Diablo 2 Resurrected: Why is the Penetration effect of some equipment so much weaker than others?

Jan-05-2024

If you've played as the Amazon in D2R, you're probably familiar with the "Pierce" skill. Simply put, it allows your ranged attacks to have a certain chance to pass through enemies and hit those behind them. In addition to the Amazon's Pierce skill point, some equipment also has the "Pierce Attack" property, which provides the same effect.

However, unlike skills, these items don't specify the exact percentage of Pierce chance. In fact, different pieces of equipment with the "Pierce Attack" property have varying chances of triggering this effect. Furthermore, any class that uses ranged physical attacks (other than Amazon) can benefit from this property, such as the Gunslinger Paladin or the Javelin Barbarian.

For example, the popular "Tail of the Razor" (Razortail) has a 33% chance to Pierce, so an Amazon playing as a Bowman or Crossbowman only needs to invest more than 67% in the Pierce skill (level 9) to easily achieve 100% Pierce.

Manually investing skill points can be challenging, even with significant investment, to reach 100% Pierce. Therefore, choosing the "Tail of the Razor" is highly cost-effective. This item is not very rare for its unique level of rarity and can be easily farmed. If you're farming for other purposes, it's recommended to keep one piece.

Additionally, the legendary "Ballista" (Balrog) has a 100% Pierce chance, so there's no need to combine it with the "Tail of the Razor." However, since the attack speed limit of the Ballista has been severely undermined in later versions (1.11), it's best to use it as a transitional weapon until you find something better.