Class build guides

By slot: A and B equipment comparison

Slot	Advanced A	Budget B	Conditions
Weapon	ATitan's Revenge	BTitan's Revenge	Start non-ethereal and non-upgraded; ethereal is optional
Weapon choice and replacement details A · Setup requirements Non-ethereal · Ceremonial Javelin · not upgraded +2 Amazon skills · +2 Javelin and Spear Skills · replenishes quantity B · Setup requirements Non-ethereal · not upgraded +2 Amazon skills · +2 Javelin and Spear Skills · replenishes quantity Quantity Repairing a non-ethereal copy at a vendor restores quantity immediately. Ethereal does not increase lightning damage itself and requires waiting for quantity to replenish. Before acquiring it If you do not have it yet, farm Nightmare with vendor javelins. Before obtaining Titan's, your Pierce bonuses and attribute requirements differ from this B setup.
Helm	AGriffon's Eye	BRuneword Lore	A uses a fixed 15% IAS jewel · B gets additional IAS from Treachery
Helm choice and replacement details A · Setup requirements 1 socket · 15% increased attack speed / 15 all-resistance jewel Enemy lightning resistance −15~−20% · 25% faster cast rate B · Setup requirements Helm requiring no more than 65 Strength, 2 sockets · Ort + Sol +1 to all skills · 30 lightning resistance · +2 mana after each kill A · Modifier priorities Prioritize reduced enemy lightning resistance before increased lightning damage. B · Differences Lore supports Pierce and mana sustain but does not reduce lightning-immune enemies' resistance.
Armor	ARuneword Enigma	BRuneword Treachery	Treachery → Enigma: prepare jewel 15 + Highlord's 20 + gloves 20 attack speed
Armor choice and replacement details A · Setup requirements Mage Plate, 3 sockets · Jah + Ith + Ber +2 to all skills · Teleport · Strength per level B · Setup requirements Armor requiring no more than 65 Strength, 3 sockets · Shael + Thul + Lem 45% increased attack speed · 30 cold resistance · level 15 Fade A · Use and crafting Teleport repositions your mercenary to apply Conviction. Use repairable, non-ethereal armor for your character. B · Fade Fade has a 5% chance to trigger when struck. Start farming with adequate resistances before it triggers instead of waiting for it.
Shield	ARuneword Spirit	BRuneword Rhyme	Rhyme → Spirit: equip Raven Frost and reach 156 Strength on swap
Shield choice and replacement details A · Setup requirements Monarch, 4 sockets · Tal + Thul + Ort + Amn 35% faster cast rate (minimum 33%) · +2 skills · 89~112 mana B · Setup requirements Grim Shield, 2 sockets · Shael + Eth Cannot Be Frozen · 25 all resistances · mana regeneration A · Resistance setup The shield's runes provide 35 cold, lightning and poison resistance, but no fire resistance. B · Differences You lose Spirit's skills, mana, hit recovery and cast rate. Invest in Vitality instead of additional Dexterity for maximum block.
Gloves	ARare javelin glovesRequire no more than 156 Strength +2 Javelin and Spear Skills · 20% increased attack speed · at least 20 fire and lightning resistance each	BMagic javelin glovesRequire no more than 65 Strength +2 Javelin and Spear Skills · 20% increased attack speed	Keep 20% IAS · B replaces missing resistances with rings and charms
Glove choice and replacement details A · Why resistances matter The gloves compensate for resistances missing from Enigma and the Sunder Charm penalty. B · Buying Buy from vendors or trade. +3/20 is an optional upgrade and B does not require it.
Belt	ARazortail	BRazortail	Hard points in Pierce A 1 points / B 6 points · at least level 9 with equipment
Belt choice and replacement details A · Setup requirements 33% piercing attack · +15 Dexterity B · Setup requirements 33% piercing attack · +15 Dexterity Changing belts Replacing Razortail with Thundergod's Vigor removes 33% piercing attack. The same level 9 Pierce then gives only 69%.
Boots	AAldur's Advance	BNatalya's Soul	B adds fire resistance from rings and charms
Boot choice and replacement details A · Setup requirements Battle Boots · 95 Strength 40% faster run/walk · +50 life · at least 45% fire resistance B · Setup requirements Mesh Boots · 65 Strength 40% faster run/walk · at least 20 cold and lightning resistance each A · Mana modifiers Damage Taken Goes to Mana is different from mana stolen per hit or Mana after Each Kill. B · Set requirements You do not need the full Natalya's set.
Amulet	AHighlord's Wrath	BRare resistance / mana amuletBaseline assumes no skill bonus 20 all resistances · at least 40 mana	B Assumes no +skills on the amulet · an extra +1 allows Pierce reallocation
Amulet choice and replacement details A · Setup requirements 20% increased attack speed · +1 to all skills · 35% lightning resistance A · Deadly Strike Deadly Strike applies only to physical damage and does not double lightning damage. B · With additional skill bonuses With +1 Amazon Skills, you may move 1 hard point from Pierce to Lightning Bolt. Keep Pierce at level 9 including equipment.
Ring 1	ARaven Frost	BManald Heal	Cannot Be Frozen: A Raven Frost / B Rhyme
Ring 1: choice and replacement details A · Setup requirements Cannot Be Frozen · 15~20 Dexterity · +40 mana B · Setup requirements 4~7% mana stolen per hit · 20% mana regeneration A · Cannot Be Frozen coverage It prevents chill from slowing attacks, but does not negate Holy Freeze. B · How modifiers apply Mana leech works only on physical javelin hits, so potions remain necessary. The new 3.3 Ladder version's 10% FCR is B excluded from the required setup.
Ring 2	ARare cast-rate ringExtra mana and life come next 10% faster cast rate · at least 4% mana stolen per hit · at least 25 fire and lightning resistance each	BRare resistance / mana ringPrioritize fire and lightning resistance 30 fire resistance · 20 lightning resistance · mana	A Total FCR 70% (minimum 68%) · B does not require FCR
Ring 2: choice and replacement details A · Mana sustain Mana stolen per hit applies to physical javelin damage. Use potions for lightning damage or enemies that cannot be leeched. B · Low resistance rolls If rolls are below the targets, cover the difference with Small Charms.

Mercenary and weapon swap

Mercenary and swap comparison

Slot	Advanced A	Budget B	Conditions
Mercenary	A Act 2 Might Runeword Infinity Andariel's Visage(Ral) Runeword Fortitude	B Act 2 Prayer Runeword Insight Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest Runeword Treachery	A keeps Conviction active · B secures Meditation and life leech
Mercenary details A · Base items and rune order Nightmare Act 2 Might mercenary + Infinity (ethereal 4-socket Mancatcher, Ber · Mal · Ber · Ist) + Andariel's Visage (Ral rune) + Fortitude (ethereal 4-socket Archon Plate, El · Sol · Dol · Lo). Might supports the mercenary's physical damage and life leech; Infinity's level 12 Conviction supports your lightning attacks. Ral offsets the helm's -30 fire resistance. Revive or reposition the mercenary if dead or too far away for Conviction to reach. B · Gear and leveling Prayer mercenary + Insight (ethereal 4-socket Partizan, Ral · Tir · Tal · Sol) + Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest + Treacheryis the default. Meditation supports your mana regeneration; Prayer restores life. Check the mercenary's level and equipment requirements. Meditation ends when the mercenary dies: give potions from safety and upgrade to an elite polearm Insight for better physical kills. Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest requires mercenary level 66; before then, use Undead Crown from level 29 for life leech.
Weapon swap	A Runeword Call to Arms Runeword SpiritMonarch	B Staff with Teleport charges	A Battle Command → Battle Orders → Battle Command · B return to your main weapons after use
Swap details A · Crafting and buffs Call to Arms (normal 5-socket Crystal Sword, Amn · Ral · Mal · Ist · Ohm) + Spirit Monarch. Use Battle Command → Battle Orders → Battle Command, then return to your main weapons. Check 156 Strength on swap. Use a normal weapon base; higher Battle Orders rolls on Call to Arms are better. B · Use requirements Buy from a vendor a staff with Teleport chargesand use it only to cross walls or recall your mercenary, not for constant travel like Enigma. Check charges and repair costs; swap only in safety. Rhyme's Cannot Be Frozen and resistances disappear while on swap.

Playstyle

Prepare

Check quantity, potions and Valkyrie → A Call to Arms buffs and Conviction / B Insight and resistances before Fade activates.

Preparation details

Before farming

Refill javelin quantity and mana/rejuvenation potions, then summon Valkyrie. A returns to the main weapons after Call to Arms buffs and checks the mercenary's Conviction. B checks the Insight mercenary and resistances before Fade. Sunder charms must be in your inventory; they do not work inside the Cube.

Packs

Group with Decoy → throw Lightning Fury through overlapping enemies → finish isolated survivors with Charged Strike when safe.

Pack-clearing details

Positioning

Place Decoy ahead and let your mercenary and Valkyrie gather enemies. Throw Lightning Fury through several overlapping targets. If the pack scatters, reposition instead of repeatedly spending mana. Finish a few survivors with Charged Strike when safe.

Bosses

Send the mercenary in first → A check Conviction → use Charged Strike up close. Avoid dangerous attacks and give the mercenary potions.

Bosses: details

Boss combat

Let your mercenary engage and apply Conviction, then use Charged Strike repeatedly near the boss. Multiple bolts overlap on large targets. Leave room to dodge strong attacks and give the mercenary healing potions. This is more effective than repeatedly throwing Lightning Fury at a single boss.

Lightning immunities

A uses a Sunder charm + Infinity Conviction + enemy resistance reduction. B skips these packs; use the mercenary and Jab only for a few required kills.

Lightning immunity details

Responding to immunities

A uses a Sunder charm and a living Infinity mercenary to lower immunity, then Griffon's resistance reduction to finish enemies. Reposition the mercenary for enemies outside Conviction range. B should skip immune packs. For a few required non-physical-immune enemies, isolate them with Decoy/Valkyrie and use the Insight mercenary and Jab. Skip dual lightning/physical immunes and dangerous uniques. 1-point Plague Javelin is not the main answer to Hell immunes.

B Farming areas

Nightmare Cows and act bosses → Hell Cows after completing Hell. Avoid immune uniques, Black Souls and dangerous archer packs.

B Farming areas: details

Choosing an area

Farm Nightmare cows and Nightmare Act bosses for B gear; after clearing Hell, prioritize Hell cowsand their dense normal packs. You can leave lightning-immune uniques alive. Check Terror Zone monsters and choose areas with few lightning immunes. Black Souls, lightning-immune archer packs, and dangerous full clears of the Worldstone Keep or Chaos Sanctuary are B not recommended as first farming routes.

Mana and quantity

Do not spam Fury at isolated enemies · mana leech needs physical damage · repair non-ethereal Titan's at vendors to refill quantity.

Mana and quantity details

Resource management

Throw Lightning Fury when enemies gather instead of repeating it against isolated targets. Mana stolen per hit comes only from physical javelin damage, not lightning. Use potions against Mana Burn, physical immunities and enemies that cannot be leeched. Repair non-ethereal Titan's Revenge at a vendor to refill quantity; ethereal copies must replenish automatically.

Leveling and transition

Level 18 Charged Strike → level 30 Fury/Pierce → level 42 Titan's and level 43 Treachery for B preparation → level 75, 86-point allocation.

Leveling and transition details

Levels 18~29 · Charged Strike

Use Power Strike and prerequisites, then Charged Strike from level 18. Use mana potions freely and do not exceed equipment requirements when investing in Strength and Dexterity. Respeccing is easier after your equipment requirements are settled.

From level 30 · Lightning Fury

Unlock Lightning Fury and Pierce, then invest in your main skills as character level allows. Until you can invest 20 points, fill Charged Strike and prerequisites. Practice redirecting enemies with Valkyrie and Decoy.

Levels 42–75 · B transition

Titan's Revenge can be equipped at level 42, and Treachery at level 43 because of Lem. Once Razortail, IAS gloves, Rhyme and mana potions/an Insight mercenary are ready, B can farm Nightmare with a partial allocation. In Hell, reach 75 fire/lightning resistance, skip immune areas and finish quests. At level 75 with all skill quests completed, use the 86-point allocation above.

Mechanics and notes