Smiter Paladin Build Guide - D2R 2.5 - TopTier Builds (2023)

Smiter Introduction & Overview

The Smiter is a Paladin build using Smite as it’s primary attacking skill. Smiters are amongst the most popular characters in D2R, as they are the best build for killing single targets quickly, and their survivability is awesome. They are very good ladder starters, and their auras help the whole party in a variety of situations, when more survivability, more damage output, or single target damage is required. They have a very simple playstyle, if you like melee builds, you will definitely enjoy this one.

🔸 Strongest character for Uber Tristram

🔸 Hell Chaos run and Hell Baal run both within 2-3 minutes

🔸 Can solo anything in 8-player game

🔸 Any Player8 Boss kill in seconds

🔸 Very high survivability

🔸 Only requires minimal attention, no skill switching is needed

The main utility of a smiter is to kill endgame bosses. Even in budget gear at the early days of a new ladder season, Uber Diablo or Uber Tristram can be easily dealt with. For fast movement, Vigor aura and Charge skills can be used to pass any obstacles, and if you are wealthy enough, anEnigma can be used for Teleportation. If you want to solo the game, other active skills, like Zeal can be utilized.

The build is overpowered to say the least. It is capable of solo playing at player 8 difficulty, has very quick movement speed by teleport, and is a viable ladder starter as budget gearing options are available. Playing a Hammerdin is relatively beginner friendly, and the combination of its clear speed and high magic find potential makes it one of the best, if not the best magic finding characters. There are very few magic immune monsters in the game, and they can be killed by your mercenary. As Smiters attacks one target at a time, they are not the quickest farmer characters for high monster density areas, but you can still do magic finding with them as they can deal with any enemy. You should also give this build a shot if you want a stress-free hardcore experience.

Smiter Pros and Cons

Smiter Gameplay

Playing solo: In high-end gear you can solo the game at a decent pace. For clearing mobs faster, a hybrid build can be used using Zeal, which can clear monster-dense areas faster. You will be able to kill Uber Diablo and Uber Tristram even in budget gear, and no monsters will cause you major challenges.

Playing in a party: In parties, members can take advantage of your auras. Fanaticism can be used to boost melee offensive damage, and Conviction for elemental damage. A variety of defensive auras can be utilized in defensive situations, my main suggestions are Salvation for increased party resistances, Redemption for life recovery, Meditation for mana recovery, or Vigor for quicker run speed. In addition, if you wear an Exile runeword, or a Dracul’s Grasp, your party members can also benefit from their Life Tap.

Playing Hardcore: Depending on your gear setup, you can become almost immortal on the expense of your damage output. You should wear a Guardin Angel armor to reach 90% to all resists. There are multiple item setups available for optimal survivability, for example if you wear an Exile in a 40+% all resist paladin shield, combined with a Dracul’s Grasp, you will almost immediately cast life tap on enemies. Always have Holy Shield casted, and try to get a Call to Arms as soon as possible in order to cast Battle Orders. Wear a Raven frost ring to avoid being frozen. If your character feels too fragile, use walk instead of run to preserve your defense while moving.

Smiter Breakpoints

Note: Each second in the game consists of 25 frames or “ticks”. Your breakpoints decide how many frames it will take until you can attack/cast a skill/recover from a hit/ block a new hit.

Faster Cast Rate

• FCR only matters if you wear an Enigma and move by teleport. Aim for the 30% (12 frame) or 48% (11 frame) breakpoints.

Faster Hit Recovery

• Aim for the 27% (6 frames), 48% (5 frames) or 86% (4 frames) breakpoint.

Faster Block Rate

• You won’t need any additional FBR, as 2 frame will be your base block rate once you cast Holy Shield.

Smiter Skills

Combat Skill Tree:

• 1 point to Sacrifice
• 1 point to Zeal
• 1 point to Charge
• 1 point to Holy Bolt
• 1 point to Blessed hammer
• 1 point to Holy Shield
• 20 points to Smite

Offensive Aura Skill Tree:

• 1 point to Might
• 1 point to Holy Fire
• 1 point to Thorns
• 1 point to Blessed aim
• 1 point to Concentration
• 1 point to Holy freeze
• 1 point to Sanctuary
• 1 point to Conviction
• 20 point to Fanaticism

Defensive Aura Skill Tree:

• 1 point to Prayer
• 1 point to Defiance
• 1 point to Cleansing
• 1 point to Vigor
• 1 point to Meditation
• 1 point to Redemtion
• 1 point to Salvation

Skill notes:

• If you aim for maximum clear speed, max out Zeal and its synergy, sacrifice. Use Zeal to kill monster packs. If you play a Zeal hybrid, pre-buff yourself with Demon Limb’s Enchant skill to increase your attack rating.
• If you want better survivability, max out Holy Shield and its synergy, defiance,
• If you play Hardcore, putting points on Resist Fire and Resist Lightning will boost your maximum resistances by 1% for every 2 skill points on them.

Smiter Stat Points

Strength ► Just enough to be able to wear your items.

Dexterity ► Just enough to have 75% Chance to Block with Holy Shield activated.

Vitality ► Allocate all your remaining points to it.

Energy ► Don’t allocate any points to it.

You can re-stat your character by the quest reward of Akara’s Act1 Den of Evil Quest, or by using Token of Absolution.

Smiter Mercenary

You should use an Act2 Desert Mercenary. You have two options, if you want to boost your survivability, have one with Holy Freeze Aura for Crowd Control, or if you want to maximize damage, use a Might aura mercenary, and equip it with Pride runeword for the additional Concentration Aura.

Smiter Item setups

Ladder Starter Smiter Gear

Helm: Lore / Peasant Crown

Amulet: Any Amuletlet with + all resistances

Weapon: Blackruneword / Kingslayer runeword/Passion runeword/Oath runeword /Azurewrath/Lightsabre

Switch Weapon: None

Shield: Rhyme runeword/Ancient’s pledge runeword

Switch Shield: None

Body Armor: Principle runeword / Guardian Angel/ Duress runeword

Belt: Stringof Ears/ Crafted Blood Belt

Rings: Any ring with useful stats like allresist, life, magic find, etc. / Raven Frost

Gloves: Venom Grip /Any glove with 20% Ias and other useful stats like resists, life, etc
Boots: Goblin Toe / Tearhaunch / 30% FRW boots with additional resist/resists

Charms: Any charm with +skill, life, resist or FHR will help

Notes: Aim for 75% all resistances. You can use magic and rare items in any of your gear slots, and can also use them for your Mercenary.

Mercenary Gear

Helm: 3*Perfect Diamond socketed helm / Tal Rasha’s Horadric Crest
Body Armor: Any useful rare body armor
Weapon: Insight Polearm

Advanced Smiter Gear

Helm: Guillaume’s Face (Socket it with Um rune)

Amulet: Mara’s Kaleidoscope / Highlord’s Wrath / Metalgrid / Rare or Crafted amulet with +2 to paladin and other additional useful stats

Weapon: Grief phase blade or Last Wish phase blade

Switch Weapon: Call to Arms

Shield: Exile runeword ethereal paladin shield, try to get one with 40+ all resistances as base item / Herald of Zakarum (Socket it with Um rune, upgrade it if you have enough strength) / Phoenix paladin shield, try to get one with 40+ all resistances as base item
Switch Shield: Spirit paladin shield

Body Armor: Fortitude runeword in an elite light armor / Duress runeword in an elite light armor

Belt: String of Ears / Crafted Blood Beltwith other useful stats like resists, life, etc

Rings: Raven Frost / Crafted or Rare dual leech ring with other useful stats

Gloves: Dracul’s Grasp
Boots: Upgraded Goblin Toe / Gore Rider

Charms: Annihilus, Hellfire torch, Magic Grand Charms (+1 to pala combat skills, try to get ones with +Life or +FHR), Magic Small Charms (with +all resistances, or +life)

Mercenary Gear

Helm: Andariel’s Visage or Crown of Thieves (preferably ethereal, socketed with Ral/Um rune)
Body Armor: Ethereal Fortitude or Treachery armor
Weapon: Pride in Ethereal Polearm base (preferably Thresher) / Doom in Ethereal Polearm base (preferably Thresher)

Magic Find Smiter Gear

Helm: Harlequin Crest Shako (Socket it with Ist rune)

Amulet: Magic Amulet with 40-50% Magic Find

Weapon: Grief phase blade or Last Wish phase blade

Switch Weapon: Call to Arms

Shield: Exile runeword ethereal paladin shield, try to get one with 40+ all resistances as base item / Herald of Zakarum socketed with Ist rune

Switch Shield: Spirit

Body Armor: Enigma Mage Plate / Dusk Shroud/ Archon plate

Belt: Upgraded Goldwrap

Rings: 2*Nagelring

Gloves: Upgraded Chance Guards
Boots: Upgraded War Traveler

Charms: Annihilus, Hellfire torch, Gheed’s Fortune, Small Charms with 7% Magic find (and also @all resistances if possible)

Mercenary Gear

Helm: Andariel’s Visage or Crown of Thieves (preferably ethereal, socketed with Ral/Um rune)
Body Armor: Ethereal Fortitude or Treachery armor
Weapon: Pride in Ethereal Polearm base (preferably Thresher) / Doom in Ethereal Polearm base (preferably Thresher)

Hardcore Smiter Gear

Helm: Crown of Ages (Socket it with 2 Ber runes)

Amulet: Mara’s Kaleidoscope

Weapon: Last Wish Phase Blade

Switch Weapon: Call to Arms

Shield: Exile runeword ethereal paladin shield, try to get one with 40+ all resistances as base item / Herald of Zakarum socketed with Um rune / Stormshield Socketed with Um rune

Switch Shield: Spirit paladin shield

Body Armor: Fortitude Dusk Shroud or Archon plate / Ethereal Upgraded Guardian Angel socketed with Zod rune

Belt: String of Ears / Thundergod’s Vigor

Rings: Raven Frost / Crafted or rare Dual leech ring with other useful stats / Wisp Projector

Gloves: Dracul’s Grasp
Boots: Gore Rider / Upgraded Hotspur

Charms: Annihilus, Hellfire torch, Gheed’s Fortune, Magic Grand Charms (+1 to pala combat skills, try to get ones with +Life or +FHR), Magic Small Charms (with +all resistances, or +life)

Notes: Aim to overprotect yourself for situations when you get cursed with spells such as Lower Resist and Amplify Damage or get under an effect of an aura such as Fanaticism or Conviction.

Mercenary Gear

Helm: Andariel’s Visage or Crown of Thieves (preferably ethereal, socketed with Ral/Um rune)
Body Armor: Ethereal Fortitude or Treachery armor
Weapon: Pride in Ethereal Polearm base (preferably Thresher) / Doom in Ethereal Polearm base (preferably Thresher)

Uber Smiter Gear

Helm: Guillaume’s Face socketed with Um rune

Amulet: Mara’s Kaleidoscope

Weapon: Grief Phase Blade / Last Wish Phase Blade

Switch Weapon: Call to Arms

Shield: Exile runeword ethereal paladin shield, try to get one with 40+ all resistances as base item

Switch Shield: Spirit paladin shield

Body Armor: Fortitude Dusk Shroud or Archon Plate / Duress Dusk Shroud or Archon Plate

Belt: String of Ears / Thundergod’s Vigor

Rings: Raven Frost / Crafted or rare Dual leech ring with other useful stats / Wisp Projector

Gloves: Dracul’s Grasp
Boots: Gore Rider

Charms: Annihilus, Hellfire torch, Gheed’s Fortune, Magic Grand Charms (+1 to pala combat skills, try to get ones with +Life or +FHR), Magic Small Charms (with +all resistances, or +life)

Mercenary Gear

Helm: Kira’s Guardian Tiara socketed with Um rune
Body Armor: Ethereal Upgraded Guardian Angel socketed with Um rune
Weapon: Phoenix in Ethereal Polearm base, preferably Thresher

Max Damage Smiter Gear

Helm: Guillaume’s Face socketed with 40ED 15max dmg jewel

Amulet: Highlord’s Wrath

Weapon: Grief Phase Blade

Switch Weapon: Call to Arms

Shield: Phoenix Runeword in a 60+ Enhanced damage Paladin shield

Switch Shield: Spirit paladin shield

Body Armor: Fortitude Dusk Shroud or Archon plate

Belt: String of Ears

Rings: Raven Frost / Crafted or rare Dual leech ring with other useful stats

Gloves: Dracul’s Grasp / Steelrend
Boots: Gore Rider

Charms: Annihilus, Hellfire Torch, Gheed’s Fortune, Magic Grand Charms (+1 to pala combat skills, try to get ones with +Life or +FHR)

Mercenary Gear

Helm: Andariel’s Visage or Crown of Thieves (preferably ethereal, socketed with Ral/Um rune)
Body Armor: Ethereal Fortitude or Treachery armor
Weapon: Pride in Ethereal Polearm base (preferably Thresher)