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== Overview == | == Overview == | ||
The Paladin | The Paladin returns in Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred as a familiar but reworked holy warrior. Players coming from Diablo II or Diablo III will recognise the core identity immediately: heavy armour, sword and shield, Auras, and some of the most iconic holy skills the series has ever had. What has changed is how those pieces are structured and how far the class leans into divine power rather than pure martial strength. | ||
== What Will Feel Familiar == | |||
Anyone who played a Paladin in Diablo II or a Crusader in Diablo III will feel on steady ground here. | |||
The class once again revolves around shield-based combat, controlled positioning, and steady pressure rather than burst mobility. Auras are back, serving as a foundational part of the kit rather than a secondary flavour mechanic. Blessed Hammer and Blessed Shield return as centrepiece skills, not nods or callbacks, and Zeal once again defines fast, committed melee combat. | |||
From Diablo III’s Crusader, several ideas carry forward directly. Condemn and Heaven's Fury are present, and the overall pacing of combat still favours deliberate swings, heavy impacts, and strong defensive uptime. The Paladin does not rely on evasive movement in the way classes like Rogue do. | |||
== Where It Breaks from the Crusader == | |||
The biggest shift is philosophical. Where the Crusader leaned into physical presence and martial resolve, the Diablo IV Paladin leans much harder into faith and divine power. | |||
Holy damage is formally back as a damage type, which immediately sets the Paladin apart from other classes. Many skills are less about raw weapon strikes and more about channeling or conjuring holy force through weapons, shields, and the battlefield itself. | |||
Visually and mechanically, the Paladin is presented as a conduit for the Light rather than simply a knight blessed by it. This shows up across skills, animations, and sound design, all of which emphasise weight, impact, and divine authority. | |||
== Class Fantasy and Themes == | == Class Fantasy and Themes == | ||
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* Divine Armory | * Divine Armory | ||
* Holy Conduit | * Holy Conduit | ||
== Core Mechanics == | == Core Mechanics == | ||
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These abilities shaped the long-standing themes of disciplined melee combat, holy conjuration, and aura driven battlefield presence. Blizzard referenced skills such as Zeal, Blessed Hammer, Blessed Shield, Condemn, and Consecration during the Diablo IV reveal because they reflect the established legacy of the Paladin archetype, even though their Diablo IV functionality has not yet been detailed. | These abilities shaped the long-standing themes of disciplined melee combat, holy conjuration, and aura driven battlefield presence. Blizzard referenced skills such as Zeal, Blessed Hammer, Blessed Shield, Condemn, and Consecration during the Diablo IV reveal because they reflect the established legacy of the Paladin archetype, even though their Diablo IV functionality has not yet been detailed. | ||
== Specialisation: Oath System == | |||
The defining new mechanic for the Paladin is the '''Oath System'''. | |||
Instead of a passive class mechanic, Paladins swear one of four Oaths. Each Oath pushes the class toward a distinct role and rewards commitment to that playstyle rather than encouraging generalist builds. | |||
<gallery> | |||
File:Judicar.jpg|Judicator | File:Judicar.jpg|Judicator | ||
File:Arbiter.jpg|Arbiter | File:Arbiter.jpg|Arbiter | ||
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* Grants access to Arbiter Form with angelic wings | * Grants access to Arbiter Form with angelic wings | ||
* Key ability: Spear of the Heavens | * Key ability: Spear of the Heavens | ||
Switching Oaths changes not just bonuses, but how the Paladin approaches combat and buildcraft. This system replaces older ideas like Diablo II’s broad Aura stacking with something more structured and explicit. | |||
== Arbiter Form and What Is New == | |||
The most dramatic addition is '''Arbiter Form'''. | |||
Under the Disciple Oath, the Paladin can temporarily transform into an angelic form. This is not a cosmetic effect. It introduces flight, diving attacks, and a new conjured lance weapon that does not resemble anything the Paladin has used before. | |||
This form draws clear inspiration from angelic figures in Diablo’s lore, but it functions as a short-term power state rather than a permanent shift. It is also the clearest signal that Diablo IV’s Paladin is willing to push beyond nostalgia rather than simply recreate Diablo II. | |||
== Class Strengths == | == Class Strengths == | ||