Guide Ethereal Bug (eBug) Picture Guide

OldBeardedGaming(OBG) here with a quick and simple eBug Picture guide. The existing guide is great and has pages of conversation worth reviewing and even a few videos. I'm a bit of a old-school learner and wanted to really understand how/why this all works and one of the best ways for me to do that was to make a guide. I like visuals. Hope this helps

Pre-emptive TL;DR

Why? You can add a TON of defense to gear for both you and your Merc. Why do you want defense you ask, this read explains defense rather better than I could (https://diablo2.diablowiki.net/defense-101)
How? Abuse bug in how Ethereal items when used in the Cube add Enhanced Defense (ED) to those items
What? This works with any Ethereal armor that can have sockets (Helms, Shields & Armor) including Ethereal Uniques. No Ammys, Rings, Boots, Belts, Gloves, or Weps. Stop asking

DETAILS

There are basically 2 different categories for how this bug works: Runeword Bases and Uniques. We'll break these down below as they are different in how they work.

Runeword Bases:
Lets lay down some rules for what works as a base in detail and how this bug works. Universally, Any and all eBug items MUST be Ethereal:

• You can only use Helms, Armor and Shields. No exceptions
• The Base Armor can be of any ilvl and any base-category (Normal, Exceptional, Elite)
  • The base-category makes no impact on the effect/values of this bug. (ie. using a 3 socket Light Plate will yield the same result as a 3 socket Archon Plate, you wont get more (ED) from it. Adjust your filter lists accordingly. In BH Maphack I use the following to see all potential eBug Bases:
    • ItemDisplay[EQ2 ETH NMAG SOCK=0]: %PURPLE%OBG %ORANGE%eBug Base %WHITE%%NAME%%MAP-20%%BORDER-00%
      ItemDisplay[EQ2 ETH NMAG SOCK=4]: %PURPLE%OBG %ORANGE%eBug Base %GRAY%%NAME%%MAP-1F%%BORDER-00%%NOTIFY-5%
      ItemDisplay[EQ2 ETH NMAG SOCK=5]: %PURPLE%OBG %ORANGE%eBug Base %GRAY%%NAME%%MAP-1F%%BORDER-00%%NOTIFY-5%
    • Simply copy/paste the above bullet under the CUSTOM STUFF section of your BH.cfg file
• The max eBug 'base' defense for any item generally speaking is 2037 (Note: this _can_ get higher if the item is a Superior Eth version that already has Enhanced Defense on it)
• To bug the item, you MUST spell a Runeword inside it's sockets that includes Enhanced Defense. There are a lot of options here but for the purpose of raising the base ebug defense stat to max (ie 2037+...see bullet above) it makes sense to use the 'cheapest' rune word to get there. Common Runewords for each armor include:
  • HELMS
    • 2 socket - Nadir (Nef+Tir)
    • 3 socket - Radiance (Nef+Sol+Ith)
  • SHIELDS
    • 2 Socket - Rhyme (Shael+Eth)
    • 3 Socket - Ancient's Pledge (Ral+Ort+Tal)
    • 4 Socket - Phoenix (Vex+Veex+Lo+Jah) [Super Expensive but you could make a badass base shield for a final Exile or even just Phoenix]
  • ARMORS
    • 2 Socket - Smoke (Nef+Lum)
    • 3 Socket - Duress (Shael+Um+Thul)
    • 4 Socket - Stone (Shael+Um+Pul+Lum)
• It usually takes 2 (possibly more, I haven't tested EVERY armor/runeword combo) of the above Runewords being socketed then Removed (place runeword armor in the cube with 1x Hel Rune + 1x Teleport Scroll) to reach the max_base_ebug_defense (2037+)
• Once you've reached your max (2037+) you can then finally spell whatever runeword you want to create the final form. Words that add enhanced Defense will notice that the new ebug base of 2037+ is used for the calculation. Its possible to get gear exceeding 7000 defense this way!

Lets get into the picture guide step by step now. In this example we are going to start with a Ethereal Great Hauberk.

Step 1:
Take your new Eth armor and add sockets to it! Laz of course makes sense but there are some occasions where you might use the cube recipe (using a base that would give more max sockets than what you want). Take note of our beginning Defense (651)


Step 2:
Now since this is a 4-socket armor, we need to spell a Runeword that adds Enhanced Defense (ED) as part of its benefits. The cheapest one for 4 sockets is Stone (Shael+Um+Pul+Lum).


Step 3:
Now we need to remove that Runeword from the armor to begin our eBug process. To do this, place the armor inside the cube along with 1x Hel Rune and 1x Teleport Scroll.


Step 4:
Transmute! You will be left with just your empty 4-socketed Ethereal Armor....but now look at the defense on this thing...it increased from 651 to 1505! That a really nice increase, but we're not at the max yet...


Step 5:
We will add another Stone runeword to this base...


Step 6:
...and just like we did in Step 4, lets remove this Runeword by using the 1x Hel Rune + 1x Teleport Scroll.


Step 7:
Now we have our maxed eBug base armor of 2037!


Step 8:
From here you cannot get any higher of a base than 2037 (not without the original base being superior with existing added ED). Feel free to add whatever final Runeword you want or need. As noted before, if that final Runeword includes a % increase to Enhanced Defense, the math will be done from that 2037 now. For my example (because I'm poor and don't have the Lo rune on HC to spell Fortitude) I just went with another Stone.


Hit Recovery, Stats, some Resists and almost 7600 Defense should help keep my Merc alive in hell.

Unique Bases:
So Ethereal Uniques (Helms, Shields, Armor only) can also be eBugged but have a different method to achieve this. As it is, you can only add 1x Socket to any Unique via Laz in ActV anyways, and you can't spell Runewords in Uniques that already have sockets (like Black Hades). However if it is a unique Helm, Shield or Armor with 1 or more sockets it can still be eBugged with this method.

Similar to before with the Runeword Bases, here are a few rules, notes and observations about this method:

• You can only use Ethereal Uniques for this method (regular one will not work no matter what you socket into them).
• You can use Ethereal Unqiues that naturally have sockets, you don't have to be the one to add sockets to it.
• This method takes a lot more Hel runes to remove whatever you socket than the Runeword method with Eth Bases, farm accordingly.
• TESTED: You can use literally anything you want to socket your Ethereal Unique to eBug this. Can be Runes (any), Gems (any), Jewels (any). It sorta makes sense 'value-wise' to use El runes since you can max out a Eth Unique defense with 8-10 of them.
• TESTED: Performing the eBug on say a normal quality armor (I used Rockfleece) and then upgrading the base via Cube Recipe and doing the eBig again (since it resets the defense value) WILL NOT IMPROVE THE FINAL EBUG VALUE. See guide further below for picture proof).
  • Another way to say this is that regardless of base quality for a given Unique name (ie Rockfleece Field Plate > Sharktooth Armor > Kracken Shell) the max eBug final Defense value won't change.
• OBSERVATION: Each Eth Unique seems to go up by it's own percentage each 'cycle' of socket/removal. In the example of the Venom Ward every cycle it would increase the base defense by 6% and round to the nearest whole number (See the chart below). The Rockfleece on the other hand that I increased its base quality (from Field Plate to Sharktooth), increased at a rate of 44% each time (2 full cycles proving the 44% and a 3rd partial cycle that ended up hitting the armor cap for that item). CFP = Change From Prior
  • 
    
  • It is currently unknown but I will test soon if Upgrading the Base Quality makes a difference in the % increase scaling per cycle. If so, then there could be some value in upgrading that base to save on Hel Runes for the volume of cycles needed to max out the armor. More to come on this point.

On to the method....

Step 1:
Take any Ethereal Unique (Helm/Shield/Armor) and add a socket to it (if it doesn't already have a socket) via Laz in ActV. This example we have a Eth Venom Ward.


Step 2:
Add literally anything you want to that socket (gem, rune, jewel). It doesn't matter what you use.


Step 3:
Remove that item by placing the Ethereal Unique (now with a socketed something in it) into the cube along with 1x Hel Rune and 1x Teleport Scroll


Step 4:
Take note of what the defense now is on your Ethereal Unique item (now with an empty socket). Its now 174 up from 164.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the defense no longer increases on your item. You likely won't know what the max is until you get the same un-socketed defense 2x in a row.

That's it folks! It can take a good number of cycles to get to max defense (I did 20 cycles on this Venom Ward and got it up to 596 before stopping, but it will go much higher) but that extra defense is totally worth it and some Uniques once bugged would be worthy of spending a Zod on it to personally use it vs having your Merc use it. (Remember, can't repair Ethereals)

=================================================================
TEST: Does upgrading the base quality of a eBugged Unique change the max defense value?
=================================================================

I began by taking a maxed ebug Rockfleece which is a base of Field Plate. I have a socketed Gem in there that doesn't add anything to ED, so it's max is 4399.


I then upgraded the base quality from Field Plate to Sharktooth Armor by using the 1x Tal + 1x Shael + 1 Perfect Diamond cube recipe. This gave me a base of 812 and retained the socketed item.


I then removed the socketed item and added an El rune (again could be anything) and began the process of upgrading the armor to max.


The resulting max was the same 4399 defense, just now with higher stat requirements. (NOTE: The reduction in level requirement comes from removing the Rainbow Facet jewel I had in the original maxed ebug version (the field plate) as that jewel required level 49 to use).




I hope this guide is useful and helps to answer some of the basic procedural questions about how to perform this bug. I know that for myself in my older age I need things broken down and explained in simple terms and pictures don't hurt at all either.

Cheers and happy eBugging!

EDIT: Thanks to Gix for helping with the photo limits and edit issues!