Hey there, I'm Oz on softcore (currently 88 amazon) and Smash on HC (current 35 barbarian).

My barbarian is mace spec'd and doing well but I have not picked a combat attack yet to specialize in.

I had originally intended to make a concentrate barb with maxed out iron skin and shout, for mega +defense, but I saw leap attack's insane +%damage bonus synergies.

Leap attack gets +100% damage for each synergy, so it would have +4000% attack just from synergies, even more if leveled.

So I get either concentrate which gives me +defense which could help with safety (since it's in HC), or Leap Attack which would give me massive damage and maxed WW (for synergy). Leap attack's only problem is it's a little funky to attack with sometimes.

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with such a build?

I'm thinking--- Major defense
Battle orders
Iron Skin
Concentrate
Mace specialization
Shout

OR--- Major damage

Battle orders
Mace spec
Leap attack
Whirlwind
Bash (or leap, whichever is the synergy i don't remember atm)
Natural stamina?

max. inc stamina anyway

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"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer",- Ali.

what a bizzare question... 2 totally different skills, have you used leap attack?

concentration is a great stand still and bash all day skill, whilst leap attack leaps in.

and your defense build seems silly, having massive tanking defense but ignore the life bonus from increase stamina? mace mastery should suffer more than your HP.

for reference leap attack is on par with charge (both ~ same dmg and synergies) but charge has auras, if you want a DD wank tank, make a charge pali.

i don't really see leap attack as a general skill to base a PvM build on, granted it would take some talent to play in HU, previously LA barbs were specifically PvP and done a hell of a good job.

dont max shout or stone skin. defence has terrible deminishing returns. just as an example. My paladin with holy shield on has 60k def this gives monsters about a 17% chance to hit me in a5 hell. if i use absolute zero to cast frozen armour my def goes up to 111k and monsters have a 12% chance to hit me. so for almost doubling my defence monsters have 5% less chance to hit me. Worth dedicating 40 pojnts to? not at all.

you are much better to get your life as high as possible and work on negating damage done with damage reduced byxx damage reduce% mag damage reduce by xx resists and absorbs.

Leap attack is a pretty crappy skill in pvm, in the time you are flying through the air you could have landed 3-4 hits with concentrate while leeching back a good bit. A friend of mine has a conc/zerk barb who is proving a formidable tank in late nm so far (hc). He went the route of negating damage as did I with my paladin. Thats your best bet.Max increased stamina and bo, a mastery and a combat skill + 1 synergie. if you max mastery lastly it means you can add 1 to each weapon mastery so you can use any weapon type that comes along untill late game when you decide on your weapon type.

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Defense also really only applies if you are walking or standing still. Since most people let their characters run the entire time, defense isn't that useful for them.

When you are running, the game acts like you have zero defense.

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People who live in cinder block houses can throw whatever they want.

good point, forgot to mention that.

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Wonder if I should just reroll him then, I already put 5 points into Iron Skin (for the damage reduction too, gives 1% per point), and like 6 or so into mace mastery, and 5 or so into shout.

How about if I did
----
Max Battle orders
Max Natural Stamina
Max Concentrate
Max Berserk
----

Those + some utility skills (1 pt in natural resist, speed, etc) are 96 points total.


Assuming 12 points from quests, that would mean I'd be sitting there at level 84. That's pretty high for a HC character, especially in HU, but let's say I made it there. What should get my extra points past level 84?

Stun? For the synergy..

Don't max berserk, that converts 20% of your conc dmg to magic. Thus making you leech less life.

i dont see the big deal losing a couple % for gaining the massive magic dmg.

your build sounds good, i love the way tho people assume +12 skills finishing at lvl 84, i was lvl 90 when i got to a4 hell, still yet to do izzy cos i cant get a team together/cant be bothered, is he secretly uber easy or something?

but yeah i agree with pumping the synergies.