See, this is the problem with forums. Since there are always new people, the old stuff that has been discussed always gets lost in the frey. Well, since i'm back for a few minutes trolling I mine as well comment on that last one. I have no doubt at all that you haven't lost to WW sins with those characters your listing, but your overlooking the one factor that is the most important. Obviously the WW sins your dueling sucked.
The fact is, I challenged this entire forum for 3 months straight, accepted all challenges, and went undefeated vs everyone. I didn't duel WW barbs because of course I'll admit to not being able to beat good ones. As for the other characters you listed, the best dueling blizzy's, windies, and hammerdins in the best clans were beaten with ease... You just have to have faith that if you make it right, and play it right, you wont' lose to them ever again. As for smiters and zealots, your wrong. In fact, THEY have no chance vs WW sins, not the other way around. Gauss even made SP smiters and zealots at lvl 99 and gave them perfect gear, stats, skills, and then he fought with it vs my "realm" copied assassin. He lost every time. So basically, that argument is long since closed. I don't care how good yours is, it's not good enough. Even SP edited lvl 99's can't beat WW sins. That discussion is over. WW sins own smiters and zealots, Period... (well, bramble using ww sins anyway)
To everyone else in the last 5 pages. A lot of what your asking, although valid, is discussed at length earlier on in the posts. The why not COA, the where do extra stats go, all that stuff is dicussed. I know i know, you don't want to read 22 pages of crap. I fully understand.
Don't use COA, Shako is 10 times better. Extra skill points should probably go into dragon flight if you have decent kick boots. Crafted amulets and helms can be godly, but you have to weigh the stats yourself. If you think it's better, then try it. Most likely the amulet will be, but the helm won't be. Shako is really hard to beat. 10 shadow skillers with life, or 5 and then 3/20/20's is an equal trade off. Physical damage, poison damage, life, ar, skill points, all that are trade offs that you have to weigh yourself. My advice, is use 10 skillers just because it's easier. getting that many 3/20/20/s is super hard to do, and the pay off is nothing. It's the same either way... The reason I used them is simply because I had them, nothing more. I think either way, it won't matter one bit. I guess if I could edit my guide, there are some things I would change, or elaborate on, but in order to see the edits, you have to read through the posts and see what was discussed.
Well, good luck to everyone. I posted comments in the U-god vs Kodachi thread if your interested... Until my next trolling session, Peace