Chaosing Barb?

[Busch]

Anybody ever try to build a barb for chaosing? Is it actually possible for a barb to be a good chaoser in 8 player games? I've made a few runs with a ww barb using berserk most of the time. Not exactly what I'd call effective by any means. Maybe max berserk and then frenzy with a couple famine axes. Does iron maiden still totally own a barb sporting a famine?
Maybe a wc barb might be a bit more effective. I'm just tossing out a few ideas.

Somebody has to have some input. Even if you failed miserably, please post what you've tried.

thanks

[VANVADER]

Hey i tryed an IK barb with ww and beserk for chaosing and in single player he kicks butt, but in multi player he leves much to be desired.

[Omnicide]

Besides Berserk/Conc/WW...I don't see much you can do to make a barb a decent Chaos runner...they just don't have the widespread attacks that Hdins and such have. I mean WW...until you get IMed and then you pretty much have to play crowd control with Berserk...which isn't so effective when you have 7 other players running around being idiots most of the time.

[saracen85]

how about trying something different? a drummer barb!

1. max double swing or frenzy (whichever you prefer)
2. find 2x low damage wands with TONS of elemental damage (some thing like 1-400++ lightning dmg, 100-200 fire damage, some cold damage etc)
3. stock up on crushing blow/ow
4. infinity merc

the build's probably good for a few laughs, and you'll most likely won't 1 hit KO when IMed..

[Murari]

1)well....my barb soloed hell cs with only a single point in berserk, but it took 2 hrs xD

all u need is 2 six socket swords which deal godly elemental damage. (p gems work great)

2)also....all u need is a pally with cleansing if IM is a problem. my friend has a maxed cleansing so I rarely died when we were together.

[Jordan]

It depends on what you want to do.

Are you doing chaos for Diablo EXP with a friend?

Or

Are you talking about making games like NChaos-1 and helping leechers level?

If you are doing D for a friend while baaling, they are very fast.
Howl everything away, kill the seal boss, move on to the next.

Obviously you need to use berzerk for this...

[Busch]

I'm talking about actually doing chaos runs with a barb. 8 player experience leeching games with a bunch of people running around all crazy, luring monsters all over the place, grabbing all the good drops, getting killed left and right, talking all sorts of trash to each other, and trying to trade stuff all at the same time. Standard run of the mill chaos runs.

So basically what I want to do is make a barb that can do enough elemental or magic damage to plow through the chaos sanctuary without getting worked by iron maiden.
Maybe get a ton of poison charms, max warcry, equip a Dream, maybe a Bramble, toss an Infinity on a merc. I'm thinking of things like that.
I'd hate to waste a good barb if this isn't something that realistically cannot be done.
Thanks for the input so far.....keep the ideas coming.

[Zarley]

You probably COULD make a decent Chaos barb, but it'd be stupid expensive and still only mediocre.

Sorry but Chaos runs are almost exclusively the realm of casters due to IM. And the only barb spell that does damage is War Cry, and its damage won't hold up in multiplayer games.

[Jordan]

I'm with Zarley. You just don't have the killing capabilities to make the runs efficient. Either go with a Max light sork and infinity, or make a hammerdin.

[DG.Havok]

You probably COULD make a decent Chaos barb, but it'd be stupid expensive and still only mediocre.

Sorry but Chaos runs are almost exclusively the realm of casters due to IM. And the only barb spell that does damage is War Cry, and its damage won't hold up in multiplayer games.

Agreed. Can't put it any better than that.

[Barloc]

You probably COULD make a decent Chaos barb, but it'd be stupid expensive and still only mediocre.

Sorry but Chaos runs are almost exclusively the realm of casters due to IM. And the only barb spell that does damage is War Cry, and its damage won't hold up in multiplayer games.

I'd agree for the most part, but War Cry shouldn't be used there to kill anyway, only to stun - then kill.

Most effective Barb I've seen in the chaos was a duel-weilded ww/zerk hybrid using War Cry in this manner.

Using ebotdz + beastz provides crippling damage with WW (as long as knights are clear/wc-stunned). It also works great for Berzerk, since with beast you'll easily hit the last Break-point for max attack speed and get an additional Damage and AR boost.

Enigma works well with this setup too. The nice thing is that the Barb and Sorc class have the same cast rate, so teleporting to each seal is a snap.

It's kinda like a BvC build item wise, but with a PvM skill-set.

[Omnicide]

I missed you and your barb ideas, Barloc. Everytime you post something like this I feel glad I'm not alone. xD

Never thought to stun the Oblivion Knights while killing the others... ._.;

*has been using Howl*

[Barloc]

Thx, not my idea tho lol. I just can't believe how aggressive this dude plays this barb in the chaos, and also as the lead baal runner in countless games (til clvl99).

I still use howl too, since I haven't built dedicated PvM style barb in 5 years or so. Haven't felt the need since well built PvP is fine in PvM anyway, ya know what I'm sayin.

[Busch]

Thx, not my idea tho lol. I just can't believe how aggressive this dude plays this barb in the chaos, and also as the lead baal runner in countless games (til clvl99).


That is very encouraging. I may just have to go ahead and try a few things and see if I can come up with something that will work.

[Omnicide]

Haven't felt the need since well built PvP is fine in PvM anyway, ya know what I'm sayin.Couldn't agree more. Most of my PvM characters are scrapped PvP builds.

[JooseMan]

I'm sure this is old and out dated news.. but "Back in the Day" (pre Expansion), I would use a goldy rare pike (cant remember the name before the duping went crazy) until you hit the doom knights.. and then switch to a 3os pike socketed with per skulls.... hehe

The dmg was minimum but as long as you could life leech enough during IM, you might get lucky and stay alive...

I know they've beefed things up a bit and I'm sure that wouldn't work because you'd be ww'n forever doing horrible dmg...

Me and D2 buddy were talking about this the other day online, how'd it be nice to use a barb effectlively in Chaos again.

[Omnicide]

I dunno...because no matter how you think of it...you do more damage than you leech back...and then you lose more life due to IM.

Using physical damage, at all, is just asking for death. ._.;

[Tyrael]

I recommend a barb using spears or trowing weapons because iron maiden doesn't affect ranged attackers.:cool:;)


"All that is gold does not glitter,
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither,
deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
a light from the shadows shall spring;
renenwed shall be blade that was broken,
the crownless again shall be king."

[Omnicide]

One of the best recommendations in this thread, thus far. xD

[Ayliffe]

Dual eth Lacerators and fort. :)

[Barloc]

One of the best recommendations in this thread, thus far. xD


Yeah very good point on throwing. I wonder how it would do?

[Busch]

Yeah very good point on throwing. I wonder how it would do?

I will be finding out very soon. I've got a barb lvl'd to 85 with no points used yet. I'm planning on making this a Chaos barb. I like the idea of double throw as well. Currently working on finding some throwing weapons....

[Omnicide]

Can't wait to see those results. And thrower barb weapons are limited. Lacerator and
Gimmershred, pretty much. xD

[Habit88]

i have 3x gimmershreds(1 eth). i was thinking about remaking a thrower. i used to have a pvpthrower not great but fun to play. this was before enigma so you could possibly have some success pvp nowadays. but he used 1 eth lacerator for the amp and a gimmershred. and for the eth gimmer i was thinking of a vengance pally(read a guide one time said that was a decent wep to use and i found one so why not).

here's a decent throw guide http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=194806

[Busch]

Ok.....so far this is failing quite miserably. War Cry is not effective at all. Unfortunately I maxed it before I tried it, so this build is basically scrap from the get go. However, I have learned a few things. Once the monsters are on top of a throw barb, it is very hard not to take a complete beating. Unfortunately I don't do enough damage to keep them away. I tried using a couple Eth Demons Arch Balrog Spears. I'll see what I can do about coming up with a couple Lacerators. I also filled my inventory up with poison scs, which don't seem to do anyting either. On the plus side, Phoenix works very well on the switch.
Next build I'm planning on trying to get my damage up. I'll max double swing instead of war cry. I'll also use some good damage increasing barb gear.
As it sits now, my gear would probably work much better on a ww barb with some really low dmg weapon. That was the idea I had before a throw barb build was suggested. I had planned on doing a bunch of elemental damage....

At least I've got a starting point now.....it's definitely a poor one that can't even come close to a solo chaos run.

[Skullcaptain]

You have to watch out form Oblivion Knights, that's all

=)

[Omnicide]

That's why we're talking about throw barbs, Skull. Missles aren't affected like melee weapons.

I would think Howl would help you more in PvM than War Cry...considering the point of a throw barb is to take things out from afar. This way if you start to get swamped you can Howl your way out of it. (Except champions and super uniques, of course.)

[Busch]

I would think Howl would help you more in PvM than War Cry...considering the point of a throw barb is to take things out from afar. This way if you start to get swamped you can Howl your way out of it. (Except champions and super uniques, of course.)

I will be using howl on the next build. I'm going to howl them away, and double throw the bejesus out of them. I might even get an A1 merc with an eth fort and an ice bow to help out. The holy freeze on ice makes that merc setup work well for chaosing with my hammer tosser. Should be good for a throw barb too.

[Barloc]

course when you cast amp, obviously howl quits funtioning (keeps the pack away tho). Sorry you maxed WarCry, I never would have done that or suggested that you do so.
Holy freeze sounds like a good idea, hard to decide best balance for damage/protection.