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Description

Description by BillyMaysed
5

Can be used to make Runewords:

7

 Deckard Cain, NA PC 0

 Guest
This is a cheat sheet i found years ago and edited to fit my needs back then.
7
Hi, and sorry for a long post, you asked for it ;)

I really like that the sections can be toggled, which makes the article skimmable.

What hurt me the most as a beginner was that most guides I came across have an end game build in mind.

Hotkeys
- Oh my god: The "default" button does not reset to defaults (like on all the other options tabs), but allows you to load your custom configuration.

Maps
- New players get lost
- Make a separate point for map overviews and tips
- E.g. those awesome cartoon maps from youtuber evelyn of Destruction, or that awesome video from MrLlama

Belt

- 4, 8 or even 12 additional potion slots bring so much quality of life for a new player
- more slots = better than any magic attributes! (wow I didn't want to give up that rare 4 slot
Belt
for a basic 8 slot for waaay to long)
- I would even go for 60 STR for a 12 slot
Belt
, since you're going to respec anyway after the levelling phase, and as a beginner you drink sooo much.

Stats
- Especially the "put all stats in vitality" made my early life unnecessarily miserable.
- I would give a new player the opposite advice: Put your first 15-20 stats into energy, to ease your "mana hell".

Chipped Gems
- Guides made me save them and never use them. And they could have made my early life soo much easier :(
- I would give a new player the opposite advice: Immediately socket any
Ruby
or
Sapphire
into a
Helm
or armor, for an equivalent of about 4 free levels of energy & vitality - amazing!
- you'll find plenty and better gems later

Skills
- Again, the guides made me really afraid to use my respecs and to go for end game skill trees, this made my early life miserable (i didn't use the strongest early game skills available)
- The Maxroll leveling guides do this pretty well, but amongst the sheer number of guides, it is very easy to miss for the beginner that these are the only guides they should look at first
- My advice to a new player: Watch a speedrun video and what skills the masters use to level from 1-11 and from 12 until respec.
- Tell new players to absolutely waste at least one respec for levelling from 1-20!
- The most powerful skills at an early level are very different from the most powerful skills in the end game!
- Sorceress: 1-11:
Charged Bolt
, 12 to respec:
Nova
, after respec: Blizzard/
Meteor

- And please tell young sorceresses about the devastating power of
Static Field
against bosses in normal. Wow, just wow!
- Assassin: 1-11:
Fire Blast
, 12 to respec:
Wake of Fire
, after respec: lighting/
Death Sentry

- Barbarian: Warn beginners that this class is very dependent on good gear, which does not make it a good starter class in my opinion


I suggest to split your points into 2 sections: One for someone who is on her or his first character and has not completed normal difficulty yet, and another section for after level 30.

Of your 21 points, in my opinion only the following are relevant to a new player:

#1 respec: but don't scare them to use 1 at ~20-25
#2 stats: recommend 10-20 energy, and only then vitality
#4
Belt
: more sockets > magic attributes
#6 shared stash: good to know
#8 cube: good to know
#9 farm runes: good to know, but don't go overboard, you'll find plenty later or can always come back
#10: Stealth: it's really satisfying to get your firsts runeword early on
#12: shop socketed gear (and combine with chipped gem advice above)
#19: don't kill every monster: or you'll never finish normal before giving up
#20: acronyms: good to know
#21: exploits: good to know what to expect

The rest I find already advanced:

#3 inventory: not a problem at the start
#5 FCR: an optimization for more experienced players
#7: drop shield: an optimization for speedrunners / more experienced players
#11: merc: starts becoming important only in NM/Hell for casting classes who might need help with immunes
#13: bossgroups: an optimization for your second and third character
#14: /players x: see #13
#15: resistances: relevant in NM/Hell. For normal my advice would be to farm 2
Ral
runes for a helmet: Bam - 60% fire resist for Act 4 & 5 with limited time effort and luck.
#16: cannot be frozen: relevant in NM/Hell
#17: crushing blow: advanced concept
#18: magic finding: an end game concept, irrelevant on your first playthrough

Thanks again for a great guide with many hidden gems (Cheatsheet!)
7
OP
User avatar

BillyMaysed 2263Moderator

Sorceress Americas PC
@Zalumon hey man i really appreciate the detailed response! i will definitely make adjustments based on your recommendations. since i am a 20 year veteran its still difficult for me to look at things through a new players lens. so this helps a TON.

7
OP
User avatar

BillyMaysed 2263Moderator

Sorceress Americas PC
I definitely agree with a lot of your points and i already added some to the OP, however, i do disagree with a few:
Zalumon wrote: 3 years ago
#5 FCR: an optimization for more experienced players
You can easily find 10 FCR rings and amulets that dramatically improve casting speed. which rapidly improves killing speed early on. Many new players think 10 fcr means you cast 10% faster, when in reality in just a couple breakpoints you cast twice as fast.
Zalumon wrote: 3 years ago
#7: drop shield:
New players will not understand why they keep getting murdered and unable to escape because of all the lock-ups of having a shield early. your block chance/frames are so low its actually hurting you a lot when you get surrounded
Zalumon wrote: 3 years ago
#11: merc: starts becoming important only in NM/Hell for casting classes who might need help with immunes
A1 merc is a life saver and to your own point, if you put
Topaz
gems inside a 3os bow you buy from
Charsi
, your A1 merc will literally 1-shot mobs for most of normal. very helpful for new players.
Zalumon wrote: 3 years ago
#15: resistances:
lightning beetles in A2? fire spitters in A3? resistances matter a ton even in normal. But i will add more points about socketing Rals and gems to boost them early. thanks.
Zalumon wrote: 3 years ago
#17: crushing blow:
Another concept new players need to know. its basically the melee characters version of
Static Field
.
Zalumon wrote: 3 years ago
#18: magic finding:
as my MF guide points out, the first 100 mf is by far the most important. if you stack even a tiny bit early on, you can find MUCH better gear much faster.
Zalumon wrote: 3 years ago
I suggest to split your points into 2 sections: One for someone who is on her or his first character and has not completed normal difficulty yet, and another section for after level 30.
This is actually something ive been really considering. Perhaps an "advanced player section" at the bottom and i move points down there?

7
FCR: I agree it doesn't hurt to know about it. Maybe I don't understand it correctly: Looking at the Cheatsheet, I see an improvement for sorceress from 13 to 12 frames at the first breakpoint at 9% FCR. I thought that means 1/13 = about 8% faster casting. For other classes even less.

Shield: Agreed, can't hurt to know about it.

Merc: Guess it's time to start researching mercenaries for this noob 😅

Resistances: You are right, I take that one back, as they are very important to have. I solved it personally with Ancient's Pledge and a 2-socket helmet with
Ral
&
Tal
to max out fire & lightning resistances for normal. Both pieces only took some mild Tower farming and some shopping. I wouldn't recommend putting runes into armor or shields, because you will probably get Stealth and Ancient's Pledge - at least if you are the guide-reading type 😁.

Crushing blow: Shows that I have no clue about melee characters 😅

MF: I don't know, I guess if you enjoy farming early on. I haven't equipped a single MF piece so far. Stealth, Leaf, Ancient's Pledge, Spirit and Rune Helmet only leave Gloves +
Belt
+
Boots
+ Jewelry open, and there I give priority to resistances and +Life (FCR on jewelry).
7
OP
User avatar

BillyMaysed 2263Moderator

Sorceress Americas PC
Zalumon wrote: 3 years ago
MF: I don't know, I guess if you enjoy farming early on.
MFing while i level my alts is my favorite thing to do. I actually hate traditional farming lol.

I always get partial Sigon, Angelic and Tancreds sets. All 3 partial bonuses combined is 228 MF right there. So not only is your alternate character twinked, they also find tons of uniques/sets/rares along the way! Sometimes a random rare or unique weapon can carry you through most of the game without ever needing to farm.

7
Great list, thanks for this info!
7
Just wanted to say thank you for all the great information everyone has contributed, been spending the last couple days slowly absorbing everything from this site.
7
OP
User avatar

BillyMaysed 2263Moderator

Sorceress Americas PC
ChaosRonin wrote: 3 years ago
Just wanted to say thank you for all the great information everyone has contributed, been spending the last couple days slowly absorbing everything from this site.
dragon_av3 wrote: 3 years ago
Great list, thanks for this info!
Always happy to help guys. Feel free to ask any questions, even just for clarification.


UPDATES:
11/18: Tooltips have been re-enabled! hooray! (^_^)
12/4: New Section #22. Map Reading Quick Guide (Credit: Rain)
12/6: New Section #23. Gearing Guides for Melee, Casters and Mercenaries
Melee Gear Options:
Caster Gear Options:
Mercenary Gear Options:
Armor Choices for all Mercs:
17 = Stealth
28 =
Rockfleece

37 = Smoke
38 =
Shaftstop

43 = Treachery
45 =
Griswold's Heart
(socket
Ral
,
Ort
,
Thul
and/or
Tal
)

Helm Choices for All Mercs:
31 =
Rockstopper

41 =
Vampire Gaze

49 =
Crown of Thieves

65 =
Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest

83 =
Andariel's Visage


A1 Merc Weapons:
1 = Gem 3os bow (buy from
Charsi
)
21 = Zephyr
25 = Edge
39 = Harmony

A2 Merc Weapons:
15 = Malice - Use
Scythe
or
Voulge

27 = Insight - Use
Halberd
,
War Scythe
or
Poleaxe
(remake in elite polearm later)
41 = Obedience - Use
Battle Scythe
then
Thresher
or
Cryptic Axe


A3 Merc Gear: (benefits from FCR)
FCR Breakpoints: 8 > 15 > 26 > 39 > 58 > 86 > 138
20 =
Wall of the Eyeless

25 = Spirit Sword
29 =
Skin of the Vipermagi

41 =
Lidless Wall

54 = Spirit Shield

A5 Merc Weapons:
43 = Lawbringer
43 = Voice of Reason
47 = Crescent Moon
49 = Oath
Quick Guide To Get Spirit Sword & Shield
-Spirit (Tal + Thul + Ort + Amn) in a Sword and Shield can be extremely effective for any caster class, the sword being the best starting item.
-When trying to use
Larzuk
Socket quest (A5) or
Horadric Cube
you have to use the correct item level of
Crystal Sword
/
Broad Sword
or you'll either get too few sockets or too many. This guide will show you the safe spots to find a sword with 4os or make 4 sockets.

Finding Runes for Spirit:
Tal
&
Ort
: Awarded for A5 Quest 2. (free the barbs)
Thul
&
Amn
: Countess (NM)

Cube Recipes:
3
Ith
=
Tal

3
Ral
=
Ort

3
Ort
=
Thul

3
Thul
+
Chipped Topaz
=
Amn


Finding 4 socket Crystal/Broad Sword Bases:
-Pick up any White & Grey (superior) Crystal/Broad Swords you see in these areas to socket them with
Larzuk
Quest or Cube.
-Use the
Horadric Cube
on White bases only: (
Ral
+
Amn
+
Perfect Amethyst
) (WARNING: has a 50% chance at 4os)

Best Place To Find Both Swords:
1.
Secret Cow Level
(N): Best & Fastest area to farm
2.
City of the Damned
in A4 (N)
Crystal Sword:
1. ^ & Most Mob drops in A5 (N), BUT make sure monster level is not higher than 40: AmazonBasin Mob Info
Broad Sword:
1. Any mob from A5 Normal except
Bloody Foothills
&
Frigid Highlands

2. Any Mob Nightmare through Hell

Finding 4 socket Monarch Shield for Spirit:
-lvl 54 required, Strength 156
1.
Secret Cow Level
(H): best area to farm
2. Any mob in Hell but only in Hell.
note: for Paladins you can find 4os paladin-only shields that are usable at lvl 25.

Credit: Stratigery & Zalumon


Will be adding a few more sections in the near future
#24. Dealing With immunities (all classes) [Complete - adding soon]
#25. Crafting Quick Guide
#26. Questing Quick Guide

7
For point 11 on which vendors to shop for which items: I highly recommend
Drognan
in Act 2 for getting a 2-socket
Fireball
staff for Leaf instead of
Akara
in Act 1. Also, I always get a Breastplate with 3 sockets from
Fara
to put some gems in for leveling (
Sapphire
(or 2) for mana,
Skull
for regen,
Topaz
for MF) and later a 2 socket Breastplate for Stealth at level 17. There's no point in putting it in the armors from Act 1, since it's easy enough to get 25 strength for a decent
Belt
and
Chain Gloves
, and you may as well get to 30 strength for the Breastplate for the defense increase while still being light armor (and progressing toward the 43 strength that you need for a Spirit
Crystal Sword
at level 25).

In fact, one easy way to get some of the gear is to join a Cows game and pick up socketed breastplates and staves (and White crystal swords for later socketing).
7
OP
User avatar

BillyMaysed 2263Moderator

Sorceress Americas PC
JoeElf wrote: 3 years ago
I highly recommend
Drognan
in Act 2 for getting a 2-socket
Fireball
staff for Leaf
Thanks for the suggestion JoeElf, added to the list. :D

7
User avatar

Teebling 6929Admin

Europe PC
Looked at this guide again after a long time and just here to say that wow, it's really fleshed out a lot since the beginning. So rich in detail! Good job Billy

7
OP
User avatar

BillyMaysed 2263Moderator

Sorceress Americas PC
Teebling wrote: 3 years ago
Looked at this guide again after a long time and just here to say that wow, it's really fleshed out a lot since the beginning. So rich in detail! Good job Billy
Thanks a lot man, ive updated it hundreds of times from suggestions from different forums and whenever i get an idea from someone asking something in our forums too.

Just added this new section:
23. Ways To Kill Immune Mobs:
1. Your Act 2 Mercenary will help a lot so focus on gearing them up for every class.
-Get the
Holy Freeze
type from A2 Nightmare. This will chill/slow even cold immunes.

Gear: (use ethereal)
Vampire Gaze
/
Crown of Ages
/
Crown of Thieves

Fortitude /
Guardian Angel
/
Shaftstop

Insight /
Tomb Reaver
/ Obedience

2. Lower Resist Wand from Vendors
1. Buy a
Wand
with
Lower Resist
Charges from
Akara
or
Drognan
in Nightmare. This will allow any class to cast
Lower Resist
and break elemental immunities on mobs.
2. To Break Physical Immunes use the unique weapons
Spellsteel
&
The Gavel Of Pain
to cast
Decrepify
or
Amplify Damage
.
3. Restore Charges with
Ort
+ Chipped gem in Cube

Note: most immunities can be broken but some mobs res is so high it can't like the Fire Res on a Pit Lord.
See all mob Immunity levels here

3. Hybrid-Builds for all Classes:
Amazon:
Charged Strike
/
Plague Javelin
/
Valkyrie
(Lightning, Poison & Physical)
Assassin:
Death Sentry
/
Lightning Sentry
/
Fire Blast
/
Shadow Master
(Lightning, Fire & Physical)
Druid:
Hurricane
/
Tornado
(Cold & Physical) or
Fissure
/
Molten Boulder
(Fire & Physical) (much weaker)
Necromancer:
Decrepify
/
Raise Skeleton
/
Corpse Explosion
/
Revive
(Physical & Fire + immune breaking)
Sorceress:
Static Field
/ Blizzard or
Frozen Orb
with
Nova
, Fire Ball,
Meteor
or Fire Ball (2 elements)
Barbarian:
Frenzy
or
Whirlwind
with
Berserk
. (Physical & Magic)
Paladin:
Blessed Hammer
/
Concentration
. (The Hammerdin needs no hybrid build. Not alot of Magic Immunes)

4. Infinity on A2 Merc (last because of rarity)
-There is a runeword called Infinity (very expensive) that you can give your A2 Mercenary that has a lvl 12
Conviction
aura (paladin skill). This gives -85% to enemy resistances in a radius of 13.3y.
-To break mobs with extra higher immunities use Infinity + Lower Res
Wand
charges. Although there are still a few mob types that still can't be broken even with both.
-Your dmg does not benefit from the additional -res affix on Infinity.

Still need to add a section on crafting and maybe PVP.

7
thanks for this. a ton of stuff i didnt know.
7
nyRo wrote: 3 years ago
I've been using this runewizard non-stop and it might be a good addition to the resources: https://d2runewizard.com/

It has AI-driven rune detection in screenshots too. Just copy a cropped inventory screenshot (windows: shift + windows
Key
+ s --> box in the runes in your inventory) and paste it into the "Scan Image" dialogue. "Find runes" and then add it to your selection
Thank you for the link. I find it vey helpful!
7
Wow! Lots of things I didn't know even though I am playing for 20 years...
7
OP
User avatar

BillyMaysed 2263Moderator

Sorceress Americas PC
knightfall1985 wrote: 2 years ago
Wow! Lots of things I didn't know even though I am playing for 20 years...
That was my inspiration for making this, while watching twitch streams for the first time of D2, the streamer, MrLlamaSC, kept teaching me so many things i never knew so i started making a list of everything and before i knew it the first version of this was created :D

7
One thing I just found out the other day:
Tal
Rashas tombs (i.e. the symbols on them) are always in the same order. Twenty years I though they were random…
7
This is a great guide! I will definitely use this for reference for my characters.
7
BillyMaysed wrote: 3 years ago
<snip>
For the Maps section, a very useful tip for
Key
farming that is 100% consistent is the following, please excuse my dear aunt sally my poor paint art, but this is a rad tip/trick for farming out keys.
you will always get 1 of three possible maps for getting to nil
you will always get 1 of three possible maps for getting to nil
on minimap, the pathway missing a column/nip will always lead to nil
on minimap, the pathway missing a column/nip will always lead to nil

Happy Slaying!
-CRUX :7
9

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