D2R New & Improved Strafe Bowazon Build: Skills, Gear, Attributes, Mercenary, Tips

After gaining Buff in patch 2.4, Strafe Bowazon has become the most reliable, and in many ways the most powerful, physical arrow skill. The Strafe Bowazon additional damage synergy breakdown is more than worth the investment in D2R runes, honesty, it's still a very expensive build but at least you can run down stuff pretty good with end game setup.

In this guide, we're going to be breaking down the new physical spec boson, this is very similar to what we previously used on the first round of PTR, so original LOD strafe used to do three quarters weapon damage and then the first iteration of PTR strafe was doing full weapon damage and they've added additional damage synergy.

You can also check our other Diablo 2 Resurrected Builds.

Pros & Cons of New Strafe Bowazon Build

Pros

Very high Physical DPS and high clear speeds

Can handle Physical immune problems rather well

Very versatile and mobile

Cons

One of the most expensive builds in the game

Quite fragile - if you are caught off guard, you can easily die

Not the best choice for high-density areas

Skills of New Strafe Bowazon Build

Attributes

• Strength - All you want, in terms of Strength, is enough of it to equip everything you will want to use on your character.

• Dexterity - For a high-end setup, you should spend all your remaining points on Dexterity. Doing so will maximize your damage output.

• Energy - If your gear is not of the highest possible quality, you might have to divert some of your attribute points from Dexterity to Energy in order to boost your survivability a bit.  

• Vitality - Adding points to Vitality is an extreme waste - don't do it.

Skill Tree

• Magic Arrow (1/20) - The powerful magical projectile can knock the target back and deals magic damage. This is your alternate offensive skill, use it against enemies who are immune to physical damage.

• Multiple Shot (20/20) - Receives 5 percent per level for multi-shot. Fires multiple arrows within a cone in front of you, with the number of arrows proportional to the skill level.

• Guided Arrow (20/20) - It can track your target or seek one of its own. Instead of starting at three-quarters damage and then scaling up, it starts at full damage scales up the same way but you have additional damage energy.

• Strafe (20/20) - You have 440% additional damage with Strafe, so you do a player three-cast Sanctuary run, this is kind of your standard.

Gear

Helmets: Artisan's Tiara/Diadem of Speed

Amulets: Atma’s Scarab Amulet

Armors: Fortitude (Runeword) - If maximizing damage is what you're after, there's no better choice than Fortitude for this slot. It offers an amazing +300% Enhanced Damage without affecting your defense (in fact, it's one of the best armors for defense as well).

Weapons: Faith (Runeword) - Faith will take your damage output to a whole new level, with the Fanaticism Aura, your damage and attack speed will skyrocket.

Gloves: Laying of Hands (Bramble Mitts) - Laying of Hands is an amazing damage boost for demons that will help you farm areas such as Chaos Refuge and meet your IAS needs.

Rings: 

1. Raven Frost - If you are frozen, you will most likely die, so it is essential to have this ring that provides immunity to freezing. Raven Frost is important to every build.

2. Viper Whorl Ring

Belts: Razortail (Sharkskin Belt) - Unless your weapon already gives you a piercing attack, you'll have to go with the Razortail because it gives you 33%!

Boots: War Traveler (Battle Boots) - War Traveler provides great physical damage due to its additional damage bonus, plus it makes you move faster, prevents you from getting tired, provides you with some nice attributes, and increases your MF.

Charms:

1. Fine Small Charm of Inertia

2. Annihilus

3. Hellfire Torch

4. Sharp Grand Charm of Inertia

Annihilus

Required Level: 70
1 To All Skills
10-20 To All Attributes (varies)
All Resistances  10-20 (varies)
5-10% To Experience Gained (varies)
[18-20 ATTR & 18-20 RES]
(Only Spawns In Patch 1.10 or later)

Mercenary Gear

You can't use Fortitude, you could go survivability, this is probably a better approach to a prime mercenary because they do horrible damage so you're just focusing on survivability, but we're stacking the strongest possible auras.

• Armor: Shaftstop (Rune Word) 

• Weapons: Pride (Rune word)

• Helmets: Vampire Gaze (Grim Helm)