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CSullivan's PvP Sword/Shield Barbarian Strategy Guide Table of Contents A. Introduction B. Basic Strategy C. Stats D. Skills E. Equipment F. Combat G. Reference Character Introduction With the seemingly increasing popularity of the PvP aspect of Diablo 2, I felt compelled to convey my thoughts on building an efficient dueling Barbarian. It appears that there is a need for a PvP strategy guide due to the abundance of questions asked throughout D2 strategy forums, as well as the buzz generated when I explain my strategy to the people in dueling games. No one ever wants to believe me when I tell them that I have 3300 life. A lengthy explanation always ensues, and I show all my equipment to the skeptics, but some people remain unconvinced. Hopefully this guide can alleviate many misunderstandings. My goal is not to explain the basics of D2 to a new player, but rather to show an experienced player how to effectively construct a Barbarian that will excel in PvP. I do not claim that all my ideas are the end-all-be-all of PvP, but my experiences have proven that the strategies explained herein are very effective. Ultimately, PvP boils down to many aspects beyond character development, such as human ability and internet connection/computer speed. I currently have the luxury of playing D2 on a fast PC with a cable connection, which gives me an unfair advantage over someone playing with minimum system requirements on a dial-up. There are many possible PvP character builds, and each has strengths and weaknesses. My personal belief is that a Sword/Shield Barbarian is the most effective PvP character class, but this argument is widely debated. No PvP character is unbeatable, and other top duelers are the ever present Frozen Orb Sorceress, Lance and Polearm Barbarians, Hammerdins, Bowazons, and Bone Spirit/Iron Maiden/Bonewall Necromancers. Also expect to see a handful of Charge/Thorns or Charge/Concentration Paladins, Fire Sorceresses, and Jabazons. My apologies to any other classes that I left out. This guide will cover all bases of building a PvP Sword/Shield Barbarian, including stat distribution, skill progression, suggested equipment, and actual dueling strategy. Bear in mind that the choices we make during character development will not follow the lines of a standard Barbarian, one who is geared towards PvM or "treasure hunting" (wearing as much equipment as possible with the "better chance of getting magic item" suffix). Ultimately, this Barbarian will be a very solid PvM character, but will truly shine in PvP. Basic Strategy Dueling with a Barbarian is a fairly straightforward endeavor. Although each different class you encounter will alter your strategy somewhat, the basic idea remains constant: kill your opponent with Whirlwind. Winning a duel ultimately requires dealing enough damage to kill the opponent before you are killed. Therefore, it is vital to take advantage of the fact that the Barbarian is capable of achieving both an astronomically high life total and a very fast rate of movement. No other class can outlive or outrun a Barbarian built with these key attributes in mind. The Barbarian can choose to specialize in any of 5 distinct weapon classes. As you well know, each has its advantages and disadvantages: Spear Class- Without question, Lances are the best two handed weapon. They offer the longest range (5) and highest base maximum damage (114) with reasonable requirements (110 strength and 88 dexterity). Lances were just recently introduced to the Realms, and Lance Barbarians are very popular. I fail to see any sort of balance with this weapon (some argue that the low durability is a drawback), and personally feel that Blizzard was foolish to allow Barbarians to get their hands on them. After the initial problems with balance (1.03 patch and nerfs of Corpse Explosion and Whirlwind), perhaps Blizzard realized that Whirlwind Barbarians were uncorrectably overpowered, so the Lance could not further disrupt the existing imbalance. Polearm Class- Seemingly made obsolete with the introduction of Lances, Bec-de-Corbins and Grim Scythes also have maximum range (5) but do much less damage than a Lance (77 and 64 base max damage respectively). Requirements are also higher than Lance requirements (Bec-de-Corbin- 133 strength and 91 dexterity, Grim Scythe- 140 strength and 140 dexterity). The only reason to choose polearms would be if you prefer their physical appearance (or if you already have an excellent Bec-de-Corbin or Grim Scythe to build a character around). Mace Class- The low range (1) of the Martel de Fer make them less appealing for dueling than their two handed counterparts. The above average maximum damage (101) and reasonable requirement (160 strength) made them very popular some months ago. If the range was longer, they may be a viable dueling option. A Battle Hammer with a Shield is also a possibility, since the requirements are very reasonable (100 strength) and the base max damage is better than that of an Executioner Sword (43). The short range (1) is the definite drawback. Axe Class- Ancient Axes have significantly less base maximum damage (74) than Martel de Fers, and the same short range (1), therefore requirements (125 strength) are not even an issue. In the one hand category, Nagas are not as good as Battle Hammers, due to higher requirements (121 strength), less base max damage (34), and the same short range (1). Axes are not a realistic option for dueling. Sword Class- Two handed swords have decent range (3) and allow for the use of a shield when held in one hand. Executioner Swords offer the highest max base damage (40 one-handed), but have pretty steep requirements (170 strength, 110 dexterity). Zwiehanders have decent max base damage (35 one-handed) with more realistically attainable requirements (125 strength, 94 dexterity). Using a sword in 2 hands is a bad idea for a couple of reasons. Two handed damage is bugged, as it just calculates the one hand damage and then adds the two handed difference (for Executioner Swords, the base damage difference is 21-40, so every Executioner Sword has a difference of 21-40 between one-handed and two-handed damage). Furthermore, the point of using a sword is gaining the blocking of a shield. By two handed weapon standards, even without the damage bug, Lances would be far better than swords. Simply put, Lances are the best two handed weapons and Executioner Swords are the best one-handed weapons. The main reason a Sword/Shield barbarian is better than a Lance barbarian is the amazing protection granted by a shield. The idea of blocking 69-75% of all physical attacks is truly remarkable, and will allow you to survive Whirlwinds that would be lethal had they gone unblocked. Even though the difference in damage between an Executioner Sword and a Lance is very drastic, Whirlwind is such a devastating attack that even the comparatively low sword damage is more than enough to handle any opponent. Stats An important, overlooked point regarding stat allocation is the fact that most of your items can add valuable points to strength and dexterity. This means that base strength and dexterity can remain far below the requirements for your equipment, allowing many otherwise wasted points to be added to vitality. One of the biggest mistakes I notice in character development is raising base stats to meet unrealistic equipment requirements. In the long run, it is not possible to have too much vitality, nor is it unrealistic to add 75 or more strength and dexterity from your equipment. Strength- Executioner Swords require 170 strength. Not only will your base strength be nowhere near 170, but the Executioner Sword you eventually use will need to have -40% requirements, reducing the required strength to 102. 50 base strength is a safe bet, but with optimal equipment you could realistically stay with the 30 strength you started with. Even though damage increases with added points in strength, every 5 stat points you take away from vitality reduce your potential life total by 33 (4 life per point and 64% more from level 20 Battle Orders). Dexterity- Executioner Swords require 110 dexterity, which is reduced to 66 by the -40% requirements that your sword should have. Not having enough dexterity may result in an unacceptably low Attack Rating , unless enough can be added directly from equipment. The 20 dexterity you start would probably will be enough, as you will only need to add 46 from items. Adding 10 points to base dexterity won't hurt too much in the long run, and will help considerably in the early levels. Surpassing the goal of 66 dexterity is much more benenficial than surpassing the goal of 102 strength (most of your duels will be against other barbarians, where having a high AR is most important). Vitality- Plan on putting most (if not all) stat points in vitality. Each subsequent point increases life by 4; with level 20 Battle Orders 4 life is actually 6.56. Energy- You start with 10 energy and you will never need more. Not only will Battle Orders increase your maximum mana, but some of your equipment should provide a mana bonus as well. I added my first 20 stat points to strength, the next 10 to dexterity, and the rest to vitality. There is some room to work with here; my goal was to quickly reach requirements for Unique items that further raised strength and dexterity, giving me access to better equipment sooner. It certainly is possible to succeed without adding any points to strength or dexterity, but the early levels will be slower going. Skills More than one skill point will only be needed in 4 different skills. Iron Skin bears no importance in PvM, and I am unconvinced of the benefits of high defense in PvP. A blocking rate of 69% (75% if using Twitchthroe) is more valuable than 5000 defense. I have heard claims that a Sword/Shield Barbarian with high defense and Iron Skin is almost untouchable, but I have not had the chance to test the theory firsthand. Natural Resistances is also unnecessary, since Fire and Poison resistances are completely unnecessary. Lightning and Cold resistances may be helpful against Sorceresses who use Static Field and Frozen Orb, but most will have enough points in Cold Mastery to negate any cold resistance you may have accumulated. Whirlwind- This will be your main offense. The 1.03 patch, from what I understand, dramatically reduced damage and the number of attack attempts dealt by each Whirlwind. As I see it today, Whirlwind is the most effective skill in the game (PvP or PvM), and I just cannot imagine it pre-1.03. Less than 20 points would be a mistake. Sword Mastery- Increases Sword damage and AR, so 20 points are essential. Battle Orders- It can be argued that 20 points here is not needed, but I wholeheartedly disagree. Although you only gain 6% more maximum life and mana from level 10-20, the increased duration (a full minute more) is great. And 6% of 1500 base life is 90 life, after all. You can plan on adding over 1200 life with Battle Orders. Increased Speed- An often ridiculed skill, being faster than your opponent may allow you to win duels you would otherwise lose. After level 10, each single point invested gives a poor return, but 20 points is advised. Over the life of your character, you will get 1 skill point per level and 12 free skill points. Maxing out each of the four listed skills requires reaching level 77 (88 total skill points). The order in which you allocate your skill points is somewhat flexible. If you want to start dueling at level 30, make sure you have some points in Increased Speed and Battle Orders. My suggestion is to max Sword Mastery before level 30, and put 20 straight points in Whirlwind (from levels 30-49). All extra skill points before level 50 should be divided between Increased Speed and Battle Orders, and max both (in whatever order suits you) after Whirlwind is maxed. Once you pass level 77, you are free to allocate future skill points however you see fit. Battle Command is probably the most appealing skill, but Natural Resistances or Iron Skin are also possibilities. If you want to take the Iron Skin/high defense path, just find a happy medium between Iron Skin, Shout, Increased Speed, and Battle Orders, and plan on finding a high defense ornate with -40% requirements. My success with under 200 defense gives me little reason to believe that any change is necessary. Equipment The best equipment will actually be very non-conventional. Resistances, magic find, and defense are of no concern. All equipment should add as much strength, dexterity, life, and mana as possible, while also providing at least some life steal and mana steal. The Vulpine prefix (10% damage taken goes to mana) works really well against other Barbarians; being hit by their Whirlwind will always refill your mana. Adding Fast/est hit recovery is a bonus, but not necessary. For your reference, numbers listed in brackets [ ] are the highest amount of the modifier available on the item class. The great part about the equipment (besides the sword) is that it can be gambled. Non-exceptional items are fine, as the modifiers on the items are what matters. Base items like regular boots, leather gloves, caps, and sashes are ideal candidates based on the modifiers they offer. Also, traders tend to place less value on non-exceptional rare items without magic find or resistances, making it easier to trade for your desired gear. Sword- The goal of the weapon is to have high damage with reasonable requirements. Ideally, this would be an Executioner Sword with -40% requirements (requiring 102 strength and 66 dexterity), reasonable damage (over 100 one handed max damage is good; the most you could find is about 138), and other useful modifiers (life steal, mana steal, +AR [298], +life [39], +strength [14], +cold damage). Other Exceptional Swords (Zwiehander, Gothic Sword, Tusk Sword, and Dacian Falx) could potentially be used, as they can all can reach 100 max one handed damage and have more reasonable requirements. Armor- My personal favorite is Twitchthroe (increased chance to block, +10 strength, +10 dexterity). It not only adds much needed strength and dexterity, but the 25% block rate increase will make any Tower Shield block at 74%. Other potential candidates are Blinkbat's Form (fast run), Iceblink (chills players, 30% cold resist), and Tancred's Spine (+15 strength, +40 life). Boots- The most important modifier is fastest run/walk. Other useful modifiers would be +strength [19], +dexterity [14], +life [29], +mana[39], fast/est hit recovery. Gloves- Look for +dexterity [19], +strength [14], +life[39], +mana[39]. Belt- Look for +strength [19], +dexterity [14], +life [59], +mana [29], fast/est hit recovery, +cold damage Helm- Look for +dexterity [14], +life [59], Fast/est hit recovery. Rings- Generally the best items to add life and mana steal, also look for +AR [149], +strength [14], +dexterity [14] , +life [29], +mana [88]. Amulet- Look for +strength [19], +dexterity [19], +life [59], +mana [88], +Barbarian skills, 10% damage taken goes to mana. Shield- Tower Shields are best, as they offer the highest blocking percentage (49). The most important modifier is increased block (which adds 20% to blocking). Other useful modifiers are +strength [14], +dexterity [14], +life [59], fast/est hit recovery, 10% damage taken goes to mana. If using Twitchthroe, increased block is not necessary, as any tower shield will block 74% due to the blocking bonus. Uniques are wonderful starting equipment. They have no level requirement and can help with strength and dexterity bonuses. For the early levels I suggest Twitchthroe, Bladebuckle, Face of Horror (or a 2 perfect Amethyst helm), The Mahim-Oak Curio, Hand of Broc or Bloodfist, Treads of Cthon or Tearhaunch, etc. Bonesnap can be used relatively early and can get you to level 30 (or whatever level you can start using a decent sword) pretty quickly. Its all downhill once Whirlwind is available. Since a lot of time will initially be spent in PvM, I feel that Goblin Toe boots are almost a necessity. The 25% Crushing Blow makes a world of difference in 8 player games, where the monsters have a lot of life. This is just a personal preference, but I have noticed a large decrease in the time it takes to clear out areas of Hell Act 4 when adding the Crushing Blow. My Barbarian used a Dacian Falx with 78 max one hand damage, with the help of Goblin Toe, through all of NM and Hell. He was already level 75 when I came across the Executioner Sword that he currently uses. Without Goblin Toe, I could never have soloed Act 4 Hell with such a low damage weapon. Combat Each class you duel will force you to alter your basic strategy. Whirlwind will be your primary attack, but Leap Attack or a normal attack may sometimes be beneficial. Before any duel, exit town and use Battle Orders, then run back to town and heal. Barbarians- This is an all out damage fest. Make sure you never Whirlwind first. Let them Whirlwind, then Whirlwind them from the side or at an angle. Your shield will generally block their Whirlwind, which may actually have ended before you reach them. Depending on the care the put into building their character (how much life they have), multiple Whirlwinds may be necessary. Sword/Shield Barbarians are much harder to kill than Lance or Polearm Barbarians, and many Whirlwinds may be necessary due to the blocking of their shield. Sorceresses- Without a doubt your worst matchup. Even your blazing fast speed is no match for teleport. Make sure to equip a Death's Guard to avoid being chilled. Blinkbat's Form, for the extra speed, will help immensely. Your high life will allow you to withstand many Frozen Orbs, and generally you have to catch them in a careless teleport to win. Fear most those who use level 20+ Static Field to weaken you from 2 screens away and only use Frozen Orb for to finish you off. Tower shields cause a speed decrease, so take yours off. Speed is everything, and every little bit helps. Necromancers- Their general strategy is to Iron Maiden you, run in circles around Bonewalls and/or Fire Golem, cast multiple Bone Spirits (which you could run circles around), and hope you kill yourself. Luckily, your high life and comparatively low damage will allow you to survive a lot of Iron Maiden returned Whirlwind damage. Blinkbat's Form is strongly suggested for the extra speed. Hammerdins- A 75% block rate will truly shine here. Non-shield characters will be slaughtered in no time by the Blessed Hammer/Concentration combo, which are often as high as level 30 each. Hammerdins will usually run with Vigor, switch to Concentration, cast several Blessed Hammers, then switch to Vigor and run some more. Holy Shield may allow them to block many Whirlwinds, but connecting once or twice should get the job done. Bowazons- Expect a lot of running and random firing of Guided Arrows (most of which your shield should block). There are a lot more Bowazons since the bow damage fix in 1.04; now they can actually win some duels. Even though they can dish out 400+ damage with a single arrow, blocking three out of every four arrows will make it almost impossible for them to kill you in any reasonable amount of time. Death's Guard may be necessary to avoid being chilled by cold damage. As with anything, practice makes perfect. You can always find free-for-all duels in public games like duel, duelin, dueling, d u e l, duels, duelz, duelss, duelzz, duelsss, duelzzz, pk, pkpk, pkpkpk, duel me, duel here, etc. I always check to make sure the game is in Normal difficulty, since you suffer the experience penalty in NM and Hell games. Also remember to gamble away your gold before you duel or you will most likely lose it. Reference Character Baron KGB-Intolerance Level 80 USEast Realm 128 Strength (50 base +78 from equipment) 110 Dexterity (30 base +80 from equipment) 405 Vitality 10 Energy 3288 Life (2005 before Battle Orders) 237 Mana (145 before Battle Orders) 286-479 Whirlwind damage 2483 Whirlwind AR Carrion Brand Executioner Sword: -40% Requirements, 64-102 One-Hand Damage, +192 AR, +1 Cold Damage, +36 Life Twitchthroe Armor: +10 Strength, +10 Dexterity, Increased Chance of Blocking (+25%), Slightly Increased Attack Speed, +15 Defense Loath Tread Greaves: Fastest Run/Walk, +18 Strength, Lightning Resist 15%, Fire Resist 11% Cruel Fringe War Belt: +14 Strength, +11 Dexterity, +54 life Beast Hold Leather Gloves: +19 Dexterity, +14 Strength, Cold Resist 27%, Replenish Life +3 Stone Touch Ring: 4% Life Steal, +17 Mana, +37 Life, Cold Resist 23%, Adds 1-3 Fire Damage Chaos Coil Ring: 4% Mana Steal, +36 AR, +32 Life, +5 Strength, Cold Resist 9% Storm Gorget Amulet: +17 Strength, +18 Dexterity, Cold Resist 21%, Lightning Resist 24%, Fire Resist 18%, Poison Resist 33%, 21% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items Carrion Casque Full Helm: +11 Dexterity, +53 Life, +39 Mana, Fastest Hit Recovery, Cold Resist 18%, Lightning Resist 45% Fiend Emblem Tower Shield: Increased Chance of Blocking (+20%), +11 Dexterity, 10% Damage Taken Goes to Mana, Lightning Resist 12%, Fire Resist 21%, Attacker Takes Damage of 4 This character owns almost everyone on USEast. If you have seen my character before, remember that one on one duels differ greatly from the usual free-for-alls in public dueling games. I am always willing to duel in order to demonstrate his efficiency. No character is unbeatable, and I don't claim to win every duel I participate in. With reasonable server conditions I feel confident that I can win at least 50% against any Sorceress or shield Barbarian, 66% against any non-shield Barbarian, 75% against any Necromancer or Hammerdin, and 95%+ against any other class. I will, however, be the first to admit that I have been outmatched, and welcome the opportunity. Most of my equipment is decent, but not optimal. Equipment upgrades have come often, since I started this character from scratch. I still hope to upgrade most of his equipment. All of his early gear was borrowed, as he is my only non-hardcore character (thank you, Cheemondos, for getting me started). The idea of 'leeching' strength and dexterity from equipment is not my own. From what I understand, the first character to implement this strategy was PK-God, Hardcore Barbarian on USEast. The idea was initially presented to me by PK-Pony and further clarified by Looser-Emin. I'd also like to extend my thanks to Tyriel, guild armor for the Guardians of Destiny, and his help in outfitting KGB with several items he still uses today (I still owe you...)