Guide CS/LF Amazon Guide by Praevus

Content:
1. Introduction
2. List of Terms
3. Breakpoints
4. Stats
5. Skills
6. Equipment
7. Conclusion

1. Introduction
Amazon - is very powerfull and flexible character, very easy to manage, able to easily fight both against single bosses and crowds of monsters. There are many various Amazon builds focused either on PvM and PvP gameplay.
This guide represent one of my favorite PvM Amazon build , which already became a classic for many PvM players - The Powerfull Javelin Amazon with an emphasis on pure lightning damage.

Where is my bow or why CS/LF?
To begin with, our main purpose is fast area cleaning - no matter is it Secret Cow Level or Chaos Sanctuary.
LF - is devastating skill, which most effective against monster packs. Its effectiveness is multiplied when using with Penetration skill. Therefore, our Amazon is able to instant clean areas from crowds of monsters.
CS - is our main tool for quick single target elimination. On attack, CS skill releases several charged bolts that in total deals huge amount of lightning damage.
Note: This build is suitable for Softcore. I really do not recommend to use it for Hardcore.

2. List of Terms
FBR - Faster Block Rate
FCR - Faster Cast Rate
FHR - Faster Hit Recovery
IAS - Increased Attack Speed
ICB - Increased Chance of Blocking
CS - Charged Strike skill
LF - Lightning Fury skill

3. Breakpoints

FHR Frames
0% 11
6% 10
13% 9
20% 8
32% 7
52% 6
86% 5
174% 4
600% 3

FCR Frames
0% 19
7% 18
14% 17
22% 16
32% 15
48% 14
68% 13
99% 12
152% 11

FBR Frames (hit by a 1-handed weapon or 2-handed sword held in one hand)
0% 17
4% 16
6% 15
11% 14
15% 13
23% 12
29% 11
40% 10
56% 9
80% 8
120% 7
200% 6
480% 5

FBR Frames (hit by any other weapon)
0% 5
13% 4
32% 3
86% 2
600% 1

4. Stats
Strength: None
Dexterity: Always keep enough for 75% chance to block
Vitality: Put rest points here
Energy: None

5. Skills
This build is requires 109 skill points total. Bow And Crossbow Skills are not used.

Passive and Magic Skills (6 points)
Critical Strike - 1 point
Penetrate - 1 point
Pierce - 1 point
Dodge - 1 point
Avoid - 1 point
Evade - 1 point

Javelin and Spear Skills (103)
Jab - 1 point
Power Strike - 20 points
Charged Strike - 20 points
Lightning Strike - 20 points
Poison Javelin - 1 point
Lightning Bolt - 20 points
Plague Javelin - 1 point
Lightning Fury - 20 points

Note: Make sure you max Charged Strike and Lightning Fury first. Also don't forget to put 6 points in Passive and Magic Skills when you reach necessary level. Rest skill points distribution order doesn't matter.

6. Equipment
Talking in brief - we have two fast-switching setup mods
Maximum Power mode: Magic/Rare Javelin + JTSOD for max damage output and fast cleaning.
Maximum Endurance mode: Ethereal Titan's Revenge + Sanctuary for fast movement, resistances and max block chance.
Personally I dont use Call to Arms runeword, cause this Amazon slains monsters much faster than they could even hit her. In case of critical situations always pick some Full Rejuvenation Potions.

Helm: Griffon's Eye (socketed with 15 IAS Jewel or 5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facet)
Body Armor: Enigma runeword in Breast Plate/Mage Plate
Weapon: Magic or Rare Maiden/Ceremoneal/Matriarcal Javelin with 4 to Javelin and Spear Skills/40 IAS mods
Shield: Artisan's Tower Shield of Deflecting (3 Sockets/20 ICB/30 FBR, socketed with x3 5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facets)
*Weapon on switch: Ethereal Titan's Revenge (upped to Matriarcal Javelin)
*Shield on switch: Sanctuary runeword in Tower Shield
Gloves: Magic 3 Javelin/20 IAS
Belt: Razortail
Boots: Waterwalks
Amulet: Highlord's Wrath
Ring 1: Ravenfrost
Ring 2: Stone Of Jordan

Inventory:
20 to All Stats/xx Amazon Hellfire Torch
20 to All Stats/xx to All Resistances/xx Annihilus
Rest - as much Javelin skills grand charms as you can afford.

Mercenary
No less important part of our Equipment. Basicly there are two options - Act 2 Nightmare difficulty Defensive (Holy Freeze aura) or Offensive (Might aura).

Helm: Ethereal Andariel's Visage (socketed with 15 IAS Jewel)
Body Amor: Ethereal Bugged Defence Fortitude (pick up armor base u like)
Weapon: Infinity runeword in Ethereal Giant Thresher (or Ethereal Thresher)
Gloves: Laying on Hands ('The Disciple' set gloves)
Belt: Ethereal String of Ears
Boots: Ethereal Gore Rider
Amulet: Highlord's Wrath
Ring: Ravenfrost

7. Conclusion
First of all we need to get all gear. Don't worry if you just started playing - you can easy choose this build as your first/single character.
Try to get most important gear first: Titan's Revenge, Griffon's Eye, Razortail and Infinity for your Mercenary.
I recommend you to use JTSOD - it's much more cheaper than JMOD and easier to get (visit Gheed time-to-time, you can be lucky). Nevertheless if you are lucky to get JMOD - you can always rebuild your Amazon. Do not forget that Conviction aura level 12+ negates resists by 85%, but some monsters can still be immune. Our mercenary will take down those one.

 

If you have any questions or wanna share your ideas - you are welcome.
Have a nice day!

 

Thanks for this guide !

Some ideas to make it bigger maybe improve it :

Take a little time to debate on each items (a thundergod in switch when u find a soul map in worldstone for example)(1)

Talk about attack speed please (2)

Try to highlight the breakpoint we are aiming on the beginning (3)

Put a screen of your character screen and inventory for show a goal to reach for the reader (4).


And some personnal commentaries : again not a world on attack speed ? Stormshield is not even evocated when u talk about the beginner stuff u just talk about stuff taking like 8+bers minimum wich can take months to casual player.

As the shield you advice to equip an enigma, whats about CoH or even the TM TyraelM we got on this server ?

I mean just argument everything a little bit for our pleasure !!
When you say enigma in breastplate/mage plate explain why ! Because its light armor we dont want penality to frw. Et caetera

Not trying to be rude i assure you. Just some ideas and commentary !

Maybe we even get a video of a cow clean !! Obsproject for film and upload on youT*be

 

Thank you for commentaries! This is my first guide, so any any constructive criticism is welcome.

I'll add commentaries and detalization for Equipment/Breakpoints sections in the future for sure!

I don't think it's necessary. I used to play this amazon last season, so I guess full item description should be enough.

Enigma imo has much more better sustain options for Javelin amazon (+14 Life After Each Kill), stats and ofc FRW (you can be more mobile). CoH doesn't have Teleport skill, sometimes instant tele can be very usefull.

 

Nice guide man, but how have you solved mana issues?

 

400 mana is enough for me (90 lvl, Annihilus, Hellfire Torch, Ravenfrost and Stone of Jordan). You can take mana potions with you, or if u need stable mana sustain - try Silkweave boots (+5 To Mana After Each Kill).

 

I love the guide, but with PvM Javazons i do more often than not suffer mana shortages. Consider having a phoenix on swap and it will work wonders.

 

I am confused
I have a 70+ lv Amazon , she is currently a bowazon build for normal cows (I collect gems and jewels to be rich asap). She can clear cows very fast, but I have no chance to find any decent rune.
I consider to convert her as a light amazon in idea to clear hell cows only. This way I will get gems/jewels but also cool runes and items. Probably will need more time to clear hell cows.

What do you think: fast normal cows as bowa or slower hell cows as light ama ? What is more profitable ?
If matter I already have WidForce and Fortitude, LoH, Razortail. No Titans or other stuff, but I can get them asap. Again, I am not interested in others area like CS, only cows. I am a bovine killer

Please advice, thanks for any good ideea.

 

Hi, can anyone tell me, when i just start with amazon what i should weear for start(i mean 25-50 lv) maybe u tell me what options is the moast important and what are the breakpoints, how does it work ?

 

Breakpoints are the values at which spells, attacks, hit recovery and other animations become a frame faster or slower https://diablo2.diablowiki.net/Breakpoints
for example a sorcerer with 5% faster cast rate is casting as fast as somebody with 0 because the first breakpoint is 9%

cheap items like shako that many give out for free if not max are good for start then any +3 skill bow, tal rasha armor and mara amulet maybe war traveler boots or walterwalk, belts you can go with razortail or thundergod and frostburn for gloves
dont forget to hire an act2 merc defiance is my preference

 

i dont go bow i go javelin, how do i know what merc is defiance ?

 

defensive act2 merc normal or hell only. for weapon titans revenge then or any rare javelin even white +3 skills works but titans is easy to get

 

is there any guide what is good to keep (i mean items) ?