Posts in this thread should shortly describe the skill layout for a build, the strategy you used, and whether you enjoyed playing the build. Ideally this thread will be worth keeping as a sticky so that new and old players can read it and see if there are any build ideas that appeal to them.
Below are many of the builds I've tried in HU, nearly chronologically since 2005. I've revised the skill distribution to reflect the most recent incarnation of that build. I plan builds around attaining lvl 80, so I toss extra points wherever I feel like. I've never enjoyed a character enough to play it past lvl 95, so my experiences never reflect vita-whoring until I get Anni, LoS or Sammy charms.
Poizon20 PoisJav
20 PlagueJav
20 Decoy
I later remade this char with 20 DSpray, but that skill didn't exist in the original HU.
Toss a Decoy to clump up a mob, then toss a PlagueJav. Rince and repeat. A very easy char to play, and easy to take down any boss not immune to poison. Gear reliance is low (rares with +3 Javs are easy to roll). This buid can get by without replenishing javs since you only throw once every 5-10 seconds.
Hydra or Chant Sorc20 Hydra
20 Warmth (originally FBolt)
20 Enchant (originally FBall)
20 FMastery
I've never fully remade this sorc after the synergies from Hydra were changed from FBolt and FBall, but that doesn't matter since Enchant with an Exploding-arrow Bow replaces the FBall I originally used. A later remake used a A1 phys rogue with Chant, and proved overpowered enough that I never played her past A1 NM. The original build was very easy to play since I could plant Hydras at the screen edge when the going was tough. They were particularly effective against bosses that use DragonFlight as a counter, since they get teleported away from me and onto the hydras. This was an excellent build for Nila runs.
FoH Pally20 HBolt
20 BHammer
20 FoH
20 Prayer (originally I didn't use Prayer, but would nowadays)
I noticed that HU had a lot of undead critters, so I decided that using HBolt as an early-game ranged attack against unleachable undead would be decent, and that FoH would work just as well later (BHammer was too cliche). This was a fun character mainly because early HU had more abusable qualities. For example, this char used saphires in gear to attain 5k mana, with something like 500% mana regen via Mediitation. I then used Wizardspike's 100% mana leach along with Zeal to tank 3 Champ Wyrms. I couldn't kill them, but they couldn't kill me either. This build inspired me to make an aura-healer tank.
Double-Throw barb10 DSwing
20 DThrow
20 Frenzy
Masteries (I usually use 1pt Spear, Throw, and Axe. Nowadays I'd use IStamina like everyone else)
Originally this build was made with high level StoneSkin, since that had -2Dmg per level, but that skill was quickly changed when it was shown to make barbs nearly indistructible to trash in norm. I've remade this char several patches ago, with IStamina skill. It was alright. I never noticed the bugged throw-damage, but did notice the unavailability of replenishing throwing weapons. I did sadly prove that throwing the last jav in a stack of "Harmony" javs will destroy the item.
HoW Summon Druid20 DWolves
20 HoWolverine
20 Grizzly
Originally this build used just 3 Dires with HoW, and it was alright. Their damage as quite high with HoW, and they let me easilly solo most parts of normal. Later Grizzly was allowed to be summoned with the Dires, which made the build overpowered for normal difficulty. Very easy to get high +Skills since +3 armor is available to this class by A4/5 norm. I used to use ShockWave to stun trash since it was a pretty boring build. I think I stopped playing it around A5 NM. Would probably be poor in Hell due to the global 50% phys resist.
ShockWave Bear20 Maul
20 SWave
20 Rabies
Inspired by the effectiveness of SWave with my earlier summoner, I figured that I could poison the mobs while they were stunned. I used Carrion ring to bug out the Rabies, but could have easily placed the points into the synergy instead. Both builds are 40 points afterall. SWave was rediculousely overpowered for normal, doing about 5k per wave around char lvl 50, and castable about 3-4 times a second. It was easy to combine this char with a rogue with amp on strike to destory just about anything, so I changed to an A3 lit merc. Low availability of additional +Skill gear made the char more balanced by end NM. With rabies adding an additional 10/sec dmg, this build was still going strongly by A3 Hell, which is where I remember getting too bored with it to play.
Aura-Healer20 Prayer
20 HShield
This build was made possibly mostly by the availability of "Insight" in scepters. Originally my aura-healer build was a Smiter deviant, but focusing on defensive auras meant low CBlow gear. He still managed to do very well solo against NM Baal, but in my few attempts to do Baal, server desync would cause me to be locked in a bone prison on the server, but unaware of that client-side. In one fight Baal healed from about 1/2 like 4 times before I gave up. For this char I wrote the "Memoires of a Healer" story to document the build. If I'm asked, then I can repost the story. This build kills trash slowly, but might be alright nowadays with a phys rogue or A3 merc.
I later remade the build with 20 BHammer, 20 FoH, and about 5-10 HBolt. This build was slow killing stuff in Hell, but was otherwise a very versatile build. Soloing Hell Diablo was challenging, but mainly because you have to constantly run to avoid BonePrisons forming on you (they're very magic damage resistant).
Convictor20 Conviction
20 HShield
This build is exceedingly gear-dependant. It's not really worth trying unless you've already got all the gear lined up for use. Zeal is used with gear that supplies elemental damage to attack (either directly or via spell procs). That damage appears relatively low until you recognize that the -Res% from conviction will negate most defences. The -Def% from Conviction allows almost all Zeal hits to land, so the end result is that the dps of the build against trash is pretty decent. It became more effective in NM and Hell since monsters were balanced around the assumption that their resistances would be intact. The perplexing effectiveness of the build made it enjoyable to play to about A5 Hell, but the gear supply dwindled (same weapon since A5 norm) and I lost interest. I've lost interest with this ladder's incarnation by A1 Hell. It's amusing to note that if you gear your merc the same as yourself, then they're just as effective as you. Recent changes to gear have made this build nearly unplayable.
Gear used:
"Rift" scepter (HelKoLemGul) - 20% lvl 25 Blizz on attack (825dmg per shard)
Dragonhelm - 12% lvl 24 Meteor on strike/struck (300dmg with 450dps)
Elemental Eye set - 25% lvl 25 skills (avg 300dmg) on attack/struck, 432-1610 dmg to attack
Mav's glove/belt - 500-1000 dmg to attack. Recent patches made these items available only in late NM rather than late Norm.
Tiamat's Shield - 25% lvl 33 FNova (270dmg), 25% lvl 33 Nova (350dmg), 10% lvl 20 Hydra (200dmg), 141-580 dmg to attack.
Corpsemourn - 241-640 dmg to attack
Blazer20 Inferno
20 Blaze
20 FWall
20 FMastery
Originally I built this char to see if FWall had any potential, but by char level 26 I realized that it did not. I remade that char to test Blaze, which seemed promising, and later wrote a post about how strong it was. Only Squelch gave feedback in that post about trying the build for himself, and agreed that it was awfully strong. There is currently a
thread about Blaze in the forum. My original build soloed Hell Mephy, although he might have been easier then (chased more often for sure). My current ladder build soloed norm Darkness, Sammy, Spire Guardian, and some other bosses I don't recall. I've yet to solo NM dury since his frenzy attack seems really hard to predict, and I don't quite have enough FRWalk gear to consistently stay ahead of him. Soloing NM A4 Seal guardians was trivial. I pretty much stopped playing this char as of A1 hell due to lack of interest.
DClaw Sin20 DragonClaw
20 CoShadows
10+ SWarrior
10+ Venom
5+ Fade
This build has been made less effective since the defence boost from CoShadows only lasts 60 seconds now, instead of 4 minutes when I originally made the char. The Shadow Warrior was used to recast the cloak for it's -Def% and AI-disrupting abilities. The SWarrior was a very effective tank since when she's first cast, she will use your right-click skill before engaging the enemy (you can have her cast about 3 skills (i.e. CoS, Fade, Venom) before she starts melee and her AI kicks in). I tried this char because I missed the brainless point-n-click chars like WW barbs and Zealots (Convictor just doesn't feel the same, maybe because they don't leach). Using DClaw for it's 1000% EDamage and ARating along with CoShadow's 1300% EDef made for a pretty solid character. I got bored with her around A3 Hell (got Nat's claw, which was the last thing I wanted to play with)