Worst Hardcore Character?

[Steven Hazani]

Rapid Fire? A channeled skill? Either you have some really big ones, a ton of gear, or should reconsider. Channeled skills have caused me a ton of sc deaths every time I try them and I don't need I need to say what this means for you.

[AlexanderBarin]

I like the disc regen on nat's set, but the loss of attributes is pretty brutal :(

In regards to your skill set, I think this is pretty good... But personally I'd rather have SP with Gloom as my "o crap" button in case I'm locked in and can't escape with SS, for example if I need to survive a waller. If I'm in a bad spot from which I can't escape, I can do 3-4 SS, Prep with battle scars heal, pop Gloom and self heal, and SS again once the way is clear. That's alot of tanking.

I just have a really hard time with the idea of never getting in those bad situations in the first place... sooner or later they do happen due to a bad combination of factors: boss, trash, terrain, etc.

What do you use for your attack skills?

[AlexanderBarin]

Rapid Fire? A channeled skill? Either you have some really big ones, a ton of gear, or should reconsider. Channeled skills have caused me a ton of sc deaths every time I try them and I don't need I need to say what this means for you.

It's not really channeled, you can break it off at any moment, can't you?

[Steven Hazani]

It's not really channeled, you can break it off at any moment, can't you?

Channeled - anything you have to hold the button down for. Stuff like that is fine pre Inferno but I wouldn't even consider them in Inferno HC.

[AlexanderBarin]

Channeled - anything you have to hold the button down for. Stuff like that is fine pre Inferno but I wouldn't even consider them in Inferno HC.

Ehh, not really seeing the issue. I'm RFing from afar (ideal situation) it doesnt matter. Once the mobs start to close in, I stutter step hungering with a shift to keep the distance. If I have stuff closing in fast, e.g. Teleporters/Fast, I can pop my Disc and try and tank. If I can't tank, make distance with controlled use of TA SS and kite/wear them down slowly with HA.

So RF is only for when I'm at safe distance or locked in already and have no choice but to tank with all my disc stuff. Is that not valid?

[lanceuppercut]

I like the disc regen on nat's set, but the loss of attributes is pretty brutal :(

In regards to your skill set, I think this is pretty good... But personally I'd rather have SP with Gloom as my "o crap" button in case I'm locked in and can't escape with SS, for example if I need to survive a waller. If I'm in a bad spot from which I can't escape, I can do 3-4 SS, Prep with battle scars heal, pop Gloom and self heal, and SS again once the way is clear. That's alot of tanking.

I just have a really hard time with the idea of never getting in those bad situations in the first place... sooner or later they do happen due to a bad combination of factors: boss, trash, terrain, etc.

What do you use for your attack skills?

I like to keep things at extreme range, am using Evasive/CF (though HA would be better for extreme range attacking) and Impale/Overpenetration, purely to be able to hit elites hiding behind minions and trash. Granted it's not as strong for bosses or single targets but bosses aren't usually the problem, it's a counter for invulnerable packs.

Couldn't drop caltrops, it acts as a last resort if things get into melee range (or teleport) which gives me a bit of time as EF/CF will also backflip me away while root them for a bit.

I didn't like cluster arrow as it doesn't have the range and I'm not about to get into vortex range even for a LFB strike.

[Steven Hazani]

Ehh, not really seeing the issue. I'm RFing from afar (ideal situation) it doesnt matter. Once the mobs start to close in, I stutter step hungering with a shift to keep the distance. If I have stuff closing in fast, e.g. Teleporters/Fast, I can pop my Disc and try and tank. If I can't tank, make distance with controlled use of TA SS and kite/wear them down slowly with HA.

So RF is only for when I'm at safe distance or locked in already and have no choice but to tank with all my disc stuff. Is that not valid?

You can try it anyways, and maybe it will work but every time I see channeled skill I can't help but think of my SC Archon experiments (and of course Wizards, especially Archon Wizards are much better on the defenses) and then consider there's less high quality gear in HC... It just seems like you should pick a secondary that you can also stutter step with. Even if you think they're away, with all the lag and rubberbanding are they really?

[AlexanderBarin]

Good points guys, thanks for the input, i'll ponder on my way through NM and Hell and report back

[lanceuppercut]

Ah, if you've not reached Inferno yet, you don't need caltops/TG, JS is awesome for chipping away health as the resistances aren't so bad in Hell.

Once you reach Inferno, you end up going full defensive.

[AlexanderBarin]

Yeah I'm not worried about anything up to Inferno