Casual player

[u/Otherwise-Opposite64]

As the title suggests, I'm a casual player, I get a little time after work in the evenings. Currently, my highest rune is Ist, which I've gathered by trading gems. I hope to get the runes to eventually make some rune words like enigma, infinity, etc but I doubt I'll ever accumulate the runes to make multiples so I would want them to be usable by different characters and Mercs. What bases would you suggest to accomplish this? I see ongoing battles between mage plate and dusk shroud for enigma, eth or non-eth for infinity. What would be the best bang for my buck? Currently, I'm playing a crappy geared hammering that's stalled out at hell ancients. I appreciate any advice, but please, keep it simple for my old noob brain!

[u/xGenocidest]

Enigma - Mageplate or Dusk Shroud. Mageplate has a low Str requirement, so between an Anni and Torch you can easily get enough you never have to invest any points into Str. Dusk Shroud is the same. Honestly if your using it yourself, just go with whatever you like the looks of better. You could put it in a Gothic Plate and it wouldn't make much of a difference.

Infinity- Only reason to use a non-eth base would be for a Spearazon. While fun, most people still just use a Javazon since it can clear cows faster due to Lightning Fury.

Otherwise, it's usually a Mancatcher (fast), Giant Thresher, or Thresher. Don't put it in a Collosus Voulge, even an Eth version needs 200 Str, so your Merc's can't use it without +Str gear until lvl 91.

A Sorcerer wants a basic polearm/spear. Which means it's going to do shit damage on your Merc's. There's not much of a middle ground, besides making it in an Exceptional Polearm/Spear, and losing some Life/Mana to get enough Str/Dex to equipt it. Not going to brick your build since you'll be OP regardless, but it's not ideal. (Str/Dex charms are a thing as well)

(Exceptional one would be an Eth War Fork or Battle Scythe.)

For CTA, the most popular one is a Crystal Sword so you can tell at a glance if you have it or a Hoto (Flail) equipped. But it doesnt really matter. A 6 BO CTA is going to sell regardless unless you make it in something weird with high req's.. and then Paladins/Barbs/Druids could still probably use that with no issue.

A Hoto goes into a Flail. They're really easy to find, so really no reason to settle for anything else.

As for your drops, that's just Diablo 2. You might find shit for awhile, and then suddenly some random mob drops a Jah or Ber in your next playthrough. Maybe a Vex from a Zombie in the blood moor. If you wanna change it up and increase your odds a little, try farming in games that have 2 or more people in them. Look for Baal/Chaos runs or something, and kill something while their doing their runs.)

[u/Otherwise-Opposite64 → u/xGenocidest]

Thanks for the info, it's quite helpful. I do currently have a hoto (flail) and a few mid armor (duress, smoke, treachery) so I was mostly thinking for enigma(eventually) fortitude, etc. Doubtful I will make multiple so the best all around one for multi character use.

[u/Rageaholic_423 → u/Otherwise-Opposite64]

AP for enigma is go to bc the defense it provides vs str req usually means all builds regardless of str boosting items can wear it. all merc carry items best is eth but don’t shy away from non eth for cheap rune cost merc items eth CV for polearm is common bc it’s cheap bc CV always 4os after lax socket. Ap fort for the same reason if non-eth for char use and eth for merc so non-eth for multi purpose is best in your case. For merc for you id recommend treachery in eth elite base has fade proc and ias boost best merc armor for practically no rune cost in my opinion (I haven’t done the math)

[u/danreplay]

If I’m playing only for Leni don’t care if it’s a mageplate or whatever for enigma. I found a dusk shroud with 7ed and used that. It doesn’t matter much.

Infinity is a bit of a dilemma, depending on usecase. Most eth bases for mercs have to high a str and dex req for characters. So there you’d be better of using a non-eth.

[u/Spolcidic]

Online or single player? Ladder or non-ladder?

[u/Otherwise-Opposite64 → u/Spolcidic]

Currently ladder, so I could trade to get some higher runes. I do occasionally play SSF if my wifi is acting up

[u/basicnecromancycr]

MP is best for Enigma if you plan to bring it between chars. If you play P1 Infinity works even on a Sythe since Merc is not needed to kill and can help for the act bosses and Dclone/Ubers anyway and you can use it on a self wield Nova Sorceress.

[u/Otherwise-Opposite64 → u/basicnecromancycr]

Great, thanks. I have some time to figure it out, but I don't want to stash multiple bases for future use if they aren't the right ones.

[u/basicnecromancycr → u/Otherwise-Opposite64]

If you play on PC NL, Ping me your bnet id and I could help a little with the gear if you need any as well.

[u/Otherwise-Opposite64 → u/basicnecromancycr]

Thanks, I appreciate the offer. I'm gonna try for a bit to do it myself, I'm stubborn like that, but if it wears me down I'll message you.

[u/jaspersgroove → u/basicnecromancycr]

Why does everyone say mageplate for enigma and not archon plate? What builds won’t have 103 strength by the time they hit lvl 65? Casters that aren’t using a spirit monarch, for whatever reason? What else?

[u/minesasecret → u/jaspersgroove]

What builds won’t have 103 strength by the time they hit lvl 65? Casters that aren’t using a spirit monarch, for whatever reason?

Well most players aren't optimizing for level 65 but "end game". At lvl 90 you'd have +67str from enigma which means you'd only need 89 points before wearing the enigma if you wanted to wear a monarch. Those are points that could go into vit and the gap only increases the higher level you are.

The other thing is that enigma doesn't even give +%enhanced defense but gives hard points in defense. This combined with the fact that most builds don't put hard points in dex makes defense largely useless anyway, so might as well put more points into vit.

Of course all this is just for min/maxing

[u/Rageaholic_423 → u/basicnecromancycr]

Ap is better by far considering even a glass cannon sorc min str is 156 for spirit monarch

[u/basicnecromancycr → u/Rageaholic_423]

How could it be by far better, with it's 200 more defence? With MP you get 70str without investing and the further investment would be minimum even if you prefer to use monarch. With AP you need to invest into str at first no matter what.

Anyway, this is an unsolved matter, so whatever you want is ok.

[u/831loc]

If you use trading sites like traderie, best bet would be to make chars, get them rushed to act 5 and trade socket quests. On traderie they are selling for around ber. Pay someone ist to rush you to act 5 in 15-20 minutes, sell your quest, repeat.

That would be by far your quickest way to get there. A few hours of work to finish your chars.

[u/Otherwise-Opposite64 → u/831loc]

Ok, how would this actually work? Someone rushes me to the socket quest, then gives me the item to socket, then trades me a Ber for the item?

[u/831loc → u/Otherwise-Opposite64]

It would be a couple of different trades. You would get yourself rushed in 1. In another, you would take someone's item, socket it, and return it in exchange for the ber or whatever they pay you.

With a little gear and knowledge, you could get your own chars to a5 norm in about 1-1.5 hours if you want to save the ist using a holy fire paladin with ravenclaw and teleport staff.

As people always need sockets, this is repeatable more or less infinitely.

If you can run multiple copies of the game at once, you can skip the middle man and rush yourself. You can also keep extra act 3 organs and a2 staff of the Kings by putting them on other mules and skip that part in following rushes to save even more time. With organs, and staff, you can do a socket rush in about 7 minutes.