I’m playing an odd SP poison/meelee necro for fun. Before going to questions I clarify:
I do not share items between characters. No Spirit. No Enigma. No torch. No Annihilus. I don’t have poison facets, too. No summons, my mean of defense is Attrack.
That said, with this char I have been pretty lucky with runes. I already got Fort (merc) and CTA. High runes left are:
1 Zod
1 Cham
2 Ver
1 Lo
1 Ohm
1 Vex
I prepare a big upgrade to me and my merc, but all those changes are connected to each other…
My act 2 merc has NON eth Reapers Toll and at this point P4 he’s lacking damage, baal isn’t hard to kill, but he takes long time. Would you consider eth Botd? Gface + Fort + might + Fanaticism (later) + eth Botd sounds quite good, but I think people don’t give it much love. It seems like the logical thing to me since I have that super rare Zod rune.
Next is Metalgrid, which I already have. Reasons:
- Ver into Beast, Beast into level 22 iron Golem (with Resistance and mastery) for Fanaticism aura.
- That + 420 attack rating + 200 raven frost + Enchant + fanaticism + charms means my necro should be able to hit even without dagger(?).
That opens the option of making a Grief out of that Lo rune. -25 to enemy poison resist and good phisical damage. How good can this Necro phisical dmg be assuming Might + Fanaticism? Problem is no + to skills on amulet nor in weapon. Maybe too short for poison damage.
Doom one hand axe is another option. Decent damage and ias, +2 to skills and I provide a defensive aura to me and my merc. Would my necro do any meaningfull phisical damage with doom?
Most of you will think of Plague, but I don’t really see the point. Now I’m using Blackbog’s, which I can socket with a Ver and have 30 IAS with 20% CB, Slows target 50% and +5/4 dagger and Poison Nova, pretty good for phisical and poison. How important is that -25% to enemy poison resist (and this question would include Death’s Web) when between Trangs Wing and Lower Resist the enemy is already applied -90% poison resist? Seems like a waste.
The same goes for Pride for merc. I would help with phisical damage but it’s still a Necro. I’m not going to benefit that aura a lot and merc has great aura with “bad weapon”. I doubt pride + its aura is going to give my merc more damage than eth Botd, but I don’t know. Anyway I don’t have a Sur, I would waste my Cham + Lo, and my Zod would remains unused. Any preferences/ideas?