The TLDR 2H Barb

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BrecMadak
Sasquatch
65 | 2
Hey aerial, I'm coming from Wulf's guide since he recommended me to check yours as my build is an earth/SoR barb.

Have several questions where I failed to see on the OP:
1. I'm almost 95, and I wield a Xansai two-handed. So what is the recommended weapon progression I should follow from now?
How should I decide upon whether I should stick one hander+shield or 2 hander? Wulf had recommended these 3 shields as best:
Snowstorm
Snowstorm
Bull Shield (Sacred)

Defense: (3466 - 3837) to (4194 - 4593)
Chance to Block: 1%
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 90
Required Strength: 500
Required Dexterity: 374
Item Level: 1
+2 to Barbarian Skill Levels
Adds 50-100 Damage
+(140 to 170)% Enhanced Defense
+(500 to 1000) Defense
Maximum Cold Resist +1%
Cold Resist +(31 to 50)%
Socketed (4)

Mount Arreat
(Barbarian Earthshaker Set)
Invictus
Invictus
Gilded Shield (4)

Defense: (293 - 346) to (598 - 705)
Chance to Block: 1%
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 14
Required Strength: 35
Item Level: 10
1% Chance to cast level 3 Gift of the Wild on Kill
Additional Strength Damage Bonus: 0.01171875%
Weapon Physical Damage +(5 to 20)%
+(24 to 46)% Enhanced Defense
+15 to all Attributes
Physical Resist 2%
Socketed (1)
Defense: (1029 - 1169) to (1897 - 2156)
Chance to Block: 1%
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 31
Required Strength: 70
Item Level: 31
2% Chance to cast level 7 Gift of the Wild on Kill
Additional Strength Damage Bonus: 0.015625%
Weapon Physical Damage +(40 to 60)%
+(69 to 92)% Enhanced Defense
+20 to all Attributes
Physical Resist 3%
Socketed (3)
Defense: (2644 - 2915) to (4760 - 5247)
Chance to Block: 1%
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 49
Required Strength: 245
Item Level: 51
2% Chance to cast level 11 Gift of the Wild on Kill
Additional Strength Damage Bonus: 0.01953125%
Weapon Physical Damage +(60 to 80)%
+(115 to 137)% Enhanced Defense
+25 to all Attributes
Physical Resist 4%
Socketed (4)
Defense: (3984 - 4352) to (7140 - 7800)
Chance to Block: 1%
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 57
Required Strength: 490
Item Level: 77
3% Chance to cast level 15 Gift of the Wild on Kill
Additional Strength Damage Bonus: 0.0234375%
Weapon Physical Damage +(80 to 100)%
+(138 to 160)% Enhanced Defense
+30 to all Attributes
Physical Resist 5%
Socketed (4)
,
Titan's Blockade

Titan's Blockade
Barbarian Shields

'UmZolLew'
Runeword Level: 110
At least 1 Base Level in Runemaster: Maximum Poison Resist +4%
With 15 Base Levels in Runemaster: 10% Deadly Strike
40% Hit Recovery
Adds 15-25 Damage
Slows Attacker by 10%
+(130 to 150)% Enhanced Defense
+(1000 to 2000) Defense
(20 to 30)% to Strength
20% to Vitality
Maximum Mana +5%
Elemental Resists +35%
.
2. Is it not possible to 4fpa without wolf stance already with speed MOs? I'd like to hear why you preferred it over Lion stance?
3. Why do you not recommend maxing earthquake?
4. You don't recommend maxing Ancient Blood because of diminishing returns?
5. I've been using pax mystica, but would I still need 'Leap' for later?
6. I guess it is safe to use Wulf's item progression since he included sacreds and rws?

Thanks!
Edited by BrecMadak 2 years.
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aerial
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1. Guide is around two-handers, so as item section states,
Wrathchild
Wrathchild
Labrys (4)

Two-Hand Damage: (19 - 23) to (39 - 57)
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 12
Required Strength: 127
Item Level: 29
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.16 per Strength)%
Thunderfury
+1 to Barbarian Skill Levels
+(16 to 30) to Maximum Damage
+(24 to 46)% Enhanced Damage
+(3 to 6) to Earthquake (Barbarian Only)
(2 to 3)% Chance of Crushing Blow
Slow Target (3 to 5)%
+6 Mana on Melee Attack
(21 to 25)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (2)
Two-Hand Damage: (64 - 72) to (115 - 138)
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 31
Required Strength: 183
Item Level: 40
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.16 per Strength)%
Thunderfury
+2 to Barbarian Skill Levels
+(46 to 60) to Maximum Damage
+(69 to 92)% Enhanced Damage
+(7 to 10) to Earthquake (Barbarian Only)
(4 to 6)% Chance of Crushing Blow
Slow Target (9 to 11)%
+10 Mana on Melee Attack
(31 to 35)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (4)
Two-Hand Damage: (159 - 175) to (245 - 277)
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 52
Required Strength: 354
Item Level: 67
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.16 per Strength)%
Thunderfury
+3 to Barbarian Skill Levels
+(76 to 90) to Maximum Damage
+(115 to 137)% Enhanced Damage
+(11 to 14) to Earthquake (Barbarian Only)
(7 to 9)% Chance of Crushing Blow
Slow Target (15 to 17)%
+15 Mana on Melee Attack
(41 to 45)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (5)
Two-Hand Damage: (190 - 208) to (326 - 367)
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 60
Required Strength: 696
Item Level: 85
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.16 per Strength)%
Thunderfury
+4 to Barbarian Skill Levels
+(91 to 110) to Maximum Damage
+(138 to 160)% Enhanced Damage
+(15 to 18) to Earthquake (Barbarian Only)
(10 to 12)% Chance of Crushing Blow
Slow Target (18 to 20)%
+20 Mana on Melee Attack
(46 to 50)% Bonus to Defense
Socketed (6)
is your basic first item. If you insist on using sword, then id opt for Snowstorm as it adds so much extra damage.
2. You can't reach 4fpa with normal attacks, other than whirlwind. As stated under skill tree for Labrys attack speed fpa/ias - 10/63, 9/92, 8/147, 7/280, so maximum is 7fpa with 280 total ias (only wsm of weapon counts and total ias for the calculation, its standard not special case like whirlwind).
Here is some theory about lategame weapon choices and reasons.
3. Earthquake adds flat physical damage thats added after for example increased damage from strength. It will only use your skill ewd, so you get for example +300 damage *500 ewd (wolf stance + spirit guide), so it adds 1500 damage. Not nothing, but not that much, and it doesnt help your sor damage used for bosses. Also we have tons of crushing blow so for earthquake flat damage isn't that important, monsters get reduced hp by % thanks to cb. I just don't think its worth it, but feel free to experiment, its 10 points taken from something else, for just aoe farming, lets say duncraig runs, may be worth it, if you plan to do a lot of runs.
4. Ancient blood doesn't have diminishing returns, I leave it as optional. It is quite good for attack rating, you can for example not get endurance, and get half of life per point from ancients blood instead, but 50 attack rating flat per point. It is a choice, I didn't have issues with attack rating, but for very endgame this may be way to go, depending what is your AR for example against tanky scosglen monsters. 1+ means worth considering.
5. Leap is too good to not get, you avoid all damage during leap, its very useful, can power through very deadly mechanics leaping on target. Its well worth 1 point.
6. Windform is quite different, you want different things, you go with one handers, adding flat damage is more important, than for us if we have 600+ avg damage axe, these items for example such as ripstars are rather weak for us. I'd say some items are good for both builds, but there is also plenty that are different, so I would be careful, Your first mistake would be using that sword/shield as you started with.
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BrecMadak
Sasquatch
65 | 2
Cheers for a quick return! However, I'd just updated my post before your input so I put it down below:

Gladiator's Dominance boosts for shield capacity and deadly strike. And I've been using Bear stance. Would that combination be a great alternative for those who opted in favouring shields? Or on the contrary, the total damage would be insufficient in favour of stacking defense?

On the last answer: Do you mean you don't see a good potential in combining one-hander (e.g.
Gharaniq


Gharaniq
Barbarian Swords, Barbarian One-Handed Axes
Except Barbarian Two-Ha

'JahSilElq'
Runeword Level: 100
+(3 to 4) to Barbarian Skill Levels
Adds 5-10 Damage
Adds 120-115 Damage
+(171 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
Weapon Physical Damage +(60 to 80)%
+(81 to 100) to Strength
+(225 to 250) to Dexterity
5% Chance to Avoid Damage
) with Snowstorm for example for endgame?
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aerial
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Two hander will do more damage especially with SOR, because attack speed is irrelevant (cooldown), so you care about most damage per hit.
It isn't huge difference, so both routes are playable.

Gladiator's dominance to get full value out of it, you need get bunch of dexterity to reach 50% block chance (cap). This doesn't mix well with strength stacking for enhanced damage bonus. So yes you do gain DS, but you lose strength. And even with 50% block you still should be tankier with runemaster as your defense reaches over million with that, rendering monsters in all ubers to have 5% chance to hit you (minimum amount).
Bear stance is a defensive option, and it is quite bit of a blow to damage, wolf stance grants tons of speeds, movement speed, about 400% enhanced weapon and and bunch of crushing blow. I think two hander with wolf stance > one hander with glad's dominance.

Keep in mind that for whirlwind, with how it works, using only weapon ias, it is much easier to hit speed cap without any ias on gear except weapons. This isn't the case for normal attacks, and then this gigantic bonus from wolf stance actually comes in very handy. You need 280 attack speed from all sources to reach max breakpoint with axe. Hitting that without wolf stance requires some serious effort and gear sacrifices.
Not that you absolutely need to hit that, it only matters for smoothness of clear (how fast can you move and spam earthquakes). For shower of rocks you pop every 2 seconds which is your primary single targer damage dealer, attack speed isn't as important.
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Spinaker
Thunder Beetle
55 | 2
First of all, kudos for the guide!

What cycles would you recommend cubing with Triune's talisman?
brovet
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Just wondering.. I just got Yaggis and the dps is a lot better than my crafted sucky one.
What should I mo on this? max ed already after 1 ed mo. Thank you!
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altoiddealer
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OP says AR > LL
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aerial
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Spinaker wrote:First of all, kudos for the guide!

What cycles would you recommend cubing with Triune's talisman?


I'm lazy so I put whatever stats, except energy and gold find.
But you can grind specialized one, for example pure mf for mfing, or for example strength if you need it for gotter axe. Many options here.

As for
Yaggai's Sagaris
Yaggai's Sagaris
Labrys (Sacred)

Two-Hand Damage: (441 - 471) to (496 - 527)
(Barbarian Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Strength: 796
Item Level: 105
Strength Damage Bonus: (0.16 per Strength)%
Thunderfury
50% Chance to cast level 16 Stormblast on Melee Attack
50% Attack Speed
Adds 150-200 Damage
-35% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
+(172 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
+100 to Strength
+100 to Vitality
Elemental Resists +(10 to 20)%
+250 Life on Melee Attack
Socketed (6)
it will be better than almost any craft, despite proc dealing 0 damage with heart of stone, because it has on average +350 added damage, which is better than any craft can get. That and ofc 200% enhanced damage out of box, where unlucky craft can even roll 0 ed with good max damage roll.

What I'm wondering, since I played different classes, barb only as test to 125, is there anyone here with good endgame gear setup high level barb, and can run scosglen on it? Would be cool to see how it performs (a video).
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Anonymous:
Memelistas
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Got lucky and found Yaggai axe for my barb. Now i removed the one point from heart of stone. And put leftover points into ancient blood.
Still end up with 45%CB, 10k-11k earthquake damage and over 21k AR (90% chance to hit in fauzt). I still miss a few charms (like QT and Ureh, plus the hard ones because char is still 129), but it works significantly better than previously. The stormblast procs melts necro bots, compared to previously having to run around avoiding them and gather them into group then stun and shower of cocks. Now it's just comfortable moving forward.
My gears are random set parts like ravine helmet, amazon spear set boots, str crafted belt and body armor, not all sockets have runes in them yet, ect. So much room to upgrade.

So yeah, my idea - don;t be afraid to experiment and remove points from heart of stone if you feel like it.
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aerial
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Ye, this isn't bad idea at all, to get value from stormblast.
I'm gonna try new barb in scos in fairly good items + all charms, wonder hows that gonna go.
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