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You receive a skill point each time you advance a level (plus you'll receive more from completing particular quests, such as the Den of Evil quest in Act I). It's important to plan your skill choices ahead. Some high-level skills have multiple prerequisites, meaning you must follow two paths down the tree to reach that particularly skill. Further, it can be a tough decision whether or not to add multiple points into a particular skill - and how many should you add? Naturally, your skill choices will follow your playing style. As a norm, for your first time through, you should concentrate on either the bow or javelin skills. That way, you can beef up particular skills in that tree and not waste points on weapons you aren't using all the time. Out of all the character classes, the Amazon is perhaps the most specialized, at least on the first time through the game. Wasting points on unneeded skills, at least at that time, can prove costly when you reach the tougher unique enemies and boss monsters in acts three and four. There's certainly no right or wrong way to choose skills. All skills can prove useful under the right circumstances, with the right equipment, and for the particular player. Keep in mind that some skills have two prerequisite skills. Even if you reach a particular skill's prerequisite level - such as level 18 and the guided arrow - you must also have already acquired multiple shot and cold arrow to use the new skill. Plan ahead and consider hoarding skill points until the higher skills appear. In this section, you'll find a 30 skill point example for an Amazon player specializing in bow and crossbow weapons. This is simply a guideline, and it's very likely you'll find better combinations to suit your personal style. NOTE: The plan presented below is one of thousands and thousands of potential combinations. For the most part, the plan is presented to illustrate the reasoning behind skill choices and isn't meant to be the only, the best, or even one of the best ways to spend your points. Everyone will have their personal preference - which was certainly the case around Blizzard's development offices where virtually every member of the QA team had their own personal style! Magic arrow - 7 skill points Inner sight - 1 skill point Critical strike - 6 points Cold arrow - 2 points Fire arrow - 2 points Slow missiles - 1 point Dodge - 1 point Avoid - 2 points Evade - 2 points Decoy - 1 point Ice arrow - 2 point Penetrate - 2 points Pierce - 1 point This is only one of thousands of possibilities for a high-level Amazon (30 skill points, not counting skill points you would receive completing quests or boosted by magical items). Magic arrow is a useful skill, especially to raise to higher levels; magic arrow actually costs less mana the higher the skill level. Raise the skill to around seven or eight, and it barely costs any mana to use the magical arrow (which is useful, since it won't use regular arrow ammunition). Cold and fire arrow provide nice alternatives, depending on the current opponent, with an emphasis on cold witnessed by the selection of ice arrow. The selection of slow missions and decoy not only supply decent defensive magic, but pave the way for valkyrie, a must have once you're above level 30, at the next skill point. Early in the game, you can use magic arrow in combination with fire arrow to eliminate most early beasts. Place inner sight on a hotkey so you can quickly access the skill; inner sight decreases a target's defense and affects all monsters within a certain radius. Start pumping points into critical strike; eventually, you'll want the skill up to five or six, so you're doing double damage approximately 50 percent of the time. During the middle game, you're still employing magic arrow, certainly at a low cost by this point, along with cold, fire, and ice arrow. Penetrate helps increase your attack rating for all ranged attacks, and slow missiles can provide some safety in dangerous situations against ranged attackers. Late in the game, pierce, a passive skill, provides a chance that your ranged attack will hit its target and continue to hit through others. You're still using magic arrow along with your elemental attacks. You should have powerful bow weaponry at this point, potentially with gems and other magical properties to further increase damage.
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