Core requirements
The advanced setup is A, and the budget setup is B.
- Required
- Cast Life Tap first
- Crushing Blow chance
- A50% · B100%
- Block
- 75% after Holy Shield
- Uber lightning
- At least 300% total · target 310%
Attributes
Total attributes with equipment · hard points shown separately
| Strength | A142 · B115Total · excludes Herald of Zakarum's own +20 Strength |
|---|---|
| Dexterity | 75% blockAfter casting Holy Shield |
| Vitality | All remaining pointsAfter equipment and block requirements |
| Energy | 0 hard pointsSmite cannot steal mana · use potions |
Attribute calculations and equipment changes
Strength
A must equip upgraded Zakarum Shield at 142 without its own +20 Strength. B Sacred Targe Sanctuary requires 86, but Guillaume's Face's 115 sets the target. First meet 115 without the helm's own +15 Strength.
Dexterity
A first meets Phase Blade's 136 requirement, then activates Holy Shield and invests until 75% block. B Black Flail needs 35 Dexterity, but 75% shield block actually requires more. Recheck after leveling or changing shields.
Vitality
A and B puts all remaining points into life. B has fewer gear bonuses and needs more hard Strength/Dexterity points; respeccing after switching to A can recover Vitality.
Energy
Smite cannot steal mana. Its mana cost is low; use mana/rejuvenation potions instead of Energy investment, and separate mana-burn enemies first.
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
Early on, level with 
Holy Fire·
Zeal or Hammer. Do not level only with 
Smite; prepare boss gear and level 80 or higher before respeccing.
- Smite20·
Holy Shield20·
Fanaticism20 first; 
Resist Lightning20 
Resist Fire12. Zeal·
Sacrifice and 
Salvation and all prerequisites each receive 1 point.
At levels 91–98, invest in Resist Fire20; at level 99, add 
Resist Cold1 points.
Equipment skill bonuses and allocation notes
The table and image show 101 hard points. Equipment +skills are added separately and do not replace hard points for ordinary synergies.
A and B use the same base allocation. Changing equipment alone does not change the tree.
A·B Shared · Level 90 complete allocation
Open this allocation in the simulator ↗
Equipment
A / B: compare modifiers and replacement requirements.
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon | A Runeword Grief | B Runeword Black | B removes early life with Crushing Blow but has low finishing damage |
Weapon choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsPhase Blade with 5 sockets Damage +340–400 · 30–40% IAS B · Setup requirementsFlail with 3 sockets 40% Crushing Blow · 15% IAS | |||
| Shield | A Herald of Zakarum | B Runeword Sanctuary | A 142 Strength · B 86 Strength · check Uber resistances first |
Shield choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsUpgraded Zakarum Shield Skills · Block · All Resistances 50 · Um B · Setup requirements3-socket Sacred Targe All Resistances 50–70 · at least 40 base All Resistances | |||
| Helm | A Guillaume's Face | BGuillaume's Face | Shared · meet 115 Strength before the helm's own +15 Strength |
Helm choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements35% Crushing Blow · Um rune B · Setup requirements35% Crushing Blow · Um rune | |||
| Armor | A Runeword Chains of Honor | BRuneword Treachery | A also pre-triggers Treachery Fade before Ubers, then swaps armor |
Armor choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements4-socket Dusk Shroud All Resistances 65 · +2 All Skills · Damage Reduction B · Setup requirementsMage Plate with 3 sockets 45% IAS · Fade when struck | |||
| Gloves | A Dracul's Grasp | BDracul's Grasp | Shared core · pre-cast from a wand instead of waiting to survive the first proc |
Glove choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsLife Tap on striking · 25% Open Wounds B · Setup requirementsKeep Life Tap procs active | |||
| Belt | A String of Ears | BString of Ears | Ordinary life steal does not apply to Smite |
Belt choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements10–15% Damage Reduced B · Setup requirementsPhysical damage reduction | |||
| Boots | A Gore Rider | B Goblin Toe | A35+15=50% · B40+35+25=100% |
Boot choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements15% Crushing Blow · Open Wounds B · Setup requirements25% Crushing Blow | |||
| Amulet | A Highlord's Wrath | BHighlord's Wrath | Deadly Strike does not apply to Smite damage |
Amulet choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% Increased Attack Speed · 35 lightning resistance B · Setup requirements20% Increased Attack Speed · 35 lightning resistance | |||
| Ring 1 | A Raven Frost | BRaven Frost | Shared requirement |
Ring 1: choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsCannot Be Frozen · Dexterity B · Setup requirementsCannot Be Frozen | |||
| Ring 2 | ADwarf Star | BDwarf Star | Absorb does not replace missing resistances |
Ring 2: choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsFire Absorb · Life B · Setup requirementsFire Absorb · Life | |||
Mercenary and weapon swap
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercenary | A Act 2 Might  Runeword InsightRuneword Treachery Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest | B Same setup, used only during ordinary leveling | Uber success must not depend on mercenary survival |
Mercenary detailsCurse conflictsFor Ubers, do not bring a Decrepify/Amplify Damage proc mercenary that overwrites Life Tap. Complete resistances and recovery so bosses can be killed without the mercenary. | |||
| Weapon swap | A Warcries with Call to Arms + Spirit Paladin shield, then switch to a Life Tap charge wand | B Life Tap charge wand + resistance Paladin shield | Check wand charges and repair gold |
Swap detailsFirst curseLand Life Tap before the boss approaches, return to primary gear and Smite. Recast if it expires before Dracul's Grasp refreshes it. | |||
Upgrade order
- Obtain a Life Tap wand, Dracul's Grasp and Cannot Be Frozen first
- Black, Guillaume's Face and Goblin Toe for 100% Crushing Blow; Sanctuary for resistances
- Meet total Uber resistances with charms and Treachery Fade
- Improve low-life finishing with Grief
- Add Chains of Honor, upgraded Herald of Zakarum and Call to Arms
Playstyle
- Before combat
Check wand charges, rejuvenation potions and gear durability. Trigger Fade with Treachery, use warcries and Holy Shield, then return to primary armor/weapons.
- Ordinary packs
Use Zeal on trash during travel and reserve Smite for single bosses. Black Flail B has low ordinary weapon damage and is not for bulk farming.
- Boss sequence
Separate bosses one at a time and maintain Life Tap → Fanaticism → Smite. Continue attacking at low boss life so Open Wounds and the curse do not expire.
- Mephisto
Separate him from other bosses and fight only after checking excess lightning resistance. If resistance is short, use Salvation and accept lower attack speed; return to Fanaticism after filling resistance charms.
- Immunities and danger
Bypass physical-immune trash instead of losing the boss's curse while fighting it. Without Life Tap, ordinary leech rings cannot heal Smite; use rejuvenation potions and retreat.
- B Transition requirements
Enter boss fights only after Black, Guillaume's Face and Goblin Toe supply 100% Crushing Blow, alongside Dracul's Grasp, a charge wand, Cannot Be Frozen and total lightning resistance. If anything is missing, practice on ordinary Act bosses first.
Mechanics and notes
Smite and Crushing Blow
Smite is a shield attack that does not rely on Attack Rating checks. Item Crushing Blow chance is a separate effect removing a fraction of current enemy life. Do not count them as the same modifier.
Ordinary leech does not work
Smite does not apply ordinary life or mana steal. Life Tap is required to recover from Smite damage; cast it with a wand before Dracul's Grasp triggers.
Speed and shield damage
A has at least Grief 30 + Highlord's Wrath 20 = 50% IAS; B has Black 15 + Treachery 45 + Highlord's Wrath 20 = 80%, with Fanaticism active. Grief's flat damage and Holy Shield improve Smite's finishing damage; FCR does not increase Smite attack speed.
Open Wounds prevents recovery
Maintain Dracul's Grasp's Open Wounds to suppress boss regeneration. High Crushing Blow alone, without finishing damage or recovery prevention, leads to long fights.
Strengths, limitations and farming style
Strengths
Start boss Smite with a relatively low weapon budget.
Less affected by insufficient Attack Rating.
Limitations
Uber resistances, curses and recovery are essential.
Baseline B is slow at ordinary pack farming.
Additional variants
Hammer's 1-point Smite
Keeping the Hammer tree with 1-point Smite and separate boss gear differs from this pure Smite 20 tree. Gear must still provide Life Tap, Crushing Blow and resistances.
Exile shield
A high-end variant uses Exile's Life Tap to change gloves. Recalculate Dexterity and excess resistance against the base Herald of Zakarum's resistances, skills and block.