LLD101

[Trapslick]

Ok, this is a pvm build for the New ladder season, I'll be using what i can find and force (like cheap runewords)

My guess is that i will probably not be trading too much, so if you're going to make comments on the gear, please make in what i should be looking for instead of a specific item. but i would like any comments you have to offer. thanks

Ok, so here's the setup:

Main Attack:
20 Cold Arrow
1 ice arrow
20 Freezing Arrow
1 critical strike
1 penetrate
12 pierce

Secondary Attack:
16 Valk
1 Inner Sight
1 Slow Missle
1 Decoy
1 Avoid
1 Evade

Rest of my points:
1 point to straff (i dont want straff lock problems)
Critical Strike (for straff and Valk)
penetrate (for straff and Valk)


A might (merc) and thorns (edge runeword) aura will be helping my Valk kill all the cold immunes

Gear Focus
Bow: Best Edge Bow Avalible to me at the time

The rest of my gear focus will be on resists, skills and frw (and AR when i find a good enough Bow for my Edge)

Edit: some of my post was not here (probably made a new window and posted the wrong one, sorry about that...)[/b]

[Waramp]

what level are you planning? because ice mat bow is without a doubt the best bow for this build.

[Wank]

Well, I think he's planning on just freezing the people, not actually damaging, while his valk/merc do all the dmg. Although I do agree Ice would be nice. ohsnapitrhymed

[Trapslick]

My plan is accually to do damage with the freeze arrow, but i want my minions to hit hard too incase of cold immunes.

i'm also considering that this is a new ladder (restarting Jan 25 if i've heard right) and nice things dont just fall out of the sky... i know that i can force an edge bow to drop just by doing enough of those rune runs (i forget the act 1 ladie's name)

Jah and Lo are going to be hard for me to obtain... at least at first. Even if i do get a Lo, its probably going towards a nice Fort armor b/c it works decently on a lot of classes and will seriously aid this build on its lvling (killing the cold immunes then will be a piece of cake)

I guess i should be asking a few Qs,
=does the ice explosion happen again if the arrow pierces?
=Is the damage going to be high enough without amazing gear for Hell?
=Will my merc's be able to fiend off cold immunes?
=Will the %damage to demons/undead on my weapon apply to my weapon or my overall damage?

I should probably make it a little more obvious that its for the NEW ladder... not a new build

[KnightXENO2]

Well try it out but I've never liked the damage on the elemental bow skills. Even with good gear its low (never spent enough to try it with amazing gear), and while the freeze effect is nice..... a holy freeze merc + knockback strafe or multi works equally well keeping the mosters away. However if your kinda bored and always WANTED to try out an cold skills bowzon ignore everything below (I accidentally assumed you were going to use this as your ladder starter char so you can solo if you have to).

I would honestly go with strafe/multi/strong valk (with extras into guided if you want). Still use edge bow + valk recast just in this instance use it against anything that is phys immune. Want to get and should easily get a harmony in any fast elite bow [grand mat and mat are worth more selling the 4soc ones in early ladder, so just use really fast non-zon one.... think its razor]. For armor almost anything works but I like durell's shell until you get a Lo for fort. Go with mostly dex but you would want some life (not pure glass cannon since you not really going to have charms or alot of life on gear).

Its not insanely powerful but it can solo the game easily if your careful (except baal is a pain) + your can do your own chaos runs (but slowly unless you get a good mix of pally auras).

[gw_epyon]

I've brought an ice bowa (ice/fire hybrid) all the way past hell baal. They are not viable characters even with great gear. Running with a vengeance buddy of mine I could kill pretty well, but without maxed conviction running I was worthless.

1) The ice explosion does happen again each time it pierces and when the arrow stops (hits a wall or obstacle)
2) No. With amazing gear you can push 3k on this character, but the mana drain is so intense that even with lvl 17 insight on, you have to potion.
3) If you keep the merc well equipped he should be able to, but the valk will only be able to tank them. Mobs have significantly higher life than their damage, and you won't likely find thorns very useful. Maybe look into using harmony, tir ith sol ko. Relatively cheap to make and has some nice elemental damage adders as well as vigor.
4) % damage to demons/undead only effects the initial strike (physical aspect) of your arrows, and not the explosion radius.

As boring as it may be, make a hammerdin, cold sorc, or summon necro (for hardcore) as your first character for the new ladder, and focus on odd ball builds once you have gear.

Also, when did you hear that the ladder was resetting? I haven't been in the loop.

[Trapslick]

I just heard it was going to be on the 25th... but i think that guy is just an idiot.... b/c more people would know about it by now... i haven't played in almost 2 years b4 i picked it back up, so i was out of the loop