FC Bears and FIs

[wcumac]

Wont the CB and OW solutions used for hunger bears work as a means to deal with FIs? Or does CB and OW not work with FC? Just wonderin.

Oh and I just started back to d2 and made a two handed mauler untwinked(big mistake..tried to challenge myself) so I'm trying to prep him for hell mode. Heres skills and stats let me know if I can save him or should even bother if hes too far gone.

stats
str-225
dex-base
vit-150+ putting current points into it.
eng-base

skills
20 maul
20 werebear
20 how
7+ lycan putting current points in it

gear
wep: windhammer
armor: shafstop (suggestions for change? i was thinking smoke RW)
gloves: hand o broc
boots: hsarus
belt: hsarus (I got angelic ammy but no rings so I needed the AR boost)
helm: nadir RW in ss skiller helm

my main concern is the 225 str lot of points wasted? or no? btw windhammer is pretty nice, but not as nice as i thought it would be. i miss shied res. the whole maulers using maul weps imo not worth it. def need to find stormlash.

[marcello]

225str is waaaay to much imo. There are easier and better weapons available for a Fire Claw druid, example a 6sock phaseblade with 4xshael and 2x ias/ar jewels which would hit max fpa for a FCbear.

[tigercan]

Pretty sure he's not using the windhammer on his FC bear...I assume it's on the two handed mauler he refers to.

I had a CB weapon on switch & some points in maul for FI's with my bear but I wish I'd saved the points. Once I got Guillaume's face the CB was plenty to take down FI's & I didn't even bother switching to maul - just kept clawing away with FC & they went down pretty fast.
Shockwave + merc is plenty to finish em off.

[wcumac]

thats what i figured too, i'm gonna scrap my mauler and go after my FC one hander bear. thanks bros.

I'm poor so here we go for gear.

weapon
x6 shael or x3 shael wirts let (for the "wug" moments)/ribcracker on switch

armor
jewlers of the whale ral/ort/thul

helmet
3os ele pelt /w life/Guillaumes if I can find it on switch
ral/ort/thul

shield
rhyme or ancients pledge


boots
tri res hopefully or hotspurs.

gloves
laying of hands/bloodfists

my goal is for max block and insane res, should be good to go.

[Verashiden]

I'd use Jalal's as you main helm, Guil for FI situations. Jalal's offers WAY too many useful mods to be ignored.

I like Rhyme more than Pledge

Aldur's boots are a good option until you find Tri Res ones.

BFist over Laying since your damage is utter crap anyways.

[tigercan]

Yep, CBF from Rhyme is VERY useful.

Hated it when my bear was blue :(

[wcumac]

Yeah hopefully I can land a Jalals on the ladder east. If not I'll find the best blue or yellow OS Pelt I can find. I almost forgot what it was like to be poor, having to go back to original runewords haha, but its been an experience.

Good place for melee to MF in NM? Outside of the big 3.