Paladin Tri-bryd build

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some feedback on a Paladin project I’m running in D2R (Online P1). The goal is a "Do-it-all" character that avoids being a specialist.

The Concept:
A Tri-Bryd that uses Fist of the Heavens for screen-clearing, Blessed Hammer for positioning/non-demon clearing, and a 1-point Smite (boosted by Grief/Exile) for Ubers and Uber Ancients.

Gear Strategy:
Instead of a "Jack of all trades" setup that compromises stats, I’m splitting the gear into two distinct setups:

Caster Setup (125% FCR Target):

Core: Enigma + HoZ (aiming for the 125% BP).

The Puzzle: HOTO (40) + Hellwarden (20) + Magefist (20) + Crafted Ammy (20) + Arach (20) + FCR Ring (5-10).

Note: I'm opting for Enigma specifically for Hammer positioning, even though I mostly play as a "Walker."

Melee Swap (Uber Ancients/Ubers):

Core: Grief Phase Blade + Exile ( Eth Vortex) + G-Face ( Um).

Logic: Since I have Grief, I’m keeping Smite/Fana as 1-point wonders and dumping points into Hammer/FoH synergies.

Skill Split (Level 90+):

Max: FoH, Holy Bolt, Blessed Hammer, Vigor.

Split: 6 in Concentration / 9 in Blessed Aim (Calculated for best Hammer curve on this point budget).

1 Point: Smite, Fanaticism, Holy Shield.

Planner Link: https://maxroll.gg/d2/d2planner/d4gxqj0n

Question:
Is the 125% FCR + HoZ + Enigma combo worth the inventory/jewelry stress compared to just using a Spirit shield? And does the 1-point Smite with Grief feel "safe" enough for Uber Ancients on P1, or am I overlooking a breakpoint?

I tried it for a bit, basically following the tri-brid build from here https://maxroll.gg/d2/guides/fist-of-th ... ns-paladin.

Turns out, I dont care for hammerdin play style, and for some reason my hammer damage didnt seem to stack up to the claims. So I ended up just going with FoH and maxing Smite and Holy Shield so my paladin is about as good a smiter as you can get. Sure, killing things that arent undead or demons sucks, but I just ignore those, or let my merc kill them (sometimes I help with some smiting). My default aura is actually Vigor, and while I dont have great FCR, it doesnt really matter, Fist of the Heavens has a casting delay anyway. I use a wizard spike and Spirit on swap if I want to Teleport around/ spam Holy Bolt for single target damage when I dont feel like smiting. All in all, its not the most powerful build, but its fun enough, versatile enough, and is my go to whenever I need to kill ubers (be it diablo, Uber Tristram, or uber ancients, he clears them all with ease)

Kakumba wrote: 4 months ago

Turns out, I dont care for hammerdin play style, and for some reason my hammer damage didnt seem to stack up to the claims.

You need to run hammer with Concentration aura. Otherwise damage will be really low.

Basically you need to Sacrifice like ~30% damage from FOH to have almost maxed out hammer. I am fine with 8-9k hammer damage, its easily enough to clear stuff.

I run this to be able to clear Baal room and such, its entirely viable and farms stuff quickly: https://maxroll.gg/d2/d2planner/4o0206lc

For ubers I have a dedicated smiter bc they do not need to be high level, and I do not need to switch gear all the time . ; p

I'm currently experimenting with a similar tribrid setup but I'm opting for lightning damage and Conviction instead of hammers. High level Conviction is great to counter uber meph.
It's HC offline SSF so I have to be able to beat the full game without handed down gear.
It's not the best/fastest but so far, I'm managing.

Unless you already have that 20fcr amulet, go for 15 fcr on amu and 10 on ring. Is there even a (new) ring with 5 fcr?

If your main is FoH and hammer is secondary, I'd also consider swapping Hoto and aiming for 75 fcr bp or going with Spirit shield. Heaven's Light and Astreon's Iron Ward are great hybrid choices since they both come with 33CB.

Why if you use an act 2 merc with Pride and invest the Concentrate points into Blessed Aim instead?