Javazon issues (no infinity and Merc issues)

Amazon
1

Couple of questions regarding the Javazon (currently lvl 91).

  1. Until one has Infinity, are there any easy solutions for dealing with LI mobs?
    -I tried Witchwild String bow on weapon swap, since it fires magic arrows. I upped it and added 2 shaels, but that is so pathetically slow at killing that I might as well use Jab, which is actually faster.
    -I’m already dumping 20 hard points into Valkyrie; I don’t have as many points for synergies as I’d like, so I’m not too fond of dumping 20-40 hard points into bow skills for something like Frozen Arrow. My charged strike would suffer significantly.
    -I tried a lower resist wand on swap, but even if I can break the immunity, they are still so highly resistant that I’m barely doing any damage to them (I don’t have Griffon’s or a light facet yet).
    -Are there any other bows or runewords which grant skills which can easily kill lightning immune mobs, or do I just keep jabbing away (or running away) until I can get my infinity?

  2. Keeping the merc alive. I have both a Vamp Gaze (for life leech, damage reduction, and magic damage reduction) and an ethereal Gladiator’s Bane for more damage and magic damage reduction. I’m using Insight atm (nothing ethereal or super uber or anything). When I get to the black soul type mobs, my merc is insta-dead. When I get to council members (wave 3 of baal or Trav), my merc is insta-dead. There’s not even time to heal him.
    -Do I switch to Tal Rasha’s Helm for the extra resistances and slightly more life leech instead of the damage reduction?
    -I tried Treachery for the Fade proc, and if you can get Fade to proc, it does help a little, but until then, Treachery is really a weak armor with no damage reduction or major resistances on it.
    -Do I need to find a 15 All Res jewel to slot into the Vamp gaze helmet?
    -I’m not rich enough to build a Fortitude or Chains of Honor, which I know some folks will suggest. I know that’s the end goal, and I have an ethereal 4 socket base which I plan on using once I’m rich enough.
    -Until then, any suggestions for the merc?

  3. I forgot to add that I’m also curious what folks are doing for resistances directly on the Amazon. I’m using Cat’s eye, so no resistances from the amulet.
    -I’m using a Smoke for the +50 resist all, but if I ever get lucky enough for Engima or another high end armor, most of them don’t have tons of resitances.
    -Is it really just about finding +All Res charms? I’ve only ever found 2.

Thanks.

2

My L93 zon uses a Might Merc with Smoke Armor + Andy’s Visage + Reaper’s Toll w/ 15%LL and a L20 Valk. Primary weapon is a 200%ED upgraded Titans + Stormshield in Slot1, and 207%ED Demon Arch + Mosers w/ 2 perfect Diamonds for handling Phys-immunes for Slot2. Amulet = Crescent Moon – 15% mana steal w/ 5% life steal is very difficult to replicate in any other single item. Rings are Nagel / Wisp / Ravenfrost / Nature’s Peace depending on the present threats. Perfect Topaz Shako + Skulders round out the farming gear. Total MF = 428% with charms and Goldwrap, or 382%MF in safe mode (Tgods + Ravenfrost)

Might Merc + Raw physical damage + Reaper’s Toll Decrepify = dead targets. Decrepify lowers physical resists by 50%, partially breaking Phys-Immunity. The only hard-to-kill targets are bosses with both Physical and Lightning Immunity – gotta go jab then with demon arch while Decrepify is active. Everything else collapses quickly between raw physical javelin damage or lightning damage via lightning fury spam.

Do not forget to use Decoy to take pressure off the merc.

3

Why even worry about physical immunes? All of the lightning damage and synergies from Charged Strike and Lightning Fury should be demolishing PI monsters without any weapon swap needed.

I’m using holy freeze right now, so I can gather up mobs a little easier, but I might switch to Might merc so my Jab, the valk, and the merc will all do more damage. I’ll try that out.

4

Physical damage is the javazon’s secondary damage type that is used to kill lightning immunes. So when you meet mobs that are both physical and lightning immune, damage options are severely compromised unless you have a way of lowering either physical or lightning damage. Infinity, Griffon’s Eye, and lightning facets are great for lightning kills, but physical resist reduction has the advantage of allowing leech mechanics to work, thereby letting you recover mana without chugging potions. Best of all, Reaper’s Toll is a very small fraction of Infinity’s cost, making it much more accessible to the majority of D2R players.