LLD101

[BtK-Spinal]

Well, i've been playing with the idea of an anti-barb build lately. I've been thinking of trying out a bone necro, but if anybody else has any other suggestions, i'm game. Another possibility i considered was some sort of high power WW baba. I'm primarily interested in taking out speed zerker type chars. Well, here is my current layout for a lvl 85 bone necro. I have not yet calculated his stats, but i'll post my predictions asap.

BtK-Skeletor lvl 85 bonenecro
USeast HCL

Shako or +2 necro/20% fcr/19 dex coronet
+3 PnB/96 life ammy or 22% Maras
Enigma
2 x SoJ
arachnid mesh
marrowalks
magefists
homon
37 Hoto


Skills:

Max bonespirit
Max bonespear
Max bonewall
Max Teeth
rest into bonearmor

charms:
10 x PnB GC
10 x vita sc

now, i have a few questions.

1) Recommendations on the choice of gear, including what to socket items with, and good weaponswitch items.

2) Any advice concerning optimal fcr/gear balance. So far, i've been aiming for around 75% fcr, but that was prior to finding the coronet.

3) Should I bother using any curses?

4) Better to max BS synergies or max bonearmor instead?

5) Merc...insight? some crazy dmg weapon?

thanks,
BtK-Spinal

[coatol2]

The bp is 125% not 120%.

[bad_luck]

Coronet - 20%
Arachnid - 20%
Magefists - 20%
HotO - 40%

Thats only 100% FCR, I think to be effective you should try and get over 120% for the last break point. That would mean swapping the Mara's/PnB for a crafted ammy and the SOJs for FCR rings. If you go for max block and try and use 10 PnB charms with only 10 life SCs, you will have a dangerously low amount of life, even with BO from CtA on switch. You might even consider swapping the HotO for a good white rune word wand. I would look for one with + to spear, spirit and decrep before socketing. That way you wouldnt have waste skill points on curses trying to get decrep.

[Hellfireclanx]

i'd say the best anti melee is probably nec or bh pally...

on your nec you will want the last cast bp... you get this by using trang gloves/magefists, arach, darkforce, 20% +2 nec circlet, hoto

I would suggest only putting one in bone armor. then put 1 in revive, 1 in summon resist, and 1 in lower resist.

thats about 1 in every curse and every summon skill. Then you will be invulnerable to just about every melee.... just summon revives on top of you and cast iron maiden (or decrep if you want to give them a little chance). Iron maiden works very well with revives, and they will often kill themselves just by hitting you. also I would recommend keeping bonewall on a hotkey. If you are one of those people that don't like reviving, you will need bonewall to counter chargers. When you duel pallies always keep a wall or two inbetween you and them so they can't charge bug you. Even if you don't like reviving I would get it instead of bone armor just in case... and a few more points in bone armor really won't make too much of a difference anyway.

you can go max block if you really want to... if you are good you won't ever need it.

[VoicesLLD]

best anti barb would have to be either a v/t (foh/smite) or an elemental druid.

[Knarl]

Personally, I think a necro has a better chance against a barb than an ele druid does.

Unless the barb is one of those ebotd/beast barbs, they'll most likely have full DR, so ele druids will be at a disadvantage already. Necros don't have any problems like that.

[Dao Jones]

I had a level 85 Bone Necro for a good long while, and I learned a few things that I can share, some of which has already been mentioned:

1. Max block. You'll suffer on Vitality, but against melee (which you're aiming to duel) you reduce their chance to hit to 1 out of every 4 swings. My necro was more anti-caster, so I had base Dex, and man did it suck against melee fighters (especially Chargers, who can hit hard enough to knock off 700+ Bone Armor and over 1000 Life in a hit or two). After I started stacking on extra Dex (as an experiment) stuff and my block rate inched up, I did much better in melee. Besides, casters get crappy Vit to Life scores, and one perfect Ruby is the same as 19 Vitality points.

2. You want a fast cast rate. Magefists/Trangs (20), Arachnid Mesh (20), HotO (40), Circlet (20) = 100%. You need 25% more, as someone else mentioned. I used to use a +1 PnB, +15% Fast Cast + other mods crafted caster ammy, but I also used a Vipermagi and White runeword. Anyway, Mara's is not the best amulet you could use - you can get +skills, +resists, and +FCR on a good ammy. Now, here's the problem. Assuming +10 from the ammy, you're still short 15%. You want to stay with a Homonculus for your shield, because it has the best block rate of any necro head, and that'll save Dex points. I liked my Vipermagi, but then, I don't have an Enigma. Not sure where you're going to scrape up that last 15% from. If you're lucky, you could roll +20% fast cast on a crafted caster ammy, and toss a SoJ for a FCR ring, and you'd be set.

3. Use Curses. You're already exploiting the Marrowwalk bug, so why not go the distance? You'll have a crapload of left over skill points, anyway. (82 needed for your build, which you'll finish at level 71, leaving you 14 skill points to spend at level 85.) You're not going to have Prisons to block them with, so use Bone Wall, Decrepify, and if you're really a jerk, Clay Golem (to slow 'em down), and get yourself a Holy Freeze merc (you could give the merc an Insight to help your mana, or to be mean give him an Upped Kelpie Snare or other "Slows Target" gear like Blackhorn's Face). That'll pretty much halt them in their tracks, and negate their "speed" advantage.

4. Don't max Bone Armor. 17 points = 170 extra protection, and while that seems good, compared to a level 17 Clay Golem slowing them down, or a level 10+ Decrepify it doesn't really seem worthwhile.

5. Merc: I suggested the HF merc, because that aura's effects can't really be blocked. But don't bother giving him a high damage weapon, because realistically, your merc isn't going to hurt your opponent (huge pvp penalty). He's there more to be annoying. Holy Freeze, give him a lot of damage-reducing gear (upped Shaftstop or a Leviathan, plus a DR helm, which there are plenty to choose from), and a weapon that Slows by at least 50%.

[Hellfireclanx]

necs are ranged... they don't have to get close to barbs to kill them while ele druids have a chance of getting hit, their damage can be reduced, and they don't have bone armor.

I would not max block... if you are using revives you can just iron maiden them and you will have no problems. If not just cast decrep, tele around them and shoot. If you don't stay near them, they will never be able to kill you because unless they are very good, they won't be able to tele to you and hit you. The only exception is charge, but you can deal with charge easily with bonewall.

[Phyre]

20% circlet
20% trangs/magefists
20% arach
40% HotO

This much is standard for a block necro and amounts to 100% fcr so far. To get that last 25% that is your choice. A caster ammy with 15% fcr or more combined with a single 10% fcr ring will do it. I personally use a Wizard Spike over a HotO so I can do without the fcr ring. You lose a little bit of damage but gain a ton of mana and res along with that extra 10% fcr. It's socketable too so you can up it to 90% res all with a 15% res all jewel, with 7% fhr if you're rich. Whatever you do, I strongly recomend 125% fcr as well as block especially if you are making a barb killer.

The difference between 5k damage and 6k damage isn't a whole lot in comparison to the difference the extra fcr breakpoint makes.

- 1 Point into Bone armor is all that is needed, max the Spirit masteries (except Prison obviously) instead and you'll be just fine.
- I would get 1 into Decrep and 1 into Iron Maiden. Lower Resist isn't really needed unless you plan on potentially teaming up with some elemental chars.
- 1 into Clay Golem is also not a bad idea, it slows its target if it is hit and also takes a potential hit for you if they WW.
- 1 into Revive will also let you get a hefty number of Revives with decent +skills which will make you practically invulnerable to melee combined with IM.

EDIT: Just remembered that this is HC so you'll be seeing a fair share of tele zerkers or speed zerkers. Decrep will basically reduce them to target practice if you can tele.

[BtK-Spinal]

wow guys, i appreciate all of this feedback. i didnt realize i needed to hit 125%, so thats something i'm going to have to do a little bit of twinking to achieve (trade channel here i come). i had strongly considered decrip, but a friend had dismissed it as unnecessary. however, i think i will find use for it as well as the minions. Didnt know clay golem slowed >_<. as for not maxing block, i would feel extremely vulnerable vs anything melee if i dont at least have that max block=/ also, advice on what to socket headgear/shield with? hm...tryin to decide between darkforce and homon....

[Phyre]

I personally socketed my headgear with a Shael rune for fhr and my shield with an Um rune.

As for Darkforce vs Homonculus, if you intend to go blocking go with the Homonculus hands down. It takes a ton of dex to get max block with Darkforce. Even with 200+ dex on my necro I hit max block with Homonculus barely and around 30% block with Darkforce.

[VoicesLLD]

an ele druids nado can hit up to 3 times in 1 cast. oak sage + cta = massive life. bear = knockback. its a very tough opponent. even vs -DR% they are deadly.

if i had the currency at the time, i probably would have made an ele druid rather thana v/t.

[zoe_lldgod]

Bear=leech for barb. When those bears start hitting 10k+ life, you're really giving some nice leech to the barb. Also with an ele druid, sure as hell don't tank them. Mine has max block so he has a little bit lower of life. However, I don't stand still and let the bastard WW over me. Cast a nado, let him WW through it and MOVE. No sense in giving him a chance to hit when you can simply avoid.

But, if you know how to aim and tele, necro for sure. 99% of pubby barbs with enigma couldn't hit the broadside of a barn with teleport and then ww following.

[VoicesLLD]

[Delybrio]

Many use botd, which comes with 12-15% ll.