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Strafe Amazon Guide


Cutting down countless demons...bringing death from afar...the minigun of Sanctuary...announcing...the Strafe Amazon! Firing several arrows in the blink of an eye, this Amazon guns down dense monster packs with ease. Al Capone only wishes he had this kind of firepower! Easy to play, the Strafe Amazon primarily uses Strafe to eliminate enemies with an outpouring of Physical Damage. Strong in River of Flame, Chaos Sanctuary, Worldstone Keep, and The Pit, this build dominates Farming Spots with high monster density and narrower corridors.

Powerful Bows and Crossbows such as Faith, Windforce, Mist, and Buriza-Do Kyanon do the job. The Fanaticism, Might, and Concentration Aura trifecta takes this build to the next level. With Atma's Scarab providing a fairly reliable source of Amplify Damage, the Strafe Amazon can even destroy monsters in a High Player Count game (/7-8Players on Single Player). The combination of Bone Break and Atma's Scarab makes short work of Immune to Physical mobs as well. In Patch 2.6 you can dumpster absolutely everything with support from an Enchant Sorceress! At her full potential this lady is straight gangsta!

Ideal Standard Setup

Strafe

Guided Arrow

Critical Strike

Valkyrie

This build guide assumes you have a Character at Level 75 before transitioning to it. Check out our Amazon Leveling Guide and our General Leveling Strategies to reach Level 75.

Safely Attacks From Afar ✔
Great In Narrow Corridors
Easy To Learn And Master

Destroys Dense Monster Packs

❌ Inconsistent Damage Output
❌ Only 1 Primary Damage Type
❌ Cannot Move While Attacking
❌ Requires GG Gear For Full Potential


Sunder Charm Setup

Patch 2.5 introduced a new way of breaking Immunities: Sunder Charms. Any enemy that would be Immune to your damage type is instead reduced to 95% Resistance, before any other Resistance reductions apply. The Charm also reduces YOUR Resistance against the sundered damage type! Check out our post on Sunder Charms to learn more about these new Charms. The following setup uses Bone Break, allowing you to farm anywhere you want.

Sunder Charm Setup

Gear Changes

To optimize this Sunder Charm you need as much -% Enemy Physical Resistance as possible. Equip Atma's Scarab for its Amplify Damage proc to accomplish this. Alternatively, you can use a Mercenary with Lawbringers or The Reaper's Toll for their Decrepify procs.

Counteract the negative effect of Bone Break with % Damage Reduction items such as Crown of Ages, Vampire Gaze, and Verdungo's Hearty Cord.


Terror Zones

The new Terror Zone mechanic combined with Sunder Charms open up a wide range of farmable areas. The following list highlights the best and worst Terror Zones for this build. With the Sunder Charm Setup, more Terror Zones become accessible. Learn more about Terror Zones here and see how they stack up in our Terror Zone Tier List.

Best

Travincal - Bosses, Quick Access, Breakable Immunities, Council Members
Chaos Sanctuary - Boss, Many Elites, Breakable Immunities
Underground Passage + Dark Wood - Many Elites, Quick Access, Easy Mobility, No Immunities
Pit - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Easy Mobility, No Immunities
Flayer Jungle ONLY - High Density, Quick Access, No Immunities

Worst

Arcane Sanctuary - Trash Mobility, Immunities
Blood Moor + Den of Evil - Low Density, Few Elite Groups
Burial Grounds + Crypt + Mausoleum - Low Density, Trash Mobility, Slow Access
Ancients' Way + Icy Cellar - High Elemental Damage, Immunities
Crystalline Passage + Frozen River - High Physical Damage, High Elemental Damage, Immunities


Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Penetrate
2. Slow Missiles
3. Magic Arrow
4. Decoy

Put 3-5 Skill Points into each of the following Skills:
1. Pierce
2. Dodge
3. Avoid
4. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Strafe
2. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
3. Guided Arrow
4. Multiple Shot
5. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Damage

Strafe* is your Primary Damage Skill. It splits 1 arrow into 5 upon firing, dealing Physical Damage to nearby enemies in quick succession. This Skill prioritizes monsters closest to your Amazon while alternating to any nearby targets. Your Character is rooted in place while firing; you cannot move.

Guided Arrow* fires a powerful homing arrow that tracks down its target. It always hits so long as it makes contact with an enemy. Use it against Act Bosses, Diablo Clone, and isolated Physical Immune monsters.

Multiple Shot* splits 1 arrow into many arrows (up to 24), fanning out in a cone in front of your Character. Use it when faced with dense packs of low Life monsters (e.g. Flayers).

Magic Arrow* fires a single arrow that coverts a percentage of your Physical Damage into Magic Damage based on its Level. It is effective against isolated Physical Immune enemies.

* Increased Attack Speed Skills (IAS)

Utility

Critical Strike* adds a % chance to deal double Physical Damage with your projectiles. This chance increases with Skill Level.

Penetrate* grants Attack Rating based on Skill Level.

Pierce* adds a % chance of your projectiles piercing through targets to others behind them. This Passive Skill greatly boosts the effectiveness of Strafe and Multiple Shot.

Valkyrie* creates a Valkyrie Warrior which fights by your side, mainly serving to tank damage. Re-summon her if she dies.

Decoy* creates a replica of your Amazon with increased health at the location of your cursor. It remains in one spot, drawing monster attacks/abilities until it is destroyed or expires.

Slow Missiles* slows and reduces the damage from ranged enemies' attacks/projectiles when cast. This Skill also illuminates nearby enemies.

Dodge* provides a chance that you "Dodge" melee attacks while attacking or standing still. This negates any potential Damage from a melee attack completely.

Avoid* provides a chance that you "Dodge" ranged attacks and/or spells while attacking or standing still. This negates any potential damage from a ranged attack completely.

Evade* provides a chance that you "Dodge" an attack (any) while walking or running. This negates any potential damage from an attack completely.

* Faster Cast Rate Skills (FCR)
* Skills that do NOT utilize either FCR or IAS


Attributes

Note: This section provides you with the standard Stat Point allocation. Build Variants may require different allocations!

Strength

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Strength your gear provides when equipped.

Dexterity

Allocate the majority of Stat Points into Dexterity for additional Physical Damage on ranged attacks.

Vitality

Allocate any remaining Stat Points into Vitality after meeting Strength, Dexterity, and Energy requirements.

Energy

Do not allocate any Stat Points into Energy. Mana costs are covered by “x% Mana stolen per hit” on your gear.


Essentials

Gear Options

While every Stat in the Desirable Stats column is useful for this build, we highlighted the Priority Stats in Teal so you can easily identify the Most Important Stats on them.

Hover over any Item to see a pop-out with the full Item description.

SlotItem OptionsDesirable Stats
WeaponFaith Grand Matron Bow
Windforce
Mist Grand Matron Bow
Breath of the Dying Hydra Bow
Buriza-Do Kyanon (Upgraded)
Harmony Grand Matron Bow
Insight Grand Matron Bow
Edge Grand Matron Bow
Rare Bow
Witchwild String (Upgraded)
Eaglehorn
Goldstrike Arch (Upgraded)
Cliffkiller (Upgraded)
2% Chance to cast level 5 Amplify Damage on striking
Level 12-15 Fanaticism Aura When Equipped
Level 8-12 Concentration Aura When Equipped
Level 12-17 Meditation Aura When Equipped
Level 10 Vigor Aura When Equipped
+x to All Skills
+x to Bow and Crossbow Skills [Amazon Only]
+x to Amazon Skills
+x% Increased Attack Speed
Piercing Attack
+x% Enhanced Damage
Ignore Target's Defense

-x% Target Defense
x% Bonus to Attack Rating
+x to Attack Rating
+x% Damage to Demons
+x% Damage to Undead
+x Minimum Damage
+x Maximum Damage
Adds x Damage
+x% Mana stolen per hit
+x% Life stolen per hit
x% Deadly Strike
+x to Critical Strike
Freezes Target +x
Knockback
+x to Attribute
+x Life
All Resistances +x
10% Reanimate as: Returned
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Socketed [x]
Off-HandArrows
Bolts
None
Weapon-SwapHarmony
Hustle
Call to Arms
Level 10 Vigor Aura When Equipped
5% Chance to cast level 1 Burst of Speed on striking
+x to All Skills
+x to Battle Orders
+x to Battle Command
Off-Hand-SwapArrows
Spirit
Lidless Wall
None
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Cast Rate
HelmetsGiant Skull (2x Ruby Jewels of Fervor)
Guillaume's Face (Ruby Jewel of Fervor)
Guillaume's Face (Um Rune)
Artisan's Diadem of Speed (3x Ruby Jewels of Fervor)
Artisan's Grand Crown of the Mammoth (3x Ruby Jewels of Fervor)
Rare Circlet (2x Ruby Jewels of Fervor)
Crown of Ages (2x Ruby Jewels of Fervor)
Crown of Ages (2x Ber Runes)
Vampire Gaze
Kira's Guardian
Rockstopper
Wisdom
Sigon's Visor (4-Piece Sigon's Set)
Gemmed Crown (3x Perfect Topazes)
Gemmed Crown (Ral Rune + Ort Rune + Thul Rune)
+x to All Skills
+x to Amazon Skills
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
Piercing Attack
+x% Enhanced Damage

x% Bonus to Attack Rating
+x to Attack Rating
+x% Mana stolen per hit
+x% Life stolen per hit
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
x% Deadly Strike

Knockback
+x to Attribute
+x Life
X Resist +x%
Damage Reduced by x%

Damage Reduced by x
+x to Mana after each Kill
Cannot Be Frozen
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Socketed [x]
Body ArmorFortitude
Chains of Honor
Enigma
Tyrael's Might
Skullder's Ire
Hustle
Lionheart
Duress
Treachery
Duriel's Shell
Smoke
Gemmed Dusk Shroud (4x Perfect Topazes)
5% Chance to cast Level 15 Fade When Struck
20% Chance to cast Level 15 Chilling Armor When Struck
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x% Enhanced Damage
+x% Damage to Demons

+x% Damage to Undead
+x% Life stolen per hit
+x% Chance of Crushing Blow
+x% Chance of Open Wounds
+x to Teleport
+x to Attribute
+x Life
Increased Maximum Life x%
+x% to Maximum Lightning Resist
All Resistances +x
Damage Reduced by x%
Cannot Be Frozen
+x to Life after each Kill
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
GlovesLaying of Hands
Hit Power Crafted Gloves
Blood Crafted Gloves
Sigon's Gage (4-Piece Sigon's Set)
Death's Hand (2-Piece Death's Set)
+x to Passive and Magic Skills [Amazon Only]
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Damage to Demons
+x% Life stolen per hit
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
Knockback
+x to Attribute
+x Life
X Resist +x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
BeltsRazortail
Nosferatu's Coil
Goldwrap
String of Ears
Verdungo's Hearty Cord
Thundergod's Vigor
Sigon's Wrap (4-Piece Sigon's Set)
Death's Guard Demonhide Sash (2-Piece Death's Set)
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
Piercing Attack
+x Maximum Damage
+x% Life stolen per hit
Slows target by x%
+x to Attribute
+x Life
+x% to Maximum Lightning Resist
X Resist +x%
+x Lightning Absorb
Damage Reduced by x%
Magic Damage Reduced by x
+x to Mana after each Kill
Cannot Be Frozen
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
BootsWar Traveler
Gore Rider
Goblin Toe
Sigon's Sabot (4-Piece Sigon's Set)
+x% Faster Run/Walk
Adds x Damage

+x to Attack Rating
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
x% Deadly Strike
x% Chance of Open Wounds
+x to Attribute
X Resist +x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
AmuletsAtma's Scarab
Highlord's Wrath
The Cat's Eye
Chromatic Amulet
Angelic Wings (2-Piece Angelic Set)
5% Chance to cast level 2 Amplify Damage on striking
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Increased Attack Speed
x% Bonus to Attack Rating
+x to Attack Rating
x% Deadly Strike
+x to Attribute
+x Life
X Resist +x%
RingsRaven Frost
Rare Ring
Rare Ring
Nagelring
Wisp Projector
Dwarf Star
Manald Heal
Angelic Halo (2-Piece Angelic Set)
+x to Attack Rating
+x% Mana stolen per hit
+x% Life stolen per hit
+x to Attribute
+x Life
+x Mana
X Resist +x%
Cold Absorb x%
Fire Absorb x%
Lightning Absorb x%
Magic Damage Reduced by x
Cannot Be Frozen
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
CharmsShimmering Small Charm of Good Luck
Fine Small Charm of Good Luck
Steel Small Charm of Good Luck
Fine Small Charm of Balance
Fine Small Charm of Inertia
Fine Small Charm of Vita
Shimmering Small Charm of Vita
Shimmering Small Charm of Inertia
Fine Small Charm
Small Charm of Good Luck
Shimmering Small Charm
Resistance Small Charm
Sharp Large Charm of Inertia
Sharp Large Charm of Vita
Sharp Grand Charm of Inertia
Steel Grand Charm of Inertia
Sharp Grand Charm of Vita
Steel Grand Charm of Vita
Sharp Grand Charm of Balance
Steel Grand Charm of Balance
Sharp Grand Charm of Maiming
Sharp Grand Charm of Dexterity
Sharp Grand Charm
Steel Grand Charm
Shimmering Grand Charm of Inertia
Shimmering Grand Charm
Resistance Grand Charm
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x to Attack Rating
+x Maximum Damage

+x to Attribute
+x Life
X Resist x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Unique CharmsBone Break
Gheed's Fortune
Amazon Hellfire Torch
Annihilus
Monster Physical Immunity is Sundered
+x to All Skills
+x to Amazon Skills
+x to All Attributes
All Resistances +x
+x% to Experience Gained
x% Extra Gold from Monsters
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Reduces all Vendor Prices x%
+x to Light Radius

Farming Spots

The areas below are efficient farming locations that make use of the build’s strengths. Other farming spots might not be as effective due to Immunities or bad layouts.

Anything that has a in the "Starter" column can be farmed with the Starter Build Variant.

Act 1

AreaStarterRewards
The PitAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
The Secret Cow Level-Runes
Runeword Bases
Charms / Gems / Jewels

Act 2

AreaStarterRewards
Stony TombAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Ancient Tunnels-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling

Act 3

AreaStarterRewards
Arachnid LairAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Swampy Pit-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Lower KurastRunes
Runeword Bases
Charms / Gems / Jewels
Jewelry
Ruined TempleAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Sewers-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Travincal-Gearing
Runes
Charms / Gems / Jewels
Gold

Act 4

AreaStarterRewards
City of the Damned-All Item Types
River of Flame-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Chaos SanctuaryAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
DiabloUniques
Sets
Leveling

Act 5

AreaStarterRewards
Eldritch the RectifierGearing
Gold
Leveling
Shenk the OverseerGearing
Gold
Leveling
PindleskinGearing
Gold
Leveling
Worldstone Keep / Throne of Destruction-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Baal / Waves-Uniques
Sets
Max Area Level
Leveling

Mercenary

Your Mercenary serves an incredibly important role to the overall success of your build. They can be a front line tank, provide a pivotal Aura, and/or deal Physical Damage to kill enemies with Immunity to your Skill set.

Act 2 Desert Mercenary

The Act 2 Desert Mercenary is hired from Greiz.
He can be equipped with a Spear or a Polearm, a Body Armor and a Helmet.
Every Act 2 Mercenary has access to an Aura and uses Jab as his base Attack. The Aura activates once the Mercenary has engaged in combat and remains active between traveling to and from town. The Auras available are based on what difficulty you hire the Mercenary from.

Might Pride

Pride, Might

Use a Desert Mercenary with Might Aura to significantly boost your Physical Damage. Equip him with Pride for an even greater boost to your Physical Damage.

Alternatively, you can use an Act 1 Rogue Mercenary equipped with Faith to achieve maximum Attack Speed on the "Damage" Build Variant without needing to swap to Hustle to pre-buff Burst of Speed.

Mercenary Gear Options

Your Mercenary needs maximum Resistances, Life Leech, a high damage Weapon, and high Defense and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive reliably. Cannot Be Frozen is also a great stat for maintaining Mercenary DPS and leech. Ethereal gear is preferred since it doesn't lose durability. Mercenary Types and Gear Options at each Gear Level perform equally well in different situations; choose based on Farming Spots and/or personal preference.

Gear LevelEarly-GameMid-GameEnd-Game
Mercenary TypeAct 2 Might
or Act 5 Frenzy
Act 2 MightAct 2 Might
or Act 1 Cold
WeaponHustle
Insight
Obedience
Lawbringers
HustlePride
Faith Matriarchal Bow
Body ArmorSmoke
Lionheart
Hustle
Skin of the Flayed One
Goldskin
Rockfleece
Gemmed Dusk Shroud
Hustle
Treachery
Duress
Shaftstop
The Gladiator's Bane
Duriel's Shell
Guardian Angel
Shaftstop
HelmetBulwark
Undead Crown
Gemmed Mask
Temper
Ground
Cure
Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest
Guillaume's Face
Vampire Gaze
Crown of Thieves
Stealskull
Kira's Guardian
Rockstopper
Cure
Vampire Gaze
Andariel's Visage
Andariel's Visage

The Mercenary is hard to keep alive until you have the minimum gear recommended in this guide. Remember you can drag Healing Potions onto the portrait, or shift + 1/2/3/4 to directly feed them a Healing Potion from your Belt. The Mercenary also gains bonus Resistances from Thawing Potions and Antidote Potions.

If your Mercenary dies in battle, you can revive them from any of the Mercenary NPCs in each Act. This does come with an increasing cost, capping at 50,000 Gold. Keep that in mind and decide if the Mercenary is currently worth the cost.

Playstyle

General

  • Before starting your Magic Find/Experience run, swap to Harmony and cast Valkyrie. Recast Valkyrie as necessary to reposition it to your side or draw monster aggro away from you or your Mercenary.
  • Swap to Harmony to use its Vigor Aura for quicker travel. Swap back to your main weapon (e.g. Faith) upon encountering monsters.
  • Always maintain distance away from approaching mobs; avoid becoming surrounded by monsters coming from multiple sides/angles. Swap to Harmony to gain distance whenever necessary, and also take advantage of the Knockback stat on your gear.
  • Cast Decoy and/or Slow Missiles when faced with dangerous ranged enemies.
  • Pick up Arrows or Bolts that drop to replenish your Quantity.

For High Mob Density Farming:

  • In most cases, use Strafe when encountering high mob density. Continue firing until all monsters in an area have been cleared. Strafe is also highly effective against Elites and most isolated targets (besides certain Bosses).
  • Use Multiple Shot when faced with dense packs of low Life monsters (e.g. Flayers), especially in a Low Player Count game (/Players1-3 on Single Player).

For Bosses:

  • When faced with an Act Boss or Diablo Clone, repeatedly fire Guided Arrows in its direction until it is dead. Always maintain a safe distance; it is possible to kill off-screen using this Skill. It should be noted that killing Bosses is not one of the Strafe Amazon's strong suits, particularly when it comes to Baal.

Immunities

  • Bone Break sets all Immune to Physical monsters to 95% Physical Resistance, allowing any sources of -x% to Enemy Physical Resistance (including Amplify Damage or Decrepify) to take full effect.
  • Use Guided Arrows to quickly apply Amplify Damage from Atma's Scarab to isolated Unique mobs Immune to Physical. When facing groups of Physical Immune monsters, using Strafe like normal is the best approach. However, simply running past Physical Immune monsters is often the most efficient approach.
  • You can also use Magic Arrow to take down isolated Physical Immune mobs.
  • If a Unique mob has unbreakable Physical Immunity, it is best to run outside the range of/skip said mob. Cast Decoy to keep it distracted and/or swap to Harmony for increased speed.

Late-Game

  • If using Call to Arms on Weapon-Swap, first cast Battle Command 2 times and then Battle Orders once before starting your Magic Find/Experience run. Refresh these Call to Arms buffs whenever they expire (approx. every 2-3 minutes).

Optimal Loot/Experience Farming Strategies

  • Chaos Sanctuary - Packed full of demon-type monsters, this Max Area Level Farming Spot is prime real estate for a Strafe Amazon using Laying of Hands among other demon-killing gear. Having somewhat narrow corridors while potentially dropping every item in the game, this area (along with River of Flame leading up to it) is a dream for this build. Feel free to run Chaos in a Max Player Count game full of leechers once you have solid gear. All aboard the Experience train!
  • The Pit - This relatively easy to access Max Area Level Farming Spot with narrow corridors and low Life monsters is ideal for a Strafe Amazon. Farming this area is optimal in High Player Count or /Players5-8 on Single Player if you have solid gear.
  • Worldstone Keep/Throne of Destruction - Another Max Level Area with tight corridors, this otherwise difficult Farming Spot can provide great loot and Experience for this build. Strafe shreds Baal Waves along with most possible monster spawns. Baal himself can be quite troublesome for this build, however.

Breakpoints

Breakpoints in Diablo 2 are the minimum values required to reduce the frames of an action. Below are the important breakpoints considered for this build. For more information on the mechanics involved, check out our in-depth Resource: Breakpoints.

Increased Attack Speed (IAS)

Increased Attack Speed speeds up your attack animations. Weapon Bases have different IAS Breakpoints. Values for recommended weapon options are provided below. Fanaticism Aura provided by Faith does most of work if you have it equipped. Level 1 Burst of Speed from Hustle can also help you reach maximum Attack Speed with slower, harder-hitting Weapons such as Windforce. Consult the d2planner for other bases.

Grand Matron Bow Base Weapons (Faith, Mist, Harmony, Insight, Edge)

Frames47463736353433
Strafe IAS (No Fanaticism)031126424680
Strafe IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism)-----018
Frames1511109987
Guided Arrow IAS (No Fanaticism)0355689120147292
Guided Arrow IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism)--622354692

Windforce

Frames33323130
Strafe IAS (Level 1 Burst of Speed)0111435
Strafe IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism)--018
Frames1211109987
Guided Arrow IAS (Level 1 Burst of Speed)01120405872138
Guided Arrow IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism)-0622354692

Buriza-Do Kyanon (Upgraded)

Frames5849484746433939383736
Strafe IAS0112227324250587095105
Frames22181716151413131211
Guided Arrow IAS0192737507095120138215

Faster Hit Recovery (FHR)

Faster Hit Recovery increases survivability, but is not necessary on this build. Aim for the 32% or 52% FHR Breakpoint if possible.

Frames11109876543
FHR061320325286174600

Hardcore

For all Hardcore gameplay, your primary focus is increasing your Resistances, Damage Reduction, Chance to Block and Maximum Life. This can mean sacrificing overall power level for a more secure playstyle.

The Strafe Amazon can become Hardcore viable with key changes to Gear, Stat Point allocation, and Skills. Review the changes below before building this character in Hardcore, as some of these changes differ significantly from the Standard Build.

Gear Changes

  • Damage Reduction: Equip either Crown of Ages or Vampire Gaze for a Helmet, along with either Chains of Honor or Enigma for a Body Armor, to achieve decent % Damage Reduction on a Hardcore Strafe Amazon. If you are using Faith, make sure to equip Hit Power Crafted Gloves in order to retain the Knockback stat. You can also equip either Verdungo's Hearty Cord or String of Ears in the Belt slot for additional % Damage Reduction. However, this approach requires additional Skill Points into Pierce to maintain a solid % Chance to Pierce if not using Buriza-Do Kyanon.
  • Stacking Resistances: Stack your Fire/Lightning/Cold Resistances beyond their default maximum values of 75 each (175 total in Hell). Stacking 85 additional Resistances in Hell completely negates the Conviction Aura of any Elite Boss or the Oblivion Knight's Lower Resist Curse. Beware of encountering both at the same time! Consider the primary damage type(s) of the monsters in the area you want to farm. Chains of Honor, Jewelry, and Charms are ideal sources of Resistances on this build.
  • Lightning Absorb: Equip Thundergod's Vigor when farming an area where Burning Souls are able to spawn such as Worldstone Keep/Throne of Destruction.

Stat Point Changes

  • No changes to the Standard Build's Stat Point allocation are absolutely necessary for a Hardcore Strafe Amazon (see the "Attributes" section above). You can choose to put however many additional Stat Points into Vitality instead of Dexterity for increased safety, however.

Skill Point Changes

  • Allocate additional Skill Points into Dodge, Avoid, and Evade instead of Valkyrie to negate as much damage as possible.

    See the "Hardcore" Build Variant below for additional suggestions and visuals.

Build Variants

Starter

Setup

The Starter variant of the Strafe Amazon meets the minimum gear requirements for farming the Starter tagged areas in the "Farming Spots" section above. These areas can be Solo-farmed by this setup (/Players1 on Single Player) in both Nightmare and Hell difficulty. An Upgraded Buriza-Do Kyanon is a strong, relatively easy to acquire weapon that provides this build with sufficient power. Insight, Harmony, or Edge in an Elite Bow are also solid options. Beyond a decently strong weapon, make sure to prioritize Attack Rating, Damage, Resistances, Faster Run/Walk, and Life stats on your gear. Use a Harmony on Weapon-Swap for faster travel. Follow the Amazon Leveling Guide to get your Amazon to Level 75.

Mercenary

The Starter Strafe Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Hustle for a solid Damage and Attack Rating boost. Mercenaries require Resistances, Life Leech, and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive. Smoke is a cheap Body Armor option for Resistances, while Bulwark is the cheapest Helmet that provides Life Leech and Damage Reduction.

Skills

Since the Starter Strafe Amazon uses Buriza-Do Kyanon, no Skill Points into Pierce are necessary. However, it is necessary to max Penetrate to make up for a lack of Attack Rating. Also, Skill Points into Valkyrie are needed to improve its tankiness. Skill Points into Guided Arrow, Dodge, Avoid, and Evade are sacrificed as a result of these priorities on the Starter build.

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Next, put the majority of the remaining Stat Points into Dexterity to increase your damage. Lastly put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Budget

Setup

The Budget Strafe Amazon achieves solid results with gear that is much easier to acquire than the gear on the Standard Build. This variant can farm almost every Farming Spot the Standard Build can, and almost just as well, albeit on a lower Player Count. It uses Mist and achieves maximum Strafe Attack Speed to pack a serious punch. A Harmony is used on Weapon-Swap for faster travel. If you can acquire Bone Break, you can more easily kill Physical Immunes. The Budget Strafe Amazon makes use of several lower-end gear options that still provide solid Damage, Attack Rating, Resistances, Damage Reduction, Faster Run/Walk, and the Cannot Be Frozen stat.

Mercenary

The Budget Strafe Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Hustle for a solid Damage and Attack Rating boost. Hustle and Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest give the Mercenary solid damage and survivability.

Skills

Since the Budget Strafe Amazon uses Mist, no Skill Points into Pierce are necessary. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Penetrate
2. Slow Missiles
3. Magic Arrow
4. Decoy

Put 3-5 Skill Points into each of the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Strafe
2. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
3. Guided Arrow
4. Multiple Shot
5. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Next, put the majority of the remaining Stat Points into Dexterity to increase your damage. Lastly put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Standard

Setup

This is the Standard Best in Slot (BiS) Strafe Amazon featured in the beginning of the guide. It is the balanced "jack-of-all-trades" version, capable of performing the most tasks well. This variant is the point of comparison for all other variants. It carefully balances Damage, Magic Find, and mobility with Harmony on Weapon-Swap. With Bone Break you can more easily kill Physical Immunes.

Mercenary

The Standard Strafe Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Pride for as much damage as possible. Shaftstop and Vampire Gaze provide him with much needed Damage Reduction, as Pride does not do much damage.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Penetrate
2. Slow Missiles
3. Magic Arrow
4. Decoy

Put 3-5 Skill Points into each of the following Skills:
1. Pierce
2. Dodge
3. Avoid
4. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Strafe
2. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
3. Guided Arrow
4. Multiple Shot
5. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Next, put most of the remaining Stat Points into Dexterity to increase your damage. Lastly put any remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Damage

Setup

The Damage Strafe Amazon makes use of the iconic Windforce to deal as much Damage as possible. Since Windforce has the Knockback stat, Guillaume's Face can be used to further increase your DPS. Hustle on Weapon-Swap allows this setup to quickly achieve maximum Strafe Attack Speed by triggering Burst of Speed. This Level 1 Burst of Speed must be refreshed about every 2 minutes. With Bone Break you can more easily kill Physical Immunes. This variant's damage output significantly exceeds that of the Standard Build at the expense of mobility and quality of life (no routine pre-buff). Equip this legendary piece of Diablo 2 history to shred your enemies!

Mercenary

Just as with the Standard Build, the Damage Strafe Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Pride, Shaftstop, and Vampire Gaze.

You can alternatively hire an Act 1 Mercenary and equip her with Faith to achieve maximum Strafe Attack Speed without Hustle-swap, but at a large expense of damage.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Penetrate
2. Slow Missiles
3. Magic Arrow
4. Decoy

Put 3-5 Skill Points into each of the following Skills:
1. Pierce
2. Dodge
3. Avoid
4. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Strafe
2. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
3. Guided Arrow
4. Multiple Shot
5. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Next, put most of the remaining Stat Points into Dexterity to increase your damage. Lastly put any remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Hardcore

Setup

For the Hardcore mode variant, aim for high Damage Reduction and overcap Resistances beyond the natural cap of 75% if possible to counteract hostile Conviction or Lower Resist. If you choose to use Bone Break, consider equipping Verdungo's Hearty Cord to counteract its negative effect. Use Call to Arms instead of Harmony on Weapon-Swap for additional Life on this setup. Consult the “Hardcore" section for additional information.

Mercenary

Just as with the Standard Build, a Hardcore Strafe Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Pride, Shaftstop, and Vampire Gaze.

Skills

Allocate additional Skill Points into Dodge, Avoid, and Evade on a Hardcore Strafe Amazon. The rest is identical to the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Penetrate
2. Slow Missiles
3. Magic Arrow
4. Decoy

Put 3-5 Skill Points into each of the following Skills:
1. Pierce
2. Dodge
3. Avoid
4. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Strafe
2. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
3. Guided Arrow
4. Multiple Shot
5. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Next, put most of the remaining Stat Points into Dexterity to increase your damage. Lastly put any remaining Stat Points into Vitality. For Hardcore, you may want to increase your Vitality investment beyond what is shown here.


Video Guide

Video Guide by DarkHumility

Summary

  • In the late-game, the Fanaticism (Faith), Might (Act 2 Might Mercenary), Concentration (Pride) Triple Aura threat makes the Strafe Amazon a monster. Windforce can bring even more pain with the help of Hustle!
  • On a budget, make use of Buriza-Do Kyanon's high damage when upgraded using the Horadric Cube Recipe. A Mist can also be used on either yourself or your Mercenary if you obtain a Cham Rune and a Gul Rune. Obtain an Atma's Scarab for that all important Amplify Damage proc if possible.
  • Avoid becoming surrounded! Make use of your Harmony on Weapon-Swap and Valkyrie and/or Decoy to safely reposition away from dangerous situations.
  • Farm high or Max Level Areas with high mob density and narrow(ish) corridors for maximum effect.
  • Running Chaos Sanctuary is one of the Strafe Amazon's specialties. She is fully capable of carrying Chaos in a full game with the Standard Build. With Bone Break she can farm anything, including every Terror Zone.

We hope you enjoy this build! Run the streets of Sanctuary and gun 'em down like you are the Godmother. Say hello to her little friend!

Good luck!


Credits

Written by DarkHumility
Reviewed by Teo1904 and Lexyu


Changelog

Oct 5th 2022
Updated to Patch 2.5 Added Sunder Charm and Terror Zone sections

Apr 19th 2022
Updated to Patch 2.4