Single Pass Rules:
• Always players 8 (bosses and countess included).
• Hardcore
• Absolutely no rerunning maps or bosses.
• All items are solo self found; However, I will "retire" items to shared stash. These stashed items will not be used once stashed.
• Plugy is only to be used for the extended stash; no restatting, reskilling, or ubers.
The intention is to theory craft a single build, avoiding respec, that can handle all aspects of the game but still presents some challenge. My goal is to full clear every map and defeat Hell Baal. I will be streaming this run everyday on twitch.
Its finally time to try that Monkadin idea I had several months back. This happened by chance; I rolled a roulette wheel on stream to decide between rerunning a paladin, barb, or sin. Here we are finally with the opportunity to do a fun run - especially good timing after a completed run.
I'm calling this an "Insightful-din" after running my avenger, I noted the utility of paladin auras and wanted a build that was budget/singlepass friendly that could make use of as many auras as possible to try and increase the utility/versatility of the run since the class lacks meaningful crowd control. I especially wanted to try forgo-ing the (arguably) best item a paladin has going for him, his shield. With such an amazing runeword like insight - who doesn't want a cheap and easy runeword with 200%+ ED, AR%, and even deadly strike. I practically make this every run regardless as it's power early on is so useful and always usable by a, nearly required, A2 mercenary.
---The plan is going to be to use Zeal as a main attack, with 1pt Vengeance as an off attack for non-undead (demon/animal) immunes. The only regularly appearing physical immune that I should have to contend with will be the swarms of insects - which are quite fragile and low res anyways. This allows me to use a 1-4pt conviction as well. I'll also be investing a small amount of points in conversion to play around with this during the run.
For all undead packs I will be using sanctuary aura as my main aura unless the situation (unlikely) calls for something else. This removes any regularly occuring, high PDR and physical immune issues from the majority of the game; for those unware sanctuary sets the PDR of all undead to 0. It also provides some decent CC (knockback on pulse) from undead. This also helps with dangerous mixed packs of demons/animals and undead - I'm looking at you Unravelers.
I'll also be maxing prayer. With "Insight" being the main and most usable weapon for this run, this gives me some suriviability with constant healing every 2s. This works well with my constant kite and fight strategy in these runs. I'm also able to double the healing fairly often with a simple 1 point in cleansing aura which is often my secondary aura. Cleansing aura gives me another prayer aura but also removes curses, poison faster with each pulse.
Utility auras that will get 1-4 points include:
Fire/Cold/Light res - early on utility for difficult enchanted fights. 1pt only and not used after obtaining Salvation.
Holyfreeze - Useful until getting a A2NM merc. This allows me to slow down incoming damage when getting swarmed and stop bigger threats like frenzytaurs so that I can keep them in hit recovery. 1pt only.
Fanaticism - SIAS, +AR%, +ED% - useful where other auras don't make sense. 1-4pts
Vigor - movement speed is always welcome between fights... or running from them. 1pt only
Redemption - long fights with tons of corpses means great mana and health sustain. Corpse removal is might be the best thing about it when needing to carefully aproach rooms containing difficult revivers. 1-4pts
Salvation - More resistance can help plug in missing defenses for specific scenarios or a tough conviction pack. 1pt only
Meditation aura - mana sustain and free from the "Insight" the level doesn't matter as my only mana expenses are some aura mana drain ticks (sanctuary aura) and 2 mana per 5 attacks of zeal. It easily sustains this.
---My Goals for this run:
I want to make it to hell only. I don't have high expectations for this surviving very long with no block and low life. Beating A1H would make me quite happy about this run.
Going into hell my skill distribution will roughly look like:
Combat Skills 34:
20 Zeal
10 Sacrifice
3 Conversion
1 Vengeance
Offensive Auras 18:
10 Sanctuary
1 Holy Freeze / Conversion / Fanaticism
5 pre-reqs
Defensive Auras 30:
20 prayer
3 Redemption
1 Vigor / Cleansing / Resist Cold, Light, Fire
1 prereq
I picked up every new skill and 1pter as they became available (mostly). Zeal stayed on 4 for the 5 hits for a long time. I used a blessed aim merc for all of normal so AR was no issue, even less so once I got my "Insight". I put points into prayer when I could. Sanctuary got a couple points for range before Chaos Sanctuary.
Helm: Most likely stuck using "Lore" for the PDR, LRes and +1 Skills (this also gives me more critical strike)
Armor: The Goal is to use treachery without relying on Fade for resistance (this is difficult). The desirable stats here are 15% DR and 45% OIAS. Venom is a nice bonus. Could maybe get away with using "Smoke"
Amulet: Crafted prismatic with +skills/life is ideal
Rings: Ravenfrost > Safety Res Rings
Gloves: Most likely making a blood craft with Alacrity (20% OIAS) hopefully with res. Would prefer laying of hands for this run.
Boots: My go to imbue. However, safety crafts aren't awful either. I need resistance!
Belt: Blood craft or Trang's girth
Weapon: If it wasn't obvious this is all about "Insight" however there are quite a few useful swaps for this run that may present themselves. "Crescent Moon" Legend sword would be a fanastic get. "Obedience" (or dis-obediance, as my chat calls it because of the stupid merc ai) in a thresher is good for me or the merc, especially for boss fights. I'll be rolling sockets in most of the threshers I come across as a 4os Thresher is a happy miss since it's ideal for my final "Insight", however an early Elder staff is passable and should be easier to get than thresher as well as obtain 4os (its max sockets). "Oath" is still very much on the table - It's probably best in a sword as those have better breakpoints for 2h Paladin.
---
Weird Al enters Sanctuary. Pretty early on, I found these amusing, nearly identical rings. Also I found multiple 3% res (fire, cold, lightning) with 8-9 health SC in A1! Honestly not bad and wouldn't be surprised if these made the entire journey. I've since found many 6-8% sc. Normal was kind in that sense.
There wasn't much to talk about in A1. I really do not like playing with such low health, but it was important to pump str and dex early in anticipation for my Savage cube rolls in A2 as an early exceptional polearm just stomps most of normal.
Andariel was pretty easy as she often should be. I made an early "steel" upon entering A2.
---
By the time I had my cube I already had 15 diamonds. Mind you, I cubed 56 savage polearms on my Werebear and none of them were as good as my first 5 rolls this run. These 2 in particular were the game plan. I never got around to using the battle scythe though. It was a lateral move for damage and speed over the Lochaber but would've had better BPs for when I got my first OIAS. By the time pumping dex to 80 became a reality "Insight" was already on the table.
I found a decent early MF ammy. I was already running ~140 MF at this point - which would further increase to 199 by Baal. It's always nice to stomp Fangskin 
Hey, my first PI! 1pt Sanctuary to the rescue. Sanctuary made tombs quite bearable. I forgot to screencap the Duriel drops but they were as you could imagine.. an uninterruptible attack, like Zeal, makes this fight a lot easier. I may have already gotten my 4% LL ring by now too.
---
I cruised through A3. My Lochaber Axe was just decimating things @ 15/8x4 fpa. Cleansing aura kept me healthy and poison free - god damn spiders, mummies, and fetishes. I used Holy freeze quite often when getting swarmed by flayers. Sanctuary handled all my doll cares. I used resist light for the annoying souls and resist fire to not get melted by shamans as my resistances were still quite low pushing MF to the max.
Meph melted. The fight was over almost as quickly as it began, again I forgot to screencap the drops but they were just ormus fodder.
Post 1/3This post was edited by LogicalLynx on Sep 6 2020 10:53am