A2 normal merc survivability /usability

it helps on my other play leveling char...
my last run is lv 7 bar kill n act4 diablo.
I have feeling if play and walk appropriately
mwec can survival a2

Duriel around lv 5 merc..

I am thinking about new play without Death set to beat up bosses below lv 6, maybe paladin with resist shield + defense aura merc...

havent think it clearly, not sure if merc can help on that lv 4-5 ,

Duriel boss fight.

still designing socket setup to vs

Duriel...(likely have 13 socket jewel to make it work, resist , life, havent think it clear)

Little note: if are at a very low level (< 25) you gain very little XP for monster that have higher level than you (starting at clvl+6=87.890625% up to clvl+10+=1.953125%)

So, try to not advance too much on the game while you are below L25...

https://maxroll.gg/d2/resources/experience

FULCRUM75 wrote: 5 months ago

It's much easier to level in A1, so i ususally try to time it so i fight

Andariel at level 15(because that lets me equip some extra gear that makes it easy).
And then end A3 at around level 25, to avoid the XP reductions from being below 25 during A4 and A5.

XP reduction from being below 25 in Act 4? That shouldnt be a thing because Act 4 starts at alvl 26 in

Outer Steppes and all the monsters there are mlvl 24, so therefore no XP penalty as I understand it if youre => level 20. Unless there's something im missing here, can u explain?

fredkid wrote: 4 months ago

Little note: if are at a very low level (< 25) you gain very little XP for monster that have higher level than you (starting at clvl+6=87.890625% up to clvl+10+=1.953125%)

So, try to not advance too much on the game while you are below L25...

https://maxroll.gg/d2/resources/experience

Yes, chars <lvl25 vs monsters => their clvl+6 are subject to XP penalty. Going by this, a character whos let's say, 22 or 23, isn't getting XP penalties from beginning of Act 4. Unless there's some other variable here I'm not aware of.

fredkid wrote: 4 months ago

Cannot be frozen do not work against any

Holy Freeze (

Duriel,

Über Duriel, Unique aura monsters or other players/Mercs)

Trang Oul wrote: 4 months ago

OTS_D2_Snorkeler wrote: 5 months ago

If you can manage to get a

Hawkmail (unique armor) for your merc and/or a

Death's Guard (Set Item

Sash) for yourself, the Cannot Be Frozen would be very handy.

CBF won't work against

Duriel's

Holy Freeze.

Duriel inflicts cold damage for additional chill effect.... Cannot be frozen DOES HELP vs

Duriel so that

Holy Freeze is the ONLY thing slowing you....

OTS_D2_Snorkeler wrote: 4 months ago

fredkid wrote: 4 months ago

Cannot be frozen do not work against any

Holy Freeze (

Duriel,

Über Duriel, Unique aura monsters or other players/Mercs)

Trang Oul wrote: 4 months ago

CBF won't work against

Duriel's

Holy Freeze.

Duriel inflicts cold damage for additional chill effect.... Cannot be frozen DOES HELP vs

Duriel so that

Holy Freeze is the ONLY thing slowing you....

Perhaps. But if you're choosing between additional cold res or CBF mod, additional cold res is gonna matter more in this case.

BigD wrote: 4 months ago

OTS_D2_Snorkeler wrote: 4 months ago

fredkid wrote: 4 months ago

Cannot be frozen do not work against any

Holy Freeze (

Duriel,

Über Duriel, Unique aura monsters or other players/Mercs)

Duriel inflicts cold damage for additional chill effect.... Cannot be frozen DOES HELP vs

Duriel so that

Holy Freeze is the ONLY thing slowing you....

Perhaps. But if you're choosing between additional cold res or CBF mod, additional cold res is gonna matter more in this case.

hard to say, the game in

Duriel in my last run is around lv5 -6 (Death

Belt), not quite sure.There might no conflict choice between cold resist and cannot forzen. My last run, I end up kill a4 diablo lv7. I am trying to challenge a little bit lower if I have mood to challenge again in new game.

This post remind me that I probably need prepare more cold resist than light resist.

I guess diablo's light/fire damage is guarantee merc Death, regardless 75% resist or not...

I am not quite sure which resist should there for merc. For main char, this time probably unable to equip Death set when I meet

Duriel..

The run that I even not start yet. thaw(cold resist) potion, make me think I probably only stack light/fire resist in my main, cold resist in merc.

---Current main setup, lv 2-3
20% all resist, poison 200, around 340 DEF, 90-130 hp(can improve)
thaw potion+ 50 cold resist
merc , 20-40 resist, thaw 50, 290 DEF( I guess it still need main char to tank for him)

I used

Wormskull and

Goldskin and Insight on my ACt 2 Merc...
That works kinde fine

I have

Goldskin for sale (cheap) and

Wormskull for free.

If you need anything else, check my free stash

Hillerious wrote: 4 months ago

I used

Wormskull and

Goldskin and Insight on my ACt 2 Merc...
That works kinde fine

I have

Goldskin for sale (cheap) and

Wormskull for free.

If you need anything else, check my free stash

Hi, have you tried this setup to let merc vs normal

Duriel? it may not help my current run but it can help in calculate if my lv 3 build have chance to survive

Duriel. I have a long long time not use lv 27 vs

Duriel, especially merc vs boss.

I run my calculation again today, if I enter a2

Duriel boss fight, I am probably stand around lv3 merc, with 75% cold resist and tiny 70-100 hp.
if I use purple water and tank correct, it can hold 1 hit I guess.

BigD wrote: 4 months ago

FULCRUM75 wrote: 5 months ago

It's much easier to level in A1, so i ususally try to time it so i fight

Andariel at level 15(because that lets me equip some extra gear that makes it easy).
And then end A3 at around level 25, to avoid the XP reductions from being below 25 during A4 and A5.

XP reduction from being below 25 in Act 4? That shouldnt be a thing because Act 4 starts at alvl 26 in

Outer Steppes and all the monsters there are mlvl 24, so therefore no XP penalty as I understand it if youre => level 20. Unless there's something im missing here, can u explain?

Frankly, i don't know how it's supposed to work, but i do know that every time i've reached A4 before level 25, suddenly XP gain just feels like it no longer barely exists.
Go back to A3, and getting up to 25 goes at normal pace, ahead to A4 once level 25 and everything's fine.

oh...I just realize, lv2 merc, there is only

Prayer arua can use.

defense arua start much later, maybe lv 6.
---
I go back to play when I feel tried of regular end game play. This time , I reach a2 at lv2...

I havent figure out the merc setup yet.

--
Here is main setup, paladin easy,
lv3 with +45 4os socket and total 17 socket fill with life, lr.
Other melee, assassin, bar, amazon with sword in hand not jav not bow. 16 socket,

Kite Shield.
Poison, hit and run vs andriel.
I guess this will work on normal diablo...

My current setup is just soso, likely 30 score out of /100. I still rely heavily on anti-potion...

Of course a pile of thawing pots negates the need for any gear, almost.

Arctic Furs,

Arctic Binding,

Cleglaw's Pincers with

Cleglaw's Claw all offer a ton of resist, but Cannot Be Frozen is still a helpful buff vs

Duriel at any level (

Death's Guard being the earliest single-item to offer Cannot Be Frozen at level 6, but a full set of Arctic Gear only requires level 2 which gives the Cannot Be Frozen buff as a full set bonus).

FULCRUM75 wrote: 4 months ago

BigD wrote: 4 months ago

FULCRUM75 wrote: 5 months ago

It's much easier to level in A1, so i ususally try to time it so i fight

Andariel at level 15(because that lets me equip some extra gear that makes it easy).
And then end A3 at around level 25, to avoid the XP reductions from being below 25 during A4 and A5.

XP reduction from being below 25 in Act 4? That shouldnt be a thing because Act 4 starts at alvl 26 in

Outer Steppes and all the monsters there are mlvl 24, so therefore no XP penalty as I understand it if youre => level 20. Unless there's something im missing here, can u explain?

Frankly, i don't know how it's supposed to work, but i do know that every time i've reached A4 before level 25, suddenly XP gain just feels like it no longer barely exists.
Go back to A3, and getting up to 25 goes at normal pace, ahead to A4 once level 25 and everything's fine.

Yeah iunno then Both sorc and paladin I'm currently leveling on ladder were 22-23 arriving in Act 4 and they still leveled pretty quick from what I could tell.

I'm also usually level 15 finishing Act 1 but Act 2 I usually just blast right through and most of the time regardless of char I'm around 22ish going into Act4 (on SCL anyways). From what I can tell it seems to work. Then end of Act 5 try to level with

Baal runs to about 35-36, that usually puts you at a good spot where youre pretty even with mlvls going into NM so that there's no XP reductions from there.

Level 20+ in Act 5 is awesome if you kill efficiently. I'm usually poor and broke and just level in Tombs until 24. Usually I join non-Act 2 games that are almost full and un-party to maximize Tombs xp. (Unpartied xp in full game is > partied).