The Official Strategy Guide shows armor that is available, and says that “…the Ranaar armor is one of the better pieces of armor….” Its required strength is 40. Later on the Guide says, “In general, about 50 should be enough for most equipment.”
For most equipment, maybe that’s true. But I’m only in Act II, with characters at level 19, and already the Battlefield merchants have offered for sale two items requiring strength of 56 and one requiring 60. The one requiring 60 was a pair of boots.
All three of these items were of excellent quality. I forget what the first item that required 56 was, but the second was a suit of armor, Shark’s Shadow Armor of Reflexes, which I bought. Its AC is 15 (as opposed to the Ranaar armor’s 13), it has a low speed penalty (-4), it has eight miscellaneous boosts, and it has a charm slot.
Maybe these items showed up for sale because of my high Luck (at 62 when the Shark’s armor appeared). But I don’t think so. Or maybe they appeared because I’m playing Very Easy. I don’t think that’s so either.
I do think my melee hero needs more strength than 50. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
