The runeword spirit is great but i believe there was some over sight to it.
Its a level 25 rune word but 6 of the 7 classes cant use it until level 54 then it takes 156 strength to do so. Only paladins can use it at level 25.
All thats needs to be done is let the normal and exceptional version of the shield be capable of having 4 sockets with just ilvl determining number of sockets. very ez fix.
Then every class can use spirit shield at lvl 25 as it was intended.
Would be nice if this was fixed before ladder season 1 starts.
Currently monarch, aegis, and ward are capable for 4 sockets, 156str 219 str 186 str. This is ridiculous amount of str needed to wear a shield.
Exceptional versions are dragon, pavise, ancient
Normal versions are kite tower gothic
Its working as intended. That is why there is a weapon version. There is Splendor that holds you over once you reach 50s. The reason spirit exist is to counter the duration of ladder. You dont have for ever to gear up before it resets.
Runeword spirit for swords is working perfectly. Dont have a problem with it.
As for the rune word spirit for shields it isnt .
The creators wanted you to use it at lvl 25 or they would of made it a higher lvl. Only 1 class can use it at lvl 25 that would be the paladin. All others have to wait until lvl 54 to use a lvl 25 rune word. Dont you think they over looked something here. All i am saying is just make the normal and exceptional versions of the elite shields be capable of having 4 sockets as well and let ilvl be the final factor.
They didnt over look anything. That was the intended goal. It was a low hanging fruit for the players to progress without much gear. Like really? You can be grinding for a while for a upgrade but to get you going they allow you to make a BiS item for most caster at the start of hell assuming you have the base for it. That IS working as intended. Relative low hanging fruit all things consider.
My Sorc is using Spirit right now, in a broad sword, and I am still in the 30’s leveling. Using spirit in a shield is easier for Paladin’s via Pally only shields with 4 sockets. Good thing 4 socket’able’ swords are easy to come by in normal cows. If you save your Larzuk socket quest, and you find a long sword or broad sword from normal cows it will get 4 sockets from Larzuk, find the runes and presto, you can make a spirit sword. Worked fine for me. You are aware that you can make it in both swords and shields right? If not go read up on it at the arreat summit. It works just fine. Now if you want two spirits (both sword and shield) as a sorc for example, yeah, Monarch is the only way.
If anything a pally shield should have to be elite b4 it can get 4 sockets…
spirit is MUCH better on a shield than as a weapon because it gives resistances instead of useless elemental damage.
Spirit is an end game item for most caster builds. Nothing really competes with it in terms of damage and fcr. There are better options for defenses however, like stormshield.
If spirit could be placed on low level shields it would make going through nightmare even easier than it already is.
I’d tend to say the sword is the issue. I can get a +2 to skills by lvl 27 on the weapon. To find a wand or orb that gives +2 to skills I’m basically over lvl 60 and then the other mods aren’t as good. If anything spirit sword should have a higher level req and we should get a +1 to skills that will hit at the current level spirit hits.
it’s meant to be used as a wand for most classes at low lvls. Dual spirits at 25 is a huge boost. No way this is balanced.
I think it’s fine 20chars
Spirit is already broken being so good that it obsoleted basically all other shields for no real rune cost. The only (and very slight) balancing factor is needing a monarch to make it for non Paladin classes.
In all honesty, spirit should probably only be +1 skill or have a much higher rune cost, or optimally both.
What is up with people wanting nerfs? It’s a PVM game! Stop asking for things to be made WORSE. Nobody is forcing YOU to use any build or spec you don’t like…
If they made spirit require like level 50 I’d be a little more ok with it. Having such a powerful item available as low as level 27 makes most other equipment obsolete.
Imo it should have used something a little higher, like a Lum rune considering how insanely good it is.
HOTO says hello, for sorceress an eschuta or a death fathom is often preffered (or an occy of you want to MF), for Necro an arm of leoric or a dfeath web are also better depending on your build…
So no, Spirit is good and all but does not make other equipement obsolete, especially in weapons. In shields I do agree that more options could be nice but then again it takes a monarch, one very high lvl base and is limited to lvl 54 and 156str.
Sure pally gets it easier but there are better options for pally already like Herald of Zakarum.
“most equipment” is not “all equipment”
Edit: and no eschuta is not preferred over spirit, eschuta is terrible.
You clearly never have played a lighning soirceress, feel free to keep your spirit 
Eschuta’s bonus damage gets added to lightning mastery. It is almost unnoticeable. Death fathom is better because cold sorcs dont already have a source of +% damage, so the damage increase is far more significant.
A level 25 Lightning mastery adds 338% lightning damage. Max roll Eschuta adds 20% for a total of 358% lightning damage. That’s about a 5% overall damage increase… And it gets worse at higher lightning mastery levels.
Sure, that’s why Griffin is BIS slot as well, totally overrated. Anyhow I have yet to see any sorceress use Spirit in endgame as a weapon.
Griffin has lightning resistance reduction. Eschuta doesn’t.
And javzons can use griffin too.
Now if you could just go ahead and point to the part where I said Spirit was an end game weapon… That’d be greeaaaaat…
Spirit requires level 27. It is better than most other items you can equip, certainly better than all other items you could use at level 27.
That eschuta you mentioned?
Ok. If it max rolled 3 sorc skills and 20% lightning damage, it would be slightly better than a spirit. 1 extra level, like 4% actual extra lightning damage, and 5-20% higher fcr. Half as much mana though.
Now look at Eschuta’s required level. 72.
You are comparing a level 27 weapon to a level 72 one, and the 72 is barely an upgrade if it max rolls.
Do you see the issue I have with spirit weapon now? For the power it gives, level 27 and a few low runes for it is incredibly good. Yes there are better weapons. HoTo is greatly superior. Arm of king leoric is better. Death web is better.
But for a level 27 character, there is nothing that competes with a spirit weapon. And OP wants to be able to have a spirit shield at 27 too!
Eff it. Just remove all level requirements and stat requirements from items. Apparently these whiners know what the devs themselves intended. Why need Jah Ber for Enigma when the devs intended for players to have it? Make it El El instead. In fact, screw it and just make it a starter item.