Overview
Vengeance happens to be considered a weak primary offensive build and is overlooked. With Auradins remaining strong in D2R PvM tier rankings, the Vengeance variant should be thought about given the inherent synergies between Vengeance, Conviction, Holy Shock, and Holy Fire Auras. While an Auradins passive auras are sufficient to pay off P1 difficulties with no aid of the secondary ability, higher difficulties take advantage of more damage actively dealt through another damage source to enhance clear speeds. While Zeal is easily the most popular choice, Vengeance seems more synergistic overall along with a unique, rarely-seen build. This guide will give you options for building both variants.
This build is party-friendly, providing useful auras and immunity breaks, in addition to a varied damage profile. This can be regarded as a strong early ladder option given its insufficient reliance on the expensive and hard-to-obtain Infinity runeword while providing Conviction liberated to your party. If you’re searching for something a little different, on-hit builds are incredibly fun, with Volcanos, Tornados, and Frozen Orbs being regularly proc’d to create on-screen fireworks.
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Breakpoints
Ideally, you would like 32, 52, or 86FHR. FCR matters not on this build as teleport is not a factor. Use an IAS calculator to ensure you attain the desired breakpoint together with your weapon, for Zeal or Vengeance. If efficient breakpoints can’t get hit without substituting core items, then don't overreach to attain them, because this build is less contingent on maintaining certain breakpoints, and also the focus ought to be on maintaining appropriate clear speeds.
Attributes
Strength - Enough for Gear
Dexterity - Enough for optimum block after Holy Shield (or simply enough for gear)
Vitality - Remaining
Energy - None
While strength improves your physical damage, we're more worried about the elemental components, that are unaffected. Dexterity raises the attack rating of Zeal and for that reason our opportunity to hit. Vitality ought to be prioritized for survivability. Given you're only investing 1 reason for Holy Shield in support of more damage and resistances, you can look at going a complete vita build without any additional block.
Skill Build: Vengeance
Conviction - Enough Points for -150 Enemy resistances (Priority)
Vengeance - Max (Your primary damage source)
Resist Lightning - (Primary Elemental Damage Source with Dual Dream)
Resist Fire - (Secondary Elemental Damage Source with single Dragon Armor)
Resist Cold - (Ancillary Elemental Damage Source)
You may consider prioritizing Resist Cold if you're Cold Damage Heavy, for example, if you choose to wild Rift Runeword or make use of the Holy Freeze Zealer variant. Remember that your Resist x passive increases your maximum resistances to supply extra safety and stacking (having a cap of 95 in D2R).
1 Pointer: Holy Shield, Vigor (optional), Prerequisites
Skill Build: Zeal
For Zeal variants, opt from maxing Vengeance and instead, max Sacrifice-like synergy to Zeal. Sacrifice increases your Zeal damage a lot more than leveling the Zeal skill, so ought to be prioritized first.
Gear
Version 1: Aura Primary, Zeal Secondary
This version is focused on optimizing for the Aura damage and counting on a relatively weak Zeal with a Hand of Justice weapon to wash up. This can be considered one of the conventional Auradin variants.
Helme & Shieldt: Dream (Level 30 Holy Shock stack)
Weapon: Hand of Justice (Level 30 Holy Fire stack)
Armor: Dragon
Belt: Arachnid
Gloves: Dracula (lifetap) or Lava Gnout (enchant)
Amulet: Maras
Rings: Raven x1 and BK or SOJ
Boots: Sandstorm Treks, Waterwalks, or Infernostride for added damage
Charms: Anni / Torch / Lightning and Fire Sunders / Offensive Aura GCs
Version 2: Holy Shock, Zealer
This version has good physical damage, along with a strong Holy Shock aura.
Helmet & Shield: Dream (Holy Shock stack)
Weapon: Grief or Breath from the Dying
Armor: Fortitude or Chains of Honor
Belt: Verdungos
Rings: Raven + Dual Leech
Amulet: Highlords or Maras
Gloves: Steelrends, Lava Gnout or Dracula
Boots: Gore Riders
Charms: Anni / Torch / Max, AR, Life charms and/or Offensive Skill GCs
Version 3: Vengeance Auradin
This version concentrates on dealing with pure elemental damage through auras, vengeance, and on-hit effects.
Helmet & Shield: Dream (if you're opting right into a rare Cold or Holy Freeze variant, you might consider Nightwings)
Weapon: Famine or Rift (Direct elemental damage vs On-hit effects like Frozen Orb)
Armor: Dragon
Belt: ThunderGods (Lightning on hit buff, and huge light resistance buffs)
Boots: Infernostride (Fire on hit buff, and good fire resistance buffs)
Gloves: Lava Gnout (Enchant)
Amulet: Maras
Rings: Raven and BK or SOJ
Charms: Anni / Torch / Lightning and/or Fire Sunder / Offensive GCs
Mercenary
We have some choices for Mercenary given Infinity is not required once we use our very own Conviction aura. If you're using the 2nd, half-physical damage-based variant, a Faith Act 1 Mercenary could be recommended for Fanaticism aura or A2 Might/Concentration Aura. The setup needs to look like one of these simple:
A1 - Cold Arrow
Weapon: Faith GMB or Matriarchal or Shadow bow (Ice is an alternative selection for additional Cold Damage and CC if Fanaticism is not required)
Armor: Ethereal Fortitude
Helmet: Ethereal Vampire Gaze or Anda riel's
A2 - Might Aura
Weapon: Pride for Concentration Aura or Doom for Holy Freeze
Armor: Ethereal Fortitude
Helmet: Ethereal Vampire Gaze or Anda riel's
If running an Elemental first build, you should look at A2 or A5 Mercenaries. Here are some suggested setups which you'll try:
A2 - Holy Freeze (CC Merc)
Weapon: Rift Polearm (if you’re not self-wielding Rift)
Armor: Ethereal Fortitude
Helmet: Ethereal Vampire Gaze or Delirium or Anda riel's
