Core requirements
The advanced setup is A, and the budget setup is B.
- Main attack
- Zeal, Sacrifice, Fanaticism and Holy Shield: 20 each
- Attack speed
- A Minimum 70% · B 135%
- Block
- 75% after Holy Shield
- Required
- Cannot Be Frozen · life/mana steal
Attributes
Total attributes with equipment · hard points shown separately
| Strength | A·B115Total · excludes Guillaume's Face's own +15 Strength |
|---|---|
| Dexterity | 75% blockAfter casting Holy Shield |
| Vitality | All remaining pointsAfter equipment and block requirements |
| Energy | 0 hard pointsPhysical mana steal · potions |
Attribute calculations and equipment changes
Strength
Guillaume's Face requires 115 Strength; do not count its own +15 before equipping it. B Oath in an ethereal Scourge also requires 115 Strength/67 Dexterity. A Meet 103 for Fortitude Archon Plate and 89 for ordinary Herald of Zakarum.
Dexterity
A first meets Phase Blade's 136 Dexterity, then activates Holy Shield and invests more if needed for 75% block. B meets whichever is higher: ethereal Scourge's 67 or Rhyme shield's 75% block requirement. 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
Zeal's physical damage steals mana, so obtain mana steal on a ring. Keep potions for unleechable enemies and mana burn; invest no Energy.
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
Zeal unlocks at level 12; final skill level 4 supplies 5 attacks. After early 
Holy Fire leveling, at level 30, 
Fanaticism and a physical weapon enable the respec.
- Fanaticism20
Sacrifice20- Zeal20
Holy Shield20
Resist Lightning13. 
Salvation and all prerequisites each receive 1 point; Sacrifice is invested for synergy.
At levels 91–97, invest in Resist Lightning20; at levels 98–99, invest in 
Resist Fire2 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 | BRuneword Oath | B loses weapon damage/leech · keep Fanaticism active |
Weapon choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsPhase Blade with 5 sockets Damage +340–400 · 30–40% IAS B · Setup requirementsEthereal Scourge with 4 sockets Total 50% IAS · Indestructible | |||
| Shield | A Herald of Zakarum | B Runeword Rhyme | B also includes base resistances · readjust Dexterity after replacing |
Shield choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsNon-ethereal · not upgraded Skills · Block · All Resistances 50 · Perfect Diamond B · Setup requirements2-socket Sacred Targe with at least 35 base All Resistances 25 all resistances · Cannot Be Frozen | |||
| Helm | A Guillaume's Face | BGuillaume's Face | Shared · supports both ordinary farming and bosses |
Helm choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements35% Crushing Blow · 15% Deadly Strike · Um B · Setup requirements35% Crushing Blow · rune for missing resistance | |||
| Armor | A Runeword Fortitude | BRuneword Treachery | B checks resistances both before and after Fade |
Armor choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsArchon Plate with 4 sockets +300% Damage · All Resistances B · Setup requirementsMage Plate with 3 sockets 45% Increased Attack Speed · chance to cast Fade | |||
| Gloves | A Laying of Hands | BLaying of Hands | Shared · strengthens ordinary physical damage separately from Crushing Blow chance |
Glove choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% IAS · Damage to Demons · Fire Resist 50 B · Setup requirementsKeep 20% IAS | |||
| Belt | A String of Ears | BString of Ears | Shared · use potions against unleechable monsters |
Belt choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsLife stolen per hit · Damage Reduced B · Setup requirementsPrioritize life stolen per hit | |||
| Boots | A Gore Rider | B Goblin Toe | A 50% Crushing Blow · B 60% Crushing Blow |
Boot choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements15% Crushing Blow · Open Wounds · Deadly Strike B · Setup requirements25% Crushing Blow | |||
| Amulet | A Highlord's Wrath | BHighlord's Wrath | Shared · obtain Attack Rating from rings and charms |
Amulet choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% IAS · Deadly Strike · Lightning Resist 35 B · Setup requirementsKeep 20% IAS | |||
| Ring 1 | A Raven Frost | BRaven Frost | Shared · retain Cannot Be Frozen after replacing Rhyme |
Ring 1: choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsCannot Be Frozen · Dexterity/Attack Rating B · Setup requirementsAttack Rating · Dexterity | |||
| Ring 2 | ARare life-leech ring | BRare life-leech ring | Mana steal required · supplement Attack Rating/resistances |
Mercenary and weapon swap
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercenary | A Act 2 Might  The Reaper's Toll(Shael)Runeword Treachery Andariel's Visage(Ral) | B Act 5 Frenzy Runeword LawbringerPhase BladeRuneword Unbending WillPhase BladeRuneword Treachery Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest | Maintain aura range and mercenary survival |
Mercenary detailsDecrepify mercenary setupA uses Might and The Reaper's Toll; B applies Decrepify with an Act 5 Frenzy mercenary and Lawbringer. B Both swords use Phase Blades; check the mercenary's 136 Dexterity requirement. Secure survival with a life-steal helm and Treachery; attack after confirming physical immunity breaks. | |||
| Weapon swap | ARuneword Call to ArmsCrystal SwordRuneword SpiritSacred Targe | B Staff with Teleport charges | A Shield requires 86 Strength · B Lower block/resistances while holding the staff |
Swap detailsCombat preparationCast Battle Command and Battle Orders, return to primary gear and activate Holy Shield. Save Teleport charges for repositioning. | |||
Upgrade order
- Obtain a fast weapon, Cannot Be Frozen and life/mana steal
- Start Hell with Oath, Treachery, Guillaume's Face and a resistance shield
- Add a Decrepify mercenary and Attack Rating charms
- Improve damage/survival with Grief, Herald of Zakarum and Fortitude
- Optimize Call to Arms, Hellfire Torch, Deadly Strike and damage charms
Playstyle
- Preparing to farm
Activate warcries, Holy Shield and Fanaticism. Check Cannot Be Frozen, life/mana steal and 75% block.
- Ordinary packs
Stay at pack edges and clear one group at a time with Zeal. Do not get surrounded while running; stand still to attack.
- Bosses
Maintain Fanaticism and Zeal while waiting for mercenary Decrepify. Crushing Blow removes high life; Grief and Deadly Strike physical damage finish it.
- Handling immunes
Attack when The Reaper's Toll or Lawbringer Decrepify breaks physical immunity. Pass unbroken immunes; do not stay long relying only on small added cold/lightning damage.
- B Farming areas
Start with Nightmare Baal, the Hell Pit and ordinary Act bosses. Avoid physical-immune ghost areas and packs combining Amplify Damage with Fanaticism.
- Transition requirements
Fanaticism at level 30 alone is insufficient. Switch from elemental leveling when a fast physical weapon, Cannot Be Frozen and life steal are ready. Ubers require separate Life Tap/excess resistance gear.
Mechanics and notes
Do not attack with Sacrifice
Sacrifice 20 is Zeal's physical-damage synergy. Attack with Zeal and keep Fanaticism active. +Sacrifice from gear does not replace the 20-point hard-point synergy.
Hit chance and speed
Unlike Smite, Zeal needs Attack Rating. Supplement it through Raven Frost, Fanaticism, Zeal levels and Attack Rating charms. Grief's Ignore Target's Defense does not apply to every boss.
Fanaticism and IAS
A Apply Fanaticism to at least 30+20+20=70% IAS; B 50+45+20+20=135%. Changing the weapon base or Fanaticism level changes attack speed even at the same total.
Strengths, limitations and farming style
Strengths
Repeated attacks and life steal provide steady ordinary melee farming.
A Decrepify mercenary helps with physical resistance.
Limitations
Both weapon damage and Attack Rating are necessary.
If physical immunity remains, choose a different farming area.
Additional variants
Life Tap gloves
Switching to Dracul's Grasp loses 20% glove IAS, Damage to Demons and 50 Fire Resist. Decrepify and Life Tap overwrite each other, so rebuild mercenary weapon choice and resistances together.
1-point Vengeance
To kill individual physical immunes that Decrepify cannot break, reduce Resist Lightning 13→12 and learn Vengeance 1. With Grief's low weapon-based elemental damage, this is not a universal solution and differs from the base table.