Beginner's budget guide to farming endgame content
Every time I see guides for Farming areas, they're generally full of gear unobtainable to the beginning player. So here's a simple guide to farming using easily obtained, or affordable gear. I'm focusing mainly on a5 portals, Plaguelands, Dreamlands, R'lyeh, Inferno Cows, and Lich King.
Characters:
IK Barb using shield throw and find item. Hork those corpses! Totally worth the extra skill points to get Find Item.
Stats: Enough strength for gear, dex for max block, and the rest in vita.
Skills: 1 in Find Item, max bo, max mace mastery, 1 in each of the other masteries, max shield throw, rest in synergies.
Merc: Act 3 lightning. Helps with phys immunes and chopping down boss life with static. Gear: IK set, Stormshield Highlord ammy, 2 ravenfrosts.
When you can afford them, upgrade to Corrupt SS, constricting bands, and throw a Dragon Bulwark on your merc. Also your standard anni, torch, prime, etc.
Merc: Whatever gear makes him the most survivable. Max res, basically, since he doesn't heal on hit.
Now, for those aforementioned bosses the barb can't tank, you're gonna want a Trag set necro.
Stats: Enough strength and dex for gear, rest into vita. You're not getting up close, so you don't need MB.
Skills: 1 in revive, 1 in golem mastery, 1 in stone golem, 1 in summon resist, 1 in each curse, max poison maelstrom, dump the rest in synergies.
Gear: Trag set, war travs, arach's mesh, plaguebringer (you can usually get a cheap one for orgs or 1hr), atma's scarab ammy, and a couple carrion wind rings. Eventually upgrade to Death Advance boots, and Scourgelord Belt, both of which drop from LK. Constricting Bands are also pretty spiffy. As you go along, socket everything with poison facets. Work on getting your anni, torch, prime, etc.
Merc: No fucking clue. Have fun with different mercs, but if you can get an infinity a2 merc going, that would probably be ideal.
Strategy:
The barb can tank just about anything but the nastier bosses, like Mappo, Lich King, and Azathoth. This includes a5 portals, plaguelands, dreamlands (except mappo), Rlyeh (except Azathoth), and Inferno cows (slow, but effective). As I've seen others say, pick the strongest target, and keep chucking your shield at it until all is dead. If you don't have the patience to chip away at the phys immunes, howl at them sumbitches until they run away, then proceed. Hork every body possible.
The necro will be used to kill Lich King and Azathoth. Don't fuck with Mappo. You're likely not ready. Strategy is simple. Before reaching the bosses, clear with barb. Summon stone golem and get that manly barb BO on you. Raise revives the barb left behind. BO those bastards, too. They're tanky as fuck in end game areas. Get to boss, let them swarm him and get behind the boss. Cast lower resist, then spam away with that PM. This should take care of that. He can also be used to clear inferno cows, but be careful not to get surrounded. Use teleport to corral your revives.
I hope this is helpful to newer players who can't afford to drop a ton of cash on gold. Anyone with questions or additional helpful input is more than welcome to comment below. Cheers, and happy farming.
