Diablo 2 - How to Transform Your Weak Pale-Skinned Necro Into Trang Oul's Vampire in Diablo 2 Part 1

Trang-Oul's Avatar is a 5-piece Set designed meant to be worn by a Necromancer. However, any class can use the helm, body armor, gloves and belt, but only a Necromancer can make use of the class-specific Shield. Unlike some other Sets, each individual item from Trang-Oul's Avatar is decent and gives relatively good bonuses.

Here are the five items and their individual analysis in the Set:

Note: The partial bonuses for each item are listed multiple times because you get a partial bonus for each of the other items in the set. For example, with Trang-Oul's Scales, you receive a +50% to Lightning Resistance if you have on another two other item from the set. If you have the entire Set on, Trang-Oul's Scales grants you a 25% Physical Damage Resistance.

Trang-Oul's Guise (Set Bone Visage)

Defense: 180-257

Minimum Strength: 106

Level Requirement: 65

25% Faster Hit Recovery

Replenish Life +5

+80-100 Defense

+150 to Mana

Attacker Takes Damage of 20

Analysis:  One of the weaker items from the Set. It does add a nice boost to characters that use Mana, but after Level 65, you shouldn't be having problems with Mana. The 25% Faster Hit Recovery mod is nice, but its largest drawback is that it lacks any boosts to Resistances.

Trang-Oul's Scales (Set Chaos Armor)

Defense: 857

Minimum Strength: 84

Level Requirement: 49

+150% Enhanced Defense

Requirements -40%

40% Faster Run/Walk

Poison Resist +40%

+100 Defense vs. Missile

+2 to Summoning Skills (Necromancer Only)

Lightning Resist +50% (3 items)

Damage Reduced by 25% (Complete Set)

Analysis: Chaos Armor usually has a very high Strength Requirement, but the Requirements -40% mod makes this armor more accessible.  The 40% Faster Run/Walk is rare in body armor, but couple this with a pair of nice boots that has a good Faster Run/Walk bonus and you'll be flying around the place. Add to that a very nice +40% to Poison Resistance and +100 Defense vs. Missile, and you've got a decent body armor. Wear two other items and you even get a whopping +50% to Lightning Resistance.

Find Out How to Freeze an Enemy in Its Tracks With the Vampire Gaze Helmet in Diablo 2

Vampire Gaze is a unique exceptional grim helm, and considered a very useful helm by players due to its unique characteristics.

The Stats:

Defense: 252

Required Level: 41

Required Strength: 58

Durability: 40

+100% Enhanced Defense

Adds 6-22 Cold Damage - 4 Second Duration

15% Slower Stamina Drain

6-8% Life Stolen Per Hit

6-8% Mana Stolen Per Hit

Damage Reduced By 15-20%

Magic Damage Reduced By 10-15

Required Level: 41

Required Strength: 58

You can equip your character with Vampire Gaze relatively early, and it has a medium Strength Requirement. Stock up on + Strength charms if you're a bit under: it's well worth it.

Adds 6-22 Cold Damage - 4 Second Duration

Cold damage is one of the more important elemental damages in Diablo 2, and almost all high-level players equip their characters with an item that provides cold damage.

The reason cold damage is so attractive is not due to its damage, but to its ability to slow down your enemies. Even though the cold duration is reduced by 75% in Hell Mode, this is still considered a very useful ability. If the monster you're fighting is slowed down for even 1 second, that's enough to give the edge for your party, either in attacking it, or hot footing it out of there!

15% Slower Stamina Drain

A good mod to have, but never essential. Keeps you running for a longer period, but really, at higher levels, you should not have an issue with this, and there are always Stamina potions lying around.

6-8% Life Stolen Per Hit

6-8% Mana Stolen Per Hit

This is one of the star powers of Vampire Gaze. While there are other helms and items in Diablo 2 that offer either Life or Mana leech, only a rare handful of items have both. The only other helmet to offer both Life and Mana leech is the unique exceptional casque, Stealskull, and its Life and Mana leech is only 5%.

Life and Mana leech are very important in Hell Mode; they keep you alive for longer, and anything that does that is always coveted by Diablo 2 players.

Damage Reduced By 15-20%

Vampire Gaze is one of the few items in the game that provides a % Physical damage resistance. The others are Shaftstop, String of Ears, Verdungo's cord, Harlequin Crest and Stormshield.

Many players try to put on at least one item that has % Physical damage resistance, for the very good reason that it reduces the damage received from successful attacks, and thus is conducive to the one of the most important goals for all Diablo 2 players (especially those that play in Hardcore mode): not dying.

Magic Damage Reduced By 10-15

Numerical magic damage reduction is available on quite a few items, but you would never have enough of them to give you any significant amount of damage resistance. Even if you did, doing so would jeopardize the damage output of your character.

Summary:

All in all, the Vampire Gaze is a quality pick helm for many players out there, and after looking at the stats and powers, it's not hard to see why when you look at its star powers: its Life/Mana Leech, Cold damage, and the % Physical Resistance.