Diablo 2: Resurrected
Guides

1. Trap Assassin (Trapsin)

 

The top pick goes to a Lightning Trap Assassin. This build is a ranged attacker capable of shooting off screen with as many as 5 lightning traps. The Lightning Trap Assassin is a great choice for anyone playing Hardcore.

Recommendation: Lightning Trap Assassin

Stats: Enough Strength for gear, enough Dexterity for 75% block when using a shield like Whitstan's Guard (a common shield with the highest block rate in the game), all remaining points in Vitality, no Energy

Build:

20 Lightning Sentry

20 Fire Blast (Great for lightning immunes and it shares synergies with Lightning Sentry)

20 Death Sentry

1 Burst of Speed

1 Fade

1 Weapon Block

1 Shadow Master

1 Mind Blast

All remaining points in Lightning Sentry's synergies.

 

2. Bone Spear Necromancer

 

It may surprise you to learn that Bone Spear damage with a White Runeword wand does comparable damage to Bone Spirit and can also hit multiple targets. Not to mention you will have a recastable physical shield with Bone Armor. Synergy skills for Bone Spear also raise your Bone Armor's strength with every point spent.

Recommendation: Bone Spear Necromancer

Stats: Enough Strength for gear, 0 Dexterity as you will have a physical damage shield in Bone Armor, all the rest in Vitality to help with elemental attacks, 0 Energy

Build:

20 Bone Spear

20 Bone Prison (Bone Prison synergizes with Bone Armor)

20 Bone Wall (Bone Wall also synergizes with Bone Armor)

1 Fire Golem (Fire Golem is optional because Clay Golem has a lower mana cost and has comparable life on Hell difficulty)

1 Amplify

1 Confuse 

1 Bone Armor

5-10 Corpse Explosion is enough for this build (Corpse Explosion is a very powerful spell when paired with the Amplify curse)

Remaining points in Bone Spirit (which is a synergy for Bone Spear).

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3. Whirlwind Barbarian

 

Whirlwind Barbarians have high health, a very fast attack speed, survive very well with life leech, and can dish out great damage in 8 player mode with Crushing Blow.

Recommendation: Whirlwind Barbarian

Stats: Enough strength for gear, 0 Dexterity (attack rating will be from Angelic's Ring/Amulet), all other points in Vitality, 0 Energy

Build:

20 Whirlwind

20 Battle Orders

20 Weapon Mastery

Enough in Natural Resist to top off your resists (5-7 should be enough)

1 Increased Speed

1 Iron Skin

1 Berserk

All remaining points in Shout

Note: Life leech, mana leech, and crushing blow go a long way on this character. I recommend all three because they increase your damage, keep you alive with a 2 handed weapon, and keep your life and mana pool high.

 

4. Blizzard Sorceress (BlizzSorc)

 

The best Sorceress for Hardcore comes with the ability to freeze mobs and dish out a great deal of damage.

Recommendation: Blizzard Sorceress

Stats: Enough Strength for gear, enough Dexterity for 75% block with a Whitstan's Guard Shield, all other points in Vitality, 0 Energy

Build:

20 Blizzard

20 Glacial Spike

1 Teleport

1 Shiver Armor

1 Static

1 Telekenesis

1 Warmth

All remaining points in Blizzard's synergies

A few points in Cold Mastery is enough for PvM (not every mob has maximum cold resistances in Hell difficulty)

Note: Most cold immunes can be ignored or teleported past. For the cold immunes that just have to go down, Teleport on top of them, Static them to 50% health, and then use Telekinesis to stun while your mercenary finishes them off. A might mercenary with a high damage weapon for the more difficult cold immunes works well (as a new update the new Sunder charms can break the cold immunity of cold immune enemies). Faster cast rate is also very important for teleporting through mobs. Defense is surprisingly helpful so that mobs miss you while you're teleporting through them with the added defense you receive from Shiver Armor. 

 

5. Werewolf Fire Claws Druid

 

Without high plus skills Hurricane Druid damage is a little low in PvM compared to a Fire Claws Werewolf Druid. Add in crushing blow and this character can kill high health mobs and bosses extremely quickly. Not to mention a huge life pool to go with the damage. Note: Werebear Fire Claws was heavily nerfed so, Werewolf is now the recommended shapeshifting form.

Recommendation: Werewolf Fire Claws Druid

Stats: Enough Strength for gear, 136 dexterity to meet the requirement for a Phase Blade Grief, all the rest in Vitality, 0 in Energy

Build:

20 Fireclaw

20 Molten Boulder

20 Firestorm

20 Lycanthropy

1 Grizzly

1 Heart of the Wolverine (used for dealing with fire immunes)

Remaining Points in Oak Sage for a life buff

Note: Consider using items with Crushing Blow. It will help with tough fire immunes and is very helpful for fights like Act 5 Baal's minion's and the Ancients. You can also switch into Crushing Blow gear for the most difficult fights in the game.

 

6. Concentrate Barbarian

 

This Barbarian is great at survival. Concentration has a huge defense buff from your main attack that stacks with the defense buff from Shout. Battle Orders synergizes with Concentrate giving you a huge life bonus and adding to both your damage and health.

Recommendation: Concentrate Barbarian

Stats: Enough Strength for gear, 0 Dexterity (attack rating can come from Angelic's Ring/Amulet), the rest in Vitality, 0 in Energy

Build:

20 Concentrate

20 Battle Orders

20 Mastery

Enough Natural Resist to top off your resists (5-7 should be enough)

1 Increased Speed

1 Iron Skin

1 Berserk

1 Battle Cry (gives a huge damage taken reduction and reduces the defense of enemies; A very over-looked skill for Concentrate)

Shout gets all remaining points

Note: You'll be doing enough damage with a 2 hand weapon without the last damage synergy which only gives half the damage increase of Battle Orders. Defense helps on this build because Concentrate adds about 300% increased defense on attack.

 

7. Blessed Hammer Paladin (Hammerdin)

 

Blessed Hammer Paladins do the most damage of any character type and yet can still be challenging characters to complete Hardcore in single player mode. A favorite of many and the most powerful damage dealing class in the game...

Recommendation: Blessed Hammer Paladin

Stats: Enough Strength for gear, enough dexterity for 75% block with Holy Shield, all other points in Vitality, 0 Energy

Build:

20 Blessed Hammer

20 Concentrate

20 Vigor

16 Holy Shield (with plus skills because at level 16 Holy Shield the next 4 levels don't offer any additional block chance)

1 Redemption (great skill to have for PvM because it gives life and mana replenishment)

Remaining points go in Blessed Aim as a synergy for Blessed Hammer

Note: After 10 points in Blessed Hammer, Concentrate and Vigor take priority. Five points in Holy Shield early on is recommended at early levels. Paladins also have great mobility with Vigor and Charge if you can't afford the Enigma runeword for Teleport yet.

 

Gearing Guide

Once you have completed the game you can look for the more rare rune words that are difficult to find in Single Player and Hardcore mode. However, here is a great place to start...

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Weapon:

Will vary based on character and class...

Trap Assassin - 3 to Traps Claw, On switch 2x 3 to Shadow Mastery (for online play you should use Call to Arms for Battle Orders which gives greatly increased life and mana).

Bonespear Necromancer - Use an 8 to Bone Spear White Runeword Wand.

Blizzard Sorceress - Wizardspike, Oculus, or in online play use the Heart of the Oak runeword weapon.

One Handed Melee Builds - Use a Grief Phase Blade once you can afford it which is the highest damage one hand weapon.

Werewolf Fireclaw Druid - Grief should be your weapon with a Spirit Shield or if you can afford it use a Phoenix Runeword Shield.

Blessed Hammer Paladin - Use Wizardspike on single player and use the Heart of the Oak runeword weapon in online play.

Other classes will vary...

 

Shield:

All classes (except Paladin) - Whitstan's Guard (the highest block shield in the game that goes well above the 75% it shows on the shield's description) or a high all resistance shield like Moser's Blessed Circle (which can be Up'd for a higher block chance). A Spirit Shield (Tal, Thul, Ort, Amn) can also be used for +2 to all skill, resistances, and up to 35% faster cast rate.

If your build requires high strength you can also use a Stormshield for a 35% reduction to physical damage taken.

Paladin - Use Herald of Zakarum or the Exile Runeword Shield on a good base. Both are excellent for Paladins.

 

Amulet:

2 Handed Melee Builds in Hardcore or Single Player and PvP verse high defense characters - Use Angelic Amulet and Angelic Ring for a massive attack rating increase or Metalgrid for high attack rating with high all resistances.

For all other builds - Mara's Kaleidoscope is recommended for most builds. You can also look for amulets with high resistances, plus skills, high life, optionally faster cast rate, and if you need it life leech and/or mana leech.

 

Rings:

2 Handed Melee Builds - One Angelic's Ring paired with Angelic's Amulet for high life and an extremely high attack rating bonus or Raven Frost paired with the Metalgrid amulet for high all resistance and attack rating.

For all other builds - Elemental absorb rings like Ravenfrost or Dwarf Star are great or use rings with life steal and/or mana steal.

 

Helm:

Melee - Arreat's Face, Jalal's Mane, Vampire Gaze, or Harlequin Crest (aka: Shako).

Casters - Harlequin Crest (aka: Shako), all resistance, and/or damage reduction helms.

 

Armor:

The budget Smoke Runeword for its high elemental resistances or Vipermagi for the +1 to skills, all resistances, and faster cast rate are inexpensive options. Shaftstop is great for the 30% physical damage reduction and life if you use a resistance shield. In multiplayer you will generally want to use Fortitude, Chains of Honor, Enigma, or Shaftstop depending on the build.

 

Belt:

String of Ears for melee builds that benefit from life leech, Verdungo's Hearty Coil for reduced damage taken and Vitality which should be used when you don't need life leech, Arachnid's Mesh if you need faster cast rate, or Thundergod's Vigor for high strength, lightning absorb, and increased maximum lightning resistance.

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Gloves:

Increased attack speed gloves or leech gloves like Dracul's, 20% faster cast rate gloves, gloves with 20% faster attack speed and increases to skill trees, Chance Guards for 40% magic find, or optionally you can use rare gloves with resistances and magic find.

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Feet:

All resistance, run walk, magic find boots like War Traveler boots, and/or crushing blow boots like Gore Riders or Goblin Toe.

 

Mercenaries:

Act 2 Mercenaries are recommended for every Hardcore build. For Act 2 mercenaries use the following equipment in single player:

Helm: Tal-Rasha's Helm, Vampire Gaze, Andariel's Visage, or any life leech, reduced damage taken, and/or all resistance helmet.

Weapon: Honor Runeword is a great budget option, Blackleech Blade is inexpensive and gives the Weaken curse, Hone Sundan has high crushing blow, and Reaper's Toll has the Decrepify curse which lowers enemies' damage and attack speed. Life leech, high damage, curses, and crushing blow take priority. In multiplayer your mercenary can use the Insight Runeword for a low rune cost which gives very high mana regeneration, Blackleech Blade which gives the Weaken curse, Infinity for the Conviction aura which lowers the resistances and defenses of enemies, or Reaper's Toll for the Decrepify curse.

Armor: Ethereal Fortitude is the best option or you can use Duriel's Shell instead as a budget option.

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Tips:

1. Act bosses target the character or npc who is closest to them. This means if your mercenary can't survive Mephisto, you can move closer to the boss than your mercenary and he will target you instead.

 

2. Baal's Act 5 minions can be skipped which is great for magic find runs. Simply lead them a short ways out of Baal's room and then run back to the portal that Baal enters to skip them.

 

3. If you become overwhelmed by Baal's minions in Act 5, consider taking them to the side of the room and using the poles to let a few through to single them out while your mercenary is tanking them. This will also take you out of range of Baal's Decrepify curse.

 

4. Antidote Potions and Thawing Potions not only cure poison and chill, they also have the added effect of raising your poison resistance or cold resistance by 50 and your maximum poison resistance or cold resistance by 10 for a medium duration. This works great for Andariel, Radament, The Summoner, Duriel, and Act2 Baal's Minions and also works for your mercenary.

 

5. Baal summons a copy of himself which makes him much more difficult to defeat. The copy of Baal has a chance at disappearing when you go to town using a town portal and return to the Worldstone Chamber.

 

6. Mephisto can be easily killed by bringing him to the river and teleporting to the other side of the river. He will stand defenseless at the right range allowing you to easily unload your abilities on him without risk of dying. This is great for repeat magic find runs.

 

7. Some of the best items in Hardcore are bought from vendors. The merchants commonly have some very useful items when you know where to find them. Merchants items include: 3 to Warcries weapons, 3 to Trap Skills claws, 3 to Shadow Mastery claws, 100 health belts with a resistance, gloves and boots with magic find and a resistance, a +3 to Bone Spear wand to make White Runeword which can be found by cycling Drognan in Act 2 Normal, or even a strong Cruel modifier weapon with a strong second modifier. To find these items all you will need to do is reset the merchants inventory by leaving town and re-entering. A three socketed flail purchased from Fara in Act 2 socketed with 3 Orts makes an excellent budget weapon early in the game. Three sets of Ral runes can be found from normal Countess runs and they can be combined in the Horadric Cube to make 3 Orts. Resistance/magic find gloves and boots are available and semi-common from Elzix as early as Act 2 Normal. Also a good starting weapon near the beginning of the game is a 3 socketed scepter socketed with 2-3 chipped gems. The scepter weapon base can be purchased from Akara in Act 1.

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8. Eight player Hardcore on single player adds difficulty if you ever feel like you want to add to the challenge. Strong survival builds are needed for a more difficult version of Diablo 2. Whirlwind Barbarians, Fury Druids, and Fire Claws Druids are highly recommended with high crushing blow when playing on the 8 player setting in Hardcore.

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