Guide:PvP Poison Amazon v1.10, by Hunt3r kill4

About Poison Amazons

This build is meant for PvP (Player vs. Player), and would not do nearly as well as many other builds in PvM (Player vs. Monster). Although this build is quite powerful, it is not at all expensive, and in my opinion affordable to most players. This build depends on the strategic throwing of javelins so other players will run into your trail of poison. After that, start spamming Guided Arrows and finish off the remaining 1 life the opponent is left with from the poison.

Is this build any good for PvP?

Of course it is! Would I take my precious time to create a guide on this build if it were not powerful? Kidding aside, this build can lower the average opponent’s life to 1 in a few seconds and then they are at the mercy of 20 Guided Arrows bombarding them. Also, the best part is, there is no poison absorb, it goes through Bone Armor and Energy Shield, and most people don’t bother having PLR (poison length reduction). Even if they do use PLR, they would have to sacrifice quite a bit of their gear to have a decent amount.

Don't you need all kinds of great equipment?

Nope, you can be dueling/player killing with a cracked javelin and you would still be able to finish off most duelers. As long as you know where to throw the javelins, you should have no trouble picking off multiple opponents at once, even without decent gear.

How do I build one of my very own?

That is what the guide will be discussing below, keep in mind that all gear/skill selections are my own opinion, and is not necessarily the “best” for this build.

The Main Offensive Skills

Poison Javelin: This is the most important skill in this build, the main damage dealer. This skill basically streaks a line of poison across the field, poisoning anyone running through. This skill is quite like the Necromancer skill Poison Nova damage-wise, and they both need a finishing skill, something to chip off the last 1 remaining health because poison cannot kill completely unless the damage is very, very high. Plague Javelin: This skill causes your javelin to explode into a big field of poison, causing whoever the javelin hit to be poisoned for sure. Some people might argue that this skill would be better for PvP, seeing as how the poison radius is larger. After testing both, I realized it is very, very hard to use Plague Javelin in PvP, because everyone is constantly moving around, and landing a Plague javelin on a player is just too difficult. Also, Poison Javelin’s damage is much higher, which matters quite a bit when dueling high life opponents. Guided Arrow: This skill transforms your arrow into a homing missile that tracks down targets in the general direction the arrow is heading. This is where you have a choice, whether to invest into guided arrow and use a slightly more powerful/faster bow, or just use Widowmaker. For less wealthy players, putting at least one point into this skill is recommended, and equipping a fast bow. Even for players that can afford Widowmaker, this skill is suggested, seeing as to Multi-arrow is useful as well.

Multiple Shot: This skill splits your arrow into multiple ones, depending on the level of this skill. This is also very useful as an alternate to Guided Arrows. Spamming arrows with this skill is also good to knock down that last hit point from your opponent. The only drawback of this skill is that it requires some attack rating in order to be useful. If you lack enough attack rating, the arrows will never hit your opponent.

Strafe: This skill is like a machine gun, shooting up to 10 consecutive arrows at once. This is also an alternative to guided arrow/multiple shot. This is highly recommended against for a number of reasons: 1. Like multiple shot, quite a bit of attack rating is required to be able to score a successful hit on the opponent. 2. Large amounts of skill points are required to get up to this skill (this is a level 30 skill), and therefore a waste. 3. When you are strafing, you cannot move, making yourself a vulnerable target to enemies.

Support Skills

D/E/A: These are the main survival skills, dodge, evade, and avoid. They are skills that allow you to avoid incoming attacks while running, attacking, or just standing still. Very useful in some instances, a killer in others. What I mean by a killer is that quite often, your Amazon will get trapped in an “avoid lock”, which means you keep dodging incoming attacks, and not being able to attack or move. This also means you are very vulnerable and can be killed easily. At least 1 point is recommended in each and with enough + skills, 1 point is all you would need.

Slow Missiles: This is a one point wonder skill. This skill slows all incoming missiles, which is VERY useful against Sorceress’s, other Amazons, etc. This skill allows you to dodge all missiles with ease, buying much time vs. opponents.

Jab: This skill allows you to stab at your opponent with increased speed. This skill is useful against Barbarians whirlwinding you. Keep in mind to hold shift when jabbing a whirlwinding Barbarian

Optional Skills

Valkyrie: This skill allows you to summon a shining warrior with a spear and follows you around like a lost puppy. I hate hate hate this skill (did I mention how much I hated it?) because its AI (artificial intelligence) is horrible. Basically what the Valkyrie does is it wanders around and somewhat follows you around. The only usefulness a Valkyrie can come into use, in my opinion, is when it accidentally wanders into the path of an attack and takes the damage.

Critical Strike/Penetrate/Pierce: These three skills are the skills on the very right of the passive/magic tree. I find these three skills pointless to a Poison Amazon, seeing as to you would not usually hit your opponent with the actual javelin. Critical Strike gives you a chance to do double damage on hit. Penetrate gives you extra attack rating, useful only if you plan on using strafe or multiple shot. Pierce allows your arrows/javelins to pierce the target. As I stated above, useless.

Skill Placement

This is where personal preference plays a huge part. This part of the guide discusses where to invest your hard earned skill points. All information in this section is based on my preference, and what I think is better.

  Balanced route (recommended): 
  20 Poison Javelin 
  20 Plague Javelin 
  1-20 Guided arrow 
  1-20 Multiple Shot 
  1-12 D/E/A
  0-20 Valkyrie 
  1 into all prerequisites 
  Build finished at around level 80-85

This build is what I would make and is highly recommended. Max guided arrow is to take care of opponents who teleport and are harder to hit with poison. A few Guided Arrows with a high damaging bow should take care of most sorceress’s and such.

   Pure Poison route:
   20 Poison Javelin
   20 Plague Javelin 
   0-20 Jab 
   0-20 Valkyrie 
   1-12 D/E/A
   1 into all prerequisites 
   Build finished around level 80-85 

This build requires Widowmaker for Guided Arrow. High damage javelin recommended for this build due to the use of Jab.

Both builds requires maxing out Poison/Plague Javelin. Valkyrie and the amount placed into D/E/A are all depending on personal preference.

Stats

Stat placement looks something like it would for a lightning Amazon:

Strength: enough to use your gear (~80 or so)

Dexterity: Enough to use your gear (~60-90, depending). Enough for max block with Stormshield.

Vitality: Vitality is essential to survival. Pump as much as you can into here.

Energy: Base. Poison Javelins do not require large amounts of mana, plus you wont be throwing THAT many. The only skill that would eat up mana would be Guided Arrows, but you have enough mana to shoot out ~10 Guided arrows.

Suggested Equipment

This section discusses my choice of gear to use on this build.

Javelins

Unlike lightning Amazon builds, this build does not require a high damaging bow. The javelin is purely used to create a cloud or streak of poison and nothing else (unless you are jabbing of course). Even when jabbing, average javelins would be fine, as long as you have a moderate chance of hitting. The javelins listed below are from best-worst:

Titans (do not upgrade unless jabbing often, higher requirements are not worth it) Thunderstroke (only if you do not have titans) Demon’s Arch

Bows

Bows for the Amazon build, unlike Bowazon builds, do not require a high damaging bow. All the bow needs is relatively fast attack speed, in order to be able to spam efficiently. Widowmaker is required if no points are invested into guided arrow. Bows below are listed from best-worst:

Windforce (relatively cheap, good to take down Sorceress’s with. Shael’ing it recommended) Breath of the Dying Hydra Bow (only if you are very rich, for this is not worth it for this build. The only advantage this bow has is its speed.) Widowmaker (only if you didn’t invest into Guided Arrows)

And basically any bow that has decent attack speed. Doesn’t have to be unique, could even be a 6 socket bow with 6 Shaels in it.

Armor

Armor for this build should have + stats, + skills, +% poison damage, increased attack speed, + resist, or + damage reduction. Armors below are listed from best-worst:

Chains of Honor Archon Plate: Medium defense, +2 to all skills, 65 to all resist, +20 to strength.
Bramble Archon Plate: +% Poison Damage, Poison and Cold resists.
Enigma Archon Plate: ONLY if you don’t have Chains of Honor, the only good thing about Enigma is the +2 to all skills and 8% Damage Reduction.
Shaftstop: The classic Shaftstop, good looking, 30% damage reduction, 60 to life.
Lionheart: decent armor overall, cheap, adds stats.
Skin of Vipermagi: +skill, resist.

There are too many viable armors to list, as long as they have the mods listed above, the armor should be pretty decent for this build.

Gloves

There are several varieties of gloves that would be useful to this build.

Lavagout: 20% increased attack speed.
Rare/Magic +skill/increased attack speed gloves: self explanatory.
Laying of Hands: 20% increased attack speed.
Trang Oul’s gloves: 25% extra poison damage.

Belt

One choice, and one choice only, unless you cannot afford, use Verdungo’s Mithril coil for the damage reduction. Other choices are Thundergods (yuck) and Nosteratu's Coil.

Boots

Not much to say here. Goreriders, War Travelers, or Sandstorm treks would be my choice. Waterwalks or Aldur’s boots would not be bad either.

Shield

One choice, and once choice only, if you want to survive most opponents: Stormshield. Any other shield would not be good for this build.

Jewelry

For rings, wear Ravenfrosts on one hand, Manald heal, carrion wind, Bul Katho's ring, decent rares, are all good choices. As for amulet, Highlords or Maras is the top choice. Any good rares or other unique amulets are ok too.

Dueling Strategies

This build’s dueling strategy would probably be different from that of any other characters. Your strategy will vary depending on your opponent. Here’s a quick guide of how I would take care of each type of opponent. Keep in mind I’m only listing the more common builds that you would be up against, any peculiar builds, you will have to figure out for yourself.

General Strategy

Throw a poison javelin in the direction of your opponents left, them one right, then plague straight at them. This should force them to be poisoned. Finally, start spamming Guided Arrows, and voila, a smoking corpse.