Melody: Weapon Rune Word - Diablo 2
Melody is one of the Missile Weapon only Rune Words in the game and it is sometimes overlooked by players since it doesn't offer much in the form of Enhanced Damage. What it lacks in Enhanced Damage though it makes up for with its +Skill bonuses as well as the built in Attack Speed. Many enemies you fight throughout Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3 are Undead too which means you'll benefit a lot from the Damage to Undead in these acts.
Knockback is an under appreciated benefit of this Rune Word since it makes kiting easier for a Bowzon and allows for more total damage. If your hits are knocking back enemies then you'll have to spend less time running and kiting which means you can stand still longer and pump out more damage. Keep in mind that when crafting this Rune Word as well as any other Rune Word in the game any pre-existing bonuses on the weapon will remain.
Keep in mind that all Rune Words you create will retain any pre-existing bonuses found on the item. If you find a 'Superior' piece of armor with +Enhanced Defense, a Superior Weapon with +Enhanced Damage or a Helm/Weapon that has +Skill bonuses for a certain class, all of these will remain on the final Rune Word that is created. It's also possible to 'ebug' a piece of Ethereal Armor that you find which will increase the Defense bonuses by 50%, check out my Ebugging Guide for more information.
Farming High Runes: Out of all locations in the game one stands above the rest for farming specifically High Runes, the Countess during Act 1. The Countess has a guaranteed chance to always drop a High Rune and can even drop more than one. Check out my The Countess Farming Guide for more information.
Required Runes:
Level Req: 39
Other Req: N/A
Slots: Missile Weapons Only (Bows & Crossbows)
+3 To Bow and Crossbow Skills (Amazon Only)
+20% Increased Attack Speed
+50% Enhanced Damage
+300% Damage To Undead
+3 To Slow Missiles (Amazon Only)
+3 To Dodge (Amazon Only)
+3 To Critical Strike (Amazon Only)
Knockback
+10 To Dexterity
