The best items in the game can be gambled for. So what's the difference in constantly checking the gambler or vendor for loot and checking the auction house? Unless you're playing elite (and even in elite if you reroll maps), the costs of good gear and enchantments are too affordable. I've gotten even less from the elite/champions that you find on the maps. I don't think I've gotten a decent drop from a boss or one of those big chests yet. His best equipment was either purchased from a vendor or gambled. My Berserker (who acutally needs heals) hasn't found a skull gem or heal scroll in 40 levels. Random is still random, my embermage got a skull gem, heal, and heal all scrolls before he hit lvl10. So leaving sets for the endgame isn't a bad idea. Set items are nice while you're levelling, but in most cases, by the time you've collected the set, there's a better set that you start getting pieces for or higher level non-set gear is superior. So you are guranteed to not get crap, but you're not getting anything really exciting either. The ranges on the affix rolls aren't 5 - 100, they're more like 45 - 55. Everything is generally an upgrade, even if its only a %1 improvement. The difference is that you don't get absolute crap in T2, but you also rarely get WOW drops. 40 hrs), but I've gotten better drops in D3.

Charge Reconstitution doesn't heal for a hell of a lot, but since you burn charge frequently with Flame Hammer and/or Forcefield, it can help keep your health topped off. Dynamo Field is pretty great at building charge, as well, and you'll want a lot of it if you do use Forcefield. Heal Bot is pretty much mandatory, and 5 or so points in Forcefield can save your butt against champions and bosses. You probably also want a lot of Heavy Lifting, for bonus damage and inherent stun chance, as well as a few points in Coup De Gras. Maybe a few points in to make it last long enough to be meaningful. Onslaught is pretty great for getting into a new mob of enemies, and the debuff isn't too shabby. I suppose you could develop it into a big damage-dealer, but Flame Hammer is more fun IMO. Ember Hammer is really great against big shielded enemies, but I'm not sure I see the need to put in more than one point. You can probably do without Seismic Slam, but it does have a base 64% chance to stun in an area around you, so could be helpful. They're reasonably useful, but situational for the most part. I do have one point in the first few melee skills as well, though.

I've yet to find anything better for big AoE damage than Flame Hammer. Click to expand.Well, the first fire-hammer skill you get is actually quite good.

Torchlight 2 add sockets