Coming back to D2

[Blazeshock]

I used to play D2 a while back, but when I played I was never really good, I got to like level 20 then stopped playing. I recently decided to start playing again(Once I A. find my CDs or B. give up on looking and just buy it cheap at Walmart or something), but I am completely lost on what character to make.

I want to make one that doesn't need amazing items to be good, because I will be starting from scratch, but I also want one that will be able to do Meph runs easy at higher levels/key runs etc... so that once I am done my first character I can use it to improve other ones that I make. There's many obvious options(trust me I've looked at all the stickies etc...), but I was wondering what would be good for me to play that will be able to do what I want to do and not be boring to play? (Boring IMO is sitting behind a bunch of summons as you go through the game like it's nothing(I.E. a fishymancer).

I was looking at a FC druid(one of first things I though of when I saw that a Shape Shifting ability had synergies in the Elemental Tree) because I love abstract builds in games (like W.O.W. and Diablo), but it looks like FC druids could be fairly item dependent and have troubles because of Immunities because although I want something that's not boring I don't want to have a hell of a time going through normal/hell for basically the first time.

I know what I want is kind of specific, but I am really lost with which character to create. Any help would be greatly appreciated. :thumbsup:

-Thanks Blazeshock:coffee:

[Phat Wolf]

Sup man, welcome to the forums!

I started off with a meterorb sorc for mf, it was pretty good, and not too expensive either. There is a guide for the build in the sorceress forums if you're interested. :)

[Blazeshock]

Thank you :) I'll go look at the meteorb guide now, I'm sure I saw it in one of the stickies. Was thinking of going towards sorc, but wasn't completely sure what I should do. Meteorb looks like a good option to me :)

-Blazeshock

[lionheartthebrave]

The Second Sticky in the Newcomer Forum is Mursilis' Beginners Guide to Build Selection (http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=666476) which contains loads of links

Whatever you choose, good luck

[lAmebAdger]

another build with some hands-on fast action without good gear would be a freezealot (holy freeze/zeal) which you can find in the paladin guide sticky, you can fist your way through monsters and ANY crushing blow works for meph, course it'll get much easier with good gear, but this is the least dependant melee option in my opinion...

[jimbtx]

For good start up characters. I go for a uber summonancer or a Magic arrow Bowazon. I pretty much quit the Melee characters. The IM was bad enough. But, the Undead stygian dolls Seem to be glitched to kill my melees with a 1 in 5 chance of death when I hit them.

Also, Depending on any given character type/build/playstyle. I find that for each one you can find a number of small bosses that i cna take out fast for easy xp and better than average drops.

This is why I NEVER EVER touch the "Halls of Pain" portal with my Summonancer. As long as I never touch the HoP portal. The red portal to Pindleskin will remain permenantly! With the sumonancer. I get a full crew, and with my skill preset to BWs as I step through the portal. I can destroy a little over half of the zombies before they start to get up by casting BW over thier bodies.

After my crew kills the rest. Cast revive on them and then a Bonewall to the pindleskin entrance. Then a golem amongst them. I got it down to an art.

Likewise. I find I can handle the miniboss by the first portal in act 5 at frigid highlands. Then a quickie to the boss you kill for the socket quest the other direction from the same portal.And, I got lucky with my present portal layout. The summit portal is almost spitting distance from Thresh socket. Some portal layouts are random.

So, that gives me a good half dozen varied bosses with better than average xp/drops that I can do in half the time it takes me to fight my way through large areas to get at one boss.

It pays to find which ones your specific character can do faster and easier than the others. And, then abuse them to level and gear up for the the others.

[Blazeshock]

Thanks for all the help!

And just wondering, but if I went any sort of paladin(Freezealot,Hammerdin etc) but have 1 pt in Smite will I be able to solo ubers? (At a high level of course). Is the only necessity besides good gear and level the 1pt in smite? I looked at a guide for ubers, but it has a build and everything, so I'm unsure whether or not it is possible with any build that includes 1pt in Smite.


-Blazeshock

[lAmebAdger]

you can use 1 point smite to solo ubers as far as I know..., have you read this yet?:

http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=425449

If you plan on using holy shield (most ppl do), you have one prerequisite point in smite anyway, so everyone has that...
You have got some serious gearing up to do, if you want to uber that way (crushing blow,...)

you'll be better off using the physical zealer with a fast weapon and his fanaticism aura for the speed boost..., instead of a hammerdin or elemental auradin (you're using smite..., you might use the eleaura/hammers for the minions, that they spawn with, after you're done with the boss, but i still recommend going physical)

basically, as long as you have the gear, 1 pt smite will take care of ubers, no matter what build you use...

[Blazeshock]

Alright sick thanks. Knowing that I could do it as long as I have the gear is what I needed to know. This way if I do Hammerdin at one point I will be able to solo ubers even if it's far in the future.

-Blazeshock