Core requirements
The advanced setup is A, and the budget setup is B.
- Kicks
- Dragon Talon 20 · elite Gore Rider
- Crushing Blow
- A83% · B90%
- Attack speed
- A 105% · B 115% · Fade active
- Sustain
- At least 4% mana steal · Raven Frost
Attributes
Total attributes with equipment · hard points shown separately
| Strength | A·B 156Total with equipment |
|---|---|
| Dexterity | A 77 · B 35Total with equipment |
| Vitality | All remaining pointsHard points |
| Energy | 0No hard points |
Attribute calculations and equipment changes
Strength
Upgraded Gore Rider requires 156 Strength. Include Guillaume's Face's 15 Strength to reach 156, but separately meet its initial equip requirement of 115.
Dexterity
A Stormlash 77; B Black Flail 35 only. This is not a maximum-block setup; put the rest into Vitality.
Vitality
After meeting equipment requirements, put all remaining attribute points into Vitality.
Energy
Use equipment mana/recovery and potions. Keep any Energy granted by equipment.
Skills
Level 90 · 101 hard points
Main skills and synergies
Supporting investment
Prerequisite · support 1 point each
Includes 12 quest points; equipment skill bonuses are excluded. Unlisted skills have 0 points. A and B use the same allocation.
Investment order
Level with traps, then respec after obtaining Black, elite kick boots and Cannot Be Frozen.
Dragon Talon20
Death Sentry20
Venom20
Fade20, 
Fire Blast10 and support prerequisites.
Equipment skill bonuses and allocation notes
The table and image show 101 hard points. Add equipment bonuses to all skills, class skills and skill tabs separately; synergies use hard points.
A and B use the same base tree. Do not mix the equipment or point swaps of optional variants into the base allocation.
A·B Shared · Level 90
Open this allocation in the simulator ↗
Equipment
A / B: compare modifiers and replacement requirements.
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon | A Stormlash | B Runeword Black | A Static Field · B Knockback makes ordinary packs awkward |
Weapon choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsShael · total 50% IAS · 33% Crushing Blow B · Setup requirementsFlail · Thul/Io/Nef 40% Crushing Blow · 15% IAS | |||
| Shield | A Runeword Sanctuary | BRuneword Rhyme | A Prioritize resistances; maximum block is a separate variant |
Shield choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsHyperion · Ko/Ko/Mal All Resistances 50 or higher B · Setup requirementsGrim Shield · Shael/Eth 25 all resistances · Cannot Be Frozen | |||
| Helm | A Guillaume's Face | BGuillaume's Face | Supply missing Crushing Blow and kick IAS |
Helm choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements15% IAS jewel · 35% Crushing Blow B · Setup requirements15% IAS jewel · 35% Crushing Blow | |||
| Armor | A Runeword Chains of Honor | BRuneword Treachery | B loses 45 IAS when Treachery is removed |
Armor choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsDusk Shroud · Dol/Um/Ber/Ist All Resistances 65 · Skills 2 · 8% Life Steal B · Setup requirementsMage Plate · Shael/Thul/Lem 45% IAS · Assassin Skills 2 | |||
| Gloves | A Laying of Hands | BLaying of Hands | Chosen for kick IAS and resistances |
Glove choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% Increased Attack Speed · 50 fire resistance B · Setup requirements20% Increased Attack Speed · 50 fire resistance | |||
| Belt | A String of Ears | BString of Ears | Repeated kicks against targets that allow recovery |
Belt choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsLife stolen per hit · Damage Reduced B · Setup requirementsLife stolen per hit · Damage Reduced | |||
| Boots | A Gore Rider | BGore Rider | Upgrade materials: Ko/Lem/Perfect Diamond |
Boot choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsMyrmidon Greaves · 156 Strength Elite upgrade · 15% Crushing Blow · 10% Open Wounds B · Setup requirementsMyrmidon Greaves · 156 Strength Elite upgrade · 15% Crushing Blow · 10% Open Wounds | |||
| Amulet | A Highlord's Wrath | BHighlord's Wrath | Do not count Deadly Strike as a kick damage multiplier |
Amulet choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% IAS · Skills 1 · Lightning Resist 35 B · Setup requirements20% IAS · Skills 1 · Lightning Resist 35 | |||
| Ring 1 | A Raven Frost | BRaven Frost | B also keeps it for a future Rhyme replacement |
Ring 1: choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsCannot Be Frozen · Attack Rating B · Setup requirementsCannot Be Frozen · Attack Rating | |||
| Ring 2 | ARare ring | BRare ring | Recover mana from physical kick damage |
Mercenary and weapon swap
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercenary | A Act 2 Might  The Reaper's Toll(Shael)Runeword Fortitude Andariel's Visage(Ral) | B Act 2 Might  Runeword Insight(elite polearm)Runeword Treachery Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest | A Decrepify boosts physical damage · B Mana sustain |
| Weapon swap | A Runeword Call to ArmsRuneword Spirit(Monarch) | B Wand with Life Tap charges Runeword Rhyme | Cast Life Tap before approaching tough bosses |
Swap detailsOverwriting cursesLife Tap and the mercenary's Decrepify overwrite each other. A uses Decrepify for ordinary farming; an Uber setup is separate. | |||
Upgrade order
- Black, Cannot Be Frozen and mana steal
- Upgraded Gore Rider and Guillaume's Face
- Treachery, Laying of Hands, Highlord's Wrath and an IAS jewel
- Stormlash → Sanctuary → Chains of Honor
- Reaper's Toll mercenary and survival charms
Playstyle
- Before combat
Activate Fade and Venom; check Dragon Talon's level including gear and the boot base.
- Ordinary packs
Cloak of Shadows → 2–3 Death Sentries → Dragon Talon on an edge target. Explode the first corpse to clear the rest.
- Bosses
Approach with Dragon Flight, then repeat Dragon Talon. Crushing Blow removes early life; Open Wounds and direct kicks finish it.
- Handling immunes
Against physical immunes, first use A mercenary Decrepify to break immunity. B uses Venom, the mercenary and explosions from nearby nonimmune corpses. Skip physical/poison immunes or strong targets without corpses.
- B Farming areas
Start with the Pit, Cows and individual Act bosses. Do not jump into the middle of packs or stay on enemies that cannot be leeched.
- Transition requirements
The default transition is when you meet upgraded Gore Rider's level 72 and Strength 156 requirements. Keep leveling with traps before then.
Mechanics and notes
Boots are the weapon
Base physical kick damage comes from boot type, Strength and Dexterity. Weapon display damage or Grief's flat damage does not raise kicks in the same way. Choose Crushing Blow, Open Wounds and on-striking effects.
Total Crushing Blow
A Stormlash 33 + Guillaume's Face 35 + Gore Rider 15 = 83%; B Black 40 + Guillaume's Face 35 + Gore Rider 15 = 90%. This removes early boss life faster than ordinary physical attacks, but direct damage must finish the remaining life.
Kick sequence and IAS
Dragon Talon gains another kick every 6 skill levels, including gear. A uses weapon 50 + helm 15 + gloves 20 + amulet 20 = 105 IAS; B uses 15+15+45+20+20=115. Keep Fade and fast Flail/Scourge bases; do not arbitrarily switch to a slow weapon. Both exceed these bases' 95 IAS breakpoint for 7/3-frame kicks.
Prepare separately for Ubers
This guide covers ordinary PvM. Do not enter with the regular boss setup before obtaining enough extra resistance for Uber Mephisto's Conviction and sustained Life Tap.
Strengths, limitations and farming style
Strengths
Crushing Blow removes single-boss life
Death Sentry supplements weak area clearing
Limitations
Boot upgrades and Strength investment required
Limited melee range and corpse-free immune targets are weaknesses
Additional variants
Maximum block
With Sanctuary Hyperion, invest Dexterity instead of Vitality until the character screen shows 75% block. Recheck required Dexterity when leveling.
Rift kicks
Replacing Stormlash with Rift loses Static Field and 33 Crushing Blow and centers the build on Frozen Orb. Treat this separately from the ordinary base setup.