List of Low Level Runewords

A Spirit sword is a massively overpowered Starter Runeword, given its low level requirement and cheap rune cost.A spirit shield on the other hand is an great end-game caster Runeword. The exceptional +2 to All Skills bonus, up to +35% Faster Cast Rate, and massive up to 112 Mana increase, makes it a dream for any starter character and endgame caster build.

A Spirit shield is almost exclusively made in a Monarch, because it is the shield with the lowest strength requirement (still high for casters) that can still get 4 sockets. Because of the cheap runes, it can be recreated many times, to get the +35% Faster Cast Rate, which is required ror many builds to reach an FCR breakpoint.

The Spirit shield is also a popular item to use on switch alongside Call to Arms, as it is the only shield to grant +2 to All Skills. This way CTA's Battle Orders are boosted by another two levels, increasing the life and mana boost it provides.

The first non-Paladin shield that can roll 4 sockets is the elite Monarch shield. This shield can only drop in Hell difficulty. So even though the Spirit Runeword has a level requirement of 25, you'll only be able to wear a Spirit shield from level 54. Paladin shields on the other hand can always roll (drop depends on the monster level) 4 sockets. So a Paladin can benefit from a Spirit shield early on.

Leaf is particularly good for Fire Sorceresses for its +3 to Fire Skills. However, the Fire Skill bonus is not limited to Sorceresses, so this is also a great early-game option for Fire Druids. When used on a Sorceress, the Runeword can be augmented when created in a base that already has a bonus to skills.

Potentially giving +9 to Warmth, which is very useful for a starting Sorceress, struggling with Mana regeneration. The bonus to Warmth will only beneft Sorceresses, as it is a class-specific skill bonus. Keep in mind that synergies only work for hard skill points, so the +3 to Fire Bolt will not benefit you when you transition to Fire Ball.

Staves can have up to 3 auto mods specific to Sorceress spells ranging between +1 and +3 to skill level. Therefore, you should look for a 2 socket staff with at least some +skills that your build uses. An easy way to quickly find good staves is to shop with Drognan in act 2. You can reset his shop by exiting and re-entering town.

All runes for Ancient's Pledge can be obtained from the act 5 quest, Rescue on Mount Arreat.

It's a very popular shield to make at the end on Normal difficulty, because of its high resistances bonus. It's often used throughout Nightmare and Hell difficulty, until better options become available.

Insight is mainly used for its Meditation Aura, providing nearly unlimited mana for casters. This Aura Runeword is almost exclusively used as Act 2 Mercenary Runeword, but can also be consumed by Necromancer's Iron Golem, both will activate the Meditation Aura for the team.

The most common mistake people make when making Insight, is using a spear instead of a polearm, causing the Runeword to not work. It is easy to mistake some spears for polearms, but only the bases listed below, qualify for the Insight Runeword.

Patch 2.4: Insight can now be made in Bows and Crossbows.

Bulwark offers a solid defensive package for mid-game characters in Diablo 2 Resurrected. Its life steal, additional vitality, and physical damage mitigation provide valuable tools to enhance survivability on the battlefield.

Mercenaries and non-caster classes, in particular, can greatly benefit from this Runeword's attributes.

Steel is a very low level melee Runeword. It only requires a two socket sword, mace, or axe and easy to find runes, so it is very easy to make early on. Its high chance of Open Wounds can be particularly handy for boss fights.

It is best to create this Runeword in a Sabre or Flail. When using a Flail, you also benefit from +50% damage to Undead.

Nadir is the lowest level Runeword in the game. It has no particularly good stats, other than the Cloak of Shadows charges. Because the runes it requires are so easy to find, it's a good first helm option, if you haven't found anything decent by level 13.

Malice has minor damage modifiers and the only real benefit of the weapon is the guaranteed Open Wounds and Prevent Monster Heal. This makes it a viable switch weapon for Bosses in Normal difficulty.

The Drain Life can take quite a toll over time if it is not balanced out by Life Generation or a Prayer Aura. Drain Life is the opposite of Replenish Life, the effect from Malice results in approximately -1 life every 2 seconds. Drain Life can not kill you (like poison).

Lore is a great early game option, considering the cheap rune cost. It is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to get +1 to All Skills in the helm slot. Besides that, its +2 to Mana After Each Kill can be very handy for early game builds that struggle with Mana regeneration.

Rhyme is a popular shield Runeword due to its Cannot be Frozen mod. It is one of the only budget ways to this bonus reliably, as other uniques rely heavily on luck to obtain. Cannot be Frozen is almost a necessity for most melee characters, so this Runeword is an easy choice for low level players.

The Pattern Runeword is a low level claws Runeword released in patch 2.4. It is one of the Runewords that were in the original game files, but were disabled. Blizzard had announced 10 new Runewords for patch 1.11, but only 7 made it in the final release (excluding Pattern).

The updated stats for the Pattern Runeword were revealed, and show that Pattern will be a good low-to-mid tier claw for Assassins transitioning from Normal to Nightmare. While it technically only requires level 23 to equip due to the runes, a Claw with 3 sockets can only roll on claws with iLevel 26 or higher. So the earliest you can find this is in Act 4 Normal.

The Faster Block Rate reduces the amount of frames of the blocking animation. By itself, this Runeword lacks only 2 points to reach 3 frames (out of 5 frames default).

While its Thorns aura can be useful and it has decent other bonuses, the main attraction is the extremely rare attribute Reduces All Vendor Prices 15%. The only other item that offers this bonus is Gheed's Fortune Grand Charm. It's a handy Runeword to keep whenever you need to buy or gamble items. Especially in the early game, where money can be scarce.