Tips for Creating a Spirit Sword Early in the Ladder

Hello,

For any caster class, creating a Spirit Runeword sword has a huge impact on killing speed early in a Ladder season. The stats are amazing for the cheap cost, and the level requirement is absurd at 25. For my caster characters at the beginning of any Ladder season, one of my first main goals is creating a Spirit sword toward the end of normal difficulty or as early as possible in Nightmare difficulty.

Finding the Runes is usually straightforward. Tal and Ort runes will be awarded for completing Act 5 Quest 2. Thul and Amn runes are fairly common, and if you do not have them by the end of Normal difficulty, Act 1 Nightmare Countess runs can be a good way to find them. Keep in mind you can use cube recipes for upgrading runes to Thul and Amn if you find yourself with extra Ort runes.

Often times, finding the 4 socket base sword is the more difficult part of the process. Crystal Swords, Broad Swords, and Long Swords can all have 4 sockets, but Long Swords are often not a good option due to higher dexterity requirements, so I'll focus on Crystal Swords and Broad Swords. First and foremost, pick up all grey Crystal Swords and Broad Swords starting in Act 1 Nightmare difficulty to check for 4 sockets. Items cannot drop with 4 sockets in normal difficulty. Ethereal items are acceptable, because you'll never swing the sword.

If you gather the runes before you've found a 4 socket sword, you can use Act 5 Quest 1, the " Larzuk quest" to create a 4 socket sword from a normal or superior Crystal Sword or Broad Sword. Going this route will allow you to create a 4 socket sword in Normal difficulty, even though they cannot drop naturally until Nightmare difficulty. If you choose to use your Larzuk quest to add sockets to a sword for a Spirit, it is important to use a sword found in the correct area to ensure 4 sockets. If the item level is too low, it will result in 3 sockets, and if the item level is too high, it will result in 6 sockets (in the case of the Crystal Sword only).

To ensure 4 sockets in a Crystal Sword from the Larzuk quest, the item level must be between 26 and 40 (inclusive). Monsters in the following areas will drop Crystal Swords in this range:
To ensure 4 sockets in a Broad Sword from the Larzuk quest, the item level must be 26 or above. Monsters in the following areas will drop Broad Swords in this range:
You can also use the Cube recipe to add sockets to a Crystal Sword or Broad Sword if you'd prefer to save your Larzuk quest. Using base swords found the areas described in the tables will provide a 50% chance of 4 sockets using the add sockets Cube recipe.

Hopefully these tables will be helpful as you search for your first Spirit in D2R. Please let me know if you have any questions, or if I've missed or mistaken any information.

Stratigery

EDIT: Thanks to @Zalumon for pointing out an issue with Monster levels in some areas. The lists above have been updated with these changes. Please let me know if this I adjusted correctly.

What a fantastic and to-the-point guide Stratigery. This’ll be so useful for everyone when the game releases.

Very well written and detailed guide thank you so much for sharing it here.

Great guide, Spirit is absolutely ridiculous with how much it provides with so little investment. Every low-level caster should get this as soon as possible.

You can use this method to make Insight polearm ( Ral+ Tir+ Tal+ Sol) too. all polearms from these spots will get 4 sockets. except for Bardiche that can only get 3 sockets.

Hi there, was looking to build a Spirit for a hammerdin while leveling. Was looking for opinions on if it would be better to go for a Crystal Sword so I can hand it off to other characters later or put it into something like a Heraldic Shield for best block/res on the hdin.

Inktreader wrote: 4 years ago

Hi there, was looking to build a Spirit for a hammerdin while leveling. Was looking for opinions on if it would be better to go for a Crystal Sword so I can hand it off to other characters later or put it into something like a Heraldic Shield for best block/res on the hdin.

If you're focusing primarily on your Pally first, then I would suggest building a Spirit sword and shield for him. Afterwards, you can pass off your CS to another char whenever you get yourself a Wizardspike for Hell.

Khegan wrote: 4 years ago

Inktreader wrote: 4 years ago

Hi there, was looking to build a Spirit for a hammerdin while leveling. Was looking for opinions on if it would be better to go for a Crystal Sword so I can hand it off to other characters later or put it into something like a Heraldic Shield for best block/res on the hdin.

If you're focusing primarily on your Pally first, then I would suggest building a Spirit sword and shield for him. Afterwards, you can pass off your CS to another char whenever you get yourself a Wizardspike for Hell.

Not sure why it didn't occur to me that I could make both... lol. Seems like a decent idea. I think I will still plan to do CS first and then depending how I feel/what I would need to farm, maybe go for the shield as well, or just do like PDiamonds instead. Getting both with 4 OS with only one Larzuk might be tough...Thanks!

Dude, excellent guide. Keep up the great work!

Thanks a lot man for the tips!

How to know the exact ilvl for an item ?
So what about the Shield version ?

CletusVII wrote: 4 years ago

Thanks a lot man for the tips!
So what about the Shield version ?

For Paladins, you can use the same info from this guide to make one (e.g. iLvl 28 Heraldic Shield can drop in Normal Cows), but it doesn't work for other classes because the only non-Paladin shields that roll 4 sockets are Elite grade.

Edit: Ah, I missed your other question. Unless the devs add iLvls as a part of item tooltips, then the only way to know the level is to remember where the item spawned and search from there. If, for example, an item dropped from a regular monster, then it's usually iLvl = Monster Level.

Here's a guide I made that may provide a better explanation: forums/a-guide-to-basic-terms-of-item-g ... t8350.html

Khegan wrote: 4 years ago

CletusVII wrote: 4 years ago

Thanks a lot man for the tips!
So what about the Shield version ?

For Paladins, you can use the same info from this guide to make one (e.g. iLvl 28 Heraldic Shield can drop in Normal Cows), but it doesn't work for other classes because the only non-Paladin shields that roll 4 sockets are Elite grade.

Edit: Ah, I missed your other question. Unless the devs add iLvls as a part of item tooltips, then the only way to know the level is to remember where the item spawned and search from there. If, for example, an item dropped from a regular monster, then it's usually iLvl = Monster Level.

Here's a guide I made that may provide a better explanation: forums/a-guide-to-basic-terms-of-item-g ... t8350.html

Thanks a lot for your answers.
I asked this 'cause I fail twice with a Crystal Sword (6os)...

Hi,

I have a 3 socketed Crystal Sword but not sure where I picked it up from. If I do that lazruk quest on it, will it turn into a 4 socketed sword?

Thanks!

Dumbledore wrote: 4 years ago

Hi,

I have a 3 socketed Crystal Sword but not sure where I picked it up from. If I do that lazruk quest on it, will it turn into a 4 socketed sword?

Thanks!

No, you can't use Larzuk's reward on an item that has existing sockets

I haven't had luck finding a 4os Heraldic Shield from cows yet. Is it recommended to use less or more MF to find bases? More or less players?

I'm playing online so might be able to trade if anyone has found one!

@Inktreader The more players the better, the less MF the better.

I'd like to point out that, "Items cannot drop with 4 sockets in normal difficulty. " is incorrect and it can drop as early as Act2 normal from specific mobs. (However, not worth farming for imo.)

Mr Llama has done a video on it. =)

Great post though <3

Thank you for this guide! As I'm leveling as a Nova/static sorc I picked up a Crystal Sword from normal cows and socketed it with Larzuk's reward since I had already found the runes.

amazing work @stratigery , I've referenced this guide at least 3-4 times already! i was terrified of wasting my socket quest lol.

I tried to understand your area suggestions by looking at the monster and area levels on Amazon Basin:

Area levels:
https://www.theamazonbasin.com/wiki/ind ... itle=Act_4
https://www.theamazonbasin.com/wiki/ind ... itle=Act_5

Monster levels:
https://www.theamazonbasin.com/wiki/ind ... y_(Normal)
https://www.theamazonbasin.com/wiki/ind ... y_(Normal)

Based on that data and under the assumption that ilvl = mlvl for monster drops and ilvl = area lvl for chests (are these assumptions correct?), it seems to me that:

- Act 4 is not safe to farm (chance for mlvl 24)
- Act 5 Frigid Highlands is not safe to farm (area lvl 25)
- Act 5 Worldstone Keep lvl 1 and 2 not safe to farm (mlvl 41 + 42 possible)

I would say these areas are safe to farm for crystal/ Broad Sword bases in item level range 26-40:
- Normal Cow level
- Normal Act 4 City of the Damned only
- Normal Act 5 Arreat Plateau until Arreat Summit