Cannot decide - for zon

[DeathMaster]

Ok, this time is for real. Since I have crafted the pair of gloves with 20% IAS and knockback. I'm going to do start a WWS strafe zon.

Please keep in mind that I now only play HC 1.10, and first thing first is always stay alive, therefore I'll do all I can to reduce the risks, even it means I lose killing power. 1337ness is not an option, full n00bness please.

So far what will be used for sure:

WWS with 2x shael
crafted gloves (posted in item found thread) - 20 IAS, KB, some resist + MF
standard zon belt - razortail
ring 1 - Raven Frost
amulet - Mara's (unless there are better for resist)
armor - skin of viper (will be socketed with 15% IAS jewel)


I cannot decide:

ring 2 - maybe a rare with resist + dual leech
boots - maybe gore rider
headgear - something I can socket with a 15% IAS jewel, maybe a rock stopper

What I'm looking for:

1. max resist in hell, my best charms are now with my fishy, so I can make up some of the missing res, but don't have that many best resist SC around. plus, I want to use couple of life/ar/damage charms too.

2. I'm not worry about MF, she is not designed to do that (fishymance is)

3. If I can get some leech from gear, it is good; if not, it is fine too, I play RWM, so insight can solve the major problem here.

4. Mara's will be the highest lvl requirement item, I want something I can start using in NM, not wait until finished hell and made few 1000s runs, and then reach the required lvl.

Play style wise, I may not twink in normal, apart may only twink the bow once reach lvl 39. And then wait 67 for the rest of gears.

Any suggestion are welcome, teh n00blar, teh better.

[Kefir-Tribe]

A dual leech ring sounds good especially if you can get some resist too. For boots I would go with a pair of rare ones with resistances and FRW or Waterwalk for the Life and the dexterity bonus.

Rockstopper sounds excellent for resist and FHR but if you can max resistances without it Harlequin Crest or Darksight Helm can be a good substitute. The first one for the massive life bonus/DR/mana and the second one mainly for Cloak of Shadows. Darksight Helm would also solve your mana leech problem and provides some fire resist. If you don't stick with Rockstopper make sure to get some FHR elsewhere. I would try to get 7 frame hit recovery (32%FHR) or 6 frame (52%FHR).

[Day]

What about a vampire gaze with the IAS Jewel - it gives you life and mana steal and excellent damage reduction as well as built in cold damage (saves a charm slot)?

I'd be a bit worried about Glooms - I tend to deal with them by using TGods but you'd lose pierce or by putting on Blackthorns mask (but you don't really want to lose all your resitances which you would if you used Rockstopper). I

[Llathias]

I do not understand why people like to use Skin of the Vipermagi in their non-caster characters. The +1 skills and the fcr wouldn't make such a big issue for a melee/ranged char. If you want resists, use Gloom or Smoke. Defense is incredibly low. Is it the 10 MDR? Could someone explain please?

[Kefir-Tribe]

I do not understand why people like to use Skin of the Vipermagi in their non-caster characters. The +1 skills and the fcr wouldn't make such a big issue for a melee/ranged char. If you want resists, use Gloom or Smoke. Defense is incredibly low. Is it the 10 MDR? Could someone explain please?

Well smoke is a good option, Gloom too but the runes for it are pretty rare and I'm not certain about the level requirement. The extra skill from Viper is helpful and you have an open socket for something, in this case an IAS-jewel.

[Toppo]

My choices would be:

Helm: Kira's with an IAS j00l (solves the res problems)
Amulet: Cat's Eye
Armor: Lionheart
Boots: Waterwalk
Ring2: dual leech rare (or a good life leech one since you have Insight)

[skunkbelly]

My choices would be:

Helm: Kira's with an IAS j00l (solves the res problems)
Amulet: Cat's Eye
Armor: Lionheart
Boots: Waterwalk
Ring2: dual leech rare (or a good life leech one since you have Insight)

I second the Lionheart nomination. Terrific armor for a zon.

[Kefir-Tribe]

The only downside with Kira's si the high level requirement.

[pharaoh]

I wouldn't worry too much about IAS. In fact, if you hit the last Strafe breakpoint, you'll often do less damage over time, thanks to the nextdelay bug. The only reason to maximize IAS is for a backup attack, like Freezing/Magic Arrow.

I'd also recommend a Harmony bow, at least on switch. As the BStar of bows, it will really help with immunes, and the Vigor aura will make you much more mobile on the battlefield (as well as helping your merc and Valk). The only thing it really lacks is IAS, but if you stick it in a blade bow or great bow, minimal IAS is needed, which it seems you'll already have from other gear. A side benefit is you can use it to prebuff Valk with up to +3 (after the oskill cap for an 'owned' skill).

I do not understand why people like to use Skin of the Vipermagi in their non-caster characters. The +1 skills and the fcr wouldn't make such a big issue for a melee/ranged char. If you want resists, use Gloom or Smoke. Defense is incredibly low. Is it the 10 MDR? Could someone explain please?

Actually, the MDR can go as high as 13. That aside, it's a great armor. Obviously, it benefits casters the most, but it can work well on a ranged attacker too, especially an Amazon.

Pros:

• The strength requirement is very low.
• It's classed as 'light armor', meaning no r/w speed penalty or increased drain on stamina while running.
• +1 all skills (including oskills, if any). For this character, it helps to save on hard points in the passive skills.
• FCR. Great if you're getting a) mobbed by melee attackers or b) peppered by ranged attackers and really need to cast that Valk or Decoy (less likely to have the casting interrupted). Also handy for Inner Sight, Slow Missiles, and any oskills that might come into play.
• Resists. Much needed for a bowazon, since you'll be shieldless and all, and much of the attacks that come your way will be elemental/poison in nature.

Cons:

• Low defense.

The only drawback here, the low defense, doesn't really matter much, for three reasons. First, with the exception of having a Defiance merc (or being partied with a paladin or barb), there is no skill an amazon has available to leverage high defense. Second, the amazon has at least one tank (probably two, since the merc is likely a tank), plus Decoy, and is thus often not even a target of attacks. Third, Dodge/Avoid/Evade (which all get boosted by the +1 skills on the armor), which can negate a healthy amount of attacks directed her way (far more than will be negated by adding, say, 1000 defense).

The only downside with Kira's si the high level requirement.

Well, and the whole Hardcore angle, what with items being harder to get (and keep). But yeah, clvl 77 is a bit higher than what DeathMaster said he wanted to use. I second the Rockstopper nomination made earlier; resists are king, and far more valuable than a bit of leech or PDR. Should the resists (besides fire) already be mostly covered, Crown of Thieves is a good choice, as it offers massive life leech, big boosts to dex (ie damage and AR), life, and mana, healthy fire resist, juicy gold find, and it looks really cool. I mean, it is Hardcore, after all- and if you die, may as well leave a good-looking corpse.

[DeathMaster]

The only downside with Kira's si the high level requirement.

And I don't have it for my HC play yet.

@pharaoh: you have said pretty much what I could with skin of viper, only two more things I wanted to add.

Extra Pro:

1. lvl req is very low

2. you can add an open socket, RW doesn't have free socket.


As I said, the first thing first is be able to survive, so I must reach the x/2 BP or I will not build her at all. Doing less damage is fine, but a slow strafe is not.

And thanks for the good looking corpse idea, very nice, now if I ever find a tyreal's might :afro: