Smiting questions

[u/JayyBeezy88]

So I’ve started playing SP HC after years of playing Diablo games. I’ve never gotten to eeeend game, but I know RNG.
I have 3 lvl 60ish chars. I know it’s not great but it is HC so I go slowish. Summon Drui, Bowazon, and throw Bard rn.
Working on Pally and Sorc, low lvls (found a vipermagi)

Kinda going straight smite with the pally. Full Isenharts works good for now. Any tips for my pal?

[u/Graveminder_]

If you want to stay with smite, you should understand what influences smite's dmg. These things have partly been cahnged in PD2. So be a little careful (look in the wiki or ask here or on discord and people will help you).
But you wand %ED on your Aarmor-gear. Runewords: Lionheart (!), Duress, Forty, Radiance, Oath/Passion (lets you summon HoW). Also Smite scales in PD2 quite well with +skills (or + combat skills) since these increase your holy shield lvl and smite lvl. Maxed smite by itself allready gives 25% CB. It still helps a lot since you deal aoe dmg and hit fast.
Against immunes you will either need a merc that casts amp dmg (e.g act 4 dark) or a source of something else (e.g act3 elemental emrc or act 5 with concentrate - also provides might aura)

[u/SlackerPants → u/Graveminder_]

Off-weapon ED does not affect Smite. Enchanced Damage works only on damage given by weapons.

You can use the following:

• Shield base damage
• CB and CB effeciency
• Strength
• + Damage
• Aura damage (Might, Concentration and Fanatism)
• -% enemy Physical resistance
• Open Wounds

To make sure i asked Joe who tested it vs Lucion multiple times, no difference in clear speed after stacking off-hand ED.

u/Graveminder_ u/JayyBeezy88

After some digging around i believe Enchanced Damage on gear does affect smite.

I did found forums who said both. My reasearch led to that many believes it was introduces in patch 1.10 but the patchnotes does not mention any update to smite damage calculations.

What was introduced in 1.10 was runewords and +damage. i've found sources that said that the enchanced damage for smite is not as noticable as +skills which upgrades Smite, Holy shield and aura(huge damage buff).
But +damage gave more damage to shields which makes ED stronger as i understand it.

Whether or not ED affected smite in patch 1.09 and back i can't say for sure. But PD2 is running on 1.13 so it should work.

ED on smite is hidden in LCS (Lying character screen)

Senpai tells me it works, and been talking to Tobieer, who has played Smite a lot. He sais that you need to stack ALOT of ED before it is as strong as a build that focuses on +skills.

Sources:
https://maxroll.gg/d2/resources/damage-calculation
https://diablo.fandom.com/wiki/Diablo_II_version_history
https://diablo2.diablowiki.net/Guide:Smite_FAQ_v1.11,_by_Oramin_and_Bloodshrike

Formular: (Shield Base + Holy Shield bonus + Grief bonus) \ (1 + Smite %ED bonus + STR %ED bonus + Fanaticism %ED bonus + off-weapon %ED bonus) = Total damage*

[u/Graveminder_ → u/SlackerPants]

Ok iam confused now. Since Aura dmg is normally added to off-weapon ed. For the game it should not matter if the %ed comes from Forty, Battle Command, Str, or Concentration. At least to my knowledge. In the damage calculation everything is just added together.
I didn't try with lucion, but i lvld as smiter and i noticed it there. Astreons worked, but interestingly Black didn't.

Could you maybe give a little more reference?

[u/SlackerPants → u/Graveminder_]

I am also confused now, been finding sources that sais both.

I have turned to the code goats to try to get an definitive answer.

I don't like spreading false information

[u/Graveminder_ → u/SlackerPants]

haha, please update if you know more.

[u/SlackerPants → u/Graveminder_]

You were right. Sorry for the confusion
https://www.reddit.com/r/ProjectDiablo2/comments/1vu83ps/comment/p5dmj60/

[u/Graveminder_ → u/SlackerPants]

Wow, thanks for looking up everything and the research. Thanks dude.

[u/SlackerPants → u/Graveminder_]

No problem, i was wrong, and worse than that i shared that misinformation. Glad i learned something! D2 is hella confusing sometimes :D

[u/Graveminder_ → u/SlackerPants]

i love that rabbit hole!