The Vanquisher, defined - a guide to smite/hammer paladins
I've long played a Vanquisher, ever since the Hellfire quest came out and I wanted a character who could solo it - I'd heard that they summoned a lot of minions, and thought that Smite would take forever to kill them - but I also heard that hammers couldn't dent the ubers themselves. Both of these were correct. I set out to create a character that could handle every aspect of Tristram, and the Vanquisher was my result, long before I discovered there was a name for this build.
After many months, I have finally become confident enough to compile a guide on this extremely effective class. I'd love to hear any thoughts that anyone has on this, regarding things you think I've missed, bits of strategy I'm likely missing for PvP, or just general feedback.
And so, without further ado - on with the guide!
Contents :
I Prelude
II Intro
III Stats
IV Skills
IV.1 - Combat skills
IV.2 - Offensive Auras
IV.3 - Defensive Auras
V Equipment
V.1 - Weapon
V.2 - Helm
V.3 - Sheild
V.4 - Armor
V.5 - Amulet
V.6 - Rings
V.7 - Gloves
V.8 - Belt
V.9 - Boot
VI Strategy
VI.1 - PvM/General
VI.2 - PvP
VII Charge lock/bug
VIII Readymade setups
VIII.1 - Budget Vanquisher
VIII.2 - Dueling Vanquisher
I : Prelude:
One lone paladin stood in the bitter cold of Harrogath, flakes of snow falling around him. Many of his Zakarum brothers had fallen in the fight against the Lord of Terror, caught by their limited skill sets. This one Paladin, however, had proven victorious, his versatility and dedication winning the day.
He’d hardly had time to rest since the fall of Diablo, before the archangel Tyrael had catapulted him here. He’d allowed himself a single night of rest, and now stood at the gates, his sword at the ready, as the gates slowly rose to let him out. The moment they’d opened far enough, he whispered a small prayer, begging the Light to grant him vigor, before charging into the snow.
The siege was still in full form, but the barbarians could handle the demons – it was the catapults that needed to be stopped. Terrible lumpy flesh blurred into indistinguishable marks as the paladin rushed forward, charging over hills, past catapults and demons alike. He had one target: A demon known as Shenk, the Overseer. In nearly no time, he found himself standing before that towering creature, along with more than a platoon of demons accompanying him. Quietly, he allowed the demons to advance as he prayed for the Light to augment his concentration, and as soon as the demons came close enough that he could smell their foul breath, he exploded into a cloud of whirling, translucent hammers. Taken by surprise, the demons weren’t prepared for the fury being released, and those that didn’t fall, began to flee.
Shenk, however, did no such thing – whether from some sense of demonic pride, or fear of Baal’s retribution, it was impossible to guess. Slowly, the Paladin approached the towering mass of black demonic flesh, his weapon at the ready. When Shenk struck out with his whip, the Paladin made his move, turning the whip aside with his sword, and moving in to strike with his shield. The holy energy in the shield was such that it knocked Shenk back, and the Paladin followed, pressing the attack. The battle had already come to its decision; Shenk posed no threat to this strange, versatile warrior.
As the demonic energy purged itself from Shenk’s body, leaving only a charred skeleton, the Paladin looked up at the peak of Mount Arreat, shrouded in clouds. There, the Ancients guarded the World Stone Keep. There, he would be forced into a showdown with the Lord of Destruction.
“Baal,†the Paladin whispered, “I’m coming for you.â€
II : Introduction:
This is a guide to the definitive Vanquisher, a build that I had been using long before I realized there was a name for it. Defined by versatility, a Vanquisher’s power is in his ability to answer any threat, be it huge mobs of enemies, or act bosses. What is a Vanquisher, you ask? A Vanquisher is a character that specializes in two different attacks, Blessed Hammers and Smite. Often, a Vanquisher will also use the move Charge, both offensively and simply to move around rapidly.
III : Stats:
Fairly straightforward, but just to recap -
Strength : Just enough for gear. Expensive gear will let you remain at base, medium around 50, and a cheap Vanquisher may need as much as 80, but try not to go above this.
Dexterity : Just enough for max block. With a good shield, you shouldn’t need more than 100, or perhaps upwards of 150 with Spirit.
Vitality : The more, the better. Life = not dying, and dying is bad.
Energy : You won’t need anything here.
IV : Skills :
I’ll only give descriptions for the skills that I recommend using, or might be worth honorable mention. Be warned, this build is extremely demanding on skill points, and you’ll be able to continue maxing main synergies well into the late 90’s.
IV.1 : Combat Skills:
Smite (1-20 points) : Usually, you will only want one point into Smite. Holy Sheild will provide a larger damage boost than this, unless you’re using a Grief weapon when smiting. One nice thing to note about Smite is that the skill is always uninterruptible. In terms of speed, Smite can reach 6 frames per attack, I recommend getting at least 7. Anything slower than that, and you’re really asking for trouble.
Charge (1 point) : Only one point here will be more than enough. You’ll end up with near to 500% or more enhanced damage with this if you max Vigor. Be warned when using this, however. If you charge and try to switch which attack you’re using (typically to Smite) too quickly, it’ll lock your character up – hitting ‘w’ to switch weapons fixes this. Also, it will lock and not work at all if Holy Sheild wears off mid-charge, or, if I’m not mistaken, if you’re killed mid-charge. Still, these problems aren’t as much of a pain as it seems, as they happen relatively infrequently.
Blessed Hammer (20 points) : This is the skill this build circulates around. Using Blessed Hammer gives you the ability to tear through large numbers of enemies, using Smite to finish off stragglers and bosses. With average gear and a true hybrid build, you should be able to manage 6,000 damage from this at level 80 or so. With low end gear, probably around 3,000 damage, and with top end gear (very few charms, though), I personally manage 11,000 in smite mode, and 14,000 when I focus on them.
Holy Sheild (1-20 points) : The key to making your smite effective. Holy shield adds blocking, defense, and base damage to your shield, which will get enhanced by strength, smite, concentration, and any enhanced damage on gear. Also, higher levels will increase the duration, giving fewer problems with Charge locking. I recommend 20 points here, they’re nearly necessary unless you have Grief. If you have a Grief, you might be better served with points in Smite, but I prefer the defense bonus from this anyway – I can manage over 13,000 defense with a mage plate enigma, shako, and Herald of Zakarum, thanks to having maxed this.
IV.2 : Offensive auras:
Blessed Aim (1-20 points): Depending on the style of Vanquisher you build, you may have to choose one Hammer synergy to focus on, either this or Vigor. Vigor will result in a higher charge damage, but Blessed Aim gives a passive 5% Attack Rating bonus per point spent in it.
Concentration (20 points): This will be your primary aura, giving anywhere from 400-600% enhanced damage depending on what gear you use. It works at half effectiveness for hammers, but that’s still more than enough for that, and at full effectiveness for Smite. It also gives a 20% chance that any attack you make will be uninterruptible, but that’s a moot point – smite is uninterruptible anyway.
Fanatacism (0-1 point): I haven’t tested this myself, but one of my friends that built a Vanquisher has put one point into Fanatacism, and reports that it works well for him, making it much easier to reach the 6 frame smite speed. It results in a drop in raw smite damage, but makes up for it with the faster attack – really, this is personal choice. I would prefer to save the point, as this build is extremely skill intensive.
IV.3 : Defensive auras:
Cleansing (1 point): Technically, this is a prerequisite, but it’s one that I use all the time. Even a moderate number of +skills will give you 65% reduction of poison/curse time, and I believe I personally have mine sitting around 83%. Usually, flicking it on for a couple seconds is enough to remove any poison/curses I have on me. Definitely worth a hotkey.
Vigor (1-20 points): Your second Hammer synergy. You may, depending on your style of build, be forced to choose whether to focus on this or Blessed Aim. This will produce a higher damage rating on your charge, while Blessed Aim makes that charge more accurate. Personal choice, really.
Redemption (1 point): I know of many people who can’t understand why I bother getting this. However, putting this on a hotkey and flashing it after killing a mob will enlighten anyone who doesn’t understand – it’s like a free full rejuvenation potion. I even use it during battle when I see my life dropping faster than I’d like, with few ill effects.
Salvation (0-1 point): This has it’s greatest use in Chaotic Tristram, when doing the Hellfire quest. Since we generally rely on Concentration rather than fanaticism, this will provide no difference in speed of attack, giving instead a massive infusion of resistance, which is something almost every character needs in Chaotic Tristram. I don’t use it, I find that I don’t need it, but for less expensive builds it may prove useful.
I've long played a Vanquisher, ever since the Hellfire quest came out and I wanted a character who could solo it - I'd heard that they summoned a lot of minions, and thought that Smite would take forever to kill them - but I also heard that hammers couldn't dent the ubers themselves. Both of these were correct. I set out to create a character that could handle every aspect of Tristram, and the Vanquisher was my result, long before I discovered there was a name for this build.
After many months, I have finally become confident enough to compile a guide on this extremely effective class. I'd love to hear any thoughts that anyone has on this, regarding things you think I've missed, bits of strategy I'm likely missing for PvP, or just general feedback.
And so, without further ado - on with the guide!
Contents :
I Prelude
II Intro
III Stats
IV Skills
IV.1 - Combat skills
IV.2 - Offensive Auras
IV.3 - Defensive Auras
V Equipment
V.1 - Weapon
V.2 - Helm
V.3 - Sheild
V.4 - Armor
V.5 - Amulet
V.6 - Rings
V.7 - Gloves
V.8 - Belt
V.9 - Boot
VI Strategy
VI.1 - PvM/General
VI.2 - PvP
VII Charge lock/bug
VIII Readymade setups
VIII.1 - Budget Vanquisher
VIII.2 - Dueling Vanquisher
I : Prelude:
One lone paladin stood in the bitter cold of Harrogath, flakes of snow falling around him. Many of his Zakarum brothers had fallen in the fight against the Lord of Terror, caught by their limited skill sets. This one Paladin, however, had proven victorious, his versatility and dedication winning the day.
He’d hardly had time to rest since the fall of Diablo, before the archangel Tyrael had catapulted him here. He’d allowed himself a single night of rest, and now stood at the gates, his sword at the ready, as the gates slowly rose to let him out. The moment they’d opened far enough, he whispered a small prayer, begging the Light to grant him vigor, before charging into the snow.
The siege was still in full form, but the barbarians could handle the demons – it was the catapults that needed to be stopped. Terrible lumpy flesh blurred into indistinguishable marks as the paladin rushed forward, charging over hills, past catapults and demons alike. He had one target: A demon known as Shenk, the Overseer. In nearly no time, he found himself standing before that towering creature, along with more than a platoon of demons accompanying him. Quietly, he allowed the demons to advance as he prayed for the Light to augment his concentration, and as soon as the demons came close enough that he could smell their foul breath, he exploded into a cloud of whirling, translucent hammers. Taken by surprise, the demons weren’t prepared for the fury being released, and those that didn’t fall, began to flee.
Shenk, however, did no such thing – whether from some sense of demonic pride, or fear of Baal’s retribution, it was impossible to guess. Slowly, the Paladin approached the towering mass of black demonic flesh, his weapon at the ready. When Shenk struck out with his whip, the Paladin made his move, turning the whip aside with his sword, and moving in to strike with his shield. The holy energy in the shield was such that it knocked Shenk back, and the Paladin followed, pressing the attack. The battle had already come to its decision; Shenk posed no threat to this strange, versatile warrior.
As the demonic energy purged itself from Shenk’s body, leaving only a charred skeleton, the Paladin looked up at the peak of Mount Arreat, shrouded in clouds. There, the Ancients guarded the World Stone Keep. There, he would be forced into a showdown with the Lord of Destruction.
“Baal,†the Paladin whispered, “I’m coming for you.â€
II : Introduction:
This is a guide to the definitive Vanquisher, a build that I had been using long before I realized there was a name for it. Defined by versatility, a Vanquisher’s power is in his ability to answer any threat, be it huge mobs of enemies, or act bosses. What is a Vanquisher, you ask? A Vanquisher is a character that specializes in two different attacks, Blessed Hammers and Smite. Often, a Vanquisher will also use the move Charge, both offensively and simply to move around rapidly.
III : Stats:
Fairly straightforward, but just to recap -
Strength : Just enough for gear. Expensive gear will let you remain at base, medium around 50, and a cheap Vanquisher may need as much as 80, but try not to go above this.
Dexterity : Just enough for max block. With a good shield, you shouldn’t need more than 100, or perhaps upwards of 150 with Spirit.
Vitality : The more, the better. Life = not dying, and dying is bad.
Energy : You won’t need anything here.
IV : Skills :
I’ll only give descriptions for the skills that I recommend using, or might be worth honorable mention. Be warned, this build is extremely demanding on skill points, and you’ll be able to continue maxing main synergies well into the late 90’s.
IV.1 : Combat Skills:
Smite (1-20 points) : Usually, you will only want one point into Smite. Holy Sheild will provide a larger damage boost than this, unless you’re using a Grief weapon when smiting. One nice thing to note about Smite is that the skill is always uninterruptible. In terms of speed, Smite can reach 6 frames per attack, I recommend getting at least 7. Anything slower than that, and you’re really asking for trouble.
Charge (1 point) : Only one point here will be more than enough. You’ll end up with near to 500% or more enhanced damage with this if you max Vigor. Be warned when using this, however. If you charge and try to switch which attack you’re using (typically to Smite) too quickly, it’ll lock your character up – hitting ‘w’ to switch weapons fixes this. Also, it will lock and not work at all if Holy Sheild wears off mid-charge, or, if I’m not mistaken, if you’re killed mid-charge. Still, these problems aren’t as much of a pain as it seems, as they happen relatively infrequently.
Blessed Hammer (20 points) : This is the skill this build circulates around. Using Blessed Hammer gives you the ability to tear through large numbers of enemies, using Smite to finish off stragglers and bosses. With average gear and a true hybrid build, you should be able to manage 6,000 damage from this at level 80 or so. With low end gear, probably around 3,000 damage, and with top end gear (very few charms, though), I personally manage 11,000 in smite mode, and 14,000 when I focus on them.
Holy Sheild (1-20 points) : The key to making your smite effective. Holy shield adds blocking, defense, and base damage to your shield, which will get enhanced by strength, smite, concentration, and any enhanced damage on gear. Also, higher levels will increase the duration, giving fewer problems with Charge locking. I recommend 20 points here, they’re nearly necessary unless you have Grief. If you have a Grief, you might be better served with points in Smite, but I prefer the defense bonus from this anyway – I can manage over 13,000 defense with a mage plate enigma, shako, and Herald of Zakarum, thanks to having maxed this.
IV.2 : Offensive auras:
Blessed Aim (1-20 points): Depending on the style of Vanquisher you build, you may have to choose one Hammer synergy to focus on, either this or Vigor. Vigor will result in a higher charge damage, but Blessed Aim gives a passive 5% Attack Rating bonus per point spent in it.
Concentration (20 points): This will be your primary aura, giving anywhere from 400-600% enhanced damage depending on what gear you use. It works at half effectiveness for hammers, but that’s still more than enough for that, and at full effectiveness for Smite. It also gives a 20% chance that any attack you make will be uninterruptible, but that’s a moot point – smite is uninterruptible anyway.
Fanatacism (0-1 point): I haven’t tested this myself, but one of my friends that built a Vanquisher has put one point into Fanatacism, and reports that it works well for him, making it much easier to reach the 6 frame smite speed. It results in a drop in raw smite damage, but makes up for it with the faster attack – really, this is personal choice. I would prefer to save the point, as this build is extremely skill intensive.
IV.3 : Defensive auras:
Cleansing (1 point): Technically, this is a prerequisite, but it’s one that I use all the time. Even a moderate number of +skills will give you 65% reduction of poison/curse time, and I believe I personally have mine sitting around 83%. Usually, flicking it on for a couple seconds is enough to remove any poison/curses I have on me. Definitely worth a hotkey.
Vigor (1-20 points): Your second Hammer synergy. You may, depending on your style of build, be forced to choose whether to focus on this or Blessed Aim. This will produce a higher damage rating on your charge, while Blessed Aim makes that charge more accurate. Personal choice, really.
Redemption (1 point): I know of many people who can’t understand why I bother getting this. However, putting this on a hotkey and flashing it after killing a mob will enlighten anyone who doesn’t understand – it’s like a free full rejuvenation potion. I even use it during battle when I see my life dropping faster than I’d like, with few ill effects.
Salvation (0-1 point): This has it’s greatest use in Chaotic Tristram, when doing the Hellfire quest. Since we generally rely on Concentration rather than fanaticism, this will provide no difference in speed of attack, giving instead a massive infusion of resistance, which is something almost every character needs in Chaotic Tristram. I don’t use it, I find that I don’t need it, but for less expensive builds it may prove useful.
They will accept whatever attack you use first as being your type. As we know, there’s more up our sleeves than they expect. Charge is an excellent way to play with people’s heads; people absolutely hate being helplessly pushed around and sucking up damage in the process. Once you’ve hit them a few times in succession with Charge, most people panic – and panicking people making mistakes, which we can take advantage of.