[colleenbc]

I bent my wheel in a recent wreck. My LBS gut says it's not repairable. I mostly just need to know some things so I can have an intelligent conversation with him about what I want. My hub is a DT Swiss 370 and I'll probably keep that so it's the wheel I'm mostly curious about. My bent wheel was a DT Swiss 420. We talked a little about replacing it with Mavic 317 (I have those on my other bike and have never bent them) I always ride off road - I'm not particularly into the racing thing but I like to go fast - especially down. I'm not afraid of hitting bumps pretty hard but I'm no expert either.
I know good rims make a big difference but all I really know is that heavier takes a beating better and lighter go faster. What about the number of spokes, what about the different types of spokes, is there something about the way the spokes cross each other that makes a difference? How much of my options are limited by keeping the same hub?
What should I expect a from a certified wheel builder - does that really mean he knows stuff?
My bike was marketed as 'tubeless ready' - does that mean it had special rims or was it the tire (Specialized S-works The Captain - which I really was disappointed in BTW)? I don't run tubeless and I don't think I probably will but I just want to know.
This is probably long enough now.

[hophead]

I have (and do) use Mavic and DT rims and have never had any problems with the quality of their products. You should be fine with either brand.

When selecting your rim, spoke count, and lacing pattern, you must consider the riders weight and the type of riding that you will use the wheel for, and type of brakes being used (rim or disc). For a rear wheel, I would not use less than 32 spokes and no less than 28 on the front. Typically, I run 32 double butted front and rear laced 3 cross. For a really strong rear wheel you can even go 36 spokes. There's really no point in using more than 32 on a front wheel. Also, brass nipples are superior to alloy. The small weight penalty is worth it.

A certified wheel builder should know his stuff, but I tend to go on personal references rather than a certification.

I'm not very familiar with this "tubless ready" thing. I did a bit of research on the interweb and it looks like there are some tires being marketed out there to be used with non-UST rims and no sealant.

[colleenbc]

Ok so thanks so far but now I have to ask some more - and then you can ignore me if I ask too much. About the 3 cross thing - is that as in compared to a 4 cross (is there such a thing?)? 2 cross? What's with that? I'm assuming the number of crosses makes the wheel stronger but that's just a guess. And what's with the brass nipples - are they stronger? Do they help keep a wheel more true or what?
What about diameter of the spokes? What about materials the spokes are made out of?