Okay so I upped this weapon - socketed it with a gem for increased speed - (socket quest used) - have tons of crushing blow - Duress armor / goblin toe boots / 10% CB crafted belt
resistances arent great but in the positives in hell.
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So, I am now in Hell with this guy who ripped through Nightmare no probs
but now Hell I am getting owned by a select group of monsters.
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anything with stone skin / physical resistances is causing me some major probs. but I am confused because I thought this build was about kicking these things butts?
anyways I finally beat Andariel, took a while since wraiths were with her and they destroy me.
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anyone used this build before? any hints or suggestions?
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also I have the act 2 merc w. insight weapon as mana seems to be a problem sometimes
when fighting mana stealers I am losing my mana very fast and it does not regenerate. So my dude just stands there saying "not enough mana" when I try to attack, and sometimes he reverts to human form - this is generally when I die trying to run away.
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thought this guy was going to be my goto character and he barely got out of act 1.
sigh.

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Q u o t e:
Okay so I upped this weapon - socketed it with a gem for increased speed - (socket quest used) - have tons of crushing blow - Duress armor / goblin toe boots / 10% CB crafted belt
resistances arent great but in the positives in hell.
---
So, I am now in Hell with this guy who ripped through Nightmare no probs
but now Hell I am getting owned by a select group of monsters.
---
anything with stone skin / physical resistances is causing me some major probs. but I am confused because I thought this build was about kicking these things butts?

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You got a build based on physical damage alone and wonder why highly physical resistant or even physical immunes cause you trouble?

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Q u o t e:
anyone used this build before?

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What build? All you said up to now was you're using an upgrades Ripcracker on a shapeshifting druid and that you got one of six possible A2 mercs with an Insight stick.

I had a rabies/feral rage druid (because that's the usual suggestion for ribcracker) and I tried out this in Ancient's Way, Hell

Jalal's Mane
Blue +3 shapeshifting amulet
Angelic's Armor
Angelic's Rings
Rhyme Spiked Shield
Aldur's with 3 IAS jewels (I had a ton of those lying around)
Goblin Toes
And because I passed my Bloodfist gloves and whatever belt I had to my assassin, I picked up a +10IAS glove and a plated belt with +96 life.
I also had a spirit and sigon's shield to buff my skills
I also had a Shael'd Fleshrender, but it was about 1/3 the speed of that Aldur's


Skills:

Feral Rage and Rabies: 20 (30)
Lyanthropy 14(21)
Werewolf 4(11)
Poison creeper 20(28) (I had also a +3 to Summons amulet)
Grizzly 6(14)
Prereqs and spirit pets 1(9)

Merc was dead, and no gold. Then I gave it a go.

I drank like an Irishman, and I had to give-and-go quite a bit because the monsters I was fighting in Ancient's Way were all speed boosted guest monsters, but I managed to kill quite a bit as long as I wasn't attracting too many hits. This guy has killed Baal solo on Hell difficulty with that.

I went back to the Arcane Sanctuary and found the Physical immunes to be a problem, but I also had Malice around because Open Wounds (which is also on Fleshrender) causes them to take damage even if they're physical immune (providing they've taken any damage). It was a bit slow, and I couldn't just charge right in, but I did find the combination of poison and open wounds to be better than nothing.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you likely need an extra element of attack. Perhaps Hwanin's armor, Crescent Moon Lawbringer, etc. if Fireclaws or Rabies isn't your thing.

yep. and yes.
so the answer would be more elemental damage needed.
gotcha!
thanks.
and I assumed the ribcracker druid build was fairly well known and common.
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didnt know I had to spell it out for the Diablo 2 experts.

Thanks man! (To Breywood)
Thats awesome.
I have most of that stuff laying around so I will reassess my druid and give it a go.
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The ribcracker weapon when upped just looks so damn awesome that I just assumed its a game killer. but I guess this game always gets complicated when it seems easiest.
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anyways, thanks a lot for the post much appreciated.
I am no expert at this game I just plod through it like an oaf but its so much damn fun.
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Q u o t e:
Thanks man! (To Breywood)
Thats awesome.
I have most of that stuff laying around so I will reassess my druid and give it a go.

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Well, the Angelics armor makes it quite painful, I'd likely keep Duress or perhaps make Smoke and keep the Ribcracker either in main or as a backup. I was trying to prove that I could use "trash" to walk the build to Patriarch. The only thing that stopped me were those damn barbarians on the summit of Mount Arreat. I had to sneak him past Ancients, but Baal was a joke compared to the Ancients. Lister and his buddies were pretty nasty, though.

I will say that I didn't faceroll with him, but if I didn't have to soak too many hits, it was effective.

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Q u o t e:
The ribcracker weapon when upped just looks so damn awesome that I just assumed its a game killer. but I guess this game always gets complicated when it seems easiest.

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Actually, it is a pretty damned awesome weapon when upgraded. 50% crushing is adequate for decent initial hits, and Crushing Blow is an attribute I consider essential in Hell for melee characters. All you need to get into is some other damage type for the Stone Skin and Immunes. Or curses that will break those immunities, but those are only available as procs. :(

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Q u o t e:
anyways, thanks a lot for the post much appreciated.
I am no expert at this game I just plod through it like an oaf but its so much damn fun.

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Take whatever is useful, there are plenty of ways to effectively gear this build. I'm bent on gearing as low as possible because I'm tired of being told that a build sucks unless you can get enigmashakomararach.

I tried to find the last thread a put info on my old druid, but I will just say this. Get a Reaper's Toll on switch for phys immunes.

edit:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa124/kramuti/mutt.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa124/kramuti/Screenshot009.jpg

That is an upped Duriel's, jeweled jalahl's, crafted 2skill 10ll/8ml ammy, 2 rare rings gores, and steelrends in pic.

niiice.
thanks all... I am tweaking him and he is doing better but thanks to this I also noticed that my zealer pally was now having the same problem - so I am getting a better understanding of what I am doing wrong.
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btw to make everyone laugh - I screwed up this weekend with my sorceress
she is lvl 83 - just getting good - where I can do mf runs with her quickly
so I decided to go get Nihlthalak and running and teleporting around I teleported and hit
the stupid waypoint so I no longer am able to do Hell Pindleskin runs...
argh!
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thanks all! good times.

For a zealer, use a Baranar's Star with conviction on switch...or as a main weapon depending on what you have at your disposal. There are other routes to deal with them, but that is my preference. There is a runeword that works in scepters that gives decrep on strike as well, Lawbringer. Voice of Reason is another option for about the same cost.

Actually my zealer just finished Hell and I was stoked - he is non ladder so I was able to gather stuff from all my other accounts and tweak him up
---he was pretty well equipped... although he still gets killed once in a while he kills Hell bosses very very fast and has very little difficulty...

I used a Grief and Stormshield combo right now - but I have the runes to make an exile and once I find an eth Kurast Shield with good resists I will be using that with the stormshield on switch....

I actually have never found a Baranars Star so I will keep on and when I do I will give it a whirl
my other weapon switch right now is Heavens Light... I dont use it ever but its there.

this game rocks!

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Q u o t e:
Or curses that will break those immunities, but those are only available as procs. :(

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Atma's Amulet is the item needed. It's worth the drop in AR, because in hell the Amp proc will AT THE VERY LEAST double your killing speed. It is the single best item for physical damage-based builds in the game.

yeah for sure...
have learned quite a bit recently
usually just used sorcerers.....
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anyways, have atmas on my zealer and when it kicks in everything dies heheheheheheh.
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I have put this Druid on the shelf until I find the items needed to make him able to do Hell
right now Act 1 is a grind - still fun (actually lots of fun) since I have to run around like a crazy person sometimes to stay alive...
but yeah once I get Atmas on him and tweak a few other things I think it should be good
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thanks everyone for the advices

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Q u o t e:
Atma's Amulet is the item needed. It's worth the drop in AR, because in hell the Amp proc will AT THE VERY LEAST double your killing speed. It is the single best item for physical damage-based builds in the game.

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The proc % really makes me question this statement. I personally prefer higher procing decrep or elemental damage for phys immunes. If they are not phys immune, then doubling is more of an overstatement...the only nonphys immune where I fell it can matter is on Baal...but again the proc % is so low you can kill him with out it even going off at times.

Not saying atma's is crap, just not sure I agree with it being quite so important in general...some builds, yes, it is damn near indispensable.

Calmguy: There is good reason why you aren't using Heaven's. the range is total crap. You wiff a lot with it. Grief is the superior weapon in most cases. Baranar's is a damn spiffy, cheap weapon which can be used even in uber tristram with good effect. Seeing as how you are going down the runeword track, I will likely leave most other suggestions alone.