The Best Diablo 2 Resurrected Classes

No matter which one you used previously, these classes should be very familiar to you on a base level. Over time though, it may be that you may have forgotten some things along the way. So here then is a reminder of the best Diablo 2 Resurrected classes, with all the skills and attributes explained.
Activision Blizzard is facing a lawsuit filed in July by the state of California (since expanded for QA and customer service contractors) alleging years of discrimination and harassment. Since then, CEO Bobby Kotick has called the company’s initial response “tone deaf”, employees have staged a walkout, Blizzard president J Allen Brack has left, and the ABK Workers Alliance has demanded change at the company. The lawsuit is ongoing; follow the latest developments here. In September, an agency of the US federal government opened an investigation into Activision Blizzard’s response to sexual misconduct and discrimination complaints from its employees, as part of which Kotick has reportedly been subpoenaed. The company is also facing a separate unfair labour practice suit alleging “worker intimidation and union busting” filed by a workers’ union, also in September. Here are the best Diablo 2 Resurrected classes:

PALADIN

The Paladin can be either a highly offensive class able to power up the entire team or a defensive class that uses auras to give the team resistance to various types of attacks. He also uses magic attacks to inflict damage on foes or to heal and buff friends. He has among the highest health pool and strength stats and is excellent for those wanting to lean towards a support/tank build.
However, where he truly shines is the best Diablo 2 Resurrected Paladin build: the ‘Hammerdin’. By using a lethal combination of auras, the Paladin’s Blessed Hammer skill can smite demons with ease, and his teammates get all the benefits of the auras to their attacks. If the Hammerdin is not to your tastes, several viable options are available, making it the most versatile class in the game.

PALADIN STARTING ATTRIBUTES

Health points – 55 Stamina – 89 Mana points – 15 Strength – 25 Dexterity – 20 Vitality – 25 Energy – 15

PALADIN LEVEL UP STATS

Health points: +2 Stamina: +1 Mana: +1.5

PALADIN ATTRIBUTE POINT EFFECTS

1x Vitality point = +3 health points and +1 stamina 1x Energy point = +1.5 mana points

Paladin defensive auras

Prayer – heals all party members at the expense of the caster’s mana reserves Resist Fire – increases fire resistance for all party members Defiance – boosts the defence of all party members Resist Cold – increases cold resistance for all party members Cleansing – reduces poison and curse duration for all party members Resist Lightning – increases lightning resistance for all party members Vigor – increases speed, stamina, and stamina recovery for all party members Meditation – boosts mana recovery for all party members Redemption – periodically attempts to redeem corpses for health and mana Salvation – increases all elemental resistances for all party members

Paladin offensive auras

Might – increases damage dealt by the Paladin and his allies Holy Fire – periodically does fire damage to nearby enemies Thorns – enemies take damage when they cause melee damage to party members Blessed Aim – increases attack rating Holy Freeze – periodically does cold damage to nearby enemies Concentration – increases damage dealt and reduces the chance of being interrupted during an attack Holy Shock – periodically does lightning damage to nearby enemies Fanaticism – increases your damage, attack speed, and attack rating. Increases damage for all party members Conviction – reduces enemy defence and resistances

Paladin combat skills

Sacrifice – increases damage at the cost of health Smite – a shield bash that does damage and knockback Holy Bolt – a bolt of energy that damages undead or heals friendly units Zeal – quickly attacks multiple adjacent enemies Charge – closes the distance with an enemy, delivering a bash on combat Vengeance – adds elemental damage to all melee attacks (fire, lightning, and cold) Blessed Hammer – summons a magic hammer that spirals outward, damaging enemies Conversion – a successful attack has a chance to convert the target to fight for the Paladin Holy Shield – magically enhances shield to give defensive bonuses Fist of the Heavens – calls down a bolt of lightning on the target, then sends out a spray of Holy Bolts

Sorceress

With mastery over ice, lightning, and fire, the Sorceress flings spells that can seriously damage foes, inflict status ailments, and protect from enemy attacks. However, she is the most fragile of all the classes and pretty terrible at melee combat too, but makes up for it with a massive mana pool.
The best Diablo 2 Resurrected Sorceress build is just a smidge harder to use than the Paladin thanks to enemies with cold resistance, but flinging ‘Frozen Orbs’ to annihilate every enemy on-screen is immensely satisfying. The only thing that puts the Paladin above the Sorceress is that the Paladin has abilities that help everyone. On the other hand, the Sorceress doesn’t buff her teammates, but killing monsters is still a helpful contribution. So if you want to focus on raw DPS, the Sorceress is for you.

SORCERESS STARTING ATTRIBUTES

Health points – 40 Stamina – 74 Mana points – 35 Strength – 10 Dexterity – 25 Vitality – 10 Energy – 35

SORCERESS LEVEL UP STATS

Health points: +1 Stamina: +1 Mana: +2

SORCERESS ATTRIBUTE POINT EFFECTS

1x Vitality point = +2 health points and +1 stamina 1x Energy point = +2 mana points

SORCERESS FIRE SPELLS

Fire Bolt – creates a bolt of fire Warmth – increases mana recovery rate Inferno – creates a spout of flame that burns enemies Fire Ball – creates a ball of fire that explodes on impact Blaze – leave a wall of fire in your footsteps Fire Wall – creates a wall of fire Enchant – temporarily adds fire damage to a weapon Meteor – summons a meteor from the heavens to smite enemies Fire Mastery – increases damage done by all fire spells Hydra – creates a multi-headed beast that attacks enemies with bolts of fire

SORCERESS LIGHTNING SPELLS

Charged Bolt – fires multiple jumping bolts of electricity that seek their targets Telekinesis – allows you to pick up items, attack, and trigger objects at a distance Static Field – every enemy in a radius around you loses 25% of their current health Lightning – casts a bolt of lightning Nova – creates an expanding ring of electricity Chain Lighting – casts a lightning bolt that jumps through multiple targets Teleport – instantly transports you between two points Thunder Storm – summons a thunderstorm that periodically blasts a nearby enemy with a bolt of lightning Energy Shield – absorbs magical and some physical damage to damage your mana instead of life Lighting Mastery – increases the damage of all lightning spells

SORCERESS COLD SPELLS

Ice Bolt – shots a bolt of ice that damages and slows your victim Frozen Armor – gives a defence bonus and freezes any melee attacker that hits you Ice Blast – creates a bolt of ice that completely freezes a target Frost Nova – creates an expanding ring of ice and frost that damages and slows enemies Shiver Armor – enchants with an armor of cold, granting a defence bonus, while also slowing and damaging melee attackers Glacial Spike – a shard of ice that inflicts massive cold damage and explodes to freeze nearby foes Blizzard – summons an ice storm to rain cold death onto enemies Chilling Armor – confers a defence bonus and launches an ice bolt against ranged attackers Cold Mastery – pierces the cold resistance of your enemies Frozen Orb – a pulsating orb that shreds an area with ice bolts

Necromancer

The Necromancer excels at using macabre magic to raise a skeleton army and other minions to fight for you. But while he may be more well known for his many pets, the Necromancer does have other spells. He can use poison to sap at an opponent’s life, use bones as ingredients for magic, and even curse enemies with status ailments. He’s somewhat on the flimsy side but not the weakest of the bunch.
Our recommendation for the best Diablo 2 Necromancer build focuses heavily on summoning his monster army. You’ll begin by investing in Raise Skeleton and Clay Golem to act as a barrier between your enemies and your allies. Then, you can use Corpse Explosion to wipe out large clusters of foes at once for every enemy that dies. If there is a mighty enemy you’ve just slain, the last skill, Revive, will bolster your army with a powerful new companion. The Necromancer’s ability to distract the enemy is valuable. The only issue with this strategy is that your allies in multiplayer might find it difficult to tell the difference between enemies and your monsters.

NECROMANCER STARTING ATTRIBUTES

Health points – 45 Stamina – 79 Mana points – 25 Strength – 15 Dexterity – 25 Vitality – 15 Energy – 25

NECROMANCER LEVEL UP STATS

Health points: +1.5 Stamina: +1 Mana: +2

NECROMANCER ATTRIBUTE POINT EFFECTS

1x Vitality point = +2 health points and +1 stamina 1x Energy point = +2 mana points

NECROMANCER SUMMONING SPELLS

Raising Skeleton – raise an undead warrior from a corpse to fight for you Skeleton Mastery – improves the quality of raised Skeletons, Magi, and Revived Clay Golem – raises a Golem from the earth to fight for you Golem Mastery – enhances the speed and life of Golems Raise Skeletal Mage – raises an undead mage to fight for you Blood Golem – summons a golem made of your blood Summon Resist – increases the resistances of your summoned minions Iron Golem – summons a powerful Golem at the cost of a metal item. The Golem takes the properties of the sacrificed item Fire Golem – summons a Golem of fire Revive – resurrects a monster to fight for you

NECROMANCER POISON AND BONE SPELLS

Teeth – summons multiple projectiles to damage enemies Bone Armor – creates a protective shield of bone that absorbs damage from physical attacks Poison Dagger – coats your weapon with a layer of poison Corpse Explosion – fills a corpse with energy causing it to explode violently Bone Wall – creates a barrier of bone Poison Explosion – releases a cloud of poisonous gas from a corpse Bone Spear – summons a bone missile that can damage and pass through multiple enemies Bone Prison – summons a ring of bone to surround a target Poison Nova – a ring of poison explodes from the Necromancer Bone Spirit – summons a spirit to track and damage a target

NECROMANCER CURSES

Amplify Damage – increases the amount of damage enemies recieve Dim Vision – decreases the radius of vision for enemies Weaken – decreases the damage dealt by enemies caught inside the curse Iron Maiden – reflects damage back at attackers Terror – causes monsters to run away in fear Confuse – confuses monsters, causing them to attack randomly Life Tap – curses an enemy, causing them to grant life to their attackers Attract – causes other monsters to target your enemy Decrepify – a crippling curse that halves enemy units’ speed, damage, and physical resistances Lower Resist – elemental attacks do more damage to the cursed monster

Barbarian

If you prefer getting up close and personal, swinging your sword or axe while screaming in the faces of your enemies, then the Barbarian is for you. Mastering items, frantic combat skills, and shouting at the top of your lungs are a considerable part of your arsenal, but the Barbarian’s primary job is to soak up all the damage and be a big distraction to enable your allies to attack without worrying about getting hurt.
Speaking of the best Diablo 2 Resurrected Barbarian build, the ‘Whirlwind’ skill combined with Battle Orders and Shout makes this one of the tankier builds in the game. So long as you use the Whirlwind in short bursts, you’ll be able to dish out the maximum amount of damage possible. While the Barbarian doesn’t do as much damage as the Paladin or Sorceress, he provides enough of a distraction that is vital for parties playing in multiplayer.

BARBARIAN STARTING ATTRIBUTES

Health points – 55 Stamina – 92 Mana points – 10 Strength – 30 Dexterity – 20 Vitality – 25 Energy – 10

BARBARIAN LEVEL UP STATS

Health points: +2 Stamina: +1 Mana: +1

BARBARIAN ATTRIBUTE POINT EFFECTS

1x Vitality point = +4 health points and +1 stamina 1x Energy point = +1 mana point

BARBARIAN COMBAT SKILLS

Bash – attacks an enemy and knocks them back Double Swing – attacks with both weapons, striking two enemies at once Leap – jump into the air, knocking back any foes at your landing point Double Throw – throws both weapons outwards Stun – strike an enemy, temporarily stuning them Leap Attack – leap at an enemy, striking them as you land and knocking back surround foes Concentrate – attacks an enemy and raises concentration, temporarily increasing defence Frenzy – every successful hit increases velocity and attack speed Whirlwind – the Barbarian spins his weapons around him, striking everything in his path Berserk – a powerful attack that leaves the Barbarian more vulnerable

BARBARIAN COMBAT MASTERIES

Sword Mastery – increases damage and attack rating when using swords Axe Mastery – increases damage and attack rating when using axes (applies to throwing axes if used as melee weapons) Mace Mastery – increases damage and attack rating when using maces Polearm Mastery – increases damage and attack rating when using polearms Throwing Mastery – increases damage and attack rating when throwing a weapon (benefits thrown axes and spears) Spear Mastery – increases damage and attack rating when using spears (benefits throwing spears if used as melee weapons) Increased Stamina – increases stamina and stamina recovery rate Iron Skin – improves overall defence (Does not with Shout, Defiance, or Berserk skills, or the Conviction debuff) Increased Speed – increases walk and run speeds (This stacks with speed boosts from items) Natural Resistance – increases resistances to fire, cold, lightning, and poison damage

BARBARIAN WARCRIES

Howl – frightens monsters, causing them to run in fear Find Potion – Barbarian has a chance to procure a potion depending on a monster’s corpse (potion type depends on act) Shout – increases the defence of allies Taunt – taunts a monster, compelling it to engage in melee combat with reduced damage Find Item – attempts to find a random item in a monster’s corpse Battle Cry – lowers the nearby opponent’s defence and damage Battle Orders – increases nearby allies’ life, stamina, and mana Grim Ward – turns a corpse into a gruesome ward, causing nearby monsters to flee at the sight of it War Cry – damages and stuns enemies Battle Command – increases the Barbarian’s and nearby allies’ skills by one

Druid

One of the two classes introduced initially in the Lord of Destruction expansion pack, the Druid specialises in using nature and body modifying skills to wade through the demons in his way. He can summon the elements to inflict damage, transform himself into a werewolf or werebear that he can give unique abilities to, or just summon creatures to fight by his side like ravens or oak sages. This is a good option for those wanting a mix of melee and ranged magical combat with average stats.
We think that the best Diablo 2 Resurrected Druid build is his DPS focused ‘Fury Werewolf’ build. By channelling his inner beast, he can transform into a monster that has many buffs so long as he’s in beast mode. This is also a relatively varied build, with the option to call upon a grizzly bear to help manage crowds of enemies. If you have a Sorceress casting spells or a Paladin keeping you healthy, this class can be as good as the Barbarian.

DRUID STARTING ATTRIBUTE

Health points – 55 Stamina – 84 Mana points – 20 Strength – 15 Dexterity – 20 Vitality – 25 Energy – 20

DRUID LEVEL UP STATS

Health points: +1.5 Stamina: +1 Mana: +2

DRUID ATTRIBUTE POINT EFFECTS

1x Vitality point = +2 health points and +1 stamina 1x Energy point = +2 mana points

DRUID ELEMENTAL SKILLS

Firestorm – three weaving trails of fire that seek out enemies for a short distance Molten Boulder – lunges a huge molten boulder at a group of foes Arctic Blast – a spout of ice that freezes your enemies Cyclone Armor – covers the Druid in protective forces that absorb elemental attacks Fissure – attacks an area by opening a hole in the earth and damaging anything near it Twister – summons three small twisters that deal damage and stun enemies Volcano – creates a mini volcano that spurts out fireballs Tornado – casts a larger whirlwind to damage your foes Armageddon – small meteors fall from the sky around the Druid Hurricane – manipulates a strong force of wind to surround the Druid

DRUID SHAPE-SHIFTING SKILLS

Werewolf – transforms the Druid into a Werewolf Lycanthropy – increases the life of the Druid while shapeshifted, as well as the duration of the transformation Werebear – transforms the Druid into a Werebear Maul – mauls an enemy, building more strength with each hit Feral Rage – leeches life from enemies, getting stronger with each attack Fire Claws – augments your paws with fire damage Rabies – toxifies your touch, poisoning anything you attack Shock Wave – let loose a roar that stuns surrounding enemies Hunger – attack an enemy, leeching both life and mana Fury – viciously attack nearby enemies

DRUID SUMMONING SKILLS

Raven – summon Ravens to peck out the eyes of your enemies Poison Creeper – summons a poisonous vine that attacks enemies from underground Oak Sage – summons a spirit that increases your party’s health Summon Spirit Wolf – summons a Spirit Wolf to attack your enemies Carrion Vine – summons a vine that eats corpses and gives the Druid life Heart of Wolverine – summons a spirit to increase the party’s damage and attack rating Summon Dire Wolf – summons a Dire Wolf to attack your enemies Solar Creeper – summons a vine that consumes corpses and grants the Druid mana Spirit of Barbs – summons a spirit that reflects damage back at attackers Summon Grizzly – summons a Grizzly Bear to attack your enemies

AMAZON

AMAZON STARTING ATTRIBUTES

Health points – 50 Stamina – 84 Mana points – 15 Strength – 20 Dexterity – 25 Vitality – 20 Energy – 15

AMAZON LEVEL UP STATS

Health points: +2 Stamina: +1 Mana: +1.5

AMAZON ATTRIBUTE POINT EFFECTS

1x Vitality point = +3 health points and +1 stamina 1x Energy point = +1.5 mana points

AMAZON BOW AND CROSSBOW SKILLS

Magic Arrow – attacks with a magical arrow or bolt Fire Arrow – enchants an arrow with fire, allowing it to deal additional magic damage Cold Arrow – enchants an arrow with cold, adding cold damage and slowing your enemy Multiple Shot – splits one arrow into many at reduced damage Exploding Arrow – adds fire damage to normal arrows and explodes on impact Ice Arrow – enchants arrows that deal additional cold damage and will temporarily freeze the target Guided Arrow – imbues an arrow with the ability to seek its nearest target Immolation Arrow – enchants an arrow with fire that explodes on contact, leaving a patch of fire Strafe – fires a volley of arrows at multiple nearby targets Freezing Arrow – enchants an arrow to deliver cold damage that freezes any monsters near the point of impact

AMAZON PASSIVE AND MAGIC SKILLS

Inner Sight – illuminates foes and lowers their defences Critical Strike – grants a chance to do double damage Dodge – grants a chance to dodge melee attacks Slow Missiles – slows the speed of incoming missile attacks Avoid – grants a chance to move out of the way of a missile attack while standing still Penetrate – improves attack, increasing your chance to hit Decoy – creates a double, confusing foes Evade – grants a chance to evade any attack while moving Valkyrie – summons a powerful Valkyrie warrior to fight by your side Pierce – grants a chance for your missile attacks to continue through its victim

AMAZON JAVELIN AND SPEAR SKILLS

ASSASSIN

As the second of the two classes introduced initially in the Lord of Destruction expansion pack, the Assassin uses a mix of martial arts and deadly traps to take out targets. She’s also a master of ninja techniques, including rapid speed, allowing her to avoid enemy detection. Her stats are as average as they get, but she has impressive stamina that’s handy for avoiding danger.
She’s also, sadly, the most challenging class to use in the game. It’s not that the best Diablo 2 Resurrected Assassin build isn’t good, it is, but her skills require the player to execute a lot of commands and set up traps in advance for her to be effective. Even her best build doesn’t quite reach the standards of the other classes as they’re just more efficient. If this doesn’t phase you, then it’s worth at least trying her out for yourself.

ASSASSIN STARTING ATTRIBUTES

Health points – 50 Stamina – 95 Mana points – 25 Strength – 20 Dexterity – 20 Vitality – 20 Energy – 25

ASSASSIN LEVEL UP STATS

Health points: +2 Stamina: +1.25 Mana: +1.5

ASSASSIN ATTRIBUTE POINT EFFECTS

1x Vitality point = +3 health points and +1.25 stamina 1x Energy point = +1.75 mana points

ASSASSIN MARTIAL ARTS

Tiger Strike – attacks an enemy and stores a charge Dragon Talon – attacks an enemy with a flurry of kicks Fists of Fire – a fire attack that deals more damage with each charge Dragon Claw – attack an enemy with both weapons simultaneously Cobra Strike – an attack that drains life and mana from the victim Claws of Thunder – an attack that deals lightning damage and stores a charge Dragon Tail – a powerful kick that explodes on impact Blades of Ice – an attack that chills an enemy Dragon Flight – teleports to an enemy and kicks it Phoenix Strike – a finishing move that deals fire, lightning, and cold damage all at once

ASSASSIN SHADOW DISCIPLINES

Claw Mastery – increases combat efficiency with claw-type weapons Psychic Hammer – attacks an enemy with a mental blast Burst of Speed – increases attack and movement speed for a short time Cloak of Shadows – hides the Assassin, allowing her to attack with greater accuracy Weapon Block – allows an Assassin to block when using two claw-type weapons Fade – partially phases the Assassin to another plane, allowing her to avoid some magical attacks Shadow Warrior – summons a ‘shadow’ of the Assassin to fight alongside her Mind Blast – mentally attacks surrounding enemies, confusing some and stunning others Venom – poisons the Assassin’s weapons Shadow Master – calls upon a spectral shadow of the Assassin to aid in combat

ASSASSIN TRAPS

Fire Blast – creates a small bomb the Assassin can throw Shock Web – droips a small trap that deals lightning damage to anything nearby Blade Sentinel – throws a razor-sharp blade that flies back and forth between the Assassin and her target Charged Bolt Sentry – medium Assassin trap that fires Charged Bolt attacks Wake of Fire – the Assassin drops a trap at her location that sends out small waves of fire around it, dealing damage to enemies caught in the waves Blade Fury – fires a blade swiftly at an enemy Lightning Sentry – drops a trap that shoots lightning at nearby foes Wake of Inferno – drops a trap that shoots a large blast of fire Death Sentry – drops a modified Lightning Sentry that uses the Necromancer’s Corpse Explosion skill Blade Shield – covers the Assassin in a shield of small razors

And that’s everything you need to know about the best Diablo 2 Resurrected classes. If you’re getting back into Diablo 2 after a long hiatus, check out our Diablo 2 Resurrected beginner’s guide for tips on how to play. We also have a list of all the Diablo 2 Resurrected Horadric Cube recipes to craft the best items in the game.