| GAMESPOT.COM | PC GAMES | VIDEO GAMES | PC HARDWARE | GAMESPOT LIVE | GAMEBUYER |
|
|
|
PC GAMES News Reviews Previews Movies/Media Downloads Hints/Codes GameGuides.com Special Features Beta Center Release Calendar Forums Top Games
PC GENRES |
 |
"He is unequaled in close-quarters combat and mastery of weapons..." For melee warfare, there's no better choice than the impressive Barbarian. The Barbarian skill tree offers masteries in various hand-to-hand weapons and powerful damage enhancers, including bash, double swing, leap attack, and whirlwind. If you desire to seek out the best hand-to-hand weapons, get the best armor, and fight toe-to-toe with Diablo II's fiercest creatures, select the Barbarian and prepare for intense melee combat. Barbarian Attributes It's little surprise that strength takes precedence among the Barbarian's statistics. You receive five attribute points per level, and you should pump at least two into strength each time you gain a new level. You want to reach the 60s as quickly as possible, so your Barbarian can wear suits of strong armor; don't neglect dexterity, though, which determines chance to hit and defensive rating. You're going toe-to-toe with most monsters; you'll need defense, and you must hit the beasts more than they hit you. Vitality and energy aren't as important initially, especially if you're using the find potion skill to search corpses for healing potions - it's possible to remain healthy with the abundance of potions alone. Early in the game, put extra points into vitality with some into energy every so often. As a Barbarian, you should have enough strength to take on most enemies without the need of mana-using skills. Once you reach some of the higher levels and gain access to the more powerful skills, such as double swing, leap attack, and, eventually, whirlwind, you should start diverting more points into energy to keep your mana supply high. TIP: Mana-stealing weapons can turn a high-level Barbarian into a juggernaut. Cherish each mana-stealing magical weapon you find. Seek out skulls, which can be used in socketed weapons to steal both life and mana from the enemy. A Barbarian with mana-stealing weaponry and the whirlwind skill is a devastating combination - the more monsters to whirlwind, the better! The Barbarian in Combat The Barbarian doesn't shy away from getting his hands dirty - the Barbarian excels in close-quarters combat with multiple hand-to-hand weapons. This section details the Barbarian in combat and how to improve the Barbarian's destructive power by acquiring mastery skills, war cries, and special attacks, such as leap attack. Weapon Mastery A Barbarian can specialize in one of six different weapon-types - sword, axe, mace, pole arm, throwing, spear - through use of the skill tree. It's possible to find dominant weapons in each category, so you could succeed with any route. Don't limit yourself to a single weapon mastery; if you pump a bunch of points into sword mastery, but later find some unique axes, you may have to decide to either waste an excellent axe or the improved sword mastery. Further, the biggest improvement is gained by simply putting one point into each skill (nearly 30 percent to damage rating). Be ready to improve multiple weapon masteries, but don't go overboard. Swords and axes are plentiful and powerful in the early game; pole arms can be powerful late-game weapons. Maces carry 150 percent damage to the undead. With sufficient mace mastery, you can buzz through Diablo II's second act and its abundance of undead monsters. TIP: If you have a choice between a socketed weapon full of gems or a weapon with inherent magical properties, it's often best to use the gem-socketed weapon. The socketed weapon will be less expensive to repair, a constant concern for the aggressive Barbarian. If you aren't careful, you could run out of gold keeping up with the high cost of magical item repair. You'll eventually want to combine your weapons mastery with a skill like double swing, which enhances the Barbarian's ability to carry a one-handed weapons in each hand. When two weapons are equipped, double swing attacks two targets if possible or one target twice. An improved weapon mastery skill combined with dual-weapon (of that mastery type) double swing is a powerful combination. TIP: You can actually carry two two-handed swords - one an each hand. You can't hold two two-handed axes this way, but you can use the swords. Keep this in mind should you desire this route and wish to improve sword mastery and double swing skills. Knockback weapons can be useful in many situations, but could pose problems late in the game, especially against life-stealing creatures or if you're already overwhelmed with beasties. The Barbarian's double swing and other bonuses to damage and attack rating often mean your best course of action is to get toe-to-toe, assault quickly, and finish off the beast as quickly as possible. Knocking back the creature could just prolong the battle and open you to damage from other creatures.
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||
