Throw Barb 2017?

aerial wrote:It is possible to have less block if your dex is very low.

Total Blocking = [(Blocking * (Dexterity - 15)) / (Character Level * 2)]
DEX needed for max block = {(150 * clvl) / blocking} + 15, rounded up.

oh oh i've just found it, so the base chance to block given by glad's domi is actually the 'blocking' in the 1st formula u wrote? I had always thought 'base chance to block' is block chance at 0 dex :lol:

aerial wrote:Totem that is used is elemental totem, which necromancer doesn't even have in his skill tree, it is oskill. Stacking multiple items with high +elemental totem, allows you to get even higher level of it than necro.
Barb has the best party buffs hands down. Bear stance = %defense + 50% DR, a3 mercs have good base defense, so bear actually affects them. Another skill is spirit guide, which grants party total defense.
Minions help as shields, because they take damage. As you can see, this character has no form of healing, and yet survives ubers being at full hp. Normally something like that wouldn't be possible, if all incoming damage, all the projectiles, werent split between minions. Tanky barb minions are an asset too, because they don't die, so you don't need to waste time to recast them. Minions are pretty weak as damage dealers, because they are simply too slow, and you have to let the spread around to start dealing some damage. If you keep them stacked while teleporting, they can hardly hit anything. So you have to slow down dramatically, in order to deal damage, even if your minion damage was infinite, this build would still be relatively slow, because of that limitng mechanics. To make this work (very fast clear pure summoner), minion AI would have to follow you perfect, and aggresively attack enemies, while following you. That is not the case in d2.
Finally you do get strength factor from shamanic trance, which helps if you are trying to mix barb spell damage (hive/path of flames). If you don't use it, only rely on merc, then it isn't important.

Thanks again aerial - yet another cookie for you.

Inventive build idea. I'll wait to see what the 1.1 patch brings with mercs before creating one of these. Also, not sure yet if it will be a case of re-creating all our characters like it was with M2017 patch, so prob no point in leveling one now.

Any chance someone could help me with a midrange snake build with a detailed skillplan rather than just a sketch which has been helpful but I'm still not understanding the full skill plan of the snake build using basic shimm crafts. I have tried the idea of using 10 pt wolves, max spirit guide, max snake + synergy and block passive. Leaves something to be desired damage wise, using nearly all shimmering craft with 131 pierce, almost max dmg roll on wep + spike nova. I don't think I'm quite tanky enough to sink points into shamanic trance (because then less in spirit guide and I die right away), but my damage still seems lacking from snake stance strangely. I have tested snake + synergy vs DR runeword gear (Erawan, Truce, Invictus, Megalith) and it seems I must be missing something because it seems I am actually killing slower with snake build vs wolf stance runeword DR build. Full disclosure I am missing like 6 ubers.

I have nearly all sigs minus a few, am lvl 121, using falxis nasrudin helm, shimmering armor (-29), -30 gloves, -20 belt, -15 boots, triune's blessing shield (which seems to have been fixed since last mention of it being broken), empyrean and xorine ring, 4sk ammy with 1% ctc banish. My block is maxed. 700 pts in dex and 404 in str. My skill skill points are as follows: 10/31 wolf companion, 28/28 spirit guide, 30/30 snake, 28/28 eagle, 12/30 stampede 16/16 block passive. I didn't bother putting any in shamanic trance because then I have nothing left for spirit guide and my defense drops to 78k with 1 pt spirit guide and I die too much.

I have 134 skill points to distribute. If you had my gear how would do snake build? Seems maybe I am undergeared for it or missing something.

Those vs the Wolf stance version (10pt wolf companion, 10 wolf stance, max block passive, max spirit guide) - the aforementioned wolf stance build seems to somehow do more dps and I'm not sure why.

you dont need that many points in stampede. only enough to remove the cooldown timer (if it has one?), otherwise 1 pt.

Gotcha. What is the cheapest way to handle AR? Jewelcrafts? I suppose of course I could put them into daedulus but I prefer the 8 pts I have left for shmanic trance. I had to sink almost all into dex to reach 95% chance to hit in cows. That last 1% ate so much dex.

if you're doing max block, you'll have more than enough ar to be comfortable from the invested dex.

Im sorry for bumping this one but is this thread still relevant to follow or are the throw barbs have been nerfed to obliivion already in sigma?