Which Helm for hybrid zon? and some questions MEGA DILEMMA

[behling]

RESEARCH AND THREADS I HAVE READ
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Gunslingger hybrid thread
http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=418865 <---- some bowazon thread
amazon break pt table in sticky
most major bowazon threads
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im planning to make a hybrid zon aimed to be able to run everything at 1-3 player games

Stats:
str: enuff to wear gear with str bug for stormshield
dex: all
vit: enuff for 800-900hp
enegry:base

skills:

20CS (for bosses)
20LF (for most of the pvm)

1 in all passives (being able to boost up to lvl 10 for all with gear, anni, torch)
20 valk

1 Guided Arrow
1 Strafe (boosted to level 12 with items)
1 MS (boosted to level 12 with items)

*Question 1*
At level 90 i will have a spare 20 skill pts. where shld these pts go? into a lighting strike to sygergize CS and LF? or go into max strafe or divided? if i go LS i will have higher CS dmg means i take down boss faster, i will also have higher LF dmg which means i can clear mobs faster. if i max strafe i will have +150% dmg at lvl 30 strafe and shoot a min of 9 arrows. or shld i go bring my MS to lvl 15? would like to hear some options i have thx


Gear
--------------
Helm: either

#1

+2 ama skill coronet
10% FRW
+9 to min dmg
+106 attack rate
all res +16
magic dmg reduce by 3
socketed with 15%ias

#2

andy's sockted with 15% ias

fort armour
faith GMB lvl 12fant, 343ED, +2 all skills + 3 bow skills
LOH
ravenfrost/+6mana leech ring with 10 all resistance 1max dmg, 98AR
razortail
wartrav
highlords or maras or atams
on switch: stormshield, eth titans.


*Question 2*
if i use the cornet i would have better bow dmg cos of +9min dmg and better AR some nice resistance. if i use andys i would have also str bonus some LL the main difference is that since i'm only going for the 2nd last break pt of MS and strafe i would only need 50IAS for MS and 55IAS for strafe. with andys + laying of hads i already have 55%ias so i dotn need anymore IAS which means i dont have to use highlords and i can use maras or atmas. or i could go with coronet + highlords which gives me deadly strike. which is a better setup?

last question
will all arrows on multishot carry cirital strike, deadly strike and amp dmg from atmas? just wondering

thanks

[crawlingdeadman]

i regretted putting a full 20 into strafe. i love all the things that andy's helm offers if not its look. i feel for the balanced build it's the best there is. offering ias and life leech (if you feel like you need it) for the bow side, 2 skills for the light side and a lot of strength that comes in handy for both.

[HellPlayer]

IIRC on that last question multishot work on all arrows for critical strike and deadly strike but for chance to cast amplify is only 2 center arrows that can activate, someone correct me if isn't so.
About the shield, a stormshield isnt needed, with high dex you can get max block with almost any good shield and DR is pretty useless, targets will be down before they can damage the zon, a spirit or other shield with skills or a expensive faceted shield are all better options.
HellPlayer

[Bladewind]

Last 20 points i suggest max your LS. I did my as well and I am loving it.

[behling]

IIRC on that last question multishot work on all arrows for critical strike and deadly strike but for chance to cast amplify is only 2 center arrows that can activate, someone correct me if isn't so.
About the shield, a stormshield isnt needed, with high dex you can get max block with almost any good shield and DR is pretty useless, targets will be down before they can damage the zon, a spirit or other shield with skills or a expensive faceted shield are all better options.
HellPlayer

that is true when fighting the mobs. but when i take on baal and diablo or any other high hp bosses. i would he using charge strike. so the DR will come in handy when i do get the hit from time to time cos 75% ain't 100% block

[KremBanan]

In my experience, I have never had the need for max block on a softcore PvM java.

[behling]

In my experience, I have never had the need for max block on a softcore PvM java.

hmm but i'll be maxing dex so natrually won't i get max block already?

[KremBanan]

You will get max block, but it shouldnt be something to plan for.

[behling]

You will get max block, but it shouldnt be something to plan for.

okay thx. another question on valk. i read in the one stickys that level 27 is all that is required but in another sticky bowazon guide. the author says that at level 28 is the last upgrade that valk will get a elite tiara. so which is whcih 28 or 27? can i just let my +skill boost them to 28/27 and save the pts for somewhere else? thx

[KremBanan]

With the Valk, there is several levels that are ok to aim for. Some just put 1pt, some raise her to level 17(after +skills) and some max it.

I personally, start with 1pt and when she starts dying to often for my liking, I put another point. And I go on untill Im confortable with her tanking ability for my needs(this varies for me, for different builds need different tanking ability)

[Bladewind]

17 is enough for valk. Anyway, if you are not hitting at least 400 dex. You are not doing the build right. And 400 dex lets you block with majority of shields.

[droid]

17 valk after +skills if you just want a meatshield
max valk if you want her to be effective killing things too and up your overall killspeed

I have a 25 valk, and you can really notice her damage, especially when she spawns with an ED war pike (the black one). Comes in very handy vs LI/stoneskin/high-health bosses and in high-player games

[behling]

ok guys i've kinda decided to go with the circlet because the 9 min dmg really adds alot to the overall bow dmg. since the cricle gives +2 to all ama skills its the same as andys i'm getting IAS from highlords, LOH and 15ias in the circlet so i'll still hit the 2nd last breakpt for both MS and strafe.

skills:

max LF
max CS
max LS

1pt in all passives (all boosted to level 10, valk level 17)

1pt GA/MS/Strafe (all boosted to level 13)

at level 90 i'll have a remaining of 12 hard pts. where shld i put these points in? i only want a valk for meat sheild so i suppose level 17 is enuff. i have a javazon with has level 29valk and althou she is able to kill her attack speed is oh so slow. so im thinking where else can i make this 12pts effective in my killing speed. thanks.

[droid]

well you said kill speed, not survivability, so I'll ignore D/E/A...that leaves passives and bow skills. Pierce you dont need with razortail, you probably have enough AR with Faith and 13 Penetrate, so adding a few more points in CS will give you a little benefit...I think 16 is the point of diminishing returns.

Beyond that, your options are Valk after all (with Faith you think her attack speed is still slow?), Strafe (more points give you more guaranteed arrows every volley), or MS (more points give you more arrows, which let you fire in wider arcs and still preserve your arrow density).

Given your playstyle, I'd sink 3 into CS, and then put the rest into MS so you can shift-attack right in front of your char and spam massive 270-degree arcs of sharpened wooden sucks-to-be-a-monster.

[behling]

well you said kill speed, not survivability, so I'll ignore D/E/A...that leaves passives and bow skills. Pierce you dont need with razortail, you probably have enough AR with Faith and 13 Penetrate, so adding a few more points in CS will give you a little benefit...I think 16 is the point of diminishing returns.

Beyond that, your options are Valk after all (with Faith you think her attack speed is still slow?), Strafe (more points give you more guaranteed arrows every volley), or MS (more points give you more arrows, which let you fire in wider arcs and still preserve your arrow density).

Given your playstyle, I'd sink 3 into CS, and then put the rest into MS so you can shift-attack right in front of your char and spam massive 270-degree arcs of sharpened wooden sucks-to-be-a-monster.

i tink i'm pretty covered with regards to surviving. i'll have level 13 boosted DEA, max res and around 800hp.

yea tink i'll add 3 hard pts to CS to get it to lvl 16 and with Highlords my critical strikes trigger off pretty well.

im not so sure about strafe, i'll be using chargestrike for bosses so the only events when i feel i'd use strafe are when its down to 2 to 3 mobs left.

just wondering i've tried level 13 MS and with only 6% mana leech i'm fine. i haven tried higher levels thou. based on your experience which level will my 6% mana leech start to become insufficent?.

Thanks.

[droid]

based on my experience, with a high-phys-damage bow any leech bow is good enough, as long as there's one or two leechable monsters in the pack you're attacking....