yeah i've fucked with Black Hades for way more hours than I care to admit. The resists are always the sketchy part but it's fantastic.

I've also been messing around with A5 merc with an eth upp'd headstriker for a couple weeks now. Def feels pretty good. originally was using a EBOTD CB but headstriker feels much better. running fort/cham'd arreats/headstriker

Yeah any runeword weap on A5 is full potato

I actually did some extensive spread sheeting because the max roll calculator is wrong for a5 merc. Using the damage formula found here:

final_max_damage = [(base_weapon_max_damage * Eth * (1 + weapon_ED%)* 2 + base_merc_max_damage + max_damage*3 + normal_damage) * (1 + non-weapon_ED% + str/100 + skill_ED%) * DS + Bash_bonus + elemental_damage_max] * CS
final_min_damage = [(base_weapon_min_damage * Eth * (1 + weapon_ED%)* 2 + base_merc_min_damage + min_damage*3 + normal_damage) * (1 + non-weapon_ED% + str/100 + skill_ED%) * DS + Bash_bonus + elemental_damage_min] * CS

Assuming we use demon limb to pre buff A5 merc at lvl 93 will have 75% chance to hit toric with a normal attack:

Using a ED + max damage jewel in head striker + coh and aiming to hit the 30 ias break point with two realistic setups:

34.8k with normal attacks (andy + 15/40)
38.7k with normal attacks (3os circ of lamprey with 15/40 15/40 60+ed jewels)

A5 merc really suffers from attack rating because his normal attacks as far as I know don't get AR bonuses.

a standard gold find barb will beat this np

and stop renaming shit you dont have naming rights because the game is already 21 years old


its standard d2 playing methods to weaken monsters to your damage type:
elemental + conviction + lower res = dead monster
phy + amp damage || decypt = dead monster


----------------


mind blown

Actually there's also 5% critical chance thats multiplicative apparently? So I forgot to add that in. Though not sure how relevant that is in a DPS sense.

Id have to relook at the ias table, but have you looked at using pul in HS for added dmg/AR?

If there had been a guide speaking about Gavel of Pain/Demon Limb & Telestomping council properly, I wouldn't have bothered writing this. But there were none. Maybe it was information you already had, but I can guarantee you many people were running shit like Bonehew and Reaper's Toll + Wealth & hit 2-3 minute runs at Trav, because that's really all I saw when I looked around for info over the last 2 years.

With no more Realm Down there's no reason to play slowly. The 80s timer does push towards a bit more goldfind now, as you have an extra 20s to fill since this guide was put together.

The Gavel Demon label was mostly just for aesthetic reasons & refers to the Gavel/Demon Limb combo. Durr.



It's a good thing A5 Merc hits like a truck at least, since it compensates for missed attack streaks with huge leech chunks, kinda like an eBOTD WP.

Pul is gona be off weapon ED on the weapon as well so wont beat out a ED jewel with ias or max. Though I havent checked the attack rating effects

This post was edited by Vessy123 on Nov 23 2021 05:56pm

Its kinda lame A5 merc does most damage when auto attacking (2 hits per attack frame) but has no AR. And when he does use skills he hits slower.