The Classic Elemental Bowzon Guide

[Damric]

The Classic Elemental Bowzon Guide by Damric

About me: I bought D2 after trying it at a friend's house back in 2000. I played like every version of both Classic and LoD and played LoD exclusively for a long time. I grew bored with LoD and went back to Classic and I really enjoy it. One of the first things I noticed is that in classic weapon damage is pretty low compared to LoD. For example Rare Gothic bows, lances, mauls, whatever are way lower than the elite unique and runeword items I was used to. I still wanted to make a bow amazon so I looked at the Set Items list in Arreat Summit and this is what I found:


Arctic Set: Ok, bow damage looks really low but the cold durations make this viable for a cold damage amazon since the duration bonus will stack with your cold skills.

Arctic Furs
Quilted Armor Defense: 45 - 51 (varies)(Base Defense 8-11)
Defense: (48-342) - (54-348) (varies)(Base Defense 8-11)
Required Level: 2
Required Strength: 12
Durability: 20
+275-325% Enhanced Defense
All Resistances +10
+ (3 Per Character Level) 3-297 Defense (Based On Character Level) (2 Set Items)
Cold Resist +15% (3 Set Items)

Arctic Binding
Light Belt Defense: 33 (Base Defense: 3)
Required Level: 2
Durability: 14
Cold Resist +40%
+30 Defense
+40% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items (2 Set Items)
Cold Resist +10% (3 Set Items)

Arctic Mitts
Light Gauntlets Defense: 9-11 (varies)
Required Level: 2
Required Strength: 45
Durability: 18
+20 To Life
10% Increased Attack Speed
+50 To Attack Rating (2 Set Items)
+10 To Dexterity (3 Set Items)

Arctic Horn
Short War Bow Two-Hand Damage: 9 to 21 (15 avg)
Required Level: 2
Required Strength: 35
Required Dexterity: 55
Base Weapon Speed: [0]
+50% Enhanced Damage
20% Bonus To Attack Rating
+ (8 Per Character Level) 8-792 Attack Rating (Based On Character Level) (2 Set Items)
+20-30 Cold Damage, 3 sec. Duration (Normal) (3 Set Items)


Partial Set Bonus
+5 To Strength (2 Items)
+50 To Life (3 Items)

Complete Set Bonus
+5 To Strength
+50 To Life
Cannot Be Frozen
Adds 6-14 Cold Damage
Cold Duration: 4 seconds



Vidala's Set: Again poor bow damage, but 50% pierce made me decide to try it on a Fire Using Amazon


Vidala's Barb
Long Battle Bow Two-Hand Damage: 3 to 18 (10.5 Avg)
Required Level: 14
Required Strength: 40
Required Dexterity: 50
Base Weapon Speed: [10]
Adds 1-20 Lightning Damage
+ (8 Per Character Level) 8-792 To Attack Rating (Based On Character Level) (2 Items)

Vidala's Ambush
Leather Armor Defense: 64-67 (varies) (Base Defense: 14-17)
Defense: (66-311) - (69-314) (varies) (Base Defense: 14-17)
Required Level: 14
Required Strength: 15
Durability: 24
+50 Defense
+11 to Dexterity
+24% Fire Resist (2 Items)
+ (2.5 Per Character Level) +2-247 Defense (Based On Character Level) (3 Items)

Vidala's Fetlock
Light Plated Boots Defense: 9-11 (varies)
Required Level: 14
Required Strength: 50
Durability: 18
Assassin Kick Damage: 8-16
30% Faster Run/Walk
+150 to Maximum Stamina
All Resistances +8 (2 Items)

Vidala's Snare
Amulet Required Level: 14
Cold Resist 20%
+15 To Life
50% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items (2 Items)


Partial Set Bonus
+75 To Attack Rating (2 Items)
+15 To Dexterity (3 Items)

Complete Set Bonus
+75 To Attack Rating
Adds 15-20 Cold Damage, 2 sec. Duration (Normal)
Piercing Attack [50]
Freezes Target
+15 To Dexterity
+10 To Strength



Character Builds: you can build an elemental type amazon with a low damage bow using one of these 2 sets.



Statistics: all of these builds will have similar points in these attributes:

Strength: enough for gear. No more needed.
Dexterity: enough for gear. No need to place more since your main damage will not be physical.
Vitality: Place as many as you can here.
Energy: 100-150 depending on your mana needs. This is a mana-munching build. In classic you don't have the luxury of Meditation mercinaries or Battle Orders from your own Call to Arms.


Equipment: All of these builds use basically the same equipment:

Headgear: To help out with mana, any 3 socket helm with 3 Perfect Saphires or 3 Perfect skulls or a combination. Otherwise a Nice Rare helm will do. For %Magic Find, a Tarnhelm or 3 Perfect Topaz Helm.
Rings: For the Rich players 2xSoJ's. Otherwise 2x Manald heal (40% mana regeneration), or nice resist rare rings. For Magic Find, use Nagel Rings or Rare %mf rings.

The Rest of gear depends on the build (see below).




Magezon1: this build can kill all except cold +fire immune with powerful freezing arrow or explosive arrows that pierce the enemies

Arctic Set +Eye of Etlich +Rare Boots

20 freezing arrow
20 ice arrow
20 fire arrow
20 explode arrow
1+++ valkerie/ pierce



Magezon2: uses frost arrow only to hold monsters still for immolition arrow to cook them

Arctic Set +Eye of Etlich +Rare Boots

20 freezing arrow
20 immolition arrow
20 fire arrow
20 explosive arrow
1+++ in pierce/cold arrow



Frostzon: this amazon is solely cold damage and uses valkerie to handle cold immunes.

Arctic Set +Eye of Etlich +Rare Boots

20 freezing arrow
20 ice arrow
20 cold arrow
20 valkerie
1+++ in pierce/decoy



Firezon1: uses explosive arrows to kill and a strong valkerie and decoy

Vidala's Set +Magefist +rarebelt

20 fire arrow
20 explode arrow
20 valkerie
20 decoy
1+ to Pierce (to get near 100% with Vidala's Set)
1+ Dodge Skills


Firezon2: Uses Powerful Immolition Arrows and a moderate Valkerie and Decoy

Vidala's Set +Magefist +rarebelt

20 Fire Arrow
20 Explode Arow
20 Immolition Arrow
1+ to Pierce (to get near 100% with Vidala's Set)
10+ Decoy
10+ Valkerie
1+ Dodge skills

[Mikk0]

i'v been thinking about a magezon for a while now.. so have you tried all of those builds? how do they coop in hell game solo/8ppl?

reason why i have been thinking about this is that when im seeking a wep for my barb with my sorc i have seen so many nice bows for a magezon.

something like ias/cold dmg/+ skill. those are the main things to look for a weapon, right? maybe even x resist :scratch:

magezons seem cool (never made an pure magezone, yet). but only real thing im worried is the killing/survival.. set/rare combinations do have potential (like those crappy looking +2 bows) to be used for this type of a character.

also you might want to add that etlic has an variety on the cold duration, just to remind from it :rolleyes:

intresting idea and nicely done othere wise

[fledgeling]

uh I dont understand the purpose of this post apart from item statistics copied from some website

where is the actual content with some sort of in depth analysis?
you could have at least listed the damage with max synergies and say a +2amulet or something..

what about mana usage
what about the ability to actually solo the game and how long does it take..

[Noite Escura]

I would rather use Wizendraw on a Cold Bowazon. Kudos for at least trying to make a (kind of) guide to Classic builds.

[IsThisNamePermanent]

I've always thought the better the IAS the better you would kill, you didnt mention that at all. Infact you just support the two sets you mentioned, I've made better bowazons then you builds.

[Damric]

Maybe you all misunderstand my guide. I'm sure many of you have made some elite-rich-kill-the-whole-game-in-1-multishot-zon. Well then this guide isn't for you unless you want to try something different. The purpose here is I wanted to make a very affordable and very cool build for any player who wants to give a bow amazon a shot in classic. Yes, you could pump your ias, or tweak this or that with different gear set-ups, but that is up to you. Many people overlook the Arctic and Vidala's sets and here I give them a purpose.

If you liked this guide, I have a few more that I posted over the years:

How to get 20k Berserk Damage

The 1.11 Ladder Trang Poisonmancer

Guide to the Lich Lord 1.10

[Mikk0]

Maybe you all misunderstand my guide. I'm sure many of you have made some elite-rich-kill-the-whole-game-in-1-multishot-zon. Well then this guide isn't for you unless you want to try something different. The purpose here is I wanted to make a very affordable and very cool build for any player who wants to give a bow amazon a shot in classic. Yes, you could pump your ias, or tweak this or that with different gear set-ups, but that is up to you. Many people overlook the Arctic and Vidala's sets and here I give them a purpose.

If you liked this guide, I have a few more that I posted over the years:

How to get 20k Berserk Damage

The 1.11 Ladder Trang Poisonmancer

Guide to the Lich Lord 1.10

so you have made couple of these and tryed them out? how do they work? thats what i really would like to know.

dont realyl think those links match on this forum rop:

[Creon]

Maybe you all misunderstand my guide. I'm sure many of you have made some elite-rich-kill-the-whole-game-in-1-multishot-zon. Well then this guide isn't for you unless you want to try something different. The purpose here is I wanted to make a very affordable and very cool build for any player who wants to give a bow amazon a shot in classic. Yes, you could pump your ias, or tweak this or that with different gear set-ups, but that is up to you. Many people overlook the Arctic and Vidala's sets and here I give them a purpose.

Maybe you misunderstand some of their comments. I'm sure you recognize there is no such thing as a elite-rich-kill-the-whole-game-in-1-multishot-zon on Classic. Well then, this character build is no different. The purpose of the comments here is we want to know how effective and fun the build is, in your experience, before any player gives a bow amazon a shot in classic. Yes, you can spout different stat and skill sets all day, but that doesn't let us know how the build really plays. Many people overlook the importance of this in their guide, and the posters above just want this guide to better achieve its purpose.

[Akukami]

The only Zon build that can effectively run in Hell CS is a Lightning Javazon. Bowazons aren't for CSing with unless you're just trying to level. As for general PvM play, they would still need better gear than just Set Items.

Damric, I understand that you're trying something different, but I highly doubt anything using Arctic's or Vidala's is going to work past NM Act 3. Even Fredsta's attempt for an effective Cold Bowazon fell flat, and he spent most of his time dodging everything CS threw at him.

Good try, but you'll have to do a tad bit better next time with some real analysis of actualy game play. :laugh:

- Akukami

[Damric]

:neener: Maybe you guys should just stick to your hammerdins and far casting lightningzons and only play the game in 1 difficulty in 1 area. But really folks, if you want to try something really fun, I'll even go as far as to give you the Set items for free. You won't need help leveling yourself because you will be able to kill things quickly on your own from the start. But then again maybe you prefer to get rushed through 99% of the game and only leech in the CS for the duration of your miserable boring character.

Oh and I only made this guide because of all the compliments of how interesting my own amazons are using these set-ups. If you want to see how it plays and take me up on the free items, I am on US west ladder. *fuctard

There is one thing that is certain, this is a fun build. You have my 100% satisfaction guarantee.

:rolleyes: