I_D's Definitive Zealer Guide

[Immortal_Daemon]

Table Of Contents:
1) Introduction
2) Pros & Cons
3) Abbreviations
4) Breakpoint Tables
5) Player vs Player Build(s)
6) Good-mannered vs Bad-mannered
7) Player vs Monster Build(s)
8) Mercenary
9) Strategy




1) Introduction:
First, let it be known that no character is invincible. Blizzard designed Diablo 2 with mortal characters in mind, so each character has some weakness, regardless of how nice your gear is. This is true for any build in the game.

The purpose of this guide is to provide the information necessary to create the best possible build of a Zealer. I will be giving recommended gear as well as viable alternatives for those out there who do not have the items I list first. Keep in mind that the items I list first are almost always going to be the best choice. The alternatives are, like I said, viable and can therefore work perfectly well, but there’s a chance they will not get the job done as efficiently as my first choices.

With that said, let’s get this show on the road…




2) Pros & Cons:
Pros:
• Tons of damage in a short time
• Cheap gear requirements
• Excellent for party use during PvM
Cons:
• Mildly inconsistent damage
• Slow moving speed
• Can be blocked by high defense and immunes
• Average amount of life





3) Abbreviations:
• IAS: Increased attack speed – The rate at which you melee attack
• FCR: Faster cast rate – The rate at which you cast spells
• FHR: Faster hit recovery – The rate at which you recover from attacks
• DR: Damage reduction – Capped at 50%. The rate at which melee damage is reduced when attacked
• MR: Magic reductin – Capped at 50%. The rate at which magic damage is reduced when attacked
• FRW: Faster Run/Walk – The speed at which you can run
• Tele: Teleport – A skill granted by the runeword “Enigma”
• RW: Runeword – A combination of runes that creates a special item
• Nigma: Enigma – Nickname for the runeword “Enigma”
• Cookie-Cutter: Standard – Nickname for the stereotypical effective build of a character
• EDmg: Enhanced Damage – Attribute of various items that grants increased damage
• ED: Enhanced Defense – Attribute of various items that grants increased defense
• Res: Resistance – Defense against elemental spells
• FPS: Frames Per Second – The speed at which your computer refreshes the screen
• FPA: Frames Per Attack – The number of frames an animation for an attack requires
• CB: Crushing Blow – An attribute that eliminates a % of the enemy’s health upon attacking
• DS: Deadly Strike – An attribute that causes the “Deadly Strike” effect upon attacking
• OW: Open Wounds – An attribute that causes the “Open Wounds” effect upon attacking
• HS: Holy Shield – A spell that greatly increases defense
• BP: Breakpoint – The amount of increased X it takes to lose a frame during the animation
• HOTO: Heart of the Oak – Nickname for the runeword “Heart of the Oak”
• Wizzy: Wizardspike – Nickname for the item “Wizardspike”
• Shako: Harlequin Crest – Nickname for the item “Harlequin Crest”
• .08 / .09: Old Patch – Abbreviation for items that still remain in the game from previous patches
• Dupe: Duplicated – Copied and pasted into the game, essentially creating a clone.
• Poof: Vanish – Duped items often “poof” after a certain amount of time, because the game realizes the item is not supposed to exist, and therefore deletes it.
• GM: Good mannered – Following the rules in dueling sessions
• BM: Bad mannered – Not following standard rules in dueling sessions
• CBF: Cannot Be Frozen – An attribute that prevents being frozen by enemies
• Desynching: Movement Speed - When your character moves so fast the game cannot track your position, and you therefore show up in fake spots on the opponent’s screen.
• HUD: Heads-Up Display: The area of the screen that shows your life, mana, etc.
• Life Tap: This refers to casting the spell Life Tap (via spell or item) during combat. It’s essentially free healing, so this is definitely BM.




4) Breakpoint Tables:
NOTE: All information gathered from PvPWest.

Faster Hit Recovery Breakpoints

FRAME____________________+%
NOTE: Written as Were / Human v2-handed / Human v1-handed
• 13______________________0% / 0% / 3%
• 12______________________5% / 5% / 7%
• 11______________________10% / 10% / 13%
• 10______________________16% / 16% / 19%
• 9_______________________24% / 26% / 29%
• 8_______________________37% / 39% / 42%
• 7_______________________54% / 56% / 63%
• 6_______________________86% / 86% / 99%
• 5_______________________152% / 152% / 174%
• 4_______________________360% / 377% / 456%

Faster Block Rate Breakpoints

FRAME________________ +%
NOTE: Written as Were / Human
• 11__________________NA / 0%
• 10__________________NA / 6%
• 9___________________0% / 13%
• 8___________________7% / 20%
• 7___________________15% / 32%
• 6___________________27% / 52%
• 5___________________48% / 86%
• 4___________________86% / 174%
• 3___________________200% / 600%

Crushing Blow

NOTE: Written as Melee - Ranged
• vs. Normal Monsters_____________________ 1/4th – 1/8th
• vs. Players and Hirelings__________________1/10th – 1/20th
• vs. Champions, Uniques, and Bosses_________1/8th – 1/6th

Open Wounds (8 Second Duration)

• Character Level 1-15:_______________ 25*(9*Clvl+31)/256 dmg per sec
• Character Level 16-30:______________ 25*(18*Clvl-104)/256 dmg per sec
• Character Level 31-45:______________ 25*(27*Clvl-374)/256 dmg per sec
• Character Level 46-60:______________ 25*(36*Clvl-779)/256 dmg per sec
• Character Level 61-99:______________ 25*(45*Clvl-1319)/256 dmg per sec
NOTE:
1/2th Ranged PvM penalty
1/4th PVP penalty
1/8th Ranged PVP penalty

5) Player vs Player Build(s):
The goal of this build is to reach the fastest IAS BP as well as the DR cap. We’ll also be dishing out extremely high amounts of damage.
There are two variations of this build: The pure damage build, and the DS build. I will, of course, be posting both.
Also, make no mistake; I do not claim to name every alternative. There are many items to use, and I cannot name them all. I am merely naming the most well-known alternatives, and therefore the most easily-obtainable alternatives.

NOTE: This build is mostly for melee vs melee characters. You'll be able to take on casters, but they'll be tough. If you plan on fighting casters, be sure to equip a CBF item, such as a Ravenfrost or a Cham rune in a piece of gear.

Starting Stats:
• Strength: 25
• Dexterity: 20
• Vitality: 25
• Energy: 15
Final Stats:
• Strength: Just enough to use gear
• Dexterity: Enough to obtain 75% block with HS cast (after all gear is applied)
• Vitality: All remaining points
• Energy: None

Life Per Vitality Point: 3
Mana Per Energy Point: 2

Skills:
Combat Skills:
• Sacrifice: 20
• Zeal: 20
• Holy Bolt: 1
• Blessed Hammer: 1
• Smite: 1
• Charge: 1
• Holy Shield: 20
Offensive Auras:
• Might: 1
• Blessed Aim: All Remaining Points
• Concentration: 1
• Fanaticism: 20
Defensive Auras:
• Defiance: 20
NOTE: Though Blessed Aim doesn’t appear to be of any use, this is not the case. Blessed Aim gives a 5% AR bonus for each hard point placed into the skill, even when it isn’t active. Since this is a melee build, obviously this is extremely handy.
Any points you have left over after satisfying the above list, feel free to place them wherever you like. I recommend trying to get Vigor if you can, as it makes travel much easier.

Gear (Pure Damage):
• Recommended Weapon: Ebotdz
• Alternatives: Destruction, Death, Beast, Ethereal Razor's Edge, Any high-damage (fast) weapon (such as a Fool's weapon)
• Why I Choose This: You’ll automatically reach the IAS BP with this weapon, and unfortunately a Grief is BM because of the Venom casting. If it wasn’t, I’d definitely recommend a Grief.

• Recommended Armor: Enigma Mage Plate / Dusk Shroud
• Alternatives: Fortitude, Stone, Arkaine’s Valor, Tyrael’s Might, Prudence, Duress, CoH
• Why I Choose This: I know I’m bound to catch flak for this one, but I’m a strong believer in using the strength bonus granted by Enigma. Not only that, but it provides DR and Teleport for emergencies.

• Recommended Helm: Crown of Ages + Ber (x2)
• Alternatives: Shako, Visionary Helm, Veil of Steel, Delirium, Dream
• Why I Choose This: Huge defense, high res, and tons of DR make this helm amazingly handy. Also, if you happen to be using my recommended Enigma, this this helm won’t take any points into strength to use (when coupled with the following gear in my guide).

• Recommended Shield: Herald of Zakarum + Ber / Um
• Alternatives: Alma Negra, Stormsheild
• Why I Choose This: Super high block rate, nice stat boosts, excellent skill boosts, and high defense make this shield nearly flawless. Depending on how much DR you have with the rest of your gear, socket it with either a Ber or Um rune.

• Recommended Gloves: Bloodfists
• Alternatives: CB / OW Gloves, IAS Gloves
• Why I Choose This: A handy life boost and plenty of FHR make for some fantastic gloves. Up them for even more defense, if you like.

• Recommended Belt: Dungo
• Alternatives: IK Belt, Razortail, String of Ears
• Why I Choose This: Nice life boost, and tons of DR to go around. If you already have met your DR limit (50%) however, it wouldn’t hurt to try on something else.

• Recommended Boots: Gore Riders
• Alternatives: Treks, War Travs, Waterwalks, IK Boots
• Why I Choose This: Excellent melee mods to go around. These boots are fantastic. If you find yourself needing some extra stat boosts, however, Treks might be your ideal choice.

• Recommended Amulet: Angelics
• Alternatives: Highlords
• Why I Choose This: When coupled with the rings, this beauty gives tons of AR.

• Recommended Rings: Angelics
• Alternatives: Ravenfrost, BK, Wisp, Dwarf Star
• Why I Choose This: When coupled with the amulet, these babies give tons of AR. Using a Ravenfrost wouldn’t hurt though, since it provides some nice dex and the CBF mod.

• Items On Switch: CTA + Spirit
• Items In Inventory: Torch + Annihilus
• Charms In Inventory: As many life small charms as you can muster, and also some AR charms if you can find any. If you don’t mind using duped items, go for 3/20/20’s, as those things are ownage in charm-form.

Gear (DS):
NOTE: Since this is a mod-specific build, there are no alternatives except in rare occasions. This is the best way to achieve a full Deadly Strike (aka super effective) PvP build.
Also be very aware of the cost of this build. It’s significantly more expensive than the standard build. Also notice how the rest of the gear ensures other important BPs are met. We actually have to leave some DS-granting items out of here, simply because that would mean the character would be nearly defenseless. This is the best gear for a balanced Deadly Strike PvP build.

• Recommended Weapon: Ethereal Death’s Cleaver + Zod
• Why I Choose This: Excellent speed, nice damage, and TONS of DS. Be sure to Zod it so it doesn’t get broken. If you’re using a non-eth Death’s Cleaver, throw a LO rune in it to give it even more DS.

• Recommended Armor: Ethereal Upped Shaftstop + Zod
• Alternatives: Ethereal Shaftstop + Zod
• Why I Choose This: More defense than I care to mention on this baby, along with tons of DR. Be sure to Zod it.

• Recommended Helm: Visionary Helm + IAS Jewel
• Why I Choose This: Tons of AR to ensure a solid hit ratio. Depending on your gloves, you may have to throw an IAS jewel in this.

• Recommended Shield: Alma Negra + Ber
• Why I Choose This: Excellent AR and damage boost, as well as high defense and DR and block rate.

• Recommended Gloves: Steelrends
• Alternatives: IAS Gloves
• Why I Choose This: Tons of extra damage, and a bit of CB, just in case.

• Recommended Belt: Dungo
• Why I Choose This: Nice life and that ever-helpful DR.

• Recommended Boots: Gore Riders
• Why I Choose This: Even more DS and CB, as well as FRW.

• Recommended Amulet: Angelic
• Why I Choose This: When coupled with the rings, it gives tons of AR.

• Recommended Rings: Angelic
• Alternatives: Ravenfrost
• Why I Choose This: When coupled with the ammy, they give tons of AR. You will have tons of AR by now, though, so it wouldn’t hurt to throw on a Ravenfrost for CBF.

• Items On Switch: CTA + Spirit
• Items In Inventory: Torch + Annihilus
• Charms In Inventory: As many life small charms as you can muster, and also some AR charms if you can find any. If you don’t mind using duped items, go for 3/20/20’s, as those things are ownage in charm-form.




6) Good-mannered vs Bad-mannered:
Many people choose to duel with certain rules. People feel there are certain things in the game that should not have been included because they give an unfair advantage to one player or another (or multiple players).

Many things are considering bad-mannered, or “BM.” I’m bound to forget some things, but I’ll list all of the major pet peeves:
• Holy Freeze: This is BM because it cannot be blocked by anything, and it slows down the player to a snail pace.
• Slow Target: This is also unblockable, and slows the player to a snail pace.
• Town camping: This refers to players who repeatedly sit outside the barrier that separates enemy – friendly territory. It’s extremely hard to kill a person who is camping.
• Jumping: This refers to attacking a person without each dueler saying “Go” first.
• Ganging: This refers to multiple duelers attacking one person at the same time, without that person’s consent.
• Melee Grief: This is heavily debated. On characters where the “Cast On Strike” effect is active (Barbarians, Zealers, etc.) this is considered BM because Grief’s Venom is extremely powerful and can drain a dueler’s health almost instantly.
• Pre-buffing: This refers to casting defensive spells before dueling, such as Fade or Battle Orders (occasional offensive spells, such as Enchant also fit here). Many people do not pay attention to this rule, however, because of the popularity of the Call To Arms runeword.
• Mercenaries: This refers to using a mercenary during dueling. This is a BIG no-no. Using a mercenary essentially doubles your chances of winning, which is obviously unfair.
• Potting: This refers to using either Life or Mana potions during a duel. Life potions are BM regardless of who you ask, but some people allow Mana potions. Make sure to ask before you duel.
• Absorbing Gear: This refers to gear that absorbs elemental damage. Often times one piece of gear is allowed, but more than one piece is BM. Make sure to ask before you duel.
• Life Tap: This refers to casting the spell Life Tap (via spell or item) during combat. It’s essentially free healing, so this is definitely BM.

Those are some of the big pet peeves. Like I said, I certainly didn’t cover them all. Also keep in mind that various tournaments have specific rules that must be followed.




7) Player vs Monster Build(s):
The goal with the PvM build is much more lenient. We’ll still want to get as much of each breakpoint as possible, of course, but we’ll make things a bit better-rounded. We’ll try to get some FHR in there, and DR won’t be as much of a necessity.
Also, make no mistake; I do not claim to name every alternative. There are many items to use, and I cannot name them all. I am merely naming the most well-known alternatives, and therefore the most easily-obtainable alternatives.

Starting Stats:
• Strength: 25
• Dexterity: 20
• Vitality: 25
• Energy: 15
Final Stats:
• Strength: Just enough to use gear
• Dexterity: Enough to obtain 75% block with HS cast (after all gear is applied)
• Vitality: All remaining points
• Energy: None

Life Per Vitality Point: 3
Mana Per Energy Point: 2

Skills:
Combat Skills:
• Sacrifice: 20
• Zeal: 20
• Smite: 1
• Charge: 1
• Holy Bolt: 1
• Blessed Hammer: 1
• Holy Shield: 20
Offensive Aura Skills:
• Might: 1
• Blessed Aim: 1
• Concentration: 1
• Fanaticism: 20
• Holy Fire: 1
• Holy Freeze: 1
Defensive Aura Skills:
• Defiance: All remaining points
NOTE: You do not have to put points into Holy Fire or Holy Freeze, but I highly recommend it. There’s nothing quite as handy as freezing your enemies around you when you’re in danger.

Gear:
NOTE: The DS build is absolutely horrible for PvM. DS takes too long to be of any use when you’ve got two dozen enemies swarming you. Instead I’ll be posting a general PvM Zealer’s build.
• Recommended Weapon: Grief Phase Blade
• Alternatives: Ebotd, Beast, Doom, Destruction, Death, Silence, Last Wish
• Why I Choose This: Tons of damage and speed, as well as Venom. Why a Phase Blade? Simple, we’ll be using a shield that requires a lot of dex to max out block.

• Recommended Armor: CoH
• Alternatives: Enigma, Duress, Stone, Prudence, Treachery, Fortitude
• Why I Choose This: Tons of Resistance, and some nice defense and ED to various enemies

• Recommended Helm: Vampire’s Gaze
• Alternatives: Shako, CoA, Visionary Helm, Andariel’s Visage, Guillaume's Face
• Why I Choose This: Plenty of DR and life steal, as well as decent defense.

• Recommended Shield: Exile (high def shield + res)
• Alternatives: HoZ, Alma Negra, Spirit
• Why I Choose This: More defense than any other shield in the game, as well as life tap and resistances. It’s extremely useful.

• Recommended Gloves: Bloodfists
• Alternatives: Dracul’s Grasp, Venom Grips, Laying of Hands
• Why I Choose This: Some nice FHR and Life. If you decide not to use an Exile, go for Dracs here.

• Recommended Belt: String of Ears
• Alternatives: Dungo, Nosferatu’s Coil, IK Belt
• Why I Choose This: Nice DR and Life Leech. If you decide to use an Exile here, you may find Life Tap to be more than enough life gained. If this is the case, use a Dungo instead.

• Recommended Boots: Gore Riders
• Alternatives: Treks, War Travs, Aldur’s boots, IK’s boots
• Why I Choose This: OW, CB, DS, and FRW. Perfect for a Zealer.

• Recommended Amulet: Metalgrid
• Alternatives: Mara’s Kaleidoscope, Highlord’s Wrath, Angelics
• Why I Choose This: Plenty of defense and Res

• Recommended Rings: Ravenfrosts
• Alternatives: Dwarf Star, Wisps, BKs, Angelics
• Why I Choose This: Tons of AR and dexterity, both of which are super handy. We’ll already have plenty of life steal, so BKs shouldn’t be high on your list of items to use. The other rings are nice choices though, but be aware of your AR. AR isn’t nearly as important in PvM as it is PvP, but you want to make sure you can still land your attacks.

• Items On Switch: CTA + Spirit
• Items In Inventory: Torch + Annihilus
• Charms In Inventory: As many life small charms as you can find. The maximum life on a small charm is 20, so try to get close to that. If you don’t mind using duped items, go for 3/20/20’s.




8) Mercenary:
• Recommended Weapon: Ebotd War Pike
• Alternatives: Infinity, Doom, Destruction, Insight
• Why I Choose This: Probably the highest damage: speed ratio you’ll ever find on a polearm.

• Recommended Armor: Fortitude Archon Plate
• Alternatives: CoH, Duress, Stone, Prudence, Treachery
• Why I Choose This: Tons of damage and life, as well as a Res boost. Perfect for a merc.

• Recommended Helm: Andariel’s Visage
• Alternatives: Shako, CoA, Visionary Helm
• Why I Choose This: Plenty of defense and life steal, both of which are essential for a merc.




9) Strategy:
Desynching:
Desynching refers to moving so quickly the game cannot track your location. The side effect of this is your character will appear to be in a false location on the opponent’s screen. Obviously this can be very useful for duels.
The easiest way to desynch is to use Charge. Simply Charging around in a zigzag pattern will result in desynching. You must stay moving in order to maintain the desynch, however. Standing still will eliminate it.

NOTE: There is a glitch in the game called “Charge-lock.” This occurs when you try switching to another attack/item/animation/etc. during mid-Charge. If you do this, most of the time you won’t be able to attack unless you switch weapons then switch back. ALWAYS make sure Charge is complete before you try using another attack.
A way to avoid this is to not cast HS. You can try this if you want, but I’d prefer to simply not use another attack during mid-Charge. I enjoy my defense thank you very much.

NOTE: Walk at all times. Enabling run reduces your block rate greatly, so make sure to always walk.

Vs Assassin:
• Trapsin: Being a melee character means you have to get close to the enemy to land a hit. Any smart Trapsin will use this to her advantage by staying away from you and letting her traps to the work. To get around this, use Charge to desynch and slam into the Assassin. In almost every case, her defense will be very low and you will be able to do some pretty decent damage simply from your Charge. If the Charge alone doesn’t kill her, a quick Zeal sure as hell will. Our damage is gonna be super high with this guy, so the Charge will likely do the trick. If not, simply switch to Zeal to finish her off.
• WWSin: These chicks shouldn’t be too tough. Beware though, since they often use traps as a backup. Try to Charge around for a bit to desynch and slam into her, just like with Trapsins. Her defense is gonna be much higher, so it’ll take a couple shots to take her out. Just avoid the traps at all costs, cost they’ll put you into a recovering state, which makes your blocking terrible. Be aware of poison damage as well. Venom dishes out damage that must be seen to be believed. Just make sure to stay on the offensive so she won't have a chance to land Venom on you.

Vs Amazon:
• Javzon: These guys are gonna be tough. They have extremely powerful attacks, and most of the time they hack. Desynch using Charge and try to land the first hit. She shouldn’t take long to kill once you land your first hit. Just make sure you’re the person to attack first, or else you’re done for. Stay on the offensive at all times.
• Bowzon: These guys can either be very easy, or very tough. If you land the first hit, it’s basically an automatic win. If she lands the first hit, it’s basically an automatic loss (unless it’s a really poorly-geared Amazon). The majority of the time, she’ll have Knockback which will be very tough to recover from, unless you’ve geared yourself with high amounts of FHR (which I recommend doing). Stay moving so she can’t get a lock on you, and desynch using Charge. Be careful, though, because a lot of Bowzons can also desynch using FRW charms, so try to get a namelock and Charge in to keep her from desynching. An alternative, if you chose to use an Enigma is telezealing. Simply name tag her (click and hold) with teleport, and when you land on her, throw out a Zeal. Chances are she’ll go down in one shot.

Vs Barbarian:
• WWBarb: These guys are definitely a challenge. They’ll have lots of defense, and very high attack power. Hold shift to attack when he Whirlwinds towards you, but be ready to Charge of there if need be. Many Barbarians know how to Whirlwind in circles without stopping, so if he catches you in the middle of the circle, you’re done for. Try to attack from the fringes and he’ll die after enough hits. This match can be a toss up. The two opponents are very evenly matched.
• Conc Barb: Like WWBarbs, these can be a toss up. If you land the first hit, it’s almost a sure win. Most Conc Barbs use two-handed weapons, so they can’t block, which means they’ll go down quickly. The few (smart) Conc Barbs who use a shield, however, will be tough. Conc does a heck of a lot of damage, but is very slow. We should be able to survive one hit, but definitely not two. If he hits you, make sure you hit him back before he can recover. Zeal is waaaay faster than Concentrate, so landing the first hit should generally equal a win. An easy way to win this battle is simply to run in and run out. Attack once, run away, attack once, run away, etc.
• Frenzy Barb: Watch out for these guys. They’ll be even faster than you, and can dish out some hefty damage. The advantage is still ours, however. A Frenzy barb cannot block, and we can. Make sure to walk at all times, to ensure your block rate stays up, and use Charge to maneuver around. Attack from the fringes, and you should be fine.

Vs Druid:
• Nado Druid: These guys are extremely hard. Standing inside Hurricane will slow you greatly, and their Tornados are pretty darn quick, and very powerful. Do your best to Charge in and out. Hurricane attacks in pulses, so if you’re not inside the radius for a long enough time, you won’t be hurt by it. The pulse is very quick, however, so make sure not to dawdle. You might also try telezealing if you went for an enigma.
• Summon Druid: These guys are almost impossible to kill for us poor Zealers. While the Druid himself is a piece of cake, landing a hit is next to impossible. He’ll be completely surrounded by summons, so actually getting to him is very difficult. Do your best to Charge around his minions, and land a hit. You’re fighting an uphill battle with this one.
• Melee Druid: This is gonna be a tossup. Melee druids are very similar to Zealers, so it’s kinda like fighting a mirror image. Attack from below so he can’t see you coming (do this with every enemy, actually) and Charge around a bit to desynch. This should ensure a good victory. Beware though, his FHR is almost definitely gonna be better than yours, so he’ll be able to recover quickly. Don’t stand still too long, or he’ll make you suffer.

Vs Necromancer:
• Summoner: Similar to Summon Druids, these guys are super hard to hit, making them very difficult to kill. Use a similar strategy: do your best to avoid the summons and land a hit on the actual opponent. If you can, he’ll go down easily.
• Bone Necro: Next to invincible when fighting a Zealer. Using Bone Wall or Bone Prison, these guys can avoid you with ease, and will launch homing attacks at you. Desynch immediately to avoid this, and slam into him and do not let up even for a millisecond until he is dead. If you give him a second to breathe, he will make you regret it. His Bone Shield can absorb damage, so make sure you’re aware of this. Do not stand still, as he will not enter the FHR animation while he has Bone Shield active. Do not give him breathing room, however, as he will simply recast the Bone Shield. It should go down rather quickly though, so hopefully it won’t be a problem.

Vs Paladin:
• Hammerdin: Always attack from below when fighting a Hammerdin. A Hammerdin’s Hammers will spawn above him, so if you attack from below, you can generally avoid damage. As always, desynch and Charge into him, causing Knockback. Switch to Zeal, and rain the blows on him. Be aware though, he will block. Don’t stand still too long, or he’ll take you down. We’ll be able to survive one hammer, but definitely not two.
• Melee Paladin: These guys are no joke. They can do anything you can do, so beware. This is a pure test of skill. Whoever can maneuver faster will be the winner. Desynch immediately, and try to get a namelock. Switch to Zeal when close, and let him have it.
• FoH Paladin: These guys are probably the hardest to deal with out of all the paladins. He’ll be able to hit you from long range, and they often use Smite as a backup. Stay moving (it’s ok to run against this guy) to make sure he can’t get a direct hit with FoH and rain blows on him. Chances are he won’t be able to switch to Smite and Fana fast enough to be effective against you as long as you stay on the offensive, so don’t let up once you’ve hit him.
• Auradin: Assuming he isn’t hacking, he’ll be a breeze to kill. Charge in once to knock him back, then rain Zeal down on him. If he’s using the aura stacking glitch, don’t even bother. You’ll be dead before you can see him.
Vs Sorceress:
• Melee: No strategy here. Just run on in and let her have it. She’ll be dead before she hits the ground.
• Casting: Stay moving at all times. I repeat: stay moving. If you stop, you’re dead. Your Res will be decent, but won’t stand a chance against her high damage. Charge in and out in a weaving pattern, and land a Zeal when you get the chance. Don’t stand still very long, however, because she’ll recover and let you have a piece of her mind.




10) Helpful Sites:
Arreat Summit
This site is amazing. Nearly everything you could ever want to know is on here.

Diablo2Guide
Anything that isn’t on Arreat Summit can be found here. Together they are extremely helpful.

PvPWest
An excellent site for viewing break point tables.

German IAS Calculator
The easiest way to determine your IAS BPs.

Chippydip’s Skill Planner
An extremely easy way to test your skill trees without having to level a character.


Epilogue: I look forward to comments and critiques. If I missed anything, be sure to slam me so I never do it again.



NOTE:
Yes, I'm fully aware this shares information (word for word) with my other guides. I do this on purpose, since some features of the game aren't exclusive to only one character.

[September 28, 1987]

Originally Posted by Immortal_Daemon

[SIZE=”4”]2) Pros & Cons:[/SIZE]
Pros:
• Excellent for party use

I'm going to disagree here. If you can stack/absorb then elemental characters shouldn't be much problem.

But I find they aren't very solid against anything other than melee. You can namelock and if someone teleports on you, you should win but in terms of chasing, it's difficult.

Gear (Pure Damage):
• Recommended Weapon: Ebotdz
• Alternatives: Destruction, Death, Beast, Any high-damage (fast) weapon
• Why I Choose This: You’ll automatically reach the IAS BP with this weapon, and unfortunately a Grief is BM because of the Venom casting. If it wasn’t, I’d definitely recommend a Grief.

• Recommended Armor: Enigma Mage Plate / Dusk Shroud
• Alternatives: Fortitude, Stone, Arkaine’s Valor, Tyrael’s Might, Prudence, Duress, CoH
• Why I Choose This: I know I’m bound to catch flak for this one, but I’m a strong believer in using the strength bonus granted by Enigma. Not only that, but it provides DR and Teleport for emergencies.

• Recommended Helm: Crown of Ages + Ber (x2)
• Alternatives: Shako, Visionary Helm, Veil of Steel, Delirium, Dream
• Why I Choose This: Huge defense, high res, and tons of DR make this helm amazingly handy. Also, if you happen to be using my recommended Enigma, this this helm won’t take any points into strength to use (when coupled with the following gear in my guide).

• Recommended Shield: Herald of Zakarum + Ber / Um
• Alternatives: Alma Negra, Stormsheild
• Why I Choose This: Super high block rate, nice stat boosts, excellent skill boosts, and high defense make this shield nearly flawless. Depending on how much DR you have with the rest of your gear, socket it with either a Ber or Um rune.

• Recommended Gloves: Bloodfists
• Alternatives: CB / OW Gloves, IAS Gloves
• Why I Choose This: A handy life boost and plenty of FHR make for some fantastic gloves. Up them for even more defense, if you like.

• Recommended Belt: Dungo
• Alternatives: IK Belt, Razortail, String of Ears
• Why I Choose This: Nice life boost, and tons of DR to go around. If you already have met your DR limit (50%) however, it wouldn’t hurt to try on something else.

• Recommended Boots: Gore Riders
• Alternatives: Treks, War Travs, Waterwalks, IK Boots
• Why I Choose This: Excellent melee mods to go around. These boots are fantastic. If you find yourself needing some extra stat boosts, however, Treks might be your ideal choice.

• Recommended Amulet: Angelics
• Alternatives: Highlords
• Why I Choose This: When coupled with the rings, this beauty gives tons of AR.

• Recommended Rings: Angelics
• Alternatives: Ravenfrost, BK, Wisp, Dwarf Star
• Why I Choose This: When coupled with the amulet, these babies give tons of AR. Using a Ravenfrost wouldn’t hurt though, since it provides some nice dex and the CBF mod.

I'd suggest going with a Cham in Coa or Hoz because it's almost necessary. I can't say I really like this setup at all (preference) but life is somewhat overrated in this case.

• Recommended Gloves: Steelrends
• Alternatives: IAS Gloves
• Why I Choose This: Tons of extra damage, and a bit of CB, just in case.

Really excessive strength requirement. Almost too high for me.

• Pre-buffing: This refers to casting defensive spells before dueling, such as Fade or Battle Orders. Many people do not pay attention to this rule, however, because of the popularity of the Call To Arms runeword.

Enchant as well.

• WWSin: These chicks shouldn’t be too tough. Beware though, since they often use traps as a backup. Try to Charge around for a bit to desynch and slam into her, just like with Trapsins. Her defense is gonna be much higher, so it’ll take a couple shots to take her out. Just avoid the traps at all costs, cost they’ll put you into a recovering state, which makes your blocking terrible.

Be aware of poison as well. Venom is a killer.

Epilogue: I look forward to comments and critiques. If I missed anything, be sure to slam me so I never do it again.

It's a good guide although you miss on the one thing (CBF) which is almost needed in every case imo. I tested Coa and tested Enigma and found to not like either much but to each his own.

Ethereal Razors Edge comes cheap and is probably the best ZvZ weapon I use. High DS/OW and it's quick.

Life is somewhat overrated for melee, I find. Playing the percentages, life just doesn't seem to matter a whole lot. DR/AR seem to be the best aims in my opinion.

But looks like you know what you are talking about.

[Immortal_Daemon]

1. The party use thing is for PvM, not PvP.

2. I very rarely use melee vs casting characters, but I'll make a note of that in the guide.

3. It's actually not too big of a deal once you look at all the other gear. It took me a while to get used to Steelrends for that exact reason, but once I started using them, I really liked them.

4. From experience, I've found life to be pretty important on melee characters. DR and Defense are definitely important, but often times the higher-class characters dish out so much damage and have so much AR that you'll need life since they'll chew right through your defenses.

[September 28, 1987]

Also for PvM, I find Hoz + Dracs to be the better setup but that's just me.

Bloodfists aren't all that handy PvM wise imo but yeah.

[Immortal_Daemon]

Yeah, I was actually gonna put that as choice one, but then I tried it out with Hero Editor and I liked mine a lot more.


You end up with slightly less damage, but the (gigantic) defense boost is rather nice.
I'd rather have high defense and slightly less damage than medium defense and slightly higher damage.

It's up to preference though, that's why there are alternatives.

[Orbit Hero]

I personally LOVE this guide. I mean this site needed a great, definitive , guide for the zealer. It isn't perfect because everything needs improvement, so...8.75/10 (not quite a 9, [fix the sizes])

[Immortal_Daemon]

Fixed it.

I dunno how I missed that. O_o

[Belhemel]

While I agree with most of the gear options you chose I am perplexed as to a few of the options listed for PvM. While I think overall most people like Grief why is there no mention of Last Wish as a weapon? The level 17 might, possible 375% ed, itd, prevents monster heal, hit blinds target, 10% ctc level 18 Life Tap and possible 70% CB all make this a great weapon for a zealer. These stats also open up gear choices in other areas as well. Combined with Goreriders and you have a huge chance to get CB every time you hit. I also like Guiallmes helm as an option if you can't find Gores as combined with LW it gives you over 100% CB. Now I do think the latter combo is overkill so Vamp is probably the best choice here like you stated but I like Crown of Ages. What it lacks in DR(which is only a small dirfference) and MDR it makes up for in +1 to all skills, defence, possible 30% res and two open sockets. Those two sockets can be used for a variety of things and may even free up a ring slot or ammy depending on what you socket it with. I think it is also possible to craft better gloves than bloodfist but this may lead to lots of failed tries so bloodfist are a good optin with fhr and ias. Overall I have to say the guide is pretty good. I have made many zealers by following mostly the same choices you list here and have to say they all turned out very good. You will definitely have to make up for your res with sc's on this char because of the gear choices so anyone that makes a zealer be aware of this. Wearing CoH, having your anni and torch will give you a leg up on this though. 9/10 on PvM, I don't duel too often so I can't really rate the PvP part of it.

[Immortal_Daemon]

Woah.... that's a wall of text.


I added in the Gface and LW though.

With all that stuff, I was bound to leave things out here and there.

[Belhemel]

Yeah sorry if it was hard to read. I tend to write alot when I post sometimes.