Looking for suggestions for pure polearm build barbarian

BotD probably BiS.
Which is way beyond my single player budget.

But I am especially interested in personal experience with such build-if anyone actually played such a build, successfully?

Trying it out, I intend it WW. Mostly.
With standard Shout and Battle Orders.

I’ve got Bone hew. And obviously Obedience. But not sure about base.
Bone hew needs 195str. Which I’m considering.

And I know it’s not the best strong build to mass kill, that’s why I’m asking if anyone attempted the not so best build in the game for fun.

Guessing fort could boost damage like nuts as well. But I’m waiting on that Lo.

Or I can pass it from my other chars. Same as with Obedience.

So, anyone played such build?

Breath of the Dying
Whirlwind
Bonehew

Taking the Fury druid as an example (the build that actually use 2-hand weapons - Axe/Polearm/Staff - as BIS)
Your better options would be find a good ethereal elite one (better if it is a fast one )
For polearms... the only Runeword with Indestructible/Repair I think is Breath of the Dying... (with Axe/Swords you could use Death or Oath that are way cheaper)
But is possible to find a unique that dropped as ethereal (a ethereal The reaper's Tool would probably be your best choice)

Obedience is good as budget (and after getting a better weapon you could still keep it on stash/swap to pre-buff Enchant - I do this with my Druid), but you can't put on a ethereal weapon...

About sockets Lo has more chance to increase your overall damage than Ohm. But use some calculator (like https://maxroll.gg/d2/d2planner/ ) before deciding
And test Shael or a Jewel of fervor (15 ias) too, if they make you reach the next breakpoint it can increase your overall damage a lot too.

Back in Legacy LoD, I completed several full solo p8 playthroughs with various builds. And since I only played offline (as well as TCP/IP with friends) and didn’t feel like cheating, I was limited to what items I had actually found myself or been given by a friend. That meant almost no high runes at all so pretty much no high end rune words, but also that I had a lot of uniques/sets since I farmed a lot with high MF. I.e., most characters I played had only uniques/sets/rares and rune words using at most mid-runes (up to Ist/ Gul or so).

I did in fact do such a playthrough as a WW barbarian, and IIRC, I used Arioc's Needle. I could check if I can find my save files from back then.

Arioc's Needle

fredkid wrote: 1 year ago

But is possible to find a unique that dropped as ethereal (a ethereal The reaper's Tool would probably be your best choice)

Since WW doesn't proc on striking effects the best use of a Zod would be a BoTD GPA.

Forgot abou that "little" detail...

uuee wrote: 1 year ago

fredkid wrote: 1 year ago

But is possible to find a unique that dropped as ethereal (a ethereal The reaper's Tool would probably be your best choice)

Since WW doesn't proc on striking effects the best use of a Zod would be a BoTD GPA

Considering that... Have to think/calculate a little to see if, for the WW, any ethereal elite unique polearm could be better than a Breath of the Dying

If spears are also on the table, maybe an Eth upped Hone Sundan would be the best choice without spending a Zod.

Wait. What doesn’t proc on WW? Enchant? Or the BOTD?

And GPA short for what base?

From the Whirlwind page

Whirlwind does not work with: "On Attack", "On Striking", or "When You Kill an Enemy" item properties.

GPA i think is Great Poleaxe

rikus wrote: 1 year ago

Wait. What doesn’t proc on WW? Enchant? Or the BOTD?

And GPA short for what base?

playing this season WW Obedience Hustle/Treachery in a Thresher

63 ias for best frames
GPA needs 89

Berserk for PIs,

when starting your session Berserk a few trash till Enchant procs, lasts >10 minutes

also 2 angelics helps

Angelic Halo
Angelic Wings

About WW attack speed- so is Bone hew with 2 jewels of increased attack speed, better than Obedience? As WW only counts weapons speed, and not items outside weapon?

Btw regarding the proc of Obedience with WW, since it’s a timed proc, you can get the proc first by hitting without WW, and then whirl away.

Since last patches off-weapon IAS affect Whirlwind (that's why most guides recommended Laying of Hands and Highlord's Wrath as BIS - like https://maxroll.gg/d2/guides/whirlwind-barbarian-guide )

Better to use a calculator to confirm, But my guess is that Bonehew with 60% ias (with 2 jewels) or even 70% ias (with 2 Shael) will give you more DPS than Obedience (that has no ias)

But Obedience have Crushing Blow that can make difference vs Bosses or on high players count. Well.. you could always use Obedience on swap for those situations (and pre-buff)

Obs: on the guide above there is a variant that uses a ethereal War Pike Breath of the Dying. Seems similar to what you want

rikus wrote: 1 year ago

About WW attack speed- so is Bone hew with 2 jewels of increased attack speed, better than Obedience? As WW only counts weapons speed, and not items outside weapon?

rikus wrote: 1 year ago

As WW only counts weapons speed, and not items outside weapon?

Patch 2.4.3 (from June 2023) changed this. The patch says: " Whirlwind now incorporates Increased Attack Speed (IAS) from all equipment."

When calculating IAS, make sure you use a calculator that understands this change for Whirlwind. Like Warren's.

Hmm so it seems I’m going for swapping of Obedience and Bone Hew with ias.
Using Laying of Hands as well or other ias items/Hustle etc.


And will use Grim Scythe/elite(?) as base for Obedience.

Although… will need some proc for breaking res. So not sure which I will
Choose.

I’m guessing there’s attack speed limit on Whirlwind?

The issue I found wasn't configuring the right combination of gear for this route, but that the skill Whirlwind sucks. I rocked a %400+ED Giant Thresher Breathe of the Dying with Highlords, Laying of Hands, fantastic rings etc. On Players1 it's just lame DPS. Really sad I love wielding a huge weapon with long range!

ghostpos wrote: 1 year ago

The issue I found wasn't configuring the right combination of gear for this route, but that the skill Whirlwind sucks. I rocked a %400+ED Giant Thresher Breathe of the Dying with Highlords, Laying of Hands, fantastic rings etc. On Players1 it's just lame DPS. Really sad I love wielding a huge weapon with long range!

disagree about WW., it's the weapon choices

u must use a CB and wield 2-handed, a nice roll botd gives 400-800 damage average 600, and a 4 frame attack. 2-handed only swords can reach 4 frames.

i play online and everything melts (p1.)

of course Mosaic/javazon/hammerdin/cold sorc/ Nova sork/ Nova necro.........

Colossus Blade