Do the characteristics of Andariel’s face justify the 30% fire resistance penalty it leaves to its wearers?
Andariel is Act 1’s final boss, a multi-limbed red-haired demon with a powerful poison attack. Andariel’s face is the Unique helmet that bears his name.
Andariel’s face is only available to ladder characters.
The statistics:
Defense: 310-387
Required level: 83
Required Strength: 102
Durability: 20
+ 100-150% Enhanced Defense
+2 to all abilities
20% increased attack speed
8-10% of life stolen per hit
+ 25-30 Strength
+ 10% to maximum poison resistance
Fire resistance -30%
Poison Resistance + 70%
15% Chance to Cast Level 15 Poison Nova on Hit
Level 3 Poison (20 charges)
+2 to all abilities
A +2 to all abilities is a very, very attractive bonus for any Diablo 2 player. There are only two other unique helms that offer a +2 to all classes included in all abilities, Harlequin Crest and Nightwing’s Veil.
Harlequin Crest has a lower Strength requirement (50) compared to Andariel’s Visage (a strong 102) and has the very attractive + 10% Physical Stamina mod. More players prefer to use Harlequin Crest due to this and the fact that Andariel’s Visage has a -30% penalty to Fire Resistance (see below).
20% increased attack speed
Good for melee characters who intend to break the maximum breaking point for their character’s attacks.
8-10% of life stolen per hit
A high% life soak is helpful to the physical fighter because they are in the thick of things and are hit more frequently compared to pitchers. By regaining a little Life from their successes, they can live longer and no one likes to die.
+ 25-30 Strength
Good if you need more strength to equip other items.
+ 10% to maximum poison resistance
The default maximum for resistors is 75%. Certain unique items (such as the Face of Andariel) can increase maximum Resistance by up to 95%.
Fire resistance -30%
A bad mod, as it reduces fire resistance by 30%. Most players counter this by socketing Andariel’s Face with a Ral rune, which offers + 30% Fire Resistance, thus canceling this penalty.
Poison Resistance + 70%
Since this unique helm is named after Andariel, it’s no wonder it offers a huge boost to poison resistance. If your character was not using other gear that increased Max Resistance, then you could have 85% Poison Resistance with Andariel’s Face activated, courtesy of the + 10% Max Poison Resistance mod mentioned above.
Summary:
Many players prefer Harlequin Crest over Andariel’s Visage, for three reasons: Harlequin Crest has a much lower strength requirement,% physical toughness, and no fire resistance penalty. However, on its own, Andariel’s Visage is still a very good helmet, especially if you get a perfect one. Some players who have both helmets use the Harlequin Crest for themselves and put the Face of Andariel on their mercenary. This is a very good idea, especially for Acts I, II and IV mercenaries, all melee mercenaries that will survive longer due to good IAS, high life leech, and a huge boost to poison resistance. .