# Diablo 2 content patch next week **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 16, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654 "2010-03-16T15:11:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2010, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/81 "2010-04-19T06:09:09Z")
Current accounts: sd-enchant – The enchantress and the noob mule (plus a junk mule) sd\_barber – The barbarian, plus probably some junk mules sd\_nails – The hammerdin, plus definitely some junk mules, and a whites mule sd-smallstuff – Runes, gems, jewelry, etc. sd-classmules – For items suited to a particular class (plus one for hirelings) sd-mules1 – A socketed mule, plus assorted junk mules hirka – You know this one, of course. Your necro and assassin micahphone – So far as I know, just the MF sorc appleciders – Zealot paladin plus a few other chars sonorhC – My zon ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/82 "2010-04-25T17:20:38Z")
Add to the account list: sd-bossy, with a smiter. And the next time I see anyone else on at the same time as me, I’m going to make 8 new mule accounts: \*sd-unweap, for normal unique weapons. One character each for axes, bows/crossbows, maces, polearms, rods (scepters/staves/wands), spears, and swords \*sd-unarmor, for normal unique armor. One each for helms, body/belts, shields, gloves, and boots, plus probably a second body armor. \*sd-uexweap, for exceptional unique weapons. Same divisions as for norm \*sd-uexarmor, for exceptional unique armor. \*sd-uelweap, for elite unique weapons \*sd-uelarmor, for elite unique armor \*sd-lowsets, for sets Angelic through Vidala, two sets per character \*sd-highsets, for Aldur’s through Trang’s, two sets per character ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/83 "2010-04-25T20:47:35Z")
I just found this thread and decided to see if I could get on. (A while back they booted both my accounts for using them at the same time. Anybody know if it’s safe to use D2Loader?) Parking my mule while I go to work. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/84 "2010-04-25T20:50:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Anybody know if it’s safe to use D2Loader? Unfortunately, no, it is not currently safe to use it. Last I knew they were still banning CD keys for D2Loader. C, I don’t know when I’ll be able to play for awhile, big test tomorrow, and another later this week. However, if you want me to get on just to hold a game open, I can do that for you. Just let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/85 "2010-04-25T20:56:55Z")
To really sort out the mules efficiently would take two people actually participating: One to cycle through the old mules, and one to cycle through the new ones, plus occasional tradescreening for valuable items. **Rucksinator** , what’s your account name? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/86 "2010-04-25T22:06:43Z")
I’ll be on late tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/87 "2010-04-26T00:16:11Z")
My account is Rucksinator6 Just got back from work. I can play most all night (Although I shouldn’t. Got class tomorrow.) ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/88 "2010-04-26T00:20:54Z")
Whoa… what is this “Reset stat/skill points”? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/89 "2010-04-26T00:52:35Z")
That’s one of the things they added in the new patch. Click it, and all of your points are unassigned, so you can change your build. You get one each difficulty from the Den quest, and then additional from some special collectible items the Hell act bosses occasionally drop. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/90 "2010-04-26T06:39:18Z")
Looking closer at the changes, I have a few questions. > [@](#): > > - Uber Mephisto and Uber Baal’s summoned minions no longer give experience. Does this mean no more Uber Leveling? (I don’t think I ever did this with you guys, but I got in a group and was amazed at how fast people were leveling.) > [@](#): > > - Blessed Hammer - No longer ignores resistances of undead and demons. Is this a serious nerf? > [@](#): > > ``` > Amazon > > ``` > > - Immolation Arrow - Increased radius of Explosion effect by 33% and > Immolation effect by 50%. > - Immolation Arrow - Explosion effect damage increased by 20%. > - Immolation Arrow - Increased base duration by 33%. I guess this was needed since nobody ever used Immolation Arrow. I guess my overall question is: How have these changes affected builds? Are Immolation bowazons more common? Hammerdins done with? What builds are now common that were rarely seen before? What builds did you used to see all the time that you don’t (or won’t) anymore? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/91 "2010-04-26T17:54:57Z")
> [@Rucksinator](#): > > I guess my overall question is: How have these changes affected builds? Are Immolation bowazons more common? Hammerdins done with? > What builds are now common that were rarely seen before? What builds did you used to see all the time that you don’t (or won’t) anymore? I haven’t noticed any radical appearances or disappearances. Hammerdins are still common (they seem to be among the most prevalent of bots running Diablo and Baal). I also haven’t seen an Immolation bowazon yet. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/92 "2010-04-26T20:56:31Z")
The thing with hammerdins is, magic is still by far the least common immunity, so they can still handle significantly more things than almost any other character. Consider the Hell-difficulty Council of Zakarum, for instance: There’s always one that’s fire-immune, cold-immune, one that’s fire-immune, lit-immune, and one that’s cold-immune, lit-immune. So if you want to be able to kill them, you have three choices: Use physical or poison damage, which tends to be much lower than spells; use at least three different elements, which you don’t really have enough skill points for; or use magic damage, which for practical purposes means a hammerdin. It does seem to me that I’ve seen more amazons than last season, but they were all in leveling-up games where most people don’t have their primary attack well-developed yet, so they might have been aiming for Immolation Arrow for all I could tell. I think another possibility is that people are planning ahead for torch runs, and are building zons to kill Pandemonium Pit Lords, now that hammerdins can’t handle them any more (this was one factor in my decision to make a zon). These would be using either Multishot or Strafe, and probably hoping to use a Faith runeword bow, ultimately. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/93 "2010-04-27T23:37:07Z")
Few questions since it’s been awhile and my memory is bad: Should I hold onto a 3-socket breast plate? What other socketed items should I be on the lookout for? Can you give me a brief breakdown of what level I should be at when doing certain things (Ancients, going to NM/Hell, etc)? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/94 "2010-04-28T00:47:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Should I hold onto a 3-socket breast plate? Yes if it’s exceptional with enhanced defense, but no otherwise. It’s a popular choice for Enigma due to the low strength requirement, but anyone making Enigma isn’t going to settle for a less than optimal base item. Other socketed items to keep include elite polearms with 4 sockets (Insight, Pride, or Infinity), Matriarchal or Grand Matron bows with +3 skills and 3 (Melody) or 4 (Faith, Ice) sockets, elite armors with 3 or 4 (a wide variety of words), phase blades with 3 or more (Crescent Moon, Passion, Grief, Last Wish), and barbarian helms with assorted warcries on them and 2 (Lore) or 3 (Delerium) sockets. You can get normal Ancients as early as 20, but it’s not worth it until 24, because the XP from Baal runs sucks until 25 (there’s an abrupt change that happens at that level). Norm Baal runs will be the best XP right up until level 40, when you can get credit for NM Ancients and start NM Baal runs, and likewise NM Baal runs are the best XP up until 60 when you can get Hell Ancients and start Baal runs. How much earlier than that you go to NM/Hell depends on how many levels you expect to get while questing-- If you’re rushed, that’ll be about 5-10. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/95 "2010-04-28T06:55:08Z")
Is a 15% IAS, 22% Poison resist jewel worth much? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/96 "2010-04-28T07:13:47Z")
> [@Rucksinator](#): > > Is a 15% IAS, 22% Poison resist jewel worth much? 15% ias plus any other useful mod is probably worth saving. I might use that for my zealdin. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/97 "2010-04-28T07:55:45Z")
Sorry to interrupt; I’m just curious. How popular is this game these days? I just met somebody at a party who still plays, and I used to play a lot back in the day. (I’ll never forget my hardcore king being killed due to inactivity because my friend failed to log in…) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/98 "2010-04-28T19:32:58Z")
Well, it’s nowhere near Starcraft levels of popularity, but I can’t think of two games that age that are still going as strong. It’s not hard to find games online, and the servers seem as full as they always have. Agreed on saving that jewel, BTW. If **appleciders** doesn’t take it, my zon might. She’s shaping up to look pretty good for Andy-running; I’m thinking of putting a Venom Ward on her merc. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/99 "2010-04-28T22:51:20Z")
Whoever needs the jewel the most can have it. I got my Immolation Zon up to lvl 67 last night. Still not sure that Immolation is worth much, but I can always just change her to something else, right? (My first change will probably be to full-on Immolation, with it’s synergies, because I put too much into Multi. But I can adjust stats at least 3x, right?) I’ll be on from now until at least 9, and then probably half the night, depending who is there. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654/100 "2010-04-29T01:23:41Z")
C, I got too eager and got tempbanned for joining. I’ll be on very late tonight, maybe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diablo-2-content-patch-next-week/532654.md?page=6)