Diablo 2: Resurrected
Guides
Magic Find Blessed Hammer Paladin Guide
Introduction
The Magic Find Blessed Hammer Paladin which is also known as the Magic Find Hammerdin is one of the highest damage builds in Diablo 2. They excel at clearing large groups of enemies while still having high single target damage and they do excellent at some of the most difficult content in the game. Magic Find Hammerdins are commonly used to magic find high difficulty content like The Chaos Sanctuary, Nihlathak (Key of Destruction runs), and Baal runs once they are well geared due to their high damage and great survival. Their popularity has, however, increased the cost of Paladin equipment with high prices for Paladin Torches and Combat Skills grand charms with life. They have multiple high cost items that make them extremely powerful magic find characters.
Blessed Hammer Paladin Skills
The top spot for a Magic Find Paladin goes to the Blessed Hammer Paladin which is excellent at both survival and damage.
Recommendation: Blessed Hammer Paladin (Hammerdin)
Stats: Enough Strength for gear, enough dexterity for maximum block, all remaining points in Vitality, and 0 Energy.
Skill Points:
20 Blessed Hammer
20 Vigor (Blessed Hammer synergy)
20 Blessed Aim (Blessed Hammer synergy)
20 Concentrate
1 Redemption
All remaining points in Holy Shield for increased block chance and defense.
Magic Find Hammerdin Gear
Main Weapons
Heart of the Oak (Ko Vex Pul Thul) - Gives +3 to all skills, 40% faster cast rate, up to 40% to all resistances, 10 dexterity, and level 4 Oak Sage charges which should be used when teleporting to greatly increase your life.
Shield
Ethereal Exile Vortex Shield (Vex Ohm Ist Dol) - Gives up to level 16 Defiance Aura, +2 to Offensive Auras (Paladin), high enhanced defense, 30% faster block rate, repairs 1 durability in 4 seconds, 5% to maximum cold resistance, 5% to maximum fire resistance, and 25% increased magic find. The Paladin shield base can also have up to 45% to all resistances. Using an ethereal Vortex Shield is important because the Exile runeword has repairs durability and high enhanced defense which can take the shield above 1000 defense. Exile also has a free level 16 Defiance Aura which then gives even more defense.
Budget Shield
Rhyme Sacred Targe (Shael Eth) - Sacred Targe is the best base for high block and the base can have up to 45% to all resistances. The Rhyme runeword gives 20% increased block chance, all resistances +25%, cannot be frozen, 50% gold find, and 25% magic find.
Weapon Switch
Call To Arms (Amn Ral Mal Ist Ohm) - Gives up to +1 to all skills, +6 to Battle Orders, and +6 to Battle Command. Battle Orders and Battle Command are important because they give increased life and mana and +1 to all skills for a long duration. You should use a Paladin Shield Spirit (Tal Thul Ort Amn) in your offhand for its +2 to all skills which also increases the level of your Battle Orders.
Helmet
Harlequin Crest (aka Shako) - Gives +2 to all skills, 10% reduced physical damage taken, high life and mana, and 50% magic find. This helmet can be socketed with a Protector's Light jewel for more magic damage and magic find.
Body
Enigma Dusk Shroud (Jah Ith Ber) - Gives the Teleport skill (important), +2 to all skills, high strength per level, magic find per level, 5% increased life, 8% reduced physical damage taken, high added defense, 15% damage taken goes to mana, and life on kill.
Gloves
Trang'Oul's Gloves - Gives 20% faster cast rate and 30% increased cold resistance.
Belt
Gheed's Wager - This belt needs to have at least 15% faster cast rate to meet the 75% faster cast rate breakpoint. It comes with faster cast rate, faster hit recovery, reduced enemy magic resistance, all resistances, and extra gold find.
Feet
War Travelers - Gives 25% faster run walk, 50% magic find, 10 strength, 10 vitality, and 15-25 base weapon damage.
Amulet
+2 Paladin Rare Amulet - Look for +2 to all Paladin skills, all resistances, dexterity, and magic find with other great modifiers.
Amulet (Budget)
Mara's Kaleidoscope - Gives +2 to all skills, 5 to all attributes, and up to all resistances +30%.
Rings
Nagelring x2 - Gives up to 30% increased magic find each.
Note: You can also use two magic 40% increased magic find rings if you can afford them.
Alternate Ring (for Nihlathak)
Nature's Peace - This ring should be used for Nihlathak Key of Destruction runs to disable Nihlathak's corpse explosion attack with the 'Slain Monsters Rest In Peace' modifier which is extremely important. Nature's Peace also has level 5 Oak Sage, prevent monster heal, up to 30% poison resistance, and up to damage taken reduced by up to 11.
Charms
Hellfire Torch for +3 Paladin Skills, Annihilus for +1 to all skills, Gheed's Fortune for 40% magic find, one +1 Combat Skills 12% faster hit recovery grand charm, and four +1 Combat Skills grand charms with life. Look for 20 life resistance small charms so that you can use a Protector's Light jewel in your helmet for more damage and magic find instead of using an Um rune for resistances.
Mercenary Type
Act 2 Might Mercenary
Mercenary Weapon
Ethereal Insight Thresher (Ral Tir Tal Sol) - Gives up to level 17 Meditation aura which greatly increases your mana regeneration and it also has 23% increased magic find. On Nihlathak it's important to switch to a low damage Insight so your mercenary doesn't get kills because the 'Slain Monsters Rest In Peace' modifier doesn't work when your mercenary gets the kills.
Mercenary Armor
Ethereal Fortitude (El Sol Dol Lo) - Gives 300% enhanced damage, up to all resistances +30%, high life per level, 5% to maximum lightning resistance, and a 20% chance to cast level 15 Chilling Armor when struck.
Budget Mercenary Armor
Duriel's Shell - Gives all resistances +20%, 50% cold resistances, life per level, 15 strength, and cannot be frozen.
Mercenary Helm
Ethereal Andariel's Visage (Ral'd) - Gives +2 to all skills, 10% life leech, -30% fire resistance, and 30 strength. Ral gives 30% fire resistance but you can also use a 30% fire resistance jewel with 15% increased attack speed.
Budget Mercenary Helmet
Tal Rasha's Helmet - Gives 10% life stolen per hit, all resistances +15%, and 60 life.
Magic Find Paladin Leveling Items
You can start off using a melee attack with Hsarus' belt and gloves once you are level 3 for added Defense and Attack Rating per level from the set bonus. Bane's Garments set should be switched to at level 8 for high damage, attack rating, and strong set modifiers. You can add Angelics Amulet and Ring once you are level 12 for more Life and Attack Rating. Skin of the Viper Magi can also be used at level 29 for +1 to all skills, up to all resistances +35%, 30% faster cast rate, and reduced magic damage taken.
Magic Find Runs
Chaos Sanctuary, Nihlathak, and Baal
These magic find spots are all safe to magic find on a Blessed Hammer Paladin once you are well geared. Diablo's minions in Chaos Sanctuary can drop the highest level items and runes in the game. Chaos Sanctuary tends to have the best drops but Nihlathak is also great for Keys of Destruction and he can also drop every item in the game. One Key of Destruction from Nihlathak is worth about Ist or 11 for Jah and you can also get great items from Nihlathak's normal drop table.
The Countess (optional)
The best time to farm The Countess is when the Forgotten Tower is a terror zone which can majorly improve her drops. Blessed Hammer Paladins can efficiently do Countess runs and even though The Countess doesn't have the best drops in the game she is often farmed for Keys of Terror. The Countess will on the average drop two runes between Ist and Pul every 100 runs. The Countess drops up to Ist on her rune table drops but, she also has a low chance of dropping up to Lo rune from her normal drops.
Sample Drops From 100 Nihlathak Runs - Time to Complete: One-Two Minutes
Key of Destruction x8 (each worth Ist rune or 11 for Jah rune)
Boots with 30% Faster Run Walk, 10% faster hit recovery, 35% increased cold resistance, 35% increased fire resistance, and dexterity.
Oculus (trade value: Mal rune).
Mara's Kaleidoscope with 26% to all resistances (trade value: Ist rune)
Ethereal 4os Colossus Voulge (trade value: Mal rune)
Note: Keep in mind that the sample is small and only took about 200 minutes so you should find better drops with more runs.
And that's all for the Magic Find Hammerdin Guide. You can check out more guides in the menu at the top of this page. Good luck!