Diablo 3 - Builds thread

[SnowWar]

How does the blizzard actually become helpful? I tried it, but it really doesn't help me at all. I actually use Venom hydra and try to keep enemies within its range. The wizard is a struggle to play solo. I think you need at least 1 tank to draw the enemies.

It mainly slows the enemies and you need to kite like a boss (unless you have insane gear) Its really is not that hard. It was loads easier to progress solo with my wizard than it was with my barb, but only because the Wiz did not need to spend insane amounts of gold on gear to progress. (that was pre-patch)
I just like the Barb play style more than the kite style of the range classes

[jprheeder]

Slap on a good pair of boots (12% increased ms) then a solo wizzy (with a templar loaded with mf&gf) is a breeze. lay down venom hydra, blizz then another blizz between you and the 1st blizz then stand there and attack them till they die. AOE is sick, so I generally go and collect a bunch of them before doing this, as the size of the mob doesnt matter. this way it saves me time and looks cool when you got a whole levels loot onscreen hehe

[Pooky]

I am on level 51 with a Witch Doctor and finding it much easier to play solo than with a party.

[jprheeder]

My first alt was a WD cuz I thought that I could just move my Wizzy items over as they both use int as primary. Got to lvl 35-40 and couldnt handle how its played :/ "ohhhh look its a fallan staa"

+1 on the solo play though. Shared mf gf is my caveat with party play :P

[Devill]

It mainly slows the enemies and you need to kite like a boss (unless you have insane gear) Its really is not that hard. It was loads easier to progress solo with my wizard than it was with my barb, but only because the Wiz did not need to spend insane amounts of gold on gear to progress. (that was pre-patch)
I just like the Barb play style more than the kite style of the range classes

I am doing ok with my Wiz solo, as I use the melee hero guy and I have HP 35k (so I can take a few hits before I go down).

I expect this to change in Inferno

[kluch]

Could someone with an inferno wizard post their build please (solo or co-op)? I havent been able to figure something out that I'd enjoy and is semi viable. Tried blizzard + venom hydra and absolutely hated that

Magic missile - seeker
Arcane torrent - disruption / Arcane Orb - tap DAT source
teleport - fracture
hydra - venom/Arcane if using Torrent
magic wep - force
energy shield - prismatic

Passives:
Glass Cannon
Galvanizing ward
Blurr (if you need to tank more)/Illusionist/Temperal Flux (with all arcane damage if you want to kite still)


Can also use the crit mass + Achron build

[PhreeMe]

Ok, so this is going to be a proposed build of mine with a few questions.... Build first...

LMB: Frenzy with Maniac - increases dmg by a total of 20%
RMB: WotB with Insanity - double damage just seems to outweigh other runes for me
Slot 1: Ignore Pain with Iron Hide - increases duration
Slot 2: Furious Charge with Dreadnaught - 8% total life gained per enemy hit
Slot 3: Revenge with Provocation - increases activation chance to 30%
Slot 4: Battle Rage with double % modifier - increases dmg by 30%

Passive 1: Beserker Rage - increases dmg by 25% when at full Fury
Passive 2: Weapon Master - using an axe for 10% increased crit chance
Passive 3: Tough as Nails - 25% increased armour and 50% increased thorn damage

This would be an all out damage build taking my damage from 15.8k to ~37k (15800/0.80/0.70/0.75?).
Fortunately I lose no survival by the changes, but lose WW with blood funnel as another mean of gaining life. I found that even critting multiple times a sec with a few enemies around me did not restore life quick enough to mitigate the damage, but am still wondering whether it's worth losing, or just changing the rune.

Ok, so, questions...
What are the thoughts on that build?

Life conv from dmg is nerfed 80% in Inferno right? But if I'm doing 37k dmg and get 10% dmg as life, that would mean another effective 740 LoH?? (37000*0.10*0.20?).

Also, is there a point where you would sacrifice LoH for damage? I have a 1h that would increase my dmg by ~1900, but in the process lose 440 LoH as the replacement weapon has no LoH.

Apologies for the length of the post.... I have more questions but will save them for a later post...

[jprheeder]

Life conv from dmg is nerfed 80% in Inferno right? But if I'm doing 37k dmg and get 10% dmg as life, that would mean another effective 740 LoH?? (37000*0.10*0.20?).

What about trashmob's armour/resist? I read somewhere that you have to be doing some insane damage(100k region) for LS > LOH

[PhreeMe]

What about trashmob's armour/resist? I read somewhere that you have to be doing some insane damage(300k region) for LS > LOH

See this is what I don't understand. Each 1h of mine does ~730 dps. Equipped individually their listed damage shows roughly 11k. Now that will not actually be the damage you deal, as your weapon has a min - max range of damage. But if I take that into account, when I crit, I crit for anywhere between 21k and 28k (this is with my current build) which is indicative of my dps being multiplied by my crit modifier.... unless crit's ignore creature defense?

[Archer]

Max life steal from items (excl legendaries) - 9% (3% per weapon, 3% belt)
Then the DPS increase, I'm on 18k and with those skills went up to... 33k iirc? But then you have frenzy as well, so 37k could be right. So with LMB attack, that is 666 life (lol). That will be just (just) enough to sustain you act 1 if you have 400 resist all, and 5k armour. With revenge aoe, you'll get some very beefy heals as well. You might actually do well to drop furious charge and go for that armour/resist all buff. Depends on how much you need an emergency escape
But, at the end of the day, if you're running true 37dps act 1, you can pretty much kill anything before it will kill you. 31k Furious charge one shots trash mobs

PS - life steal is based on damage dealt, not (end) damage received by mobs. So the mobs having armour/resist is irrelevant

edit2: so basically, you've had to fully stack LS, to compare with 1/5 of what you can get with LoH (max LoH is 3800)

[jprheeder]

PS - life steal is based on damage dealt, not (end) damage received by mobs. So the mobs having armour/resist is irrelevant

Wow, then how is LS as bad as everyone knows it to be?(when compared to LOH)

Will search for the threads with calcs I saw that 100k is what you have to be doing for LS > LOH

Edit:@PhreeMe:

Note that loh isnt 100% either. On cleave, for instance, its merely 50%.

Changes based on skill used.

Lifesteal is good with high dmg hits, like a 2h critdmg build for a barb. As a low dps tank with 1h/shield and much ias, with frenzy (80% loh) loh is very nice.

[PhreeMe]

Max life steal from items (excl legendaries) - 9% (3% per weapon, 3% belt)
Then the DPS increase, I'm on 18k and with those skills went up to... 33k iirc? But then you have frenzy as well, so 37k could be right. So with LMB attack, that is 666 life (lol). That will be just (just) enough to sustain you act 1 if you have 400 resist all, and 5k armour. With revenge aoe, you'll get some very beefy heals as well. You might actually do well to drop furious charge and go for that armour/resist all buff. Depends on how much you need an emergency escape
But, at the end of the day, if you're running true 37dps act 1, you can pretty much kill anything before it will kill you. 31k Furious charge one shots trash mobs

PS - life steal is based on damage dealt, not (end) damage received by mobs. So the mobs having armour/resist is irrelevant

edit2: so basically, you've had to fully stack LS, to compare with 1/5 of what you can get with LoH (max LoH is 3800)

I'm hoping to tie the Life Steal with LoH to maximise what I get back. If it all works out, I'd almost have your mid-LoH stat (~1400). Thanks for the recommendation.... that funnily enough was the one change I was also considering. That buff to resists MAY just allow me to start Act 2....

Wow, then how is LS as bad as everyone knows it to be?(when compared to LOH)

Will search for the threads with calcs I saw that 100k is what you have to be doing for LS > LOH

Edit:@PhreeMe:

Thanks bud. All that's been ringing in my head lately is Mr Chang saying that Life Steal has it's place. I'd never considered what my buffed dmg is, or could be, when doing the sums.

Also, your damage shown in your inventory doesn't take your primary attack into consideration... IE I'd need to multiply my damage by 1.1 to get the effect of each shot from Frenzy. While the LoH does drop, it's to 660 instead of 740. Based on what you added in though, I found Bash is 100% value.... Which is interesting as it's the most powerful of the pimary attacks.

Bash would effectively then give 1101 Life stolen per hit (15800*1.50/0.82/0.70/0.75*0.10*0.20). What needs to be equated is whether you can live receiving smaller, but more consistent amounts of life, or whether you need larger chunks at slower intervals....

That's assuming my calcs are correct though.

Edit: I factored in the rune I'd use to maximise Bash - 6% increased skill damage which stacks 3 times. Also fixed my calc

Edit 2: I seriously need to turn on all damage/health indicators....

[SnowWar]

@PhreeMe

LMB: Frenzy with Maniac -=- Sidearm gives more dps + it will even hit annoying range and runners
others great
Slot 4: Battle Rage with double % modifier - increases dmg by 30% -=- The dmg is great but it is very hard for me to see how a barb can go without War Cry - Impunity in Act3/4 unless u have really decent base resists and awesome dps. (on forums they say barbs can get away with 700 all resists if they go dps. I just can't see how, unless u just play on WotB and 40k dps+)

Nerves of Steel should be > Tough as Nails, if not you have an HP problem

Regarding Loh, I don't think 440 is much at all, specially when it comes to later acts. (you want 1500-2000 to really matter) When you take dmg with that build it will be big numbers and you would not even notice that Loh.
I think the general idea with a build like that is to kill things quickly before they take all your hp and with elites they have to die within WotB CD, which is very possible with decent dps as others have proven.

Anyway that is my thoughts

Ow and regarding live steal & Loh, well consider a weapon with 850 LoH (not the max) with frienzy you will get 75%, so thats +- 640 Loh
Life steal has a 80% penalty. With 3% on a weapon (the max) you will have to hit for 113k to steal the same amount as the Loh weapon

[Pooky]

What are good skills for WD in Inferno - up to now I was doing fine now Inferno is too hectic.

[BrendanMc]

I'm on Act 1 Nightmare with my level 36 Demon Hunter. I reckon I need a serious DPS boost. Doing about 580dps, but looking to double that at least. Any ideas?