Crusader Compendium: Guides, Builds, & Info

⛨ UPDATED FOR PATCH 2.6.7 ⛨

“A Crusader’s most potent weapon is the mind.”

---- Cleric Akkhan

Welcome! This is a reference work created by the Crusader community. Its purpose is to provide a useful resource for players, especially those who are new to the Crusader class. If you’re looking for detailed guides, information on skill mechanics, or engaging gameplay streams, you’ll find them all in the links below.

You can help improve the compendium by posting your own suggestions for what I should include. If any of the guides I’ve linked seem outdated or irrelevant, please let me know about that as well. Thanks for your support, and stay in the Light.

Need some help with your Season Journey? Check out Bagstone’s tracker:

https://d3resource.com/journey/

⛨ TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. BEGINNER GUIDES & SET DUNGEONS

2. CRUSADER BUILDS

3. ITEMS, GEMS, CRAFTING & COSMETICS

4. GAME MECHANICS

5. CRUSADER SKILL MECHANICS

6. COMMUNITY RESOURCES: STREAMS, VIDEOS, FANSITES & PATCH NOTES

A note on links: I now have the trust level to post links to certain websites like Blizzard and YouTube, but fansites like IcyVeins and Diablofans are unfortunately still blocked. I can get around that by wrapping these URLs in tick marks (`) but you won’t be able to click on them. My final goal is to make this thread a Wiki so that the community can collaborate on it, but I do not yet have trust level 3. Once I do, I will be able to create a Wiki.

8 Likes

nice post! very complete

1. BEGINNER GUIDES & SET DUNGEONS

Starting a new class can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there are several guides specifically created for new Crusaders. Take a look at these, and you’ll be pushing into higher Torments and mastering your set dungeons in no time. Welcome to the crusade!

⛨ NEW PLAYER GUIDES

► Diablo 3 Difficulty Overview by Bagstone
https://d3resource.com/difficulties/index.php

Acronyms: The Definitive List plus Definitions

Road to Torment: A Diablo 3 Guide for New Players by Destoryar

Beginner’s Gearing Guide by Rhykker

4 Simple Options All Players Should Know About by Rhykker

From Beginner to Expert: The Ultimate Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls Guide by Rhykker

How to Farm ____! (Fill in the blank) by Storytime42

RoS Followers (Level 70) Complete Guide by AshTag / Perusoe

⛨ NEW CRUSADER GUIDES

2.6.1 Best Crusader Builds by Angry Roleplayer

Crusader Leveling and Fresh 70 Guide by Deadset
https://www.icy-veins.com/d3/crusader-leveling-and-fresh-70-guide-patch-2-6-season-11

DeadSet’s Guide Collection on Icy Veins
http://www.icy-veins.com/d3/crusader-builds

⛨ SET DUNGEON GUIDES

Crusader Set Dungeon Video Guides by Quin69

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2 Likes

Great work! :person_fencing::+1::+1::+1:
-Are there any Hardcore builds or guides, or do you plan on doing some separately in the Hardcore forum?

2. CRUSADER BUILDS

The Crusader has a wide variety of fun, viable builds to fit many different playstyles. With the right combination of skills and gear, you can turn your Crusader into a powerful ranged attacker, an unstoppable melee tank, or a phalanx-summoning lord commander. New players should turn on elective mode in the options menu to freely assign any skill to any hotkey.

Are you looking for popular Crusader builds in 2.6.7? Aegis of Valor, the Crusader’s newest six-piece set, is currently one of the strongest in the game. Akkhan Condemn, Roland Sweep Attack, Seeker Blessed Hammer, LoN Blessed Shield, LoN Bombardment, LoN Condemn, and Invoker Thorns are all great options too. Heaven’s Fury Crusaders can also act as Rift Guardian killers in group play.

Hammerdin In-Depth Guide by Glimwick

Holy Hammerdin by Angry Roleplayer
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/85719

Superhuman / Thrill Conquest Blessed Hammer by crayonsmind
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/71129

Akkhan Blessed Shield by Angry Roleplayer

LoN Blessed Shield (Holy and Fire variants) by Ravashak

LoD Blessed Shield by BagboyBrown

Akkhan Condemn by Angry Roleplayer

Akkhan / Sage Condemn DB Farming by DarthKitty1
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/94547

Crack Sader - Super Speed T13 No Pony by ThaPChild
https://www.diablofans.com/builds/99189

Legacy of Nightmares Condemn (Fire) by Dilligaf
https://www.diablofans.com/builds/101943

Legacy of Nightmares Condemn (Holy) by hiragi
https://www.diablofans.com/builds/101746

Fear Condemn Speed Build by Graveheart

Triple Bane Condemn Build by Harnor

Akkhan Condemn Quick Reference and Gameplay Footage by superturn

:fist: FIST OF THE HEAVENS BUILDS :fist:

Fist of the Heavens by Angry Roleplayer

Aegis of Valor / Norvald’s Fist of the Heavens by dmkt
https://www.diablofans.com/builds/105323

Aegis of Valor Blessed Ground by Mayroks87GR https://www.diablofans.com/builds/105476

Aegis of Valor Fires of Heaven by Bluddshed
https://www.diablofans.com/builds/105480

Akkhan Holy Machinegun by Angry Roleplayer

Holy Shotgun by lao113
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/94870

Lazy Shotgun by AdamADisco
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/95085

Sader Rift Guardian Killer by Achilles 1743
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/95435

Godly Gatling Gun by Ravashak

Horse Phalanx Akkhan by Zalarill
https://www.diablofans.com/builds/102008

Phalanx Commander (Petsader) by JAB1012
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/73431

Phalanx Bowmen by Drahque
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/70029

T13 Crusader Death Glare by DarthKitty1
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/89344

Shield Bash Builds GR 80+ (Unity & Block Versions) by Angry Roleplayer

2.3 Hybrid Roland’s Fire Sweep Attack / Shield Bash by ppuno
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/57431

Roland Sweep Attack for GR 100+ (Fire / Lightning variants) by Kikaha

Roland Sweep Attack Lightning by Deadset
http://www.icy-veins.com/d3/crusader-sweep-attack-lightning-build-with-the-rolands-set-patch-2-4-3-season-9

H-Bomb by Harnor

Invoker Punish by Drahque
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/79097

Ultimate LoN Bombardment Guide by CALLMEOCT

Melee Bomber by Angry Roleplayer

5pc Akkhan / 2pc Invoker by Roph
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/76925

Speed T10 / Death’s Breath Farming by Drahque
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/69919

Thorns ‘The Thrill’ Conquest by nitrosnwbdr
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/71057

Guardian of the Trove by DarkOmicron

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4 Likes

This is really looking good… you’re currently Trust Level 2… have you asked Nevalistis to upgrade you to level 3 ?

You can find Nevalistis’s e-mail here: Problem with links in posts - #7 by Nevalistis

3. ITEMS, GEMS, CRAFTING & COSMETICS

In Diablo 3, a character’s power is highly dependent on the items he or she equips. Items can boost your Crusader’s stats, provide useful effects, and even alter the way skills work. Read these articles to discover the variety of items available to you, including crafted gear, bounty-exclusive loot, legendary gems, and cosmetics.

Legendary Drop Rates & Blood Shard Prices for 2.6.1
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cM-s4e66ql2zsrkfkfKXmvVJ4zmngzxdzVLk9gvLvT8/htmlview#

Bounty-Exclusive Legendary Items from DiabloHub
http://www.diablohub.com/database/sorting/bounty-bags

D3 Max Stats. A useful tool for looking up the possible affix rolls on any item.
http://www.d3maxstats.com

Kanai’s Cube Mechanics from the Game Guide

Kanai’s Cube Hands-On Tutorial by Flux
http://www.diabloii.net/blog/comments/kanais-cube-hands-on-tutorial

Quick Reference for Gem Crafting Costs
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AoGdj6lmBu7ndHdvVkQ1TUdNY19lZjU3aW5PWGhhUmc&single=true&gid=0&output=html

Legendary Gem Calculator by jerbookins
http://www.diablo3gemcalculator.com/

List of all Wings, Cosmetics, Pets, and Promos by MissCheetah

The Ultimate 2.4.1 and 2.4.2 Cosmetic Items Guide by Quin69

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3 Likes

The updated link for that list is: https://us.forums.blizzard.com/en/d3/t/list-of-all-wings-cosmetics-pets-and-promos/61

Hasn’t been finalized yet… MissCheetah and Tias are still working on it, I think.

The job of editing / deleting all these replies is going to be tedious at best… :frowning:

1 Like

4. GAME MECHANICS

You don’t have to be a Crusader to appreciate these guides on general game mechanics. Educating yourself on the inner workings of Diablo 3 will help your performance with all classes.

Diablo 3 Character Planner by Riv. A comprehensive character simulator that also contains a full list of skill proc rates and attack speed breakpoints.
http://www.d3planner.com/

Cooldown Reduction Calculator by mew0ng
https://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo/comments/23nr4u/diablo_3_ros_cooldown_reduction_calculator/

Web-Based Convention of Elements Timer by RNR13
https://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo/comments/3ls68m/so_i_made_a_coe_timer/

Season + Non-Season Paragon Calculator from d3bg
http://www.d3bg.org/paragon-calculator/en.php

Area Damage Explained by Quin

Complete List of Monster Progression in Greater Rifts by Silec
http://warpath.eu/progression.html

Diablo 3 Difficulty Overview from Diablofans
https://d3resource.com/difficulties/

Elemental Skill Damage Explained by Druin

A Game of Thorns - Thorns Mechanics Guide by MightyMidgit

The Effectiveness of Stacking Resource Cost Reduction by Zamga
http://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo/comments/23pnox/the_effectiveness_of_stacking_resource_cost/

Elite Affix Types and %Damage Reduction Mechanics by Nagash & Bagstone
http://www.diablofans.com/forums/diablo-iii-general-forums/diablo-iii-general-discussion/91166-elite-affixes-types-and-damage-reduction-mechanics

RoS Followers (Level 70) Complete Guide by AshTag / Perusoe

Should You Be Stacking All Resistance or Armor? by Diem_E37
http://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo/comments/23gz1v/should_you_be_stacking_all_res_or_armor_an/

How far is a yard onscreen? from diablo.incgamers
http://i.stack.imgur.com/IKkOB.jpg

Return to Table of Contents

3 Likes

Thank you for doing this!

2 Likes

5. CRUSADER SKILL MECHANICS

In-game tooltips are useful, but often they don’t tell the full story. These articles explain the internal mechanics of the Crusader’s many skills, and how to use them to one’s advantage.

The BIG Thorns Guide, Part 2: Thorns Gear by Angry Roleplayer

Proc rates for all Crusader skills, from D3MaxStats
http://www.d3maxstats.com/procrates/crus/

List of Crusader skills / runes that activate Strongarm Bracers bonus

Information on Firestarter Mechanics by Spongebob

► Invoker Interactions by Hypnos164
https://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo3Crusaders/comments/41psfg/invoker_interactions/

Flail of the Ascended - Bugs and Problems by WWWJam

Guide to Pet Attack Speed by Dialysis

Shield Bash and Block Chance
https://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo3Crusaders/comments/329vm6/some_math_on_shield_bash_and_block_chance/

The Tao of Avatars by JAB1012. A comprehensive guide to the avatars summoned by different Crusader skills and items.

How to Stutter Step by LuckyGaming

Return to Table of Contents

1 Like

Gratz for getting pinned… is this it here or do you need more replies ?

6. COMMUNITY RESOURCES: STREAMS, VIDEOS, FANSITES & PATCH NOTES

Angry Roleplayer (YouTube)

Bluddshed (YouTube)

Cratic (YouTube)

Deadset’s stream (Twitch TV)

Deadset Gaming (YouTube)

Kikaha (YouTube)

Leviathan D3 (YouTube)

Lord Fluffy (YouTube)

Quin69 (YouTube)

Rhykker (YouTube)

ThaPChild (YouTube)

Commonly Used Terms and Abbreviations in Diablo 3 by Jaetch
http://www.diablofans.com/forums/diablo-iii-general-forums/diablo-iii-general-discussion/30729-diablo-iii-urban-dictionary

The Church of Zakarum on DiabloFans
http://www.diablofans.com/forums/diablo-iii-class-forums/crusader-the-church-of-zakarum

DiabloFans Build Creator
http://www.diablofans.com/builds/create/crusader

Diablo 3 Reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/diablo3/

Crusader Reddit
http://www.reddit.com/r/Diablo3Crusaders/

Icy Veins: Diablo 3 News & Guides
https://www.icy-veins.com/d3/

Blizzard Customer Service Twitter
https://twitter.com/BlizzardCS

Diablo Twitter
https://twitter.com/Diablo

Open Thread - Suggestions for Crusader changes

The filter is rejecting my attempts to hyperlink the patch notes.
Most Recent Patch: 2.6.7
https://us.diablo3.com/en/blog/23220967/patch-267-now-live-11-12-2019

Patch 2.6.6:https://us.diablo3.com/en/blog/23093788/patch-266-is-now-live-8-20-2019
Patch 2.6.5:https://us.diablo3.com/en/blog/22989462/patch-265-now-live-5-14-2019
Patch 2.6.4: https://us.diablo3.com/en/blog/22863534/patch-264-now-live-1-15-2019
Patch 2.6.1: https://us.diablo3.com/en/game/patch-notes/2-6-1
Patch 2.6.0: https://us.diablo3.com/en/game/patch-notes/2-6-0
Patch 2.5.0: https://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-5-0
Patch 2.4.3: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-4-3
Patch 2.4.2: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-4-2
Patch 2.4.1: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-4-1
Patch 2.4.0: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-4-0
Patch 2.3.0: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-3-0
Patch 2.2.0: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-2-0
Patch 2.1.2: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-1-2
Patch 2.1.1: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-1-1
Patch 2.1.0: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-1-0
Patch 2.0.6: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-0-6
Patch 2.0.5: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-0-5
Patch 2.0.4: http://us.battle.net/d3/en/game/patch-notes/2-0-4

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2 Likes

Thanks for doing this WordMaster, have another reply!

1 Like

… and another reply :smile: (:smile: counts for 7 characters - woot !)

1 Like

It looks like this new compendium is really starting to come together! Thanks to everyone who participated in the discussion and upvoted this thread to help it get pinned. I will post an update once I’ve earned TL3 and can start a Wiki. If anyone reading this already has TL3 and would like to add this information to their Wiki, that would be awesome too.

Discussion replies:

@Schyzo: Thank you for your kind words!

@Zeeloyd: There is one build specifically designed to survive through disconnects on Hardcore: Guardian of the Trove, by DarkOmicron. I will look for more Hardcore specific guides to add. That is a fantastic idea.

@Boubou: Thanks for the heads up. I have already exchanged posts with Nevalistis here. After reviewing my account, she was able to raise my status to TL2, but I will have to earn TL3 on my own.

@Boubou: Thanks for the updated link. I will check it out ASAP. As for my replies, my plan is to cut and paste them all into one big post once I’ve finished copying everything over. That way, people will still be able to see them, but they won’t take up space within the body of the compendium.

@Zeeloyd: You’re welcome! Thank you again for the replies; they’re making this process go a lot more smoothly. If you have the time, please upvote and reply to the Necro compendium, so I can get the ball rolling on that as well.

3 Likes

Lovely read, weapon mastery and skill honing :smiley::+1:

Have another reply. Nice that someone is doing this.

Informative resource compilation … great job! … adding to the mix.

Akkhan Fear Condemn alternative for speeds

1 Like