Hello guys! I'll be posting resources to help you along your way in your journey this season (6) as a Crusader.
Crusader - Leveling: (Dfans) I have mixed feelings about Crusader leveling. During my earlier experiments It sometimes felt awkward, weak and sluggish. I gave up on synergy and just... let go...
LET GO OF THE SHIELD. Trust me on this, a slow 2-hander will wreck face. (Do not use Heavenly Strength)
This "limits" you to SMITE (you'll be shocked), or Slash, and Fist of Heavens as your default spender.
There is no finesse or synergy in this build - it relies on raw power for trash, and cooldowns to obliterate elites.
If you are "forced" to use a shield - Insurmountable (passive) is OP.
I tried for a while with "standard builds"... but again, once I let go of the shield... things just worked out. If you get an awesome legendary that upgrades a skill that needs a shield, by all means use it... I purposefully didn't use any random legendaries for my various tests leveling Crusaders. The common theme for my ownage? NO SHIELDS = PURE POWER. (For the new: D3 leveling process- keep in mind I cannot take into consideration every factor in the leveling process, this is a general help guide)
You will get a free 2 piece free set in your mail as you hit 70 (S6 free set: Armor of Akkhan)
4 piece is obtained after killing Izual in Torment II Difficulty (Izual is found in Act IV).
6 piece is obtained after completing GR20 solo!
GR20 is the first "challenge" that many people will be trying to overcome, but that doesn't mean you have to struggle!
Take the time to prepare: You can go T4 and beyond and farm comfortably with ZERO AKKHANS if you have to! ALL YOU NEED is a yellow set with STR+Thorns rolled into them. THIS SETUP PHASE IS WORTH EVERY SECOND.
First up farm a rift key or two. DO NOT INCREASE DIFFICULTY PAST MASTER. The time lost in TI+ isn't worth the extra 5-10% rift key drop rate.
SLOT A TOPAZ ON WEAPON - MANY MANY NEWER CRUSADERS FORGET THIS.
Past that, refer again to the Crusader - Fresh Level 70 or (On Dfans) guide again. From here you will be directed on what build to use, adjustments and items to look for. If i were to give you a few bullet points of advice...
Items: Hmm.. Hack, Belt of the Trove, Norvalds Weapon-Shield Set... INVOKER BRACER + SHOULDER.
Rerolls: To have a smooth gameplay experience, CDR is needed... it may be tough for you to get 56% CDR and Thorns.... it should be a "long term goal" that you should be aware of.
Defense? Yeah... Justice Lantern and Aquilla Cuirass help you out greatly in this regard. (Not counting the Gold Holy Trinity).
Crusader Speedfarming: Your next goal should be to be as "speed farm capable" as possible. Crusaders, however, aren't known for their early game speedfarming sadly...
LoN is a distant dream for now... Luckily Akkhans 6 Invoker 2 (via RoRG) is viable.
Norvalds (Flail of the Charge, Shield of the Steed): TUNNEL ON GETTING THESE. Do whatever it is in your power to obtain them! "Effort versus Result" ratio, these two items are the absolute pinnacle of value in this early point of the game.
Sadly, the rest of your items have somewhat difficult stats to obtain (CDR+Thorns), so get farming ASAP buddy.
(For newer players: D3 Speedfarming tips). Akkhans Thorns is a viable speed build for Bounties AND/OR Rifts. I hesitate to say "best build" right now, but you should learn to be as malleable as possible. Again, I cannot possibly account for all possible scenarios for all players - but please use the advice contextually. While LoN is obviously popular for speeds, the problem lies in the harsh fact it's... well.. LoN.
Enjoy! and in case you're looking for something else - TeamBRG D3 Guide Directory. Even as S6 is upon us very soon, I'm still very unsure what to play. I enjoyed my forays with the Shield (or lack thereof) last season. I find facetanking gameplay somewhat satisfying and thrilling - and if that appeals to you then Invoker or Akkhans Thorns is definitely something you can try out.
Hello guys! I'll be posting resources to help you along your way in your journey this season (6) as a Crusader.
Crusader - Leveling: (Dfans) I have mixed feelings about Crusader leveling. During my earlier experiments It sometimes felt awkward, weak and sluggish. I gave up on synergy and just... let go...
I tried for a while with "standard builds"... but again, once I let go of the shield... things just worked out. If you get an awesome legendary that upgrades a skill that needs a shield, by all means use it... I purposefully didn't use any random legendaries for my various tests leveling Crusaders. The common theme for my ownage? NO SHIELDS = PURE POWER. (For the new: D3 leveling process- keep in mind I cannot take into consideration every factor in the leveling process, this is a general help guide)
Crusader - Fresh Level 70: (Dfans) Ahh the fun part. Here's a quick rundown of your immediate goals.
GR20 is the first "challenge" that many people will be trying to overcome, but that doesn't mean you have to struggle!
Past that, refer again to the Crusader - Fresh Level 70 or (On Dfans) guide again. From here you will be directed on what build to use, adjustments and items to look for. If i were to give you a few bullet points of advice...
Crusader Speedfarming: Your next goal should be to be as "speed farm capable" as possible. Crusaders, however, aren't known for their early game speedfarming sadly...
(For newer players: D3 Speedfarming tips). Akkhans Thorns is a viable speed build for Bounties AND/OR Rifts. I hesitate to say "best build" right now, but you should learn to be as malleable as possible. Again, I cannot possibly account for all possible scenarios for all players - but please use the advice contextually. While LoN is obviously popular for speeds, the problem lies in the harsh fact it's... well.. LoN.
Enjoy! and in case you're looking for something else - TeamBRG D3 Guide Directory. Even as S6 is upon us very soon, I'm still very unsure what to play. I enjoyed my forays with the Shield (or lack thereof) last season. I find facetanking gameplay somewhat satisfying and thrilling - and if that appeals to you then Invoker or Akkhans Thorns is definitely something you can try out.
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