A guide to prebuff

[®@þþ3¬]

So, you have probably come here because you dont know what 'prebuff' is. I hope that this short guide will give you a better understanding of what it is. First of, lets look at the word, prebuff. It consists of two parts. The word 'pre' and the word 'buff'. The dictionary defines the two words as.

Pre:

Earlier; before; prior to.

Buff:

buff·er, buff·est; Slang Having good muscle tone; physically fit and trim.

So, know we know what the word means. Roughly translated into Diablo II language it means 'Before (engaging in) Battle'.

It is mostly used in PvP, but can easily be used in PvM as well. 'Prebuff' referes to an array of item(s) you have in your stash that will make you stronger before you enter the battlefield. Lets look at a few examples.

Example #1, A better BO:

Since the introduction of the runeword Call to Arms it has been a vital part of the PvP scene. Suddenly BC and BO can be used by every char class. Not only the Barbarian. So, how can we make this runeword even stronger? Well, the items you use to cast BC and BO will affect the outcome, the more +all skills the better. The effect of BO will not change even though you make some gear changes.

For this example I will use a typical sorc setup.

This is the equipment you use on the battlefield (when switching to BO).

Helm: Sorc circlet
Armor: Viper, +1 all skills
Weapon: CtA, +2 skills (one from the runeword and one from BC)
Shield: Spirit, +2 all skills
Belt: Arachnid, +1 skills
Amulet: Sorc amulet
Ring #1: 10 fcr ring
Ring #2: 10 fcr ring
Charms: Anni, +1 skills

This gives a total of +7 all skills. Lets say you have a +1 BO CTA so you can cast a lvl 8 BO. A lvl 8 BO gives a duration of 105 sec and an increase in life/mana of 56%.

This is the equipment you use to make a better BO (prebuff).

Helm: Shako, +2 skills
Armor: Enigma, +2 skills
Weapon: CtA, +2 skills (one from the runeword and one from BC)
Shield: Spirit, +2 all skills
Belt: Arachnid, +1 skills
Amulet: Mara, +2 skills
Ring #1: SoJ, +1 skills
Ring #2: SoJ, +1 skills
Charms: Anni, +1 skills

Now you have +14 all skills. With a lvl 1 BO CTA you can cast a lvl 15 BO. A lvl 15 BO has a duration of 175 seconds and adds 77% increase to life/mana.

So when you enter a game, go to your stash, equip you 'BO gear', take a wp, cast BC/BO, go back to your stash, equip your main equipment and engage in combat. The drawback is that your have to this every time you die OR every time 175 sec has gone by.

Example #2, A better ES:

Ill use a sorc as an example again. This time an ES sorc. In order for ES to be effective you need a lvl 40 ES or close to. You can get away, with a few points in ES and still have a lvl 40 ES after +skills. Before you go to the battlefield equip the following gear.

Helm: Light circlet, +3 skills
Armor: Ormus, +3 ES
Weapon: Memory (in +3 ES staff), +9 ES
Belt: Arachnid, +1 skills
Amulet: Light amu, +3 skills
Ring #1: SoJ, +1 skills
Ring #2: SoJ, +1 skills
Charms: Anni, +1 skills
Charms: Torch, +3 skills
Charms: 9* skiller, +9 skills
CTA: BC, +1 skills

That gives a total of 35(!). This means you only need to put 5 hard skills in ES to reach lvl 40. This one can be very tedious, but if you have the patience you should do it.

Prebuff can also only be one item! It could for example just be a Memory staff so you would save 9 skill points in ES that could go somewhere else.

That was it. A small guide to prebuff. I hope it helped. If you have any inputs, good or bad, let me know.

~RAppel

[Omnicide]

Not a fan of prebuffing, period, but a nice guide. A few types your missing as well:

Enchant Prebuff: Demonlimb, Lava Gouts (Only items I know that give it thus far.)

Fade Prebuff: Treachery and Last Wish

Werewolf/bear Prebuff: Like BO, but focused on the druid side, as well.

Summon prebuff: For necros and druids...more for necros than druids, but still.

Bone Armor Prebuff: Self explanatory.

Any cold armor prebuff: Either from the sorc or CtC from Fort.

Basically count any skill that keeps it's level of effect after you take off level gear and it can be prebuffed.

What you do have explains it well, though.

[N V]

i think the guide was more for explaining what prebuff are in general and not all the different methods for prebuffing ;)

nice guide RAppel :)

[Taurean]

I don`t think many ppl know about this. A good thing to have out here.

[saracen85]

this seems to concentrate more on a sorc.

for bo;
anyway, apart from mara's, a seraph's hymn works just as well. it's more common as well.
for armor, two other armor provides +2 all skills. coh & arkaine's valor.

[®@þþ3¬]

Not a fan of prebuffing, period, but a nice guide. A few types your missing as well:

Enchant Prebuff: Demonlimb, Lava Gouts (Only items I know that give it thus far.)

Fade Prebuff: Treachery and Last Wish

Werewolf/bear Prebuff: Like BO, but focused on the druid side, as well.

Summon prebuff: For necros and druids...more for necros than druids, but still.

Bone Armor Prebuff: Self explanatory.

Any cold armor prebuff: Either from the sorc or CtC from Fort.

Basically count any skill that keeps it's level of effect after you take off level gear and it can be prebuffed.

What you do have explains it well, though.

He he, its just examples. I know there are many other prebuffs. I should include CtC prebuffs. Thanks for that :)

[®@þþ3¬]

i think the guide was more for explaining what prebuff are in general and not all the different methods for prebuffing ;)

nice guide RAppel :)

Right you are ;)

and thx! Someone wanted me to explain prebuff in my sorc guide and I thought I would explain it more generally. Even though its concentrated around a sorc its meant for all chars :)

this seems to concentrate more on a sorc.

for bo;
anyway, apart from mara's, a seraph's hymn works just as well. it's more common as well.
for armor, two other armor provides +2 all skills. coh & arkaine's valor.

As mentioned earlier. Those are just examples. It would be too comprehensive to explain every prebuff in the game, and the different ways you can do so...

[Omnicide]

Eh I just thought you were starting a serious comprehensive guide to prebuffing is all, so I figured you'd want to include all the rest. Didn't know there was a background story behind it. D:

[®@þþ3¬]

Background story or not. Its a guide that tells what prebuff is since many people arent sure what it is.

If you want to write down all scenarios of prebuff be my guest. Ill be more than happy to include them in my first post! ;)

[XoZ-ownz]

Ok lets clear things up I use a 6/6/2 cta flail, thats 7 to start with because cta has +1 to all skills, shako +2 skills,Spirit+2,2x soj/bk 2+,enigma/coh+2,maras or or seraphs or another ammy +2,anni +1,arachs+1,that=18 and when u use battle cammands u get 1 more so that 20??is 20 the best then?

[Omnicide]

If you had looked, he mentioned +14 all skills. He wasn't counting the level of BO on the CtA.

[September 28, 1987]

I like the idea behind it.

Useful to those who choose to BM.

[Tha Gangsta]

helps me dawg, thanks

[Nosferatu]

Omni, which item gives Bone Armor prebuff?

[N V]

I like the idea behind it.

Useful to those who choose to BM.

uhm..... lol?!

you can prebuff for PvM too. not everything is centered around PvP ;)

but would you consider 9 ES memory prebuff for sorc BM? i wouldnt.

and for the record you can get way higher bo with prebuffing.

6 - 3 warcries, 3 bo helm
3 - 3 warcries amu
7 - cta/bo stick
2 - armor (CoH/eni/myth)
2 - 2x soj/bk
1- arach
13 - torch/anni/9x skillers
1 - from battle command

20 - hard points

lvl 55 bo. throw in skill shrine and you got 57 bo ;)

[Omnicide]

Prebuffing in PvP is widely seen as BM...as you aren't using what your character was built with.

I've made non-prebuff level 40 ES...on a cold sorc. So I don't see how it's all THAT difficult.

All in all, I'm not saying it's not useful...but it IS BM. That's all.

@Nosferatu...It basically plays the same rules as BO prebuff. As much skiller gear as possible. You could use White, if you have it, as that gives +3 to PnB and +3 to Bone Armor...+6 if you got a wand with +3 to Armor already on it, as well as a +3 Bone Armor shrunken head.

[N V]

what if you built a sorc around 9es staff instead of cta/spirit? i wouldnt call that BM.

[Omnicide]

The way I see it...you have main weapons and switch weapons. You choose either CtA/Spirit or the ES Staff...not use one and switch the others.

[N V]

same way i see it. but for pubs no one cares.

[Omnicide]

People kill others to get what they want, in reality.

Should we do what they do because "no one cares"?

It may not have as big an impact, but the basis in thinking is the same.

[N V]

i wasnt refering to what i do, just what happens in pubs in general ;)

i try to stay away from BM as much as possible, but when you got for example 3 or 4 60+ chars in low duel games i dont show mercy :p

[Omnicide]

There's always leaving to make a new duel game.

Seriously, I don't get how people think BM is necessary...even "counter BM".

[2.0]

BMpk can be fun. (When both people agree on BM)

[Omnicide]

*shrugs* I suppose if both agree on BM. But still...some BM REALLY kills a build.

[sbnielsen]

Nice guide/insight RAppel !

I just have 1 question : Where to look for Mem staff? What lvl char, diff act etc?

Im building an ES lightsorc, so im practically going with the setup/skills u mentioned, but need that Memstaff so badly. The amy can be gambled and the rest traded for but that staff...how? :)

SB

[N V]

Hell cows is a good place for finding items with sockets, but im fairly sure it can be found much earlier than hell. Best advice is pick up every staff that can have 4 sockets and see what skills it can have. If you are lucky you will find one with 3 ES and perhaps 1 of the 3 cold armors available for a sorc ;)

[sbnielsen]

@NV

Well..I was under the impression that these staves where mostly bought at npc's, instead of picking and iding all of the 2 types of staves that can get 4socks.

I recently made a white wand and made approx 30min of trading in act 3 with a lvl 20 char at norm diff, so i was wondering if any1 here has bought a mem staff so i could figure out where to look, and what lvl to be. If u go shopping with a lvl 90 char in hell, all items will be blues, and wont work ofc.

SB

[N V]

I never spent much time at vendors (except for claws and bo sticks), so its entirely possible that you are able to find such a staff at vendors. Im not sure if its at higher char lvl or difficulty lvl that staffs turn from white to magical though, and im sure you know runewords can only be made in white/grey items ;)

[sbnielsen]

@NV

"Im not sure if its at higher char lvl or difficulty lvl that staffs turn from white to magical though, and im sure you know runewords can only be made in white/grey items "

-->

"If u go shopping with a lvl 90 char in hell, all items will be blues, and wont work ofc."

I have spent about 34320492304 hours shopping for wands, claws, bo spears, 3sock life helms and armors, specific rings and amus etc ;) so yes...im well aware how these things work, but not specifically for the 2 types of staves which can get 4socks. Some apcs have these types, and at some char lvls items available are mostly white. I just dont know the correct lvl/diff/npc.


Has any1 found and made a MEMORY STAFF?? Please let me know where u got it? :confused:

SB

[Omnicide]

The staves with skills to ES and ability to have four sockets can drop almost anywhere...especially if you're looking for plain, white ones.

And there are much more than two types of staves that can have four sockets.

Even still...you could always use Warpspear as an ES prebuff...less into ES, but still worth it.

And I can only laugh a bit how people need to prebuff for ES.

[N V]

with the right wand and spirit shield you only saves 1 wand, but i think finding a 3 es staff is easier than finding a 3 light and 3 es orb.

i dont remember where i found it, but i got a staff with +3 es.

[Omnicide]

Maybe if it's a rare it can have 3 light/3 ES...but not as a white one, I know that. O_o;

Here's how I manage a 40 ES.

20 into ES

Shako-2
Spirit-2
CoH-2
Arach-1
Mara's-2
2xSoJ-2
HotO-3
Torch-3
Anni-1
BC-1
Light GC-1

Total added skills for ES: 20...plus the 20 into ES and you have 40.

O:

[®@þþ3¬]

Has any1 found and made a MEMORY STAFF?? Please let me know where u got it?

I found a 4 os, +3 ES, +2 Shiver Armor, +1 Thunderstorm staff once and made a Memory. Found it in a Baalrun. Not that it helps, he he :)

[N V]

on rare you can get 2 sorc or 3 light with 3 es. pretty sure of that. perhaps on blue you can get 3 sorc, 3 es like with barbs helms and warcry/bo.

[saracen85]

iirc it's impossible to shop for a white +3ES 4os-able staves. so, chances are, pick up any white staves found and hope it's +3ES with the correct weapon type =)

[Omnicide]

That's pretty much how I've been doing it. Find the item with the skill and hope for the best in sockets.

And I think the most of a class skill you can ever have is two. ._.;

[N V]

you can only have 2 class skill afaik but 3 tab skills is possible ;)

[Omnicide]

Yeah but you mentioned on magic items you can get 3 sorc/3 ES. I was just saying. D:

[N V]

hmm. Don't know what i was thinking about. I mean 3 tab/3 skill ;)

[sbnielsen]

@Omnicide

"And there are much more than two types of staves that can have four sockets."

Well maybe i used the wrong term...i ment to say only 2 normal staves can have max 4 socks...1 can have 6.They can ofc also have 4 / 6 in there excep and elite versions.So in all 9 diff staves, but the one with 6 possible socks will be harder to get with precisely 4.

Prebuffing ES like this might be funny, but using 20 skillpoints in ES ( compared to the 5-6 ) needed with buff, is just gonna kill the build dmg wise...especially in PVP.

@Saracen

I just read a shopping/vendor/npc guide confirming what u say about shopping. ES will never spawn on a white staff from any vendor. I guess i have to look for gnarled staff/battle staff and there excep/elite counterparts instead :-)

Thx for all input guys!

SB

[N V]

If you are on EuSCL i got a 3 es staff you could have. Picked it up without noticing it and noticed the 3 ES when i was about to toss it away. not sure if that kind of staff gets 4 sockets from larzuk, but i assume it does.

[sbnielsen]

@NV

That would be soooo sweet u cant imagine! I'm on from tomorrow (thursday) and would love to trade for it if u need anything? I can just hope its in the right type staff :)

SB

[Omnicide]

Well those 20 points into ES aren't for prebuffing. It's so I can get my duel started and going. People focus too much on prebuffing to make their characters good. It's sickening. Also you'd only gain about 4 skills by using a +3 ES Memory...so I don't consider that a huge advantage unless you're running a lightning sorc anyway.

I know not everyone uses it for dueling, but the amount that do surprise me. Nothing like waiting a few minutes for someone to get their character ready to duel everytime they die. I just don't get the ethics people have with dueling anymore. Forget making a character work...just get a bunch of gear to boost whatever you want and everything's fine.

Ugh.

[N V]

@NV

That would be soooo sweet u cant imagine! I'm on from tomorrow (thursday) and would love to trade for it if u need anything? I can just hope its in the right type staff :)

SB

I will pm you my accs then so you can try and whisper me. I won't be on until about 15-16 PM (GMT+1). Unless i get early free from work ;)

Well those 20 points into ES aren't for prebuffing. It's so I can get my duel started and going. People focus too much on prebuffing to make their characters good. It's sickening. Also you'd only gain about 4 skills by using a +3 ES Memory...so I don't consider that a huge advantage unless you're running a lightning sorc anyway.

I know not everyone uses it for dueling, but the amount that do surprise me. Nothing like waiting a few minutes for someone to get their character ready to duel everytime they die. I just don't get the ethics people have with dueling anymore. Forget making a character work...just get a bunch of gear to boost whatever you want and everything's fine.

Ugh.

Doing a weapon switch, cast ES and switch back doesnt take all that long, but those who switch amulet, circlet and possibly rings and belt, that's taking it too far imo.

But a simple prebuff from weapon switch (and perhaps amu) i dont have a problem with.

[sbnielsen]

Ill look out for PMs, and again thx so much.

Regarding the prebuffing issue, I guess ppl will go along way for that little edge, and consequently forget to play the game. I'm not buffing more than staff and an amulet, simply because I'm too lazy to go thru all that hassle each time :) ...and yes I am lightskilled so not many spare skills left here.

SB

@NV

I'll be on @ around 20:00 cet. ( I cant PM yet due to low post count, so sry for using the forum guys )

SB

[Omnicide]

Lightning it should be even easier to get non-prebuff ES, considering most use Light GCs thus boosting ES. O_o;

I don't like prebuffing at all because it shows you have to use items like that to be sufficient rather than making a sufficient character right off the bat. People are too damn dependent on it to make a character.

[N V]

Not everyone can afford light GC's and when you can get a free ES staff helping you boost ES instead of paying a lot of light GC's, what would you do? Perhaps he just started playing you know ;)

but i agree, a light sorc shouldnt have all that much trouble with ES, but every point saved from ES is more dmg to light :)

[Omnicide]

Skiller GCs really aren't that hard to get. Even if it's not the one you want you can trade for a plain light one...it's not hard. O_o;

And that whole "point saved here helps damage there" is why I hate it.

Whatever, that's what duels are nowadays. I'm done with it.

[N V]

Well that's how it is. Everyones looking for ways to optimize their character. I dont agree on using circlet, amus, rings, belts etc for prebuffing, but a simple weapon and amu switch is enough for me, and don't take more than a couple seconds.