Uber Mod Hardcore Challenge: A Journey with Harbinger Build (In Progress)

[johnjov]

UberMod by Munderbunny takes the game to a new level with an ultimate challenge of tough monsters with better AI & 6xBosses, all having good resists as well as OA/DA bonuses. Following thread link consists of all the details: Uber Mod 1.0

Previous experience with my ongoing character, LvL 61 Epic Diviner, makes me wish for a pure melee dual-wielding tank that can face the toughest bosses without much kiting and relying less on spamming potions. Hence this new thread, which tracks the current progress of a Harbinger while seeking an optimum build that has the best of both the worlds - Warfare & Dream. Most ppl consider them over-powered, but in this Uber challenge, the hero will face his equal till he gets beaten to death

This hardcore challenge will focus on '0 deaths' that is purely untwinked while using the following mods - Infinite potion stack (too lazy to continuously teleport for potion re-stack), fixed time mode (night time graphics are quite system intensive), community fanpatch 1.17, Uber mod 1.0, EJFudd RNG fix mod (SoulSeekkor Defiler) & TheLordofSpace slow cast fix mod (SoulSeekkor Defiler).

Regular updates will be done after each major boss kill in all difficulties for all acts. Initial grinding & gold farming with a bow is quite slow and hence, progress update begins from character level 8 when both masteries are available for selection. Upgraded onslaught to level 4 for an average DPS. Hope this thread helps to give new Uber players a starting point for the challenging road ahead as mostly tricks/strategies will be used to avoid deadly confrontations with bosses. If in danger of dying, a quick exit/teleport to a safe area will be used.

(Latest character update) -

Character Name: Survivor

Harbinger Level: 67

Current Difficulty: Legendary

Current Location: Pellana Valley

Current Build with +2 to all skills (beyond skill max not visible in TitanCalc)


Beginning Character status -

Stats Screen

Data Screen

Build Screen


Some Useful Links:

Game Mechanics

Relic / Charm Farming Locations

Arcane Formula Farming Data

Farming Uniques by Location & Act

Relic completion Bonuses

Beginner's skill Guide

Beginner's attribute Guide

Tips to beat Hard Bosses/Monsters

Bosses & their Damage Types

Monster FAQ


PS: expert comments, advice & remarks are welcome for a better character build. Sometimes updates will take few weeks long if the toon is busy farming or in the case of a busy schedule

[johnjov]

Strategy in Helos: Collect as many white junk to refund it for gold. get experience to ~Level9 for adventure outside Helos. focusing on Warfare mastery to build up DPS, OA & resistances + infamous BS (battle standard). cannot rely much on energy consuming skills since not enough gold for buying mana potions. Dual-wield skills indeed do a quicker kill than bows for strength greater than 90. Survival with potions. Drink one before being mobbed. Boars die quicker with fast piercing weapons. kill boars only if badly in need of 'boar hide' relic. Dionysis wineskin relic's damage resist property saves some HP(hitpoints) from incoming damage.

Edit:

(1) BS + WarWind acquired and a great help against boar hordes. Now looking forward to ToC (Trance of Covalesence) as well as Distortion field for immense damage soaking. Dual wielding a lifeleech weapon & a stone hammer enchanted with valor of achilles relic for bonus speed. War wind ensures life leech from atleast 4 surrounding enemies when mobbed.

(2) quite lucky to get epic bow 'Stormstrike' that does ~85 DPS with onslaught on. saves some potions for my toon. still farming to reach level 13. plague birds & undead are more vulnerable to piercing damage. Bought some lightening resist gear for encounters with harpies.

(3) Stat point distribution strategy - 1:1 for both Strength & Dexterity. Dexterity bonus is important to Harbinger since there is no shield to block physical damage and hence as much dodge bonus from DA (Defensive ability) while OA grants the ability to critical as high as possible. Any reward attribute points can be assigned to Health. Across all difficulties, a total health bonus of around 500 HP can be accrued in this manner. A hidden factor is that health potions regenerate HP (hitpoints) much faster with a larger HP base value.

[johnjov]

Status Update: The hero reached Nessus and had to battle him with onslaught on. Weapons included one a fast sword with life leech & a hammer on first slot with epic Stormstrike on the second slot. Strategy was to use warwind on the first strike and the high DPS bow attack for the duration of life leech. Faced Nessus one at a time. Spam potion for each major reduction in health by around one-third.

Character Name: Survivor

Harbinger Level: 13

Current Difficulty: Normal

Current Location: Pellana Valley

[johnjov]

Update:

Full relic of Dionysis wineskin & Valor of Achilles makes the toon shine quite well now! Found out ToC helps the BS flag by absorbing damage and providing HP regen. So a good choice lvling dream mastery to get ToC & Distortion field. Next objective is to put a point in Tumult for energy free mob control and in Weapon training for a pure boost in OA as well as weapon AS. Warwind does a good work in leeching life from multiple enemies while making them fly all over the place

Edit: To point out the main weapon damage using a picture. Elemental resist based on fire & lightening only using cold with harpy crones. Relying on pierce resist from onslaught for the time being.

[johnjov]

Epic gear so far:

Stormstrike, Labyrinthine bracers & Aegis of Laconea (funny to see the styr holding it with coolness and walking by till an arrow whizzes by )

Edit (1): A Raging Bull and a whopping 108 AR, +1 to Warfare Labyrinthine cuirass to the toon colection. Lucky to have a partial set bonus this early on!

Edit (2): got Might of Brennus and DW (dual wielding) it with Raging Bull for a boost in overall AS and DPS for both weapons simultaneously. already feeling the pinch of low resistance from Satyr shamans & pillagers with their volcanic orb and fire enchantment respectively. its best to find gear that give pierce & poison resists while jewellery with elemental resists.

Edit (3): finally after hours of shopping, got the "Prismatic necklace", Greaves with Pegasus affix , "Insulated rings" and with a SBC in tag later from the gorgons, the toon's elemental resists will easily touch 80% for the rest of normal

Edit (4): Tegea & Megara are major transition points for toons from weaklings to adventurers. also gold farming is possible. My toon could go up by 3 levels and build up on his damage absorbing ToC. Any item that does base elemental damage will add elemental attack bonus to your normal damage ie. I got free fire attacks! Now farming for 'demon's blood relic' in the Natural caves (cave near Spartan war camp entrance). To face polyphemus, its best to build up on vitality and stun resists to avoid quick deaths.

[johnjov]

Build Update:

After extensive farming of zombies (tegea exit), veteran arachnos (tegea springs), giant turtles & myrmidions (megara) while farming for insulated jewelery sets, my Harbinger has finally made it to LvL 21. ToC is maxxed for damage absorption since my pierce & poison resists are quite low, with the additional bonus of not having to rely upon potions. Weapons training & Ignore pain is maxxed for faster AS for my slow weapons and better damage resistance respectively. Now working to build upon my Dodge Attacks while farming Euranymous for Demon's blood relic.

Skill Build Pictures:



Warfare Build link

[johnjov]

Update: While farming for Demon's blood, found another cool heavy weapon with bonus AS - 'Hand of Kairos'. For a dual wielder, max AS cap is 199% and it is good to have high base physical damage while AS boost can be provided by Weapons training, Ardor, Temporal flux and completion bonuses.

[johnjov]

Status Update (Uber Hardcore / Untwinked + potion) :

Character Name: Survivor

Enemy Boss: (6x) Polyphemus cyclops

Harbinger Level: 23

Current Difficulty: Normal

Current Location: Halcyon Coast

Info:

Poly's howl does vitality damage. With 2 completed Demon's blood relic with bonus of 15% Vitality resist & Stun resist, it makes the toon less susceptible to health reduction effects. Tactic is to isolate a single Poly from the edge of screen by just briefly moving in front of the boss. If more than one follows, retreat and attack the nearest Poly and then repeat till most return back while the last one follows. Then a simple melee attack + BS with some health potions would be enough to take him down. Currently using artifact - Shroud of the Eternal Night - till Act 2 where Soul Shiver Artifact would provide better bonuses including %Adcth.

[johnjov]

Status Update (Uber Hardcore / Untwinked + potion) :

Character Name: Survivor

Enemy Boss: (6x) Arachne Queen

Harbinger Level: 24

Current Difficulty: Normal

Current Location: Olive Grove

Info:

Taking the queens down one by one is a good idea, maximum two at a time. Each emit poison gas clouds with a timer of ~7 seconds and care should be taken not to stand in the cloud for too long. Sidestep and melee the queen while using warwind to kill the small spider mob quickly. Poison resists of around 40% would suffice with the help of potions and there is no harm in having higher resists.

[Arperum]

*pokes at first post* could you update that one a little bit too, if only your current location and level