From d2pwiki

Contents 1 Lore 2 Skills 2.1 Bow and Crossbow 2.1.1 Strafe vs Multishot 2.2 Passive and Magic 2.3 Javelin and Spear 3 General Builds 3.1 Bowazon 3.2 Javazon

Lore

The Amazons are women warriors who hail from a group of islands in the Twin seas, near the border of the Great Ocean. Only the permanently snow-covered peak of Mount Karcheus breaks the expanses of lush forests on the islands.

The Amazons are a relatively isolated culture. Adapting over the centuries to their tropical milleu, they have built magnificent cities in the forest canopy. These cities are an architectural phenomenon and a source of great pride to the Amazons. They do not follow the teachings of the Zakarum, but instead practice a polytheistic religion that adheres to the strict principles of Order. Their oracles long ago predicted the Dark Exile, and they have been preparing to combat it ever since. Amazons regard the destruction of the Three Prime Evils as their destiny, ushering in a new era when mortal men and women, no longer merely playthings for the beings of the Outer Realms, can at long last take their rightful place in the universe.

The Amazons are a seafaring people, one of the first to have made trade contact with both the kingdoms of the West and with Kejhistan in the East. Their prominence in the world's trade establishment has afforded their warriors the reputation they currently enjoy as cunning strategists and skilled combatants. Much sought after as mercenaries, they are expert soldiers and extremely loyal -- as long as the assignment does not conflict with their strict sense of ethics.

There pantheon of gods consists of a well-defined hierarchy, each member upholding some segment of the balance of Order. It is this strong sense of order that drives the Amazon people to achieve greatness in even the smallest of their endeavors. Their prime deity is Athulua, who with her consort, Kethryes, rules over the seasons and the weather. Under these goddesses are a wide assortment of lesser deities. Each responsible for his or her own sphere of influence among the amazon people's daily life. The Amazons believe this pantheon is the remnant of the original inhabitants that settled the islands centuries ago. According to ancient records, they share the same name as these gods, although aspects of their personalities seem to have evolved over the centuries.

Traits and Abilities

The Amazon is more than competent in hand-to-hand combat. Training in the jungles of her native islands have shaped the Amazon's skill with the bow and missile weapons into one of unparalleled excellence. With the bow, her only rival are the Sisters of the Sightless Eye. But, unless her sisters in arm, the Amazon is also highly adept in the use of spears and other thrown weapons. The powers they possess are a combination of Prime magic, Holy magic and ingenious weapon construction.

Skills

Most of the Amazon skills are based on ranged attacks, with the exception of a few of her Javelin/Spear based skills. The Amazon also has access to various passive skills, that grant her various bonuses, a powerful Decoy or even a beefy sidekick.

Bow and Crossbow

For the main article, see Bow and Crossbow...

Of the available three skill trees for an Amazon, this is the only one that is useful for a pure bow user. Main skills from this tree include the Multiple Shot, Strafe and the Freezing Arrow skill. Out of the 3 different routes one can take on this tree (Cold, Physical, or Fire damage) the Fire route is the weakest, a contributing factor to this lies in the fact that the final fire arrow skill, Immolation Arrow, has a cast delay.

Strafe vs Multishot

Multishot

• Damage is only ¾ of your weapon's damage
• High Level Multishot is good for dealing with large groups of monsters
• Is still useful with only a few hard points invested in it
• Damage does not increase the higher the level, only the number of arrows
• High Mana cost at higher levels

Strafe

• Damage starts at ¾ of your weapon's damage, but increases with each point invested
• Auto-Targets monsters around you, hitting up to 10
• Mana cost does not increase, stays fixed
• Strafe will fire in all directions
• Strafe is useful for dealing with smaller groups of monsters
• Causes Strafe Lock

Passive and Magic

For the main article, see Passive and Magic

The Amazon's Passive and Magic tree grants her access to various passive and active skills. For example, many Amazons will make use of Pierce, Critical Strike, and for those who have Attack Rating problems Penetrate. This tree also holds the skill Valkyrie which summons a very powerful, and very beefy, sidekick. In the past this summon could barely tank, but now can hold her own. The Amazon also gets a useful Decoy that she can place ahead of her to help Mob Control.

Javelin and Spear

For the main article, see Javelin and Spear...

Now only can an amazon be adept with a Bow and Arrow, she can also utilize Javelins to great effect. The stable of this skill tree lies in the devastating Lightning Fury skill. Coupled with Charged Strike there is very little in the world of Sanctuary that can stand in your way. Except for those pest Lightning Immunes.

General Builds

Most Amazons go one of two routes, either using a Bow or using a Javelin. Some very good Amazons will even utilize both to lay waste to any monster that happens to stumble in front of them.

Bowazon

For the main article, see Bowazon

A Bowazon is an Amazon who uses a Bow, or Crossbow, along with Multishot, Strafe, or Both. These types of Amazons favor damage and speed over the ability to take hits, and as such rely on high Dexterity and sources that increase their Attack Speed. Bowazons have also been known to have problems maintaining high Resistances.

Javazon

For the main article see Javazon

A Javazon is an Amazon who uses a Javelin and Shield setup. Along with skills such as Lightning Fury and Charged Strike, they are a very powerful character. There are very few characters that can kill as quickly as this type of Amazon. These types of Amazons are less fragile then their bow-user sisters, and as such, usually sports a respectable amount of Life and Resistances.