Skills
Werewolf-This skill adds Attack rating and allows you to transform. Place one point into it. After maxing out all essential skills, the remaining points may be added here.
Lycanthropy-This skill adds to the time you can spend in were form and increases your life while transformed. Max this.
Feral rage-Prerequisite for Rabies and Fury and is a useful skill in its own right. Place one point here.
Rabies-One of your main attacks, this attack has a minor physical component and infects your target with the “Rabies” Aura. Max this.
Fury-Your physical attack, Fury adds Attack rating and damage, as well as speed. Max this.
Poison Creeper-This is a synergy to Rabies and has been known to kill people before. Max this.
Oak Sage-Adds bonus to your already high life. Max this.
Ravens-These can send an opponent into block frames or an Amazon into Dodge/Evade. Plus they look cool. Put one point into these.
Spirit Wolves-These serve as distractions to your opponent, taking hits instead of you. Place one point into these; their important will be discussed in the dueling section.
Artic Blast-Prerequisite for Cyclone armor. One point here.
Cyclone Armor-Place one point here. When cast using Death’s web it will absorb about 124 damage and when cast with CTA 148 damage. This is enough to save you from the effects of one or two torch fires. The significant of this is explained within the smiter subsection of dueling.
Cyclone Armor Synergies-You may at your discretion place one point into each of the synergies. However I’d only recommend this if you really like to level.
Dueling Section-This is the longest section of the guide and the one that reflects the most on my personal experiences. Most builds will be covered here; any I have missed (most likely because I’ve never seen/heard of them) will be covered in later editions of this guide. The section is split into sections by class, then into subsections by dueler type. I also had the most fun writing this
Rabies Flash Switch-When you bite someone with Rabies it “infects” then with the Rabies Aura. This applies a set amount of poison damage per “cycle” and persists for the duration of the rabies length. If an infected character touches another they will become infected as well. Rabies cannot be cured by antidote potions and WILL kill the person once their health reaches zero (the amount of “you hax” comments I have received…) Rabies also has a peculiar characteristic in which after a person is infected and you switch to weapons that have higher rabies damage and/or lower resistances these modifications will stay, EVEN WHEN YOU SWITCH BACK. So after you rabies someone switch to your Dweb and 20/20 monarch or even your CTA and Spirit (this will add significant damage over not doing it at all) and quickly change back to your primary weapons. I have the weapon switch on my mouse wheel so it takes no time at all.
Shift Fury-One of the most useful aspects of the fury attack is found when you press shift and fury. Your druid will swing his paw in mid air. On your opponent’s screen you are just standing there, but in reality your wolf is auto-targeting any thing within his weapon range. Anything that gets within range will be subjected to the full fury sequence.
Dueling Tips
1.Always walk verses melee duelers.
2.Always flash switch even if you have CTA on switch.
3.Never give up. When you are reduced to one life you change back to human form. Quickly reshift and keep on fighting!
4.Never underestimate anyone. People will underestimate you and die for it, but don’t you make that fatal mistake as well.
5.Use all of your summons (wolves, ravens, creeper) unless I say otherwise.
6.Always recast your Oak when you get the chance.
7.Always transform using your CTA or Dweb, as the higher skills will boost your life and AR. Obviously if you are transforming in the middle of a battle don’t bother.
Amazons
Bowzons-One of the most abundant Amazon types, a properly built bowzon is a fast and deadly character, especially in team battles. However by herself the zon looses a lot of her sting. Don’t for a second let your guard down though, a well-built zon can be a pain. Use EBODTZ and SS for this duel as well as +3 ammy and 2 ravens. Summon your wolves, creeper, and ravens in town, the ravens can send the zon into dodge animations. The zon will start off with multishot; use this opportunity to get closer to her. Walk but run when she is not shooting arrows, then when you see arrows hit the walk key again. When you get close enough rabies, then walk away. I have never seen a bowzon survive a rabies; the key is getting the bite in before you die. If you are a terrible cold hearted person use DOOMZ.
Javazons- 95% of these use the Far Cast mod. Show no mercy and use Tgods, Wisps, whatever it takes. Or bring in a smiter and NK her until she leaves. Seriously I hate modders.
Now if the zon’s legit it’s a different story. Don’t use wolves they will be lightning furyed or charged striked and you will suffer the ill effects. Use EBODTZ and SS for this duel and if necessary Tgod’s or one wisp as well as Highlords and 2 Ravens. Circle around the zon dodging the javelins she is throwing and get a rabies bite in. You must be careful as this puts you in range for a Charged Strike attack, which will hurt. Get a Rabies in and walk away. The zon will throw javelins at you but these are easy to dodge. If she survives the rabies or gets close to you shift fury.
Plaguezons- I’ve only seen two of these on Bnet and both had their characters down pat (especially the level 50). Their damage reaches into the hundreds of thousands and one javelin will drain you to one life, if slowly. Use Bramble for this duel and +3 to shape amulet, I won against these zons with Rabies alone. Get the bite in and run. As with all zons the ravens mess with their dodge skill.
Assassins
Trappers- I will treat Claw trappers and Shield trappers the same here, even though the builds differ greatly, the tactics used to fight then is largely the same. Use ETOMB and Highlords and ravens, Tgod’s if necessary. Have all of your summons out. Basically you are going to use your wolves as cannon fodder, summoning them into the path of the traps. When the sin goes to replace them run up to her and fury. Throw in a rabies if the opportunity arises, this will cause the win to play more offensively and make mistakes (this goes for any dueler really). Mind blast will be a pain so wear Blood fist and use another FHR charm to reach the 86 breakpoint if needed.
Kickers-To be honest I’ve never seen a godly one. Use bramble (mainly for the poison res), rabies them, then fury them to death. If they use traps its harder but much easier then a ghost.
Bramble sin- Wear bramble yourself and use all of your summons. Walk into the path of the sin’s whirlwinds and shift rabies (this works just not like shift fury does). Flash switch and then fury them to death.
Ghost- These sins are a real pain (I love them anyway though!). A ghost will lock you up with Wake of Fire traps, using mind blast to force FHR, and then tele WW. Use EBODTZ and SS for this duel as well as +3 ammy and Bramble (99% of ghosts are poison based). Rabies then first as their resistances are not spectacular and then fury. However this is difficult due to the locks. A solution I have found is to play defensively, running out of the traps and constantly forcing the ghost to replace them in different locations. Overall a very tough duel.
Hybrids- In a sense these are tougher then ghosts. Even though their AR is lower it’s still more then enough to hit you and the traps hit 7-8k with good gear. Consequently getting caught in a trap lock hurts a lot and you probably will need Tgod’s to soften the blows. As a ghost will they will lock and tele WW you. Use ghost strategy for these but keep in mind they much harder and have the option of playing defensive and let the traps kill you, something a ghost cannot do.
Barbarians
BvC- The acronym for barb versus caster, this is the most common type you will see in pub games. Duel wielding Grief and Beast these pack a punch when they hit but they lack a shield and yours serves as good protection. Their defense isn’t that high compared to other barbs so feel free to use Highlords or your skills amulet and Ravens, though if you have trouble hitting them use Angelics. Some barbs will take pity on you and transform into a bear. Kill then in a couple of furies and tell them to fight for real. This is when the real duel starts. Basically keep all of your summons out as the wolves will absorb WW strikes and the barb can’t leech off of them (mine have 70 HP each). If you are dueling in Nightmare your oak will be physical immune and will be harder for the barb to kill as well. Rabies the barb and be careful when flash switching as for a fraction of a second your block goes down the drain (unless you have a JMOD) and a whirlwind during this time will be extremely painful. After the flash switch step into the WW paths and shift fury. Reapply Rabies when you see the Aura is no longer present. This is one of my favorite duels and most barbs seem very surprised when I kill them. Keep in mind if a barb really has good whirlwind control and can outrange you your chances of winning drop to near zero.
BvA- This stands for Barb versus All, basically a BvC with max block using stormshield. These can be more troublesome as their shield and greater defense make them harder to hit. On the flip side they hit less only using one weapon. Most likely you will need Angelics for this duel. Otherwise fight them like a BvC.
BvB- This stands for Barb versus Barb and is a barb specifically designed to fight other melee builds and barbs in particular. You will need Angelics for this fight. Rabies and shift fury if you’re confident or walk away if you’re not. Most don’t use Enigma so it should be easier to avoid their whirls. Otherwise treat them like all other barbs except for the fact that their resistances are often worse then a BvC or a BvA.
War cry- I imagine these couldn’t be hard. You have 50% Damage Reduction, the fastest recovery in the game, a shield (if their attacks are blockable which I think they are), and they have no shield. If someone has one I’d like to duel him to get a better strategy.
Throw barbs- These are extremely rare an I have a feeling they would be vulnerable because they lack a shield. Treat them like a bowzon. Rabies them and then fury them to death. If anyone has one let me know please?
Wolf barbs- I’ve only seen one of these but he is very good. They have comparable Attack rating and life to you but their defense can reach into the 30 thousands. Thank goodness Wolf howl only gives them Feral Rage. Any way a Fury/Rabies wolf (we just don’t have the AR of pure Fury wolves) won’t beat then in straight up melee so Rabies and fun a bit and throw in Fury when appropriate. These are an extremely rare sight though.
Necromancers
Bone Necros
1.Get an Orber and kill him.
2.If option one is unavailable any high ES sorc will do.
3.If you can’t get option two make friends with the best NvN on your server and get him to come into games and clear the bone Necros away.
4.Windy (but he’s got to be very good)
5.Get people to gang up on him.
6. Shift Fury just outside of town, preferably with a act 2 Might merc wielding a Pride
7. Actually duel him.
Seriously you have no chance versus a bone nec. Your only chance is if he teles next to you or if you get a rabies bite on the golem. If he prisons you Feral Rage it as you will gain faster running. In all honesty unhostile him unless you like looking at the “press esc to continue” screen.
Poison Necro- Defiantly use Bramble for these guys as their lower resistance curse will hurt otherwise. They need to be close to attack you so it is easier to it them with a shift fury. They often rely on fire golem to kill you at one health so Rabies the golem and it will infect the Necro as well, often killing him outright.
Summon Necros- I have never dueled one before, but I imagine they couldn’t be too hard. Go AFK in town for three minutes to kill the revives and then Rabies the skeletons. Once their numbers are reduced shift fury the Necro.
Sorceresses
Fireball/Bolt- These will be treated the same whether they are Energy Shield (ES) block or non-block. Basically these are going to hurt like heck when they hit. Strap on all available FRW gear, including Aldur’s and use Hotspurs if necessary. There are two ways to go about this; simply tank the attacks and name lock fury (not such a good idea) and the second which is to play a bit more defensively walking around shift furying. If you can get a Rabies bit in as this will kill any ES sorc and cause others to play much more offensively as they are placed on a timer.
Lightning- I find these the easiest of the sorc subtypes as the cast rate for lightning is much lower than the other skills and the sorc seems to be “stuck in place” more then other sorcs. Just get close to the sorc and fury her to death.
Blizzard sorcs- These hit extremely hard but the damage seems to be a bit random (all of the bolts don’t hit). Play like any other teleporting class really, just keep in mind that they are not defenseless during the Blizzard cool down times, they will be shooting ice blast in between.
Orb sorcs- Due to your duel Ravens this is going to be a long duel. Try to get a Rabies bite in; this will cause the sorc to play much more offensively.
Druids
Windys- By far the most common of the druid types, this is a versatile and dangerous dueler. Strap on your ETOMB and COA for this duel. Rabies one of the druid’s summons. This will inflict damage on the windy and destroy his minion stack, as the pets will constantly be infected with Rabies whenever the druid teleports. Keep in mind his hurricane will fry your Oak instantly. If he teleports on you shift fury, you should be able to tank more of his nados than he can your attacks. Keep in mind that Rabies should be used to make the druid play offensive otherwise he can stay back and spam nados.
Fury Druids- These duels are going to be tough if you aren’t allowed to use Rabies, as that’s 40 skill points that you aren’t allowed to access. In addition pure fury druids often have melee specific gear that you just don’t have room for in your stash such as Jeweler’s armors and Gris caddies. However in straight up click and hold melee you can hold your own. If you can’t win Rabies him, he’ll die every time.
Rabies- To be honest I’ve never seen a good Rabies druid. I just Rabies them and they die before me… If anyone’s got a good one tell me please.
Fury/Rabies- No details here, basically you guys are going to either Fury or Rabies, mirror matchups are kind of boring in my opinion.
Fire claws- I’ve only seen one good one but he was VERY good. Basically use Aldur’s or Hotspurs otherwise he will kill you extremely quickly. Stack as much fire res as possible as FC druids have about –60 to enemy resistances depending on gear. If you Rabies and run he can’t beat you but in straight up melee most likely he will come out on top.
Paladins- Your arch nemesis.
Smiters- OK these are your true enemies and I guarantee there will be one in every game you enter. Throw on the bramble and +3 shape skills amulet and get the rabies bite in. Treat the Rabies like Open wounds, reapply it when it runs out. Tap is annoying but the worst thing is the torch fire. This is why you added a point to cyclone armor. See when smite hits you get swirls above your head. ANY DAMAGE taken during this time will send you into FHR. The fire from the torch will stun you worse then any ghost, I assure you. Don’t use wolves verses these guys as that is just another way they have to trigger life tap.
Hammerdins- Use ETOMB versus these and Highlords (Angelics if you have a problem hitting them). Basically walk around shift furying (with all summons out) and always be ready to move if you are taking damage. Don’t attempt to tank the hammerdin. This is a duel where personal experience takes precedent over anything else really. Don’t try to Rabies him it will most likely result in you getting hurt more than him.
FOHer- Bleh these are annoying, they expect to click once and everything will roll over and die. Anyway stack as much lightning res as possible and keep all of your summons out. Apply rabies and fury when he gets close.
V/T- These are extremely hard. Most likely you will not win but try to apply the rabies and fury.
Credits
Kiba
stoutewolf
Rangniheldr
These three are the main proponents of the fury/rabies build. Their work has had a tremendous impact upon this guide, especially the gear and build sections.
inkanddagger- His posts have proved extremely useful in the Fury aspects of this dueler.
Many members of the dIInet forums who’s posts have aided me greatly (sorry I cannot remember all of your names
)
This guide is not complete your suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Thanks for taking the time to read this please give me feedback!
-Regards
Myrddrall9