Barb questions

Kyrael - Dreamweaver · November 2010

Mmkay. First off, my main is a sin, obvious from my avatar. I know my way around what tanks should and shouldn't do, how to play, etc. I'm looking for a clear up on Poison Fang and some opinions on my armor plans. My barb is currently 28 on Lost City, meaning I'm gearing and raising him for PvP.

First off, Poison Fang. I know that it's supposed to add wood damage to your attack, but is this addition added to your base attack damage or factored in? i.e., if my normal hits do 250, would my current lv2 PF add on 30 damage in wood damage (12% of 250) or would 12% of my hit be wood damage? I'm thinking it's the former, but I was wondering because of all the wood mobs in the first few levels, which would obviously make Poison Fang gimp my damage if it were calculated as the latter.

Next, my armor/build.
I've been statting 3 str 1 vit 1 dex per level, but planning on capping dex later on. As a sin at heart, I hate missing and I like crits, so I had to bypass the "bare minimum dex all the time" build. Now, whenever I cap dex, should I start putting that extra point into vit, str, or do str on one level, vit the next? Keep in mind that I'm planning on PvPing a lot.

Also, is -int a valid option for early-mid level barbs? I just bought Handaxes of Demonic Roar for mine (-.05 int), not that I'd keep them forever, but I'm also thinking of buying Bracers of Blood Moon (LA wrists with -.1 int, for all you who don't know) when I can wear them. I personally think that it wouldn't be a bad choice for helping with attacks, and even as a lv60 item they have more pdef than the TT90 gold LA bracers (wasn't gonna buy the 90 LA for my barb, but I know this as a sin). So, would wearing those classify me as a fail barb, or are they still a decent option? (I WOULD have the stats to wear them because of my build including 1 dex per level so far) b:surrender

EDIT: I do know that -int doesn't do too much with already low attack speeds thanks to some math, by the way, but seeing as -int classes are so dominant, it seems like every bit would count.

Dagnatic - Sanctuary · November 2010

ok, Id stick with axes, Fists for barbs are really only an option 89+ in my veiw, when you can start to get Demon skills, and you have to start competeing with 4-5aps Bm's Sin's and archers. It is Also a waist of Money to try and get 4-5aps at -low-mid levels, Despite what people say, we still level fast enough, so ited be a waist of time and money to try and get -int before lvl 89.

PK wise with the extra points after maxing your dex to whatever you think suits, id pump into Vit, PvP wise it will probably give you longer survivability, where as the extra STR wont add much to your dmg.

Poison fang, I think its an extra 12% wood dmg added to your normal attack, so it wont reduce your dmg against wood mobs

Hope this helped
cheers

Blood_Panda - Raging Tide · November 2010

Barb Axe Build is about Spike Damage,

The Reason why most bard doesnt add dex is because we got BloodBath/devour which help tons for accuracy,

Adding more dex= less str, less vit making hard to either Equip on level Axe or Less Hp to actually tank boss

with Demon Beast Onslaught, Crit is always happening
with Calamity Axe, its either Crit, zerg or (Crit + Zerg)

so once you get demon, you will get the Crits the accuracy you desire no worries. b:laugh

Aggro Holding wouldnt be an issue as long as you have max Flesh ream and you dont have Attitude Squad mate.

Kyrael - Dreamweaver · November 2010

Mmkay, to clear up, no, I'm not going claws. I'm using axes. b:surrender

I AM planning on capping my dex at a decent amount; I was asking if I should pump more into str or vit after that point, and if wearing one piece of LA with -int would be bad compared to an average piece of HA. It's not like I'm gonna be an uber dex build, but that I'm adding the dex early so that BEFORE I can use Bloodbath, misties, etc., I can hit my targets in PvP. (So far that has worked out nicely; I hit 30 tonight and have easily defeated all my targets. b:cute Watching 3x people rage about a "lv50" killing them is amusing when I'm lower level than them.)

Thanks for the answer about Poison Fang. b:thanks

Now, would anyone care to ACTUALLY answer the remaining question? b:chuckle
Better phrasing than original post: AS AN AXE BARB, would wearing Bracers of Blood Moon (-.1 int) be a viable option for attacking, despite the low returns on -int at the lower attack speeds?

Wreck - Harshlands · November 2010

Umm, 60-70 won't take long and once you get your XS you can basically 3-4 shot mobs as a vit build. So, unless you already have the bracers (Assuming you do) and have the dex required to wear them, I wouldn't waste the time. Side note: If you're not going claws then you should cap dex at 55. 55 dex is enough to (after Onslaught) be at par with archers, anything more is superfluous.

Kyrael - Dreamweaver · November 2010

Wreck - Harshlands wrote: »

Umm, 60-70 won't take long and once you get your XS you can basically 3-4 shot mobs as a vit build. So, unless you already have the bracers (Assuming you do) and have the dex required to wear them, I wouldn't waste the time. Side note: If you're not going claws then you should cap dex at 55. 55 dex is enough to (after Onslaught) be at par with archers, anything more is superfluous.

I'm not interested in power-leveling. b:cute I'm mostly just trying to practice PvP skills and have some fun, so I plan to level slow and take my time with my gear.
Again, this question isn't about power OR accuracy, it's about if -int is viable on an axe barb.

Also, why would you cap dex at 55 when that's 5 points from 60, which gives you more crit? o.o;; ijs, crits are nice, especially when you don't have to cast a skill for them.

MrSyko - Raging Tide · November 2010

Honestly, I don't think the minimal -int off the light bracers is going to do much. Might as well just with stick heavy armor. (I mean 0.83 aps from axes is going to be crappy no matter what gear you use)

As for the placement on the spare skill point at later levels after you cap dex, I would say Vit. Then again, I'm a Vit barb, so that may be a biased statement...

My 2 cents. Thanks for reading b:thanks

Sakubatou - Sanctuary · November 2010

I don't pk, and although I duel in other classes I rarely duel on my barb.

But, I still have 2 cents to add. Poison Fang does add extra wood damage, rebuff every 15 minutes.

Bracers of Blood Moon and good until 90 but the option I'd recommend is TT90 gold HA bracers to replace them out (gain ~300 pdef, lose ~30 mdef). Interval becomes better as its stacked, but really doesn't do much until higher attack speeds. With axe class having attack rates of .83 or .91 the -.1 would take you from .83~> .91 or from .91~>1.0 aps. So you really are only gaining .08 or .09 attacks every second if you only have that one piece of -int. -Int gear is rare until 90+.

I like your build, its the one I used and I think you'll appreciate the increased accuracy. I'd recommend capping at 80 and then chosing to restat endgame to either land on 100 or land on 120 with gear. After that I'd add to strength, depending on how well your gear is refined (try to hit hp benchmarks of what other barbs have, ie 8k by lvl 70 for bh59, 10k by lvl80 for bh69, 12k for FCC by level 90). As long as you can do your job with your vitality and not make things too rough on the cleric add it to strength.

For more accuracy others have recommending Beastial Onslaught but that only lasts for 8 seconds and has a cooldown of 8 seconds, and a cast of 1.5 so guarunteed 15% of the time it won't be on, more if you are mid attack or being stunned, and first you have to hit them to put it on. It's also a lvl 49+ skill. Blood Bath helps with this but I don't like the loss of my hp. If you are in your 60's and have Blood Bath leveled and have 6000 hp thats still a loss of 1080 hp, alot to give up before duel even starts.

Wreck - Harshlands · November 2010

Kyrael - Dreamweaver wrote: »

I'm not interested in power-leveling. b:cute I'm mostly just trying to practice PvP skills and have some fun, so I plan to level slow and take my time with my gear.
Again, this question isn't about power OR accuracy, it's about if -int is viable on an axe barb.

Also, why would you cap dex at 55 when that's 5 points from 60, which gives you more crit? o.o;; ijs, crits are nice, especially when you don't have to cast a skill for them.

My response didn't have anything to do with power leveling... My archer was 60-70 for a grand total of 8 days and I was in HH most of that week. Your bracers are the difference between .83 attacks per second and .93, virtually unnoticeable. At the cost of almost 30 extra, from base stat to use lvl 60 gear, they aren't worth it. Unless, like I said before, you have already specced the extra. I say cap dex at 55 because after demon onslaught and demon sunder you're not going to notice 1% crit. It's your build though, do what you want.

Kyrael - Dreamweaver · November 2010

MrSyko wrote:

Honestly, I don't think the minimal -int off the light bracers is going to do much. Might as well just with stick heavy armor. (I mean 0.83 aps from axes is going to be crappy no matter what gear you use)

As for the placement on the spare skill point at later levels after you cap dex, I would say Vit. Then again, I'm a Vit barb, so that may be a biased statement...

My 2 cents. Thanks for reading

Thanks for the answer. n.n I've done the math to realize that -int has increasing rather than diminishing returns, meaning that at low attack speeds you get **** returns (I believe that, with a poleaxe/polehammer and maxed interval gear at endgame you can only get 1.25 APS if I remember correctly), while weapons with naturally high speeds like daggers and fists get omfgamazing returns.

I'm still undecided on the stats though.

I'll probably stat in whatever I feel I'm lacking in.

Sakubatou wrote:

Bracers of Blood Moon and good until 90 but the option I'd recommend is TT90 gold HA bracers to replace them out (gain ~300 pdef, lose ~30 mdef). Interval becomes better as its stacked, but really doesn't do much until higher attack speeds. With axe class having attack rates of .83 or .91 the -.1 would take you from .83~> .91 or from .91~>1.0 aps. So you really are only gaining .08 or .09 attacks every second if you only have that one piece of -int. -Int gear is rare until 90+.

My sin is using her BoBM until 99, actually. They have more pdef than the 90 gold wrists. But yeah, I guess for HA I'd have to switch them out before then. Also, I thought .91 went up to something like .93 with -.05 int and still less than 1 APS at -.1. o.o Then again, I did those calculations at three in the morning a month ago, so... b:shocked

Sakubatou wrote:

I like your build, its the one I used and I think you'll appreciate the increased accuracy. I'd recommend capping at 80 and then chosing to restat endgame to either land on 100 or land on 120 with gear. After that I'd add to strength, depending on how well your gear is refined (try to hit hp benchmarks of what other barbs have, ie 8k by lvl 70 for bh59, 10k by lvl80 for bh69, 12k for FCC by level 90). As long as you can do your job with your vitality and not make things too rough on the cleric add it to strength.

So far I haven't lost in any PvP encounter I've had, so even though PvP at 3x sucks, it's still something. Since I haven't had the spirit to put anything into Bloodbath yet (and since my HP saves me), I'm relying on my dex for accuracy, and it isn't letting me down.
(Plus I have experience merchanting now, so I've been able to make a pretty penny to fund my new barb already. b:avoid)

Wreck wrote:

My response didn't have anything to do with power leveling... My archer was 60-70 for a grand total of 8 days and I was in HH most of that week. Your bracers are the difference between .83 attacks per second and .93, virtually unnoticeable. At the cost of almost 30 extra, from base stat to use lvl 60 gear, they aren't worth it. Unless, like I said before, you have already specced the extra. I say cap dex at 55 because after demon onslaught and demon sunder you're not going to notice 1% crit. It's your build though, do what you want.

Again, I level slow. b:surrender My sin stayed in her 60s for at least a month cause I spend time grinding for coin and farming rather than BHing and whatnot. And presumably I'm keeping her at 84 or 85 until I have the funds for an -int tome. This sort of mindset is what's gonna most likely happen with my barb, especially since he's the only char I have on LC.
Personally I even notice the -.05 int on my barb's Handaxes of Demonic Roar. It's not a huge difference, but as an -int junkie sin I notice attack speeds.

I'm probably capping my dex somewhere around 60 or 80, maybe more, depending on the results I see and want. And back to the slow leveling thing, my main isn't even at her sage/demon culti yet. A casual alt I use for PK isn't gonna get to demon any time soon.

EDIT: OHMYGOD. Wall of text. I'm sorry. b:surrender

Blood_Panda - Raging Tide · November 2010

just to add, Flesh Ream is 100% accuracy. You can use that to pvp against Archer and Sin before you get your bloodBath.

b:pleased

Wreck - Harshlands · November 2010

Mighty Swing is 100% accuracy now too.

GohRaL - Sanctuary · November 2010

Kyrael - Dreamweaver wrote: »

Mmkay. First off, my main is a sin, obvious from my avatar. I know my way around what tanks should and shouldn't do, how to play, etc. I'm looking for a clear up on Poison Fang and some opinions on my armor plans. My barb is currently 28 on Lost City, meaning I'm gearing and raising him for PvP.

First off, Poison Fang. I know that it's supposed to add wood damage to your attack, but is this addition added to your base attack damage or factored in? i.e., if my normal hits do 250, would my current lv2 PF add on 30 damage in wood damage (12% of 250) or would 12% of my hit be wood damage? I'm thinking it's the former, but I was wondering because of all the wood mobs in the first few levels, which would obviously make Poison Fang gimp my damage if it were calculated as the latter.

Next, my armor/build.
I've been statting 3 str 1 vit 1 dex per level, but planning on capping dex later on. As a sin at heart, I hate missing and I like crits, so I had to bypass the "bare minimum dex all the time" build. Now, whenever I cap dex, should I start putting that extra point into vit, str, or do str on one level, vit the next? Keep in mind that I'm planning on PvPing a lot.

Also, is -int a valid option for early-mid level barbs? I just bought Handaxes of Demonic Roar for mine (-.05 int), not that I'd keep them forever, but I'm also thinking of buying Bracers of Blood Moon (LA wrists with -.1 int, for all you who don't know) when I can wear them. I personally think that it wouldn't be a bad choice for helping with attacks, and even as a lv60 item they have more pdef than the TT90 gold LA bracers (wasn't gonna buy the 90 LA for my barb, but I know this as a sin). So, would wearing those classify me as a fail barb, or are they still a decent option? (I WOULD have the stats to wear them because of my build including 1 dex per level so far) b:surrender

EDIT: I do know that -int doesn't do too much with already low attack speeds thanks to some math, by the way, but seeing as -int classes are so dominant, it seems like every bit would count.

1. Poison Fang add wood damage to your normal damage, so it's 250 + 12% = 250 p.dmg + 30 wood dmg

2. Cap dex at 60 or 80. As i did, you have to look at gear and then decide based to the +dex bonus u can have

3. -INT equip are USELESS with AXES and even worse if you just have 2 pieces, -int build for barbs are for demon/sage fist users which are 99+

Well, at early level i capped dex at 40 so i was able to land almost every hit, then slowly pumped till 60 (green stat)...

Once you capped dex you decide to pump the other stats, the usual is VIT rather than STR, but it's your choice...

One last thing, is nice to level slow and be able to sharpen strategies and pvp skill, but if you wanna make money you've better level up a bit...

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