downloaded the mod... ran the unzip... ran the install... double clicked the activated mod short cut in the new listing... double clicked the short cut to start the game... got the new title page and version so i knew the patch installation worked... away i went with pally of course... lol
thanks to the 2 skill points per level... still working on this build but the idea is character pally... hammer/priest
min 1 in each def ability and use as needed to regain mana, remove bad arua or cure poison
max holy bolt which kills the undead
around 5 in prayer which increases the amount of healing a holy bolt does to a merc or another party member... i believe you could even heal another players summoned valk but have been unable to test this yet...
max hammer and the 2 sysergies slowly... very slowly
max conc since the hammers and merc uses this...
max the shield comabt skill and then the def sysergie slowly
hopefully there will be enough skill points... sniff
if you really want an undead killer you can max foh which will really help the holy bolt and push it above 10k damage per bolt easy... with just hammer and holy bolt sitting at 40... since + items are easy to get... holy bolt is doing close to 10k for 4.5 mana a bolt
but holy bolt is undead only no demons which the hammers and merc have to get... and you will have to give up points some where else i believeACT1 is in target after having read the CE readme html i started doing some cubing and then was out the door trying to get level 6 and i found the going pretty easy... den and then i wanted cain so i had to go get a merc since the monsters started getting tougher... i mean you could not just hack away... you had to use hit and run tactics and throwing weapons other wise you were going down... so i ran all the way to the graveyard and then discovered something while i was there so have a look around the rogues came where you start... got my bow girl and equiped her... i was around level 6 i think but it was easy to get all of the artic set except the bow by gambling... and the merc of course take a full set of equipment now including rings and ammy... beware equiping rings on the merc as something is buggy so remove the ring you dont want and put the ring you want on... just swaping the rings over the top of each other sometimes removes the wrong ring... anyway with my bow girl in toe and using some holy bolts and healings since i uped my prayer level... kicked most of the monsters though it got a bit dicey some times... a few PI monsters rolled up... yes in norm act 1... but my bow girl was able to take them out and holy bolt was kicking the undead as i was putting a point in it per level... you get 2 skill points per level.. fantastic...
i finally got to level 18 so of course hammer time... skill points to spare... was ale to spread skill points for the hammer with sysergies and hammer was weak but at least i had an attack that would work against non undead now... i was going to rape these monsters... but then i ran into some acid beasts and they were smart and retreated after spitting and they were dodging my hammers and then wait... they are magic immune... all the time... for crying out loud... attempted to run past them and just go on with the game... no good... spitting and retreating and then getting pinned between to groups of acid beasts and theres no resits for that acid and its all over the floor and merc is needeing healing so i got to holy bolt her... had to fall back regroup and use tactics again... merc took them out 1 at a time and it took a while but i was pretty happy with the end result...
inner cloister... what a night mare... tactics all the way... very tough... good thing i left the players on the minimum setting and did not up it to 25 or 50 or 127 which is the max... ouch...
catacombs was easy again compared to other ares of this game... but then i hit level 4... what a surprise... new layout and new stuffs but here i had a bit of luck and i stood behind a pillar and my bow girl stood toe to toe at a right angle to me as she took on andy and i just holy bolt/healed my merc and she finally took out andy... yippee... drop was a couple unqiues but i was around level 20 and feeling good since i was now going to get and act 2 def merc of course...
ACT 2 started and i got that hell plague unique long sword that does a bit of poisons and as i joke i tried to equip in on my merc and it worked... so now i was looking at items in a different light you might say... managed to gamble a few of the lower sets... hausr or what ever belt boots and shield but the merc uses only one had so its the shield or the sword... take the sword... but i was concentrating on getting my merc up there as i would hammer from the back... easliy gambled brock gloves by now and with my holy bolt maxed for my level i just went for the sewers and nailed the undead... and merc is there cleaning up and getting in the way a bit but when he did the bolt just healed him... so no biggy and then rad drop is okay... so i started going through the desert and maggot lair is a bit tedious as the merc had to kill practically everything in sight but with me healing him we kicked but it took some time... always liked anceints tunnels and have seen some nice add ons in different mods so i did it and got a pleasant surprise and undead crown and my merc will be able to use it soon... back to town and i am level 30ish and gambled venom easy and theres another 5 on my crush... and then i went gambling and manald ring, lenymo sash for me plus... eye ammy, isenharts helm and armor for merc... very good gambling results.. took some time and some gold but i was pretty happy
stayed out of trouble and what a surprise... then did the rest of the harem and palace acid beasts but merc is in there and i am healing him with the holy bolt... fire eye comes running up and then hammers start and i got a good look at them for the first time in this mod and they rocked as usual...
arcane was of course the last one but with hammers and holy bolt summoner was a gonner... and canyon was pretty easy but there are quite a few monsters and the hammer is working just fine but resits are extra bad in this mod and lighting is hurting off of scarabs and death beatles so i got to use a bit of tactics... got the tomb and holy bolted my way to duril and its a nice area and i am pretty sure he dropped rattle.. another 25 crush and i can hear didi crying already... and the duriel lair is very nice again... heaps to do...
ACT 3 was easy since the merc is kicking and when he is having probs i heal him and i am hammering and retreating and the monsters just chase you mostly so its back to an open area... pull the merc and hammer... and i raced through most of act 3 but i never remember which tomb so i go down this one and then that one and then watch out and its tough and then damien and then its like 40 minutes... but i am healing my merc... merc has 55 crush... mana is regening from lanymo sash and manald ring... damien is wailing... finally the doll drops and i am thinking... what do i do with this... so i stash it... my first doll... then i finially get the right tomb and the back book and off to meph... tran is easy as hammers are working in the open space and those minions just chase you out there... down in the dungeon and got to be carefull as those explode on death dools can end it for you but i keep the merc out in front and angel myself and use holy bolt mosly and its not much of a problem... merc has good resits and toe to toes with bosses and with the crush amd me healing him he slowly takes out sparky and company and then meph... drop was bad but act 4 is a good hammer leveling area...
ACT 4... went thought this easy... hammered everything even the magic immune acid beasts but they are still magic immune... oh well.. merc is getting them... searched for the new town all over the place but i assume it is the old town that has been redone and looks great... that is the new town in act 4... didi was moving around tyring to attack me as my merc nailed him big time and i kept healing him... and he kept crushing didi... and finially this level 41 stupid dagger dropped that had some lighting damage and o put it on my merc... smiling
ACT 5 was good... pindled a cou0ple times right off since i foud something in town and of corse holy bolt is dropping the undead easy... merc is rocking with that new lighting dagger storm spike i think and we hammered and kicked... there were some nice OB knights from d1 around and a few acid beasts but otherwise it was pretty easy and then baal was a big surprise... in the end he went down but tactics again was a big part of the game play... glad i had the crush for my merc as the hammers were not working
off to night mare with a smile... and more of the same but quite a few doll drops from andy, the maggot lair, izzy i think... i got around 10 dolls at the moment... also plan which items you want to use... i have gambled some great items and most of the items my merc and i use i have gambled... act 3 night mare is a great place to gamble and i am level 70 and have gotten a shako.. nice graphics on it but it took like 6 hours during which time i got the whole hawains set... a 32 viper... carion wind ring... just about ever rune in the game except a zod... dwarf and raven ring... imortal belt gloves and boots... plenty of twitch and other original d2 uniques got a heaven garb for my baby necro plus a guardian angel for this pally which i will upgrade and then use black oils to beef up...
anyway i am off to walk my dogs and hopefully people will get the chance to play this mod...
