Melos’ Fire Trapper
Updated: 11/11/05
Introduction
First of all, this is not a guide on how to make a Fire Trapper Assassin. You can follow this build, but I highly suggest reading The PvP Fire Trapper by Shadow752 before you make one. Sorry, but I can’t post a link because it does contain Rune Words such as Call to Arms and Enigma. If you want to look at it, you can find it in the Character Builds in the Battle.net Forums. I originally made my Fire Trapper from Shadow752’s guide, but with some modifications that I thought would make my Fire Trapper more unique. I chose to make a Fire Trapper, because Shadow752’s guide listed great legit gear that I would be able to find and use. Although his guide is a little outdated now that 1.11 is out, there is tons of useful information for any player to read up on. It’s a must read if you plan to make a Fire Trapper.
Now a little about myself… I’ve been playing Fire and Lightning Trappers for something more than a year I believe as my main Duelers. My Fire Trapper was my first successful character I made on USWest, and I still play her. I normally duel in Public Dueling Games and I can usually beat 95% (give or take) of the duelers I face there. I sometimes duel in Private Dueling Games, and I do very well in them also. It takes time and tons of practice to be a great Dueler, even for a Trapper. Most people think that a Fire or Lightning Trapper is easy to duel with, but that isn’t always the case. If you duel against a beginner, you can probably kill them without doing anything except standing behind your traps. If you duel against an experienced Dueler, you will die if you try to repeat that same tactic.
I will be updating this build as I get better in Dueling and as I improve my equipment.
Stats and Skills
Railiea
Fire Trapper
Level 90
Strength: 80
Dexterity: 100
Vitality: 305
Energy: 60
Here are my Fire Trapper’s base stats. This is without any gear or charms so don’t be surprised if it seems pathetic. As you can see, I placed enough Strength and Dexterity to allow me to use all of my gear. With all my characters, I keep the stats divisible by 5 just to keep it clean and easy to remember. Some may say that I wasted 2 Strength, but sometimes you find that 2 extra Strength useful to use different gear. Unlike most Duelers, I actually placed some stat points in Energy so I can keep Mind Blast up and running longer than other Fire Trappers. My Vitality is my highest stat, because every little amount of Life does help.
Martial Arts
x1 Tiger Strike
x1 Dragon Talon
x1 Dragon Claw
x1 Dragon Tail
x1 Dragon Flight
Shadow Disciplines
x1 Claw Mastery
x1 Psychic Hammer
x1 Burst of Speed
x1 Cloak of Shadows
x1 Weapon Block
x1 Fade
x1 Shadow Warrior
x5 Mind Blast
x1 Shadow Master
Traps
x20 Fire Blast
x1 Shock Web
x1 Charged Bolt Sentry
x20 Wake of Fire
x1 Lightning Sentry
x20 Wake of Inferno
x20 Death Sentry
For skills, I have all of the basic skills needed for a Fire Trapper. I actually have 20 points in Wake of Inferno and Death Sentry, which is somewhat different than other Fire Trappers. Wake of Inferno is a rather underrated skill, which I find quite potent. Although people say it’s bugged, I still find it strong enough to use. Wake of Inferno only works if your enemy is standing almost completely still, because the flamethrower must continuously shoot in a straight line to really harm them. I have Tiger Strike mainly to deal with Fire Immune more easily in PvM as well as to leach off monsters. I also have Dragon Flight, which allows me to teleport on casters without Enigma.
Equipment
Since I duel a lot in Public Dueling Games, a lot of my gear is used against Bad Mannered Duelers. I do not suggest making a BM Dueler, but I have no problem swapping BM gear against BM Duelers. This allows me to make Public Dueling Games clean by getting rid of Town Guarders and Nkers. Very few Pubic Dueling Games are BM free, so I find I have to use these items a lot…
Weapon: Bartuc's Cut-Throat Greater Talons 'Shael'
Weapon2: Bartuc's Cut-Throat Greater Talons 'Io'
Weapon Swap: Cunning Blade Talons 'Shael' [+3 to Traps]
Weapon Swap2: Cunning Scissors Katar 'Shael' [+3 to Traps]
Helm: Harlequin Crest Shako 'Um'
Armor: Skin of the Vipermagi Wyrmhide 'Um'
Gloves: Magefist Battle Gauntlets
Boots: Marrowwalk Boneweave Boots
Belt: Arachnid Mesh Spiderweb Sash
Amulet: Mara's Kaleidoscope Amulet
Ring: Raven Frost Ring
Ring2: Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band Ring
Charms
x7 Entrapping Grand Charms [Trap Grand Charms]
Assassin Hellfire Torch Large Charm
Annihilus Small Charm
Various other Small, Large, and Grand Charms
Stash
Various Resistance Small Charms and Grand Charm
x2 Rare Rings with Faster Cast Rate
x2 Carrion Wind Ring
x2 Dwarf Star Ring
4 Perfect Topaz Monarch
Poison Length Reduced Crafted Amulet
Jade Talon Wrist Sword ‘Io’
Jade Talon Wrist Sword ‘Shael’
Metalgrid Amulet
Raven Frost Ring
Stormshield Monarch 'Um'
The Rising Sun Amulet
Thundergod's Vigor War Belt
Venom Ward Cuirass 'Tal'
Verdungo's Hearty Cord Mithril Coil
Wisp Projector Ring
Raldin, the Ironwolf
My Level 90 Fire Trapper Assassin has a Level 90 Normal Difficulty Cold Ironwolf named Raldin. Most of the time, he is very helpful in Player vs. Monster and can even help in Player vs. Player. Freezing enemies solid in PvM is extremely useful for my Fire Trapper’s Wake of Inferno traps. A fast moving target can easily avoid damage from Wake of Inferno, but a frozen target cannot. He does enough damage that he can kill Fire Immune enemies in Hell alone. In PvP, he evens out the playing field when dueling opponents that use Minions or Hirelings, such as Summoner Necromancers. Raldin also helps against those players that decide that Raven Frost is useless against a Fire Trapper, because Trappers never chill them.
Raldin’s Gear
1. Harlequin Crest Shako: Socketed with Perfect Amethyst
2. Skin of the Vipermagi Wyrmhide: Socketed with Perfect Amethyst
3. Spirit Battle Sword
4. Spirit Monarch
Raldin's Stats
Level: 90
Life: 1438
Strength: 165
Dexterity: 117
Damage: 222-345 [Melee]
Defense: 2231
Fire Resistance: 75 [Hell]
Cold Resistance: 75 [Hell]
Lightning Resistance: 75 [Hell]
Poison Resistance: 75 [Hell]
Conquering Diablo II in PvM
I originally made my Fire Trapper for PvP, but I always do PvM with all my Duelers anyways. I always complete all quests and get all waypoints before I really begin to duel. I won’t go into too much detail for PvM, because it’s actually surprisingly easy to solo Hell.
Fire Immune is probably the most common Immunity in Hell Difficulty. How can a Fire Trapper kill the countless amounts of Fire Immune? Well, my Fire Trapper has Death Sentry [Lightning, Physical, Fire], Shadow Master [Cold, Physical, Fire, Lightning, Poison], Raldin [Cold], Mind Blast, and good old fashion melee to kill these monstrosities. Tiger Strike and Dragon Flight also helps in Melee. With a huge assortment of different damage a Fire Trapper can do, they can easily kill any enemy that stands in their way.
If you made a Town Portal in an area full of monsters, don’t worry. The second you enter that Town Portal, just Mind Blast the area that you stand in. Any monsters that were waiting to ambush you get stunned or get converted. This confusion will allow you to escape and lay traps to finish them off.
Bosses are a little bit harder, but a Fire Trapper can kill them easily by summoning the Shadow Master as a tank and using the many potions in your belt to keep her alive. Mind Blast doesn’t usually work too well against Diablo and his brothers, but Fire Blast can really speed up the process. Use Wake of Inferno when a boss is busy killing your Shadow Master, as Wake of Inferno does a lot more damage than Wake of Fire. It only works when they stand in the same spot or barely move, but the damage is considerably higher. Learn to dodge attacks, such as Diablo’s Lightning Hose, as Burst of Speed makes it much easier. Weapon Block can even block Andariel’s Poison Spray, and many other potent attacks. If you really need Resistance to keep yourself alive, just swap gear or use Fade. If you ever find yourself in a tough spot, just retreat and enter a Town Portal to heal up and revive your Hireling.
Against the dreaded Gloams in Act V, you can stack Lightning Resistance and Lightning Absorb. With that, they barely do anything and you can easily kill them in a couple of Fire Blasts. When fighting in the Secret Cow Level or against a large mob of monsters, Death Sentry makes the task so much faster.
Dueling Strategies
Dueling is the hardest and best part of Diablo II, in my opinion. There is always someone out there that is better than you, so you can’t expect to win all the time. However, I have reached the point where I can beat a huge majority of the Duelers I faced, through tons of practice. You can’t be a great Dueler unless you duel a lot, and the more you duel the better you get. Reading about tactics is very helpful, but you have to practice using them to be effective. You will have to use different tactics based on whom you duel against, and it will usually differ from person to person. This is how I usually play, but there are tons of things other Fire Trappers can do differently. I also may use different tactics based on whom I face.
Amazons
Bowazons: These gals are fairly tough for my Fire Trapper to beat. I swap to my anti-melee gear normally against these guys, such as using my Verdungo's Hearty Cord Mithril Coil and Stormshield Monarch ‘Um’. Since the majority of them have tons of poison damage, I try to keep my Poison Resistance to a minimum of 75%. If they are inexperienced, they will try to run pretty close to me for an accurate shot, which I can easily go on the offensive and kill. Just Wake of Fire near their feet, Mind Blast stunlock, and lay traps every so Mind Blasts. Most have incredibly low Resistances, so it doesn’t take long. If they are any good, they will stand far back and pelt you with either Guided Arrows or Multiple Shots. If they do low damage, you might be able to survive if you go on the offensive. I don’t normally do that though. I normally find some cover, such as the cabin or the corners of Blood Moor. I take cover there, and the Bowazon will eventually realize that she isn’t hitting me. She will move in closer to see what’s wrong. When she gets close enough, I spring from behind cover and get a good stunlock in. I may have to dodge quite a few arrows though, but that isn’t normally a problem.
Javazons: Against these gals, I have to stay back and make sure they don’t hit me with Charged Strike. I can usually lay Wake of Fire some distance from the edge of the screen. I usually lay a 3 to 4 Wake of Fire and 1 to 2 Wake of Inferno in the center. If the Javazon tries to Charged Strike you, just Mind Blast them till she dies. If she escapes and tries throwing lightning your way, go on the offensive by laying Wake of Fire at the edge of your screen, but close enough to her for her to get hit. She will usually be too busy throwing at your general direction that you can dodge through her attacks and stunlock her with that Wake of Fire placed. You can also use the retreat tactic, by laying your traps and running back. She would try to go on the offensive once more, and will run through your traps. That’s when you go back on the offensive and Mind Blast her when the Wake of Fires is hitting her. Wake of Inferno can speed up the process.
Plaguazons: These guys are a bit harder than Javazons, because one hit will drain your health incredibly fast. Also, they tend to run away and throw their poison clouds in your path. I found that the best way to beat them would be to play defensively. It will take a long time, but I can’t chase them down like other Duelers with teleport. I can slowly weaken their life by playing defensive, quick offensive burst when they get close enough, then defensive again. Although some say it’s Bad Manners, I can use Marrowwalk Boneweave Boots’ Bone Prison charges to trap them in if the duel takes too long. I can also use Dragon Flight to get in their face, but they may expect that by having a cloud set up around them. I also use my Venom Ward Cuirass against these guys, but it doesn’t really help out that much. The poison damage is surprisingly huge, and I can only take about 2 to 3 hits before I drop to 1 Life. I still need a lot more practice against these guys, but they are incredibly hard to find.
Assassins
Martial Arts: Once again, I don’t seem to find too many of these Assassins around. For the most part, you have to play defensively. A stunlock can usually end them, and they will die if you stand among your traps. If they are part Trapper, it gets fun. Stay back from them, but lay traps at the edge of your screen. They will probably do the same to me, but I have the advantage in a pure Trapper vs. Trapper situation. As long as I don’t let them get within melee range, I should be able to kill them. If they do get in screen range, I have to watch out for Dragon Flight.
Whirlwind: This is a very tough match. It’s very hard getting a Whirlwind Assassin in a stunlock, as Whirlwind can get them out of it. I use my anti-melee set-up, but I make sure I have at least 75% Poison Resistance. I also try to keep 75% Block and 50% Damage Reduced. If I can’t get them in a good stunlock, I may use my dual FCR Rings that allows me to obtain a good breakpoint, which might do the job. My stunlock won’t last more than a second or two, so I have to dodge a lot. If they try Mind Blast, you can Mind Blast them back and possibly stunlock them from that. Thus, they will usually teleport and Whirlwind. Just keep moving and laying traps. If you have the time, summon your Shadow Master and launch Fire Blasts her way. Do not use Wake of Inferno unless the Wake of Inferno is under your feet. If she Whirlwinds towards your direction, sidestep and let the Wake of Inferno burn her as she moved straight through it. Sidestepping is very important in this duel.
Trappers: I normally duel against Enigma-wearing Lightning Trappers. They have a huge disadvantage against me though. Most of them have very low Resistances. I just lay my traps spread out around myself. If they teleport near me, they will probably land in some Wake of Fire and I can easily get a stunlock for GG. If they lay traps at the edge of the screen, I can do the same while retreating. Remember that my Weapon Block allows me to block their traps. The Trappers I face normally use Spirit Monarch with Heart of the Oak, so they will take every trap shot while I don’t. If they play defensively, I summon my Shadow Master out near her traps to take the hits and I quickly lay my traps near their traps. This can confuse them, and they may take a couple of hits. Eventually they will have to retreat. When they retreat, I can usually chase them down or continue the process. Eventually, they will be tired of retreating and go back on the offensive. I have to do a lot of dodging, but a stunlock is usually GG. This can be a very tough match-up against a good Trapper and it takes a lot of practice to be good against them.
Necromancers
Bonemancers: There are many types of Bonemancers that I face, and all of them teleport. If the Bonemancer plays defensively and snipe, I will need to find cover just like the Bowazon. I have to watch out for invisible arrows, and keep my Shadow Master alive. If the Bonemancer plays offensively, they will teleport within screen distance and attack with Teeth, Bone Spear, or Bone Spirit. All I have to do is stunlock them then. I try to have traps set up around myself so the Bonemancer gets a warm welcome if he teleports nearby. Bonemancers are known for their low Resistances, so they don’t last long under the heat. If they have minions, Mind Blast would hit all of them so they die anyways.
Novamancers: Novamancers are very similar to Bonemancers that use Teeth. They aren’t very hard as long as you have your traps set-up around you. Watch out for their Lower Resist, as it can make your Poison Resistance pummel through the ground. I can use my Carrion Wind Rings and other anti-poison gear against these guys. I never go offensive against them, because they have the advantage there. I just let them teleport to me, and they are usually dead as long as I can quickly hit them with Mind Blast.
Summoners: These guys are extremely rare as well. I normal use my anti-melee set-up, but I don’t normally get hit by them either. I normally play on the defensive against them, and wait till they come to me. They will likely teleport on top of me, which means I should have my traps laid out around me. I even use a couple of Wake of Inferno under my feet, because a simple Mind Blast will stun all of the Summoner’s minions as well as himself. Beware of Decripify though, as it can really make you slow. Since you already know where he is likely to teleport, just Mind Blast the area where you stand on when he teleports about a screen away. He will teleport in your Mind Blast and wouldn’t be able to do anything.
Barbarians
Whirlwind: These guys are fairly tough. If they are BvC, I have to watch out for their teleport. I really have to keep moving and dodging against these guys. If they have tons of Resistances, this will be a very long fight. You have to play defensive the whole time, or you’ll die. I just keep dodging/sidestepping while laying traps and Mind Blasting when they are about to stop their Whirlwind. If they have even a little absorb, expect this duel to last 3 or more minutes of continuous dodging. They are probably the toughest character you’ll face if they are very good.
Concentration: These guys are extremely hard to find. As long as you stay from melee range, you should be able to kill them. Concentration allows them to attack even when stunned so stay back at all times. Again, it’s all about dodging and sidestepping if they have Whirlwind.
Berserkers: These guys can do massive damage. The best set-up is just going Stormshield for 75% Block, and using Ranor's Arachnid Mesh Spiderweb Sash for extra damage and FCR. These guys don’t normally use a shield, and don’t usually have the Resistance as most Barbarians do. They aren’t too tough to kill. I just stunlock them and they are usually dead. If they have Whirlwind, just dodge them.
Paladins
Chargers: These guys come in different varieties. Some of these guys are really easy, and you just stunlock them when they get to you. You can usually Mind Blast the area in front of you before their charge and they will run into a Mind Blast stunlock. You always play defensive against these guys, and keep your traps up and running. If they are really good, you will die in 1 or 2 hits. Best thing I can say is to stay by a wall or behind a marsh patch in Blood Moor and always be prepared. I would also use anything that gives more life over damage against these guys, as you will need it. This will usually mean the difference between a one-hit kill. Also, I use my Beast Eye Ring and Grim Circle Ring for the extra FCR as well as my anti-melee gear. If you have enough FCR, you can keep them in a stunlock but they might be able to charge out if they are good.
Smiters: These guys are usually extremely BM. The majority of them use Life Tap, which is very BM in my opinion. They will likely charge at me, so I have to be prepared with my traps neatly laid out in a row in front of me. Their smite can knock down your life pretty quick and stun you which is very nasty. I have to watch out for their knock back too. I keep my distance as far as I can, but within Mind Blast range. Stunlock them and drink Mana Potions to maintain the stunlock. Relay Wake of Fire whenever you have the chance. I don’t let him hit me, so Life Tap doesn’t become too big of an issue.
Templars: These guys aren’t usually too bad, because you can throw on a ton of anti-lightning to negate their Conviction. If they are good though, this can be a tough duel even with the Gemmed Monarch. They will likely be teleporting or charging around while hitting you with Fist of the Heavens whenever they have the chance. Mind Blast, lay traps, stunlock, and repeat. Works the same way against Auradins, but most Auradins aren’t very good. Many of them will just get close to you, which usually mean I can get a GG stunlock. If they charge at you, this can be a very tough duel. I treat it like a Charger but I have to have Resistance gear on as well.
Hammerdins: These guys can deal a ton of damage. I normally get killed in 2 direct hits. All I can say is dodge and stunlock. Don’t go all out offensive against these guys either. They will just teleport-hammer-teleport-hammer. You want them to teleport near you for the stunlock. Have your traps spread out, but close enough that they can all hit him if he teleports on top of you. Wake of Inferno is good once again, but only keep 1 to 2 here. You need the Wake of Fire running to maintain the stunlock.
Sorceresses
Fire: Dodging is very important against these guys. Even if you are BM, they can still kill you in 2 seconds. If you play GM, expect to die within 4 Fire Balls, with Weapon Block. Now that you got the picture, these guys aren’t too tough. If they teleport on you, they’re dead. If they stand back, shooting Fire Balls your way, you can go on the offensive for the kill. Just lay traps at the edge of the screen, and move in for the kill. If they retreat, you might be able to get up to them with Dragon Flight. Or you can use the same tactics vs. Bowazons.
Cold: There are 2 varieties of Cold Sorceresses - Frozen Orb and Blizzard. Like all Sorceresses, expect them to be using Energy Shield. Blizzard can take a huge amount of Life even with my anti-cold gear on. Without anti-cold gear, expect to be killed in one-hit. Luckily, Blizzard isn’t completely accurate and you can block it with Weapon Block and easily dodge by running around or even through it. Frozen Orb will take small chunks from your Life, but can also be quite nasty. You can play defensively or offensively, but each will only go so far. You have to do a combination of both to be successful.
Lightning: These gals are pretty nasty too. The same tactics apply as Fire Sorceresses, but expect these guys to survive quite a few trap hits. You will have to remember to use a Mana Potion or they will eventually escape your stunlock, because they have very powerful Energy Shields.
Druids
Shapeshifting: These guys can kill pretty quickly if they get up to you. Luckily, they will probably never get up to you. Stunlock and they’re dead. I haven’t had the chance to duel against many of these guys though, so I don’t have much strategy against these guys.
Fire: These guys are pretty rare, and I haven’t had the experience dueling against a good one. I expect it to be very similar to a Wind Druid though and all about dodging.
Wind: These guys are probably the most popular druids you’ll see. They are kind of like a Hammerdin, because they will teleport on top of you and fire Tornadoes your way. I usually back step, Mind Blast, and it’s GG. Even with minion stacking, the average ones aren’t too hard if you play right. If you fight a good one though, they can be quite hard. Keep an eye on your Mana pool at all times, since their Cyclone Armor can drain it incredibly fast. If you run out of Mana, expect them to Teleport away and recast Cyclone Armor or Teleport on top of you.
Ending Comments
I hope you guys enjoyed reading about this Dueler. Railiea is one of my favorite characters I have and I’ll update this build regularly as I improve her. If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions feel free to post about it.