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Strafe Amazon Guide

Season 8A

Last Updated:August 10, 2024|Change Log

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
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
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
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Damage

Utility

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

Farming Spots

Mercenary

Playstyle

Breakpoints

Hardcore

Build Variants

Starter
Budget
Standard
Damage
Mobility
Hardcore

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. The Cannot Be Frozen stat, such as from 2-Piece Death's Set (Death's Guard + Death's Hand), Hearth, or Wisdom, can provide some additional quality of life. 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 employs 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.

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 employs 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
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.

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 employs 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
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.

Setup

The Damage Strafe Amazon makes use of the iconic Windforce to deal as much Damage as possible. Since Windforce has the Knockback stat, Artisan's Diadem of Speed is used to further increase your DPS. Guillaume's Face would also be an acceptable option. Hustle on Weapon-Swap allows this setup to quickly achieve beyond maximum Strafe Attack Speed (to counteract enemy Decrepify) and near maximum Multiple Shot Attack Speed by triggering Burst of Speed; it also grants a decent amount of Faster Run/Walk. 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 some 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 employs an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Pride, Shaftstop, and Vampire Gaze.

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
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Dexterity to maximize your damage.

Setup

This variant achieves the 68% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap to make effective use of Enigma Teleport for improved mobility. Artisan's Diadem of the Magus, Arachnid Mesh, and Spirit Monarch on Weapon-Swap make this possible. Hit Power Crafted Gloves allow you to retain the important Knockback stat. This Strafe Amazon setup excels in Farming Spots and Terror Zones that require significant amounts of travel. With Bone Break you can more easily kill Physical Immunes.

Mercenary

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

Skills

Allocate enough Skill Points into Pierce until you reach 91% Chance to Pierce. The rest is about 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 (Till 71%)
3. Pierce (Till 91%)
4. Guided Arrow
5. Multiple Shot
6. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Dexterity to maximize your damage.

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 employs 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
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

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