Is the Paladin good in D2R?

Yes — the most flexible class in the game. Blessed Hammer (Hammerdin), Fist of the Heavens (FoH), and Smite are all S-tier on Maxroll's overall list. Dream Paladin is A-tier. Auradin sits just below. Whatever content you want to clear, Paladin has a specialist build.

Passive party-wide AoE buffs unique to the Paladin. Only one runs at a time. Fanaticism buffs attack/damage for melee + party; Concentration is the Hammerdin workhorse; Conviction breaks enemy resists for caster Paladins and Infinity mercs; Redemption heals by consuming corpses. Auras define every Paladin build.

Why is Hammerdin so popular?

Blessed Hammer deals pure magic damage — almost nothing in D2R is magic-immune. With Concentration synergy maxed, one cast covers a huge area with spiraling hammers. Combined with Enigma Teleport, Hammerdin is the fastest farmer of high-density zones (Chaos Sanctuary, Baal runs).

Diablo II: Resurrected

Complete Paladin class guide for D2R. Combat Skills, Offensive Auras, Defensive Auras. Top builds (Hammerdin, FoH, Smiter, Auradin). Gear, strengths, weaknesses, leveling.

Class Guide 9 min read

Paladin — D2R Class Guide

By the DiabloBytes team · Updated May 22, 2026 · Season 14 (Patch 3.2)

The Paladin is a holy warrior trained by the Church of Zakarum to protect missionary priests. D2R's most flexible class: magic-damage AoE caster (Hammerdin), crushing-blow Uber killer (Smiter), ranged holy sniper (FoHdin), dual-aura zealot, or Dream/Dream Auradin. His signature: Auras — passive party-wide buffs that define every build.

Skill Trees

Combat Skills

Zeal · Smite · Charge · Vengeance · Blessed Hammer · Fist of the Heavens · Holy Shield

Offensive Auras

Might · Holy Fire · Holy Shock · Holy Freeze · Fanaticism · Conviction · Concentration · Blessed Aim

Defensive Auras

Prayer · Defiance · Cleansing · Meditation · Salvation · Redemption · Vigor

Top Builds (Season 14)

Hammerdin (Blessed Hammer)
Pure magic damage AoE. Fastest Chaos/Baal farmer. One-button gameplay.

S-tier
Fist of the Heavens (FoH)
Lightning + Holy Bolt. Excellent for PvP and versatile farming.

S-tier
Smiter
Crushing Blow one-shots Ubers. The go-to Uber killer.

S-tier
Dream Paladin
Dual Dream runewords = Holy Shock aura stack. Passive DPS while meleeing.

A-tier
Auradin
Stacks Holy Shock + Holy Fire via Dream/Hand of Justice. Kills by existing near enemies.

A-tier
Zealot
Classic Zeal + Fanaticism. Safe, tanky, budget-friendly.

B-tier

Detailed Paladin Build Guides

Hammerdin (Blessed Hammer) S-tier
Pure magic damage AoE. Fastest Chaos / Baal farmer.
Smiter Paladin S-tier
Crushing Blow one-shots Ubers. Go-to Uber killer.
Zealot B-tier
Classic Zeal + Fanaticism. Safe, tanky, budget-friendly.
Fist of the Heavens S-tier
Lightning + Holy Bolt. Excellent for PvP and versatile farming.
Avenger (Vengeance) A-tier
Triple-element melee — fire + cold + lightning per swing.
Dream Paladin A-tier
Dual Dream runewords stack Holy Shock aura. Passive DPS.

Key Gear

Enigma — Jah-Ith-Ber — Teleport. Mandatory for Hammerdin mobility.
Heart of the Oak — Ko-Vex-Pul-Thul flail — +3 skills, 40 FCR. Hammerdin / FoH BiS.
Call to Arms (swap) — Amn-Ral-Mal-Ist-Ohm — Battle Orders / Battle Command. Every Paladin swap-casts this.
Spirit (shield/sword) — Tal-Thul-Ort-Amn — +2 skills, 35 FCR. Cheap caster staple.
Grief (phase blade) — Smiter / Zealot BiS. Flat +damage.
Exile — Vex-Ohm-Ist-Dol — Paladin-only runeword shield. Life Tap on striking. Smiter core.
Dream (helm + shield) — Io-Jah-Pul — Holy Shock aura stacks. Dream/Auradin core.
Herald of Zakarum — Paladin-only shield. +skills + all res. Budget alt to Exile.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

+ Hammerdin bypasses almost all immunes
+ Smiter solos all Ubers cheap
+ Auras = unmatched party support
+ High block + resists = easiest to keep alive

Weaknesses

- Slow early (auras unlock gradually)
- Hammerdin struggles vs Black Souls (magic immune)
- Melee variants gear-hungry
- Only one aura active at a time

Leveling Path

Levels 1-13: Might + Sacrifice, then Zeal + Holy Fire. Craft Stealth at 17. First respec at ~19 into Blessed Hammer + Concentration. Hammerdin carries Act 4 Normal through all of Nightmare and Hell. Max synergies (Blessed Hammer, Concentration, Vigor, Blessed Aim). Final respec at 75+ into Hammerdin / FoH / Smiter / Auradin. Source: Maxroll Paladin Leveling Guide.