Good guide. I agree with most of it.
My advice would be:
- Socket the merc's eth CoT with cham. Your runs will move along so much faster when your merc is not chilled most of the time. It is worth losing 50%GF without a doubt.
- Get a torch and anni for goodness sakes. A 20 stat anni/torch combo is 320 life before BO, not to mention +4 skills and up to +40 res. Why would you abandon them for mere additional 40%GF?
- If you don't feel like using the recommended eth bonehew (I think it's a fine choice) and want to use something else, make sure it doesn't have any cold damage on it, such as reaper's toll. The cold damage will shatter monsters and you won't be able to hoark the corpses.
- Don't max natural res or increased speed. Diminishing returns make doing so pointless. Get them up to about 10 hard points and you're set.