessed Aim merc, no joke. He's available in Act 2 Normal and Hell difficulties (Offensive). You'll be lacking attack rating and that aura should help out a lot. You won't need the Might aura due to your massive damage and Holy Freeze could shatter corpses, meaning you won't be able to use Find Item. For his equip, I'd use:
Merc Helm: Crown of Thieves / Ral'd Andy's
Merc Armor: Ethereal *Fortitude / Eth Shaftstop / Eth Stone / Eth Skullder's / etc.
Merc Weapon: Another high damage ebotd Polearm (or Spear if you want). If you can't afford that, then an eth Reaper's Toll or Bone Hew would be fine.
*Don't sweat Fortitude's Chilling Armor. It triggers a lot but the corpses don't shatter that often, so you can still Find Item.
FAQ (mostly PvP-related questions):
1.) The hell?
Yeah, I know what you mean. Sounds crazy but he can kill anybody and I do mean anybody, but also be killed by pretty much anybody. For every point in STR you get one additional percent in damage. With 500-600 STR, this is a huge bonus giving you absolutely massive damage.
If you're like me and have seemingly tried literally every build imaginable, love babas to deff, and just want to try something different and unique, give this a shot.
2.) Doesn't he die a lot?
All the time. But like I said, he can slaughter anybody with a couple of whirls, including max block characters. He's gear reliant, though. This isn't a poor man's build. You gotta have expensive melee charms.
3.) How much STR does your baba have?
Around 600 with Enigma on.
4.) Why a polearm? Why not dual axes or axe / SS?
Range. It's incredibly important for this build. Odds are you won't last too long in the blood moor (pub duel game) so having the extra range a long, two-handed weapon gives you is critical. It's beneficial vs. many builds; smiters, all casters, other barbs, etc.). A Great Poleaxe or Giant Thresher give you a range of 5 and also hit the last whirlwind breakpoint.
5.) Why not Spear mastery?
Can't hit last whirlwind breakpoint with a War Pike, even with the 60 IAS from botd. A Ghost Spear requires too much dex.
6.) Why not an ethereal Tomb Reaver?
Cryptic axes have a range of 4.
7.) Do you get any reactions in duel games?
Yeah, pretty often. Mostly "wtf", "omg", "what dmg?" with CAPS LOCK on.
Props for reading and good luck if you decide to make one.