Crusader Purest Progression: Bounty Run Act IV Levels 1 to 10

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.

Prior to the Patch 2.0.4 buff to Crusaders, I had lost two previous Crusaders on Expert difficulty and shifted down to Hard, where I lost another one, and finally settled at Normal. Now that the Crusader class receives a 15% damage reduction and several skills improved, I felt Expert is worth another try.

This Bounty was the hardest. I kited several groups of monsters, including mobs of whites, as I was just not getting any weapon upgrades. This elite pack and I danced all the way back to the WP. Recovering Wrath is painfully slow and definitely effects how low level Crusaders progress in combat.

These bastards nearly got me. They walled me on the other end of the bridge and then the "spikes?" also hit me, so I was trapped. I popped a potion and smashed one of the buggers in desperation, trying make an opening and also force a Health Globe to pop. It worked and I raced to grab the Health Globe and then retreated to the other side of the bridge and finished them without worry of the spikes.

After that fight, I went looking for a weapon upgrade from the vendors. I bought this...

...started the fourth bounty, promptly smashed a vase and this fell out. :P

Fighting Izual. He wasn't too bad. I kept circling and circling in his chambers, avoiding the frozen traps, most of the time, and whittled him down. I finding Expert mode causing me to think tactically instead of being on auto-pilot and face-rolling the content.