Hammerdin Paladin Build Guide

Hammerdin (Paladin) – A magic damage dealer using Blessed Hammer to clear packs and bosses. Immune to most monster resistances due to magic damage. One of the most effective PvM builds in Diablo 2 Resurrected.

Core Skills and how to distribute skill points

20
Blessed Hammer
20
Vigor
20
Blessed Aim
20
Concentration
1
Holy Shield
1-5+ points in prerequisites and utility (Redemption, Holy Shield, etc.)

Blessed Hammer scales with both Blessed Aim and Vigor through hidden synergies. Concentration boosts your hammer damage directly when active. One point in Holy Shield adds survivability. After maxing the core, invest in Holy Shield or utility like Redemption.

Stat Point Allocation

Strength: Enough for gear (103 for Herald of Zakarum)
Dexterity: Enough for max block with
Holy Shield
Vitality: All remaining points
Energy: None

Hammerdins don’t need Energy due to mana regen from gear and Insight mercs. Max block is important for survivability, especially in Hardcore. Vitality boosts life, which is key in endgame maps and chaos runs.

Gear Recommendations

Best-in-slot (BiS)

Weapon: Heart of the Oak (flail)
Shield: Herald of Zakarum (Um'd) or Spirit in a 35 FCR base
Armor: Enigma (for teleport)
Helm: Harlequin Crest (Shako)
Amulet: Mara’s Kaleidoscope
Rings: 2x Stone of Jordan or SOJ + FCR ring
Gloves: Magefist
Belt: Arachnid Mesh
Boots: War Traveler or Sandstorm Trek
Charms: Paladin Combat Skillers, Life/Resist SCs, Annihilus, Torch

This setup hits 125% Faster Cast Rate for faster hammer spam while maximizing +skills. Enigma allows mobility, which is key to positioning hammers. Herald or Spirit gives massive defensive and offensive stats.

Mid-tier gear

Weapon: Spirit sword
Shield: Spirit shield
Armor: Skin of the Vipermagi
Helm: Peasant Crown or Lore
Amulet: +2 Paladin or +2 Combat Skills
Rings: FCR ring + rare/magic ring with mana/resists
Belt: Gloom’s Trap or rare FCR/resist belt
Boots: Tearhaunch or Aldur’s Advance

This gear hits 75 FCR and good resistances, with enough +skills to farm Nightmare and early Hell. Spirit is cheap and gives both FCR and mana.

Budget gear

Weapon: Spirit sword
Shield: Ancient’s Pledge
Armor: Stealth
Helm: Lore
Amulet: Magic +skills or resist amulet
Rings: FCR/mana rings
Belt: Nightsmoke or any resist belt
Boots: Any with Faster Run/Walk and resists

This version can clear Normal and most of Nightmare. Focus on mana, resistances, and cast rate. Spirit and Lore are easy runewords for early power.

Mercenary Setup

Act 2
Holy Freeze (Nightmare Defensive)
Weapon: Insight (preferably in an elite polearm)
Armor: Treachery or Duriel’s Shell
Helm: Tal Rasha’s or Vamp Gaze

Insight solves your mana problems entirely. Holy Freeze slows enemies for safer hammer casts. Treachery boosts survivability through Fade and IAS. Duriel’s gives res and cannot be frozen.

Gameplay

Teleport with Enigma to position yourself. Cast Concentration aura. Use Vigor to move, then switch to Concentration before casting. Position hammers by moving and casting in small circles; they spawn slightly ahead of you and spiral out. Use Holy Shield and Redemption as needed for defense and sustain.

Leveling Guide

Levels 1–17: Use Might aura and Zeal or Holy Fire
Level 18–29: Switch to Blessed Hammer + Concentration
Level 30+: Max Blessed Hammer and synergies
Use Insight merc as early as you can
Gear with FCR and mana regen helps greatly

Respec once at level 30 for full Hammerdin setup. Use Stealth, Lore, and Spirit as core gear until you can farm Nightmare.

Farming Spots

The Chaos Sanctuary

Enemies aren’t magic immune and spawn in tight packs. The open layout and density work well for hammer spirals. De Seis can be tricky, but manageable with positioning.