While I used the Essentials mod while pulling this off rather than vanilla, I finally got my Veteran hardcore badge for Torchlight 2. I still am only about level 34 in Elite hardcore– and I do NOT like my build very much at all. The lack of farming and the really really difficult and long fights you encounter in Elite mean it may be…ah….never before I get the elite hardcore badge.
It was a good run. I learned a lot about the berserker– I’m no expert but getting there. I used Ice with northern rage as my AOE and Raze as my 1 on 1 attack. I was doing massive amounts of damage with Northern Rage at the end there and had a power that would proc to increase casting speed by 50% or so which made Raze crazy insane.
Offense means very little in hardcore though, it’s all about the defense. Having over 600 armour and 400-500 in every resistance is an absolute must. The only way to do this efficiently is to run a shield. Always always run a shield in hardcore, regardless of your class.
That said, I lost a lot of characters pushing through to the end. Here is a list of the fatalities:
Buttdust_0 – level 32 Embermage-– died in Korari Cave (got caught in one of those bone traps and couldn’t get away).
Lipstitch – Level 8 Berserker – The Bone Gallery (oops!)
Dead Rose – Level 22 Berserker – Watchweald Temple
Poofias – Level 51 Berserker – The Broken Mines Floor 7: this one hurt emotionally since it was right near the end. I didn’t have my electric resistance high enough…
Poofias 2 – Level 22 Beserker – Watchweald Temple (again!!)
Vagisillica_0 – level 44 Berserker – Forgotten Halls floor 1. Just a bad mistake IIRC…
Vagisillica_1 – Level 44 Berserker – Blightbogs. This was on a critical hit from a champion troll. However I got overconfident and ran a pistol and sword rather than a shield. Stupid, stupid stupid.
And the final iteration of the berserker that pulled it off:
