Lawbringer Sword on a Mercenary
#1
Hi

I have been growing a Dagger-wielding Amazon of late. She uses a Barbarian mercenary who wields a Lawbringer (Amn/Lem/Ko) Champion Sword.

20% Chance To Cast Level 15 Decrepify On Striking
Level 18 Sanctuary Aura When Equipped
-50% Target Defense
Adds 150-210 Fire Damage
Adds 130-180 Cold Damage
7% Life Stolen Per Hit
Slain Monsters Rest In Peace
+200-250 Defense Vs. Missile (varies)
+10 To Dexterity
75% Extra Gold From Monsters

I have been impressed by how well he fares and how useful the mods on this sword are for a melee character, especially one (in this specific case) who does not have any other minions.

The Decrepify goes off regularly, and removes Physical Immunity from most monsters encountered, including, for example, a threesome of PI bosses who were protecting Mephisto (all three of Bremm Sparkfist, Wyand Voidbringer and Maffer Dragonhand spawned PI for her). Even when they spawn Stone Skin and the physical immunity stays, they do get slowed down, and that is a Good Thing™ for crowd control.

The Sanctuary aura also aides immensely with crowd control for undead. The knockback allows you to whack the monsters individually and they cannot surround you to have a group whacking on your sorry butt. It does not increase your damage, but it certainly does increase the mercenary's damage against these monsters (most of whom he cannot leech from anyway, so that the increased damage per monster dispatches them fast enough that he needs fewer potions). I cannot swear to this, but I believe that there is also a benefit here when facing Oblivion Knights. It *seems* that the Sanctuary damage to undead makes them less likely to cast Iron Maiden and more likely to cast Weaken/Decrepify/Lower Resist.

-50 Target Defence is not really stellar, but it sure can add up when he is facing monsters higher than himself.

Adds 150-210 Fire Damage and Adds 130-180 Cold Damage are another boon against PI's and physically resistant monsters.

7% Life Stolen Per Hit is a really nice mercenary mod, although I will grant that is a low amount, considering that there is no enhanced physical damage on the sword. I made up for this by giving him hats with life steal - currently the ever-popular Tal's Mask. On the other hand, having lower physical damage is a bonus when facing Oblivion Knights, as it allows him to survive a few whacks and still deal out the elemental damage. (Doom Knights being FI and Oblivion Knights being CI - he still gives out some damage to either.)

Slain Monsters Rest In Peace is a blessing for characters who do not use bodies. A friend who uses this sword on his Trapper's mercenary finds it incredibly annoying to lose the ability to have Death Sentries go off. A Corpse Exploding Necromancer or a Summoner Necromance would be similarly affected, as might a Druid who uses Carrion Vine or Solar Creeper. A case could be made that it would adversely affect a Paladin who relies on Redemption too. However, for most melee characters, that is a non-issue. The benefit is robbing the Shamen and Revivers of their ability to resurect those pesky minions behind you as you advance.

+200-250 Defense Vs. Missile (varies) - any defence improvement is a good thing.
+10 To Dexterity never hurts any character.
75% Extra Gold From Monsters is also never a negative.

I offer this summary to anyone who is considering a straight melee character and has not yet considered using a Barbarian mercenary, thinking that the aura's from those Desert mercenaries offset the increased hardiness of a Barbarian.

Halgaunt has proved his worth over and over to my Daggerzon and her companions.

Edited to finally fix that error on monster names. :)
And you may call it righteousness
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.

From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake


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#2
ShadowHM,May 27 2005, 09:34 AM Wrote:The Decrepify goes off regularly, and removes Physical Immunity from most monsters encountered, including, for example, a threesome of PI bosses who were protecting Baal (all three of Bremm Sparkfist, Wyand Voidbringer and Maffer Dragonhand spawned PI for her).  Even when they spawn Stone Skin and the physical immunity stays, they do get slowed down, and that is a Good Thing™ for crowd control.

Nitpick: That would be Mephisto. Thank you. :)


ShadowHM,May 27 2005, 09:34 AM Wrote:The Sanctuary aura also aides immensely with crowd control for undead.  The knockback allows you to whack the monsters individually and they cannot surround you to have a group whacking on your sorry butt.  It does not increase your damage, but it certainly does increase the mercenary's damage against these monsters (most of whom he cannot leech from anyway, so that the increased damage per monster dispatches them fast enough that he needs fewer potions).  I cannot swear to this, but I believe that there is also a benefit here when facing Oblivion Knights.  It *seems* that the Sanctuary damage to undead makes them less likely to cast Iron Maiden and more likely to cast Weaken/Decrepify/Lower Resist. 

The decrep makes sense, considering how oblivion knights use it more when characters are in their face atacking thanaway from them. Other curses will need extra info to understand.
I may be dead, but I'm not old (source: see lavcat)

The gloves come off, I'm playing hardball. It's fourth and 15 and you're looking at a full-court press. (Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun)

Some people in forums do the next best thing to listening to themselves talk, writing and reading what they write (source, my brother)
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#3
Minionman,May 27 2005, 12:53 PM Wrote:Niypick: That would be Mephisto.  Thank you. :)

[right][snapback]78735[/snapback][/right]

:blush:
And you may call it righteousness
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.

From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake


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#4
Just to make sure ur not insaine i jsut killed baal and there was no bremm sparkfist ect so i have come to the conclusion that you are crazy
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#5
Wu-Tang,Jun 22 2005, 04: Wrote:Just to make sure ur not insaine i jsut killed baal and there was no bremm sparkfist ect so i have come to the conclusion that you are crazy
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Why thank you ! I already knew you were a poor writer. Now I know you are a poor reader too. <_< Minionman had already corrected my error, and I had acknowledged it. :rolleyes:
And you may call it righteousness
When civility survives,
But I've had dinner with the Devil and
I know nice from right.

From Dinner with the Devil, by Big Rude Jake


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#6
haha ur a little noob prolly like lvl 50 and think ur good writing guides u know nothing about i have chars in the 90s and i know what im talking about that s all that matters i dont write stuff like baal is sorrounded by bremm sparkfist

dont #$%& with me
Wu-Tang
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#7
Wu-Tang,Jun 22 2005, 03: Wrote:haha ur a little noob prolly like lvl 50 and think ur good writing guides u know nothing about i have chars in the 90s and i know what im talking about that s all that matters i dont write stuff like baal is sorrounded by bremm sparkfist

dont #$%& with me
Wu-Tang
[right][snapback]81325[/snapback][/right]

Or what?

Also, what is your actual view on lawbringer in a merc?
I may be dead, but I'm not old (source: see lavcat)

The gloves come off, I'm playing hardball. It's fourth and 15 and you're looking at a full-court press. (Frank Drebin in The Naked Gun)

Some people in forums do the next best thing to listening to themselves talk, writing and reading what they write (source, my brother)
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#8
i think the best merc has a shaft with an um bonehew delerium
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#9
Wu-Tang,Jun 22 2005, 04: Wrote:i think the best merc has a shaft with an um bonehew delerium
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I didn't know that act 5 mercenaries could use polearms! Quick, someone contact Blizzard, this must be some sort of bug! You are so leet! I wish I was as cool as you, with your level 90 characters. You should make the front page. Please, teach me how to be as cool as you, even though I will fail, since it's impossible for me to reach that level of uber-leetnees.
[Image: coolest.png]
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#10
Yes, someone had just suggested that I use an act 5 mercenary with the Lawbringer on my Ultra-Tank. Seeing that it has Sanctuary, I just might. :)
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#11
lmao act 2 mers bud i never said act 5 i said the best merc is a merc with bonehew i didnt know i had to spell out act 2 for you
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#12
Wu-Tang,Jun 22 2005, 05: Wrote:haha ur a little noob prolly like lvl 50 and think ur good writing guides u know nothing about i have chars in the 90s and i know what im talking about that s all that matters i dont write stuff like baal is sorrounded by bremm sparkfist

dont #$%& with me
Wu-Tang
[right][snapback]81325[/snapback][/right]

Ease up lad - ShadowHM has done more in the world of Diablo than you ever will. She made a mistake in her post and someone corrected her. If you open the gates to picking out mistakes in her posts it also frees us to do the same to your own. Trust me. You don't want this crowd to take the gloves off.
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#13
Wu-Tang,Jun 22 2005, 07: Wrote:lmao act 2 mers bud i never said act 5 i said the best merc is a merc with bonehew i didnt know i had to spell out act 2 for you
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But this is a thread about Act 5 mercenaries. :)
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#14
Wu-Tang,Jun 22 2005, 09: Wrote:haha ur a little noob prolly like lvl 50 and think ur good writing guides u know nothing about i have chars in the 90s and i know what im talking about that s all that matters i dont write stuff like baal is sorrounded by bremm sparkfist

dont #$%& with me
Wu-Tang
[right][snapback]81325[/snapback][/right]

I'm embarrassed for you. :rolleyes:
Signature? What do you mean?
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