Halcyon

Ixle's Hammerdin
Version 1.3

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History
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1.0-
Began Guide
-History
-Intro
1.1-
Edited grammar
Edited Equiptment Mistakes
Edited Build Mistakes
~ Thanks to link_4_ever
1.2-
Mercenary updated
1.3-
FCR Breakpoints added

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Table Of Contents
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1. Introduction
2. Skills
- What to max first
- Offensive Skills
- Defensive Skills
- Combat Skills
3. Stats
- Strength
- Dexterity
- Vitality
- Energy
4. Equiptment
- Weapon
- Armor
- Sheild
- Helm
- Boots
- Gloves
- Belt
- Rings
- Ammy
5. Mercenary
- Overview
- Items
6. Breakpoints
- Faster Cast Rate
- Faster Block Rate
- Faster Hit Recovery

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1. Introduction
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There have been a lot of variations to building a hammerdin, and i thought i should share my version with the world.This guide is strictly PvM My build isnt very different than other builds but is just a combo of different hints and tips. Out of every hammerdin build i've seen, there is always one with a certain item or tip/hint better than the one i am reading and i hope to be able to bring those together into one build. Tips i have gotten from sites will be mentioned, but my main source of info is from three great friends. Chris, Clark, Dan, this builds thanks to you.

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2. Skills
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The main part of every build, the skills. The skills define a character. Whether it be a smiter or fire sorceress.


Order of Skills to be maxed-

Blessed Hammer
Concentration
Vigor
Blessed Aim
Holy Sheild
1 into Redemption
1 into Prerequisits
Rest into Defiance for HSheild bonus




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3. Stats
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Strength- Leave as base, you want as much Health as possible.
Dexterity- As little as possible to get max block with HS and all equiptment. I got 72 with anni and Hellfire.
Vitality- Rest into here.
Energy- Base. Self Explainitory.


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4. Equipment
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Weapon- HoTo, as best as you can possibly get it.
Wizardspike is a good alternitive to this.
Armor- Enigma Mage Plate, for the use of this without any points into strength, you need this to be a Hammerdin.
Sheild- HoZ is best choice, but if you don't have one, Spirit can be used.
Helm- Um'd Shako
Boots- I like Sandstorm Trek's but Marrow's, Silkweaves, and pretty much all boots work here.
Gloves- Magefists, these arn't that hard to get
Belt- Arach's
Rings- An SoJ and an all res ring with fcr if your lucky enough to find one. Nagel's will work for mf if you don't have those first two.
Ammy- Mara's is prefferable, but seraph's works too.


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5. Mercenary
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I like having an act 2 Defiance mercenary, make sure you get your mercs from the lowest level possible, so they have the most health and damage. The defiance merc boosts your defense by amazing marks.

Armor- Archon Plate Fort prefferably, but stone works very well too.
Weapon- Eth Collosus Voulge Insight, amazing stats for you and your merc.
Helm- CoA is a good helm, but i use Gillueme's Face for its crushing blow and other good stats.

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6. Breakpoints
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The following is from Ragnarod on Diablo II Strategy Compendium

The Fast Cast Rate breakpoints are the following:

0% fcr - 15 frames
9% fcr - 14 frames
18% fcr - 13 frames
30% fcr - 12 frames
48% fcr - 11 frames
75% fcr - 10 frames
125% fcr - 9 frames
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Regarding Fast Block Rate:

Without Holy Shield:

0% fbr - 5 frames
13% fbr - 4 frames
32% fbr - 3 frames
86% fbr - 2 frames
600% fbr - 1 frame

With Holy Shield

0% fbr - 2 frames
86% fbr - 1 frame
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Fast Hit Recovery:

0% fhr - 9 frames
7% fhr - 8 frames
15% fhr - 7 frames
27% fhr - 6 frames
48% fhr - 5 frames
86% fhr - 4 frames
200% fhr - 3 frames
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Block % Calculations

Total Blocking = (Blocking * (Dexterity - 15)) / (Character Level * 2)



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Currently...
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Getting pictures
Editing
Adding breakpoints

Please post any mistakes or ideas i should add.

sobemaniac

i was wondering what you would do about mana, like when your rushing someone, it runs out REALLY quick for me, would i just get a merc with insight or what?

Halcyon

I havent gotten to charms yet, i usually try to get some mana charms or something, not a lot. Or you can get an insight merc, thats the best solution.

FrogMan

Yea pritty std build i also use an insight merc for mana, but i always put a little bit of strength i don't feel comfortable with base str

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L4E

Quote:

Please post any mistakes or ideas i should add.

here are a few.

hoz>spirit at pvm
spirit>hoz at pvp
trang gloves are better than mages since they have poison res or sumtin like that
u should write what type of enigma were talkin about. bp? mp? archon?
i dont think u should max holy sheild, maybe 10-15 skills in it, unless u wanna be unstoppable vs barbs and shit like that

writing mistakes (if thats what u meant by "mistakes") ::
these arn't that

HS and all equiptment

BTW : are those pics of a real bnet char? i guess insight would have to make it.. nice pally :P

Halcyon

Thanks link, i was going to post a picture of what enigma i was talking about but for some reason it wont work. Writing mistakes count too, and i should have stated, this is an all PvM build.

sobemaniac

i think i would still use mages over trang since they have mana regen and your res would still be maxed w/o the res (if you have that gear), otherwise i would use trang

Tap

a hammerdins best friend is his merc with insight............
thus allowing you to use trangs gloves....slightly higher defense heh

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You said so much without ever parting your lips.

Halcyon

Updated the guide-
Mercenary

[Edit]- Added Breakpoints

And link, that is not my real B.Net Char, ive deleted all of my characters, i've only started anew last week.

The-Grim-Reaper

link is rite.. hoz>spirit in pvm. so theres no point in going for the 125 bp. u already have 80 = 40(hoto) + 20(gloves) + 20(spider). so u dont even need the 10 fcr ring. just use another soj.

you should also ber ur hoz. or rather um it if ur resists arent maxed.

EDIT: woot 300th post.. i am now a bloodthirsty imp. :

slimp

theres no use in wasting an um for 3 resists, just P diamond.

sobemaniac

i agree with slimp

The-Grim-Reaper

3 resists can help a lot sometimes.. the um will also boost the hoz's resell value. i would only use a pdiamond if the ed on ur hoz is really low. (or ur just a cheap bastard )

Halcyon

I put Um in it because i used to have an *** load of um's. I had like an entire mule full of them.

slimp

o... well imma cheap bastard

tkofishook

ok i like the ideas but would it matter that much if i used a 35 spirit instead of a hoz?

also would vtorc be better then maras because of the mods?

Snipz

love your guide but dont you think its a bit unrealistic?

what are u supposed to do as a low lvl with no strength?

and then how u going to put on ur equipment with no strength?

plz answer these questions im so confused

Johnishigh

If you're not rich (which im not) you prolly should put some points into strength. Anni and Pally Torch are pretty hard to get. But if you get them they add alot to all your atributes, allowing you to use just about anything you need to.

Obfuscate

20str ring glitch. Also its pretty easy these days to get a full grush then find someone who can take you chaosing to 60 and then find a pub group or friends to baal with to 70-75 and from there your golden on your own as a hammerdin usually.

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"One murder makes a villain, millions a hero. "

DARKELMO

Small little Queston - What about us Idiots who cant get good items, and the BEST item we have on ALL chars is a RF or 3 Parts of IK set??? Thats the best i got. I dont have time to MF either, BAND, SCHOOL, D2 - Order of priority (LOL)