Damage types

[Wrath]

So what type of elemental damage or just plain damage is best to kill different enemy types?
Undead, beastmen, human, spectre, bosses, animals...if anyone has any answers I'd be glad!

[slayor3000]

Very difficult to give a definitive answer.
Not only do different monsters have different resistances, but some wear armour with some decent resistances. Humans wear good armour.

Most common damage in the game is first physical followed by pierce, vitality, the elements, poison and bleed (I've probably missed some out). Not at the start of the game but as you progress get as high as possible in all, do not forget the second page resistances, stun,energy, slow etc.

This is just a small list of some resistances on the more pesky critters. It might have changed, but was right about a year or two ago. I think they changed some resistances to absorption which makes it hard to debuff.

Regular Undead have very high % Poison Absorb and Vitality Resistance, 1000% Life Leech and Bleeding Resistance
Ghosts have 60% Physical and Pierce Absorb, high Vitality Resistance, 1000% Life Leech, Bleeding, and Poison Resistance
Oozes have 75% Piercing Absorb and 25% Bleeding Resistance
Traps/ constucts have 1000% Vitality, Bleeding, Life Leech, and Energy Leech Resistance, 100% Percental Health Damage Resistance
Bosses usually have 80% Life Leech and Energy Leech Resistance, 60-70% Energy Burn Resistance, 65-85% Percental Health Damage Resistance, 1000% Slow Resistance, 1000% Resistance vs. all debuffs (stun, trap, freeze, etc) and vs. Skill Disruption plus anything a specific boss gets on top.

You could probably go through the game with just physical and pierce damage which your weapons are going to do anyway, but killing some monsters would take a very long time (if you like watching paint dry).
I always find it best to augment with elemental of some form but concentrate on just one type and try to find gear or skill with good debuffs, such as Dreams Trance of Wrath or Hunters Study Prey.

[Wrath]

Thanks for the in depth answer, I am having big difficulties dealing with undead enemies as well as spectre. Takes me too long to kill them and get countered by their life leech attacks, because I play Conqueror build.

[slayor3000]

A few ways to deal with them better is:
1. Weapon with some flat elemental damage, a ring or amulet with more flat damage plus some percentile.

and/or

2:Socket ring or amulet with charm or relic with 50% damage to undead.

3:For ghosts/ spectres and also any monster that uses energy for special attacks, try to find ring or amulet with the prefix Accursed/ Unholy/ Forsaken and socket with a Spectral Matter. Rips the energy out of them and damages at the same time.

Through the game you can find some gear with extra damage to or less damage from the undead.

Build up your vitality/ life leech resistance. Charm of Demons blood with right suffix will give 40% Vitality resist. When you are high enough level, over the 20 mark look for a Hallowed Helm, they give 50% resistance and +1 skills in normal.

[Wrath]

Will have to look out for some of the rings you mention and I have plenty of spectral matter charms to use with it. And see if I can find the Hallowed Helm too, hopefully now I will have some luck dealing with hordes of these enemies without dying too much, thanks again!