Version 1.1

This strategy no longer applies to the latest version of Diablo II. It remains here for archival use only.

Index:

• Common Abbreviations.
• Quote from Sirian's Fire Tree Report
• Skills
• Statistics
• Items
• Tactics
• Fire Resistances
• Bosses
• Thanks to...

Str = Strength
Dex = Dexterity
Vit = Vitality
Eng = Energy
Stat = Statistics (The four above)
HP = Healing Points or Life
MP = Mana Points
Clvl = Character Level
Slvl = Skill Level
Req = Requirement
Max Dmg = Maximum Damage
Min Dmg = Minimum Damage
MDR = Magic Damage Reduced
PDR = Physical Damage Reduced
LBoD = Lightning Breath of Death. (Diablo's most feared attack)
FM = Fire Mastery
SA = Shiver Armor
CA = Chilling Armor
3DT = Triple Perfect Diamond Tower Shield
DR = Defense Rating

One thing to understand is that Inferno is NOT an area of effect skill. In fact, it's a piercing missile attack. It is similar, in this way, to the Lightning skill. You cast it, and anything in the direct path will take damage. The fire is not stopped or absorbed by a target. It pierces, or continues onward, to the full extent of its range. Inferno is not a continuous stream of fire; rather, it is a series of flame bursts launched one per frame, and damage is calculated separately from each unit. If you press the attack button and immediately let go, you will see that something between five and seven frames worth of flames will be fired. If you press and hold your attack button, the frames will be fired without interruption. This gives the illusion of a continuous attack, but it is actually a series of attacks. The main thing different about Inferno from other ranged attacks is that there is no delay between shots, no renewal of the firing animation. Once you start firing, you may keep firing unless you take a hit or run out of mana, or if a creature you had targeted directly was slain.

There is a down side to the rapid-fire, though. There is a delay before you can start firing. The game has to run all the way through the attack animation before the flames start to spew. What's more, you cannot benefit here from fast-cast items. Combine these two things and you've got the main problem with this skill: (...) if you take a hit, the attack is interrupted and you must go through the attack animation again to start applying more damage. That can take too long, as it gives time for you to be hit again, interrupted again. This is a serious handicap in later difficulties. If you can't kill the enemy before they reach you, you are going to be in some trouble.

There is a quirk to using Inferno. At some angles, damage will be halved. There are two streams to the flames, and you will have trouble hitting smaller targets with both streams. I have not pinpointed which angles these might be, or even if they are consistent. I have not figured out whether this has to do with being in the full center of the flames or not, or what. I only know that it happens, and that in many cases, if you are not getting full damage, it may be to your benefit to stop firing and change angles, in hopes of placing your target in the line of fire of both streams.

Inferno. (Clvl Req 6)
Obviously. Like most Spellcaster skills, the more points you put in it, the higher the damage. At Slvl 20, Inferno costs 21 Mana per second, does 190-203 Fire Damage and has a range of 12.6 yards (That's off screen.) Inferno is a stationary skill, meaning you have to stand still to use it. This makes you vulnerable against all forms of attacks.
Though it might seem that Inferno doesn't cost any mana when you cast it for less then a second, it in fact does. The reason why you usually don't see it, is because it's regenerated very quickly. (depending on your own regeneration cycle.)
Inferno isn't a skill you need to pump from starters. It's very powerful in the beginning. The harder you pump it the more mana you waste on overburn. Overburn is shooting more mana than is required to kill an enemy.

Teleport. (Clvl Req 18, Skill Prereq Telekinesis)
A must for every Sorceress. This skill will make you much more mobile. You can easily transport over rivers or walls, instead of walking around it. This skill will often prevent an unwanted death, by teleporting away from a creepy boss. Extra added skillpoints only reduce it's manacost, which begins at 24, so just one point would suffice.

FrostNova. (Clvl Req 6)
True, this skill isn't Inferno like, but you should see it as a crowd control skill, much like Holy Freeze or Howl. First Chill a group, to slow them down, then you've got near free shots with your bad fire breath. Also very good for a quick escape. Perhaps on later difficulties it's worth it to invest a few more points, since it's cold duration is cut back in NM and Hell. (Down to 1/2 and 1/4 respectively.)

Warmth. (Clvl Req 1)
This skill should always deserve a couple of points, so I advise putting some points in it you've got left at the beginning of the game when Inferno isn't available yet. You don't need to max this skill, because except for the beginning, Inferno is no mana expensive skill. Once you learn how long you need to fry a foe to kill him, you'll reduce the amount of wasted mana, cutting down manacost even more. There are lots of items which boost regeneration, as well as boosting your Energy increases your Regeneration.

Fire Mastery. (Clvl Req 30)
Use this Skill to boost Inferno's Damage after you've maxed your main attack skill. Thanks to FM, Inferno is still viable in later difficulties. FM is a passive skill, meaning that you'll do more damage, for the same amount of mana, and all you have to do for that is add some skillpoints. :) More damage is always good.

Cold Armors:
- Shiver Armor (Clvl Req 12, Frozen Armor, Icebolt and Iceblast as Prerequisites)
- Chilling Armor (Clvl Req 24, Frozen Armor, Icebolt, Iceblast and Shiver Armor as Prerequisites.)
You might want to invest some points in one of these skills, in order for better Defense. (In retaliatory terms.) Which one depends on which foes you dread most. Ranged? or Melee? SA handles Melee Critters just fine, and gives a nice DR boost. CA will retaliate on ranged attackers, and also boosts DR a bit. At the least CA is very useful in locating flayers in the Jungle. :-) Note that you shouldn't let Melee Guys close anyway, so that makes SA a bit obsolete, however you're stationary, and you've got Duriel on your path. I think that compensates decently.

Energy Shield:
Don't. Really, at five prerequisite skills (Charged Bolt, Telekinesis, Teleport, Lightning, Chain Lightning) and then starting with 15% absorbed at the first skill point, this is not useful. As they say in the Diablo2 Encyclopedia, "If you like your mana drained, use it." You'll probably boost Vitality more then Energy anyway, so why use ES? High Vit, perhaps SA and a good shield will do much more for you then ES.

Strength.
This depends totally on which gear you want. Heavy Armors are not really useful, but a Tower Shield might be, for the sake of blocking an attack. (Do note, that the whole 'blocking' concept will change in the Expansion pack.) A 3DT will provide you with 44% blocking and 50+ Resist All. So you might want to boost Str to 75 for that. (Or higher if you have other nice stuff like a Silks of the Victor or Goldskin.)

Strength Goals: (thanx to whyBish)

• 25 for Bone Shield
• 27 for Twitchthroe (If you want high blocking)
• 41 for Heavenly Garb
• 45 for Magefist
• 58 for mage plate /grim shield/grim helm (Should you wish to use SA)
• 60 for Frostburn (but why?) and Plated Belts.
• 80 for Goldskin
• 100 for Silks of the Victor
• 103 for -40 req ornate, really needs to be 800+ def to make it worth the str (remember mage gives you about 520 max for 58 str)

Dexterity.
Don't. Currently there's no use for it for you. (Though that might change in the Expansion, but we'll just have to wait and see.)

Energy.
Most Sorceresses boost this stat so high, they never see the bottom of their Mana Orb ever again. This is not really necessary. With some decent regeneration (due to Warmth and items) you won't have to invest that much stat points in Eng. My Inferno Sorc for Example is doing just fine with less then 400 mana. That's 400 mana, with a cost of 21 per second, meaning I can cast one long Inferno for 19 whole seconds, with over 203 (and another added 100% due to FM) fire damage per second. Except for Bosses, that leaves pretty much nothing alive. And of course you've always got mana potions. So having 800+ mana is absolutely not necessary.

Vitality.
This is my favorite. Yep, Vit, with a sorc. Let me explain. Inferno is a stationary skill. That means you'll be constantly standing still, in order to release your flames. So monsters could get close, and land a hit. Of course you'll run away in time. But if you don't, you sure want to survive those hits. Against Ranged Attacks it's even harder. Normally you'd happyfeet (move out of the missiles way, while you race towards the ranged attacker.) however that doesn't work all too well with Inferno. While you run, you can't hit them. Better to stand there, get hit, while you fry their bottoms off. So you'll get a couple of fireballs and arrows around your ears, even LBoD when facing big D, and surely you don't wish to die. So having a good HP pool is important. (And now I didn't even mention Duriel yet. :) ) The higher your Vitality, the lower the chance of a monster to interrupt your attack. They can only interrupt when they're able to hit you with an amount of damage equal to one twelfth of your max HP. If he does that he'll interrupt your attack, forcing you to cast it again.

Weapons.
Of course a stave with added Inferno and Warmth skillpoints would be very nice, but remember, you're stationary. A shield will prevent a lot of hits. So you're looking for a onehanded weapon. Your best choice are wands or scepters, since most mage attributes come on those. Look for fastest cast, added mana, resists, etc. Otherwise a weapon which adds Str is also very good for better armor or shields.

Armor.
This depends. If you can get some, Silks of the Victor (1 added Skill point) and Goldskin (30% resist all) are always good choices, just as Heavenly Garb (25% Regenerate, 10% Resist all). Twitchthroe will increase your chance to block with 25%, meaning that if you have a 3DT (44% block) you can almost get max blocking. Otherwise look for something that adds life, mana, hit recovery, Str, Resists. Should you go for a decent Shiver Armor, then I'd suggest a Rare Mage Plate, with added Defense Rating and the usual affixes (Life, Mana etc.)

Shield.
I've already mentioned the 3DT some times. 50+ Resist all and 44% chance to block are very good stats. But how about Sigon's Guard? 69% Chance to block, and a added Skill point. This depends on the rest of your gear, and your playstyle. What do you prefer? Better Blocking and damage output, or more resists? Your choice. Wall of the Eyeless will add some regeneration. Bone Shields are also very good choices, especially for those who don't feel like adding much to Str. BS has a Str req of 25, and gives you a 40% chance to block. Try comparing that to the 75 Str and 44% chance on Towers. Too bad you can't socket Boneys.

Helm.
Dual Perfect Skull Crown. (yes crown, looks do matter :-) ) This will provide you with a added 38% mana regenerate. (And some life regeneration.) Tarnhelm, unique skullcap provides you with a extra skill point, which goes both into Inferno, and Warmth. Otherwise look for the usual: Life, Mana, Resists.

Belt.
A 16 slot one would be best, since it holds lots of pots. Look for added Life, Mana, Str, Hit recovery and Resists. Should you want more Regeneration, go for Lenymo (unique sash). This'll add another 30% regeneration, and it's green! Bad thing is, it can only hold 8 pots. But that's only requires some getting used too. I still use Lenymo. (From Act1 Normal, until now.)

Jewelry.
Amulet: Something with added Skillpoints, mana, life, str, resists. Eye of Etlich is good for the Skill point. Remember you need the Nazokan Relic to get to the Eye. (So don't sell the first when you get it!)
Rings: Well, duh, Stone of Jordan works wonders with 25% added mana and a added Skill point. Remember here you need Nagelring and Manald Heal to get to the Stone.

Gloves.
Magefist all the way! Sorry, but this is just the wet dream for any Inferno Babe. F*ck Frostburn. :) Fastest Cast, +25% Regenerate Mana, and a added skill point to the Fire Tree, which you can't get on any other gloves. I also like Bloodfist for the added life, but that's just measly compared to Magefist.

Boots.
Fastest run/walk and Heal Stamina. (Did I hear someone say Treads of Cthon? Or was that Vidala's Fetlock? :-) ) For quick placement of course. Also very good are resists, life, str, mana, fastest hit recovery.

• Don't target a monster directly. Always cast Inferno at a blank point. Else Inferno will be locked on that foe, and you won't have control over it. This means Inferno will stop at the moment the monster dies, even though you still got your mousekey punched down. Casting at a blank point will give you control over where you cast, and exactly how long. Casting with ALT pressed down will give the same effect, and allows you to cast immediately on the monster, instead of having to adjust your Inferno after casting it at a blank point.
• WideSpread Inferno. Make a Multishot out of your Inferno. :) This is most useful against big mobs of low hp critters. (Did I hear someone say Flayers?) The way you can do this is to cast Inferno (at a blank point, then gently move your cursor between points A & B.) It'll give you something like the picture shows. The faster you move your cursor, the tighter the Inferno will be packed. Of course when they charge you in a straight line, you should keep Inferno straight, but if they swarm around each other, this is a fine tactic.
• Shoot at critters which are on the other side of a river, or on another height level. You can get this situation by activating some monster, lure them to the river, then teleport over it, -which they can't- and unleash Inferno.
• Move/Shoot/Move: When faced with a fast melee boss, Teleport is a nifty skill to have. Teleport away from him, twice in the same direction, so that you have approximately an entire screen between the two of you. This will leave you within his sight radius, so he'll come after you. But of course, when you're done teleporting, you cast Inferno at the direction you came from. -his direction- This way he'll bathe in your Inferno for almost an entire screen! Of course when he comes to close, you teleport back to your original spot, and fire again. This is a rather mana expensive method, so keep that in mind. Also, teleporting along a wall will make sure the monster walks straight to you, which makes it easier for you to target him.
• Use FrostNova to chill a group which is a potential threat. This will make them much slower, while you still attack at normal speed. This is most useful against fast critters with fire resistance.
• Stand your ground. You don't need to run away every time. Getting swarmed is actually not a real problem. The only time it becomes a problem, is when a monster is able to hit you with an amount of damage equal to one twelfth of your max HP. If he does that he'll interrupt your attack, forcing you to cast it again.
• The usual tactics. Use Doors and Bridges as chokepoints. Monsters will queue up, and since your Inferno pierces, you hit several at once. Height of Ground is very useful against melee foes, and of course lead monsters around corners, with you casting Inferno directly at the corner.

Note: Fire Resistance is capped at 75%. Also note that I won't report anything lower then 25% at Hellmode, since the effect of that is very minimal.

This seems like a long list, but believe me, there are much much more that don't have any fire resistance at ALL! Swarms for example: They die the instant you hit them, Thorned Hulks are also very vulnerable. It's the lack of decent resistance which make Inferno so powerful.

Fire Enchanted Bosses.
All bosses with this title have a 75% resistance to fire. Not nice. This of course, means you'll do only one fourth of your normal damage. Of course you'll keep them at a distance, so you don't need to worry over the Corpse Explosion. If the FEB is a melee based monster, then prepare to either pin him down -behind a grate-, move/shoot/move or just park the little bugger. (i.e. lead him far into explored area, and then leave him there.) Note that there'll be immunes in the expansion, meaning that you'll probably encounter a monster which you can't hurt with Inferno at all. However I won't speculate at that now, but I will of course add info on it, when I've got my hands on the Exp.
(Known Unique Non Quest Fire Enchanted Bosses: Bishibosh, Dark Elder -not FEB, but does have 75% resist on all difficulties.-, Fire Eye, Witch Doctor Endugu)

Healer Packs.
Hierophants and the like are able to heal each other. (And they resist fire too! grrr...) When facing a boss mob, first take on the minions, since they are the lowest on HP. When there are no more minions left to heal the boss, you can start firing at him. Council members are also able to heal each other, but more on that later.

Leapers.
These animals get knocked back when they're hit. This means as soon as one Inferno frame hits them, they are knocked back, out of the frame, unable to be hit by more frames. These guys don't have fire resistance, but I've found them the greatest pest of all. Knock them back to a wall or other obstacle. That way, they're in constant knockback, and die quickly.

Treehead Woodfist.
Very hard. He and his minions move very fast, hit fast, and hard. Move/shoot/move is the method to use here. Tanking your way, standing your ground doesn't really work, since they'll constantly interrupt your attack with their punches.

The Smith.
He's an Overlord. Meaning is very low on AI. Remember the butcher from Classic Diablo? Rinse and Repeat. Get him stuck behind a grate or fence, and you've got free shots. If you haven't found a good site before you encounter him, you can always retreat to the outer cloister, and use one of the grates there. Best to walk into the corner of the grate, let him close in, and the teleport to the other side. This way he'll get stuck in the corner, where he'll move a lot less, then when he's at a straight wall. And as you've noticed with ranged attackers -prolly- a stationary person is much easier to hit.

Andariel.
She has a negative 50% resistance to Fire. Need I say more? Your damage output is increased with 50%. :) She dies VERY quickly. Of course Death's Hand will provide much poison protection. When you open her doors, give 'em a widespread Inferno, that'll take care of most fallens which have spawned there, and it'll also activate Andy. You might as well stand your ground, because that little backslapping she gives you is nothing compared to the amount of damage you're dealing to her.

Radament.
Try to have the bodies of his minions between you and him. This way, if he resurrects, they will be caught in the Inferno, and die. His horror minions are actually more pussies then the normal burning undead, since they have no fire resistance. The Burning Melee Undead are to be feared most. They hit hard, and will interrupt your attack. Of course with 50 or 75 percent resistance to fire, they're hard to kill. His cold minion mages are a joke, because you won't cast Inferno any slower if you're chilled.

Coldworm the Burrower.
Stand at the exit of the bottleneck, because that way, only one or two babies are able to hit you at a time. Fire in the direction of the minions, since they control the amount of babies. When they're gone concentrate on the babies, and then the queen can't do nothing but die. Really, with their resistance to fire, you could be a bug exterminator.

Fangskin.
He won't get really close, because he has no resistance to fire. This means, unless he charges you, he will bathe in Inferno for half a screen. What also works is teleport straight to the amulet, and fire at the bottleneck of the platform. The foes will line up, and they won't be able to hit you.

The Summoner.
50-50-75% resistance respectively on each Difficulty. Make sure you're very close to his platform when taking his minions on, because you might just hit him before seeing him. He is really low on HP, so very easy to kill. His Blood lords are harder :)

Duriel.
20-50-50% Resistance. Back to wall, bring shield and Inferno away. Really. This way he won't be able to "charge/knockback/charge/knock/etc" you. He will interrupt your attack quite some times, and you'll get quite the backslapping (so bring plenty of Healings and Rejuvs, also dump Lenymo, you want a 16 row for this, beside with the rate of rejuv swallowing, you won't need Regeneration. So dump the crown too, and get some more life boosters.) You could try a Move/Shoot/Move but that'll take you constantly in his charge range. Best to run, let him charge, and when he recovers from his charge (takes him a second) fire away, because he's got a small delay there.

Witch Doctor Endugu.
Size DOES matter. Your Inferno is bigger, use it to your advantage. Stay out of his range, while he is in yours. He is FEB, so it'll cost you some mana.

Stormtree.
Keep him at distance, that's all I can say. Move/Shoot/Move works like a charm against him.

Battlemaid Sarina.
Bring Cold Mercenary. She and her pack hit fast and hard, but are weak to fire. So if you could have the merc freeze the minions, there's only a slowed Sarina to face. She is located in the Ruined Temple, and guards Lam Esen's tome.

The Council.
These dudes can heal themselves and the others, so make sure you face them one by one, else they'll heal each other, and all your effort will have been in vain. All of them are able to cast hydras so bring fire resistance. If you have a cold merc, you be his shield for a change. He is much more valuable then those pots you'll waste on your own life.

• Geleb Flamefinger
  (Extra strong, Fire Enchanted)
  He's really annoying. Fire Resistance for a starter, and also has healing. You got the picture? Use a cold merc to slow him down, and face him from a different platform. If he has a tendency to heal a lot -usually my case- it's no good using Inferno. Sorry, but it really isn't fun after grilling him for 35 minutes, and he heals everything back -once again- within ten seconds. Consider bringing a +Static Stave, and static him back to where you were, and then Inferno on again. You would have to get close to him for that, since you'd have only a low level Static.
• Ismael Vilehand
  (Extra fast, Cursed)
  Face him from a different platform, or park him somewhere in another level. He hurts fast and hard when you're cursed.
• Toorc Icefist
  (Cold Enchanted, Stone skin)
  Cold Enchanted... :) Stone Skin... :)
• Bremm Sparkfist
  (Aura Enchanted, Lightning Enchanted)
  LEB is always a pain, and he always hurts with melee, and always brings two minions along. :( Move/Shoot/Move works wonders, just watch out for his hydras. (They tend to hurt a lot.) If you've got a cold merc, expect him to die here.
• Wyand Voidfinger
  (Mana Burn, Teleportation)
  Don't let him get close if you want to keep using your mana. As long as he doesn't teleport onto Mephisto's platform -my case :) - you're fine. Just teleport after him. (once you've found him that is.)
• Maffer Dragonhand
  (Extra Fast, Extra Strong, Teleportation)
  Ouch, don't let him hit you. Face him over a river. If he wanders off, just teleport to his side of the river, and lure him back, then tp back.

Mephisto.
33-50-50 Resistances. I've tried several times to grill him when he's not active yet, from offscreen. (This lead to me grilling a evil force for five minutes, apparently they too make hurting noises when you burn them.) I've not found Mephisto once spawned within range. So what does work is going to him, and activate him. Your following actions depends on which of his attacks you fear most. If you're low on resists for cold, then stay close to him to avoid his cold ball being tossed at you every 5 seconds. You will get a big beating, but he won't interrupt your attack quite as much as Duriel does. Be sure to have a decent blocking % though. Otherwise face him at a distance. Perhaps from over the blood pool. If some Blood lords are active, deal with them first. You don't want Meteors and Firewalls down your trousers while fighting Meph.

Izual.
30-30-30 Resistance. He is a real PITA. Just like Treehead, move/shoot/move. He hits often and hard. Pack some chill duration reduced, because he has FrostNova. Of course only retreat into already cleared area, and teleport away in time.

Hephasto.
0% Resistance :> . Surely with Extra Strong and Cursed, you don't want him close. (not to mention any other ability in NM or Hell.) Good way is to find a river to shoot across. The annoying thing with this is, that when he thinks he can't reach you, he'll wander off screen. :( Now your Inferno has a long range, but when you can see him, it's tough to hit him. Casting directly onto Heph will make your Inferno follow him, even when he's offscreen. The moot point here, is that your Inferno doesn't react quickly enough to keep on hitting him. That makes it a very mana expensive tactic, since you'll be constantly casting, and only hitting him, every now and then. Or you can Teleport on his side, let him close, teleport back, and Inferno. This works fine, as long as you don't mix up the hotkeys. -once again, my case :) - Else you'll Inferno your River to death, and teleport next to Hephasto. :)
You can always use Move/Shoot/Move, but for that you'd want a cleared long straight piece of land. Make teleporting away three or four times, since he moves VERY fast.

The Grand Vizier of Chaos.
Keep him and his mob at a distance with Teleport. Each and every one of them has homing missiles that will drain your mana, which you need to cast Inferno. You don't want that, now do you? The tactic I use with every and each single character against this mob is like this: (This way you'll be able to face them in small numbers, instead of being swarmed and drained of mana.)

1. Activate Seal
2. Run away in the direction of the entrance of the Chaos Sanctuary.
3. This means you'll run around a corner somewhere left of the Pentagram at the centre of the CS.
4. Walk a little along the wall, then stop.
5. Since the mob can still see you through the wall, they'll head directly to you.
6. But they'll be trapped on the other side of the wall. See the picture.
7. Now move slowly back to the corner, but do not go around it.
8. They'll follow your movement along the wall, and one or two minions will be able to hover around the corner.
9. As soon as you see one real close to the edge of the corner, walk back along the wall. And cast Inferno towards the corner.
10. The Fingermage will follow and bathe a little in your Inferno. Eventually the Grand Vizier will come out.

Lord de Seis.
With you being a stationary character, they'll have no trouble aiming at you. De Seis is an Oblivion Knight as base monster, and has no added fire resistance abilities, so that means he has 60% resist fire on all difficulties. That's a pain, but at least their curses will be of little use. Decrepify? You're stationary. Iron Maiden? You're a mage. ;) Except for Lower Resist of course :( When you're low on resists even before they cast LR, then don't keep standing around like a fool, but do happyfeet for your sake. Seisy no longer has the Thief ability -sob- which makes it much easier for you. Now you don't have to stop casting Inferno to pick up your pots. If possible try to have them close together, so that your Inferno will catch several of them at a time.

Infector of Souls.
Sure, they've got Inferno, which you don't have to fear, however in order to cast it for them, they've to be very close to you. The Infector's minions are on a very short leash, meaning they will always stay close to him. This prevents you from luring them away, but it gives you another possibility. Stay just out of the Infectors vision range. Minions will run towards you but won't attack, because the Infector yanks their chains and pulls them back. While they're busy running towards and away from you, you've got free shots at them. You will eventually have to activate the Infector, and then the entire mob comes after you. Retreat to the pentagram (Another tactic I use with every character) and use one of it's five points to chokepoint the mob. They've all got 75% resistance to fire, so don't expect them to succumb all that quickly. However they don't really hurt that much, especially not when only one of them is able to hit you. -thanks to the chokepoint-

Diablo.
He's got a little Inferno too, only his is not fire based, but lightning and physical damage. Yup, the big Lightning Breath of Death. You can resist it with lightning resist of course, but Magical Damage Reduced also works against the lightning bits. The physical damage can be resisted with Damage Reduced items. PDR and MDR work wonders here, they really do. Even one or two points reduced will make this a lot easier!
I usually lay packs of potions spread around the CS, for when my belt runs out of pots. This way you'll be able to refill it quickly. Diablo isn't much of a fight, but his LBoD will suck enough life away for you to feel it. He will sometimes charge you, but teleporting or running away will usually cause him to continue casting spells at you.

The Cow Level and The Cow King.
Usually there's a mob waiting for you the second you step out of the portal. This is the hardest part, since you've got no room to maneuver in. Against this first group it's matter of luck, and fast reacting. Once you're beyond this group things become MUCH easier, because then you've got some room to play in. Usually they come in small groups, packed closely together. This allows you to hit several a time. You can also retreat a bit, to cause them to line up. Cows don't walk fast, but have a HUGE vision radius, so don't go running around like a headless chicken! The Cow King is a LEB, so make sure to find his sweet spots. He is still slow, so that makes him not a real threat, that is, if you retreat in time. I've found him to only be a platter on which my lousy rare/set/unique item was brought to me. There's always another cow boss in the level, which is usually harder then the Cow King. (Depending on his abilities.)

• Bolty, for hosting this guide on the Lurker Lounge.
• The Chaos Sanctuary for background information.
• Elric of Gans, for nitting on v1.00.
• R.Kleefstra, for his Diablo2Encyclopedia, which I used for background Information.
• The Lurker Lounge and all Lurkers for background information.
• Sirian for his extensive report on the Fire Tree, also hosted at the Lurker Lounge.
• SVB my employer, for not finding out I wrote this at a time I should be working. :-)
• WhyBish, for nitting on v1.00 and bringing me a new vision on several points.

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