Bounty Run Act V and Rift - Levels 53 to 56 - Megapost

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

Yeah, I went a little crazy with the screenshots for this post.  Plans kept dropping and dropping and I was under the mistaken impression I'd actually be using them to equip Scrubsader - not so much.  Skip along if you aren't interested in seeing pictures of plans dropping.  There were a couple of exciting fights though!

Here's once of them.  Definitely a rectum clincher toward the end.  Those annoying blood blobs filled the screen and I kept getting boxed in and then Adria would spin and smash into me.  A couple of timely heals by the Templar were crucial.  Monsters are starting to hit hard.

This is what was waiting for me at the start of this bounty.  Yuck!

A plan!

A legendary plan!

Me pulling an elite pack and a champion together!

Meh.  The legendary plan doesn't feel so legendary.  I'll keep my Magefists.

Yep.  This amulet plan sucks too.

Starting the Rift and here's another Plan!

It's not an upgrade for me, but it's good enough for the Templar.

What's this?  Another Plan!

Ooooooo....

Hmmmm...wonder what they could be.

No time to check them out as I'm accosted!  Yep, that's me summoning the Rift Boss and I'm still whittling away at a Yellow Champion.

Ohooooo!!!  Firewalkers!  Perfect for a fire-based Crusader build.

End of session stats.

End Gold: 1,140,459

DPS: 17,301

Toughness: 340,103

Yeah, still looking badass.

Rift Run - Levels 52 to 53

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

One of the best features added to D3 was the legendary beam of glory.  It's exciting and always causes my breath to catch and heart to beat a little faster.  Early in the Rift run, I open up a stone cache usually found in the Act I tileset and boom....beam!!!

A flail!  It hasn't been very long since I found my last legendary flail and wonder if it's a duplicate but with higher level stats.

Apparently not!  Holy smoly!  A massive upgrade and my DPS is doing a happy dance.

The Rift run is complete.  The Butcher makes an appearance.  Here's me dodging his main attack by pure luck while taking a screenshot.

After completing the run, I gambled for a few chests because of the 500 shard limitation.  No luck and the rare chests are salvaged for scrap and crafting materials.

End of session stats.

End Gold: 942,054

DPS: 15,400.0

Toughness: 265,124

Bounty Run Act V - Levels 49 to 52

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

YOLO Mal!!!

I did an Act V bounty run.  No kidding given the post title.

Mal was one of the bounties and a bonus bounty.  I thought awhile before deciding to go ahead and get Mal.  I love the look of the entrance to Mal.  Kudos to the graphic designers.

Whew!  What a fight!  Several sphincter-clenching moments.  Level 50!  Quite an achievement doing this challenge.  I didn't think I was going to make it this far.

End of session stats.

End Gold: 906,901

DPS: 8,995.60

Toughness: 249,120

Rift of the Carebears - Levels 48 to 49

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

Time for another rift!

I find a goblin, wreck him and a legendary ring drops.

I stared and stared at this ring, trying to think of a way I could use it or even the Templar.  Unfortunately, it didn't make DPS-sense.  I haven't salvaged it in the hopes that if I upgrade other gear there might be an opportunity for synergies.

First time I meet the Carebears and My Little Pony.

RNGesus blesses me with another legendary and it's a Flail.  Loot 2.0 strikes again.

Oh nice.  Very, very nice.  A nice upgrade from the Zweihander.

I found a group of Care Bears...

Let me bathe in their slaughter.

End of session.

End Gold: 778,865

DPS: 8,220.60

Toughness: 176,390

Two Rifts and Three Bounties - Levels 38 to 48

Note: A Purest Challenge is not to twink any character, use paragon points, or use any outside help and progress in Hardcore.  Inspired by a post on d2jsp by Bubonic.  I chose to start at Expert difficulty and do Bounties (RNG selected) and Rift runs. 

Time constraints will prevent me from documenting every Rift and Bounty.  In reality, some of the bounties or rifts are ho hum with not much happening.

For this update, I ran two Rifts and three Act IV bounty sets.  Yes, Act IV is favored by the RNG and is on a three-bounty win streak.  The image dump are some of the highlights.

Battling these elites was touch and go due to the molten affix.

Legendary bracers!

I'm still wearing them at Level 48.  A couple of rares tempted me to switch over, but they lacked any damage mitigation (lack of all resists or a single resist).  I'm holding on to the bracers a little longer.

I gambled this sweet flail, which included a socket.  I tossed in my first square emerald.

I also tried my hand at gambling with Kadala.  I was reaching the 500 cap on shards and went for a combination of helmets and belts and shoulders.  No upgrades - - sad face.

Whoa!  This was a hairy fight.  Elites are becoming more and more dangerous.  They are also grouping closer together, so the chances of pulling more than one pack is more likely.

Well now...this could be interesting.

Let's go in for a closer look.

Awwww yeah!!!!  Holy DPS boost Batman!  After getting the Zweihander, white mobs and elites started dying quicker.  My clear time is much faster.  Depending on the bounty set, they take about 25 minutes.  I'm smashing elites, depending on affix, in less than 2 minutes.

First time I did the 100+ monster clear to get an extra chest.

I dyed my new chest piece and helmet.  I look very Bedouin.

End Gold: 718,890

DPS: 6,125.40

Toughness: 146,127