Diablo II: The Amazon
- April 29, 2003 13:37 PM PST
- Email this!
She's fast, she's strong, and she wields a mighty bow. Here's part three of our Diablo II character strategy guide: The Amazon.
The classes in Diablo may look different and they may feel different, but in the end their strategies all refine down to two identical pieces of advice: make the most of your unique skills, and compensate for the ones the other classes have in greater abundance.The Need for Speed
Bows can be used by several classes, but what sets the Amazon apart is speed. Nobody else is as adept at running around a foe, or shooting several arrows through a body before it can grunt. It logically follows that the worst enemies the archer can face are unique monsters that are just as fast or faster, with attacks that negate her speed.
The element of cold is responsible for the latter. Cold not only administers damage; it will also slow your Amazon down. Although any elemental attack is bad, cold is particularly dangerous to the archer, so be sure to stock up on cold resistance items. By contrast, using a cold-enchanted bow enhances the Amazon's natural advantage, allowing her to fire off more arrows at a target that has lost much of its speed.
Sometimes, though, you'll be outgunned by a mob, and then your Amazon's speed will again come in handy. Assuming her hit points are low, or she's facing a unique monster, send her scurrying down a long corridor, shooting back every time she gains some distance. (Try to draw unique monsters towards an exit, so that you can leave the area, heal, and return). Since it takes time for health points to replenish after drinking a standard potion (rejuvenation potions are instant), your Amazon's speed is an advantage here, as well.
Sneak Softly and Carry a Big Bow
While the Barbarian can leap over the heads of surrounding attackers, the Amazon doesn't have that advantage, so don't let her get cornered, especially around the boss monsters, and try to keep an open passage to safety. Enter areas slowly, allowing nearby monsters to seek you out. Proceed cautiously.
I'm leery about grabbing javelin-related skills for my Amazon; after all, her main advantage is speed, and any melee weapon negates this. My preference is for a mix of the passive and bow-related skill trees, where there are some true gems amidst a lot of semi-precious stones.
The best ways to counter the Amazon's natural weakness of poor melee defense is to stock up on items that steal hit points from enemies or slowly heal, and to acquire the Avoid (level 12) and Dodge (level 6) skills, greatly reducing the chance of getting hit during melee. (Evade, at level 24, helps you while moving, but by that time you'll have more important skills to invest those points in.) Avoid and Dodge will help you survive those boss monsters that can run as fast, or faster, than you.
At level 30, I like Valkyrie--an expensive spell (25 mana), it summons a magical Valkyrie to fight alongside you, complete with 377 hit points even with one skill point invested in the spell. With 4 skill points, she has more than 600 hit points, and it just gets better, with appropriate increases in attack and defensive bonuses. There's nothing like having superior hired help.
Arrows By Any Other Name
At higher levels, the Bow Skills list offers some very nice possibilities for the Amazon. Strafe (level 24) lets you use your bow or crossbow like a machine gun, attacking a host of surrounding targets while using only one arrow or bolt--arguably one of the best skills in the game, and great for those moments where the press of monsters remind you of a ride on the New York Subway.
What Strafe is to extrovert Amazons, Guided Arrow (level 18) is to the sneakier members of the profession: you just fire off an arrow and it homes in on the nearest monster, even if said monster is yawning two rooms away. It also has two great side advantages. First, it illuminates the area it passes through; and second, it indicates the direction of your nearest attacker, which can be invaluable in planning your next move. Assuming you've also gone for the Critical Strike (level 1) and Penetrate (level 18) passive skills, you can do a great deal of damage from safety against even the toughest hides, using Guided Arrow.
Since you're limited on your skill points, which is better, Strafe or Guided Arrow? I've played two Amazons, each focusing on one of the skills, and would give the narrowest edge to Guided Arrow. Strafe pumps more adrenaline, but to work properly it puts you in jeopardy around groups of foes that have teeth larger than your head. Guided Arrow, by contrast, is preventative medicine: it works when you're out of danger to keep you out of danger. Strafe is great in open areas, where you're being attacked from all sides; Guided Missile can take out the occasional boss monster (like the Summoner, who packs a heavy magical punch but lacks good armor) even if it isn't yet visible on the screen.
