Diablo 2 nub questions.

Hi I am currently running through diablo 2 and I haven't played this game in so long I don't remember much. I have a few questions.
#1- What level should I be before I get to Diablo on normal mode? Right now i'm level 27 and just got to Karast Bazarre.
#2- What is the best mercenary to have with a werewolf druid.
#3- What is the best weapon choice to use with a werewolf druid? One hander and shield, or two hander?
#4- Why is it that when I go back to look for better items in Past acts Andariel drops more then Duriel? I think thats her name if not the chick with 6 arms that spits poison. She always drops yellows for me and Duriel never drops anything and is way harder to kill? Weird
#5- I was playing around with runes and the Horadric Cube and was kind of hoping lower level runes when you put three together would make a higher one but I noticed when I did that like say 3 Tir runes they would just make like one eld rune. What am I supposed to do with these low level runes?
#6- I have some flawless gems by now but am wondering should I save them for like nightmare and hell or put them in equipment now?
Sorry this is really long if you don't feel like answering all of my questions just answer one and I will be thankful. See I was in love with diablo when I was younger but my comp died and at that age my parents didn't care to buy another so I was stuck with a Playstation. Now that I'm older I build my own comps and am very much a pc gamer. Just saying why I would have interest in diablo 3 when I am a noob in diablo 2. Trying to hash this noobiness out bfore D3 gets here.
|||You chant from 1-24.
You get rushed to a5 and do ancients with anya
Join baals.
(if you have friends, just get chanted til 25 and then get rushed into hell- get chaos to 60. Do hell ancients [never forget anya in all difficulties] )
Werewolf druid? So you want your damage enhanced. Something tells me you're not using enigma as a werewolf druid. Probably fortitude for your damage increase... All in all you'd probably want to go Act 2 Nightmare Defense merc, it has the aura that slows enemies [does dmg to them and freezzes them] (holy freeze, if im not mistaken)
Andy has a higher chance to drop magic items. Often times you'll get a **#@load of white items off duriel, such as town portals or just random things that are Normal, not rare or unique.
Nightmare andy drops the most SOJs out of any character in this game.
Low level runes? point being? Just ignore runes and rely on trading gear for the higher rune. I don't know many people who still use the cube to combine runes to make greater ones (however, to my knowledge... bots totally do that.)
Flawless gems? NN flawless gems... just rely on perfect ones or none at all. Gems are the worst thing to put inside items, unless its a pdiamond for res... but wtf... id rather put a ber rune in my stormshield... that or UM. Ya digg it?
Gems are dead unless crafting. Drop em.
Source: Diablo 2 LOD HCUswest big timer for SEASONS upon SEASONS
|||1- You should be able to tank him if you take your time and do all the quests along the way.
2- The act 2 mercenaries are the most popular choice because of their aura and potentially powerful runeword items you can equip them with.
3- They each have their trade offs. You should only use a 2 handed weapon if it does significantly more damage with it and you're ok with less defense.
4- Blizzard borked Duriels drop rates with the latest patch when they added the salts.
5- There are 33 rune levels. If you're playing singleplayer or non-ladder, you can only craft your way up to Dol (3x Shael).
6- Might as well use them. They're easy to come by in later difficulties.
|||Wrong forum, D III = Diablo 3.
As for some of your questions level 27 is fine to take on Diablo.
If you take to Warriv right after killing Andriel the quest will be bugged. Anytime you start or join a game you can kill her and get quest quality loot. Its that simple just take the portal she opens back to town and talk to warriv.
To get quest drops from Diablo and Meph all you need to do is be on that quest but not complete it, then join a game where someone else has completed the quest. It will say 'you cannot complete this quest' then just kill the boss and pick up the quest loot.