GUIDE: Zealot Weapons for Physical Immunes / Iron Maiden 2.0
[HIGHLIGHT]GUIDE: Zealot Weapons for Physical Immunes / Iron Maiden[/HIGHLIGHT]
By Lanceor
Guide version: 2.0 10th September 2007
Diablo II Patch: 1.11b
Update: 6th September 2010 for patch 1.13.
[HIGHLIGHT]Contents[/HIGHLIGHT]
[HIGHLIGHT]1. Introduction[/HIGHLIGHT]
There have been a lot of questions from aspiring Fanaticism Zealots about what weapons to use when confronting Physical Immunes and when afflicted by the Iron Maiden Curse. This guide aims to be a reference for whenever those questions are asked.
I personally tested all the weapons described here, many on Battle.net. For the weapons that I did not have access to on the realms, I used an editor to create the weapons on Single Player. Not every single weapon is represented here, though most of the popular or interesting ones should be.
While this guide was written with physical damage Zealots in mind, the information will be useful to other melee builds/classes as well. I have made the assumption that most Zealots will want Life Tap running whenever possible, and have avoided weapons that break immunities by using curses.
These recommendations reflect my experiences with each weapon. As play styles and builds vary, what works best for me may not be the same for everyone, so feel free to use whatever weapon you are most comfortable with, even if I rated it poorly.
[HIGHLIGHT]2. A Primer for Newbies[/HIGHLIGHT]
Skip this section if you already know what Zealots are and the difficulties they face against Physical Immunes and Iron Maiden.
Physical Damage Zealots, also known as Fanazealots, 1pt Smiters or simply Zealots are a melee Paladin build that maximizes physical damage. They use the skill Zeal which delivers five rapid melee attacks and Fanaticism, an aura that increases speed and damage. Because of their focus on physical damage, they have great difficulty dealing with monsters that are immune to physical attacks (Physical Immunes, or PI's).
This section is now out of date as of patch 1.13.
Oblivion Knights are a type of monster that appear in Diablo’s lair in Act 4 and Baal’s lair in act 5. They cast a variety of curses, one of which is called Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden (IM for short) multiplies and reflects any physical melee damage back to the attacker. With their fast, high physical-damage attacks, attacking while under the influence of IM is usually instantly fatal for a Zealot.
[HIGHLIGHT]3. Definitions[/HIGHLIGHT]
Physical Damage:
Average physical damage per hit. This is based on a Paladin with Level 25 Fanaticism (plus any skills the weapon grants), Level 25 Zeal fully synergized, 150 strength, 150 Dexterity and no other sources of enhanced damage.
Elemental/Magic Damage:
Average non-physical damage per hit.
Attack speed:
Number of frames for each attack. This will normally be the Zeal speed or the firing/throwing rate with no IAS from other items. Skills such as Zeal will be shown in the format 9/5 which represents regular/follow-up attack speed. Fanaticism is assumed to be at level 25 plus any bonuses from the weapon. Uniques/rares will be socketed with one or more Shael runes if it will reach the next breakpoint. The text will elaborate on this.
Damage per second:
This is the average damage per second assuming all hits connect. Physical and elemental damage are calculated separately.
Rating:
A is superior, B is very good, C is acceptable. Weapons with a rating of D are of limited usefulness, and E is considered completely unusable.
[HIGHLIGHT]4. Weapons to use against Physical Immunes[/HIGHLIGHT]
Any weapon that produces elemental damage can be used to dispose of physical immune monsters. As there are so many, I've only described the most popular, effective or interesting ones.
[HIGHLIGHT]4a. Rift Scepter (possibly with Conviction)[/HIGHLIGHT]
Hel + Ko + Lem + Gul
20% Chance To Cast Level 16 Tornado On Striking
16% Chance To Cast Level 21 Frozen Orb On Attack
20% Bonus To Attack Rating
Adds 160-250 Magic Damage
Adds 60-180 Fire Damage
+5-10 To All Stats (varies)
+10 To Dexterity
38% Damage Taken Goes To Mana
75% Extra Gold From Monsters
Level 15 Iron Maiden (40 Charges)
Requirements -20%
Base item may have +1-3 to Conviction
Elemental/Magic Damage:
325 + Level 21 Frozen Orb (+ Conviction if available)
Attack Speed:
13/7 fpa (Zeal using Conviction)
10/5 fpa (Zeal using Fanaticism)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
991 + 1 Frozen Orb every 2 seconds + Conviction
1354.5 + 1 Frozen Orb every 1.5 seconds (using Fanaticism)
Rating:
A+ if it has Conviction
A if it does not
What makes Rift really shine is the chance to cast Frozen Orb on attack (whether the attack hits or not). Frozen Orb is a superb crowd chilling and killing skill and is great for dealing with large groups of physical immunes. One Orb will often wipe out an entire pack of weaker monsters such as Black Locusts.
Unlike a Zealot’s normal attack, Frozen Orb’s damage is spread over an area. This takes a bit of getting used to if you're used to monsters queuing up and dying at your feet. "Regular" weapons may fare better against single immune monsters for this reason.
It is theoretically possible to find (though not shop for) a white scepter with +1 to +3 to Conviction, a very useful aura that reduces your enemies' elemental resistances, exponentially increasing the elemental damage they take. A level 21 Frozen Orb with Conviction is as strong as an untwinked Meteorb's Frozen Orb - quite amazing for a melee character. However, without any Increased Attack Speed and running Conviction instead of Fanaticism, the weapon is slow, though not unplayably so unless under the effects of Holy Freeze or Decrepify. Given the difficulty in obtaining a white scepter with Conviction, and rolling exactly four sockets using the Horadric Cube formula, a Conviction Rift is a rare and prized weapon indeed.
[HIGHLIGHT]4b. Voice of Reason (Phase Blade)[/HIGHLIGHT]
Lem + Ko + El + Eld
15% Chance To Cast Level 13 Frozen Orb On Striking
18% Chance To Cast Level 20 Ice Blast On Striking
+50 To Attack Rating
+220-350% Damage To Demons
+355-375% Damage To Undead (varies)
+50 To Attack Rating Against Undead
Adds 100-220 Cold Damage
-24% To Enemy Cold Resistance
+10 To Dexterity
Cannot Be Frozen
75% Extra Gold From Monsters
+1 To Light Radius
Elemental/magic Damage:
160 + -24% Cold Resistance + Level 13 Frozen Orb + Level 20 Ice Blast
Attack Speed:
9/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/magic Damage per second:
689.5 + Frozen Orb every 1.45 seconds + Ice Blast Every 1.08 seconds
Rating:
A
Voice of Reason is very similar to Rift in that its primary attack is Frozen Orb. While it cannot be made in a Scepter with Conviction, it can be made in a Phase Blade allowing for a much faster attack speed; a further 10% IAS will allow it to reach the 4 fpa Zeal breakpoint. Despite a lower level Frozen Orb than Rift, killing speed is fairly equivalent thanks to the -24% to enemy cold resistance.
While Voice of Reason triggers it effects on Striking rather than Attack, is generally not an issue. Between maxed Zeal and Fanaticism, Zealots seldom have difficulty hitting things.
[HIGHLIGHT]4c. Azurewrath[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Phase Blade
+230-270% Enhanced Damage (varies)
+30% Increased Attack Speed
Adds 250-500 Magic Damage
Adds 250-500 Cold Damage, 10 sec. Duration (Normal)
+1 To All Skills
+5-10 To All Attributes (varies)
Level 10-13 Sanctuary Aura When Equipped (varies)
Indestructible
+3 To Light Radius
Elemental/magic Damage:
750 + Sanctuary Aura
Attack Speed:
8/4 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
3906.5
Rating:
A
The fabled sword of Tyreal himself, supposedly lost in the pit at Tal Rasha's tomb. (Why didn’t he just pick it up with one of his tentacles?) This weapon has a massive elemental/magical damage output and is fast enough to hit the last Zeal breakpoint even with a low level Fanaticism. It is actually better than Rift or Voice of Reason against single targets (though the Orb weapons are superior against crowds).
Azurewrath's physical damage is fairly respectable, so overall its killing speed is very fast, perhaps half that of Grief depending on the enemy. The Sanctuary aura reduces the physical resistance of undead to zero, so this blade mows them down like grass. Azurewrath is actually a very good primary weapon if you don’t have access to Grief/Death/eBotDz or any of the other Zealot favorites.
[HIGHLIGHT]4d. Dream Shield (and Helmet)[/HIGHLIGHT]
Io + Jah + Pul
10% Chance To Cast Level 15 Confuse When Struck
Level 15 Holy Shock Aura When Equipped
+20-30% Faster Hit Recovery (varies)
+30% Enhanced Defense
+150-220 Defense (varies)
+10 To Vitality
Increase Maximum Life 5% (Helms Only)
+50 To Life (Shields Only)
+0.625-61.875 To Mana (Based On Character Level)
All Resistances +5-20 (varies)
12-25% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items (varies)
Elemental/magic Damage:
324.5 + 54.5 pulse damage/second (834.5 + 139.5 pulse if helm included)
Attack Speed:
As per weapon, potentially 8/4 fpa
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1744.5
4486 with helm included
Rating:
B+
Dream is a rune word that can be made in either a shield or a helm. Using just the shield "on switch" will give you a level 15 Holy Shock aura for respectable lightning damage. This damage is added to whatever weapon you are using so it becomes quite phenomenal when paired with a weapon like Rift or Azurewrath. Dream has a couple of disadvantages though: its chance to cast Confuse when struck will override Life Tap and it does not provide +skills for a Holy Shield prebuff.
If you equip both a Dream helm and Shield, the levels of the auras add together for a level 30 Holy Shock for Tesladin levels of lightning damage. However, by using Dream as your primary helmet, you may lose melee bonuses such as crushing blow or damage reduction. It would be possible to keep a Dream helm in your inventory and swap it in when you encounter physical immunes, but between lag and the chaos of melee, it may prove impractical.
As a final note, if you don't have a high elemental damage weapon, Dream works very well when paired with a Crescent Moon phase blade (Shael + Um + Tir) thanks to its -35% to lightning resistance.
[HIGHLIGHT]4e. Gimmershred[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Flying Axe
+160-210% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Adds 218-483 Fire Damage
Adds 29-501 Lightning Damage
Adds 176-397 Cold Damage, 4 sec. Duration (Normal)
+30% Increased Attack Speed
Increased Stack Size [60]
Elemental/magic Damage:
902
Attack Speed:
10/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
3758.5
Rating:
B
While best known as a throwing weapon, it is also very effective when using Zeal. It sports the highest non CtC elemental damage per attack of all the weapons in the guide. Its only letdown is that it will require a lot of Increased Attack Speed from your equipment to be able to reach the last Zeal breakpoint.
[HIGHLIGHT]4f. Lawbringer Phase Blade[/HIGHLIGHT]
Amn + Lem + Ko
20% Chance To Cast Level 15 Decrepify On Striking
Level 16-18 Sanctuary Aura When Equipped (varies)
-50% Target Defense
Adds 150-210 Fire Damage
Adds 130-180 Cold Damage
7% Life Stolen Per Hit
Slain Monsters Rest In Peace
+200-250 Defense Vs. Missile (varies)
+10 To Dexterity
75% Extra Gold From Monsters
Elemental/magic Damage:
335 + Sanctuary
Attack Speed:
9/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1444 + Sanctuary
Rating:
B
This inexpensive rune word is like Azurewrath’s little brother. It sports some elemental damage as well as the Sanctuary aura that makes the undead easy work. It is stronger than Gimmershred against undead, but weaker against other monster types.
It has the Slain Monsters Rest In Peace attribute, which makes it useful against Nihlathak or those pesky charging skeletons that refuse to stay dead. Lawbringer also has a chance to cast Decrepify – while this can be considered good as it may break the physical immunity of many monsters, it overrides/is overwritten by Life tap which can be annoying.
[HIGHLIGHT]4g. Famine Axe/Hammer[/HIGHLIGHT]
Fal + Ohm + Ort + Jah
+30% Increased Attack Speed
+320-370% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Ignore Target's Defense
Adds 180-200 Magic Damage
Adds 50-200 Fire Damage
Adds 51-250 Lightning Damage
Adds 50-200 Cold Damage
12% Life Stolen Per Hit
Prevent Monster Heal
+10 To Strength
Elemental/magic Damage:
590.5
Attack Speed:
9/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
2545.5
Rating:
C
A solid weapon that deals both elemental and physical damage and makes a good primary weapon. However, for the cost of two high runes, there are more cost effective choices for dealing with physical immunes. It is best made in a Berserker Axe, though if made in a War Spike, a further 9% IAS from other gear will get you to the 4 fpa breakpoint.
[HIGHLIGHT]4h. Demon's Arch[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Balrog Spear
+160-210% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Adds 232-323 Fire Damage
Adds 23-333 Lightning Damage
+30% Increased Attack Speed
6-12% Life Stolen Per Hit (varies)
Replenishes Quantity [1 in 3 sec.]
Elemental/magic Damage:
455.5
Attack Speed:
10/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1898
Rating:
C
Like Gimmershred, Demon’s Arch is best known as a throwing weapon, but can also be used to Zeal. Slower speed and lower elemental/magical damage than the other weapons reviewed means that it will work in a pinch, but it will take a long time to kill physical immune bosses and large crowds.
[HIGHLIGHT]4i. Tiamat's Rebuke[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Dragon Shield
+140-200% Enhanced Defense (varies)
Adds 27-53 Cold Damage - 6 Second Duration
Adds 35-95 Fire Damage
Adds 1-120 Lightning Damage
3% Chance To Cast Level 6 Hydra When Struck
5% Chance To Cast Level 7 Nova When Struck
5% Chance To Cast Level 9 Frost Nova When Struck
All Resistances +25-35% (varies)
Elemental/magic Damage:
165.5
Attack Speed:
As per weapon, potentially 8/4 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
862
Rating:
C
This is actually a shield and not a weapon. It adds elemental damage to your attacks so it is worth a mention here. The added elemental damage is actually not all that great; however it is in addition to whatever weapon you are using, making it a good choice together with your elemental damage weapon switch. Its only drawback is that it will take the place of your shield on switch, potentially at a loss of +skills or other benefits.
[HIGHLIGHT]4j. Baranar’s Star[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Devil Star
+200% Enhanced Damage
+50% Damage To Undead
Adds 1-200 Fire Damage
Adds 1-200 Lightning Damage
Adds 1-200 Cold Damage
50% Increased Attack Speed
200% Bonus To Attack Rating
+15 To Dexterity
+15 To Strength
Elemental/magic Damage:
301.5
Attack Speed:
9/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1299.5
Rating:
C
An old favorite, and was once considered an endgame weapon, but now unfortunately overshadowed by the powerful crop of 1.10 weapons. Thanks to its 50% IAS, it reaches the 5 frame breakpoint for Zeal when used with a high level Fanaticism. If a Shael rune is added, a further 10% - 16% IAS (depending on Fanaticism level) from other equipment will let you reach a 4 frame Zeal.
[HIGHLIGHT]4k. Kingslayer Berserker Axe[/HIGHLIGHT]
Mal + Um + Gul + Fal
+30% Increased Attack Speed
+230-270% Enhanced Damage (varies)
-25% Target Defense
20% Bonus To Attack Rating
33% Chance of Crushing Blow
50% Chance of Open Wounds
+1 To Vengeance
Prevent Monster Heal
+10 To Strength
40% Extra Gold From Monsters
Elemental/magic Damage:
498*
Attack Speed:
9 fpa
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1383.5
Rating:
C
If you've ever thought about putting a point in Vengeance, this rune word illustrates why it is not considered a great idea. Kingslayer gives the oskill Vengeance, a skill that adds Fire, Cold and Lightning damage to your attacks. Unfortunately, the damage bonuses from Fanaticism and Zeal do not factor in to Vengeance, resulting in less than stellar elemental damage.
* Assumes character has +5 to all skills for a Vengeance level of 6.
[HIGHLIGHT]4l. Passion (Berserker Axe)[/HIGHLIGHT]
Dol + Ort + Eld + Lem
+25% Increased Attack Speed
+160-210% Enhanced Damage (varies)
50-80% Bonus To Attack Rating (varies)
+75% Damage To Undead
+50 To Attack Rating Against Undead
Adds 1-50 Lightning Damage
+1 To Berserk
+1 To Zeal
Hit Blinds Target +10
Hit Causes Monster To Flee 25%
75% Extra Gold From Monsters
Level 3 Heart of Wolverine (12 Charges)
Elemental/magic Damage:
1779*
Attack Speed:
9 fpa (Berserk) for berserker axe
Elemental/magic damage per second:
4941
Rating:
C-
The key to this weapon is the oskill Berserk, which is an attack that converts all your physical damage to magical damage, while dropping your defense to zero.
Berserk does not work as well for Paladins as it does for Barbarians. Why? Barbarians can use their primary, high damage weapon, and thanks to Battle Orders and higher innate toughness, can survive with zero defense for that much longer.
I found Berserk excellent against single monsters, but even small groups could damage me sufficiently that I had to back off and heal after every two or three hits. Wraiths and other mana-drainers will drive you crazy, as zero defense almost guarantees getting hit and mana drained, rendering Berserk unusable. Other players have given very positive reports for Passion so your mileage may vary.
* Assumes character has +5 to all skills for a Berserk level of 6.
[HIGHLIGHT]GUIDE: Zealot Weapons for Physical Immunes / Iron Maiden[/HIGHLIGHT]
By Lanceor
Guide version: 2.0 10th September 2007
Diablo II Patch: 1.11b
Update: 6th September 2010 for patch 1.13.
[HIGHLIGHT]Contents[/HIGHLIGHT]
- Introduction
- A Primer for Newbies
- Definitions
- Weapons to use against Physical Immunes
- Rift Scepter, possibly with Conviction (A+)
- Voice of Reason (A)
- Azurewrath (A)
- Dream Shield (and Helmet) (B+)
- Gimmershred (B)
- Lawbringer (B)
- Famine (C)
- Demon’s Arch (C)
- Tiamat's Rebuke (C)
- Baranar's Star (C)
- Kingslayer Berserker Axe (C-)
- Passion Berserker Axe (C-)
- Hellrack (D)
- Hand of Justice Phase Blade + Dragon Shield (D)
- Various Rare/Magic Weapons (B to D)
- Weapons to use while Iron Maidened (Obsolete as of patch 1.13)
- Demon’s Arch (A to B-)
- Windforce (A)
- Lacerator (B+ to B-)
- Gimmershred (B)
- Warshrike (A- to B-)
- Upgraded Buriza-Do Kyanon (B)
- Passion Berserker Axe (C)
- Hellrack (D)
- Widowmaker (D)
- Rift Scepter (D)
- Various Rare/Magic Weapons (B to E)
- Conclusion [HIGHLIGHT](Skip to here if you are lazy.)[/HIGHLIGHT]
- Thanks
[HIGHLIGHT]1. Introduction[/HIGHLIGHT]
There have been a lot of questions from aspiring Fanaticism Zealots about what weapons to use when confronting Physical Immunes and when afflicted by the Iron Maiden Curse. This guide aims to be a reference for whenever those questions are asked.
I personally tested all the weapons described here, many on Battle.net. For the weapons that I did not have access to on the realms, I used an editor to create the weapons on Single Player. Not every single weapon is represented here, though most of the popular or interesting ones should be.
While this guide was written with physical damage Zealots in mind, the information will be useful to other melee builds/classes as well. I have made the assumption that most Zealots will want Life Tap running whenever possible, and have avoided weapons that break immunities by using curses.
These recommendations reflect my experiences with each weapon. As play styles and builds vary, what works best for me may not be the same for everyone, so feel free to use whatever weapon you are most comfortable with, even if I rated it poorly.
[HIGHLIGHT]2. A Primer for Newbies[/HIGHLIGHT]
Skip this section if you already know what Zealots are and the difficulties they face against Physical Immunes and Iron Maiden.
Physical Damage Zealots, also known as Fanazealots, 1pt Smiters or simply Zealots are a melee Paladin build that maximizes physical damage. They use the skill Zeal which delivers five rapid melee attacks and Fanaticism, an aura that increases speed and damage. Because of their focus on physical damage, they have great difficulty dealing with monsters that are immune to physical attacks (Physical Immunes, or PI's).
This section is now out of date as of patch 1.13.
Oblivion Knights are a type of monster that appear in Diablo’s lair in Act 4 and Baal’s lair in act 5. They cast a variety of curses, one of which is called Iron Maiden. Iron Maiden (IM for short) multiplies and reflects any physical melee damage back to the attacker. With their fast, high physical-damage attacks, attacking while under the influence of IM is usually instantly fatal for a Zealot.
[HIGHLIGHT]3. Definitions[/HIGHLIGHT]
Physical Damage:
Average physical damage per hit. This is based on a Paladin with Level 25 Fanaticism (plus any skills the weapon grants), Level 25 Zeal fully synergized, 150 strength, 150 Dexterity and no other sources of enhanced damage.
Elemental/Magic Damage:
Average non-physical damage per hit.
Attack speed:
Number of frames for each attack. This will normally be the Zeal speed or the firing/throwing rate with no IAS from other items. Skills such as Zeal will be shown in the format 9/5 which represents regular/follow-up attack speed. Fanaticism is assumed to be at level 25 plus any bonuses from the weapon. Uniques/rares will be socketed with one or more Shael runes if it will reach the next breakpoint. The text will elaborate on this.
Damage per second:
This is the average damage per second assuming all hits connect. Physical and elemental damage are calculated separately.
Rating:
A is superior, B is very good, C is acceptable. Weapons with a rating of D are of limited usefulness, and E is considered completely unusable.
[HIGHLIGHT]4. Weapons to use against Physical Immunes[/HIGHLIGHT]
Any weapon that produces elemental damage can be used to dispose of physical immune monsters. As there are so many, I've only described the most popular, effective or interesting ones.
[HIGHLIGHT]4a. Rift Scepter (possibly with Conviction)[/HIGHLIGHT]
Hel + Ko + Lem + Gul
20% Chance To Cast Level 16 Tornado On Striking
16% Chance To Cast Level 21 Frozen Orb On Attack
20% Bonus To Attack Rating
Adds 160-250 Magic Damage
Adds 60-180 Fire Damage
+5-10 To All Stats (varies)
+10 To Dexterity
38% Damage Taken Goes To Mana
75% Extra Gold From Monsters
Level 15 Iron Maiden (40 Charges)
Requirements -20%
Base item may have +1-3 to Conviction
Elemental/Magic Damage:
325 + Level 21 Frozen Orb (+ Conviction if available)
Attack Speed:
13/7 fpa (Zeal using Conviction)
10/5 fpa (Zeal using Fanaticism)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
991 + 1 Frozen Orb every 2 seconds + Conviction
1354.5 + 1 Frozen Orb every 1.5 seconds (using Fanaticism)
Rating:
A+ if it has Conviction
A if it does not
What makes Rift really shine is the chance to cast Frozen Orb on attack (whether the attack hits or not). Frozen Orb is a superb crowd chilling and killing skill and is great for dealing with large groups of physical immunes. One Orb will often wipe out an entire pack of weaker monsters such as Black Locusts.
Unlike a Zealot’s normal attack, Frozen Orb’s damage is spread over an area. This takes a bit of getting used to if you're used to monsters queuing up and dying at your feet. "Regular" weapons may fare better against single immune monsters for this reason.
It is theoretically possible to find (though not shop for) a white scepter with +1 to +3 to Conviction, a very useful aura that reduces your enemies' elemental resistances, exponentially increasing the elemental damage they take. A level 21 Frozen Orb with Conviction is as strong as an untwinked Meteorb's Frozen Orb - quite amazing for a melee character. However, without any Increased Attack Speed and running Conviction instead of Fanaticism, the weapon is slow, though not unplayably so unless under the effects of Holy Freeze or Decrepify. Given the difficulty in obtaining a white scepter with Conviction, and rolling exactly four sockets using the Horadric Cube formula, a Conviction Rift is a rare and prized weapon indeed.
[HIGHLIGHT]4b. Voice of Reason (Phase Blade)[/HIGHLIGHT]
Lem + Ko + El + Eld
15% Chance To Cast Level 13 Frozen Orb On Striking
18% Chance To Cast Level 20 Ice Blast On Striking
+50 To Attack Rating
+220-350% Damage To Demons
+355-375% Damage To Undead (varies)
+50 To Attack Rating Against Undead
Adds 100-220 Cold Damage
-24% To Enemy Cold Resistance
+10 To Dexterity
Cannot Be Frozen
75% Extra Gold From Monsters
+1 To Light Radius
Elemental/magic Damage:
160 + -24% Cold Resistance + Level 13 Frozen Orb + Level 20 Ice Blast
Attack Speed:
9/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/magic Damage per second:
689.5 + Frozen Orb every 1.45 seconds + Ice Blast Every 1.08 seconds
Rating:
A
Voice of Reason is very similar to Rift in that its primary attack is Frozen Orb. While it cannot be made in a Scepter with Conviction, it can be made in a Phase Blade allowing for a much faster attack speed; a further 10% IAS will allow it to reach the 4 fpa Zeal breakpoint. Despite a lower level Frozen Orb than Rift, killing speed is fairly equivalent thanks to the -24% to enemy cold resistance.
While Voice of Reason triggers it effects on Striking rather than Attack, is generally not an issue. Between maxed Zeal and Fanaticism, Zealots seldom have difficulty hitting things.
[HIGHLIGHT]4c. Azurewrath[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Phase Blade
+230-270% Enhanced Damage (varies)
+30% Increased Attack Speed
Adds 250-500 Magic Damage
Adds 250-500 Cold Damage, 10 sec. Duration (Normal)
+1 To All Skills
+5-10 To All Attributes (varies)
Level 10-13 Sanctuary Aura When Equipped (varies)
Indestructible
+3 To Light Radius
Elemental/magic Damage:
750 + Sanctuary Aura
Attack Speed:
8/4 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
3906.5
Rating:
A
The fabled sword of Tyreal himself, supposedly lost in the pit at Tal Rasha's tomb. (Why didn’t he just pick it up with one of his tentacles?) This weapon has a massive elemental/magical damage output and is fast enough to hit the last Zeal breakpoint even with a low level Fanaticism. It is actually better than Rift or Voice of Reason against single targets (though the Orb weapons are superior against crowds).
Azurewrath's physical damage is fairly respectable, so overall its killing speed is very fast, perhaps half that of Grief depending on the enemy. The Sanctuary aura reduces the physical resistance of undead to zero, so this blade mows them down like grass. Azurewrath is actually a very good primary weapon if you don’t have access to Grief/Death/eBotDz or any of the other Zealot favorites.
[HIGHLIGHT]4d. Dream Shield (and Helmet)[/HIGHLIGHT]
Io + Jah + Pul
10% Chance To Cast Level 15 Confuse When Struck
Level 15 Holy Shock Aura When Equipped
+20-30% Faster Hit Recovery (varies)
+30% Enhanced Defense
+150-220 Defense (varies)
+10 To Vitality
Increase Maximum Life 5% (Helms Only)
+50 To Life (Shields Only)
+0.625-61.875 To Mana (Based On Character Level)
All Resistances +5-20 (varies)
12-25% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items (varies)
Elemental/magic Damage:
324.5 + 54.5 pulse damage/second (834.5 + 139.5 pulse if helm included)
Attack Speed:
As per weapon, potentially 8/4 fpa
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1744.5
4486 with helm included
Rating:
B+
Dream is a rune word that can be made in either a shield or a helm. Using just the shield "on switch" will give you a level 15 Holy Shock aura for respectable lightning damage. This damage is added to whatever weapon you are using so it becomes quite phenomenal when paired with a weapon like Rift or Azurewrath. Dream has a couple of disadvantages though: its chance to cast Confuse when struck will override Life Tap and it does not provide +skills for a Holy Shield prebuff.
If you equip both a Dream helm and Shield, the levels of the auras add together for a level 30 Holy Shock for Tesladin levels of lightning damage. However, by using Dream as your primary helmet, you may lose melee bonuses such as crushing blow or damage reduction. It would be possible to keep a Dream helm in your inventory and swap it in when you encounter physical immunes, but between lag and the chaos of melee, it may prove impractical.
As a final note, if you don't have a high elemental damage weapon, Dream works very well when paired with a Crescent Moon phase blade (Shael + Um + Tir) thanks to its -35% to lightning resistance.
[HIGHLIGHT]4e. Gimmershred[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Flying Axe
+160-210% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Adds 218-483 Fire Damage
Adds 29-501 Lightning Damage
Adds 176-397 Cold Damage, 4 sec. Duration (Normal)
+30% Increased Attack Speed
Increased Stack Size [60]
Elemental/magic Damage:
902
Attack Speed:
10/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
3758.5
Rating:
B
While best known as a throwing weapon, it is also very effective when using Zeal. It sports the highest non CtC elemental damage per attack of all the weapons in the guide. Its only letdown is that it will require a lot of Increased Attack Speed from your equipment to be able to reach the last Zeal breakpoint.
[HIGHLIGHT]4f. Lawbringer Phase Blade[/HIGHLIGHT]
Amn + Lem + Ko
20% Chance To Cast Level 15 Decrepify On Striking
Level 16-18 Sanctuary Aura When Equipped (varies)
-50% Target Defense
Adds 150-210 Fire Damage
Adds 130-180 Cold Damage
7% Life Stolen Per Hit
Slain Monsters Rest In Peace
+200-250 Defense Vs. Missile (varies)
+10 To Dexterity
75% Extra Gold From Monsters
Elemental/magic Damage:
335 + Sanctuary
Attack Speed:
9/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1444 + Sanctuary
Rating:
B
This inexpensive rune word is like Azurewrath’s little brother. It sports some elemental damage as well as the Sanctuary aura that makes the undead easy work. It is stronger than Gimmershred against undead, but weaker against other monster types.
It has the Slain Monsters Rest In Peace attribute, which makes it useful against Nihlathak or those pesky charging skeletons that refuse to stay dead. Lawbringer also has a chance to cast Decrepify – while this can be considered good as it may break the physical immunity of many monsters, it overrides/is overwritten by Life tap which can be annoying.
[HIGHLIGHT]4g. Famine Axe/Hammer[/HIGHLIGHT]
Fal + Ohm + Ort + Jah
+30% Increased Attack Speed
+320-370% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Ignore Target's Defense
Adds 180-200 Magic Damage
Adds 50-200 Fire Damage
Adds 51-250 Lightning Damage
Adds 50-200 Cold Damage
12% Life Stolen Per Hit
Prevent Monster Heal
+10 To Strength
Elemental/magic Damage:
590.5
Attack Speed:
9/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
2545.5
Rating:
C
A solid weapon that deals both elemental and physical damage and makes a good primary weapon. However, for the cost of two high runes, there are more cost effective choices for dealing with physical immunes. It is best made in a Berserker Axe, though if made in a War Spike, a further 9% IAS from other gear will get you to the 4 fpa breakpoint.
[HIGHLIGHT]4h. Demon's Arch[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Balrog Spear
+160-210% Enhanced Damage (varies)
Adds 232-323 Fire Damage
Adds 23-333 Lightning Damage
+30% Increased Attack Speed
6-12% Life Stolen Per Hit (varies)
Replenishes Quantity [1 in 3 sec.]
Elemental/magic Damage:
455.5
Attack Speed:
10/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1898
Rating:
C
Like Gimmershred, Demon’s Arch is best known as a throwing weapon, but can also be used to Zeal. Slower speed and lower elemental/magical damage than the other weapons reviewed means that it will work in a pinch, but it will take a long time to kill physical immune bosses and large crowds.
[HIGHLIGHT]4i. Tiamat's Rebuke[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Dragon Shield
+140-200% Enhanced Defense (varies)
Adds 27-53 Cold Damage - 6 Second Duration
Adds 35-95 Fire Damage
Adds 1-120 Lightning Damage
3% Chance To Cast Level 6 Hydra When Struck
5% Chance To Cast Level 7 Nova When Struck
5% Chance To Cast Level 9 Frost Nova When Struck
All Resistances +25-35% (varies)
Elemental/magic Damage:
165.5
Attack Speed:
As per weapon, potentially 8/4 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
862
Rating:
C
This is actually a shield and not a weapon. It adds elemental damage to your attacks so it is worth a mention here. The added elemental damage is actually not all that great; however it is in addition to whatever weapon you are using, making it a good choice together with your elemental damage weapon switch. Its only drawback is that it will take the place of your shield on switch, potentially at a loss of +skills or other benefits.
[HIGHLIGHT]4j. Baranar’s Star[/HIGHLIGHT]
Unique Devil Star
+200% Enhanced Damage
+50% Damage To Undead
Adds 1-200 Fire Damage
Adds 1-200 Lightning Damage
Adds 1-200 Cold Damage
50% Increased Attack Speed
200% Bonus To Attack Rating
+15 To Dexterity
+15 To Strength
Elemental/magic Damage:
301.5
Attack Speed:
9/5 fpa (Zeal)
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1299.5
Rating:
C
An old favorite, and was once considered an endgame weapon, but now unfortunately overshadowed by the powerful crop of 1.10 weapons. Thanks to its 50% IAS, it reaches the 5 frame breakpoint for Zeal when used with a high level Fanaticism. If a Shael rune is added, a further 10% - 16% IAS (depending on Fanaticism level) from other equipment will let you reach a 4 frame Zeal.
[HIGHLIGHT]4k. Kingslayer Berserker Axe[/HIGHLIGHT]
Mal + Um + Gul + Fal
+30% Increased Attack Speed
+230-270% Enhanced Damage (varies)
-25% Target Defense
20% Bonus To Attack Rating
33% Chance of Crushing Blow
50% Chance of Open Wounds
+1 To Vengeance
Prevent Monster Heal
+10 To Strength
40% Extra Gold From Monsters
Elemental/magic Damage:
498*
Attack Speed:
9 fpa
Elemental/Magic Damage per second:
1383.5
Rating:
C
If you've ever thought about putting a point in Vengeance, this rune word illustrates why it is not considered a great idea. Kingslayer gives the oskill Vengeance, a skill that adds Fire, Cold and Lightning damage to your attacks. Unfortunately, the damage bonuses from Fanaticism and Zeal do not factor in to Vengeance, resulting in less than stellar elemental damage.
* Assumes character has +5 to all skills for a Vengeance level of 6.
[HIGHLIGHT]4l. Passion (Berserker Axe)[/HIGHLIGHT]
Dol + Ort + Eld + Lem
+25% Increased Attack Speed
+160-210% Enhanced Damage (varies)
50-80% Bonus To Attack Rating (varies)
+75% Damage To Undead
+50 To Attack Rating Against Undead
Adds 1-50 Lightning Damage
+1 To Berserk
+1 To Zeal
Hit Blinds Target +10
Hit Causes Monster To Flee 25%
75% Extra Gold From Monsters
Level 3 Heart of Wolverine (12 Charges)
Elemental/magic Damage:
1779*
Attack Speed:
9 fpa (Berserk) for berserker axe
Elemental/magic damage per second:
4941
Rating:
C-
The key to this weapon is the oskill Berserk, which is an attack that converts all your physical damage to magical damage, while dropping your defense to zero.
Berserk does not work as well for Paladins as it does for Barbarians. Why? Barbarians can use their primary, high damage weapon, and thanks to Battle Orders and higher innate toughness, can survive with zero defense for that much longer.
I found Berserk excellent against single monsters, but even small groups could damage me sufficiently that I had to back off and heal after every two or three hits. Wraiths and other mana-drainers will drive you crazy, as zero defense almost guarantees getting hit and mana drained, rendering Berserk unusable. Other players have given very positive reports for Passion so your mileage may vary.
* Assumes character has +5 to all skills for a Berserk level of 6.
Last edited:
Google