Top 10 D2R PvP Builds

The PvP meta in D2R is so varied that your favorite build has a chance to compete fairly well with a few tweaks in the skill and gearing department. However, you may notice that some builds are more consistent in racking up kills and collecting ears than others. To help you climb up the ranks and earn bragging rights in D2R PvP, here’s a list of the top ten Diablo 2 Resurrected PvP builds.

Blizzard Sorc

Battling a Blizzard sorc can either be an insurmountable threat or a walk in the park, depending on your gear. Since this build focuses solely on the Blizzard skill and having as much Cold Mastery as possible, the only way to survive is to stack as much cold resistance as possible. This comes at a very high cost, however, and not a lot of D2R PvP players are willing to make that sacrifice.

Pros

• Easy to play

• Has very few bad matchups

Cons

• Well-prepared players can still beat you

• Key gear pieces difficult to obtain

Bonemancer

The Bone Necromancer, or ‘Bonemancer’, uses a combination of bone skills and curses to weaken and annihilate the competition. This build fares very well not just in 1v1, but in the team vs team format as well.

Bonemancers assume a caster role with Teeth, Bone Spear, and Bone Spirit as the main damage dealers. Supporting spells include Amplify Damage to multiply the pain, Bone Prison to limit the opponent’s mobility, and Bone Armor to shield against physical damage. Clay Golem and Lower Resist are also worth sinking a few skill points into. The Teleport skill you get from the Enigma armor will be crucial to this necro build’s success as well.

Pros

• Superior against most matchups

• Deals magic damage

Cons

• Weak against ES/Fireball Sorc

• Low HP

ES/Fireball Sorc

The ES/Fireball Sorceress is a beginner-friendly PvP build with a low learning curve. As per the name, sorcs will need to max out their ES, or Energy Shield, Meteor, and Fire Ball skills, along with Fire Mastery.

Energy Shield is the MVP of this sorceress build- it’s capable of absorbing both magical and physical damage, up to 75% at level 20. From there, it’s just a matter of spamming Meteor for AoE targets or Fire Ball for single opponents. ES/Fireball sorcs often assume a hit-and-run strategy with a high enough mana base and Teleport.

Pros

• Easy to use

• Extra splash damage from Fire Ball

Cons

• Gearing with minus fire resistance required

• Can run out of mana

Wind Druid

Wind Druids are similar to the ES/Fireball setup in many ways. Cyclone Armor is there to absorb elemental damage, Oak Sage to boost HP, and Hurricane and Tornado to deliver the killing blow. Plus, the summons can shore up any weakness and make for good distraction/meat shields. Gameplay tactics can vary depending on the matchup.

Pros

• Beats most Hammerdins

• Great versus elemental-based builds

Cons

• Doesn’t kill in one or two hits

• Expensive and complicated to build

Trapsin

Trapsins, or Trap Assassins dominate the PvP field with a variety of traps (hence the name), coupled with Mind Blast. This combo can effectively stun the opponent for an inordinate amount of time, to which death by Wake of Fire or Lightning Sentry comes next.

Trapsin PvP gameplay is mostly a wait-and-see approach. Traps are laid out for unsuspecting victims, with Wake of Fire and Lightning Sentry being the preferred offensive options. With the right setup and placement, trapsins can stun lock using high-level traps and Fire Blast, with Mind Blast as a backup.

Pros

• Easy stun lock setup

• Fast ranged caster

Cons

• Low HP

• Traps can be easy to avoid

Smiter

The Smiter Paladin is a close-range build that relies on the skills Smite, Charge, and Teleport (from the Enigma runeword) to deal damage. It’s a fairly straightforward PvP build that also works very well outside (in PvM).

Other essential skills for a Smiter include Holy Freeze (to slow enemies) and Holy Shield (to up defense, block, and increase Smite damage). Leftover points can be used depending on your preference, i.e., Fanaticism for extra damage, Fist of the Heavens for ranged, etc.

Pros

• One of the easiest PvP builds to play

• Melee can be satisfying

Cons

• Strategizing against higher-tier PvP builds required

• You probably won’t rack up as many kills

Hammerdin

As the name implies, a Hammerdin is a Paladin that uses the skill Blessed Hammer as its main damage dealer. The supporting skill casts are Concentration for reducing interrupted attacks and to boost Hammer damage, Vigor and Blessed Aim for synergy with Hammer, and Fist of the Heavens for supplementary damage. Hammerdins are good in 1v1 and TvT (team vs. team) settings as well.

Pros

• Excellent in 1v1 and TvT

• Can be played with a low budget

Cons

• Difficult to master

• Weak vs Wind Druids and Bowazons

Whirlwind Barb

The top-tier WW Barb is a force to be reckoned with in PvP. It’s an excellent option for those who want to transition from PvM to slaying other players in Blood Moor after reaching the high 80s to mid-90s. The only caveat is that the build heavily relies on GG gear to reach a competitive level. The key to hitting consistently is mastering the ‘tri-ww’ technique and clipping, which takes into account the equipped weapon’s range.

Pros

• Very satisfying to play

• Easy transition from PvM to PvP

Cons

• Build can be expensive

• You’ll hit a brick wall against some builds

Bowazon

The Bowazon is also a popular build with versatile options when it comes to PvP, farming, and boss runs. If you’re not sold on the idea of using magic or getting in close to bash opponents to oblivion, this is the character to use. Bowazons deal death from afar using Multiple Shot, Guided Arrow, and Strafe skills, and there’s Freezing Arrow and Magic Arrow to get around immunes.

Pros

• Ranged killer

• Life and mana sustain are not a problem

Cons

• A bit squishy

• Suffers from slow mobility

Auradin

Auradins are for those who prefer a defensive playstyle. This Paladin build utilizes maxed-out aura skills that either damage and/or slow down their opponents from a distance. It’s a fun PvP build that can catch other players by surprise. In competitive tournaments, this build adds some points to the Fist of the Heavens skill to break out of the passive state.

Pros

• Versatile PvP build

• Highly defensive

Cons

• Expensive build

• Requires a lot of high runes