Leveling a Frenzy Barb- a few questions

[thewoodshed]

(Initially posted in the wrong area).

Hello,

I have reached the mid-30's in leveling my frenzy barb and have a few questions. I am about ready to hit MN, as I am working my way to the ancients. I can reallocate my skills through act I if needed- I have not used that yet.

1) Skill allocation: After hitting a point in Iron skin and a point in Nat resist as well as 20 in sword mastery, I am not sure if I should level frenzy or double swing. I have 8 in double swing and 3 in frenzy IIRC. How should I proceed?

2) Should life leech be of highest priority now? I have a magic broad sword with 7% LL in my off hand and and a rare sword without LL in the other that does a bit more damage. I do not LL any at all it seems, so should I kill the rare sword and pick up a magic 7% LL sword?

Been reading Spankeh's frenzy guide (who is, ironically, a name I remember from the old days- YAY!) and it is a huge help in shaking out the cobwebs.

Others questions will come, I am sure but this is all for now- thanks!
Ted

[Barloc]

On leech I would say try to get or gamble for some rings. Your going to be replacing weapons for better damage ones, and when you do more damage, you'll leach more of course.

[Krupa]

the leech on a weapon is only applied if u hit with that weapon. a magic broad sword, even if backed up with lvl 20 sword mastery does way too low damage that 7% leech would really be acknowledgeable.

first get some weapons with decent damage:

- cube weapons with the 3 chipped gems recipe till u get something decent, exceptional base if possible. you can fill the sockets with amns or skulls for leech or ith, shael, eth or whatever floats your boat
- make low level runewords: kings grace, steel, strength
- if trading is an option, most exceptional weapons are attainable for pgs (butchers pupil)
- go shopping
- go gambling and upgrade a rare weapon with the cube (amn + ort + PSapphire || gamble for weapons for which your stats are sufficient to equip the exceptional version)

if you still need leech, once you have other weapons look on magic rings, gloves or craft some blood items: armor, boots, helmet. the best way to get leech would be by using two signon parts, if trading is an option

also i would reset the skills: put 1 into each 1-pt-wonder and skill you require later including weapon mastery, put 9 points into double swing (no mana cost at that level), split remaining skills between battle orders and frenzy

[thewoodshed]

the leech on a weapon is only applied if u hit with that weapon. a magic broad sword, even if backed up with lvl 20 sword mastery does way too low damage that 7% leech would really be acknowledgeable.

Yeah, I thought this would be the case....

first get some weapons with decent damage:

- cube weapons with the 3 chipped gems recipe till u get something decent, exceptional base if possible. you can fill the sockets with amns or skulls for leech or ith, shael, eth or whatever floats your boat
- make low level runewords: kings grace, steel, strength
- if trading is an option, most exceptional weapons are attainable for pgs (butchers pupil)
- go shopping
- go gambling and upgrade a rare weapon with the cube (amn + ort + PSapphire || gamble for weapons for which your stats are sufficient to equip the exceptional version)

Okay- I should clarify I haven't played for 6 or 7 years. When I left I gave away all of my accounts. I recently came back becasue I pre-orderd D3 to get a feel for the game, as a result my option are limited. Been cubing up everything I get.

I dropped Baal in norm today, do I received a few resources- among them is a rare belt and flanchion. I'll replace the ed/LL magic sword with it, as LL is not a real factor yet.

I am two Amn's away from being able to pop a pair of King's Grace, if needed.

if you still need leech, once you have other weapons look on magic rings, gloves or craft some blood items: armor, boots, helmet. the best way to get leech would be by using two signon parts, if trading is an option

Just finishing Normal, so is blood within my reach?

also i would reset the skills: put 1 into each 1-pt-wonder and skill you require later including weapon mastery, put 9 points into double swing (no mana cost at that level), split remaining skills between battle orders and frenzy

Keep 20 in WM as well?

Frenzy seems to help- my AR had a 62% hit on Baal.and was not maxed of on the normal monsters in the Worldstone keep. I was thinking more in Frenzy, or is it restrictive until I get mana leech as well?

Thanks,
Ted

[TheWorkingBoor]

... as a result my option are limited. Been cubing up everything I get...

Cubing everything is moderately ineffective (i.e. if you need a Ral and have 3 Tals it makes sense... if you don't have a use for the Ral yet, what's the rush to cube the Tals?). I'd recommend keeping at least 2-5 of each low-level rune just so you don't need to hunt for them later.

Speaking of, now that you're in NM you can do a few Countess runs for rune-hunting if you have some in mind.

I am two Amn's away from being able to pop a pair of King's Grace, if needed.

Another low-level runeword I like for leveling a frenzier is 'Honor'... a little harder to find the base weapons though. For Boss battles 'Strength' is pretty reachable too (read: Crushing Blow).

Just finishing Normal, so is blood within my reach?

yep - Perfect Rubies will be the hardest to get your hands on if you're playing untwinked. Junk jewels & magic items are your only other components, and you can find the jewels anywhere and gamble the magic items for gold. You won't get "super-duper" items at a low level, but it's an easy way to get leech for cheap.

Keep 20 in WM as well?

In my opinion, no. Unless you know what your end-game weapons will be, why would you want to tie up 20 skillpoints into a choice that you may regret later. Respecs make that less of a problem, but why burn them if you don't need to?

Frenzy seems to help- my AR had a 62% hit on Baal.and was not maxed of on the normal monsters in the Worldstone keep. I was thinking more in Frenzy, or is it restrictive until I get mana leech as well?

Frenzy's mana cost is constant - at any skill level. So that's definitely where I'd spend your extra points. Your warcries & synergies aren't bad investments either.

[Barloc]

.........the best way to get leech would be by using two sigon parts, if trading is an option

Nice suggestion on low level. 10% leech and 30%ias (gloves + whatever). I have gloves and boots on a solo barb still and he's lvl 67. Still using rings and ammy for life and mana leech and res (HC).

[zaphodbrx]

If you really want twink items gotten by trade then imo there is nothing better than Death's set+ 1 more Death's sword. This combo ( Double swing/frenzy ) owns through all of normal.

[thewoodshed]

Okay, so I am now lvl 36, finished normal and am ready to hit MN. I haven't hit the cow level. I see some recomend to lvl to 40 before I should start on NM- is this advisable? Should I hit cow level a few times? I know it used to be efficient to do the Act V caverns- does that still apply?

Now as far as trading I have nothing for trading fodder, so I am not sure how I can get Death's set or two Signon's...

EDIT: I hit cow level and my merc killed the king...ARG! I forgot to disarm him.

[thewoodshed]

I forgot how important BO was to a barb- I used my normal reset, took everything out of WM. I put one into one point wonders and split the est between WM. The bad is that I am not doing as much damage or hitting as often, but the good is that I ahve much more survivability and I have enough mana to use frenzy with impunity. Plus, now it make no difference what weapon I carry.

Thanks all!

Ted

[Causa]

When leveling my barb I had huge help from my higher lvl necro. All I needed was 2 exceptional swords with 5 socket so I was able to roll 2 honor runewords. With those I ran through act3-5 on normal and all NM. It was lvl58 when I reach Hell and they didn't perform so well anymore. That's still 30 levels with same weapons.

Now I'm trying to find nice elite weapons to make Voice of reason runeword, could also go for Obedience in polearm.
With 2 Honor there is plenty of lifeleech and dmg is better than most what can be used at that lvl. Finding a 5os weapon might be hard tho, don't know.

-C