[GUIDE] Diablo II Characters: Amazon

The Amazon
​

This powerful woman warrior belongs to nomadic bands who roam the plains near the South Sea. The wandering of these groups often brings them into conflict with other peoples, so the Amazon is accustomed to fighting to defend her own. This lifestyle has made her fiercely independent and able to weather severe hardship and travel. While her skill with the bow rivals that of the Rogues, the Amazon is also adept in the use of spears and other throwing weapons, as well as in hand to hand combat. The Amazon is much sought after as a mercenary, in which type of service she will be loyal as long as her own ends are also served.

Starting Attributes
Strength: 20
Dexterity: 25
Vitality: 20
Energy: 15

Hit Points: 50
Stamina: 84
Mana: 15

Each Character Level
Life +2
Stamina +1
Mana +1.5

Attribute Point Effect
1 Vitality point gives 3 Life
1 Vitality point gives 1 Stamina
1 Energy point gives 1.5 Mana


Strategies

The Amazon possesses strong abilities. Her passive skills are employed naturally and easily, no matter which weapon she has equipped. She should almost always consider developing her Critical Strike skill, which will double her attack damage. The Avoid and Dodge skills are also considered essential. Beyond the passive skills, she has an important choice. Does she wish to equip javelins or bows?

The Amazon is easier to develop in her characteristics. While she will require enough strength to wear good armor, enough vitality to avoid quick death and enough energy to use her skills, her main concern is dexterity. For the Amazon and her weapon choices, dexterity increases not only her ability to avoid damage and her ability to hit her opponent, but it also increases the damage she inflicts.

In terms of items, it is largely dependent on which path the Amazon has chosen. If she has chosen the path of the bow, a good strategy is to aid Charsi in her quest, and upon the completion imbue a bow with magical abilities. If she has chosen to develop her javelin abilities, it would be better to imbue a suit of armor or a shield. Rings, Amulets and Weapons that Steal Mana with each attack will allow the Amazon to constantly use Bow, Crossbow, Javelin and Spear skills in battle.

Skills

Javelin and Spear Skills:​

Jab
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

Hunting in the dense rain forests of the Amazon Islands is fraught with many obstacles. Confining overgrowth and fierce indigenous animals conspire to make combat difficult, if not impossible. Early in training, Amazon spear-women must learn to overcome these conditions. By honing their hunting techniques to the point where they are able to deliver many powerful spear thrusts in rapid succession, they learn to finish off one opponent before turning to slay another. The Jab is the most basic of the skills designed to accomplish this tactic.

Effect: Multiple attacks within the time span of a normal attack, each jab a bit less powerful than the last up until level 6.

Jab is uninterrupted.



Power Strike
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: Jab [1]

Zerae is the bride of Hefaetrus, and her dominion is vengeance and storms. If an Amazon warrior is on a mission to right a great wrong and has proven herself worthy, the goddess will empower her with the ability to add the electrical power of the mighty hurricanes of the Southern Seas to her stabbing spear attacks.

Effect: Adds lightning damage and increases normal damage to thrusting attacks.

**Power Strike Receives Bonuses From:
Lightning Bolt: +10% Lightning Damage Per Level
Charged Strike: +10% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Strike: +10% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Fury: +10% Lightning Damage Per Level



Poison Javelin
Casting Delay: 0.5 Seconds
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None

Amazon healers have long since ascertained the potent toxicity of their native flora. Any Amazon warrior devoted to this study is able to recognize particularly lethal strains of plant life, even while traveling in foreign lands. This knowledge allows her to create weapons from particularly virulent woods.

Effect: Thrown javelin causes poison damage and leaves a trail of poison clouds.

**Poison Javelin Receives Bonuses From:
Plague Javelin: +12% Poison Damage Per Level



Impale
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: Jab [1]

Although deftness and superior hand-eye coordination are the hallmarks of the Amazon warrior, they are also well known for the ferocity of their attacks. An experienced warrior is able to focus her fury and deliver blows so powerful that they have been known to shatter their weapon in the process.

Effect: A more powerful attack with an increased chance the weapon will lose durability.

Impale will reduce attack speed by a huge degree, and that during the attack time, which can be over a second, the attack can be interrupted.



Lightning Bolt
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: Poison Javelin [6]

If an Amazon warrior has proven herself worthy, the goddess Zerae can empower her with the ability to strike down enemies by hurling javelins charged with power as if she had snatched lighting from the heavens.

Effect: Leaves a trail of lightning and does lightning damage.

**Lightning Bolt Receives Bonuses From:
Power Strike: +3% Lightning Damage Per Level
Charged Strike: +3% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Strike: +3% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Fury: +3% Lightning Damage Per Level



Charged Strike
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Jab [1], Poison Javelin [6], Power Strike [6], Lightning Bolt [12]

An Amazon devoted to the path of Zerae will be able to harness the forces of vengeance and storms. During Rites of Vengeance, Zerae will confer to the Amazon attacks that unleash a wild burst of electrical energy, striking down nearby enemies. A grizzled veteran of the Time of Troubles once said: "Spear-women walking the 'Path of Zerae' are best given wide berth, for they can be as violent and indiscriminant as the storms on the Twin Seas".

Effect: A lightning attack that releases charged bolts.

Charged Strike allows you to add Charged Bolt to your Spear attack.

**Charged Strike Receives Bonuses From:
Power Strike: +10% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Bolt: +10% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Strike: +10% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Fury: +10% Lightning Damage Per Level



Plague Javelin
Casting Delay: 4 Seconds
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Poison Javelin [6], Lightning Bolt [12]

Practiced and cunning warriors are able to incorporate poisonous vegetation into the organs of wildlife, creating highly infectious and deadly bladders that the Amazons affix to their javelins. These javelins strike a target and explode into noxious and putrescent clouds. Entire armies of creatures and of men have been slaughtered by the ingenious use of these biological agents. The choking cloud created by a plague javelin will incapacitate even the strongest foes.

Effect: Similar to Poison Javelin with an additional cloud of expanding poison at the point of impact.

**Plague Javelin Receives Bonuses From
Poison Javelin: +10% Poison Damage Per Level




Fend
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Jab [1], Impale [12]

Once an Amazon warrior has attained mastery over the spear, she can engage and destroy multiple enemies in close quarter battle. Many of those enemies will be lucky to be alive after the vicious onslaughts of these attacks have ended. Grand Mistress Celestia was able to demonstrate this ability to the Initiates of Athulua by striking down a dozen experienced warriors in the space of an arrow's flight.

Effect: Rapidly strikes several close targets.




Lightning Strike
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Jab [1], Poison Javelin [6], Power Strike [6], Lightning Bolt [12], Charged Strike [18]

Through focus and intense devotion to Zerae, an experienced warrior can harness Zerae's gift of lighting to great effect. Such a warrior is able to call upon the Goddess' might to destroy her enemies, unleashing a bolt of lighting that arcs from foe to foe.

Effect: Does lightning damage and releases chain lightning from target.

This spell allows you to get a Chain Lightning hit when using a Spear class or Javelin class weapon.

**Lightning Strike Receives Bonuses From
Power Strike: +8% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Bolt: +8% Lightning Damage Per Level
Charged Strike: +8% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Fury: +8% Lightning Damage Per Level




Lightning Fury
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Poison Javelin [6], Lightning Bolt [12], Plague Javelin [18]

Possibly the most devastating, and certainly the most spectacular, of all the techniques learned by an Amazon warrior is Lightning Fury. The High Priestess of Zerae will teach select Amazons the secret of focusing the power of the goddess, consecrating a javelin to become the ultimate weapon of vengeance. The energy contained within the javelin is so powerful that its electrical energy explodes from its stricken target, releasing bolts of lightning that strike down hapless foes nearby. Swift and powerful is the justice administered by an eminent Amazon.

Effect: Creates a powerful lightning bolt that releases multiple lightning bolts from target.

Lightning Fury will release a set number of lightning bolts towards each of the surrounding monsters when a monster is hit with this spell. The maximum number of bolts are listed as you increase the skill's level. The minimum number of bolts are determined by the amount of monsters in close proximity to the one being targeted. If pierce is available, a second release of bolts can occur if another monster or wall lies behind the original target.

**Lightning Fury Receives Bonuses From
Power Strike: +1% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Bolt: +1% Lightning Damage Per Level
Charged Strike: +1% Lightning Damage Per Level
Lightning Strike: +1% Lightning Damage Per Level

Passive and Magic Skills​

Inner Sight
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

The lush canopy of trees covering the Amazon homeland allows little sunlight to reach the ground. To better adapt to their environment, the Amazons have developed a technique whereby they can attune themselves to the life forces in the surrounding area and transfer these energies into a source of luminescence. This enables the Amazon and her companions to see her enemies in shadow and darkness.

Effect: Illuminates monsters and decreases their ability to defend themselves.

This skill is very useful early on. In dark areas, Inner Sight will make monsters easier to see. At early levels, the Defense reduction will significantly reduce enemy Defense. Defense determines how easy a monster is to hit, so you will have an easier time hitting monsters with Inner Sight. However, this spell becomes less effective as monsters start to have higher Defense, especially on higher difficulty levels.

You may notice if you are hit while trying to cast Inner Sight, the spell will be interrupted. Cast the spell again until it works.

Inner Sight has a larger area effect than most Curses. It is not difficult to hit every monster in the area with Inner Sight.

Inner Sight does not stack. If two Amazons cast Inner Sight the last one to cast Inner Sight is the one that's used.



Critical Strike
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

Among the arsenal of techniques employed by the Amazon warrior is her ability to study opponents carefully and detect any weaknesses. She can then use these deficiencies in her adversary to strike at precisely those areas that will cause the greatest injuries.

Passive Effect: Grants a chance to do double physical damage with your attacks.

Critical Strike will work with any weapon. Critical Strike is a very important Amazon skill because it adds the chance of doing double damage. Since it's passive it can combine with any of the Amazon's skills. The beauty of Critical Strike is that it is a Passive skill so it is always "active" and it will combine with additional skills you may use such as Multiple Shot, Pierce and so on.

Does the Amazon’s Critical Strike double all of the damage done, or only the base damage done without any double in elemental attacks?
The rules for what modifiers get applied when are very complex. In general, all bonus multipliers are added together and then applied (+50% and +20% = +70%) and then all bonus adds are then applied. Some magic modifiers affect the base damage of the weapon before the bonus multipliers - generally the non-elemental ones.




Dodge
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None

To anyone familiar with their natural agility, it should came as no surprise that the training regimen of an Amazon warrior includes exercises specifically designed to avoid potentially devastating blows in combat.
Passive Effect: Grants a chance to move out of the way of a melee attack while standing still.

When Dodging, the Amazon will lean back in the opposite direction of the attacker.

Dodge will work while attacking.

You probably don't want to put more than a few points into Dodge. The benefit of additional points drops off significantly.



Slow Missiles
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: Inner Sight [1]

Through strict martial discipline and focus, an Amazon warrior can attune herself to her environment and the dangers around her, allowing her to react to these hazards with superhuman agility. One aspect of this ability is her knack for avoiding missile fire. Just as the Amazon must master the bow and javelin, she must also learn to defend herself from these same weapons. When an Amazon uses this ability, incoming projectiles appear to move slower than normal, enabling her to avoid them.

Effect: Slows the missiles of nearby enemies.

Slow Missiles is a pretty funny spell. It allows you to run circles around enemy missile weapons and spells. This is also very useful against Multiple Shot Unique Monsters that are difficult to avoid. Slow Missiles will also make it easier for other party members to avoid enemy missiles.

Use Slow Missiles against those pesky Abyss Knights and Oblivion Knights. If you see fire coming from them, run up ahead and cast Slow Missiles then retreat. This is very effective and can allow you to easily dodge their deadly fire.




Avoid
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: Dodge [6]

This ability hones the natural defensive ability of an Amazon. If she stands still, she can predict incoming missile attacks and elude them before they reach her. Most Amazon people can do this if all of their thoughts to the task, but only a warrior trained in this skill can do this even whilst caught unaware.

Passive Effect: Grants a chance to move out of the way of a missile attack while standing still.

Avoid will work while attacking.

You probably don't want to put more than a few points into Avoid. The benefit of additional points drops off significantly.




Penetrate
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Critical Strike [1]

The warriors of the Amazon Islands are legendary for their ability to strike their mark. Warriors with this skill are more likely to hit targets.

Passive Effect: Additional chance to hit.

It's difficult to know how many points to put into Penetrate. If you're having problems hitting enemies on a regular basis, put more skill points into Penetrate.




Decoy
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Inner Sight [1], Slow Missiles [12]

Amazons derive another benefit while learning to fight in the rainforests of their homeland. They learn, through misdirection and deception, to fool attacking forces into thinking there is another Amazon nearby. This subterfuge causes enemies to waste time and energy hunting down false prey while the Amazon moves in for the kill.

Effect: Creates a duplicate image to distract enemies.


- Decoy allows you to reduce the amount of damage you take. When cast, a Decoy will appear where your mouse pointer was when the spell was cast. The Decoy looks exactly like you but it does not move. If it is hit a lot, it will sometimes appear to walk a little bit.
- Most monsters will attack the Decoy instead of you if the Decoy is closer. Cast a Decoy in front of you then stand behind it. Use it as a Human or Magic shield. In most cases the monsters will attack the Decoy instead of you, especially when it's closer. Some monsters have different ideas as to what to attack but even if all of the monsters don't attack the Decoy, any monsters attacking the Decoy instead of you is helpful. Many Unique Monsters are not fooled by Decoys.
- Decoy is great from level 24 to 30 before you have a Valkyrie. Use Decoy a lot to help deflect fire. Lead monsters until they are on one side of you then cast a Decoy and hide behind it. Decoy is still useful once you get a Valkyrie. The Valkyrie attracts the fire of some monsters but there are still situations where Decoy will help out. When there are a lot of dangerous ranged attackers hitting you, cast a Decoy. The Decoy will absorb some of the fire. Also use Decoy when there are a lot of monsters that you cannot quickly kill.
- Hot key Decoy so you can easily cast it.
- Decoy is a good monster detector. Cast a Decoy up ahead of you and see if it is hit. If so, you know there are monsters ahead. Walk up and stand behind the Decoy and use it as cover.
- If you are hit while casting Decoy, your spell casting will be interrupted and the Decoy will not appear. If you are hit while casting Decoy, cast the Decoy again. With % Mana Steal items you can quickly recover your Mana.
- The Decoy will only last as long as it has Life. Decoys have the same Life as the casting Amazon. Decoys will be destroyed if they take too much damage. The duration time for Decoy is only the case if the Decoy doesn't take enough damage to be killed during that time.
- Strafe will fire more Arrows if you have a Decoy out which is another good reason to use Decoy.
- Some players can be fooled by Decoys in player vs. player battles. Not everyone is aware of this skill.
- The Decoy has resistances and skills like Evade and Dodge.
- Decoy Resistance = level * 4, capped at 85.





Evade
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Dodge [6], Avoid [12]

A warrior skilled in Dodge and Avoid may eventually learn this additional ability. Once an Amazon has sharpened her defensive concentration to this level, she will eventually be able to dodge blows and other attacks while moving. This skill can also help keep the Amazon from harm as she moves out of the way of an exploding siege engine or avoids the wrath of an enraged Sorceress!

Passive Effect: Grants a chance to escape any attack while moving.

This skill also helps characters evade Area Effect Spells.

You probably don't want to put more than a few points into Evade. Some Amazons recommend just one point. The benefit of additional points drops off significantly.

Evade Lock
The skill when successful will lock you in a dodging motion. This has the potential to stop you in your tracks when you are trying to run away. If monsters hit you while you are stopped you may die. Usually this is not a problem.





Valkyrie
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Inner Sight [1], Dodge [6], Slow Missiles [12], Avoid [12], Decoy [24], Evade [24]

When a warrior has proven her devotion to Athulua through her brave deeds and exceptional skill in battle, the Goddess shows her favor by granting a spiritual emissary to aid the Amazon. These emissaries of Athulua are called Valkyrie, and they are the spirits of the greatest heroes from the Amazon people. The power to summon a Valkyrie is the greatest honor that an Amazon warrior can receive. It is believed this gift is a sign that your place beside the Goddess is assured when you pass from this world-perhaps even as a Valkyrie.

Effect: Summons a powerful Valkyrie warrior to fight by your side.

A Valkyrie is much more powerful than a Hireling and you can create one whenever you have enough mana. You can only have one Valkyrie at a time. Valkyries have a glow about them so it's easy to pick them out. Their attack is a Melee Spear attack. Valkyries can have other abilities as the result of the magic spears and armor they receive when they are created. These items are level 25 plus 3 per level. This means that they could potentially have almost any ability normally attached to a spear or armor.

Valkyries work very well with Ranged Amazon attacks such as Javelin, Bow, and Crossbows. A Valkyrie is great to use because like a Hireling, they will attract Melee Monsters which will reduce the number of Monsters that are directly attacking you. The Valkyrie will also draw fire from ranged Monsters which further reduce the amount of damage you're taking at one time. Valkyries are very powerful and become more powerful as you spend more skill points. Valkyries can also take advantage of Paladin Auras or any other beneficial party member skill or spell.
- You can Heal the Valkyrie via a Town Healer, a Paladin's Prayer Aura or you can simply cast a new Valkyrie.
- Don't be afraid to recast your Valkyrie to reposition her closer to the enemy. With % Mana Steal items, you can quickly recover the Mana.
- Combine Valkyrie with Decoy to reduce the amount of damage you take.
- Sometimes Valkyries may have Immunities on higher difficulty. You may wish to recast Valkyrie until you get one.
- Its armor will have a random color each time you summon it.

Hidden Stats

Resistances
The Valkyries' resistances are equal to their level * 2, to a max of 85. So a level 10 Valkyrie will have +20 Resist All. Valkyries also get a hidden synergy bonus from Decoy, where every physical point in Decoy will add +2 Resist All. The whole formula comes out as = (Valkyrie level + Base Decoy Level ) * 2

Magic Level
The equipment that a Valkyrie is spawned with is based on her Magic Level, i.e. the ilvl that her equipment is spawned with, therefore denoting which mods can be spawned. The Magic Level of any Valkyrie is equal to a base of 25 at level 1, and increases by 3 for each level.

Dexterity
Valkyries recieve a bonus of Dexterity of +12 per level. A level 12 Valkyrie will have 144 dexterity points. Valks gain bonuses of attack rating and defense much like any character, but this is not reflected in their skill description.

Valkyrie Health
Valkyrie Health = 440 * (1 + 0.2 * (Valkyrie level + Decoy Level - 1))

Synergy Skills
The Valkyrie gains Synergy bonuses equal to the amount of base skill points you have placed in Critical Strike, Dodge, Avoid, and Evade. For example, if you have placed 1 point into Avoid, the Valkyrie will have a 24% chance to dodge a missile.

Valkyrie Receives Bonuses From
Decoy: +20% Life Per Level
Penetrate: +40 Attack Rating Per Level
Critical Strike
Dodge
Avoid
Evade





Pierce
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Critical Strike [1], Penetrate [18]

After long hours of training, an Amazon warrior's bow arm can develop tremendous amounts of strength. With this strength, and some additional training, the Amazon is able to maximize the power of her bow, enabling her to penetrate multiple targets with a single arrow.

Passive Effect: A chance that your missile will continue through its victim.

This is a very powerful passive skill since it affects any and all missile weapons you employ a chance to damage, pass through, and then damage another creature. When using a Plague Javelin or enchanted Arrow, this can be especially devastating. Also, consider the damage potential if you are using the Strafe skill.

Some recommend maximizing this skill at 20, however the benefit of additional points drops off significantly. You can decide how many points are enough for you. If you cannot think of a better skill or spell to spend a point into, spend it on Pierce.

Lead monsters into a line so you can take full advantage of Pierce.

Bow and Crossbow Skills​

Magic Arrow
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

Far in the ancient past, Amazons found their glorious arboreal city of Tran Athulua under siege by the pirates of the Twin Seas. These cut-throats were determined to turn the Amazon Islands into their base of operations. The conflict lasted many months as the pirates laid in for a long siege. During the battle, supplies ran short, and the Amazon archers found themselves without ammunition. Realizing that their defense rested solely upon the ability of the archers to keep the corsairs at bay, the priests of the city prayed to Athulua to aid them. In answer, Athula infused the minds of the Amazons with the power to harness their natural spiritual energies. One by one the archers melded their determination and will into shards of physical force that they then unleashed from their bows by the thousands, firmly routing the corsairs back to sea.

Effect: Creates an arrow composed entirely from Mana. Damage starts at the same level as a normal arrow and increases with higher levels of training.

Magic Arrow requires no arrows (making more Inventory space). This may be useful if you run out of arrows.

The stats listed below for mana cost are the true values and does not represent what is shown in-game.




Fire Arrow
Required Level: 1
Prerequisites: None

Hefaetrus is the Amazonian god of fire and rebirth who lives deep within the great volcano, Mount Arnazeus, on the island of Philios. Although primarily the patron deity of farmers, from time to time he bestows his favors upon the warriors of the Islands, so they may keep safe his congregation. Through proper prayer and the sacrifice of many fierce enemies, an especially brave Amazon can attain the power to imbue her shots with the destructive power of fire, allowing her to rake blazing missiles from her bow.

Effect: Enchants an arrow with the additional damage of fire.

Fire Arrow is useful in early parts of the game. Before putting more than one point into the skill, keep in mind that Exploding Arrow and Immolation Arrow are available at higher Character Levels.

Fire Arrow Receives Bonuses From
Exploding Arrow: +12% Fire Damage Per Level



Cold Arrow
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: None

Although winter never seems to find its way to the ever-balmy Amazon Islands, cold climates are not unheard of. The summit of Mount Karcheus on the island of Philios is covered with snow all year long. Deep within an icy cave secluded amongst its towering peaks, is the Great Hall of Mirrors where mighty Karcheus the Watcher sits upon his throne. Ever vigilant, Karcheus keeps watch over the people of the Amazons. Warriors who have trained within his temple are able to instill their shots with the power of a freezing wind.

Effect: Enchants an arrow, adding cold damage and slowing your enemy.

This is similar to the Sorceress Ice Bolt spell. Monsters will be chilled when hit with Ice Arrow. When killed, chilled monsters have the chance of shattering leaving no corpse. This can be handy when dealing with monsters that raise corpses such as Shaman.

Before focusing more than one point into this skill keep in mind that Ice Arrow and Freezing Arrow are available at higher Character Levels.

Cold Arrow Receives Bonuses From
Ice Arrow: +12% Cold Damage Per Level




Multiple Shot
Required Level: 6
Prerequisites: Magic Arrow [1]

Legend has it that the fabled Amazon archer, Palashia, bragged in her youth that she could best the combined skills of all her greatest rivals. Taking umbrage, her rivals gathered to challenge her outrageous boast, arranging a contest to decide the question. To preserve her honor, Palashia was to strike the targets of all her rivals before they could land a single arrow. When dawn arose on the day of the contest, Palashia stood ready with her bow. At the signal, her rivals nocked their arrows and loosed a volley towards their targets. Palashia gathered her energies, and let fly with her own, single arrow. To the amazement of onlookers, her arrow split into many, cleaving the arrows of her rivals, and moving on to strike every target directly in their centers. This mysterious technique quickly became a martial secret that only the finest archers are able to master.

Effect: Splits one arrow into several.

Only 3/4 of the Damage is taken from your weapon.

You can vary the spread of multiple arrows depending on how far away the mouse pointer is when you fire. Hold down shift which will allow you to fire in place without moving after a monster.

Multishot is very useful to use when trying to hit monsters off screen or monsters that are moving around really quickly. When combined with % Mana Steal and % Life Steal, Multishot can quickly fill your Life to full and regain Mana to full. Multishot will only hit a target with one of the many arrows no matter how many appear to be hitting the monster. Multishot increases in Mana Cost with more points so you will need to offset this cost with a higher % Mana Steal. Multishot can be combined with other Arrow Spells. Hit a monster with Freezing Arrow then follow up with Multishot. Multishot can be a good choice to focus in and is a useful skill on all difficulty levels. You may not wish to place 20 points into this skill. As more points are placed into Multishot, the cost of the spell goes up. There is probably an ideal level for your characters, some suggest 6, or less than 10.

You may wish to assign Multishot to your right mouse button. That way if you need to get away, clicking the left button won't cause you to Multishot rather than move.




Exploding Arrow
Required Level: 12
Prerequisites: Magic Arrow [1], Fire Arrow [1], Multiple Shot [6]

Another gift of Hefaetrus, an Amazon warrior practiced in this skill can imbue the arrows that she fires with the ability to explode upon impact. The resulting detonation not only allows her to damage her intended target, but also anything caught within the explosive blast. The sight of a full battalion of Amazon archers firing a volley of such arrows is eerily beautiful. Many warriors, having witnessed good friends consumed by the flames of these arrows, vow never to fight against Amazon warriors ever again.

Effect: Adds fire damage to normal arrows and explodes on impact.

Exploding Arrow Receives Bonuses From
Fire Arrow: +12% Fire Damage Per Level


Ice Arrow
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Cold Arrow [6]

The second of the prizes Karcheus bestows to a true warrior, this skill enables the Amazon to instill her arrows with the glacial force of a fierce blizzard. Enemies struck by this power not only feel the icy sting of the enchanted shaft, but also the force of a chilling arctic wind that, mysteriously, they alone can feel.

Effect: Arrows have additional cold damage and momentarily freeze the target.

Player vs Player: Other players will be chilled, not frozen.

An upgrade to Cold Arrow, Ice Arrow is similar to the Sorceress' Ice Blast spell. Ice Arrow will hit one target and will freeze them in place. In higher difficulty levels the Cold length will be reduced so consider this before focusing heavily in this skill (more than one point). Freezing Arrow is a much better replacement at Level 30.

Ice Arrow Receives Bonuses From
Cold Arrow: +8% Cold Damage Per Level
Freezing Arrow: +5% Cold Length Per Level





Guided Arrow
Required Level: 18
Prerequisites: Magic Arrow [1], Cold Arrow [6], Multiple Shot [6]

Hunting and fighting during the night and in the deepest darkness is a necessary skill to any daughter of the Amazon islands. Devoted disciples of Athulua can, with great difficulty and strict discipline, train themselves to fire their arrows at targets blindly, as if the hand of Athulua herself guided the arrows. As might be imagined, this is an art that the Sisters of the Sightless Eye have long envied and yet have never replicated.

Effect: Imbues an arrow with the ability to seek its nearest target.

- Guided Arrow is very effective in Player vs Player battles.

- Guided Arrow is handy when it is difficult to hit a moving enemy (Sand Leapers) or you want to hit an enemy around a corner. Keep in mind that Strafe and Multishot can also get the job done.

- Players focused in Strafe or Multishot may wish to use this for single monsters or bosses.

- Guided Arrow does not work with Pierce.




Immolation Arrow
Casting Delay: 1 Second
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Magic Arrow [1], Fire Arrow [1], Multiple Shot [6]
Exploding Arrow [12],

Hefaetrus will sometimes bestow this ability to his greatest champions. These fire-instilled arrows burn with such a fierce intensity that the very earth surrounding where they impact ignites into flame. Although the fires last but a few moments, some say the effect is as if the pillars of the mighty kingdom of Hefaetrus were reaching up through the ground to strike down the enemies who linger nearby.

Effect: Enchants an arrow that does fire damage, and explodes into a patch of fire on the ground. Creatures passing through the flames take additional damage.

This skill is somewhat similar to the Sorceress' Firewall. If you can keep a monster in the same place (by attacking your Decoy or Valkyrie), you may find this skill to be useful. This might be an option when facing Stone Skin Unique Monsters as well.


Immolation Arrow Receives Bonuses From
Fire Arrow: +5% Average Fire Damage Per Second Per Level
Exploding Arrow: +10% Average Fire Damage Per Level





Strafe
Required Level: 24
Prerequisites: Magic Arrow [1], Multiple Shot [6], Cold Arrow [6], Guided Arrow [18]

Once a warrior has attained this facility, she can fire a volley of arrows with amazing speed and precision, striking one target after another. Veteran mercenaries often tell a tale of a new recruit who was nearly struck down in battle because he was too distracted when first seeing an Amazon use this ability. Do not doubt his word, as he is probably referring to himself. Just smile and buy him another tankard of ale.

Effect: Fires a volley of arrows at multiple nearby targets.

Strafe is the skill of choice for many high level Bowazons, although Multishot is also an option.

Strafe will automatically aim and fire at targets on the screen up to the Strafe limit. As you get more points in Strafe it will hit more monsters at once.

Strafe is good at alerting you to new monsters entering the area. If you start firing at a new direction where you previously have not been firing at, you will know a monster is over there in that new direction.

Try to lead groups of monsters into a tight pack. You will then be able to take advantage of Pierce. This will also keep you from switching back and forth in opposite directions which will save time.

Strafe isn't as good against a single monster as large groups of monsters. You may quickly run out of Mana when using shots against a single monster. Try switching to another skill if you are fighting single monsters.

Strafe will sometimes fire a little off screen, but Multishot is much better for firing at monsters off screen.

Strafe works very well with Cold Damage. Find an item that adds Cold Damage to make all your hits Cold Damage Arrows. This will chill monsters and will also sometimes shatter them preventing monsters from raising the corpses. Freezing Arrow also works well with Strafe especially in Normal and Nightmare mode before Cold Length is significantly reduced. You can also set one mouse button to Freeze Arrow and the other to Strafe (or use Hot Keys). Fire a Freeze Arrow to stop the monsters in their tracks, then follow up with Strafe to shatter them.

You may wish to assign Strafe to your right mouse button. That way if you need to get away, clicking the left button won't cause you to Strafe rather than move.

Strafe works with the Paladin's Concentration Aura in the following way:
Damage = Bow_Damage*(1 + Dex_bonus + Concentration_bonus + Strafe_bonus)

There is a rather hidden "Minimum shots" effect in Strafe. What this means is that Strafe will fire at least this many shots at one monster, but will fire more up until the Strafe limit if there is more than one monster. This is very useful in making multiple hits vs. one single monster, but the downside is that it puts you in Strafe lock more often.

The formula is as follows: Min Arrows fired = 2 + slvl / 4 rounded down.
Which means, at level 4, 3 shots are fired; at level 20, 2 + 20/4 or at least 7 arrows are shot.

Strafe Lock

While you are Strafing, your character will be locked in place. You will be unable to move until you are done Strafing. Keep in mind that as you put more points into Strafe and it hits more targets, the time you are locked will be longer. Hardcore players might wish to avoid placing too many points into Strafe. For players on Normal mode this is generally not a problem. Be sure to not fire a Strafe right before trying to run away and you will usually be OK.




Freezing Arrow
Required Level: 30
Prerequisites: Cold Arrow [6], Ice Arrow [18]

The greatest of the powers attained by those dedicated to Karcheus is the skill to imbue their arrows with the freezing power of a devastating avalanche. Enemies within the impact of a freezing arrow are frozen in their tracks and feel crushing pain, as if a mass of magical ice had toppled onto them.

Effect: Enchants an arrow to deliver cold damage that freezes any monsters near the point of impact.

Player vs Player: Other players will be chilled, not frozen.

Freezing Arrow is similar to the Sorceress' Glacial Spike. Freezing arrow can be a bit more powerful however because in addition to the base arrow damage, it can also work with Pierce and Critical Strike.

Before significantly investing in Freeze Arrow keep in mind that Cold Length Durations are reduced in Nightmare and Hell. On Hell Difficulty the freeze will last 0.5 seconds. If you fire continually with a fast bow, you may find, however that this is enough to keep a monster from moving very far.


Freezing Arrow Receives Bonuses From
Cold Arrow: +12% Cold Damage Per Level
Ice Arrow: +5% Freeze Length Per Level

 

thanks, can you find a guide for paladin also?

 

for all chars... just i need some time