The Vanguard 2h barb build
edit: Thanks to suggestion from Leh I'm going to call this build the "Vanguard 2h barb build", due to similarity in playstyle with vanguard class from ME universe.
Introduction
After gearing up normal sword and board tank barb until I can tank all the way to diablo, I've decided to start gearing up 2h dps spec for faster farming. I've experiment around with a lot of build and eventually came up with my own build: http://us.battle.net...RTik!ZYc!cZbbac
With this build you are no longer a tank and spank barbarian. You do not stare into enemies until they die of boredom. With this build you are the unstoppable juggernaut. Blood splatter and explode as you spearhead through ranks of enemies. Wherever you charge into, you leave a trail of destruction littered with dead demon corpses.
The main key around this build is the passive berserker rage (gives +25% damage when full fury) and Battle Rage (gives 30% damage buff and 3% additional crit chance). Both of these combined gives you 55% damage boost with 100% uptime. One thing this build is really good for is inflating your paper dps to make you feel better about yourself. My paper dps went up from 39k to a whopping 61k.
Now, let's get into the specifics.
Skills
Bash - Pulverize:
I choose bash over frenzy because, let's face it, if you use 2h you won't be standing still and let the stack builds up. If you are doing 2h build correctly, mobs will be falling left and right and you will not be able to let it build up anyway. You will be doing hit and run for single target most of the time so bash is the clear choice here.
For the rune, I choose Pulverize mostly by personal preference. Onslaught gives the best single target dps so that's also an option. However if you haven't tried Pulverize, I strongly recommend it mostly because it feels AWESOME. Seriously, it has one of the most satisfying animation/sound effect ability in the game, imo. Pulverize also offers you option to finish off multiple weakened mobs and also combo well with Bloodshed and Slaughter rune if you have high crit. Punish rune might also work if you can find the window to stack up.
Furious Charge - Merciless Assault:
This will be your main nuking ability. It has one of the hardest hitting ability in barb's arsenal. It does a whopping 195% weapon damage in a straight line (compare to only 155% from slam), dash into/out action, gets you out of jailer, and even do a mini knockback to enemies in the path. Merciless assault rune allows you to spam this abilities when you hit 5 mobs or more. If there's only a few mobs you will want to bash them into smithereens anyway.
Battle Rage - Marauder's Rage:
I know what you're thinking: Why have a rage spender when you're using berserker rage passive, right? The thing is that Battle Rage lasts for 30 seconds, consume 20 fury. But I've found that Warcry (which is a must have skills for all barb anyway) is also on 30 seconds cooldown and generates 30 fury. This means whenever warcry is off cooldown, you can hit battle rage, then warcry again to regain fury back to full, giving 100% uptime for berserker rage passive buff.
For the rune, Marauder's Rage is the simplest choice if you just want to have mad dps powerhouse. Another possible option is the Bloodshed rune if you have high amount of crit. This also combo really well with Furious Charge since Furious charge does so much damage, the chain explosion will basically wipe out anything near the path of your furious charge.
Warcry - Impunity:
Self explanatory. The 30 seconds cooldown works great to refill your fury whenever Battle Rage needs to be refreshed.
Ignore Pain - Ignorance is a Bliss:
Emergency button that gives you heal and reduce damage done. Basically whenever you find yourself low on health, pop this bad boy and use furious charge at as many mobs as possible and you should heal back to full.
For the last ability, we need a "burn" skill that will take down elite quickly (ideally before ignore pain runs out), I present to you two options:
#1st option => Earthquake - The Mountain's Call:
Earthquake offers a highest burst damage in barb abilities. In fact, I dare to say that it is the hardest hitting burst damage among all the classes. It also stacks with the current damage buff you already have. With the 2 passives giving you 55% damage, most elite packs will die before the Earthquake duration is up, freeing you the burden to figure out their abilities and silly notion like avoiding damage. The rune also works perfectly since the free cost will not ruin your berserker rage passive and the reduced duration is also nice when you found the next elite pack so quickly because stuff die so fast. The downside with this ability is against range mobs and shielded mob (but if you time it correctly shielded mob still dies before their shield could come up again).
#2nd option => Wrath of the Berserker - Insanity:
Used to be my #1 burst ability only until I've discovered that EQ actually gives better burst. The main appeal for this, however, is the crowd control immunity. If you want to just kill stuff fast, then EQ is slightly better, but if you want more controlled fight, wotb is also great. Test both out for yourself and choose one that suits your style better. If you have very high crit, slaughter rune is also something nice if you're hitting many mobs with furious charge or pulverize rune.
Passive: Ruthless, Weapon Master, Berserker rage:
All these buffs should be self explanatory since the goal is to ditch out as much damage as possible. Remember that dead enemies do not deal damage.
Playstyle
The playstyle is relatively straight forward. You open with CHARGE! CHARGE! CHARGE! until you cannot charge anymore. Aim your furious charge so it pass through as many mobs as possible. Try to make it so that you don't land somewhere nasty as the animation lock after charge can kill you sometimes (Desecrate arcane etc.). Once you charge back and forth most of the mobs will be dead on the floor. Good thing with furious charge is that most mobs will be temporarily stunned when hit so you won't be taking much damage from them. Finish up the remainders with some well aimed pulverize.
For elites, first make sure you have battle rage up and your fury is full. Then, walk into as many elites as possible, pop EQ and ignore pain and watch as they fall besides you. If after EQ mobs are still alive you might want to save furious charge for those frozen/jailer/nasty ground aoe. use IiB to heal up whenever you need to. Shielded mob might give you a hard time but with a well timed EQ they can still be burned down no problem.
Since there really isn't any fury spender, you don't have to manage your fury at all. Just make sure you use warcry right after refreshing battle rage and your berserker rage buff should be 100% up while fighting.
Gear
Good thing about this build is that it works with any type of gear, unlike some build that requires a lot of loh or crit chance. The only thing is you will need enough dps for this to work (and of course, some minimal survivability). Remember that the goal is to kill the enemies before they kill you, not outlasting them.
The single most important piece of gear is the 2h weapon. For 2h weapon you will only want to look at the min-max damage number and not the dps. This is because furious charge takes the same animation time regardless of your attack speed. I would suggest going for 0.9 speed mace here for the damage and the weapon master bonus. However, if you find bash animation taking too long to avoid some damage, this also works with slightly faster weapon.
Another stat that actually helps a lot with this build is lifesteal. I know you're thinking "but lifesteal is only 20% effective on inferno". The thing is even with 3%*.2 = 0.6% lifesteal, with the amount of damage you're dealing you will heal you about 1-3k for each furious charge (lifesteal works really well with aoe). Lifesteal stat is mostly ignored at the moment so it shouldn't be too expensive to fetch those gears on the AH. You can only get lifesteal on weapon or mighty belt. Try to get the one with close to maximum 3.0% as possible. Life on hit will not be as effective given how slow the swing timer is, but lifesteal will heal you more than life on hit could possibly give you with this build.
Conclusion
While this might not be the best spec in terms of survivability, it has very high maneuverability and gives you very high damage number. If you're bored with going sword and board and watch as mob dies from boredom, pick up your 2h and dash forward to enemy lines and start mowing them like a true barbarian would!
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Typho posted a message on Mad dps powerhouse 2h buildPosted in: Barbarian: Bastion's Keep -
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garnok posted a message on The CE box sizePosted in: Diablo III General Discussion
Yup, im relieved. Was scared the skull would be very small, but this looks promising
The picture for those not able to view the site. (weird site, had to printscreen, crop it then upload it)
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spAtt123 posted a message on The CE box sizeHere is a link to the pic for people having troubles!Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j270/spAtt_2006/Capture.png -
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Knucker posted a message on Jay Wilson Top Tips for Inferno ModeFound this on IGN.com while looking up stuff for GW2. Didn't see it in any of the news sections.Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
http://www.ign.com/v...or-inferno-mode -
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Hintermute posted a message on Diablo is not WoWPosted in: Diablo III General Discussion -
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Azjenco posted a message on Diablo 3 UncutAs we all know, Diablo 3 has suffered a large amount of content cuts over the last year or so, mostly due to time constraints, or Blizzard feeling some system not living up to it's potential. Some of these have been harrowing to see go through the chopping block.Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
Since Blizzard feels they aren't living up to their standards, it leaves me with a strange notion of figuring out where the problem lies. Some of these systems appeared very flesh out and rather promising.
So I figured I'd bring this subject here. Why do you think these systems were inevitably cut, and what would you like to see when they do eventually bring them back in the future.
1. Charms and the Talisman. The major problem surrounding charms in D2 was rectified by the inclusion of the talisman in D3. I really liked the idea of the talisman, I was really looking forward to see what they'd do with it, but I get why they scrapped it. It was just a redundant item, it's just an item with stats, like any other.
That's why I thought it would be great if they'd have a seperate stack of bonuses removed from thjose you can get from your normal items. Something like, maybe, they remove class skill bonuses from normal items, but only implement them on charms. SOmething like that.
2. The Mystic. The sadest day in D3 development for me was when the Mystic received the axe. To be perfectly frank, I wouldn't change a thing. Bash said the reason they removed the Mystic was because they serve the same function as gems. That couldn't have been further from the truth. There are a total of four gems, which function as normal items that drop randomly. There were more than 300 mystic recipes, and you have full control on adding enchants whenever you want.
I would like them to return the Mystic the same state they left her in.
3. Siegebreaker Assault Beast and boss kill animations. These two were both cut due to time constraints. It can't be argued that these wouldn't have added anything to the game. Small personalized animations have that added effect of making a player feel engaged, it's a gratifying experience that makes small things count while playing.
I'd like to see these added in the future. And as for the Siegbreaker, well, no boss in D2 came close to his scale and being the first boss we saw back when we were introduced to D3, I think he deserves his due.
4. PvP. Yes, this is where Blizzard completely peeved of a large number of their fanbase. That said, Pvp will definitely be included in D3 sometime after release. I'm only wondering how they will expand on it, what modes will they add over time. To be honest, PvP in D3 has a lot of potential. Think about it. King of the Hill, Capture the Flag, or even FFA would go a long way to make it insanely fun.
Another fun mode I've thought about would be a sort of a horde mode, where enemies keep on spawning, but players can alos kill each other. While the player with the highest score wins, throughout the growing hordes they still need one another in order to survive.
Lastly, this is not a let's bash Blizzard thread, take that nonsense elsewhere. My intention is to start a constructive environment where you can discuss your feelings on this subject or say where you'd like the development on these issues to go. -
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sarcouth posted a message on MR Sulu, engage No Life modePicture the scenario:Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
Everything is set for the big launch.
In australia the release time is 5:00 pm.
Diablo3 installer is pre-downloaded, Teamviewer will let me start installing the second it becomes available.
I have organised for the rest of the week off, 5 days of nothing but Diablo.
Social and romantic engagements have been suspended/postponed (or set to pre-organised appointments, wasnt easy, why do women have such a problem with this?)
........Hmmmmm....
Now what do i do?
As i have never gone into no-life mode before, i need some tips.
Maybe we should share our techniques with one another.
Some things that may become important:
Staying awake: It is a well known fact that lack of sleep affects both our ability to think clearly, and our ability to enjoy what we are doing.
So how much sleep are we going to need? And how do we make sure we stay awake? Im banking on 6-8 hours (normally 8 is good, 10 is better is the rule i have heard)
I will be taking Neuroburn (a thermogenic stimulant, used for dieting/weight loss) which will keep me awake. Red bull is the backup plan.
Anyone else have any good techniquesfor this?
Excercise: I want to stay as alert as possible for this, so i will need my 1 hour a day brisk exercise. Crossfit will do it, but a good jog if i dont feel like driving into town ( i live in the sticks - out of town for you americans)
Anyone else planning on taking breaks during, or is full marathon Diablo the way?
Diet: I have recently given up junk food, being an IT worker has its drawbacks (i.e. putting on the fat) so im gonna bre cook some meals and freez em. But snacking is gonna be important, so its gotta be healthy stuff i can keep in the fridge.
What good healthy snacks do you recommend? Anyone pre-preparing meals? Recipes? Share em if u got em.
Bathing: Come on guys, it only takes 10 mins to have a shower. moving on...
Phone Calls/ Un-necessary interruptions: A phone message taking service has been hired (my GF lol) with specific instructions (can it wait 5 days? no - too bad) Also my charges are getting a nanny (my Dragonvale pets will feel neglected....)
So is there anything important i have missed (besides alcohol, that has been organised for weeks, jelly shooter anyone?) that i should be woried about?
(P.S. the boss is now adding a "reason" line to the time off form. Bwahahahaha) -
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Red_Panda1 posted a message on To those of you saying Inferno was nerfed!!http://www.diablofan...rno-p2/#post227Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
Lol@Those of you saying it was made easier
Originally Posted by (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
I just wrote like three pages of a reply and the forums lost it when I clicked Preview. ... *cry*
Ok what it boiled down to was:- Read my previous post. It seems like some people glossed over it.
- I'm happy most of you are happy about the change, and I know you're going to love the game.
- Those few of you who don't like it, you'll love the game too because you're wrong.
- Item pools are not limited by Act, or Boss, or anything like that. While you'll have a better chance to get better items in Act IV Inferno, you could get those same items in Act I, or even Hell.
- Our item pool philosophy is that you can break an urn and get the best item in the game - it's all a matter of chance. Running more difficult areas and taking on more difficult enemies will not always be the most efficient way to find upgrades.
- Previously, Inferno difficulty was mlvl 61 across all of Inferno, and now it starts at mlvl 61 and ramps up quickly in Act I and ends somewhere around 65 (?) in Act IV. We've only increased the difficulty.
- I'm aware of internal bets on how many months it will take someone to beat Inferno.
- A flat Inferno of mlvl 61 had a small curb of difficulty, and once that was over you had nowhere else to progress and no reason to. That's boredom.
- Boredom doesn't generally come from content repetition, it comes from lack of ability to progress, or ease of progression.
- By having a sharp increase in difficulty in Inferno we can encourage progression without having a brick wall of difficulty.
Edit:
Bashiok has said the following via Twitter as well:
Originally Posted by (Blue Tracker / Official Forums)
Sorry, to clarify, the beginning of Inferno is not any easier than it was before. We've only made Inferno harder.
https://twitter.com/#!/Bashiok/status/187421452549636096 -
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KageKaze posted a message on Diablo Digest podcast, News, and Guides by KageKazeMassive burst of Wizard footage today.. Not sure what it is about the wizard but I always seem to make about 6 videos in his series &--#62;.&--#62;Posted in: Diablo III General Discussion
Patch 15 Wizard Analysis part 4
Level 9
Skills: Explosive Bolts (Shock Pulse) [further discussed]
Topics-- April Fools video
- Comparing skills on paper to actual use
- I has a wand!!! Finally casting like a real wizard
- Balancing out builds
- Blizzard's April Fools day jokes (list on www.diablofans.com)
- Kage starts liking Shock Pulse... the horror
- Update on lack of items from environment kills
- XP on finding lore books increasing as you progress
- Using strategy to beat encounters
- Summoned monsters not giving XP
- Build and Strategy for fighting The Skeleton King
- I just can't wait to be kiiiiing!
- Audio and visual cues for avoiding Boss attacks
- No rare item for killing the king!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
- +damage and +attack speed included in the raw weapon stats
- Skills that use Damage and skills that use DPS
- Leveing impressions of the Wizard (1-9)
Patch 15 Wizard Analysis part 5
Levels 10-11
Skills: Spectral Blade
Runes: Obliteration (Arcane Orb)
Passives: Power Hungry, Blur
Topics-- Blizzcon footage and future events in Act I
- High monster levels in Den of the Fallen level 2 and Leroic's Chamber
- Vortex type monster enchant
- Speculation on lethal monster combinations beyond Normal difficulty
- How non-elemental type skills inherit elemental damage
- Elemental types of spells and how they are affected by Elemental Damage
- Damage conversion and how weapon tooltips (damage, speed) include magical attributes
Patch 15 Wizard Analysis part 6
Levels 12-13
Skills: Arcane Torrent, Energy Twister
Runes: Shatter (Frost Nova), Split (Magic Missile)
Passives: Evocation
Topics-- Frost Nova breaks channeling abilities when used
- Ability of Diamond Skin to be used while casting/channeling
- Picking abilities that allow mobility
- Tooltip not reflecting the reduction of Cooldowns
- General combat flow with the wizard
- Final Wizard impressions
- Plans going forward
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KageKaze posted a message on Diablo Digest podcast, News, and Guides by KageKazePosted in: Diablo III General DiscussionQuote from Necro4Ever
Dude, I really like your videos, you have a natural radio voice, and are knowledgeble about the game.
Suggestion: When game comes out, do a full playthorugh on hardcore, people will tune in to watch how far you make it, I think it will be REALLY popular.
Thank you very much
I'll keep thinking about that suggestion, I might have some thoughts on how I could make it work out.
I decided to go over the recent bout of Diablo 3 news and reported on the recent posts here at Diablofans. I'm interested to know what you guys think regarding the quality/length of the report. I would also be interested in hearing from the Diablofans mods to know if this is taking too much liberty with the information that's been given to us. At all times I report that my news comes from this site but I still don't want to step on any toes
Diablo 3 News - 3-31-12
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Somebody better have a second look at that build.
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