4x WD spec and gear discussion

[Kicksome]

I've been messing around a bit more with the WDs to get a "faceroll" type spec. Where I don't need to kite most elite packs, and can just tank, but without the crazy cost of WD tank gear.

So far I'm pretty certain that we need:

1. Stun Gear (cc gear)- stuns and interrupts - 4% on each guy is ideal
2. Freeze Gear (cc gear) - almost the same as stun except it breaks sooner - 4% on each guy
3. Life on Hit gear (LoH) - to get our hitpoints back as quickly as possible - at least 1k LoH.
4. Mana Regen Gear - at least 10 on helm, offhand, weapon. This will give you ~50 total. Although one of my guys doesn't have any on his offhand.
5. Spells that proc the LoH/CC gear - (Not all spells proc it in the same way, e.g. bears hardly procs, but acid cloud procs like mad).
6. At least 30k health pool, and some level of resist gear - to take the hits and not get one shot. The more the better. All my guys have 32k health now, and I'm trying to get around 300 resist, although some only have like 230ish.

I've been messing around with this spec:
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/calculator/witch-doctor#iZURTQ!ZVU!aaaZYb

• I swap Bad Medicine instead of Jungle Fort on just one guy
• I am trying 2 Acid Rains and 2 Slow burns
• [don't use this] I have Big Bad Voodoo Raindance on round robin for 80 seconds of total mana regen. - mana regen only effects the caster.
• I have Big Bad Voodoo Slam Dance on round robin for 80 seconds of 30% more dps and 20% attack speed to all party members in range.
• 4x hex is almost always up, which seems pretty helpful - just more cc. (Although I'm still testing this on the elite packs in 3/4/Pony)
• The Gargantuans die pretty quickly, but they are a decent distraction.
  I'm not sure if Soul Harvest is better, but since we need all the abilities on CD, I'm often not harvesting anything.

Also, I'm trying Chill (13% total) on shoulders on 3 guys, it's really tough to determine how much a difference this makes, but I get the feeling it's helping. I heard in some random post it resets the swing timer, but I have no idea if it's true. I do know it slows the enemy when it procs, and it's tough to see the proc unless you look hard.

Anyone else have any tips?

[Ellay]

Sort of on the same level, I was using stun gear on my monks but switched it out for more dps.. I felt like freeze lasted longer than stun - but that's probably just me It is really hard to tell the duration, the good news is there are no diminishing returns from what I can tell. I imagine they might put that in when PvP comes around.

[Kicksome]

I ran through almost all of Act 3 last night.

I went from Keeps Depths Level 1 to Kill Azmodan. About 2 bags worth of rares each guy.

I used Acid Rain, Hex, Big Stinker, BBV Rain Dance. Hex was really useful, and the pets actually stayed up on a lot of fights, they were really handy.

It went pretty well, maybe 1 or 2 repairs. I didn't actually kill Azmodan though, that fight seemed to take forever.

[Ellay]

Can you tell me how long it took you to run all of that and how many ilvl63 items you got?
For instance currently I can run act 1 lickity split and fill up the entire inventory with rares on each character in about 30-40 minutes - not runnining super fast just rolling through the farm spots. Sometimes I get another row - I'd say in total then about 40 rares per character. That averages out to about 6-7 i63 items per 30-40 minutes. Trying to benchmark here if I should be dropping the monks and going for a different class since act 3 is vastly different in speed and success for cost of gear required.

[Kicksome]

Ok, here's what I just tried.

I did Act 1 (I didn't time this) - but I did this fast, skipped as much trash as possible, didn't open any normal chests. This probably took me at least 20-30 mins
Festering Woods (3 - 5 elites)
Leorics (1-3 elites)
Cemetery of the forsaken (3 - 5 elites)
Northern Highlands (1 elite), then (Go to watchtower [if it's up] - top west 1-4 elites)
Highlands crossing (North to Cave of Moon Clan 1- 3 elites)


Then after I was done farming Act I - which was about 2/3rd of a bag full of rares (no bosses).

I went to Whimsyshire - with 5 stacks.

I cleared it, it took me exactly 40 minutes. There were 6 packs, and 1 purple. Which filled up the last 1/3rd of my bag.

In Whyimsyshire, I got 4 level 63's and 1 legendary.

In Act 1, I got 3 level 63's.

The nice thing about farming Act 1, is that you get 5 stacks to go to Whimsyshire.

[Kicksome]

Just timed it, it took me 45 mins to clear Act I to the point where the bags were 80% full of rares.

[dancook]

Well I just bought 3 copies of D3 to bring me up to 4.. started Witch Doctors thanks to this thread! cheers

[Ellay]

I don't run highlands crossing? does it seem fast? I instead do jailer/butcher since you'll hit 3 elites~ to jailer and another 1-2 to butcher.

[Oatboat]

When i farm act 1 i set the game up with the very last checkpoint before butcher

Hit Cemetary Gardens 1 elite in graveyard (sometimes) and then the 3 fast dungeons there with the chance of an event
TP to Festering woods 2-3 elites with chance of event and 2 dungeons with 2 elites
Head to northern highlands and kill everything (3 legendary pieces dropped during Khazra barricade so i include it everytime) proceed all the way to leorics manor all the way through 3rd level of halls.

You dont get any warden kills but you dont have to worry about story line so it works out better for me.

[dancook]

When I farm, I check for watch tower - if it's not there I remake well that was single player.. If it's there maybe that's when I join with other toons.

Previous I was farming with a friend and we both made a game to check for it

-- WELL since I bought the extra 3 copies of D3 today, my WD's are in Act 4 normal, my favourite spell so far is the Hex dolls with heal rune not needed any pots, between that and health orbs..

it's nice