Coming Back After Many Years. - Topic

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Nov 4 2025 01:09pm

So I am coming back and would appreciate some input, I know a hammer can do everything but I was thinking about a Java.
Mostly for hunting cows.
Would anyone be so kind to give me advice on the gear?
(For Java zon)

This post was edited by Transparentsin on Nov 4 2025 01:25pm

SinsOfTheSun

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Nov 4 2025 02:03pm

Welcome back

How long were you gone?
Are you aware of all the changes in D2R vs D2?

TheOmnipotent

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Nov 4 2025 02:37pm

Here is a good start. Javazon are very strong pvm so you don't need perfect gear.

https://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=75989253&f=87

Transparentsin

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Nov 4 2025 04:42pm

Quote (TheOmnipotent @ Nov 4 2025 01:37pm)

Here is a good start. Javazon are very strong pvm so you don't need perfect gear.

https://forums.d2jsp.org/topic.php?t=75989253&f=87

Ty!!! This is what I needed!

Taurean

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Nov 4 2025 05:55pm

Lol you won't believe this.... this season, i started with throwbarb and jabzon. Some unorthodox stuff. I struggled all the start with jabzon lack of strong weapon. Reaching 3-4 weeks into the ladder, end of nightmare sort of stuff. Just ready to go to hell, having struggled my way there, guess what drops? A dang unique ceremonial javelin! Like wtf. I could make a great javazon with the gear i got.

It's not a bad idea for the next ladder start. But i've played java so much that i think i've got my fill. It is great for cows, and the charged strike is the perfect boss killer. That is why i am 1% contemplating it for the next ladder. But i think i'll be doing some other crazy stuff instead. Grim reaper necro for one. Other one? If any? I'm actually thinking THREE builds next season....... the daggerzon is cool as hell. Switch poison javelin, throw that one, go in with dagger. That is strong stuff. Maybe a third one. The druid i've always found difficult to play with in the start of a ladder. I'm having trouble choosing what route to go with. The wolf and bear is hard, needs a good weapon to deal good damage. The summons are not particularly powerful. Fissure can be good, but is unpredictable to use. I like the hurricane and such. But ... takes so long to get there. It's just a hard one to use.

Ah yes, was considering sorc actually, the physical damage zon!! I tried once before ... very hard to start with, but actually fun to use!! You focus on defensive skills, the armor, mana shield, then enchant, and MAYBE static field to even the field a little bit. Also, of course, to make boss fights a cake walk.

Taking weaker characters and making them melee fighters is something i always found interesting.

But the javazon surely is strong enough as it is.

Transparentsin

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Nov 4 2025 11:49pm

Quote (Taurean @ Nov 4 2025 04:55pm)

Awesome man! I'd like to try a poison dagger zon myself but I'm too much of a noob. Maybe with 20 in both crit strike, and all the passives? How would you even build it?
I was so fortunate to grab a gull dagger in act 1!!! Insane how much 100 mf helps.

Taurean

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Nov 5 2025 02:56am

Quote (Transparentsin @ 5 Nov 2025 06:49)
Awesome man! I'd like to try a poison dagger zon myself but I'm too much of a noob. Maybe with 20 in both crit strike, and all the passives? How would you even build it?
I was so fortunate to grab a gull dagger in act 1!!! Insane how much 100 mf helps.

Nah you're no nAAb :D Just try it! The knife deals a bit of damage actually. When you get to the dirk, it deals much more damage, but has lower attack speed, but is worth it. When you get to Kris, now you're increasing. It can get 3 sockets too, that is a big one - and if you are lucky enough to find ith runes, that's +9 damage EACH ............ i have one now that deals 2-32 damage, that's on a zon, with lvl 9 critical strike. It hits very fast and deals great damage. Duriel took visible chunks of damage. Not saying that elemental damage charms and gems aren't worth it either, we use what we find during the beginning. But keeping critical strike in mind is important.

I mean i focus on critical strike only during the beginning. I do a few points in dodge avoid and evade, but try to keep it low, skilling poison javelin too, and plague javelin as well, it is a skill dependent build. A point regarding those to: Plague javelin deals more damage, BUT! A big but ^^ when you get to level 18, you have typically skilled poison javelin quite a bit, and it deals very good damage. It has longer duration, but sometimes that is not a very bad thing. Because 1) Skilling the plague javelin takes a while, and during this time, you can use the higher-powered poison javelin to good effect. When you throw some out, and poison 90% of the screen, you can run with the knife and take out the strongest targets while everything else dies. You don't have to constantly switch to plague javelin to throw again and again, it has a shorter duration, it takes time to skill it. One more thing: They both function a bit differently. The poison javelin leaves a trail of poison that easily affects monsters in contact with it. And ALSO have i think zero countdown timer. It's easy to throw it in many directions quickly. The plague javelin, now you throw it, then it like explodes and dissipates out very slowly in a cloud. First of all, the trail leaving it is not as reactionary as the poison javelin, in my experience. Two, the explosion radius is also a bit buggy. If you toss it slightly wrong, or if you get hit or in any way interrupted, STILL having the javelin leave your hand, it just won't hit any monsters, while most of the time, still the skill countdown activates. This is a major frustration point.

You should only use plague javelin if 1) It has superior damage, and 2) You are certain it will hit and affect many monsters, or deal superior damage to the boss.

But most of the time, and also towards the very high end synergy skill points (both level 20 and onward), i actually find poison javelin to be the better skill of the two. It has INSANE damage when 20 +++ skill point synergized. DON'T forget the lower resist wand on switch on bosses!!! 30% extra damage is gold. Green gold ^^ xD

But yes, the daggerzon, you can find and gamble pretty good daggers! Check it out :) It makes for a fun difference from the javelin fury zon. The javazon is like ... yes, super damaging, but also mana hungry early on. When you don't have the gear for it, it can be a bit frustrating. You can just use charged strike, it also deals sick damage. But still cost good mana to use. Dagger+poison, a little bit slower, but still very effective, and a fun variation.

And yeah, one last tip of advice ^^ rejuvenating mod on javelins is important early when using poison ^^ That saves so much time and frustration.