Uber Smiter Build - D2R 2.7

Do you want a build that can destroy the uber bosses in Diablo II: Resurrected without a heavy investment? Do you like a character that has enough defenses to reliably survive in Hell Difficulty? If that is the case, then you need to take a look at the "Smiter" Paladin!

As you can already tell by the name, this build utilizes Smite to the best of its capabilities. If you are interested, we recommend that you read this article to completion. This is our comprehensive build guide for the Uber Smiter Paladin in Diablo II: Resurrected!

Build Introduction

Smite is a single-target ability that cannot be blocked that deals incredible amounts of damage. The thing that is amazing about Smite is that you do not have to think about attack rating at all. That is because the skill itself is guaranteed to hit, making it so much easier for you to gear your character early on.

Life leech does not work with Smite, but % cast abilities like Lifetap do, meaning Smiters have special gear considerations that should be accounted for. The Uber Smiter is built to deal with Uber Tristram, with or without a Merc, and has high elemental resistances, Life Tap, Max Block, and High Crushing Blow (The most important attack modifier for Boss-killing).

For the uninitiated, Crushing Blow is awesome because it deals 25% damage based on the current HP of the enemy. If the enemy you are attacking has 1,000 HP, for example, landing a Crushing Blow deals 250 damage.

Open wounds are also helpful with the Uber Bosses' naturally high life regeneration. However, a high OW % is unnecessary given your kill speed (Bosses will not out-regenerate Smite's damage). Smiters are adept Uber specialists even with budget gear, making them fantastic ladder starters for Torch farming, or for offering Uber services. This guide will provide you with gear options for all budgets, as well as an in-depth look at optimization routes.

Optimizing Your Smiter

It is fairly easy to maximize the damage output of the Smiter Paladin. Here are some of the most important points to look at:

Weapon Speed and Smite

The increased attack speed (IAS) formula is somewhat complex, involving calculating your weapon IAS (base weapon speed and added IAS), and the IAS from Fanaticism (contingent on level of ability), as well as IAS from other sources in your gear. Here is a calculator which can help optimize your Smite speed. It is recommended that you use the Phase Blade as a base for your Runewords for the highest possible Weapon Speed and its indestructible property.

Shield Type and Smite Damage

The base damage of all elite Paladin Shields for smite are relatively similar, with Sacred Rondache slightly edging the rest in terms of average damage. However, Sacred Targe offers the highest block % meaning you can invest more points into Vitality while maintaining max block. Opt into one of the two bases if you are using a Runeword like Exile, Phoenix or Spirit.

If you care about defense, using the Vortex Shield is a great option as well. However, do keep in mind that this shield has the highest strength requirement, so unless you are willing to devote a bit more points to the said attribute, you are better off using the other shields instead.

Optimizing for Uber Tristram

Effectiveness and survival doing Ubers is contingent on several factors, including:

Damage

Damage is one of the primary variables that dictate the build's clear speed, but is not the #1 priority. Be sure that you have no trouble with surviving on Hell Difficulty before optimizing for damage. Smite's unblockable damage will mean that even budget or mid-range Smiters will have good boss-killing speeds.

Resistances

Having capped or overcapped resistances is integral for Ubers, given their ability to deal high amounts of elemental damage. Lightning and fire resistance are particularly important. Use charms to help mitigate deficiencies if your gear is insufficient.

Lifetap

Lifetap is a Smiter's core regeneration mechanic, allowing you to heal large chunks of life with each use of Smite (once the curse is activated). Lifesteal is ineffective for Smite, and relying on potions can be dangerous, inconsistent, and tedious. It is recommended that you obtain Lifetap from some source, such as your switch weapon, to greatly increase your survivability for Uber Boss runs.

Crushing Blow

Crushing blow is a particularly strong attack modifier, dealing damage equal to 12.5% of the remaining target's life (for bosses) and 25% on regular monsters as magic damage when proc'd. 

Take note that this works on the remaining (current) and not the total/starting HP of the monster, meaning, it has diminishing returns on targets that are low on health. Crushing Blow enables you to quickly shred Uber Boss HP bars due to the speed and sheer damage of Smite.

Max Block

Max Block (MB) is easily attainable on the Paladin due to the huge boost to block chance Holy Shield grants. Additionally, MB is excellent for additional survivability during Ubers (or general PvM farming). Holy Shield also greatly improves your Smite damage, so is considered a core skill.

Sufficient Life Pool

Your total lifepool is another important consideration and should be your final focus once you have achieved sufficient percentages on the other mods mentioned above.

Stats

• Strength: Put just enough points on it to be able to wear your items.
• Dexterity: Put just enough points on it to have a 75% chance to block with Holy Shield activated.
• Vitality: Put all the rest of your available points on this.
• Energy: None

Strength and dexterity are primarily looked at as attributes that enable you to wear certain pieces of gear.

As to how many points you should spend on strength, that really depends on the gear that you want to use. Guillaume's Face only requires 115 strength, so you can just stop at that. However, if you want to use the Vortex Shield as your base for the “Exile” Runeword, for example, then you may need to increase that number to 148.

For dexterity, since you are going to use the Phase Blade as your weapon base, you will need at least 136 points on this attribute. This number should also be adequate to achieve the max block chance of 75% with a max Holy Shield activated.

The rest of your points must be spent on Vitality to improve your HP and stamina. This is mandatory, especially since the Smiter Paladin is meant to destroy Uber Bosses. Having more than enough HP in your tank is, therefore, a priority to help you survive from taking the more devastating hits.

Skills

Core (Smite, Holy Shield and Aura):

• Max Smite
• Max Holy Shield (1 to prerequisites: Charge)
• Max Fanaticism (1 to prerequisites: Might, Blessed Aim, Concentration)

Other useful skills (Ancillary):

• Salvation (1 point)
• Vigor (1 point)
• Redemption (1 point)
• Cleansing (1 point)
• Resist Lightning (up to 20 points)
• Resist Fire (up to 20 points)

Ancillary Skill Prerequisites:

• Defiance
• Prayer
• Zeal (and synergies) as a secondary AoE damage ability for less tedious mob killing.

Optional Investments:

• FoH/Conviction (for an additional Elemental damage type - Not recommended for PvM as this is another Inferior single target ability). Holy bolts do offer some utility in areas with high undead monster density

This build relies on three main skills, namely Smite, Holy Shield, and Fanaticism. Smite is, of course, our main damage dealer. This skill is special because it always hits enemies, alleviating the need to increase the attack rating. It also stuns monsters that are hit with it, which serves as both an offensive and defensive property.

Holy Shield synergizes really well with your main attack skill. Every point spent on this skill increases the damage of Smite. Moreover, Holy Shield grants extra defense and helps you get to the maximum block chance with ease.

Fanaticism is your main aura for this build. You only activate it for the damage bonus it provides and not for the attack rating for reasons that were mentioned earlier.

The Smiter Paladin is quite flexible in terms of skill point allocation because apart from the three main skills, you have complete freedom over which skills you want to take. It goes without saying that the prerequisites for Smite, Holy Shield, and Fanaticism should be taken, but for the other ones, it is entirely up to you.

What we do recommend is putting at least one point on Zeal. The reason is that Smite deals incredible amounts of damage, albeit only on a single target. Zeal allows you to eliminate multiple enemies per cast. Hence, you only use it if you are surrounded.

Resist Fire and Resist Lightning are good skills to have as well. Every two points spent on these passively grant +1 to maximum resistance to their respective elements. This means that you do not have to activate the auras just to gain the passive benefits. Additionally, having good resistance against fire and lightning damage is key, especially when fighting against Uber Diablo.

Breakpoints

Due to the fact that you are going to be up close and personal with the enemy for the vast majority of the time, there are a couple of breakpoints that you need to hit to give you a pleasurable experience playing the Smiter Paladin.

The first is Faster Hit Recovery (FHR). This is a gauge of how fast your character can quickly recover from a hit stun, which occurs every time 1/12 of your HP is taken from a recent attack. For this build, in particular, aim to have at least 48% FHR. This is to reduce the frames needed for you to recover from a hit (from nine frames down to just five).

The second breakpoint you need to address is increased attack speed (IAS). This is a bit complicated since the IAS you need to hit a breakpoint relies heavily on the weapon base that you use.

However, with the Phase Blade equipped, you only need to activate a level 20 Fanaticism Aura and you should be good, though extra IAS on your gear certainly helps.

Okay, FHR and IAS are good and all, but how about Faster Block Rate (FBR)? While FBR is indeed amazing for your survivability, you do not have to worry about it too much because Holy Shield has got you covered!

If you want to learn more about Paladin breakpoints, we have a dedicated guide for that.

Gearing

Our Gear Build recommendation is based on optimizing the above Smiter and Uber considerations, and will be split into the following categories:

• Best in Slot
• Best Alternative
• Best Budget option

If applicable, other alternatives may be considered.

Helm

BiS: Crown of Ages (Recommended for Ubers)

COA is a powerful defensive option, perfect for Ubers. With up to 30 to all resistances, 15% physical damage reduction, and 2 sockets, COA provides a versatile and sound defensive option that can be socketed with Ber (more DR), Um (more resistances), Jewels (IAS, Resistances, FHR, stats or -15 requirements). The downside of COA is the high strength requirement, so ideally only used when paired with Enigma as it offers a huge boost to strength based on your character level.

Best Alternative: Harlequin Crest (aka "Shako") (Not recommended for Ubers)

The "Shako" is a fantastic well-rounded helmet that lacks some of the core utility for Uber Tristram that the other options offer, as such it's not recommended for Uber specialist builds. Shako is more commonly seen in PvP where the +skills, high life, 8% damage reduction, and low requirement, make it a go-to helmet option for sure.

Best Budget, Highest Damage: Guillaume's Face (Recommended for Ubers)

GFace is a powerful offensive helmet that offers a huge (35%) boost to Crushing Blow. Open Wounds (15%) is wasted for a Smiter. Its 30 FHR bonus is also useful but this helmet lacks notable Uber defensive mods like damage reduction or resistances. Use this over Kiras on budget builds only where you can ensure your survival.

Guillaume's Face is best used on endgame builds that aim for the highest clear speed. This should be socketed with defensive runes like Ber or Um to help offset the lack of defenses it provides, Lo for a higher light resistance cap, or other useful jewels that can offer a whole host of useful mods.

Good Budget, Defensive Alternative: Kira's Guardian (Recommended for Ubers)

A very powerful defensive option for Ubers, Kira's offers freeze immunity, 20 FHR, and up to 70 to all resistances. This is a powerful resistance-capping helm that can be socketed with Um or even a perfect gem early game to allow you to survive Uber Tristram with minimal gear cost (perfect for early Ladder). The "Cannot Be Frozen" mod frees up an additional ring slot typically used for Raven Frost, so you can focus on buffing your other resistances or absorb with additional Dwarfstar or Wisp Projector.

Amulet

BiS: Mara's Kaleidoscope

Mara's amulet grants +2 to all skills, the highest possible in the amulet slot, as well as minor attribute increases and a significant resistance boost (20-30). These stats are ideal for the Uber Smiter for increasing damage and survivability.

Best Alternative: Rare or Crafted Paladin Amulet

Rare or crafted amulets can offer useful FCR which may be preferred for Enigma wearers for maintaining desired teleport speeds. Rare are capped at 10%FCR while crafted can go up to 20%. Rare's however, can spawn with significantly higher secondary mods like high stats and resistances. High-end versions can far exceed the cost of Maras.

Budget Alternative: Highlord's Wrath unique amulet

Highlord's amulet is an inferior version of Mara's as the huge boost to deadly strike is not utilized by a Smiter (unless using Zeal secondary, as such this is recommended for hybrid Zeal/Smite builds). However, the +1 to all skills, increased attack speed, and a huge boost to lightning resistance mean that this is still a good Uber amulet.

Weapon

BiS: Grief Phase Blade

Grief in a Phase Blade base offers the highest possible weapon speed and base (-30WSM for Phase Blades and 30-40IAS from the weapon itself) meaning it is easiest to hit the highest IAS frames with minimal additional IAS gear investment. Grief also offers an interesting +damage mod that is added directly to your damage source (Comparatively, other weapons generally use enhanced damage calculations which are not included in your smite damage calculations). +350-400 from Grief is added directly to Smite making this the highest DPS and IAS option. 

Even though the Runeword itself does not provide you with "% Enhanced Damage", you can address that by using other items, such as Steelrend and Laying of Hands.

Grief requires a five-socketed weapon (preferably the Phase Blade). After obtaining one, insert the following runes in the exact order: Eth, Tir, Lo, Mal, Ral.

Best Alternative: Last Wish Phase Blade

Last Wish boasts an expensive rune requirement but has a host of powerful defensive mods, as well as massive Crushing Blow % which offsets the lack of inherent Smite damage. This can be considered ideal for Uber setups and would be recommended over Grief for that specialized purpose. 

The Fade proc boosts your resistance to elemental damage and curses, which greatly aid in improving your survivability. Besides that, the level 18 Life Tap should top-up your HP without any issues, especially considering that you Smite enemies pretty quickly with the Phase Blade’s naturally high attack speed.

In addition, the huge boost to Enhanced Damage allows you to make quick work of the Uber Bosses that you wish to take down.

It is important to note that the Last Wish Runeword requires some pretty expensive runes, including a Ber rune and a few Jah runes. The exact order is as follows: Jah, Mal, Jah, Sur, Jah, Ber.

Best Budget: Azurewrath

Azurewrath is a fantastic budget option with good damage mods, such as IAS, +1 to skills, and a useful Sanctuary aura which helps you easily dispatch undead monsters in Uber Tristram.

Alternative: Oath

Oath is a low-cost Runeword using only low to mid runes up to a Mal. While it lacks some of the key offerings that the other weapons on this list provide, it can be a suitable mid-game Smite/Zeal weapon.

Get a Phase Blade with four sockets and put these runes in order: Shael, Pul, Mal, Lum.

Shield (Smiter Weapon)

BiS: Exile Runeword

If there is one Runeword that is specifically meant for the Smiter Paladin, it would be Exile. This is possible by inserting the Vex, Ohm, Ist, and Dol runes into a shield with four sockets. Ideally, you want to put it either on a Sacred Targe for a higher block chance or the Vortex Shield for even more defense. It is also recommended that the shield be an Ethereal one since Exile repairs one point of durability every four seconds.

So, what makes Exile an appealing choice? For starters, it raises the level of your Fanaticism aura by two, thus giving you more damage as a result. Then, it adds 30 FBR and up to 260% Enhanced Defense, making you incredibly tanky. Furthermore, the +5% to maximum fire and cold resistance toughens you up, enabling you to take a beating from Uber Diablo or Uber Mephisto.

As always, that level 5 Life Tap is a godsend, particularly when fighting more challenging monsters in Diablo II: Resurrected. And, for the cherry on top, it gives you a slight increase in Magic Find, so if you want to farm items in the endgame (which this build is perfectly suited for), then Exile is the way to go!

Best Alternative: Herald of Zakarum

HOZ is an awesome well-rounded Smiter shield that offers good damage (when upgraded), good resistances, block mods, big boosts to stats, skills, and an extra socket for additional versatility. These are typically socketed with an Um (all resistances) or Ber (physical resist) rune for extra survivability.

Spirit Runeword

Spirit is a good budget option that can be made in any 4-socketed Paladin shield. Elite bases offer similar damage, so opt for a Sacred Targe for the highest block %. Aside from that, look for resistances up to +45.

This Runeword provides useful skill boosts, additional resistances, and FCR which may be helpful if you use Enigma on your body armor as well. The huge boost to FHR can also help you maintain steady damage with less impact from your hit recovery animations.

Phoenix Runeword

Phoenix boasts the highest damage of the options listed here, at the expense of some defensive stats. These can be made in high resistance bases, or Knights mod bases (ED + AR) which can further boost DPS. Unlike weapon ED, Shield ED is calculated in your Smite damage, although is vastly inferior to direct damage boosts like what Grief is offering.

While Phoenix can be used on a shield with four sockets, putting the Runeword on a Sacred Targe with the "+45 to All Resistances" auto-mod can help boost its defensive capabilities, albeit slightly.

Body Armor

Chains of Honor

In the endgame, you will encounter plenty of demons and undead monsters. In fact, the Uber Bosses, such as Diablo and Baal, are considered demons, so you want to increase your damage against such enemies.

Having said that, Chains of Honor provides a ton of value to the Smiter Paladin. It grants +2 to all skills, 200% damage to demons, 100% damage to undead, 8% life steal, 70% Enhanced Defense, and +65 to all resistances.

If you do not need Teleport from Enigma, then Chains of Honor is a strong contender for your body armor.

Enigma

Do you want to farm the Chaos Sanctuary? How about the ability to move around the map as quickly as possible? Enigma does that and more!

Enigma is famous for granting you the ability to cast Teleport - a skill that used to be exclusive to the Sorceress in D2:R.

In addition, Enigma provides +2 to all skills and its huge strength boost enables you to wear heavier gear without investing a lot of points into the said attribute.

This Runeword is helpful in providing you with what you need to increase your chances of survival, particularly in Uber Tristram. It not only increases your maximum HP by 5%, but it also reduces the damage you receive by 8%.

As an added benefit, Enigma gives you up to 99% Magic Find, which is always welcome for this build since it is a Diablo II: Resurrected Uber Boss killer.

Enigma requires you to insert the Jah, Ith, and Ber runes into body armor with three sockets. We recommend that you use the Mage Plate as the base for its low STR requirement and relatively high defense.

Guardian Angel

Uber Bosses in Diablo II: Resurrected are powerful monsters that should not be trifled with. If you find yourself struggling to go head-to-head with them, you probably need to up your defense. Fortunately, that is not tough to find because you have the Guardian Angel specifically for that purpose.

Guardian Angel is known for providing you with amazing defenses, particularly the +15% to maximum resistances. Thanks to the said mods, you will mitigate as much as 60% of incoming poison, fire, cold, and lightning damage.

The 20% increased chance of blocking coupled with 30% FBR ensures that you block physical damage from attacks. So really, this body armor covers all of the most important bases!

Did we mention that the Guardian Angel also gives +1 to all Paladin skills?

Fortitude

A common fixture on Act 2 Mercenaries, Fortitude is a Runeword that is best known for its +300% Enhanced Damage. Mind you, this Runeword is placed on body armor, which is definitely quite unique in Diablo II: Resurrected.

Aside from that, Fortitude is actually a well-rounded armor because of the presence of some defensive modifiers, including 200% Enhanced Defense, +30 to all resistances, and a 20% chance to cast Chilling Armor when struck by the enemy. The last one is pretty useful because it not only increases your defense, but also unleashes an Ice Bolt against ranged attackers.

Fortitude can be yours by slotting the El, Sol, Dol, and Lo runes into a four-socketed body armor.

Belt

Thundergod's Vigor

Uber Diablo really wants to have at you with a stream of lightning that can kill you if you are not prepared. For this reason, Thundergod's Vigor is an excellent choice if you want to farm this particular boss over and over again.

Moreover, the +10% to maximum lightning resistance works well with the passive increase from the Resist Lightning Aura.

Other than that, this belt gives a huge chunk of strength and vitality - attributes that are great for almost any build in D2R.

Verdungo's Hearty Cord

Whether you engage in PvP or fight against the Uber Bosses, Verdungo's Hearty Cord is incredible no matter what type of content you indulge in. This is one of the only unique belts in the game that offers a % damage reduction modifier that is quite helpful when facing tougher competition.

Furthermore, the 10% FHR makes it so much easier for you to attain the breakpoint mentioned earlier in the build guide.

String of ears

If you do not have the high runes to trade for a Verdungo's belt, do not worry. There is a good alternative to it in the form of the String of Ears.

This unique belt allows you to steal life from your enemies, which is always great for survival. More importantly, the String of Ears reduces the damage you receive by 15%!

Arachnid Mesh

Do you want to raise the level of your Smite skill as high as possible? If so, the Arachnid Mesh is there for you to wear. This is the only belt in the game that offers +1 to all skills, as well as a 20% Faster Cast Rate.

Other good modifiers on the Arachnid Mesh include +120% Enhanced Defense, 5% increased maximum mana, and the ability to slow targets by 10%.

Rings

Raven Frost

The Raven Frost is always a welcome addition to any build in Diablo II: Resurrected. That is mainly due to its "Cannot Be Frozen" modifier.

Aside from that, the +20 DEX and 20% cold absorb are amazing bonuses to have, particularly the former, which helps in improving your block chance.

If you are wearing Kira's Guardian, you can replace Raven Frost with another ring of your choosing.

Wisp Projector

Magic Find and Lightning Absorb - these two bonuses are what make the next ring on the list quite valuable. The Wisp Projector is one of the only items in D2R that has lightning absorb. With the right combination of items (including Thundergod's Vigor which was mentioned earlier), you can effectively be immune to lightning damage, though this obviously requires a ton of investment.

The "level 5 Heart of Wolverine" also grants you the ability to summon a pet that increases your damage even further.

Take note that the Wisp Projector is one of the rarest rings in the game. As such, you will need to grab a handful of high runes in order to trade for one.

Dwarf Star

This is the fire absorb equivalent to the Wisp Projector. However, the Dwarf Star offers more than that because it increases your life, stamina, and gold that you can gain from killing monsters.

From a survival standpoint, the Dwarf Star is incredible at mitigating the magic damage you receive from your foes.

Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band unique ring

A known staple for PvP, Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band is actually quite useful for the Smiter Paladin even when fighting against monsters and bosses. Aside from the +1 to skills, this thing grants you life steal, which is always nice for the build. The increase in life and stamina are welcome bonuses too!

Gloves

Draculs Grasp

Life Steal and Life Tap are incredible modifiers to have for the Smiter Paladin and the good news is that Dracul's Grasp has both of these and more! If you could add a wand with Life Tap on it, you could further increase the duration of the said curse thanks to these unique gloves.

Crafted Blood Gloves

Crafted Blood Gloves are a powerful alternative to Dracul's Grasp that can help you reach higher IAS breakpoints. Other mods that can spawn include up to a 10% chance to land a Crushing Blow, life, mana, stats, and resistances.

So, how exactly do you craft this thing? Basically, you'll want to get either a pair of Sharkskin Gloves or Vampirebone Gloves. After that, put the gloves inside the Horadric Cube along with a Nef rune, a Perfect Ruby, and any other jewel of your choosing.

Once that's done, you should have something like this:

Laying of Hands

As mentioned earlier, Uber Bosses are primarily tagged as "Demons" in Diablo II: Resurrected. Therefore, any piece of gear that has "% damage to demons" is always a great thing to add to your gear.

Having said that, Laying of Hands is amazing because of its 20% IAS and +50% fire resistance. However, the main draw of these gloves is their +350% increased damage against demons. This makes them the perfect gloves to wear for the Smiter Paladin.

Boots

Goblin Toe

If you want to maximize the damage output of the Smiter Paladin, you need to equip pieces of gear that increase your chances of dealing a Crushing Blow. For the boots, you have the Goblin Toe for that. 

The other modifiers on this thing are mediocre, but that 25% chance of a Crushing Blow is more than enough to justify wearing the boots.

Gore Rider unique boots

The Goblin Toe's 25% chance of Crushing Blow is tough to beat, but if you do not want the other modifiers it comes with, then you can set your eyes on the Gore Rider.

The Gore Rider has even better modifiers, though with a slightly lower Crushing Blow percentage compared to the Goblin Toe. Still, wearing these boots grants you 30% faster run/walk speed, +200% Enhanced Defense, and +20 maximum stamina.

War Traveler

This next pair of boots might not be good from an offensive standpoint, but they do bring something better to the table, particularly when farming highly coveted items from Uber Bosses.

The War Traveler has a good mix of bonuses, including Enhanced Defense, a good chunk of STR and VIT, as well as +25 added damage, among others. Its main selling point? That 50% Magic Find, of course!

If you are going to wear the War Traveler, make sure to get one that has near-perfect rolls to make it count.

Charms

• Annihilus
• Hellfire Torch Magic grand charms with +1 to paladin combat skills (Additional life desirable) Gheed's fortune(Optional)
• Small charms with Life, and/or resistances, FRW, FHR depending on needs.

Switch Weapon

• Call to Arms Runeword
• Magic/Rare Wands with Life Tap

Call to Arms is a very popular Runeword that is mainly used for casting Battle Command and Battle Orders. You will need five runes for these and they are Amn, Ral, Mal, Ist, and Ohm. You can use any five-socketed weapon of your choosing because all you really need from CTA are the buffs.

Magic and rare wands with life tap curse charges can easily be gambled or bought from item vendors in the game like Akara or Gheed. Where there is no life tap source in your other gear, you may consider using a wand.

Switch Shield

• Spirit runeword

Spirit Runeword that is placed on a shield is common and is usually paired with Call to Arms. In this case, the said Runeword is only utilized for its "+2 to all skills", though its other modifiers are great for other builds.

If you want the highest block chance possible on a shield, use the Sacred Targe as a base. On the other hand, if you do not care about that and you just want an inexpensive shield that gets the job done, then you can settle with the Monarch Shield instead.

The specific runes that you need to create the Spirit Runeword are Tal, Thul, Ort, and Amn.

Mercenary

Even though the Smiter Paladin is already powerful enough to defeat the Uber Bosses in Diablo II: Resurrected, you could employ a Mercenary to amplify his damage even further. That said, the optimal mercenary for this build is the Act 2 Might merc with an offensive aura (Might).

Mercenary gear:

Helm

Vampire Gaze

Uber Tristram is home to some very highly damaging monsters, which may lead to the untimely demise of your Mercenary. Thus, you need to equip them with something that can help them survive. Thankfully, the Vampire Gaze is one such item that can address that.

This unique helmet provides 20% physical damage reduction and 15% mitigation against magic damage. Moreover, the 8% life steal is a godsend and should help your Mercenary last longer on the battlefield.

Guillaume's face set helm

If you are fairly confident about your Mercenary's ability to survive the depths of Hell, then you can opt for Guillaume's Face. The faster hit recovery and a relatively high chance to deal a Crushing Blow makes this the perfect choice for more offensive Mercs.

Andariel's Visage unique helm

Do you want a helmet that offers 20% IAS and life steal? Well, good thing D2R has such an item in the form of Andariel's Visage. The increased attack speed bonus is definitely something that you want on your Merc because it helps them recoup their life whenever they receive damage.

Speaking of damage, Andariel's Visage increases maximum poison resistance by 10%, which aids in the Merc's survival against foes that deal the said damage type.

Now, there is a downside to this helmet in that it reduces the fire resistance of the wearer by 30%. But, this can easily be rectified by putting a Ral rune inside.

Weapon

Pride runeword

Pride is the best damage-enhancing Runeword for your merc, to optimize for your own Smite damage output. Level 20 Concentration aura stacks with the mercs might aura, as well as your own fanaticism to produce a powerful blend of damage auras, greatly enhancing clear speed.

Anyway, you will need the Cham, Sur, Io, and Lo runes in order to create the Pride Runeword. Since you are going to have your Mercenary equip this, you might as well put the Runeword on a four-socketed Thresher for its high base damage and attack speed.

Insight runeword

Insight is typically used in Enigma builds to lessen the reliance on your relatively small mana pool and the mana-intensive Teleport spell. Insight offers little in the way of other utility for a Smiter but is low-budget and has decent damage for your Merc.

Ethereal The Reaper's Toll

If you browse many different D2R builds, you will find that The Reaper's Toll is often used mainly for its chance to cast Decrepify on hit.

Decrepify is a Necromancer-exclusive skill that causes monsters to take more damage. In this case, the one that this weapon inflicts will result in enemies taking 50% increased damage as a result.

If you are still not convinced, The Reaper's Toll also ignores the target's defense, virtually eliminating any physical damage mitigation.

Body Armor

Chains of Honor

Chains of Honor offers the highest resistances in the armor slot, as well as DR and life leech which are integral to merc survival. COH is the BiS armor for Uber Tristram. Additionally, the extra damage to demons is particularly helpful for Uber bosses.

Fortitude

Fortitude is the high-damage alternative offering a significant 300% ED as well as other useful mods.

Treachery Runeword

Treachery is a fantastic low-budget option great for Merc survivability. Fade grants significant resistance and DR boosts, while Venom procs, IAS, and the other mods can provide additional damage.

Conclusion

The Smiter Paladin is a bonafide Uber Boss killer in Diablo II: Resurrected. The main skill, Smite, is an interesting one because it always hits enemies regardless of your current attack rating.

Holy Shield provides more damage to Smite. It also offers ancillary benefits where you can reach maximum block chance easily, in addition to an improved defense.

While you can certainly allocate points to different auras, you should only activate Fanaticism, especially for that damage boost. You can switch to the other auras like Vigor or Redemption if you need some utility from time to time.

What makes the Uber Smiter Paladin is that it does not have a high barrier to entry. You can make this build work even with budget gear, though you can certainly invest more to take it to the next level.

We hope that you have enjoyed our full build guide for the Smiter Paladin. Be sure to bookmark this page for future reference!