Protector's Stone in Bowazon Build

I am brainstorming how to add a Protector's Stone in my tele Bowazon build.

Currently using: Enigma, Diadem 45ias, Atma's Scarab, Laying of Hands, Faith Shadow Bow, War Traveler, Razortail or Arachnid's Mesh, Rare rings.

I am wiling to lose some FCR though.

I don't want to replace Enigma.

Helmet is the only way to go, but If I lose 15ias from the helmet, I will need to add more ias either from Amulet or Belt, but I DO want to try Gheed's Wager. Plus, Atma's Scarab is the only thing helping me kill bosses in a timely manner (I am looking at you Baal).

I added some of these on Max Roll, it will have more damage, but I don't believe will be more efficient.

Prob I will stick to what I have right now...

Thoughts?

Maybe give your Faith to an act1 merc so you can use wither WF or Witchwild String? Witchwild String also has 2os and amp damage so you could swap your amulet to something else. Maybe highlords, cate eye, or a zon Caster Amulet

Thanks for the suggestion!

I tried wws in maxi roll as well, even added the jewel, but still the dmg output is bad... and the % proc is 2% I believe, Atma's is better. I purchased a wws some time ago to try it, end up selling it after some tries. I didn't have the guts to add 2 Ber on it... but I would love to see it.

Wf is cool, I played some time with it, but overall Faith is more efficient. Cool thing it allows me to use rings without mana leech.

It would be much easier to tell if you can provide your build and Fana level.

Even after all these years, WF is still a great option. I used it on my straf-azon (prior to the Strafe buff) up until I finally got a Jah to make my Faith. The base was a Grand Matron with +3 bow skills and 12% ED, so tough to NOT do that.

Flyhorse wrote: 6 months ago

It would be much easier to tell if you can provide your build and Fana level.

Fana 15, let me know if I miss any important item in my first comment.

Leaker416 wrote: 6 months ago

Even after all these years, WF is still a great option. I used it on my straf-azon (prior to the Strafe buff) up until I finally got a Jah to make my Faith. The base was a Grand Matron with +3 bow skills and 12% ED, so tough to NOT do that.

Yeah GMB is great dmg wise, but you are stuck with 95 ias if you want to beat the breakpoints, that's why I use Shadow Bow, cause it need only 65 ias (and allows me to change from various items).

I just gave up, the 1k additional damage won't worth lose the quality in the gameplay that I have right now.

Thx guys

Looks like you are using Multi shot as main skill, then you have no other choice, but stay at 65 ias.
Why not Strafe, don't like the standing still style?

salvatoast wrote: 6 months ago

Yeah GMB is great dmg wise, but you are stuck with 95 ias if you want to beat the breakpoints, that's why I use Shadow Bow, cause it need only 65 ias (and allows me to change from various items).

I just gave up, the 1k additional damage won't worth lose the quality in the gameplay that I have right now.

Thx guys

There's no free chicken, and most of the time one is stuck with choosing their Sacrifice. If you value ias above other things, then there's the Sacrifice. Same as swapping out skills or play style. I used to catch Grief for not going multishot, but I found the hoot, shoot, and scoot of Strafe to be a funner time vs just walking through screens of dead stuff picking up loot. I say that after 4 deaths in WSK today due to RNGesus throwing bad stacks of dolls, Black Souls, and one particularly rude Possessed Death Lord my way, so maybe the screens of dead stuff is a better experience.

Of all the builds I've looked at re-gearing post-RotW, bowzon is indeed one of the hardest to fit the new gem into imo. In both, WF and Faith builds.

No matter how you play it, you're stuck giving up something that you really don't want to have to give up for it...
Drop a2 merc for a1 fana (WF only).
Drop an IAS jewel and with that an entire frame.
Switch to a faster but otherwise worse base (Faith only).
Switch a bit of other gear around to free up an extra socket at the cost of all sorts of other things.

For most others, the change is obvious (e.g. "drop facet for new and improved facet").
For some select few, it takes a bit of thinking and reworking but plays nicely in the end.
But for bowzons...ugh.

Well, for my Zealer there is also only one usable slot in my Guillaume's Face for which I would have to Sacrifice 15 allres (and Zealer already are having a hard time getting their res capped...)

oOKIWIOo wrote: 6 months ago

Well, for my Zealer there is also only one usable slot in my Guillaume's Face for which I would have to Sacrifice 15 allres (and Zealer already are having a hard time getting their res capped...)

which shield you use for zealer?
My sacrify/ Zeal paladin can have 2 socket and there still something able to improve and no problem in resistance...
Zeal can still use new jewel and rare jewel.

leox wrote: 6 months ago

oOKIWIOo wrote: 6 months ago

Well, for my Zealer there is also only one usable slot in my Guillaume's Face for which I would have to Sacrifice 15 allres (and Zealer already are having a hard time getting their res capped...)

which shield you use for zealer?
My sacrify/ Zeal paladin can have 2 socket and there still something able to improve and no problem in resistance...
Zeal can still use new jewel and rare jewel.

I use Phoenix in a Sacred Rondache

Schnorki wrote: 6 months ago

Drop a2 merc for a1 fana (WF only).

I tried to use WF again today, but increase in dmg is observed only in Multishot, plus I have to gave up my Atma's Scarab and Gheed's Wager (I love it), so I don't see benefit in it to invest a Protector's Stone.

This is a dilemma, indeed, I am selling my jewel cause I don't see much of a benefit for this build. IMO besides the new Belt, It will only benefit from RotW when the new recipes become available.

salvatoast wrote: 6 months ago

[..]
I tried to use WF again today, but increase in dmg is observed only in Multishot
[..]

WF is for proper dmg builds. Not for Enigma zons.
For those, yeah, even I would use Faith. And that's saying something.

oOKIWIOo wrote: 6 months ago

leox wrote: 6 months ago

oOKIWIOo wrote: 6 months ago

Well, for my Zealer there is also only one usable slot in my Guillaume's Face for which I would have to Sacrifice 15 allres (and Zealer already are having a hard time getting their res capped...)

which shield you use for zealer?
My sacrify/ Zeal paladin can have 2 socket and there still something able to improve and no problem in resistance...
Zeal can still use new jewel and rare jewel.

I use Phoenix in a Sacred Rondache

Zeal + nix build....That make sense why Protector's Stone is must.

I use my paladin to Destruction Key farming. G-Face and Lance Guard. In D2r, I tried nix. NiLahank is 2 hit kill. with or without it.

This protecter's Stone might able chance things. I am not sure if it is enough to make it from 2 hit kill into 1 hit kill...

Still there is bug in this Stone...make it less stronger than it looks but surely better than perfect roll 4 affix rare jewel.