Best Beast base

What is the best base for Beast? An elite base or a normal base? Does Beast have any value for a melee character?

Of course it can be used by a wide array of melee builds, albeit there are some better alternatives like Grief.

Which base depends on your class:

For a Summoner build:

Double Axe.

For a melee build you should go for an elite base since Beast is a high-end runeword. I like the

Berserker Axe.

Never played one on a 2-H build tho.

DasNarf wrote: 1 month ago

For a Summoner build:

Double Axe.

I've got an argument for making Beast in a

Berserker Axe for a necro summoner anyways.

Berserker has a min str req of 138.

Lets assume a standard summon necro build with avg gear:

Base of lvl 1 necro +15 str

Shako +2 Str
Mara +5 Str

Marrowwalk +10-20 Str (lets assume 16)
Torch +10-20 Str (lets assume 16)
Anni +10-20 Str (lets assume 16)

That's 70 total strength

Which is enough str to wear a

Mage Plate Enigma (str req of 55).
At lvl 90, Enigma will give you +68 Strength.
That is the exact amount of str you need for Beast in a

Berserker Axe of 138str.

Now if you are using Spirit in a

Monarch you will already need to add a minimum of 18 str (either in better rolled gear, in charms, or in base stat points) to hit the 156str req while at lvl 90.

I say all of this only to show that you can easily and cheaply use Beast in an elite base for a summon necro. Allowing you to retain more value in the Beast

Axe and make it easier to trade if you decide you don't need it. Or you can transfer it to a melee char if you don't like necro summon with Beast.

You can also check the page on the runeword Beast, where there are already nice explanations

Necrarch wrote: 1 month ago

You can also check the page on the runeword Beast, where there are already nice explanations

Yes I read that. And the only use-case you can read there is: PvP barb where Grief is not allowed. That is the reason why I was wondering whether any usefulness exists for a melee character.

Knappogue wrote: 1 month ago

I've got an argument for making Beast in a

Berserker Axe for a necro summoner anyways.

I am convinced in case of a necro. But how about sorc?

War Axe has the same base speed but no dex requirement.

Er... missed that part ?

Beast has three main uses: (1) as a niche offhand for a

Frenzy barbarian, (2) to provide

Fanaticism aura for summon necromancers and druids, and (3) to enable the niche yet terrifyingly powerful

Werebear sorceress build. You read that correctly: Sorceresses can use Beast to become a

Werebear, multiply their melee damage with

Enchant, and stack two Dream

Holy Shock auras with

Lightning Mastery to output tens of thousands of damage per melee hit (at the expense of ranged and AoE spells).

The socket base for this runeword varies significantly depending on how one intends to use it. A Beast for a necromancer, druid or sorceress will be made in a low stat requirement base, such as a

Double Axe, whereas a

Frenzy barbarian would make Beast within a

Berserker Axe.

ceving wrote: 1 month ago

Knappogue wrote: 1 month ago

I've got an argument for making Beast in a

Berserker Axe for a necro summoner anyways.

I am convinced in case of a necro. But how about sorc?

War Axe has the same base speed but no dex requirement.

I don't know how you plan on using it for a Sorc, Wearbear? I'm guessing? Then still an elite base since your are doing melee attacks. If you're unsure you can always do the math on your own and she where the strength/dex requirements would be. I haven't worked out the math for a sorc, but its really not all that difficult.

Necrarch wrote: 1 month ago

Er... missed that part ?

Beast has three main uses: (1) as a niche offhand for a

Frenzy barbarian, (2) to provide

Fanaticism aura for summon necromancers and druids, and (3) to enable the niche yet terrifyingly powerful

Werebear sorceress build. You read that correctly: Sorceresses can use Beast to become a

Werebear, multiply their melee damage with

Enchant, and stack two Dream

Holy Shock auras with

Lightning Mastery to output tens of thousands of damage per melee hit (at the expense of ranged and AoE spells).

The socket base for this runeword varies significantly depending on how one intends to use it. A Beast for a necromancer, druid or sorceress will be made in a low stat requirement base, such as a

Double Axe, whereas a

Frenzy barbarian would make Beast within a

Berserker Axe.

Missed what? Apart from

Frenzy barb, Is there anything written about melee builds for which the weapon damage is relevant?

I think the point for the other melee builds is that they have better options (like Grief, ethereal Death, ethereal Breath of the Dying or even

The Reaper's Toll)

ceving wrote: 1 month ago

Necrarch wrote: 1 month ago

Er... missed that part ?

Beast has three main uses: (1) as a niche offhand for a

Frenzy barbarian, (2) to provide

Fanaticism aura for summon necromancers and druids, and (3) to enable the niche yet terrifyingly powerful

Werebear sorceress build. You read that correctly: Sorceresses can use Beast to become a

Werebear, multiply their melee damage with

Enchant, and stack two Dream

Holy Shock auras with

Lightning Mastery to output tens of thousands of damage per melee hit (at the expense of ranged and AoE spells).

The socket base for this runeword varies significantly depending on how one intends to use it. A Beast for a necromancer, druid or sorceress will be made in a low stat requirement base, such as a

Double Axe, whereas a

Frenzy barbarian would make Beast within a

Berserker Axe.

Missed what? Apart from

Frenzy barb, Is there anything written about melee builds for which the weapon damage is relevant?

ceving wrote: 1 month ago

And the only use-case you can read there is: PvP barb where Grief is not allowed.

That's not true.
Beast is used in the BvC build with Grief, both in a

Berserker Axe.
I wont go into maths because many articles are already explaining it.

ceving wrote: 1 month ago

What is the best base for Beast? An elite base or a normal base? Does Beast have any value for a melee character?

There are 2 main uses of Beast:

Standard secondary weapon of a BVC (Grief+Beast, both made in BAs).

Summoner main hand, where you want at least an

Eth Spirit (146 str req) on CTA side, therefore BA on the other side is totally fine (59 dex req shouldn't be an issue with torch+anni).

Every other use case is extremely marginal.

Really hard to justify in anything other than a

Berserker Axe. Kind of like Last Wish PB

Phase Blade

fredkid wrote: 1 month ago

Phase Blade

LOL, I wanna see the screenshot of the Gemmed

Phase Blade for when someone actually tries it.

I made Beast on a

Military Pick, because fuck axes, my necro uses 0 points in strength (Beast, Enigma, etc) gets me 183 str lol.
all points into life (475 at lvl 90)

if you need this to equipped in middle character, you probably build this in pb or

Double Axe.

That attribute is adjustable but lv is not, sometimes you just short 1 lv and have to run extra 10 min to get it.

To Op, if you asking this question means you interested in making a Beast rw…

As for elite or normal base.. do you want to do no damage (make it normal base) with the rw or some damage (elite base) with the rw?

As other say, there are plenty of application to use Beast rw. There is no fixed answer to this.

As a Summoner Druid, regular

Berserker Axe is the way to go, because he can actually tank with that weapon and deal some serious damage. It does have Crushing Blow, so it can finish off bosses a bit quicker than the pets alone.

My Druid invokes the zoo with Heart the Oak / Spirit, then switches to Beast RW and

Stormshield to fight in

Werebear form.

Very tanky and sorts out the boredom of just watching your pets doing the hard work.