Ladder season has finally been announced for Diablo 2 Resurrected! As with any ladder season, you’ll be starting fresh with no gear and completely new characters. If you’re wanting to optimize your gear for that early level grinding, these Runewords will be your best friend.
There are a handful of different Runewords you can craft at a low level to make your new character unstoppable. These will allow you to more easily kill monsters in order to find upgrades. And best of all, the runes required for them can be found easily.
So without further ado, let’s jump right into the best and strongest Runewords to craft for new characters in ladder.
Best Starting Runewords in Diablo 2 Resurrected
Stealth Body Armor
Required Level: 17
Magic Damage Reduced By 3
+6 To Dexterity
+15 To Maximum Stamina
Poison Resist +30%
Regenerate Mana 15%
25% Faster Run/Walk
25% Faster Cast Rate
25% Faster Hit Recovery
To create Stealth, you need a base that is a 2 socketed non-magic body armor. The runes needed are ‘Tal’ and ‘Eth’. The Tal rune needs to be the first followed by the Eth rune.
This can be used on every class, but is a fantastic option for any caster characters as it provides mana regeneration and faster cast rate. The 30% poison resistance it offers is also a huge help when fighting Andariel in Act 1.
Lore Helmet
Required Level: 27
+1 To All Skill Levels
+10 To Energy
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
Lightning Resist +30%
Damage Reduced By 7
+2 To Light Radius
You will need a non-magic 2 socketed armor, Ort Rune, and a Sol Rune to craft a Lore helmet. The Ort rune needs to go in first followed by the Sol. This helmet is a great option for all classes as it gives a nice +1 to skills. The mana after each kill is also a nice bonus.
Rhyme Shield
Required Level: 29
20% Increased Chance of Blocking
40% Faster Block Rate
+25 to All Resistances
Regenerate Mana 15%
Cannot Be Frozen
50% Extra Gold From Monsters
25% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items
Rhyme can be made in any non-magic 2 socketed shield. All that is needed is a Shael Rune and Eth Rune, with the Shael being added first. This shield is amazing for the resistances it offers, mana regeneration, and the Cannot be Frozen attribute. The magic finding bonus it gives is also a nice addition.
Spirit Sword
Required Level: 25
+2 To All Skills
+25-35% Faster Cast Rate (varies)
+55% Faster Hit Recovery
Adds 1-50 Lightning Damage
Adds 3-14 Cold Damage 3 Second Duration (Normal)
+75 Poison Damage Over 5 Seconds
7% Life Stolen Per Hit
+250 Defense vs. Missiles
+22 To Vitality
+89-112 To Mana (varies)
+3-8 Magic Absorb (varies)
The Spirit Runeword is one that can be made in both a weapon and a shield. It’s crafted by combining a Tal, Thul, Ort, and Amn rune in that order. If you’re looking to make a shield early on, you’ll have the most difficulty finding one that can roll 4 sockets as they only drop in later levels of Hell difficulty.
Building this Runeword in a weapon is much more obtainable, as a 4 socketed sword can be obtained in Nightmare difficulty.
Leaf Staff
Required Level: 19
Adds 5-30 Fire Damage
+3 To Fire Skills
+3 To Fire Bolt (Sorceress Only)
+3 To Inferno (Sorceress Only)
+3 To Warmth (Sorceress Only)
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
(2 Per Character Level) +2-198 To Defense (Based On Character Level)
Cold Resist +33%
If you roll a Sorceress to start your Ladder season this is an item that you can’t pass up. The recipe to create a Leaf is a 2 socketed non-magic staff, Tir Rune, and a Ral Rune. The Tir Rune should be added first.
There you have it. If you’re starting a fresh character for the Ladder season, those are some must have Runewords you need to create. Make sure to check out all of our other Diablo 2 Resurrected guides including best farming spots, character guides, and more!