HC Barb Tank: main attack?

Hi All,

I've reloaded D2 on my new PC and am casually dipping into HC while waiting for the patch. I'll be playing a barb with two other friends (they will be a summoning nec and a LF javazon).

This will be UNTWINKED and I'd like to be a decent tank, while still being able to kill some stuff on my own should I need to. What should I build? Conc? WW? Berserk?

Also, any other advice for barbs in HC? I typically never play barbs except for singers. Thanks in advance for your advice/opinions.



-f|||Personally I am a big fan of concentrate. The only problem you will really have is finding a good weapon for damage, and AR. AR issues are solved by angelics combo (Ring + amulet), and those can be farmed from normal meph easily.

As for the weapon, in the later levels an eth oath scourge or balrog blade is always a good choice. ^^|||Frenzy is a good tank. High speed + high leech works very well. Make liberal use of War Cry and Battle Cry.|||Thanks for your replies so far. I like frenzy (fun skill!) but am kind of worried about survival in hell without a shield - seems more reliant on good gear. And what about when you run into unleechable enemies (e.g. skeles)? Since this is untwinked, I don't see it as a good tank build. Maybe i'm way off base though.

Concentrate looks cool - I've read that it's good, and I've also read that it's slow as hell and a bore to play. Might be good enough with the necromancer's amp dmg though.

No votes for sword/shield whirlwind? is that too dangerous in HC play?

So far I'm thinking either pure concentrate/defensive tank:

• 20 concentrate


• 20 mastery


• 20 shout


• 20 BO


• 5 nat res

or whirlwind/conc hybrid:

• 20 concentrate


• 10 mastery


• 10 shout


• 20 BO


• 20 whirlwind


• 5 nat res

Thoughts?|||Sword Shield ww only effect with super good runeword like breath of dying or last wish. Other wise in hell you just suck.

Then again you need a melee weapon that is extremely good.

I have a lance ww barb and that requires exceptionally great gear plus charms to do very well.

But basically common since would suggest the following fora barb

Max weapon mastery

max main attack--- ww, con, beskerk, frenz

max shout

max Battle orders

enough dex for max block if going shield so 150 base dex

strength enough for gear, since untwicked its probable that you will do 100 hard points into strength.|||Whirlwind or War cry. the latter being probably the best "tank" but the former offering far better killing speeds.