There is always going to be a debate when it comes down to the best build in Diablo 2: Resurrected. Player strengths and weaknesses are simply too vast for there to be a single cookie-cutter design that works for every single person who picks up the game.
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But when veterans are asked what the consensus "best" build in Diablo 2: Resurrected is, the overwhelming choice is the Paladin's Blessed Hammer build. It's the S-Tier of the S-Tier builds. The usefulness against monsters from beginning to end needs to be experienced to be believed. But definitely experience it, because there is a reason so many believers in the community swear by the Hammerdin.
Skills
| Prayer | 1 |
| Cleansing | 1 |
| Defiance | 1 |
| Vigor | 20 |
| Meditation | 3 |
| Might | 1 |
| Blessed Aim | 20 |
| Concentration | 20 |
| Smite | 1 |
| Charge | 1 |
| Holy Bolt | 1 |
| Blessed Hammer | 20 |
| Holy Shield | 20 |
The Paladin has several skills that are considered the best skills in the endgame for any class. Only one aura, Concentration, assists with Blessed Hammer while it is active, so that becomes the default aura. Vigor and Blessed Aim provide passive benefits to Blessed Hammer, so getting them to 20 is also important. Holy Shield is perhaps the best defensive skill in the game and almost everything the Paladin needs to be a physical tank.
Attributes
| Strength | 156 |
| Dexterity | Enough to get 75% block chance |
| Vitality | All the rest |
| Energy | None |
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At 156 strength, the Paladin can use the Monarchy shield with the Spirit Runeword. There is an alternative build that uses the Herald of Zakarum instead, which trades damage output for tankiness, but Holy Shield is plenty tanky and the extra casting speed on Spirit is superior. The Paladin will be in the eye of the Storm, so getting to maximum block with dexterity is key. The gear has plenty of mana (it's intended for casters) so energy isn't useful. Vitality enables the Paladin to be a complete tank.
Equipment
| Weapon | Heart of the Oak |
| Offhand | Spirit |
| Head | Harlequin Crest |
| Body | Enigma |
| Hands | Magefist |
| Feet | Sandstorm Trek |
| Waist | Arachnid Mesh |
| Neck | Mara's Kaleidoscope |
| Finger 1 | Bul-Kathos' Wedding Ring |
| Finger 2 | The Stone of Jordan |
| Unique Charms | Gheed's Fortune, Hellfire Torch, Annihilus |
| Grand Charms | Lion Branded Grand Charms of Balance |
| Small Charms | Shimmering/Stalwart Small Charms of Balance |
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Aside from the sheer amount of additional skills these items have, they speed up castrate substantially with some of the best Runewords in the game, allowing the Hammerdin to cover the entire room with Blessed Hammers. Attack rate and physical damage boosts do not help this build; Blessed Hammer is a spell, hence the volume of caster gear. The small charms should be used to get resistances to 75% before using them to boost generic defense.
Mercenary
| Mercenary | Act 2 Defensive Desert Mercenary |
| Weapon | Reaper's Toll |
| Head | Andariel's Visage |
| Body | Fortitude |
The defensive Desert Mercenary offers an aura that slows enemies, keeping them from either escaping the Paladin's Blessed Hammers or closing in on the Paladin as he casts. Getting every last drop out of the mercenary is more important for the Paladin than most because this build has no physical damage output. Against a magic immune enemy, this duty falls to the mercenary to pick up the slack.
Diablo 2: Resurrected was released on September 23rd, 2021, and is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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