The Conviction Zealot Experiment

[HokageIzlude]

After testing out a Conviction Zealot in Single-Player, I think I am pretty confident with this build and could make one on ladder and perhaps do the Uber's as well as PVP with it.

Basic skill setup is of course -

20 Sacrafice
20 Zeal
20 Conviction
20 Holy Shield

Far as weapon choices go, I used Baranar's Star and Stormlash, and I did swell soloing a Hell Baal run on my own, even after setting the game to having a few more players. What's nice about this build compared to your average Zealot that relies on Fana is that he hits almost always thanks to the -90% defense from Conviction at level 20, then combine that with elemental damage heavy weapons like Baranar's, Stormlash, etc, and your gonna be dishing out serious pain like nuts, especially againest mobs because your going to be hitting 95% of the time always plus your elemental damage does much more.

I am not too sure how this build will fare in pvp though, but I am pretty sure he could handle the uber's just fine, as most pallies are able to. This is an experiment afterall, and I'm looking for good alternatives to the average zealot you see everyday.

[Questor]

Post how he works out for ubers, I have been saving some weapons/armor for a meele based pally now that I have a good mf sorc and hammerdin for rushing my chars.

[HokageIzlude]

Soon as I mule my other pallies and equip and get him to about level 85+, I'll be hitting up the ubers. I got a set of artifacts all ready for it. I'll post how goes, might be quite awhile though. It's so slow up til level 30 or so...then BAM! I'm in my 70's and in Hell already! :P

[Obfuscate]

Even if he cant sole Uber I'm sure you would be very welcome in a party for Ubers. Has anyone tried conviction on an Uber?

[HokageIzlude]

The only Conviction users I see around are FOH pallies, but I don't see any of them doing Ubers.

[Arreis]

my mercs got conviction and it does help so far these are my auras in uber trist (w/o bo)

38conc
9fana
18might
16defiance
14conviction it helps alot

[HokageIzlude]

Damn, thats alot of auras.

[Obfuscate]

Damn, thats alot of auras.

Pretty easy with all the items that give auras. 2x dreams HOJ & Dragon armor then infinity on your merc w/ their aura and add in your own and thats 5. Really easy to do.

lvl 30 shock
lvl 30 fire
character lvl 20+ aura (probably fanta or could be freeze if you want all elements covered.)
lvl 12 conviction
merc prayer/thorns/blessed aim/might/defiance/freeze (merc lvl dependent 1 aura lvl for every 3 on merc. Also any +skill items increase arua lvl in the same manor)

I believe that is the popular auradin build thats running around. Could be wrong though.

[HokageIzlude]

Easier said then done, those are all very expensive ladder-only runewords that would be required. Anyhow, this Conviction Zealot I'm doing is going to be using pretty basic and reasonable gear without getting too out of hand.

ATM this what I got rounded up for him -

Helm: Upgraded Um'ed Crown of Thieves
Armor: Upgraded Um'ed ShaftStop
Weapon: Shael'ed Stormlash/Shael'ed Baranar's Star
Shield: Um'ed Herald of Zakarum
Gloves: Dracul's Grasp/Soul Drainers/Lavagouts
Belt: Verdungo's Hearty Cord
Boots: Goreriders
Rings: x2 Raven Frost
Amulet: Highlords Wraith/The Cats Eye

If I was rich though, I would make Famine+Dream for me, and a Pride for my Merc (Holy Freeze). Together, that would make us one unstoppable team, but even without that stuff, me and my merc are a pretty good asskicking team with what we can afford.

[Obfuscate]

Well if he is as good as I think he will be at Ubers you can get rich pretty quick as long as you have a key runner aka light sorc.

[HokageIzlude]

Oh yeah...I forgot, keys+artifacts, and especially those torchs for other classes I won't use are worth shitloads... hehehe. Maybe I could expend to get a nice runeword for myself late in the game :P

[The-Grim-Reaper]

hm.. this looks like a promising build. but the only thing is without fanat ur not just gonna lose a HUGE amount of dmg, but ur also gonna be a lot slower. i dont think the -opp def from convict matters too much cuz all u have to do is use a grief and u ignore targets defense completely.

[pt14]

no he wont necesarily be loosing damage cuz if he uses baraners the conviction will make his elemental damage freakin insaine but yeah loosing speed is gonna hurt but its ok

[HokageIzlude]

I can make up for the speed easily, Baranar's and Stormlash are both already insanely fast weapons, and I'll be using Highlord's Wrath+Lavagouts as my back-up gloves. The attack speed with this build is fine.

-opp def from convict matters too much cuz all u have to do is use a grief and u ignore targets defense completely.

Ignore Defense does not work on Boss Monsters or in PVP.

[Freedom-Fighta]

This is a very good idea. IT Seems Promising to a character i was trying to design, a themed FoH/Zealot. He Is primarily PvM, but could probably own pvp. HE uses :

20 Zeal
20 HS
20 Holy Shock
20 Conviction
11 Prereqs
All others in FoH

He's Themed on tyrael and as such uses Azurewrath and Tyraels Might. I'M HOPING he can make a good uber build. Somebody please tes tthe Uber viability of this.

Thank you Hokage, you gave me a very good idea and because of azurewraths HIGH elemental damage i would use it myself.

Other RR Choices for charcters are -

LOW LEVEL-
Holy (Lightniing, Fire, Whatever its called) EthRalOrtTal, Huge ELEMENTAL damage.

High Level -
Famine Zerker Axe FalOhmOrtJah
As Much Elemental damage as noted above, this is even higher. Me likes alot.

Im gonna try this build, if only for the fact that its an offshoot of a zealot.

Mucho Gracias Hokage

[HokageIzlude]

Good luck with that Freedom-Fighta, I've yet to see a a pally with FOH take on Uber-Trist alone, so you would be one of the first I bet. Everyone uses smiters, so variety is good ^^

Also, I got an update with my experiment here, it was indeed a success. I was able to do Uber-Trist, not as easily as a Smiter though of course. Meph was the only one who really gave me trouble, but since he uses mostly just lighting based attacks, I just cranked up my lighting resistances with a Schaffers Hammer (+75%) and I managed to live. I also wore a Upgraded Um'ed GA, Veil of Steel, 1 Wisp Ring and a Thundergod's Vigor, so his lighting was pretty much doing squat to me. Still, he took a long time to kill, but long as he couldnt kill me, it didnt matter.

Diablo and Baal on the other hand, they werent as tough, my poor merc even managed to stay alive while fighting them. Only thing that sucks is with all that hard work...no pally torch! If anyone wants a 17/14 Necro Torch, let me know.

[Freedom-Fighta]

Well i would try the ubers with my build, but i play SP. Accomplishing Hell baal is enough to prove my point. Besides, If you have conviction the monster's defense is cut, and as your test proved it will work. My build is more of a PvP in the sense that it fools others by showing the look of a FoH then puts on Zealer eqpt to give em a nice hard thrashing when they come after him. It'd be pretty funny to see.

My build v WW Barb

--------
Barb - *Turns on Hostility* Bring it
'FoH' - W/E ur rdy, filthy brute.
Barb - Go
FoH - Go
Barb - *Charges*
FoH- Waits
Barb - *WW's, gets hit by Conviction*
FoH - *Dodges elegently, Throws a wild FoH*
Barb Has Been Killed by FoH
Barb - Wont happen again *Grabs corpse, Switches to Light sorbs*
Barb - Rdy
FoH - Again?
Barb - ya, RDY?!?
FoH - ya
Barb - Go
Foh - Go
Barb - *Charges FoH*
FoH - *Hesitently Dodges the coming WW as Conviction activates*
Barb - *Enters WW recovering state*
FoH - *Switches to EBOTDZ/Upped Eth HoZ*
Barb's Player - Oh CRAP RUN!!!!!!
FoH's Player- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
FoH - SMacks Barb 2x
Barb has been killed by FoH
Barb - WTF!!! *Leaves*
FoH - LOL, NOOB!!!!
GG ppl
--------

[HokageIzlude]

Interesting and practical strategy :P

[RenTaL1337]

just a quick idea but have u ever considered using famine with ur zeal/convic build i just made one with hero editor and wow it is beyond what i could have imagined plus it would be good vs melee in pvp most zealers dont consider resists a priority when dueling therefore they are left open to just about any elemental dmg u can dish out im pretty sure with famine and maxed conviction u'd pretty much rule any melee duel game

PS they might cry about convistion and elemental dmg calling it cheap and not really melee simple solution /squelch *username