Inferno Barbarian Act 2+

[Chim]

Does anyone have experience playing a barbarian through act 2 or even 3 in inferno? My friends believe that barbarians are simply not viable as a solo class. Forgive me if there's already a post about this.

[zapotek]

I just posted about this in a thread I made about clearing act1 inferno with very bad gear. Copying what I wrote. Crying and nerdrage incoming: :P

I hope Blizzard patches things up for us so we can have a chance in act2 and beyond. Perhaps it is possible if you take like wrath of berserker with 100% damage and then earthquake. But long cooldown builds are no fun to play. It is like removing your hotkeys. Having two of them in one build you would essentially play D3 with 2mouse buttons and 2 keyboard buttons. Just dull and no fun since you can click them so seldom. At best 30seconds after they are up since you are saving them for champion packs. Can't find a pack exactly when cooldown is up every time.

Another idea for act2 is probably ancient spear rage runed, followup with stomp, you now have 90 rage. THen spam 15rage seismic slams. Saw a thread about that inferno build also on US forum. But I think most people want to enjoy melee with a barb so those kinds of builds goes against that

It looks very hard though playing straight up. Even barbarians with supergear are having enormous problems.

edit: Thread about clearing act2. http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/5271499431 You need act4 gear for it to work in essence. So wrongly designed by Blizzard since you should be able to clear it with act1 tier gear. The dude who survives act2 in the thread has: "10kish armor, 900resists, 45k hp, with a good 1000+ 1h weapon, 20% shield with 3000-4000, and life leech"

[edistotiger]

I can pretty much faceroll Act I now and I'm still getting rocked in Act II. My gear isn't superb, but it's pretty good. I can post some stats later when i get home.

You CAN cheese some packs using WotB, EQ, Ignore Pain, and Leap with the armor rune, but, tbh, it isn't much fun and you have to sacrifice a lot to get all of that stuff. You also have nothing going for you while everything is on CD.

[Nostalgia]

I posted this in another thread but I'll post it here as well:

I dunno if everyone posting in this thread has played inferno but I have. I play a barbarian with over 700 all resist and 50k HP. You CAN tank in inferno. I can EASY tank act 1 and can solo act 2. Champions in Act 2 do NOT 1 shot me. They do about 1/5 of my hp if they are electric or molten mobs which do a % of their damage in elemental. I can generally tank them as long as they dont have too many bad affix's like fire chains and arcane with vortex which can be a real problem.

I'll post the build I'm using: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculato...VTP!bge!YccccZ

Note: This is my solo inferno build, I would change out some abilitys for more defensive and control abilitys in a group, but this build works well for blowing up packs of elites. If you pop Wrath with the rune you earthquake will do 4000% damage over 8 seconds which with about 10k+ dps you should be able to kill them or at least get them very low to finish off.

If anyone is interested I could start a thread with my full detailed and Itemization build with a explanation if there is a desire.

[Nostalgia]

Just to extend on my post:

You neeeeeeed All resist gear. But also stack HP with it. Get a high damage wep cause that will be pretty much you only offensive stats. I got lucky on my belt with a 9% additional cleave damage and high strenth so thats my other damage item, but all else is defensive. A good sheild with a high block is also an asset.

Sorry for bad spelling etc I'm at work.

[zapotek]

Nostalgia: The build you have is probably the best way to do it I would think. But I can't help feel like I wrote in my reply to the TS that using double 2min cooldowns just isn't fun to play since it is like you are playing with 2 less skills to use because of the absurd cooldowns. Would not be good if it is the only really viable and effective way to kill champ packs in inferno past act1.

Also since both you and everyone else I have heard writing about their builds that do survive act2 is using Warcry with 50% more resistance. This is poor design on Blizzards part if it is the only way to get enough resistance to survive. Revenge is another must have skill. It isn't giving us freedom in how we build our characters.

Personally I couldn't live without stomp and leap/or charge. With Warcry and Revenge always being a must in addition to those two it doesn't exactly gives much build freedom as said.

[swegarm]

Moaning about game design is a trait for wow players.
We should focus on how to get infernal on farm, and if you "breeze" through regular mobs but get your **** stomped by rares/uniques, having two long cd skills is the way to go!
But yes, i do get your point and i partially agree with it and hope that there will be a nerf of some sort coming out tonight, but if it doesnt its a question of whether you reroll or persist.
Currently im trying to figure out a build that will allow me to venture beyond a2 with a 2h, its unorthodox but possibly viable.

[jamesL]

Moaning about game design is a trait for wow players.

what a load of crap

[Spankalot]

Act 2 soloed today, Act 3 is pretty damn hard though. White mobs are easy but the sheer density of them means that sometimes I get a champion pack mixed up in them. Managed to get and keep 4 stacks of valor A3 by the catapult quest but gave up after I encountered an impossible pack next to a catapult I had to raise, since that woulda been nigh impossible.

I really dislike how fury spenders are generally crap and there are a few 'must-have' skills and passives... Really kills diversity as you get further into the game. I really want to dual wield and not use revenge/mitigation passives but even if I manage to get enough gold to consider doing that, I still strongly doubt I can get into A4 without being a joke of a player (running more than attacking...)

Stats for A2 solo and A3 starting attempt, buffed with impunity:
http://i.imgur.com/ZZFuu.jpg

Build (standard cookie cutter I guess apart from passives):
http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/calculato...VkP!eVY!aaZccZ

and yes, I do only have 20k HP...

[Accaris]

Act 2 soloed today, Act 3 is pretty damn hard though. White mobs are easy but the sheer density of them means that sometimes I get a champion pack mixed up in them. Managed to get and keep 4 stacks of valor A3 by the catapult quest but gave up after I encountered an impossible pack next to a catapult I had to raise, since that woulda been nigh impossible.

I really dislike how fury spenders are generally crap and there are a few 'must-have' skills and passives... Really kills diversity as you get further into the game. I really want to dual wield and not use revenge/mitigation passives but even if I manage to get enough gold to consider doing that, I still strongly doubt I can get into A4 without being a joke of a player (running more than attacking...)

Stats for A2 solo and A3 starting attempt, buffed with impunity:
http://i.imgur.com/ZZFuu.jpg

Build (standard cookie cutter I guess apart from passives):
http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/barbarian#WXRVkP!eVY!aaZccZ

and yes, I do only have 20k HP...

What'd you do, just search for gear with massive Resist All and Strength without Vitality on it? If so, how'd you get your armor so high?