Comprehensive All-Content Bowazon Guide: Difference between revisions

'''Last Updated:''' 6 December 2020

 

 

This guide is a comprehensive resource for building a physical Bowazon that can farm any content in the game, including maps and ubers.

 

 

Skill allocation is highly debated among Bowazons, so the aim with this section is to inform you of the different choices and the advantages of each. Multiple Shot is the main clearing skill, Guided Arrow is the single target skill (currently bugged and doesn't convert to magic damage as the description says), and Magic Arrow is used for killing Physical Immunes. Valkyrie is maxed as she is an incredibly useful tank for maps and ubers, especially in situations where your mercenary can't handle the load.

There is an argument to only put 1 point in Guided Arrow and Magic Arrow, especially if your primary objective is to farm maps. While this will significantly reduce your single target damage, it allows for more points into Critical Strike and other quality of life skills to boost your mapping clearspeed. You can also remove the extra points from Magic Arrow if you have another way to deal with physical immunes, such as a source of Amplify Damage (see Gear and Mercenary sections) or other party members.

 

 

'''Strength:''' 134 including all gear and charms, enough for Windforce

'''Energy:''' None

 

 

I will only be listing here things that don't rely on luck to obtain (outside of mid runes, since they can be target farmed at countess). This section is mostly for people playing SP, that don't really like trading, that are just starting and have no currency, or just like playing self-found.

 

'''White/Blue/Yellow Bow''' - When starting out, just grab what you can find. Even a socketed bow with some chipped gems will do

 

'''Harmony''' - This bow is surprisingly good and you can complete the campaign with it. Prefer an elite base (such as Great Bow)

 

'''Lore''' - Cheap Runeword with +skills

 

'''3os Helm with 3 PTopaz''' - Useful for early MFing such as pit runs

 

'''Stealth''' - Nerfed in PD2, but dirt cheap and has some FRW so it's nice

 

'''3-4os Body with PTopaz''' - Useful for early MFing, especially if you don't have the runes for one of the above

 

'''Blue/Yellow gloves with 20% IAS''' - Attack speed is always nice

 

'''2/20 Yellow or 3/20 Blue gloves''' - The +skills here (should be Passive and Magic) can help, especially earlier on

 

'''Yellows''' - FRW, Resists, MF, Life

 

'''Yellows''' - Any belt with 4 rows and stats that are useful to you (Life, Resists, Dex, Strength)

 

'''Leech Rings''' - Grab Life Leech and Mana Leech here if you don't have it elsewhere

 

'''MF Rings''' - MF rings, and/or rings with stats (Life, Resists, Dex, Strength)

 

'''Skills Amulet''' - + Amazon skills or + Passive and Magic skills are the most useful here

 

'''Stats amulet''' - Life, Resists, Dex, Strength

 

Whatever you can find that will give you damage or utility, but prefer +Max charms, Life/Resist charms, and MF small charms.

 

 

This section serves as the gear to wear when transitioning to the full build, or to wear if you simply don't want to sink currency into it.

 

M'avina's is a really solid option, and at the time of writing the full set can be picked up for around Vex. It can be used either as a full set, or as a partial set. A build with pieces from Budget Gear and Best Gear will start to overtake M'avina's, so consider moving on when you get to that point.

 

'''Upped Witchwild String''' - This bow is hideously underrated. While it looks really bad on paper, the near 100% critical chance, 2 sockets, and very high level amplify damage are killer. The 40 all resists are just an added bonus. I personally think this bow is about as good as it gets for budget gear, but other option may start to outshine it if you're heading into the final build.

 

'''Upped Buriza''' - Disgustingly good +max damage, but suffers from being a crossbow. Very slow attack speed, but hits like a truck

 

'''Stealskull''' - Leech and MF, it's alright. If you corrupt some sockets, can have even more MF

 

'''Treachery''' - Use this if you really need help hitting your IAS breakpoints

 

'''Lionheart''' - Use this if you can hit your IAS breakpoints

 

 

'''Marrowalk''' - Cheap source of Cannot Be Frozen

 

'''Goblin Toe''' - Enhanced Damage and Crushing Blow, very decent

 

 

'''Nagelring''' - Some AR and MF

 

 

'''Gheed's Fortune''' - Worth having for the high MF alone

 

'''Small Charm''' - Look for Resists here (preferably also with Life)

 

 

While attack based builds typically can't hit really high magic find values without sacrificing a lot of clearspeed like casters, it is still viable to run MF gear with a Bowazon. Even just 100% is a significant improvement in loot with little to no compromise.

 

Pick one from one of the other sections, there are no bows worth running with MF on them.

 

'''Stealskull''' - Leech and MF, can socket and add PTopaz

 

'''Giant Skull''' - You still want 100% pierce, so consider this if you don't have it in another slot

 

'''Skullder's Ire''' - +Skills and good MF. Can puzzlebox or corrupt to add more MF

 

'''Crow Caw''' - You still want 100% pierce, so consider this if you don't have it in another slot

 

'''Chance Guards''' - They have great MF, but lack anything else useful (and no IAS!)

 

'''Soul Drainer''' - You still want 100% pierce, so if you don't have it in another slot, consider it here (no IAS on these though)

 

'''War Traveller's''' - These boots are just too good

 

'''Treads of C'Thon''' - You still want 100% pierce, so consider this if you don't have it in another slot

 

'''Goldwrap''' - IAS and MF, the only good MF option here really

 

'''Razortail''' - You still want 100% pierce, so if you can't get it in another slot, use this instead of Goldwrap

 

'''Nagelring''' - Best MF you can get on rings

 

'''Raven Frost''' - You still need Cannot Be Frozen, so use one of these if needed

 

'''Yellow''' - +Skills, MF, stats preferably

 

'''Unique''' - Prefer one of the other options like Cat's Eye or Atma's Scarab if you would prefer the speed

 

'''Gheed's Fortune''' - Best MF charm in the game by far

 

'''+Max Charms''' - MF is no good if you kill too slow, consider still running damage charms instead

 

 

'''Windforce''' - With the nerfs to Faith and the buffs to Windforce, there's really no competition. Ultimately you'd want an Enhanced Damage (preferably with another affix) corruption and 4os from the puzzlebox, socketed with 40/15s

 

'''Giant Skull''' - High pierce chance, Crushing Blow, Enhanced Damage, and high Strength - amazing helmet

 

'''Valkyrie Wing''' - +2 Amazon Skills, 40% Enhanced Damage, 30% Faster Run/Walk - not the best option here, but if you have the damage to need to move faster, this helmet can really shine. Also great for things like key farming where moving fast is, well, key

 

'''Fortitude''' - 200% Enhanced Damage, up to +150 life, up to 30 all resists, 4% max light res, 25% FCR (not great, but gives a few breakpoints for tele staff)

 

'''Crow Caw''' - 15% IAS, 30% Pierce, 15 Dex - this one is a little interesting as it is very different. With some corruption/socketing and the right jewels, this could be very strong

 

'''Laying of Hands''' - 20% IAS, High Damage to Demons, High Fire Resists - since demons are typically the monsters with the largest hp pools, these are very very good

 

'''War Traveller's''' - 15-25 damage (which is scaled massively by our gear and dex), FRW, MF - can't really beat these

 

'''Razortail''' - 33% pierce, 10 max damage, 15 dex - use this if not using Giant Skull

 

'''Nosferatu's Coil''' - 6% lifesteal, 20% IAS, 15 strength, 10% deadly strike - a better Goldwrap if you don't care for MF

 

'''Raven Frost''' - Needed if you don't have Cannot Be Frozen elsewhere

 

'''Yellow''' - can use this to fill gaps in the build such as leech, resists, damage, etc. Can also corrupt these for extras

 

'''Annihilus''' - +1 skills, resists, life on a small charm, no brainer

 

'''Resist Small Charms''' - Great for filling out the rest of your resistances, preferably with life

 

 

 

This is typically the preferred option, as she can provide Vigor on top of Fanaticism and Might. She also stays back more than the other Mercs so she doesn't really tend to ever die. The "Fire" mercenary is the one you want.

* Templar's Might - this will provide the Might aura to boost your physical damage further. You need to apply at least 1 socket to this, and either socket Hel runs, or jewels with -15% requirements and other goodies. This is because the strength requirement is too high for the Act 1 merc

 

 

This option has slightly higher damage, but doesn't provide the Vigor aura. With the Fanaticism on Beast being lower, it may also affect your gear choices slightly, since the IAS needed will be a tiny bit higher.

* Any defensive chest, Duriel's shell may be a nice option for Cannot Be Frozen if you don't take it elsewhere

 

 

The goal with mercenaries is to keep them alive. Below is my preferred gear, but feel free to put on whatever you like, it doesn't really matter.

* IAS Gloves - plenty of options here, fill in your mercs weaknesses I guess

 

 

This build can absolutely do ubers. Just make sure you have a source of crushing blow (Giant Skull and/or Gore Rider or Goblin Toe are great options). Valkyries are you best friend, especially against Lilith. You may need to spam them against her and just get in hits when you can, she is rather vicious. Obviously prefer good resists and a decent health pool for doing this, but I have successfully done uber tristram (albeit with several deaths) with negative resists and ~700 life.

 

 

Since the announced "fix" to "cheese strats," the viability of this build for DClone is unknown. Will update this section when we know more.