There is a good Warlock IAS Calculator for Cleave & Mirrored Blades by SinsOfTheSun
https://sins-of-the-sun.github.io/warlock-ias-calc/
Needs to be stickied. Found it in the thread
https://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=109680144&f=148&o=20

This post was edited by jack7cat on Jul 5 2026 05:35am

Haha, can't agree more!



Wow! Appreciate it! I'm thinking about Ubers and it helps a lot! Thank you!

WitchWild String does more damage than demon machine, but just doesn't have the pierce. You can get 66% with razortail and wisdom if you want though, but 33% with razortail seems to be plenty. You maximize physical damage with Witchwild, because almost half gets converted to magic damage, which you are then getting bonuses for +% magic damage and -enemy magic resistances too. This build can get to the highest single target damage potential when maxed out and built around (fortitude, pride, might merc, and fanaticsm demon).

let me ask what u mean by almost half gets converted to magic damage

as far as i understand, thats just the base physical aka its doin reg dmg as it does, just half is magic, hex bane wont apply to it

correct me if im wrong

100% pierce is doing more damage than 0% with explosive arrows for me I think
im not even sure explosive arrows does anything, maybe the hitbox is larger, but idk. maybe better for old man eyes. I'd love someone like to explain the mechanic and if the explosion also applies bane or not. If the explosion applies bane, its nice.
I notice when playing with demon machine at 66% pierce that I will do more damage on the pericing arrows to minions behind me, 1 shotting waves of monsters vs exploding on some.
You also gain 1000 magic damage per arrow using mist and 1000 damage on your merc from conc (not that merc matters)
shoot down the halls of chaos sanctuary and you will notice


https://diablo.fandom.com/wiki/Demon_Machine_(Diablo_II)
Fires Explosive Bolts [Level 6]
35-48 fire damage explosion (does it apply bane? if so, valid. but still preference)
i know this stacks with enchant however
so lets assume level 36 enchant from prebuffing with full horazons set single player (lets not assume full fire sorc enchant)
only about 400 more fire damage, so you explode for 450 fire
no fire sunder so does nothing against the fire immunes
not really that much damage

I do feel like the explosion might also apply bane damage, but I can't be sure
guess i can test before applying bane

in a non prebuff bis setup, you are doing 9k-10k magic damage per arrow, that is where your damage is coming from.
If bane applies explosion, its like a fireball sorc mechanic
if you have 100% peirce, its like a flame wave mechanic


This post was edited by ahyp on Jul 5 2026 11:34am

explosive doesnt apply bane, explosive requires ar check, only benefits from + fire dmg and shit and -fire res, its just for visual

edit: for pvm need either 100% pierce runeword or demon machine _razortail for pvm bis

ITS ALL ABOUT THE HEX BANE

u prebuff it as high as u fuckin can

switch to ur bow n go

also u can switch to -emr gear

physical cant be ignored but its all in that 12k hex bane that i got and i can pump it a lil higher prob

This post was edited by fuzzy0681 on Jul 5 2026 11:35am

if true, mist is 100% bis wep
no contest

There's absolutely no chance that anything does more damage per hit than explosions, which stack against packs of mobs and are so easily enhanced. 10 mobs being hit by 500 explosions is 25k damage per shot, plus whatever pierces. Add an enchant and they just disappear

No, hex:bane doesn't apply to it, but it is still added to it. Level 20 magic arrow (via witchwild String) converts 43% of the physical damage you do to magic damage. So if you maximize your physical damage output via fortitude, pride, might merc, and fanaticism demon, you are then converting 43% of the physical damage you do to magic damage. That's big because you are then enhancing your magic damage by a large percentage, and decreasing enemy magic resistances by a large percentage with this build too, which effectively can almost double that converted damage output. You then still do your remaining 57% physical damage that is vastly enhanced, and can stack amplify damage on top of that to even further enhance that damage.

This post was edited by MattSax on Jul 5 2026 12:03pm

Yes there is. The explosions themselves do not add significant damage. The damage is from hex:bane and magic damage multipliers. Witchwild String enhances that magic damage output potential.

If you watch my video during the budget part, you can see me compare witchwild and demon machine (unoptimized because budget), and witchwild kills faster even then.

This post was edited by MattSax on Jul 5 2026 12:07pm