This is my second Hardcore write-up for Diablo 2; this time, with a Bowazon. That is, an Amazon built for bow and arrow ranged combat (an archer). Parameters of play are identical to my previous barb run. Please read through that one first, as I won't be repeating some of the basics covered therein.
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In my experience, the Bowazon is one of the weakest if not the weakest build to play on Hardcore mode. The problem is not so much the build opportunities (they're solid) but rather the lack of a notable early runeword. In Normal mode, Barbs can be dual-wielding Steel-runeword axes at 13th (Tir-El) and Malice-runeword axes at 15th (Ith-El-Eth). Depending on their luck in netting Amn runes (a one-off, 9.09% chance of dropping at the Hellforge), they can then move up to the Strength-runeword at 25th (Amn-Tir). Moreover, double-swingers can double the mods of those runewords. At that point, the equivalent for Bowazons is Edge (25th, Tir-Tal-Amn).
Before Edge (again, a one-off, 9.09% chance of an Amn drop at the forge, a snowball's chance in hell of having it drop otherwise, and short of farming 27 Orts: ridiculous), Bowazons are limited to the Zephyr-runeword bow at 21st (Ort-Eth), which is underwhelming in comparison to Steel and Malice, with its standout features being +25% run/walk and +25% IAS. Not only that, but the level requirement is steep thanks to that Ort, and the Countess drops only up to Ral, anyway. Thus, we need to wait until Act Two and the Horadric Cube, which allows us to cube an Ort from three Rals.
Oh, wow. 7% chance of a level 1 Twister. That's amazing! I need to sit down.
Anyway, Bowazons can certainly make do without Zephyr. In fact, she can arguably do better without it. Tal and Ral runes are common drops of the Countess (17th and 19th). Socketed into a bow, they grant 75 poison over 5 secs and 5-30 fire, respectively. In addition, Nef (4th) grants one of the best perks for Bowazons that Zephyr lacks, which is Knockback. Thus, a three-socket Hunter's Bow can have 150 poison over 5 secs with Knockback (Tal-Tal-Nef). I found this rune combo to be the best, and basically my ace-card.
First of all, Nef Knockback gives us the breathing space archers need, pre-Valkyrie (a tank-summon for 30th level 'Zons). Once hit by an arrow, the enemy gets knocked back a few paces. If the enemy gets hit again, it gets knocked back further. Keep hitting the enemy and it keeps getting knocked back until it finds itself off-screen. Stay locked-on and the enemy is dead. Especially with that plague-level poison that we've got going on (150 dmg/5 secs).
Knockback works on larger sub-bosses like The Smith, Radament and Tooric Icefist, too. It works in Multiple Shot mode (6th) in which we are essentially firing multiple arrows outward, like a fan. And then, come 24th, we have "machine gun knockback" thanks to Strafe. Thus, entire mobs are getting knocked back as they are painted with poison. Nice. We give one of these to our Act One Rogue Sister mercenary, too, of course. That way, it's basically knockback and poison heaven. Knockback largely renders kiting redundant, with the exception of bosses.
That said, Zephyr will become available to you once you get the Cube, as I said above. And it's good to have on-switch for +25% run/walk. This will stack nicely with the +25% run/walk of our Stealth-runeword Ring Mail, thereby facilitating farming, kiting and just getting from a to b much faster in general. Assuming a Hunter's Bow (Act One) or a Composite Bow (Act Two), we'll also reach our next IAS breakpoint, and that's good against bosses.
Lastly - and this is an extension on why Bowazon itemization is not on par with Barb itemization - Bowazons have no viable runeword upgrade until the Ko rune (39th) farmable through Nightmare Hellforge (1-11 chance) or Hell Countess (dream on). This opens up the amazing Melody-runeword bow (Shael-Nef-Ko). Wow, a one-off 9.09% chance of netting a rune that can basically make you or cause you to struggle for the rest of the game, assuming you don't find a godly rare (for which you have better chances of winning the lottery). Come Nightmare difficulty mode, it is also going to be exceedingly difficult to farm a proper 'Zon bow worthy of such a rune. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Armor-wise, the 'Zon is basically in the same situation as the Barb (and basically every Hardcore Normal build): Stealth-runeword Ring Mail initially, but with the potential to upgrade to the Peace runeword for +2 'Zon skills and other great perks (Shael-Thul-Amn). However, that Shael (29th) requires concerted farming of Nightmare Countess, and won't drop easily (but infinitely easier than pulling a Ko out of our ass).
This Bowazon build is Dex-based with primary investment in Critical Strike (for %-based double damage) and secondary investment in Multiple Shot (for spray). Passive Dodge, Avoid and Evade are also dipped into. Later, she goes all out on Strafe, wisely adds Pierce, and tops that off with the Valkyrie for a powerful tank/decoy. This particular Bowazon build is largley non-synergistic in skillset.
Here are a few screencaps from the five acts of the campaign, along with comments:
The way we start out. The way every 'Zon starts out. With nothing more than Javelin and Buckler. About 25% through the Den of Evil (consisting of no less than 70 monsters on /players8), I acquired enough wealth to purchase a Hunter's Bow of Shock from Charsi (2-6 dmg, 1-6 lightning), and this became my bow until Countess, at which point I upgraded to the Tal-Tal-Nef, detailed above.
Corpsefire is a super-tanker on /players8. I picked off his many minions first and then just plinked away as he shambled towards me. Easy super-unique for a Bowazon.
A sweet ranged duel with Blood Raven. Her mobility coupled with the way she hides behind meatshields makes her elusive. The game started to get engaging here.
Entering Tristram:
Act One boss Andariel is best kited around the bloodpool. Cold damage of some sort is valuable in that it slows her down. As with my barb run, I found some cold charms to chill her with.
Coldworm the Burrower:
Entering Tal Rasha's chamber always gets the blood pumping on Hardcore mode:
Inside, we face off against the Act Two boss, Duriel: one tough mutha. Cramped quarters, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Mobility is everything for the Bowazon here (+50% run/walk from Stealth + Zephyr).
Act Three's Sparkfist:
Act Three boss, Mephisto:
Underwhelming Hellforge rune drop. Could farm 10 of those Iths in Act One Countess if I wanted them. But I don't. My Barb was luckier, netting an 9.09% chance Amn. Which allowed him to upgrade to the magnificent Strength runeword - a Nightmare-proof wield. My Bowazon? Still stuck with Tal-Tal-Nef Composite Bow, from the beginning of Act Two...
Now, if an Amn dropped then it would have made all the difference, because I would then have been able to get the Edge runeword going.
There is no way I'm going to be able to kill Diablo at this point. I will need to farm XP to thirtieth level. Like I said, Bowazons are as weak as piss even now that I have Strafe. This is 10 times harder than my Barb run. No exagerration. Currently at 25th level, Act Four, six hours of game-play.
So yeah, I went back to Act Three, thugged out my fire resistance, and then farmed the living hell out of the Council of Six at Travincal. This was for XP + drops. I still did not get a good bow drop (much less a proper Reflex 'Zon bow with +skills), and instead found several rare javelins and spears that tempted me to respec my Bowazon into a Javazon or Spearazon, but I held off. I found two pieces of Sigon's Complete Steel, which was ok, but one of those items wasn't Gage which would have granted me the two-item bonus +30% IAS. I also found a Sol rune, but I would trade off that 27th level Sol for a 25th level Amn any day of the week (for Edge). In fact, I would trade off every item I currently have for a single Amn - that's how valuable it is to this build.
The character that took out Diablo in the Chaos Sanctuary:
Strafing Diablo through the fade-out of his red lightning hose:
Yep, still not dead. 10 hours of time investment thus far. For comparison, my double swing barb had taken out Baal in Act Five and already completed Normal mode at thirtieth level. That's how far behind my Bowazon is.
As I said in the introduction to this post, it's because barbs have better low-tier runewords than Bowazons. And also much better survivability thanks to their warcries: Battle Command, Battle Orders and Shout. That's not to say that Bowazons don't have their advantages, but those advantages are mostly irrelevant when it comes to act bosses.
Here is my Bowazon's "prized" jewelry going into Act Five:
Rapid-fire strafing of Shenk's mob of Enslaved in the Bloody Foothills:
At this point, the Bowazon is able to strafe non-stop against mobs such as this, by virtue of mana steal and mana after kill mods.
Not-so-useless Reflex bow reward from Anya:
Still, it's pretty crap.
Nihlathak, the corpse-exploding necro. The Valkyrie tank-summon is not hugely helpful here, but was basically my ace-card when I went up against the Ancients sooner after.
Lister the Tormenter and his Minions of Destruction would have been impossible without Valkyrie tanking:
Crafted Blood Gloves with 10% Crushing Blow (for Baal):
Baal:
It's over.
Didn't respec. Total game-play time: 15 hours.
Conclusion: It comes down to the Amn rune. You get the 9.09% chance Hellforge drop or otherwise find it, you cruise. You don't? You work hard. Because Amn means Edge, and Edge means +35 IAS and up to 380% damage to demons.
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