Build notes: |
February 07, 2022 -Build created |
Build Overview
After the Buff received in patch 2.4, Strafe has become the most reliable and, in many areas, the most powerful Physical Arrow Skill. Its main downsides - below average damage and tendency to miss its targets were almost completely removed. It no longer has a starting -25% Damage penalty and now grants +30% baseline and +9% per level Attack Rating. Because of this, it's about time we came up with a Strafe Bowazon Build that would feature this skill's new capabilities.
The featured version of the Strafe Bowazon is a great alternative to the tried and true Multi-Shot Bowazon. It offers great DPS and can deliver punishment very reliably while keeping a safe distance. In certain areas, it performs better than the Multi-Shot version (for example, when dealing with physical immunities or fighting elite monsters), but falls a bit behind when monster density gets too high (when you get surrounded, you're in trouble). Overall, Strafe Bowazon is a solid but extremely expensive top-tier farming build, capable of clearing end-game content on /Players7 difficulty.
You can also check our other Diablo 2 Resurrected Builds
Pros | Cons |
Very high Physical DPS and high clear speeds | One of the most expensive builds in the game |
Can Deal with Physical Immunities rather well | Rather fragile - you will die easily if you get caught off-guard |
Very versatile and quite mobile | Not the best choice for high-density areas |
Skills
ATTRIBUTES |
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BOW AND CROSSBOW SKILLS |
This is the core Skill Tree of this Build. It provides you with a freshly-buffed Strafe - a powerful Skill that basically aims itself at your enemies by splitting a single arrow into multiple deadly projectiles that shoot off in the direction of nearby enemies. With it, all you have to do is point your weapon in the general direction of your targets - just don't let them surround you. Skills:
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PASSIVE AND MAGIC SKILLS |
This skill tree offers great utility skills - both passive and active ones. For this build, we focus on the passive power boosts, as they supplement our Strafe very well. Having said that, once you max out everything else, you might want to get the Valkyrie as well (especially if you feel like you need some extra defensive power). Skills:
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JAVELIN AND SPEAR SKILLS |
This build focuses on Bows and Crossbows, so we skip this entire skill tree. Skills:
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Items
You want to get as much Enhanced Damage as possible to increase the build's overall power level. Deadly Strike is the second most important offensive stat that will massively boost your DPS. Another stat you should be interested in is Increased Attack Speed; stacking it will allow you to dish out more punishment quicker. For defenses, you should rely on Life and Mana Leech to keep you alive and kicking. You shouldn't forget about mobility either - having some Faster Run/Walk will definitely come in handy. | |
HELMETS |
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M'avina's True Sight (Diadem) - This Diadem may not look like much, but the 30% Attack Speed increase it provides will work wonders for your DPS with a Strafe Bowazon. |
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Andariel's Visage (Demonhead) - Andariel's Visage offers a great mix of Attack Speed, Attributes, Defense, and Life Leech. If you're looking for a Helmet that will make your character better in every important way, this is it. Just keep in mind that its negative Fire Resistance might cause problems in some end-game zones.
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WEAPONS |
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Faith (Runeword) - An extremely expensive and insanely powerful runeword that will take your Damage output to a completely new level. While its Enhanced Damage, Attack Rating, and Skill bonuses are impressive, the real kicker is the Fanaticism Aura. With it, your Damage and Attack Speed will simply skyrocket. |
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Mist (Runeword) - The new kid on the block when it comes to Bowazon Weapons. It directly competes with Faith but falls short of it offensively (but it's still an amazing weapon when it comes to DPS). However, it makes up for it with a range of powerful defensive bonuses (high Resistances, great Vitality boost, and Freezing effect on hit). Also, it has a 100% Piercing attach which will allow you to save up some skill points. |
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Buriza-Do Kyanon (Ballista) - One of the best Ranged Weapons in the game. This incredibly powerful Crossbow offers an extremely high Damage increase, great attack speed, 100% chance to pierce (which is great for saving up skill points), and 35 Dexterity. Its main downside is that it's extremely heavy. |
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WEAPON SWAP | |
Call to Arms (Rune Word) - This powerful Runeword will allow you to pre-buff yourself up with Warcries (buffs persist through weapon swap). |
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Lidless Wall (Grim Shield) - A very powerful Shield that grants bonuses to all skills and FCR. If you are using CTA on weapon swap to boost your stats with Warcries, it's good to equip this shield to maximize the effect. Note: Spirit Shield is also a viable option here, but it has a much higher Strength requirement which makes it less desirable. |
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AMULETS |
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The Cat's Eye - This amazing Amulet will boost your DPS, survivability, and mobility by a large margin. There's no better option for the build. |
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Highlord's Wrath - Highlord's will give you a solid Attack Speed boost coupled with a level-scaling chance for a Deadly Strike. It won't affect your mobility, however. |
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ARMORS |
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Fortitude (Runeword) - If maximizing Damage is what you're after, there's no better option for this slot than Fortitude. It offers a whopping +300% Enhanced Damage without compromising your defense (actually, it's also one of the best armors defense-wise). |
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RINGS |
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A "Dual Leech" Rare Ring - This is a top choice for the Ring slot as Life and Mana leech effects are extremely valuable for the build. |
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Bul-Kathos Wedding Band - A great ring for this build. It grants a bonus to all skills, Life Steal, and maximum Life - all exceptionally valuable affixes. If you don't need extra Mana Leech, pick this over a Dual Leech Rare Ring. |
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Raven Frost - An amazing ring that provides Freeze Immunity which is extremely important to have on every build. If you get frozen, you're pretty much dead, so this is a must-have. |
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GLOVES |
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Laying of Hands (Bramble Mitts) - These gloves offer an amazing Damage boost against Demons, which will help you farm in areas like Chaos Sanctuary. Moreover, they take care of your IAS needs very well. |
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Dracul's Grasp (Vampirebone Gloves) - A good all-around choice that increases your attack speed and gives you some extra survivability. These also give a high strength bonus which is very convenient for choosing equipment for other gear slots.
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Soul Drainer (Vambraces) - These gloves are a nice source of Dual Leech. If you're on a bit of a budget, they might help you increase your Bowazon's overall survivability. |
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BOOTS |
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War Traveler (Battle Boots) - These boots are extremely powerful on a physical damage-based build because of their Added Damage bonus (that bonus scales very well with all other damage increases from gear/skills). Also, they make you move faster, prevent you from tiring, give you some nice attributes, and improve your MF. |
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Gore Rider (War Boots) - These boots will give you a nice mix of deadly on-hit effects (you're mainly interested in Deadly Strike) and a solid boost to Faster Run/Walk. They are a solid alternative to War Traveler but are a bit weaker for general use. |
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BELTS |
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Razortail (Sharkskin Belt) - We all know that Pierce is one of the most powerful effects you can have on a Bowazon, and this belt gives you 33% of it! If you're after BiS equipment, there's no real alternative for this slot, unless your Weapon already gives you Piercing Attack. |
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Goldwrap (Heavy Belt) - This belt offers an interesting mix of offensive power and the ability to farm more magic items. If you'd like to improve your MF stat without sacrificing too much DPS, Goldwrap is a solid option. |
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String of Ears (Demonhide Dash) - If you're after some extra defenses, this belt might be what you need. It should keep you alive with its damage reduction effects and high Life Leech. |
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CHARMS |
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MERCENARY |
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We recommend picking up Act 2 Defiance Mercenary for extra damage mitigation bonuses. He should be equipped with:
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ENDNOTE This is our premiere Diablo 2 Resurrected build where we tried to include all of the important information on how to set up this character while keeping the guide as compact as possible. If we've missed something of importance, please let us know! If you have any Build requests, please post them in the Comments section below. We will be happy to cover your most requested builds in the future! Also, we hope that you have found this guide useful and informative. Also, we will be happy to receive constructive criticism that will help us improve our future work, so don't hesitate to give us your feedback. |
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