Editor’s Note: A lawsuit has been filed against Activision Blizzard by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, which alleges the company has engaged in abuse, discrimination, and retaliation against its female employees. Activision Blizzard has denied the allegations. The full details of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit (content warning: rape, suicide, abuse, harassment) are being updated as new information becomes available.
Diablo 2: Resurrected's seven classes each bring a unique set of skills to the table and multiple viable build paths, but there is usually one build for each class that rises about the rest to become (even if debatably) the best build. Having originally released more than two decades ago, builds for the game's classes are well-established at this point. Thankfully, Blizzard's remaster of the action-RPG classic brings the old-school Diablo 2 roaring into the modern age with updated visuals, support for modern hardware, and small quality-of-life changes that look to make this version of the 2000 classic the definitive Diablo 2 experience.
For players jumping into Diablo 2 for the first time (or the first time in years), choosing a build for a particular class can be an intimidating process. Each class possess numerous skills, of which players will only want to focus on a few to remain competitive in the game's later stages. The issue is knowing which skills to put points into and which to ignore. Going in blind and spending skill points with abandon is a recipe for disaster in Diablo 2, where respecing a character can be a difficult process. So what are the best build options?
Sticking with a popular, established build for each class removes some of the uncertainty, letting new players focus more on actually playing the game instead of stressing about where to put skill points. This list is in no way exhaustive. Each class can be played in multiple ways, and while some are certainly more effective than others, that might not necessarily make them more popular. Popularity is, of course, partly subjective, but the game's best builds largely boil down to their effectiveness across the game's various difficulties and their ease of use. Keep in mind that many of these builds function best when combined with particular items as well, something that won't be covered in this breakdown. With that all being said, below is the most popular build for each class that players might want to consider when diving into Diablo's demon-infested world of Sanctuary.
Diablo 2: Resurrected Classic Amazon Build - Archer
Diablo 2: Resurrected Amazons can go one of two ways - javelin or bow. While both can be good, most players will probably want to stick with the archer build, as it's far simpler thanks to many of its skills being passive effects players don't have to worry about juggling. Instead, players can focus on shooting as many arrows as possible, which is why maxing out Strafe and Multiple Shot is best for the build. Maxing out the Amazon's powerful Valkyrie summon ability is also critical, as it will serve as an effective meat shield to distract enemies as players rain arrows from afar. From there it's all about putting a few points into various passive effects including Evade, Critical Strike, Penetrate, Avoid, and Dodge to further round out the build's offensive and defensive capabilities.
Diablo 2: Resurrected Classic Assassin Build - Trapper
When it comes to Diablo 2: Resurrected's Assassin, there is by far one best build that stands above the rest, and that is the Trapper. This build allows players to place various traps around the environment that can deal some serious elemental damage, all without the Assassin needing to be in harm's way. To make a trap-loving trickster, players will want to max out the Death's Sentry, Wake of Fire, Lightning Sentry, Fire Blast, and Wake of Inferno skills.
Diablo 2: Resurrected Classic Barbarian Build - Whirlwind
Whirlwind is one of Diablo 2's most iconic abilities, making it a popular build for players looking to roll a Barbarian. The build is fairly simple, with Whirlwind being the build's primary damage dealing ability while other abilities serve to buff both the Barbadian and the parties defenses so the Barbarian can become a durable spinning tornado of death. For this best build, players will want to max out the Whirlwind skill (obviously) and active skill upgrade like Diablo 2 classics Shout and Battle Orders while also investing points into Increased Speed, Sword Mastery, Iron Skin, and Natural Resistance.
Diablo 2: Resurrected Classic Druid Build - Elemental
Perhaps Diablo 2: Resurrected's most versatile class, the Druid can be played either as an elemental spellcaster or a shapeshifting physical damage dealer. While transforming into a werebear and mauling enemies to death is certainly entertaining, going the elemental route is more effective, and a great pick for players who want to sling spells but don't want to play a Sorceress. Elemental Druids can either invest points in Fire skills or Wind skills. Fire works perfectly fine in the game's normal difficulty, but will start to lose some of its stopping power in later difficulties when many enemies start to gain fire resistance or immunity. For that reason, some players may wish to start by investing points in fire skills like Firestorm, Volcano, Armageddon, and Molten Boulder before eventually respecing into Twister, Tornado, and Hurricane later down the line. Players will also want to put points into Oak Sage and Cyclone Armor for some much needed survivability.
Diablo 2: Resurrected Classic Necromancer Build - Summoner
While the Summoner playstyle for Diablo 2: Resurrected's Necromancer might not be the most exciting, it is quite effective, making it one of the best builds for the class. This build utilizes the Necromancer's ability to raise the dead to have an army of skeletons and golems do all the dirty work, while also exploding some corpses for good measure. Players will want to max out Raise Skeleton, Raise Skeletal Mage, and Corpse Explosion while also investing points into Amplify Damage, Golem Mastery, Dim Vision, and Lower Resist.
Diablo 2: Resurrected Classic Paladin Build - Hammerdin
The Hammerdin Paladin is another classic Diablo 2 build, and for good reason - it's simple and effective. This build for the Paladin revolves around maxing out only a handful of skills, most importantly among them Blessed Hammer, which causes holy hammers to fly around the player character, damaging foes they come in contact with and dealing extra damage to undead enemies (of which there are many). From there it's all about improving the Paladin's offense and defense with various passive abilities. Players will want to max out Blessed Aim, Vigor, Concentration, and Holy Shield for increased speed, attack rating, and defense.
Diablo 2: Resurrected Classic Sorceress Build - Frozen Orb
The Sorceress could be Diablo 2's most popular class, and the Frozen Orb build in particular is definitely one of the best builds for it. This build focuses on slinging ice across as far as the eye can see with the Frozen Orb Skill, with other skills largely serving to either buff Frozen Orb or provide defense and utility. Players will need to put points into Ice Blast and Ice Bolt to reach Frozen Orb. From there, after maxing out Frozen Orb, players will want to be sure to max out Cold Mastery for extra damage while also investing points into Warmth to improve mana recovery, Teleport to more easily maneuver around the battlefield, and Energy Shield for survivability.
Knowing a build path for a particular class ahead of time can save players a lot of frustration in the long run. While these are some of the most popular builds likely to be used heavily in Diablo 2: Resurrected, configurations that have been used for decades, they are far from the only popular or effective ones, and new eyes may discover even more in the future. Each class has multiple builds that are all fully viable, even if some turn out to be the best on paper. While it never hurts to stick to a tried-and-true formula, players should feel free to experiment with different builds and classes as they see fit once familiar with how the game plays and its mechanics. After all, build experimentation is part of the fun, and one of the reasons Diablo 2 has endured the test of time as one of the greatest RPGs ever made.