Hardcore Builds
Diablo 3 Advanced Hardcore and Softcore Tips Guide
The Beginners and Seasonal Start Guide is found below this section.
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1. The Unity ring can be used for 50% damage reduction by splitting damage with your Templar, Scoundrel, or Enchantress. You would just need to have the "follower cannot die" relic equipped on your follower.
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2. With the Kanai's Cube there is a recipe where you can transmute white common, blue magic, and yellow rare crafting materials into a different crafting material at a 1:1 ratio.
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3. The convert set item recipe at the Kanai's Cube is a quick way to complete sets and allows you to convert a set item into a different set item from the same set. You can also use the convert set item recipe to get better rolls on your set items.
4. Strength will improve the Templar's skills, Dexterity will improve the Scoundrel's skills, and Intellect will improve the Enchantress's skills which also benefits your character.
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5. When using Captain Crimson's Trimmings Set the offensive roll resource cost reduction can give more toughness than a 15% life roll on shoulders and rings. This also works for the resource cost reduction from a Flawless Royal Topaz in your helm socket.
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6. Holding down the shift key while spending paragon points will assign them in groups of ten. Holding down the control key will spend your paragon points in sets of one hundred.
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7. Sometimes the fastest way to get a specific legendary weapon or set weapon as an ancient is to reroll them with the Reforge Legendary Kanai's Cube recipe. The recipe takes 50 Forgotten Souls which are more common later in the game.
8. You can use the Upgrade Rare recipe at the Kanai's Cube to obtain a specific legendary or set item or you can use it as another path to find an ancient version of a weapon.
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9. Many people are unaware that Armor reduces damage from both physical and elemental attacks. The same is true of All Resistances.
10. Strength and Dexterity users benefit more from All Resistances because Strength and Dexterity boost your Armor and Intellect users benefit more from Armor because Intellect gives your character All Resistances.
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11. Movement speed caps at 25% on the combined movement speed from your boots and paragons. It can only be pushed past 25% with special items and abilities.
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12. All Resistance cannot be rolled on an item with a secondary resistance such as 150 Arcane Resistance. You will then have the option of rolling a different defensive roll such as Armor or Life Percent.
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13. It might be beneficial to you to focus on leveling up paragons early on because they can make a huge difference on your character's capabilities. After every area in paragons has been capped paragon points can be put in your main stat or Vitality.
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14. Malthael, Dune Dervishes, and Sand Dwellers have an ability that reflects projectile skills so be cautious not to use a projectile skill when these mobs have their shield up on hardcore.
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15. Puzzle Rings can be transmuted in the cube to open up a portal to The Vault where you can find multiple treasure goblins and a large supply of gold.
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16. You can augment an ancient items at the Kanai's Cube with Strength, Dexterity, Intellect, or Vitality. This is the final step to maximizing the abilities of your character for higher Greater Rifts.
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The Beginners and Seasonal Start Guide
The Advanced Softcore and Hardcore Tips Guide is found below this section.
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1. Your first task in Adventure Mode should be retrieving the Kanai's Cube from the Ruins of Sescheron. The Kanai's Cube will allow you to use three legendary powers from items without the items having to be equipped. It will also provide multiple Kanai's Cube recipes.
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2. After completing the Campaign, you can switch to Adventure Mode which provides better rewards such as bounty crafting materials, bounty specific legendary items, and plans for some important crafted sets.
3. Hold on to legendary items with beneficial legendary powers at the beginning of the game. Once you have access to the Kanai's Cube you can obtain their legendary powers without having them equipped.
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4. The Ring of Royal Grandeur is found as a reward from completing Act 1 Bounties in Adventure Mode. It is one of the best rings in the game and will allow you to reduce the number of set items needed to complete a set by one with a minimum of two set items equipped.
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5. Gold rewards will greatly increase later in the game so don't feel you need to sell all of your items. It is typically better to salvage your found common, magic, and rare items at the blacksmith when you are leveling up. The crafting materials you gain from salvaging are useful at every stage of the game for crafting, enchanting, and Kanai's Cube recipes.
6. It is recommended that you level your Jeweler first because it makes the biggest difference early on. You can craft the highest level ruby to greatly increase the damage of your socketed weapons early in the game. Later in the game when you have higher Critical Strike it is better to socket weapons with emeralds for Critical Strike Damage.
7. Diamonds should almost always be used in your chest and legs sockets for All Resistance when playing hardcore and main stat gems can be used in your chest and pants sockets on Softcore. Socketing your helm with an Amethyst will greatly increase your toughness. You also have the option of socketing your helm with a Ruby to increase the amount of experience you receive from killing enemies to speed up leveling to level 70.
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8. Give unused items with high main stats such as Strength for your Templar, Dexterity for your Scoundrel, and Intellect for your Enchantress to your follower to increase the power of their skills. Also be aware that when you equip your follower with beneficial legendary effects that have "Emanates" it will also pass the legendary effect over to your character.
9. You can unlock several crafted sets through completing bounties in Adventure Mode. Crafting Hallowed Set weapons and shields is an easy path to your first ancient weapon and shield with a set bonus. Aughild's Set, Captain Crimson's Set, Sage's Set, and Hallowed Set or Born's Set can all be equipped at the same time with a Ring of Royal Grandeur.
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10. It may be beneficial early on to focus on leveling up paragons because paragons make a huge difference. Once all paragon areas have been capped paragon overflow points can then be spent on your main stat to do more damage or Vitality for better survival in hardcore.
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11. Now it's time to get your legendary gems leveled and progress to Greater Rift 70 for the seasonal reward!
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Feel free to check out the other sections of the site for more on Diablo III Hardcore:
Barbarian Top 5 Hardcore Guide
Demon Hunter Top 5 Hardcore Guide
Necromancer Top 5 Hardcore Guide
Witch Doctor Top 5 Hardcore Guide
And that's all for the Advanced and Beginners Tips Guide. Better items await you in Greater Rifts!
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