Bowazon D2R Build - Multiple Shot Strafe Amazon

Build Introduction

The Bowazon is one of the strongest missile builds that relies on physical damage. It has always been a popular choice amongst players. Bow Amazons have awesome area damage due to the Multiple Shot skill, which can shoot up to 40 arrows simultaneously, all of which are able to hit targets far away and have a decent chance of piercing through them. The Bowazon relies on running for movement. It is a decent choice as a ladder starter, as several budget gearing options are available. Defeating Physical Immune monsters is challenging, so it’s best to play with a party when facing such monsters. 

Related Guides

Mercenary Guide | Magic Find Guide | Charms Guide | Quest Rewards Guide | Hardcore Guide | Levelling Guide | Secret Cow Level Guide | Restating and Skilling Guide | Item Upgrade Guide | Cube Recipe Guide |

Gameplay

Attacking skills: Against monster mobs, the preferred skill of choice is Multiple Shot as it delivers damage on a very wide area. If you like to farm the secret cow level, this is the perfect build for that! For single targets our skill of choice is Strafe, which is a skill that shoots arrows like a machine gun. With Crushing Blow % on your gear, you can quickly reduce any enemy monster’s life.

Movement: Amazons are not fast at teleporting, so even if you could afford an enigma, running is probably a better choice. By having % faster run and walk on your gear you will be able to move quickly, items like The Cat’s Eye amulet, 7% Faster run and walk Bow skill Grand Charms or an Enigma Archon Plate can greatly help with that.

Survivability: Amazons rely on their Passive and Magic skills for their survivability, so if you want to play Hardcore you should consider having Passive and Magic skiller grand charms in your inventory. Investing in a Call to Arms switch weapon can double your life and mana, so if you can afford it, you should definitely buy one. Aim to have 75% all resistances on Hell. Physical damage % reduction can help a lot with survivability, the best item choices for that are a Crown of Ages helm and a String of Ears belt.

Party and Solo play: Party and Solo play are the same, just keep on shooting enemy monsters.

Magic Find: Gearing options for magic find are somewhat limited for Bowazons. A Harlequin Crest Shako, an Enigma, a War Traveler, or jewelry with magic find % can definitely be utilized, but you should mainly rely on your inventory and have 7% magic find small charms and a Gheed’s Fortune.

Stats

Strength: Put just enough points on it to be able to wear your items.

Dexterity: Put just enough points on it to be able to wear your items..

Vitality: Put all the rest of your available points on it.

Energy: Don’t put any points on it

Skills

• 20 points on Strafe +1 point on prerequisites

• 20 points on Multiple Shot

• 1 point on each Passive Skill

• 20 points on Critical Strike

The rest of the skill points can be allocated depending on your preferences. You can either put points on Magic Arrow to deal with physical immune monsters, put points on Guided Arrow so all your attacks can hit from a far distance, or put points on Passive skills that help with your survivability.

Breakpoints - Check out our Amazon Breakpoints guide.
For detailed breakpoints, check out this guide.

Items, Gearing

The listed items are organized by slots. 

• The usefulness rating of an item is based on how good it is for farming. 

• The price rating reflects the cost of the item (cheaper ones are available after ladder starts as budget options) higher price ratings reflect exponentially higher cost for an item.

• Magic Find ratings are added to items that are good options for MFing.

Adding sockets and improving your items

• If you complete the act5 quest Siege on Harrogath, Larzuk will grant extra socket/sockets to your items. Use the quest to add sockets to your gear and put useful jewels, runes or gems in your item sockets.

• You can also upgrade your unique items from normal to exceptional quality and from exceptional to elite by using Horadric Cube recipes. After upgrading, your armor pieces will have more defense, and your weapon pieces will have more damage. The downside of upgrading is the increased strength/dexterity requirements.

Helm

• 3 socket helm with 3*15% Increase attack speed jewels - usefulness 5/10, price 3/10 

• Andariel’s Visage unique helm - usefulness 7/10, price 5/10

• 30% Faster run and Walk 3 Socketed Circlet with 3*15IAS/30%+ Enhanced damage jewels - usefulness 10/10, price 10/10

• Harlequin Crest Shako unique helm - Usefulness 5/10, price 6/10, Magic Find - 10/10

Amulet

• Any amulet with +1-2 to amazon, or +1-3 to bow and crossbow skills - usefulness 4/10, price 1/10

• Mara's Kaleidoscope unique amulet - usefulness 8/10, price 7/10

• Highlord's Wrath unique amulet - usefulness 8/10, price 5/10

• The Cat’s Eye - usefulness 8/10, price 3/10

• Atma's Scarab unique amulet - usefulness 8/10, price 3/10

• Magic amulet with 40-50% to magic find - price 5/10, 10/10 for magic find

Weapon

• Witchwild String unique bow socketed with 2 Shael runes - usefulness 4/10, price 3/10

• Harmony runeword in an elite bow - usefulness 5/10, price 4/10

• Windforce unique bow - usefulness 9/10, price 5/10

• Faith runeword grand matron bow with +3 to bow and crossbow skills - usefulness 10/10, price 8/10

Shield

• none

Switch Weapon

• Call to Arms Crystal Sword - usefulness 10/10, price 7/10

Switch Shield

• Lidless Wall unique shield - usefulness 8/10, price 3/10

• Spirit Monarch -usefulness 10/10, price 3/10

Body Armor

• Peace - usefulness 5/10, price 2/10

• Treachery Archon Plate - usefulness 7/10, price 4/10

• Fortitude Archon Plate - usefulness 10/10, price 7/10

• Magic Archon plate with 80+ life and 4 socket, socketed with 4*15IAS 30%+ ED jewels - usefulness 10/10, price 10/10

• Skullder's Ire unique armor - usefulness 4/10, price 5/10, magic find 10/10

Belt

• String of Ears unique belt - usefulness 10/10, price 4/10

• Razortail unique belt - usefulness 10/10, price 4/10

• Goldwrap unique belt - magic find 10/10, price 3/10

Rings

• Manald Heal unique ring - usefulness 4/10, price 2/10

• Bul Katho's Wedding Band unique ring - usefulness 6/10, price 6/10

• Raven Frost unique ring - usefulness 9/10, price 4/10

• Rare or Crafted rings with % life and mana stolen per hit - usefulness 10/10, price varies

• Nagelring unique ring - magic find 10/10, price 3/10

Gloves

• Rare or Magic gloves with +bow and crossbow skills - usefulness 3/10, price 2/10

• Laying of Hands set gloves - usefulness 8/10, price 4/10

• Magic gloves with +3 to bow and crossbow skills, 20% increased attack speed - usefulness 8/10, price 5/10

• Rare or Crafted gloves with +2 to bow and crossbow skills, 20% increased attack speed +other useful stats - usefulness 10/10, price varies

Boots

• Gore Rider unique oots - usefulness 10/10, price 5/10

• War Traveler unique boots - usefulness 5/10, price 5/10, magic find 10/10

Charms

• Any charm with +skill, life, faster hit recovery or faster run and walk - usefulness 4/10, price 1/10

• Annihilus unique small charm - usefulness 10/10, price 8/10

• Hellfire Torch unique large charm - usefulness 10/10, price 6/10

• Magic grand charms with +1 to bow and crossbow skills - usefulness 7/10, price 5/10

• Magic grand charms with +1 to bow and crossbow skills and +life, +faster hit recovery or +faster run and walk - usefulness 8 to 10/10, price 6 to 10/10

• Magic small charms with resistances and life - usefulness 8 to 10/10, price 6 to 9/10

• 7% to magic find magic small charms - magic find 10/10, price 3/10

• Gheed’s fortune unique grand charm - magic find 10/10, price 4/10

Mercenary

Have a Nightmare Act2 Offensive Mercenary to provide you with Might aura. 

Ethereal items don’t lose durability if your mercenary wears them, so having ethereal item bases for each gear slot is preferred due to their increased defense on armor items and increased damage on weapons. In many instances ethereal items that are great for mercenaries will be much more expensive than non-ethereal ones.

Mercenary gear:
Helm - 

• Any 3 socketed helm with 3 perfect diamond to increase mercenary resistances and survivability - usefulness 5/10, price 1/10

• Tal Rasha’s set helm - usefulness 6/10, price 3/10

• Vampire Gaze unique helm - usefulness 7/10, price 4/10

• Guillaume’s face set helm - usefulness 8/10, price 4/10

• Andariel’s Visage unique helm - usefulness 10/10, price 5/10

Weapon - 

• Insight Ethereal Cryptic Axe - usefulness 6/10, price 3/10

• Obedience runeword preferably in elite base - usefulness 6/10, price 4/10

• Ethereal The Reaper’s Toll unique weapon - usefulness 9/10, price 6/10

• Pride runeword in elite base -  usefulness 10/10, price 8/10

Body Armor-

• Treachery Archon Plate runeword - usefulness 9/10, price 4/10

• Fortitude Ethereal Archon Plate - usefulness 10/10, price 7/10

Alternative Mercenary

If you prefer to use a Windforce- Atma’s Scarab setup, it’s best to have an Act1 Rogue mercenary with a Faith runeword bow, Andariel’s Visage for helm and an Ethereal Treachery runeword or an Ethereal Fortitude runeword for body armor.

Rpgstash.com will have D2R items in its Ladder selection already on day 1. We will be doing our best to let you buy 2.4 ladder items right at the beginning of the season including the new runewords, so you can climb the ladder rankings as fast as possible!

Check out our other build guides:

If you want to get the best items and runewords in the game, check out our D2R Store.

Products link

Annihilus UNID [Unique Charms]

Hellfire Torch UNID [Unique Charms]

Enigma [Runeword Runes Pack]

Infinity [Runeword Runes Pack]

The Stone of Jordan [Rings]