https://maxroll.gg/d2/d2planner/li2o003q

P8 travs takes around 40sec

75% block
Max resists
Fire + light absorb (20/15)
Around 4k health
Max attack speed
Around 250MF
105fcr breakpoint on switch (using 2x wizz)

Playstyle: Tele in pack and cast warcry to stun, then battlecry to reduce incoming damage/lower defense and kill minions with berserk.. then loot corpses on switch (I use 2x IST wizzspikes)

As long u got enigma + grief the rest isn't rly hard to build around.

Cheers

This post was edited by Kakaroth on Jun 28 2025 08:07am

get better gear + stratergies to improve kill speed and maximum MF / Gold find running around in P8 games.

You wasted 2 actions casting:
... WarCry
... BattleCry

2 Actions each assault adds up over time, so your runs are longer and your killspeed is crap because you wasted points into those skills or synergies.

For me PVM is about using what i think is fun. I do no go for best possible killing speed.

But if your goal is to maximize killing speed those 75% block(i guess with phoenix?) is going to slow you down. Espesially if stormshield.

True, never use Stormshield on a Berserk barb, never go Max Block either... as for a Pheonix Shield, it is only for Enhanced Damage and Redemption... since Berserk is a single attack skill, the so called "Firestorm" Interrupt is inconclusive because it is not a multi type attack skill like Zeal, Strafe or Jab etc.

Also... dependent on the player, people prefer two handed weapons, as you have pointed out in other Guides about Berserk Barbs... I believe Grief CB (forgot the two handed sword that only gets max 5 sockets and is faster).

This is true
Beast BA is probarly the best offhand item.
Phoenix firestorm does however not slow down in d2r. And the phoenix is nice and relaxing gameplay for replenish life and nice absorb, but is not optimal for speed. And the small % of block you may end up with will have 0fbr which will slow down.

A 2 hander in form of death may be a good choice, meanwhile a Grief pb + beast ba is epic. But so is Death Colossus Sword + Beast.

The WC that fear monsters is nice for zealpop incase targeting the elite monster is hard. Meanwhile WC can be used for safety if HC. THey do not stack, so using them both may remove the benefit you where trying to achieve from their usage. WC will stop monsters from fleeing away from elite, meanwhile "fearWC" will end monster stun from WC.

I just realized stormshield slows me..

Could I go like this?

Grief mainhand
35fcr Spirit sword offhand (for skills, mostly FHR)
Arreats (cham)
Enigma
Highlords (DS skill and the light res)
Arachnid (fcr skiller)
Ring 1: 20absorb / 15+ MF wisp
Ring 2: 10fcr / AR / dual res (to fill for max resist)
Laying hands gloves (fire res from here)
war travs (MF) or gores (dmg stats)
Switch: 2x alibaba (for gold find & MF)

Stats would look around this..

65fcr breakpoint
Around 600MF on switch
86 FHR breakpoint
Pure vita

Merc act 2 might: 10LL Andy fortitude + pride (for conc)

Thanks for the heads up BTW I learn alot from this

This post was edited by Kakaroth on Jun 29 2025 06:53am

Insight on merc should be way better than pride

Shako is probably better than Arreats, If you can dig the look

Here is a true story with my DemonBasher barb @ level 89 in HC Chaos Runs. A level 97 Necro went hostile on me in Chaos (just tele'd from River WP) and the rest of players were still in town (great) ... the necro died while trying to tele'stomp me ... oh don't get me wrong, I did not kill him, I just popped all (but one) of the seals, killed the seal bosses using Berserk and just using Howl to navigate them in a pack to the centre(center) ... yup, HOWL does scare them away, however, they become more hostile and deal more damage in this state... so the necro tele'd in and died from Howled monsters... it was a laugh, I got so much gold from his corpse it was ridiculous.

I prefer Howl over WC, and yeah, don't try to PK a Berserker in Chaos runs when they are howling hoards of monsters.

This post was edited by izParagonzi on Jun 29 2025 07:01am

People forget one thing about a Berserk Barb using 1 hand weapon (Griefpb) ... they can still use the Barb Skill Conc, even if it is 1 base point for Defense, so having a Spirit Shield or Pheonix Shield will still help out when you are swarmed by a hoard of monsters, or if they are Wave 2 & immune to Magic in the throne room... you use Conc skill.

Just work out what BPs you are comfortable with.

I personally use Grief pb so I can reach the last ias bp ... now you can use Grief Berserk Axe and Beast BA in your off hand to get you to your final IAS bp... find what works for you.

I still like my pheonix, that is because of the 400% ED of course.

Goodluck and have fun... oh, my demonbasher guide is in my profile... there are mistakes, however, some of the comments by other people make it interesting for those that want to test things out... also you will find other BPs like FCR there as well.

Oh, this is utterly incorrect.

Pride with 20 Conc (Pally Aura) is way better for damage, your merc also does not get interrupted during his attack sequence and deals more damage... think it is like 2xx% ED