Item Mechanics Guide v12
- Version: 12
- Date: 16/02/2009
- By ragnaroks


Table of contents:
__1 Introduction
1.1 What’s new

__2 Item Mechanics
2.1 Item Usage

__3 Item Utilize
3.1 Basic Principle
3.2 Caster’s Palace

__4 Extras
4.1 Enhanced Effect Comparison
4.2 Prefix Spawn Chance
4.3 FAQ

__5 Credits


1. Introduction

The purpose of this guide was used to provide you as much information as possible about the items of the game. Around end year 2008, the “Ladder Slasher Portal” has been released. The portal released a lot of information about the game play and items. The efficiency of this guide was greatly reduced, which is understandable because the information released from the game itself are 100% accurate.

Around February 2009, the guide was re-created with another purpose and goal. A guide that provide you how to utilize your items and providing you advanced information regarding the game items which are not revealed at the portal itself.

Lastly, all the information below are based on my own research and experience. I’ve been playing this game before it was released. I cannot promise that everything is 100% accurate.


1.1 What’s new

Version 12, 16/02/2009:
- Removed about 80% of the old sections
- Recreated the whole guide, every sections has been changed, moved or removed
- Added Item Usage
- Added Item Utilize
- Added Basic Principles
- Added Caster’s Palace
- Added FAQ

To do list:
- Expand section 4
- More item sections


2. Item Mechanics

This section contains some of the basics regarding the item and item usage of the game.


2.1 Item Drop Prefix Guide




2.2 Item Usage

Before you start disagreeing with my comments and/or ratings, this is based on my own experience and opinion. All of them do have a point behind it why it is so high or low rated. If you don’t like it, play your own damn build.


The sword can be used on 7 out of the 12 classes. 4 of them can be used on the secret class. What makes it so valuable is that it can carry you to the monk class. So for example you begin as a Barbarian, it carries you to the monk classes without buying any other weapon that swords.

The downside is that the sword is quite annoying sometimes due it’s low minimum damage and the overkill. Overkill is a waste of damage, you do not get anything for an overkill. At high level is doesn’t matter, sometimes a high critical can actually weaken the monster so much that you need a hit or two to finish off the monster. The worst part about the swords are that they are quite useless and annoying at early levels. Early level monsters have low hit points, it’s better to kill those monsters with a weapon that has more consistency on its damage and not overkill them or deal massive low damage hits on them.



The axe can be used on 5 out of the 12 classes. 2 of them can be used on the secret class. As you see, axes are not as very useful because the limit of the usage on the secret classes. One of them being the Headhunter, which is nearly impossible to get to that classes.

But the axe is a very big advantage. Having a very close minimum and maximum damage means you are in control of the battle. At lower levels, you have a constant damage to kill the weak monsters without any waste of damage (overkill). At mid and high levels you pretty much can control the battle. If the monster has a very high defense armor, which you can notice with an axe and not so easily with a sword you can easily skip that monster and head for the next one. You will never waste any damage with axes.



The club can be used on 5 out of the 12 classes. 1 of them can be used on the secret class. As you see, clubs are pretty much useless after you passed the master quest as a paladin.

While having a low minimum damage and a high maximum damage, it’s killing efficiency is not much better than the swords. Except clubs are slightly better at low level killing than the swords.



The dagger can be used on 5 out of the 12 classes. 3 of them can be used on the secret class. As you see, you can use it on 3 of the secret classes and all 3 of them are attainable. What makes dagger so good is that they can be used as a caster weapon or a melee weapon. You won’t regret a dagger spawning with 60 intelligence instead of an axe with 60 intelligence.

Having a close minimum and maximum damage, the dagger is absolutely one of the best melee weapon. You will not waste damage on overkills at low and high levels. While having a slightly lower minimum damage than the axe, the damage is still consistent and its critical hits are on an average higher than the critical hits from the axe.



The staff can be used on 4 out of the 12 classes. 2 of them can be used on the secret class. As useful as the dagger, it can be used as a caster weapon and a melee weapon.

Having a not too high nor low minimum and maximum damage, and not many melee class that can equip staves it’s more used on a caster than melee. It’s melee effectiveness does not have a big advantage nor a disadvantage. Less consistent than axes but better than the random damage of the swords.


3. Item Utilize

This section will explain how to utilize your items at an effective (and logical) way. Before you start disagreeing with my comments and/or ratings, this is based on my own experience and opinion. If you don’t like it, play your own damn build.


3.1 Basic Principle

This section contains a little basics about leveling principles (Low leveling for the time being). You don’t need godly or perfect items to do no regen or kill at a fast speed. Glyphs/potions/fishes do help, those 5str/5dex glyph on mp for 1-2 fg can be the key to success on mid levels.

There are more builds though but this gives you an basic idea how you can kill fast and not depend on the “unspawnables”.

Having 50k+ fg can do anything, so don’t bother reading this part if you have godly gear already. This section was how to slash effectively without usage of godly and/or unspawnable gear.

Level 1-4
No regen achievable? Yes
No regen difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very cheap
Caster recommend? Highly recommended
Glyphs? Not needed

Weapon: Tier III with 40-50 EE (axe or dagger preferably)
Armor: Any armor with 150+ max (life with lpa/lpk if possible)
Charm: Any charm with 150+ max (life with lpa/lpk if possible)
Acc. charm: Not needed


Level 5-9
No regen achievable? Yes
No regen difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very cheap
Caster recommend? Highly recommended
Glyphs? Not needed

Weapon: Tier IV with 50-60 EE (axe or dagger preferably)
Armor: Any armor with +200 max life (with lpa/lpk/str/dex if possible)
Charm magician: IV heal with 40-60 EE
Charm non-magician: +200 max life (with lpa/lpk/str/dex if possible)
Acc. charm: Not needed


Level 10-14
No regen achievable? Yes
No regen difficulty: Easy
Cost: Cheap
Caster recommend? Highly recommended
Glyphs? Yes if possible

Weapon: Tier V with 60-80 EE (axe or dagger preferably)
Armor magician: Robe with 7+ mpa (with melee adds if possible)
Charm magician: V Heal with 60-80 EE (with melee adds if possible)

Armor non-magician: Any heavy or scale armor with 50+ EE
Charm non-magician: Any charm with 6+ lpa (with melee adds if possible)


Level 15-19
No regen achievable? Yes
No regen difficulty: Medium
Cost: Medium
Caster recommend? Not recommended
Glyphs? Yes if possible

Weapon: Tier VI with 75-95 EE (axe or dagger preferably)
Armor non-magician: Any heavy or scale armor with 75+ EE
Charm non-magician: Any charm with 8+ lpa (with melee adds if possible)
Acc. charm: If rogue, healing charm


3.2 Caster’s Palace

This section will teach you how to utilize your caster at a high efficiency.

We all know that the main point playing as a caster is because we deal more damage than the listed damage itself. That is called AMP, aka Attack Multiplier.

The AMP takes effect whenever you have more intelligence than your enemy. The higher the difference, the higher the AMP. The limit to the AMP range is 50-150%. This mean you cannot deal more than 150% than the listed damage.

Below you can see how much intelligence you should have when you use your charm as an attack source. It is based on my own experience and research. Hell I’ve been playing as a caster since the pre-release of this game.



The AMP waste is not really a “waste”. It means, if you have higher than that your AMP will not increase most likely, therefore you go for another stats such as heal mastery, max mana/life, mana consumption or mana skin. The higher intelligence the more damage though. It’s up to you to decide with you value more. In hardcore mode you might want to get more life though.

As for level 1 to 14, you might want to do melee. Read section 3.1.


4. Extras

This section contains some extras of the game, such as comparing your damages etc. Before you start disagreeing with my comments and/or ratings, this is based on my own experience and opinion. If you don’t like it, play your own damn build.


4.1 Enhanced Effect Comparison

Below you see how much EE you need on a tier to have the same damage/heal/defense to the next tiers.



The formula is as follow:


Example:
How much EE is my 80EE Ice X on Ice XII?


This means an Ice XII with 50 EE has the same damage as an Ice X with 80 EE.


4.2 Prefix Spawn Chance

The % chance that the item will spawn with the prefix you wanted! (EG. An 'Epic' item has 31,28% chance to spawn with the prefix you wanted! Like 'EE' on your sword) Total amount of prefixes at the moment: 33 (See Item Drop chart for the prefixes)




4.3 FAQ

Q: Why did you removed the “How to calculate your damage” section?
A: Because too much fuss about this formula being wrong or that formula being wrong. Use the formula you think its right, I don’t care.

Q: I can’t find the formula for calculating my damage.
A: Here’s a random formula taken which claims to be accurate. Although I don’t use it myself.

Q: Why are so much sections removed from version 11?
A: Because I feel they are almost useless and most of the them are stated at the Ladder Slasher Portal.

Q: Does “Magic Luck” effects transmuting?
A: I would say no, at least I don’t use magic luck on transmuting. Here’s the basic theory. You see daily people transmuting godly items on Ladder Slasher. If one did that with magic luck, he will say/think that magic luck effects the transmute. But there are users who mutes godly items without any magic luck, they will say/think that magic luck has no effect on transmute.

Q: Why don’t you make a “Melee Palace”?
A: Too much time to research and I don’t like melee. Maybe when I have interest in melee, I might do one.

Q: Can I give you my ideas or any mistakes on for this guide?
A: Yes, gladly. Just PM me.


5. Credits

* Special thanks to some users that helped me out a lot, especially users from the early seasons
* Paul (njaguar) for creating this game
* The Ladder Slasher Community for keeping this game alive
* You for reading this guide

I assume no responsibility if any of the listed information are incorrect (it should be very accurate). If you have any trouble or doubts about this guide, stop reading it or either visit the Ladder Slasher forum, someone there will gladly assist you.

This guide is copyright © 2006-2009 by ragnaroks (d2jsp username). Feel free to pass (copy/paste) it around, if you wish to use it elsewhere, please ask my permission first. Just don't sell it or take credit for any of my work expressed herein.

First nice

nice

always excellent work

Very nice job !

looks good.

Very nice.

Sticky I'd say

Thanks for putting that together

Looks good, and good job.

Hey even if it isin't 100% correct, I bet its the closest thing we are going to get without Paul releasing one personally. All your testing and time spent making this guide is appreciated.

This post was edited by Massivelybored on Feb 16 2009 05:22pm