Guardian #38 - Davion, HShock/Fanadin

[Nightfish]

Well here we go again. Just got my 38th Guardian (that I'm couning anyway) and at least in one respect this is a first for me. No, not what you think. It's just the first time that something totally did not work out like I thought it would, but more on that later. In contrast to my other chars, this one had company for a bit of the way, Nightmare act 1 and 2, he was accompanied by HP_Sauces sorc who hopefully hasn’t died either.

Guardian Davion - lvl 81 Paladin

Stats
Str: 145
Dex: 130
Vit: 210
En: 0.02

Life: 1037
Mana: check

AR: <3000
Def: 8500

Skills:
Max: Zeal, HShock, Fana, Res Lightning
1: Holy Shield

Spare Points: 1

Gear

Primary Switch:

Crescent Moon
Phase Blade
'ShaelUmTir'
One-Hand Damage: 98 to 110
Required Dexterity: 136
Required Strength: 25
Required Level: 54
Sword Class - Fastest Attack Speed
Indestructible
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 85
Fingerprint: 0xc772a185
+217% Enhanced Damage
20% Increased Attack Speed
Ignore Target Defense
25% Chance of Open Wounds
+2 to Mana After Each Kill
+9 Magic Absorb
10% Chance to cast Level 17 Chain Lightning on striking
7% Chance to cast Level 13 Static Field on striking
Level 18 Summon Spirit Wolf (30/30 Charges)
-35% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
Socketed (3: 3 used)


Medusa's Gaze
Aegis
Defense: 416
Chance to Block: 54%
Smite Damage: 18 to 28
Durability: 89 of 92
Required Strength: 186
Required Level: 76
Item Version: 1.10+ Expansion
Item Level: 99
Fingerprint: 0x56f6a301
+157% Enhanced Defense
Cold Resist +66%
5% Life stolen per hit
Requirements -15%
Slows Target by 20%
100% Chance to cast Level 44 Nova When You Die
10% Chance to cast Level 7 Lower Resist when struck
Socketed (1: 1 used)

Secondary Switch:

Oath
Ettin Axe
'ShaelPulMalLum'
One-Hand Damage: 214 to 433
Required Dexterity: 35
Required Strength: 135
Required Level: 52
+10 to Energy
+338% Enhanced Damage
50% Increased Attack Speed
Prevent Monster Heal
75% Damage to Demons
+100 to Attack Rating against Demons
+13 Magic Absorb
Indestructible
30% Chance to cast Level 20 Bone Spirit on striking
Level 16 Heart of Wolverine (3/20 Charges)
Level 17 Iron Golem (9/14 Charges)
Ethereal (Cannot be Repaired), Socketed (4: 4 used)

Armour:
IK Gloves & Belt
Gore Rider
Griffon's Eye
Fortitude Archon Plate
Highlord's Wrath
Ravenfrost
BK Wedding Band

Charmwise we're looking at some shimmering ones and two captain's. A widowmaker was used to great effect in the chaos sanctuary.

Might Merc
Obedience Thresher (Eth), Fortitude Boneweave, Crown of Thieves

Damage Report:
Holy Shock: 1-4000 to attack, 1-760 Pulse
Zealing with Oath / Fana: 3000-6000


Thoughts
Well, pretty standard stuff this time. Having played a storm ranger I wanted to see what holy shock can really do and I wasn’t disappointed (as much as a paladin is capable of not disappointing me). Zeal plus Holy Shock plus Phase Blade isn’t bad. Definetly better than Holy Shock plus Bow.

Pretty much the only original thing about him was me trying to use Medusa’s Gaze to get enemies cursed with LR. Sadly this did not pan out. I guess you’re not “struck” when you block and so the curse didn’t really get cast much. Sometimes it was nice when I got totally swamped in monsters but for the most part it was unncesssary. Not that I had a HoZ to equip over this shield anyway. And when the curse procs stuff really just disintegrates.

I guess what’s also noteworthy is that this char basically didn’t leech anything at all but didn’t have any problems because of it. Potions are enough, after all. Also, this is the first time I used fortitude primarily for the life it provides and to look cool as 300% ED is meaningless if your weapon only does 100 damage to begin with.

So, um, yeah. Tactics. Well folks, this is a paladin. He’s got an aura and one active skill. I suppose I could train a monkey to play this hero. And we’re not talking highly intelligent super monkeys here. We’re talking throw-poo-at-zoo-visitors monkeys.

Seriously, though, with this guy it’s just hold shift, hold left mouse button, wait until stuff died. In hell I had to refine my tactics to “switch weapons for lightning immunes, then hold shift and LMB”. Still, being the tactical genius that I am, I persevered. Despite these masterful ploys, he did have some NDEs along the way. Mostly when he got cursed and swarmed. Rejuvs always saw him through, though.

The two main hurdles for my chars in general and this one in particular were no real problem either. The Chaos Sanctuary, which is only a hurdle because it takes patience to kill stuff due to IM, was relatively easy with a bow switch. Reminded me of my horrible ranger pally. I was tempted to unmothball him and kill him right then and there just for the fun of it. All in all this area took longer than acts 3 and 4 combined.

The other obstacle, the ancients, were relatively easy as well. Smite and Static are quite a treat. The whirler was extra strong and backed up by fanaticism so he really hurt cutting through Davion. Again, rejuvs saved the day. Well, rejuvs and blocking. I suspect three hits in rapid succession would have killed him.

Hellforges aside, which were Dol and Fal, this was quite the lucky char. He found an Um along the way, which means he paid for himself (Crescent Moon) and got a couple other neat things as well. Most unexpected was the perfect Cold Faccet from a Goo Pile in the Maggot Lair. From now on I’m popping ever container I come accross, and not just evil urns. He found a few other things which would have been nice if I didn’t have them many times over already. The 20th Trang Oul’s Guise just isn’t as exciting as the first.

So, closing statments... What’s in store for this dude now? Retirement! I hate paladins and this one is going right into the archives. So long sucker! What char will be next? Dunno yet. I have a few ideas and a couple chars in late nightmare and the others are all past normal diablo. I think I’ll push my pure fire druid or fireclaws bear next. Maybe the bear because I want to give medusa another shot. Sadly he will block some too, due to 130 dex for a phase blade.

Well, 38 down, 11 to go. The end is definetly in sight now. Guess I need to start looking for new games or whatever.

[chickenhed]

"I suppose I could train a monkey to play this hero. And we’re not talking highly intelligent super monkeys here. We’re talking throw-poo-at-zoo-visitors monkeys."

All of a sudden I am very thankful I never said paladins were hard to play

Great stuff fish. The obedience on the merc just looks nasty. I wonder if it was your merc killing everything and just making the paladin look good.

The fire bear as your next one, eh? My vote is for a thrower barb!

[Thyiad]

What is it we write here? Been so long, I have forgotton ... Hmm. Die? No, that doesn't sound right. What again? No, not that either. Congratulations. Yes, that's it: congratulations.

[sirpoopsalot]

It's good to have you back fishy, for however long it works out to be. So what's the breakdown of the remaining 11 Guardians (lemme guess, 5+ more paladins? :laugh

BTW, congratulations.

[Nerigazh]

I guess it's good you never got to see how well the Level 44 Nova worked :wink3:

grats!

[wakiki]

Heh, I agree, Paladins are so boring.

Congrats though!

[Nightfish]

Thanks fellas.

It's good to have you back fishy, for however long it works out to be. So what's the breakdown of the remaining 11 Guardians (lemme guess, 5+ more paladins? :laugh

BTW, congratulations.

Actually the breakdown is quite different from what you'd expect:
Amazons: all done!
Assassins: 1
Barbarians: 3
Druids: 4 (!)
Necromancers: 3
Paladins: 1
Sorceresses: all done! (actually I have 8)

Hm, turns out that's 12 to go, not 11. I guess I counted my 8th Sorceress. Oops.

I guess it's good you never got to see how well the Level 44 Nova worked :wink3:

grats!

Haha, I never thought of it that way but you're right. I wonder if lightning mastery would work if I put this on my nova sorc and let her die... Too bad she isn't strong enough or I might just try it .... Naaaah.

[Doctor Clock]

[/sarcasm]Hey, Paladins are very complicated characters. You have to select your aura and hold shift for extended periods of time, and cast Holy Shield every now and then and switch back to your aura...and sometimes...you switch to the wrong aura, so you have to switch again...and...and...*shoots NF with Holy Bolts*

Congrats.

[maxicek]

I hear patch 1.12 is coming and all monsters do 10x damage and have 10x life if your forum name contains "fish."

Congratulations once more, you make this game look far to easy.

I can't get to Thyiad's page at the mo, but have you done a kicker? Don't know how your new Death's Web would go with venom, BF and DT?

[Nightfish]

I can't get to Thyiad's page at the mo, but have you done a kicker? Don't know how your new Death's Web would go with venom, BF and DT?

Yeah, the last remaining 'sin is indeed the kicker. Though I am not sure Death's Web would be better for her than, say, a Fleshripper or my CM Phase Blade. The problem is that the ultrafast kicks don't really mix up overly well with venom's more or less fixed damage.