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With the newly released Runewords comes Faith, a bow that completely changes
the scope of a Bowazon. With Faith's Fanaticism Aura, a Bowazon can reach
the vaunted 7 frame attack on any bow type in the game. Coincidentally
enough, she can reach this 7 frame attack without having to devote the armor
to contributing IAS at all, which leads to a very nice situation of being
able to use the new +300% Enhanced Damage Fortitude Runeword.
The problem now comes in the what bow is best to use for Faith. Naturally,
it instances of PvP where having a mercenary to tote the Fanaticism around is
unseemly and not a little annoying at best, and outright banned at worst,
Faith is likely going to be always carried by the Bowazon herself. But even
then, there's the question on whether a Matriarchal Bow or a Grand Matron Bow
is more appropriate.
In the instances of PvM, the doors fly wide open. Rogue Mercs can carry the
Fanaticism around while the Bowazon wields a Windforce or a Brand bow. And
if the Bowazon wants, she can opt to carry Faith herself and bring an Act II
Merc. Pride allows for them to use their inherent Might Aura and stack
Concentration from the new Pride Runeword. Which combination is the highest
damage output? Well, here's an in-depth analysis.
Since this is merely a comparison of what bow deals what damage, I'll only
use the average damages. You can always plug the reference numbers above
into the equations and get the actual range of damage from the min to max,
but that's beyond the scope of this comparison, and entirely unnecessary.
This also saves me the trouble of continuously truncating.
At this point, I'm calculating damage based on a 350 dex zon. Naturally, in
terms of a pure Dexazon, this isn't entirely accurate, as a Shadow Bow user
saves a total of 82 strength points compared to a Hydra Bow user that can
possibly go into Dex for an even larger damage boost. But because then we'd
have to get into very specific builds, dictating which other items provide
how much strength, etc., it'd get thoroughly complicated. For simplicity's
sake, just assume all builds have exactly 350 dex + the dex on the weapon.
Also, this is calculated using Fortitude as the armor. Since all Zons builds
from now on are likely going to be built around this armor, and you can still
achieve seven frames regardless of bow without having the armor piece
contributing a single bit. Here's the damage equation, abbreviated, from the
Diablo II Strategy Compendium <http://strategy.diabloii.net/news.php?id=551>:
(Weapon Damage) * (1 + StatBonus + (+x% Enhanced Damage / 100)) * Modifier
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BOW DAMAGE CALCULATIONS (with mercenary auras in effect)
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Code:WINDFORCE DAMAGE CALCULATION W/ lvl.15 FANATICISM FROM ACT I ROGUE MERC --- * All IAS values for reaching 7 frame is based on a Act I Rogue w/ a lvl.15 Fanaticism from Faith Runeword * The strongest base damage bow in the entire game, with an absolutely sick +3.125 max damage per character level. It also has Knockback, among other mods. 20% IAS is inherent, and unlike all the Runewords, because it is Unique, you are free to throw an extra Rune in there for more damage or more IAS, or if you're lucky enough to have an ED/IAS jewel on ladder, that. * Fortitude + lvl.15 Party Fanaticism = 444%ED Windforce lvl.80; Ohm (50%ED) ------------------------------ 40-522 dmg, 281 avg dmg needs 72 IAS for 7 frame. (281) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2526.19 damage normal attack (281) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1894.6425 damage Multishot (281) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2105.3925 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.80; Shael (20IAS) -------------------------------- 35-488 dmg, 261.5 avg dmg needs 52 IAS for 7 frame. (261.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2350.885 damage normal attack (261.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1763.1637 damage Multishot (261.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1959.2887 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.80; Jewel (40%ED/15IAS) -------------------------------------- 39-515 dmg, 277 avg dmg needs 57 IAS for 7 frame. (277) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2490.23 damage normal attack (277) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1867.6725 damage Multishot (277) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2075.4225 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.85; Ohm (50%ED) ------------------------------ 40-537 dmg, 288.5 avg dmg needs 72 IAS for 7 frame. (281) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2526.19 damage normal attack (281) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1894.6425 damage Multishot (281) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2105.3925 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.85; Shael (20IAS) -------------------------------- 35-503 dmg, 269 avg dmg needs 52 IAS for 7 frame. (269) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2418.31 damage normal attack (269) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1813.7325 damage Multishot (269) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2015.4825 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.85; Jewel (40%ED/15IAS) -------------------------------------- 39-530 dmg, 284.5 avg dmg needs 57 IAS for 7 frame. (284.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2557.655 damage normal attack (284.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1918.2412 damage Multishot (284.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2131.6162 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.90; Ohm (50%ED) ------------------------------ 40-553 dmg, 296.5 avg dmg needs 72 IAS for 7 frame. (296.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2665.535 damage normal attack (296.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1999.1512 damage Multishot (296.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2221.5262 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.90; Shael (20IAS) -------------------------------- 35-519 dmg, 277 avg dmg needs 52 IAS for 7 frame. (277) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2490.23 damage normal attack (277) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1867.6725 damage Multishot (277) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2075.4225 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.90; Jewel (40%ED/15IAS) -------------------------------------- 39-546 dmg, 292.5 avg dmg needs 57 IAS for 7 frame. (292.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2629.575 damage normal attack (292.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1972.1812 damage Multishot (292.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2191.5562 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.95; Ohm (50%ED) ------------------------------ 40-568 dmg, 304 avg dmg needs 72 IAS for 7 frame. (304) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2732.96 damage normal attack (304) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 2049.72 damage Multishot (304) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2277.72 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.95; Shael (20IAS) -------------------------------- 35-534 dmg, 284.5 avg dmg needs 52 IAS for 7 frame. (284.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2557.655 damage normal attack (284.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1918.2412 damage Multishot (284.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2131.6162 damage Strafe Windforce lvl.95; Jewel (40%ED/15IAS) -------------------------------------- 39-562 dmg, 300.5 avg dmg needs 57 IAS for 7 frame. (300.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) = 2701.495 damage normal attack (300.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 2026.1212 damage Multishot (300.5) * (1 + 3.55 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 2251.4962 damage Strafe WITCHWILD STRING UP'ED DAMAGE CALCULATION W/ lvl.15 FANATICISM ROGUE --- * Base damage is not stellar by any means, but because of a combination of socket customization, Amplify Damage without the need for Atma's Scarab, and high chance of deadly strike, this is a monster bow it its own right. * Fortitude + lvl.15 Party Fanaticism = 444%ED Witchwild String Up'ed 150%ED; Ohm Ohm -------------------------------------- 115-140 dmg, 127.5 avg dmg needs 65 IAS for 7 frame. (127.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1139.85 damage normal attack (127.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 854.8875 damage Multishot (127.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 950.5125 damage Strafe Witchwild String Up'ed 150%ED; Shael Shael ------------------------------------------ 82-100 dmg, 91 avg dmg needs 25 IAS for 7 frame. (91) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 813.54 damage normal attack (91) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 610.155 damage Multishot (91) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 678.405 damage Strafe Witchwild String Up'ed 150%ED; 40%ED/15IAS 40%ED/15IAS ------------------------------------------------------ 108-132 dmg, 120 avg dmg needs 35 IAS for 7 frame. (120) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1072.8 damage normal attack (120) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 804.6 damage Multishot (120) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 894.6 damage Strafe Witchwild String Up'ed 170%ED; Ohm Ohm -------------------------------------- 122-148 dmg, 135 avg dmg needs 65 IAS for 7 frame. (135) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1206.9 damage normal attack (135) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 905.175 damage Multishot (135) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1006.425 damage Strafe Witchwild String Up'ed 170%ED; Shael Shael ------------------------------------------ 89-108 dmg, 98.5 avg dmg needs 25 IAS for 7 frame. (98.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 880.59 damage normal attack (98.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 660.4425 damage Multishot (98.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 734.3175 damage Strafe Witchwild String Up'ed 170%ED; 40%ED/15IAS 40%ED/15IAS ------------------------------------------------------ 115-140 dmg, 127.5 avg dmg needs 35 IAS for 7 frame. (127.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1137.85 damage normal attack (127.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 854.8875 damage Multishot (127.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 950.5125 damage Strafe BOTD DAMAGE CALCULATION W/ lvl.15 FANATICISM FROM ACT I ROGUE MERC --- * Again, IAS assumes Act I Rogue Merc using lvl.15 Fanaticism Faith Runeword * Incidentally, there is only one bow for comparison here. Only Hydra and Crusader can reach the necessary 6 sockets; and since they have the same average damage and speed, it'd be fairly redundant to do both of them, so only Hydra is shown * Fortitude + lvl.15 Party Fanaticism = 444%ED Breath of the Dying Hydra Bow; 350%ED ------------------------------------- 45-306 dmg, 175.5 avg dmg needs 32 IAS for 7 frame. (175.5) * (1 + 3.8 + 4.44) = 1621.62 damage normal attack (175.5) * (1 + 3.8 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1216.215 damage Multishot (175.5) * (1 + 3.8 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1347.84 damage Strafe Breath of the Dying Hydra Bow; 385%ED ------------------------------------- 48-329 dmg, 188.5 avg dmg needs 32 IAS for 7 frame. (188.5) * (1 + 3.8 + 4.44) = 1741.74 damage normal attack (188.5) * (1 + 3.8 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1306.305 damage Multishot (188.5) * (1 + 3.8 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1447.68 damage Strafe Breath of the Dying Hydra Bow; 415%ED ------------------------------------- 51-350 dmg, 200.5 avg dmg needs 32 IAS for 7 frame. (200.5) * (1 + 3.8 + 4.44) = 1852.62 damage normal attack (200.5) * (1 + 3.8 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1389.465 damage Multishot (200.5) * (1 + 3.8 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1539.84 damage Strafe BRAND DAMAGE CALCULATION W/ lvl.15 FANATICISM FROM ACT I ROGUE MERC --- * No one is giving this any consideration. I guess everyone is so wrapped up in the obviously powerful Runewords like Faith, Fortitude, and Infinity that this hasn't been noticed. Consider that an Amazon can spam Multishot to strike more monsters in a wide range in a given time than any other class in the entire game. Consider also that an Amazon can rapid fire more strikes with Strafe in a given moment than any other charater in the game. And consider that Brand is ITD with a 100% (guaranteed) chance of casting a magic, piercing attack (lvl.18 Bone Spear) *every* SINGLE strike. Not to mention the base damage on the bow isn't all that bad with a high end of 340% Enhanced Damage, and it sports Deadly Strike. It also comes with Prevent Monster Heal and Knockback, a Bowazon's best friend. * Again, IAS assumes Act I Rogue Merc using lvl.15 Fanaticism Faith Runeword * Because there's no reason to stick this on an Act I Rogue Mercenary, we'll only consider the two Amazon specific bows, and the Shadow Bow in the instance that you may want a base 0 weapon depending on very specific gear set ups. No reason to consider Hydra/Crusader or Great, as Grand Matron and Matriarchal trump them, respectively * Fortitude + lvl.15 Party Fanaticism = 444%ED Brand Shadow Bow; 260%ED ------------------------ 54-212 dmg, 133 avg dmg needs 65 IAS for 7 frame. (133) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1189.02 damage normal attack (133) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 891.765 damage Multishot (133) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 991.515 damage Strafe Brand Shadow Bow; 300%ED ------------------------ 60-236 dmg, 148 avg dmg needs 65 IAS for 7 frame. (148) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1323.12 damage normal attack (148) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 992.34 damage Multishot (148) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1103.34 damage Strafe Brand Shadow Bow; 340%ED ------------------------ 66-259 dmg, 162.5 avg dmg needs 65 IAS for 7 frame. (162.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1452.75 damage normal attack (162.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1089.5625 damage Multishot (162.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1211.4375 damage Strafe Brand Matriarchal Bow; 260%ED ----------------------------- 72-169 dmg, 120.5 avg dmg needs 44 IAS for 7 frame. (120.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1077.27 damage normal attack (120.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 807.9525 damage Multishot (120.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 898.3275 damage Strafe Brand Matriarchal Bow; 300%ED ----------------------------- 80-188 dmg, 134 avg dmg needs 44 IAS for 7 frame. (134) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1197.96 damage normal attack (134) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 898.47 damage Multishot (134) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 998.97 damage Strafe Brand Matriarchal Bow; 340%ED ----------------------------- 88-206 dmg, 147 avg dmg needs 44 IAS for 7 frame. (147) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1314.18 damage normal attack (147) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 985.635 damage Multishot (147) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1095.885 damage Strafe Brand Grand Matron Bow; 260%ED ------------------------------ 50-259 dmg, 154.5 avg dmg needs 92 IAS for 7 frame. (154.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1381.23 damage normal attack (154.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1035.9225 damage Multishot (154.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1151.7975 damage Strafe Brand Grand Matron Bow; 300%ED ------------------------------ 56-288 dmg, 172 avg dmg needs 92 IAS for 7 frame. (172) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1537.68 damage normal attack (172) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1153.26 damage Multishot (172) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1282.26 damage Strafe Brand Grand Matron Bow; 340%ED ------------------------------ 61-316 dmg, 188.5 avg dmg needs 92 IAS for 7 frame. (188.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) = 1685.19 damage normal attack (188.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 4.44) * 0.75 = 1263.8925 damage Multishot (188.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 5.44) * 0.75 = 1405.2675 damage Strafe FAITH DAMAGE CALCULATION W/ lvl.18 CONCENTRATION and lvl.18 MIGHT --- * And here we get to the new big kahuna. The base damage on this seems fairly low, compared to ol' Windforce, because it does not come with the monster + to max damage based on character level, but remember that with the Amazon using this rather than the Act I Rogue Merc, you can equip an Act II Might Merc with Pride. That's right, Fanaticism plus Might plus Concentration all at once, without a single Paladin needed. * lvl.18 Concentration comes from Pride, obviously. I picked lvl.18 Might as well because they have that level at lvl.87. But keep in mind, they can be using it a lot sooner, if given +skill items. * Also remember that when the Amazon wields Faith, the aura for damage affects her much more so than party members. When a Rogue uses it, the Amazon will not get as big a boost as when she wields it herself (only approximately half). * Faith adds either +1 or +2 to skills, upping Strafe's damage ever so slightly. This is calculated with +2, since we're assuming a perfect Faith (calculating lvl.15 Fanatacism all this time), but the difference is very minute either way). * Fortitude + lvl.15 Self Fanaticism + lvl.18 Concentration + lvl.18 Might = 1113%ED (we'll call this the "holy crap" value) Faith Hydra Bow 43-292 dmg, 167.5 avg dmg needs 92 IAS for 7 frame. (167.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) = 2618.025 damage normal attack (167.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) * 0.75 = 1963.5187 damage Multishot (167.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 12.23) * 0.75 = 2101.7062 damage Strafe Faith Shadow Bow 64-253 dmg, 158.5 avg dmg needs 65 IAS for 7 frame. (148.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) = 2321.055 damage normal attack (148.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) * 0.75 = 1740.7912 damage Multishot (148.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 12.23) * 0.75 = 1863.3037 damage Strafe Faith Great Bow 51-223 dmg, 137 avg dmg needs 44 IAS for 7 frame. (137) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) = 2141.31 damage normal attack (137) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) * 0.75 = 1605.9825 damage Multishot (137) * (1 + 3.5 + 12.23) * 0.75 = 1719.0075 damage Strafe Faith Matriarchal Bow 86-202 dmg, 144 avg dmg needs 44 IAS for 7 frame. (144) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) = 2250.72 damage normal attack (144) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) * 0.75 = 1688.04 damage Multishot (144) * (1 + 3.5 + 12.23) * 0.75 = 1806.84 damage Strafe Faith Grand Matron Bow 60-309 dmg, 184.5 needs 92 IAS for 7 frame. (184.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) = 2883.735 damage normal attack (184.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 11.13) * 0.75 = 2162.8012 damage Multishot (184.5) * (1 + 3.5 + 12.23) * 0.75 = 2315.0137 damage Strafe
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COMMENTARY AND COMPARISONS
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-- In Regards to Required IAS from Equipment --
Sources of IAS are somewhat limited in a Faith/Fortitude combination. The
bow and the armor slots are locked up as you require both to reach the upper
levels of damage and speed. No rings give IAS at all, in any way. No boots
naturally grant IAS. The only way to get IAS indirectly from boots comes in
the form of sets. Sigon's and IK's Gloves grant 30% and 25%, respectively,
when paired with a second piece of the set. In both cases, the boots would
be the only practical choice for a speed Bowazon.
That leaves the Helm, Gloves, Amulet and Belt to contribute the IAS required
for seven frames.
The head piece is generally where you can get the most help. The two choices
are either M'avina's True Sight Diadem or a three socket helm. The former
has a natural 30%IAS, and can gain one socket for a 15%IAS Jewel, bringing
the total to 45%IAS. The latter allows you to socket three 15%IAS Jewels
for the same speed.
Not only is the head piece the largest possible provider of IAS for a Bowazon
who aims for Fortitude, there are few other helm choices anyway. The top
choices for most Bowazon builds tend to be leech helms, and since Bowazons
with access to these new Runewords are deadly high levels of damage, using
Vamp Gaze or Tal Rasha's Mask aren't necessarily the best choices. In fact,
the best possible helm for a Bowazon of this type would be a three socket
filled with 40%ED/15%IAS Jewels (of course, this may end up costing more than
all the rest of the equipment put together). Either way, M'avina's True
Sight is the most practical helm for a seven frame Bowazon.
Gloves are also a common point for IAS. Laying of Hands set gloves grant
this, and happen to be one of the most easily found items in the game (half
the Bramble Mitts I've ever seen dropped always roll as set). They can also
be traded for practically nothing. 20%IAS is also available on Lava Gout
unique gloves, and can spawn on rare/crafted gloves.
The best possible gloves for a seven frame Bowazon would be crafted gloves.
For most equipment setups (that is, non-Windforce), the godliest pair would
be hit power gloves (for Knockback) that include +2 bow skills, 20%IAS, and
dual leech. Crafting Blood Gloves would be easier to get the stats, though
you lose the chance of gaining Knockback, which is very helpful.
Amulet is the last source of 20%IAS. Both Highlord's Wrath and Cat's Eye
come with it. Incidentally, both have other stats that are very appealing to
a Bowazon -- Deadly Strike based on character level for the former, and +25
Dex for the latter.
The other top choices for Amulet would be either a rare +skills, dual leech,
and resists ammy, or Atma's Scarab for the chance of casting Amp Damage.
The latter would be very helpful for PvM, and nigh useless in PvP.
The last chance at reaching necessary IAS comes in the form of a belt. Both
Goldwrap and Nosferatu's Coil grant 10%IAS. The one big problem with using
either is that it makes it impossible to use Razortail for the Pierce. Not
a problem in PvP, a minor slight in PvM.
-- In Regards to Player versus Player --
For all practical matters, if your aim is PvP then Faith is going to be the
choice hands down. Carrying a mercenary around for an aura is likely going
to be frowned upon, and it'd be a pain to keep her alive. And when she dies
in the middle of a duel, all your equipment may no longer be optimal for the
situation without Fanaticism carrying most of the IAS weight.
In this regard, there is no reason to have a Faith Hydra Bow. Grand Matron
Bow deals higher min and max damage, has the same speed, and can spawn with
+ bow skills. Likewise, there is little reason to use a Great Bow, since
Matriarchal is the same speed with higher max and average damage, and the
ability for + bow skills. The only thing a Great Bow has over it would be
minimum damage, but that's hardly a reason to choose it when Matriachal has
so much more.
To decide which of the two Faith bows is better, we need to look at the
rest of the equipment a Bowazon would be using. The helm for either is
going to very likely be either M'avina's True Sight with a 15%IAS Jewel,
or some godly three-socketed helm. Either way, expect the helm to provide
45%IAS.
If you're using the Faith Matriarchal Bow that has either lvl.14 or lvl.15
Fanaticism on it, then you've already hit seven frames of attack. If you
got unlucky and rolled a lvl.12 or lvl.13 Fanaticism, you only need one
more piece of equipment with IAS to reach the desired break point.
Obviously, the merits of the Matriachal Bow are very clear at this point.
Using it can potentially free up the Amulet, Gloves and Belt for other
equipment.
The problem with this, is that there really isn't any more to Bowazon
equipment in terms of PvP, to be quite frank. Speed and damage are far and
wide the only important pieces, because you just need the other character
dead. AR isn't needed as Guided Arrow will take care of that. Resists and
other defensive measures are truly pointless, because a Bowazon is generally
a glass cannon. If a WW Barb or a Smither hit you, you're going to die. If
a Sorc slaps you with a spell, you're going to die. It's generally that
simple.
Freeing up the belt is not all too useful. Razortail is generally pointless
in PvP (the exception perhaps being against minion stackers). The best
choice for a Bowazon aside from Nosferatu's Coil for IAS or Razortail for
Pierce in PvM would be a rare stat belt, so you can save points on strength
for equipment and pump more Dex. Which sounds nice, until you realize that
filling the spot with IAS necessary to get a Grand Matron to seven frames
will accomplish the same goal: more damage.
Freeing up the Amulet may not be all that useful either. For PvP, the clear
winners would be either Cat's Eye for the Faster Run/Walk and +25 Dex, or
Highlord's Wrath for increased Deadly Strike. Both of them have the 20%IAS
anyway. Atma's Scarab is a fine PvM amulet for the Amplify Damage casting,
but generally useless in PvP. Most duels will likely long be over with either
your death or theirs before the meager 5% CTC ever triggers.
The only point that is may be crucial to free up is the Gloves. Cleglaw's
very cheap Pincers are just obscene for a duel, with Knockback and Chance to
Slow Target. The problem of course, is that some people find Slow Target
taboo in duels, leaving the only useful thing about Cleglaw's as Knockback,
which you can acquire from Hit Power Crafted Gloves w/ 20%IAS (if you're
lucky).
Alternatively, Steelrends seems like a nice choice, in that they add damage.
But as with the belts, if you dedicated this slot to IAS, you could equip a
Grand Matron Bow anyway, and achieve the same goal: more damage.
So when it boils down to it, Grand Matron Bow would appear the stronger of
the two. Remember, for Matriarchal Bow users you'd have to add several
hundred Dex from the freed up slots to reach Grant Matron Bow's damage
anyway, which isn't likely going to happen. Since you might as well use
those item slots for IAS gear anyway, the Grand Matron bow is perfect.
There is one glaring problem with the Grand Matron Bow, however. If you get
terribly unlucky and roll a lvl.12 Fanaticism, the only way a Faith/Fortitude
wielding Bowazon can reach the seven frame breakpoint would be to commit
_all_ other pieces of equipment to IAS, including using either the Sigon's
Gloves & Boots, or the IK's Gloves & Boots.
Reason being that on lvl.14 and lvl.15 Fanaticism, you only need 92%IAS. On
lvl.13 Fanaticism, you need 95%IAS. Effectively, they are the same thing,
for all intents and purposes, because 45%IAS Helm + 20%IAS Gloves + 10%IAS
Belt + 20%IAS Amulet = 95%IAS which covers both. But if you roll a lvl.12
you need 99% IAS, which requires 4% more. Which can only be achieved by the
very minor extra from a paired Sigon's or IK's Gloves. In this case, IK's
would be preferable because of 40%FRW compared to 20%FRW from Sigon's.
But that's a very restrictive equipment set up. So if you're the type of
player who happens to be able to afford a Faith, but aren't rich enough to
make another in the case of a very unlucky turn of events, then use the
Matriarchal Bow.
-- In Regards to Player versus Monster --
Here's where there is no clear cut winner. In terms of raw damage, the
initial assumption by most that a Windforce Zon with a Faith Mercenary will
deal the most damage. Which is true, more or less.
At lvl.80, a Shael'ed Windforce Zon with Faith Merc is doing approximately
the same amount of damage as a Matriarchal Faith Zon with a Might and
Concentration Merc. At lvl.85 and above, it begins to over take the Faith
Zon. One thing a Matriarchal Faith Zon has over the Shael'ed Windforce Zon
is that, usually, it only takes a single piece -- the helm -- to reach the
seven frame breakpoint, whereas it'd take the Shael'ed Windforce Zon two
pieces.
Not a great problem when you consider that there aren't that many stellar
pieces of equipment for a Bowazon anyway. After all, even requiring two
pieces -- the helm and gloves -- you can still equip Atma's Scarab for Amp
Damage, and Razortail for maxed out Pierce, which is likely the optimal
equipment for either Bowazon. The only equipment difference between the two
would be gloves, but since the Matriarchal Faith Zon does not have Knockback
on the weapon, rare/crafted gloves with Knockback are likely the best for
her. So her gloves are going to be dedicated to Knockback, whereas the
Windforce Zon's gloves will be dedicated to IAS. Either way, the slot is
"locked" more or less.
So in terms of freedom of equipment, neither has an advantage over the other.
At lvl.80, with the two doing roughly the same damage, the advantage goes to
Faith for its ITD. When you get to lvl.85+, it's a toss up. You can choose
the Faith for ITD, or the Windforce for higher damage.
The real tire breaker may come in the form of price. Getting a Windforce is
_much_ cheaper than putting together a Pride weapon for a Merc. Of course,
if you're the type of player who can afford both Faith and Fortitude, that
may not be much of a problem for you.
Incidentally enough, the Faith Grand Matron Bow beats out even a lvl.95
Ohm'ed Windforce. The problem here, of course, is that all slots are taken
up for IAS. Meaning the Windforce user could use an Atma's Scarab for Amp
Damage or a Razortail for Pierce, whereas the Faith Grand Matron user cannot.
If the Windforce is Shael'ed rather than Ohm'ed it can use both. Of course,
again Faith comes with ITD, Windforce does not. The Windforce is likely
better for PvM because the combination of Amplify Damage and 100% Pierce
probably beats ITD on Faith.
So when it boils down to it, in PvM, because of the nature of ITD, Windforce
is likely superior to a Grand Matron Faith bow. The difference between it
and a Matriarchal Faith bow is up for debate though. I'd generally choose
Windforce over it though, because if you're leveling with a Hammerdin, then
the Windforce user is quite clearly going to be the stronger of the two,
since Concentration is a given anyway.
Now then, we throw Witchwild String into the fray. This is a very
interesting little bow. The damage is laughable, but the mods are nothing
short of godly. The first is Amplify Damage. Atma's Scarab is one of the
better PvM amulets a Amazon can use, because with Strafe's rapid fire style
attack, you can trigger this with ease. And when it is triggered, your
damage is effectively doubled. The problem with Atma's Scarab is that it
is almost useless otherwise. Witchwild String has this same mod built in,
removing the need to equip Atma's Scarab. That's fairly nice.
The second mod of note is Deadly Strike based on character level. With
a Highlord's Wrath equipped, a lvl.73 Amazon using WWS will always, repeat
_always_ deal double damage with every hit. Without a single point into
Critical Strike (of course, you'll have a point in there as a matter of
course for reaching Pierce anyway).
Also, Witchwild String comes with two empty sockets. Customization galore.
At a base speed of 0, Shael Shael would only require 25%IAS to reach the
seven frame break point. Andariel's butt-ugly Visage socketed with a IAS
Jewel can reach that point. As can Highlord's plus any other IAS. The
M'avina's True Sight Diadem can hit it without even socketing. Lots of
equipment freedom.
Witchwild String used to be a highly powerful bow. Now, with Faith's
introduction, its lost some of its punch. Reason being is that many other
bows can now reach the seven frame break point with Fanaticism while still
equipping Atma's Scarab. So they have access to Amplify Damage anyway.
A 170%ED WWS can only barely match a Windforce at lvl.80 when you consider
a 100% Deadly Strike for the latter and a 0% Deadly Strike and Critical
Strike for the former. But the Windforce user will have at bare minimum
one point into Critical Strike so it can reach Pierce. That alone puts
the Windforce above and beyond the WWS. The Amplify Damage is moot since
any socketed Windforce can feasibly reach seven frames without using an
Amulet slot up (which Atma's Scarab would fill).
Breath of the Dying is not actually that bad of a bow. The base damage is
fairly good, and it has tremendous IAS. A BotD bow coupled with Faith's
Fanaticism means you would only need 32%IAS to reach seven frames. M'avina's
True Sight Diadem can reach this easily with a socket. Andariel's ugly as
a donkey's *** Visage can reach the break point with a socket as well. This
leaves considerable freedom in equipment.
Of course, for the runes that are required to make it, it doesn't have much
merit. All the other bow combinations compare favorably against it, and it
has no stellar mods. The best thing about BotD bows are the insane speed,
but since Faith's Fanaticism, that's hardly a problem anymore. Windforce is
stronger and considerably cheaper.
Which leaves us with Brand. This is one very interesting bow. ITD, Prevent
Monster Heal and Knockback are some of the more obvious mods. It also has a
chance of rolling a fairly high Enhanced Damage (340% max).
The big boy of Brand's mods, however, is the 100% (that is no typo, 100%)
chance to cast lvl.18 Bone Spear on Striking. Now, lvl.18 Bone Spear may
sound weak, and it is, but that's not the full story. CTC spells apparently
synergize. Marrowwalk Unique Boneweave Boots have lvl.33 Bone Prison charges
on them. Incidentally enough, there is a bug that allows this lvl.33 Bone
Prison to be applied to syngerizing when the charges are at 0. Doing the
math, the Bone Spear damage comes from a couple of hundred, to roughly 569+.
Bone Spear is magic damage that _pierces_. Add in the combination of ITD on
Brand, and the 100% chance to cast, and you've got yourself a very
interesting group killing bow.
To illustrate it's potential, imagine five enemies lined up in a straight
line (think Maggot Lair). You fire a single arrow (not even Strafe, not even
Multi, just a single normal attack). The arrow strikes the first target,
hits, and deals the physical damage from the arrow. A Bone Spear is cast on
top of said monster, dealing damage to it. The Bone Spear travels through
and pierces every successive monster. That's 569+ magic damage applied to
all five monsters.
Incidentally, that may not be all. I am no expert on how Chance to Cast
works with arrows. But CTC on _Striking_ has always been described as when a
monster is hit. Imagine that the arrow has 100% Pierce (not out of the
question with Razortail). The arrow goes past the front monster via Pierce
and strikes the second monster. If I'm understaning "on Striking" correctly,
and there are no bugs in play (I'm not sure, just speculating), then it will
again cast a Bone Spear, which will hit and pierce the back four monsters.
If this works, the arrow will continue on to the third monster, and start yet
another Bone Spear. And so on and so on. All in all, the first monster is
hit with a single arrow and a single Bone Spear. The second monster is hit
with a single arrow and two Bone Spears. The last monster is hit by a single
arrow and _five_ Bone Spears. And all this comes from a single normal attack
not Strafe.
If this indeed works, and you had Strafed five arrows into this pack, the
first monster will be hit by five arrows and five Bone Spears. The last
monster will be hit by five arrows and twenty five Bone Spears. I don't care
how much fast cast a Necromancer is using, he'll never compete with that.
Not a chance.
Here's a screen shot I took of a Brand Bow in single player mode I... shall
we say "created":
<http://img91.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img91&image=brandbonespear9iz.jpg>
There are at least five Bone Spears in that picture. Four are readily
discernable, but you can tell a fifth exists, as the one closest to the
Amazon is thicker than normal (at least two Bone Spears stacked on top one
another).
<http://img91.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img91&image=bonespearbrand3gz.jpg>
This second picture shows what happens when the monsters line up. Notice how
the back end of the Bone Spear is significantly thicker than the front end.
Again, likely a case of several Bone Spears stacked on top of each other.
Remember, this is mostly speculation, I don't truly know all the details about
CTC with bows. Either way, because monsters tend to crowed around a mercenary
or Valkyrie in clumps and not straight lines, this bow may end up more a
novelty than a weapon. Unless you're building a Bowazon specifically to run
very cramped areas (Sewers, Maggot Lair) or Cowing returns to glory (because
of the sheer girth of some cow packs, Bone Spears would hit many targets),
you're better of sticking with Faith or Windforce.
It'd be a crying shame to waste the runes on Brand if it rolled a meager 260%
Enhanced Damage. After all, the _cheapest_ rune it uses is Mal, and the most
expensive is Lo, which is now king of runes, thanks to Grief, Pride, Phoenix
and most importantly Fortitude.
In conclusion, for PvM, the best combination is either Windforce with Faith
Fanaticism Merc for high damage, or Faith Matriarchal Bow with Might Merc
using a Pride Concentration weapon for the ITD.
================================================== ===========================
READ BEFORE YOU CALL ME A MORON (please)
================================================== ===========================
I do not claim this as the be-all, end-all of analysis and discussion on the
topic. Obviously, I don't know all the angles. And obviously my viewpoint
is not without flaws (didn't calculate the dex bonus one receives from using
a lower strength requirement bow), but it's a fairly in-depth look at the new
bows considering the lack of true mathematical comparisons that have been
posted thusfar.
Perhaps some of the more knowledgeable users will elaborate on whatever I
missed, or correct whatever I may have gotten glaring incorrect.
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Originally Posted by Dogbert
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