I have watched a few videos and looked up a couple guides. Why use rune words if new better gear is always coming available as i progress-- removing a placed rune or gem destroys them. I mean, so i use a rune word, cool. But an hour later i find a better item? I know i am missing something here, i am not disputing that.
Also, it kinda seems like using rune words if you are new to the game is cheating? I am new to D2 and have not completed a first playthrough yet. Should i refrain from using them until a later play through or until higher difficulty level? I can see where having them for future normal playthroughs is handy if i want to speed through for whatever reason though⌠but on a first play it seems like cheating if i make an awesome RW after countess boss.
That curve of finding upgrades, will slow down, big time. Also, the runes you find on the climb, for the most part, are not hard to get. So use 'em up.
Go google Arreat Summit. Learn the runes. Lots are common enough. Some arenât at all.
The higher level rune word items are much better than anything you will find in normal or nightmare. I think they spoiled the experience that you are describing myself. D2 had a epic system of sets and uniques and those only being topped by rare items that had great stats. Now the better rune word items makes it basically cookie cutter. Thats ok though its better to have the option to equip overpowered items than not. I do personally feel like it was a change for the worse but the rune words are cool and additional content to explore.
The meta stuff just annoys me. Everybody is running around like a bunch of idiots for 4-socket swords and shields for spirit gear. I like to be different sometimes. I enjoy looking for specific items to play with. One of my favorite early game hammerdin weapons is a Spectral Shard. I like the Silks of the Victor armor, or playing through normal with the Milabregaâs set. Just for the sake of being different. It doesnât take much effort to put easy to find runes into easy to find base items and coast through the game.
It is hard to find better than spirit⌠its kind of a relief really. Same with Lore. You find an item, it looks kind of good, just ask yourself âis it better than spirit or lore? Or Stealth or Smoke?â Probably not. Sell, np.
Top runeword items are some of the best gear you can get but most of them are also incredibly rare to get on your own / legitly and you may never do.
A lot of the lower end runewords are kind of cool I guess but most of it is not really needed and you can just use anything you find.
Some lower runewords are very overpowered though in my opinion. You can get them easily and early and wonât replace them for a very long time. Stuff like spirit, insight, lore, stealth, smoke and perhaps a few others Iâm forgetting.
Thereâs your mistake, you keep those runewords for quite a while - at least if youâre not extremely lucky with your drops and even then - Leaf or Spirit for example are better than anything you can find up to high level.
And yeah when I built my Leaf runeword, it kinda felt like cheating, it literally doubled my damage and you will rush through the content.
What I really donât like about runewords in general is, theyâre way too strong, they make too many uniques obsolete and I think thatâs bad.
In Nightmare and Hell you KINDA need runewords to keep the gameplay flowing and not get hard stuck, tho.
Some rune words are best-in-slot for certain builds, for example Infinity is the best weapon a Lightning Sorc could have on their Mercenary. Spirit is the best shield for several builds, Rhyme is useful for Magic Find, Enigma gives Teleport to non-sorcs, etc.
Thanks for all the info so far. I think i will probably start separating my playthroughs into ones where i use runes and ones where i do not. Too bad there isnât a reward for beating higher difficulties without using Rune words. Oh well, i still like the freedom to play how i want.
I try and make some of the not so good runewords and play with them for a change of pace. Or play a non meta spec within a class. the game is so much more than just cruising around mfing every area in 20 seconds.
Even on my MF char, I find myself deviating from the normal areas that people go to and find myself just killing things just to see what drops. Hell I got a gul rune just now for killing stuff out in the dry hills. Itâs good to have a change of pace and do something out of the norm, you might actually get a pleasant surprise.
Yep I do that as well, Iâm not really a fan of those 20 sec rushes either. I donât like doing the exact same thing over and over again in general, I could never do like 50+ runs of whatever in a row, no way I will do that.
As you mentioned, I just go here and there, look for a big pile of demons and plow them over Donât care what they could or couldnât drop, I just wanna have some fun
You can use whatever gear you want in the game. But just in case you get stucked, I would recommend you to use a Runeword Gear.
I was like you⌠âNew to Diablo 2 although I played the old D2 back then just to realize that I was a total noob.
My first obstacle as Solo was Duriel. I was caught offguard when the whole playthrough I was against Poisons and Lightnings and when I get to her I frozen to death with Cold damages. I came here to forums for help and I was suggesting for Resist gems. Then someone told me to make basic Runewords. And I did, it was easier becoz the Runeword gear in there are way too powerful than any gear I picked in the game.
Then I beat Normal⌠so easily. Then I reached Nightmare and I realized that the basic runeword gear I used in Normal was not enough. Cant find other gear too better than my old runeword gear. And I realized that mid Rune Runeword gear was the way to go. So I made all of them and beat Nightmare⌠all on Solo.
Then same story on Hell Act 1⌠Act 2. I need better gear. It concluded with I have to make advance Runeword gear. So I did and now I am on Act 3. My progression is ongoing. I would need better runes. But thereâs not runeword gear outside Chest, Shield, Weapon and Helms. I have to start finding powerful Boots, gloves, belts, amulets and rings.
Anyway, in short. If you are stucked on your progression, try to find a Runeword gear. Sometimes, itâs better to make runeword gear. Easier to get them than rely on RNG of drops, RNG of Gamble. I would say I wont reach Act 3 Hell on Solo without powerful runes.
Donât care what they could or couldnât drop, I just wanna have some fun