Guide:Premium Bow Comparison v1.09, by AllNamesRTaken

Diablo II Strategy Guide Info:

[edit]

• Patch: v1.09
• Gametype: PvE/PvM and PvP
• Class: Not class-specific
• Specialisation: Bowazons or any bow user
• Author: AllNamesRTaken
  
  Please note that strategy guides from v1.09 have vastly different skill and item stats, thus may not be applicable to the latest version of the game.

Physical Damage

Clvl -	50	60	70	80	90	99
Buriza-Do Kyanon 200%	102-293	102-318	102-343	102-368	102-393	102-415,5
Buriza-Do Kyanon 150%	85-265	85-292	85-315	85-340	85-365	85-387,5
Eaglehorn	-	-	48-281.6	48-294,4	48-307,2	48-318,7
Cruel Hydra Bow 200%	-	-	35,5-241,4	35,5-241,4	35,5-241,4	35,5-241,4
Cruel Hydra Bow 300%	-	-	40-272	40-272	40-272	40-272
Lycander's Aim 150%	75-155	75-155	75-155	75-155	75-155	75-155
Lycander's Aim 200%	85-176	85-176	85-176	85-176	85-176	85-176
M'avina's Caster	-	-	40-201	40-201	40-201	40-201
Windforce	-	-	-	38-491	38-522	38-550,3

Speed Gain

Amount of Shots per 10 seconds, at the maximum possible 25 frames per second

IAS -	0	10	20	30	40	50	60	70	80	90	100	110	120
Buriza-Do Kyanon 1.09*	18	-	-	19	-	-	21	-	21	-	-	-	-
Buriza-Do Kyanon 1.08**	17	-	-	18	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Eaglehorn	17	18	19	21	23	-	24	-	25
Hydra Bow	17	-	20	-	23	-	25	25	26	-	28	-	29
Lycander's Aim***	20	23	-	24	-	-	-	29	29	-	-	-	-
M'avina's Caster****	23x	-	25	25	-	28	-	28	-	29	29	-	-

* = + 80% IAS
** = + 50% IAS
*** = + 20% IAS
**** = + 40% IAS

Speed & Damage Comparison

Formula used: shots per 10 seconds * (Physical Damage + Elemental Damage)

Table 1: No IAS boni, other than natural speed boni on the weapons
Clvl -	50	60	70	80	90	99
Buriza-Do Kyanon 200%	2412-8802	2412-9252	2412-9702	2412-10152	2412-10602	2412-11007
Windforce	-	-	-	760-9820	760-10440	760-11006
Buriza-Do Kyanon 150%	2106-8298	2106-8784	2106-9198	2106-9648	2106-10098	2106-10503
Eaglehorn	-	-	816-4787	816-5004	816-5219	816-5418
Cruel Hydra Bow 200%	-	-	604-4104	604-4104	604-4104	604-4104
Cruel Hydra Bow 300%	-	-	680-4624	680-4624	680-4624	680-4624
Lycander's Aim 150%	1900-4100	1900-4100	1900-4100	1900-4100	1900-4100	1900-4100
Lycander's Aim 200%	2200-4520	2200-4520	2200-4520	2200-4520	2200-4520	2200-4520
M'avina's Caster	-	-	920-4623	920-4623	920-4623	920-4623

Table 2: 80% IAS (Including the natural speed boni)
Clvl -	50	60	70	80	90	99
Windforce	-	-	-	950-12275	950-13050	950-13758
Buriza-Do Kyanon 200%	2412-8802	2412-9252	2412-9702	2412-10152	2412-10602	2412-11007
Buriza-Do Kyanon 150%	2106-8298	2106-8784	2106-9198	2106-9648	2106-10098	2106-10503
Eaglehorn	-	-	1200-7040	1200-7360	1200-7680	1200-7968
Cruel Hydra Bow 300%	-	-	1040-7072	1040-7072	1040-7072	1040-7072
Lycander's Aim 200%	2940-6328	2940-6328	2940-6328	2940-6328	2940-6328	2940-6328
Cruel Hydra Bow 200%	-	-	923-6276	923-6276	923-6276	923-6276
Lycander's Aim 150%	2660-5740	2660-5740	2660-5740	2660-5740	2660-5740	2660-5740
M'avina's Caster	-	-	1040-5226	1040-5226	1040-5226	1040-5226

Table 3: Average Damage @ 80% IAS Formula: (Minimum Damage + Maximum Damage) /2 = Average Damage
Clvl -	50	60	70	80	90	99
Windforce		-	-	6612	7000	7354
Buriza-Do Kyanon 200%	5607	5832	6057	6282	6507	6710
Buriza-Do Kyanon 150%	5202	5445	5652	5877	6102	6305
Lycander's Aim 200%	4634	4634	4634	4634	4634	4634
Eaglehorn	-	-	4120	4280	4440	4584
Lycander's Aim 150%	4200	4200	4200	4200	4200	4200
Cruel Hydra Bow 300%	-	-	4056	4056	4056	4056
Cruel Hydra Bow 200%	-	-	3600	3600	3600	3600
M'avina's Caste	-	-	3133	3133	3133	3133

Notes / Discoveries / Oddities

• In-Game displayed damage differs from the correct damage, because for enhanced damage calculation 1 (one) damage has to be added to the base damage of a weapon.

example: A hydra bow with 200% ed should do 30 - 204 damage, but actually does 33 - 207 damage.

I did not take this oddity into account in my calculations because I consider it to be a bug.

• When a stack of arrows or bolts gets empty, the game automatically fetches a new stack from the player's inventory. This process slows down the shooting speed for 1-2 seconds.

• Items which have a chance on casting a spell with graphical effects when attacking can significantly slow down attacks, especially when used in combination with fast weapons.

• Please note: All values in this guide are based on Diablo II: Lord of Destruction v1.09 item stats.

Summary

Buriza-Do Kyanon - "potal! potal! Here I come!"

Disadvantages:

• Crossbows are naturally much slower than bows.
• Much IAS boni are needed to achieve a noticable frame increase, 160% IAS bonus only

grants 2 more shots per 10 seconds.

Advantages:

• The Buriza comes along as a great package in natural form, with a lot of essential amazon mods such as

100% piercing, 80% increased attack speed, decent cold damage and more.

• Incredible damage per time factor, only beaten by a windforce with additional IAS.
• Allows usage of "alternative" equipment, since most essential mods are already covered on the weapon.

Summary:

• The Buriza remains a top choice for any amazon. It even beat the legendary windforce by 1 (one) damage in

natural form in this test *chuckle*

• The added 32-196 cold damage is a valuable companion in hell difficulty, home of many pesky physically

immune monsters.

• 100% piercing helps saving skill points and allows using a belt other than razortail.
• The natural 80% IAS on the weapon, along with the small boni from more IAS invite to not focus on popular

IAS equipment (twitchthroe etc), but rather go for damage reduction gear (Shaftstop etc).

Lycander's Aim - "Surprise, Surprise!"

Advantages:

• High Natural Speed along with high gains from IAS items
• Highest minimum damage
• Low Price

Disadvantages:

• Low Maximum Damage

Summary:

• This weapon pretty surprised me during the tests. Although M'avina's Caster remains the naturally fastest

weapon (except for a row of irrelevant low-level unique bows and non-set/non-unique bows), Lycander's Aim beats it, starting at 70% IAS bonus, Lycander's bow fires 29 times over a 10 second period, where M'avina's bow is still stuck at 28, making it a top-choice pvp weapon, also because of the high minimum damage, which often leads to single-shot kills.

• Recommended to focus on IAS gear with this bow, should be socketed with shael rune.
• Mana leech on the bow allows wearing easier to find/cheaper to buy single-leech items.
• The skill boni do not provide significant benefits

M'avina's Caster - "Which Arrow killed you?" - "All of them!"

Advantages:

• Although greatly increased, still decent speed gains from IAS items
• Fastest bow until 70% IAS

Disadvantages:

• Damage cannot keep up with other tested bows at higher character levels

Summary:

• Recommended using it in combination with other m'avina's items
• Top-Choice pvp weapon, although Lycander's Aim works better unless you go for damage reduction gear.

Eaglehorn - "Is that a windforce??"

Advantages:

• Sufficient damage, speed, and speed gains

Disadvantages;

• High Price

Summary:

• Its ignore target defense mod makes up for the relatively low minimum damage
• A Top-Choice bow for the cow level in hell difficulty
• Recommended using in combination with an amplify damage item

Windforce - "show me plz, show me!!"

Advantages:

• Great Damage, Great Speed
• Perfect for bragging, showing off, earning cash

Disadvantages:

• Insane Price

Summary:

• Mana Leech allows using easier to find/cheaper to buy single-leech items
• Knockback keeps them pesky cows away from you, and lets you use gloves other than cleglaw's pincers
• Strength bonus (10) makes it easier meeting the 134 strength requirements
• The ultimate pvm bow

Cruel Hydra Bow - "Buriza up my ass!"

Advantages:

• Decent Speed
• Magic item, therefore allows more sockets than any of the other tested bows
• Good all-rounder

Disadvantages

• Lack of useful mods, other than the high ed% ;)

Summary

• Recommended using in combination with amplify damage item
• Gets useful above 250% ed

Credits

Shazam, for assistance on actually understanding all this stuff I wrote about
Ceph, for lending me some of his bows
Coca Cola Inc., for keeping me awake