6 SkillsSo how do we actually convince the monsters to die?
In this section I will mention all the skills you will need while playing and give some hints on what to do with any skillpoints you cannot think of any use for.
First of all, if you want to plan your skills thoroughly, use the skillcalc in my signature.
Combat SkillsWell this is our battle gear and as mentioned before, it is part of our defense. Five skills are important for us.
Sacrifice:
Preskill and synergy to Zeal, offers 8% off weapon ed per level
20 points
Zeal:
a series of up to 5 quick attacks. 4% off weapon ed per level and boosts our AR
20 points
Holy Bolt
Preskill of Holy Shield.
1 point
Smite:
This skill stuns our opponent and hits with a 100% chance, only useful in the beginning or maybe against bosses, if one has much crushing blow (watch out for the Tristram part)
1 point to stun and as HS preskill
maybe more if we focus on Tristram
Charge:
This skill allows us to move around quickly on the battlefield and to sniper out one monster and punch it out of a group.
1 point as preskill for Holy Shield not more.
maybe more if we want a second attack
Blessed Hammer
preskill to Holy Shield
1 point
Vengeance:
An attack that multiplies our weapon damage (+maxdam/mindam from eq) with elemental factors, making us deal elemental damage... one strategy versus PI monsters.
Holy Shield
This skill enhances our defense by adding 15% bonus of our base defense for every level and it increases our chance of blocking and thus decreases the amount of Dexterity we need for Maxblock. This means we have more points for Vitality. Though keep in mind, that the chance of blocking is only increased at certain levels.
With all + skills and + combat skills of your equipment you should reach one of the following levels:
16;19;23;27;34
At any of these Levels of your Holy Shield you gain 1% increased Chance of Blocking.
Depending on your gear you may decide for any of these breakpoints or you can max it out for higher defense and smite damage.
Offensive AurasWell here we have our boosters.
Might
Useful during the first levels and 1 Point as Preskill to Fanatism
Blessed Aim
preskill to fanatism and passive bonus of 5% more basear for every hard point in that.
If zeal and fanatism are maxed out and you still have problems with hitting, you can put some points in here
Concentration
1 Point as preskill to Fanatism, if oyu play in a party and another Paladin also has Fanatism, let the one with the stronger aura switch his on, while the other one activates conce, because the stronger party aura overrides the lower one.
Fanatism
Our main aura, amplifies our damage, speed and attack rating
20 Points
Sanctuary
preskill to Conviction and negates physical resistances of undead monsters... a nice thing to have.
Conviction:
Great skill in party and versus physical immunes
1-x points if you want to use it
Defensive AurasPrayer
regenerates life but costs mana
1 Point as preskill to Cleansing
Cleansing
Reduces the time we are cursed and regenerates life depending on the level of our prayer aura (including all + skills)
1 Point, you will need it
Defiance
This aura has a passive bonus to our Holy Shield, for every level our Holy Shield`s defense boost gains another 15%. We first of all need only one point here as preskill to Redemption and Vigor, though if you are keen on the defense and have already maxed Holy Shield you can put points in here.
1 Point, maybe more later
Vigor
Preskill to Redemption
1 point
Redemption
This Aura redeems the dead, thus killing corpses and giving us mana and life for them. It has two uses on a Fanazealot. On the one hand it is a tactical weapon against any summoners because it kills the minions corpses making it impossible to revive them or let them explode(nihlathak and wave 2 will hate you for this as well as any mummies. On the other hand it is a source of mana and life after or during a battle, we kill some monsters and use their remains as our "drinks".
1 Point more is not needed.
Salvation
This aura is a bonus because it enhances, when active, all our resistances, it is an aura we do not need normally, though it can come in nice if we are in a party or when we want to kill uber Mehpisto because with Salvation we can counter his Conviction.
Resist Lightning/Resist Fire
Depending on your aims with the Hammerdin, it may be useful to out some points into these auras, for every 2 points you gain 1% maximum resistance.
it depends on you wether you wanna do this
Cut, next scene!Core Build:
20 Zeal
20 Fana
20 Sacrifice
20 Hs
1 Redemption
1 Cleansing
Possibilities:
1 Salvation
Conviction
Defiance
Blessed Aim
Vengeance
Charge
Smite
Resistance Auras
7 EquipmentYeah we don`t want to walk around naked, do we.
There are tons of different setups for a Fanazealot, therefor I will not post any full equipment because there are too many alternatives for every part of equipment, depending on where you play, what you want to achieve and how you play.
BasicsThere are several things we will have to watch out for.
Quote
Items with Crushing Blow, Deadly Strike/Critical Strike
Increased Attackm speed
Fhr
Cannot be Frozen
Statpoints
maxdam/mindam
LL/ML
+% chance to block
Fhr
We need at least 145% of fire and lightning resistances, 100% or more of cold and poison resistances
Nice to have:
Quote
AD/Dec
Damred
+skills
Helmets:Yeah our head, our pretty head, what to wear, well I will tell you, the rules are simple.
Best there is:
Guillaume`s Face
15% ds, 35% cb, 15 str, Fhr
this one surely has it all...... only replace this with certain really rare setups if you already have nearly 100% ds and tons of cb...
this helmet offers us all fhr we ever need and the other stats really shine on any physical melee.
other options:
Vampire Gaze,Crown of Thieves, Tal Rasha`s Mask, CoA, Bloodcraft
Rare Circs with skills, leach,resis,stats
ArmorWhat do we wear on our chest. there are simply not that many uniques that make sense on a Fanazealot but a couple of nice runewords.
Fortitude
Resistances, 300% off weapon ed, Life and some nice defense.... probably one of the best armors around.
Chains of Honor
More prisma but less damagheboost overall, in Tristram better than Fortitude, outside of it: less good
Lionheart
one of the top armors because of nice stats and resistances, if you already have enough cb, this is the thing to take.
Duress
Nice one, defense,fhr,cb,ed and prisma if you still need cb, take this one
Treachery
If you want one of the Heavier weapons, this may help you a lot. This armor offers Lvl 15 fade as trigger, this means 15% damred and 62 prisma.... you`ll want to use this in tristram.
Tyrael`s Might
pretty rare, useable, but a good old lionheart beats this baby any day of the week.
Duriel`s Shell
like a lower version of the Tyrael`s... if you`ve got nothing else, take this.
Smoke
Resistances... Cheap solution but not that good.
Griswold`s Heart,Black Hades
Cheap and effective because of the three sockets... extremely low cost versions, either for ias or resis.
Sidenote: Why no eni.... because even a lionheart has more offensive potential than enigma, you don`t need tele, you have charge...
+ getting decent fcr on a fanazealot can hardly be done without loosing stability or killspeed.
ShieldsGive me something to protect me and to save me.
best of the best:
Herald of Zakarum
Skills,defense,vita,str,resistances and a socket.....
this is what makes this our number one shield... we need all that this baby has to offer.
Good:
Exile:
we may not achieve maxspeed with vertain setups and this shield, however it`s trigger of LT and defense make this a good shield... but iat best in an ethereal bugged Sacred Targe, as you should do with any shield runeword.
Other good options are the Sacred Rondach or the Kurast Shield or Royal Shield.
Griswold`s Honor
3 sockets, 45 Prisma, Blockmod, depending on yoour weapon this is the best shield there is was and ever will be.
Sanctuary:
50-70 prisma, blockmod,dex,slower missiles.... one hell of a defensive package
Rhyme:
Nice thing with blockmod and resis.
sidenote:
Why no Phoenix: because we already have tons of off weapon ed, we do not reach maxspeed with certain weapons and the triggered firestorm disrupts our Zeal series.... this way we loose more damage than we may gain with this thing.
GlovesActually we have very few possiblilities here:
High end:
Laying of Hands
20 ias, 50 fire resistances and most importantly 350 ed vs demons (~116% overall) make this the best melee gloves for our plans.
other choices:
Dracul`s Grasp
a little str and life tab on strike.. useful in tristram ore for hc, but if you need LT to survive outside of tristram, play another build.....
LT overrides our merc`s decrepefy and thus takes away ~ half of our damage.
Bloodfists:
mindam and fhr, nice things to have around
aside of that:
Souldrainers,Venom Grip, Ik Parts, Rares witzh nice stas,resis,ias or Bloodcrafts.
Beltswell few choices here
Nosferatu`s Coil
Ias,str and ll, one of the best belts around
Thundergod`s vIGOR
good choice in tristram and allows us to take a bath in soulfire.... lovely
String of Ears
Well 8% ll and it`s frequent drops make this normally your belt to take
Wilhelm`s Pride
If you need the manaleach, take this
Bloodcrafts....
Shoeswell well this is quite simple, we have three choices here.
Goreriders:
Overall the best shoes around, ds,cb,ow nice stats for us best shoes in tristram and for nearly all other setups outside of tristram
Wartravellers:
Well str, 15-25 damage are the things we like about theese boots... They beat Goreriders in certain setups and thus are either number one or 2 on our list.
Goblin Toes
25% cb and pretty cheap. Third best boots around.
RingsRavenfrost:
Nonfreeze,ar,dex,coldabsorb.... one nice thing to have around... cheapest possibility to gain nonfreeze.
Rare Leachers/Bloodcrafts
Well nice things can spawn on this, resis,ll or dualleach,stats..... best things there are
Peace of Nature:
Well if you wanna visit the good ole nille.. take this with you
cheap options:
Cathan,Manald,Carrion Wind
AmusHighlord`s Wrath
20 ias, ds on lvl and lightning resis: First choice for nearly all setups....
Atma`s Scarab
Only interesting because of AD on strike... if you already have enough DS, this is better than a highlord`s wrath
other options:
Crecent moon, metalgrid,Bloodcraft or Safetycraft
WeaponsWell well now comes the tricky part...........................
Best there is:
Death
huge amounts of ed, ds and cb, ar and glacial spike on strike, which is nice for the crowdcontrol..... one hell of a weapon
no fvear of manaburners because of ml on board...
baseweapon of Choice: etheral Ettin Axe reason: compared to the BA you have a higher avdam--> higher weapon average and higher overall avcerage damage, even the sockets you use to get the needed ias cannot make up for that
aim for 80 ias with fanalvl 27 or some more ias with less fana
BA: if you choose this, you should switch for another amu to get the finest of the setup, atma`s is your choice here.
less good:
Grief:
High average damage and some ds, unfortunately no CB
Baseweapon of choice: PB
Stormlash:
CB,speed,damage and Static... > one nice weapon, especially versus bosses or big masses of monsters
socket it with : LO or ed+mindam
Schaeffer`s Hammer
Damage,ar,static,lightning resistances....
One nice weapon, however it needs 120 ias for maxspeed but that can be taken care of.....
socket it with: depending on eq: Shael,ias+ed,ed+max
Death Cleaver
ED,66% ds and nice speed, however low durability
Socket it with: ed+ias or ed+maxda/ed+mindam
Oath:
well nice weapon for it`s price, but it in an ethereal baseweapon and enjoy it`s nice amount of ed and speed
Baseweapon of choice: Ettin Axe, Small Crescent,BA, Conquest Sword
other weapons:
Upped Headstrike, Upped Butcher`s pupil, Eth Demon Limb, Nords Tenderizer, Baranar`s Star
Free Sockets:simple: Resistances, speed, damage
depending on your overall damage and off weapon ed aand so on.... it depends wether enhanced damage or maximum damage.. you have to calculate that yourself.
SetupsThe Standar Setup:
Gulli
armor of choice
shield of choice
Highlord`s
LoH
Gores
Raven+ll ring
String
The Schaeffer`s Setup(high end):
Gulli Ias
Belt of choice
Griswolds 3x ias
Highlord`s
LoH
Raven+ll ring
Schaeffer`s ED
Gores
The Death Setup:
Guillmaue`s Head ias
Armor of your choice
Herald Ias
Nosferatu`s Coil
Highlord`s Wrath
LoH
Raven+ LL ring
Death Ettin
Gores--> later WT`s
--> lvl 27 fana needed
The Atma Setup 1
Gulli Ias
Armor of your Choice
LoH
Nossi
Herald Ias
Atma
Gores
raven+ll ring
Death BA/upped Headstriker
The Atma Setup Death Cleaver
Gulli ed or max
Herald resis,ed or max
DC
LoH
Atmas,Gores
String/Tgod/xxxx
Raven+llring
Grief Setup
Gulli ED
Herald ED
Loh
Highlord`s
Armor of your choice
ravem+ll ring
Tgod/ll belt
Gores
2nd slotOne of the anti PI/IM measures Mentioned
Conv+ Zeal:
Weapon: Azurewrath,Gimmershreds,Nords,Demon Lomb
Shield: Herald, Griswold,Tiamat`s Rebuke, Dragonscales
Vengeance: 1st Slot
Dec: Lawbringer+ Shield
Tristram:
LT-Wand or Dagger+ Shield with resis
anti-Im:
Gimmers, wildwitch String, Widowmaker,Demon`s Arch
InventoryFill in whatever you need
if you want to, take a torch and an annihilus
resicharms or maybe lifecharms...
but most of all:
Offensive aura skillers and/or maxdam/ar charms, but this totally depends on what you use and what exactly you have.
This post was edited by Ancalagon on Feb 23 2009 05:09am