Kicking demons back from whence they came has never been as nostalgic as it is in Diablo 2: Resurrected. The problem is, these demons tend to kick back at the players and will rightfully give anyone a challenge come the late stages of Nightmare difficulty and certainly in Hell difficulty.
Luckily, players have exciting tools at their disposal in the form of runewords. They'll need to adapt to such as system in Diablo 2 if they are to survive higher difficulties. For all classes or builds, it's also mandatory to have runeword weapons especially if one plans to be comfortable in Hell or at least have fun on the way there.
Updated April 30, 2022, by Sid Natividad: After eons of waiting, the Ladder for Diablo 2: Resurrected has finally been released along with its 2.4 Update. As always, its economy will revolve around one thing: Diablo 2 runes. Diablo 2 runes can be expensive and it pays to know which Runewords are the best. It just so happens that there are plenty of good D2R weapon Runewords. At least, there's a lot more than ten. Not all of them are great though, so for some Ladder-defining D2R Runewords, players should make sure to check out the additions to this list.
15 Grief - Swords/Axes (Eth + Tir + Lo + Mal + Ral)
- 35% Chance To Cast Level 15 Venom On Striking
- +30-40% Increased Attack Speed
- Damage +340-400
- Ignore Target's Defense
- -25% Target Defense
- +(1.875 per character level) 1.875-185.625% Damage To Demons (Based on Character Level)
- Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
- -20-25% To Enemy Poison Resistance
- 20% Deadly Strike
- Prevent Monster Heal
- +2 To Mana After Each Kill
- +10-15 Life After Each Kill
Players shouldn't be fooled by the apparently low damage output of Grief on the item description. It's the best melee weapon Runeword in Diablo 2. A few Runewords come close to Grief in a Phaseblade or Berserker Axe such as an Ethereal Breath of the Dying two-handed weapon, but Grief is still more accessible.
It's the best weapon for a lot of endgame builds, such as Tesladin, Zealot, Smiter, or Barbarian melee builds. Its secret lies in the flat damage increase which makes its average damage reliably high compared to other melee Runewords.
14 Silence - (Dol + Eld + Hel + Ist + Tir + Vex)
- 200% Enhanced Damage
- +75% Damage To Undead
- Requirements -20%
- 20% Increased Attack Speed
- +50 To Attack Rating Against Undead
- +2 To All Skills
- All Resistances +75
- 20% Faster Hit Recovery
- 11% Mana Stolen Per Hit
- Hit Causes Monster To Flee 25%
- Hit Blinds Target +33
- +2 To Mana After Each Kill
- 30% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items
Since Amazon bow builds are viable now thanks to the recent buffs, Runewords like this finally have a place in the meta. Silence is a little low on the plus to All Skills for a two-handed weapon, but everything else makes it good. No stat here is wasted.
The bonuses against the Undead mean it's a great Runeword for farming places like Pindleskin or Arcane Sanctuary. Overall, it's a complete package as far as ranged weapon Runewords go (even though it can also be used for melee weapons).
13 Infinity - Polearms (Ber + Mal + Ber + Ist)
- 50 % Chance To Cast Level 20 Chain Lightning When You Kill An Enemy
- Level 12 Conviction Aura When Equipped
- +35% Faster Run/Walk
- +255-325% Enhanced Damage
- -(45-55)% To Enemy Lightning Resistance
- 40% Chance of Crushing Blow
- Prevent Monster Heal
- 0.5-49.5 To Vitality (Based on Character Level)
- 30% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
- Level 21 Cyclone Armor (30 Charges)
Infinity is an enabler for many of the most powerful endgame elemental builds in Diablo 2. It's best equipped on an Act 2 Mercenary with an aura and on its own, it's not a bad weapon and can even be used by melee builds if they like.
Its real strength, of course, is when paired with Lightning Javazons or Sorceresses. That Conviction Aura will shred just about any enemy and make it vulnerable to elemental damage. Without it, some builds simply feel incomplete or significantly weaker.
12 Harmony - Missile Weapons (Tir + Ith + Sol + Ko)
- Level 10 Vigor Aura When Equipped
- +200-275% Enhanced Damage
- +9 To Minimum Damage
- +9 To Maximum Damage
- Adds 55-160 Lightning Damage
- Adds 55-160 Fire Damage
- Adds 55-160 Cold Damage
- +2-6 To Valkyrie
- +10 To Dexterity
- Regenerate Mana 20%
- +2 To Mana After Each Kill
- +2 To Light Radius
- Level 20 Revive (25 Charges)
Harmony is quite a powerful Runeword for something that doesn't cost much. Its most expensive Rune is Ko and this can easily be acquired in Hell Forge runs. It's only available for Bowazons, however, but, as mentioned earlier, those got buffed.
Players should note that it's not a great late-game or endgame weapon as there are better alternatives. Moreover, the split elemental damage doesn't hold up well against tough enemies beyond Nightmare difficulty or even earlier.
11 Last Wish - Axes/Hammers/Scepters (Jah + Mal + Jah + Sur + Jah + Ber)
- 6% Chance To Cast Level 11 Fade When Struck
- 10% Chance To Cast Level 18 Life Tap On Striking
- 20% Chance To Cast Level 20 Charged Bolt On Attack
- Level 17 Might Aura When Equipped
- +330-375% Enhanced Damage
- Ignore Target's Defense
- 60-70% Chance of Crushing Blow
- Prevent Monster Heal
- Hit Blinds Target
- +(0.5 per character level) 0.5-49.5% Chance of Getting Magic Items (Based on Character Level)
Now, look at those runes! Back in the day, those were enough for players to purchase a second-hand car if sold through cash to other players. Last Wish is the most expensive Runeword ever, but it more than lives up to its reputation.
It's a somewhat superior option compared to Grief when placed in a Tesladin or Smiter's hands. It's just that a lot of players simply do not have it or cannot afford it because of the required runes.
10 Leaf - Staves (Tir + Ral)
- Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
- +3 To Fire Skills
- +3 To Fire Bolt (Sorceress Only)
- +3 To Inferno (Sorceress Only)
- +3 To Warmth (Sorceress Only)
- +2 To Mana After Each Kill
- + (2 Per Character Level) +2-198 To Defense (Based On Character Level)
- Cold Resist +33%
It's a low-level runeword and will likely be replaced come level 30 or 40 but Leaf is such a huge boost to Sorceresses that it's become standard equipment. It also helps that Tir and Ral are easily obtainable runes.
A Fire Bolt Sorceress is also the most common leveling build before players respec to Frozen Orb or Blizzard. The Leaf runeword ticks many boxers in that regard and makes leveling a Sorceress build a pleasure.
9 White - Wand (Dol + Io)
- Hit Causes Monster To Flee 25%
- +10 To Vitality
- +3 To Poison And Bone Skills (Necromancer Only)
- +3 To Bone Armor (Necromancer Only)
- +2 To Bone Spear (Necromancer Only)
- +4 To Skeleton Mastery (Necromancer Only)
- Magic Damage Reduced By 4
- 20% Faster Cast Rate
- +13 To Mana
For a class that's even less gear-dependent than the Sorceress, one can't go wrong with the Necromancer. Likewise, the Necromancer also has a common go-to leveling build that players can also take to the endgame. That would be the Bone Necromancer or Bonemancer.
Thus, the White runeword on a wand makes for the ideal starter or mid-weapon for the Necromancer. It gives several layers of bonuses for the most used Bonemancer skills. Everything else is icing on the cake.
8 Famine - Axes/Hammers ( Fal + Ohm + Ort + Jah)
- +30% Increased Attack Speed
- +320-370% Enhanced Damage
- Ignore Target's Defense
- Adds 180-200 Magic Damage
- Adds 50-200 Fire Damage
- Adds 51-250 Lightning Damage
- Adds 50-200 Cold Damage
- 12% Life Stolen Per Hit
- Prevent Monster Heal
- +10 To Strength
Moving on to endgame runewords, Famine is one of the most formidable ones and can make Barbarians or even Paladins shine. The damage increase is just dizzying here coupled with the increased attack speed that makes weapon choice flexible.
Granted, the elemental damage additions are wasted on Hell difficulty due to immune monsters but the Ignore Target's Defense more than makes up for that. Plus a bit of Magic Damage is thrown into the mix which is always great against Physical Immune enemies.
7 Beast - Axes/Hammers/Scepters (Ber + Tir + Um + Mal + Lum)
- Level 9 Fanaticism Aura When Equipped
- +40% Increased Attack Speed
- +240-270% Enhanced Damage
- 20% Chance of Crushing Blow
- 25% Chance of Open Wounds
- +3 To Werebear
- +3 To Lycanthropy
- Prevent Monster Heal
- +25-40 To Strength
- +10 To Energy
- +2 To Mana After Each Kill
- Level 13 Summon Grizzly (5 Charges)
At first glance, it would seem that Beast is a Druid-focused weapon but the Fanaticism Aura actually makes it an ideal option for a Summon Necromancer. That aura will put some muscle into one's skeleton minions.
Meanwhile, it's also impressive for Barbarians or Paladins due to the Crushing Blow and Open Wounds auxiliary. All in all, it's an awesome versatile weapon for melee characters and some spellcasters.
6 Call to Arms (Amn + Ral + Mal + Ist + Ohm)
- +1 To All Skills
- +40% Increased Attack Speed
- +250-290% Enhanced Damage
- Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
- 7% Life Stolen Per Hit
- +2-6 To Battle Command
- +1-6 To Battle Orders
- +1-4 To Battle Cry
- Prevent Monster Heal
- Replenish Life +12
- 30% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Winding back down to something a little more affordable, Call to Arms is a great option. It's one of the most popular swap weapons thanks to the Barbarian War Cry skills that any class can use.
Should players decide to use Call to Arms as a regular weapon, then they'll not find its stats lacking. The +1 to all Skills is always a welcome damage increase. For Magic Find, it's a pretty competent gear as well. Players can't go wrong with this one.
5 Insight - Polearms/Staves (Ral + Tir + Tal + Sol)
- + Level 12-17 Meditation Aura When Equipped
- +35% Faster Cast Rate
- +200-260% Enhanced Damage
- +9 To Minimum Damage
- 180-250% Bonus to Attack Rating
- Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
- +75 Poison Damage Over 5 Seconds
- +1-6 To Critical Strike
- +5 To All Attributes
- +2 To Mana After Each Kill
- 23% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
It's hard to believe that such a significant runeword has low requirements but here it is. Insight isn't actually something that players commonly use on their characters as it's only for Polearms and Sorceresses have better choices for Staves.
No, players usually put it in Polearms and then give it to their Act 2 hirelings. It's the Meditation Aura that makes it appealing. That's the best thing about this runeword as it enables all mana-hungry builds. Without it, players will have to deal with constantly pressing the blue potion icons on their belts and reducing their survivability by bringing mana potions. Hence, this runeword gives off a beneficial domino effect.
4 Melody - Missile Weapons (Shael + Ko + Nef)
- +50% Enhanced Damage
- +300% Damage To Undead
- +3 To Bow and Crossbow Skills (Amazon Only)
- +3 To Critical Strike (Amazon Only)
- +3 To Dodge (Amazon Only)
- +3 To Slow Missiles (Amazon Only)
- 20% Increased Attack Speed
- +10 To Dexterity
- Knockback
Apart from Sorceresses or Paladins, one other class that allows for a top-tier DPS build is the Amazon. She usually comes in two flavors, Bow and Javelin. Melody is one of her most ideal weapons for the Bow build.
Any bow with this runeword gets a pile of skill bonuses and many other benefits to turn an early Bow Amazon into an untouchable arrow storm. The Knockback ensures this. While the damage augment is lacking compared to other runewords, it makes quick work of undead enemies.
3 Faith - Missile Weapons (Ohm + Jah + Lem + Eld)
- Level 12-15 Fanaticism Aura When Equipped
- +1-2 To All Skills
- +330% Enhanced Damage
- Ignore Target's Defense
- 300% Bonus To Attack Rating
- +75% Damage To Undead
- +50 To Attack Rating Against Undead
- +120 Fire Damage
- All Resistances +15
- 10% Reanimate As: Returned
- 75% Extra Gold From Monsters
Of course, Amazon builds will eventually have to graduate and employ a more powerful runeword. Faith is the popular option for this if some unique weapons have proven to be too elusive.
It's like the Javelin or Bow version of the Famine runeword in that it also lets players ignore their enemies' defense. For boss fights, this is too important. The Fanaticism Aura is also godly in this runeword as is the resistance addition.
2 Breath of the Dying - (Vex + Hel + El + Eld + Zod + Eth)
- 50% Chance To Cast Level 20 Poison Nova When You Kill An Enemy
- Indestructible
- +60% Increased Attack Speed
- +350-400% Enhanced Damage
- +200% Damage To Undead
- -25% Target Defense
- +50 To Attack Rating
- +50 To Attack Rating Against Undead
- 7% Mana Stolen Per Hit
- 12-15% Life Stolen Per Hit
- Prevent Monster Heal
- +30 To All Attributes
- +1 To Light Radius
- Requirements -20%
It's a six-socket runeword and quite possibly one of the most expensive. However, it's worth it as one can see in the stats segment. Breath of the Dying is simply too much to handle. The Indestructible perk is what gives it an edge since that allows players to put it in Etheral items with much higher damage numbers.
Of course, one also can't ignore the Poison Nova lightshow that comes with the weapon. Put in the hands of a Whirlwind Barbarian and the runeword becomes a weapon of mass destruction.
1 Heart of the Oak - Staves/Maces (Ko + Vex + Pul + Thul)
- +3 To All Skills
- +40% Faster Cast Rate
- +75% Damage To Demons
- +100 To Attack Rating Against Demons
- Adds 3-14 Cold Damage, 3 sec. Duration (Normal)
- 7% Mana Stolen Per Hit
- +10 To Dexterity
- Replenish Life +20
- Increase Maximum Mana 15%
- All Resistances +30-40
- Level 4 Oak Sage (25 Charges)
- Level 14 Raven (60 Charges)
There's no doubt that the Hammerdin is one of— if not the most powerful build in Diablo 2. Their best-in-slot weapon? Heart of the Oak flails. It's the huge Faster Cast Rate bonus that makes it ideal for the Hammerdin.
That doesn't mean other classes or builds won't reap Heart of the Oak's benefits. It's still an awesome weapon thanks to the generous skill increase and it makes its wielder's tanky thanks to the resistance add-on.
Diablo 2: Resurrected is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.