Grief
S
S-Tier — Best in Slot / Meta-Defining
Rune Recipe
Insert in order: Eth → Tir → Lo → Mal → Ral
Get These Runes
Need runes for this runeword? Find them on Traderie — D2R's most active trading marketplace.
Stats & Properties
+(1.875 Per Character Level) 1.875-185.625% Damage To Demons (Based on Character Level)
Damage +340-400
+30-40% Increased Attack Speed
35% Chance To Cast Level 15 Venom On Striking
-20-25% To Enemy Poison Resistance
Ignore Target's Defense
+10-15 Life After Each Kill
Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
20% Deadly Strike
Prevent Monster Heal
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
--- Rune Bonuses ---
Eth: -25% Target Defense
Tir: +2 Mana Per Kill
Lo: 20% Chance of Deadly Strike
Mal: Prevent Monster Healing
Ral: +5-30 Fire Damage
How to Socket Your Base
⚔️ Weapon
Ral + Amn + Perfect Amethyst + Normal Weapon
Adds 1-6 sockets (random). Cannot exceed item's max sockets.
Larzuk Quest Reward — Gives max sockets on normal items. Best way to guarantee exactly 5 sockets on the right base.
Best Base Items for Grief
Indestructible (no repair costs), fastest attack speed (WSM −30), and up to 6 sockets. The undisputed best base for Grief — but Larzuk gives 6os, so find a 5-socket drop or use cube recipe.
Budget: Berserker Axe — Slower but more accessible. Excellent for Barbarians with native axe mastery.
Where it drops Hell difficulty only (elite swords).
Socket ilvl Phase Blade has max 6 sockets (gemsockets=6). Larzuk always gives 6. For 5os runewords: find one with 5 sockets naturally, or cube recipe (Ral+Amn+Perfect Amethyst) for random 1-6.
How to socket Larzuk gives 6 sockets (too many for 5os runewords). Find a 5os Phase Blade drop, or use cube recipe (Ral+Amn+Perfect Amethyst) for random 1-6 sockets.
Best farming spots Hell Mephisto (Act 3) · Chaos Sanctuary (Act 4 Hell) · The Pit (Act 1 Hell) · Worldstone Keep (Act 5 Hell) · Hell Cows (Secret Cow Level)
Terror Zones scale monster levels to your character level (up to 99), so any terrorized area can drop elite bases — great supplemental farming.
Used In These Builds
ZealotBerserker BarbarianFrenzy BarbarianMelee Builds
Find more runewords you can build
Enter your rune stash in the calculator to see everything you can make right now.
⚔️ Recommended Diablo Gear
Hand-picked for Diablo players. Buying through these links supports DiabloBytes at no extra cost to you.

Fan FavoriteCollectibles
Funko POP! Diablo IV — Treasure Goblin Keychain
The beloved loot-dropping Treasure Goblin as a pocket keychain — a pure sub-$15 impulse pickup.
~$11View on Amazon ↗

Editor's PickGaming Mice
Razer Naga V2 HyperSpeed
19 programmable side buttons — bind every skill, potion, and town portal. The ARPG mouse.
~$65View on Amazon ↗

Top RatedDiablo Books
The Art of Diablo: Volume II
500+ pieces of concept art spanning Diablo IV, Diablo II: Resurrected, and Immortal. The best-reviewed Diablo art book.
~$31View on Amazon ↗
As an Amazon Associate, DiabloBytes earns from qualifying purchases.