It's been a while since I've posted and I wanted to talk about the next ladder of D2R as well as the build I plan to play, which is the holy fire bow/crossbow build aka the grenadier.
Credit: Blizzard Entertainment
Ladder Season 14 ends - Monday, 8/17, 11 a.m. PDT
Season 15 Patch begins rolling out - Tuesday, 8/18
Ladder Season 15 starts - Friday, 8/21, 5 p.m. PDT
Previous ladder only items will be available in Non-Ladder with the new season: (this is a cool if it allows you to also create these in non-ladder).
- Mania
- Hysteria
- Metamorphosis
- Ground
- Temper
- Hearth
- Cure
- Bulwark
Items that have been changed will ONLY be available in Ladder. (these are pointless changes that won't really move the needle on any of these items).
Bloodletter
Added 20% Faster Run/Walk.
The Battlebranch
Reduced base Item level from 34 to 30.
Reduced Required Level from 25 to 17.
Rogue's Bow
Added +[1-3] to either Cold Arrow or Fire Arrow (Amazon Only).
Pluckeye
Added +25% Increased Attack Speed.
Bane Ash
Removed +20% Increased Attack Speed.
Removed +[50-60]% Enhanced Damage.
Added +20% Faster Cast Rate.
Gravenspine
Added +10% Faster Cast Rate.
Blinkbat's Form
Increased +10% Faster Run/Walk to +30%.
Added +1 To Mana After Each Kill.
The Ward
Added Socketed (1).
Manald Heal
Added +10% Faster Run/Walk.
Angelic Raiment
Angelic Sickle
Added Damage +6 (3 set items).
Angelic Mantle
Added +100% Damage to Undead (3 set items).
Full set bonus
Added +1 to All Skills.
Sunder Charms: no longer can drop in nightmare (rip NM TZ farming) and reduced drop rate of sunders through the use of magic find (RIP finding a sunder the first weekend of ladder).
Worldstone Shards & Statues: reduced drop rates but an additional magic item may drop with shards now.
Now the fun part! Grenadier Paladin.
Maximize points in the following order:
- Holy Fire
- Resist Fire
- Salvation
- Resist Lightning
- Resist Cold
- Holy Freeze (remaining points as a backup for fire resists until sunder charm)
Put 1 point into each of the following:
- Smite (won't use)
- Charge (for movement)
Attributes:
Strength - enough points to equip gear (~105 str incl str from gear)
Dex - enough to get hit chance to 50% (~150-180 dex incl dex from gear)
Vitality - all remaining points
Energy - 0 points ideally unless early on if struggling with mana sustain.
Leveling/Budget Gear:
- Helm: Rockstopper or Peasant's Crown or Lore (ort sol) or +2 skills circlet
- Gloves: Bloodfist or LoH or Magefist or crafted blood gloves
- Boots: Any unique, set, or well rolled rare. (look for Goblin Toe or Hotspurs or Tearhaunch)
- Bow/Crossbow: Ravenclaw or Kuko Shakaku or Hellcast
- Backbar: magic arrow bow to deal with fire immunes until sunder (witherstring, wizendraw, witchwild)
- Chest: Stealth (tal eith) or Que-Hegan's or Silks of the Victor or Spirit Shroud or Vipermagi or Templar's Might (end game budget)
- Belt: Any unique, set, or well rolled rare or crafted blood belt
- Amulet: Any +skills
- Rings: Any well rolled rare with life and resists
End Game Gear:
- Helm: 2/20 diadem socketed with fire facets OR flickering flame (nef pul vex)
- Gloves: LoH
- Boots: War Travs or Aldur's (to offset fire sunder) or Gore Rider
- Crossbow: Demon Machine
- Backbar: CtA + Spirit
- Chest: Treachery (shael thul lem) until Enigma (jah ith ber)
- Belt: Razortail (for pierce)
- Amulet: +2 skills rare or Highlord's
- Rings: Bul-kathos (for skills and life) & Raven Frost (for freeze immunity)