Zealot Paladin Build Skills for Diablo 2 Resurrected

1. 1 point to all prerequisites
2. 20 points to Zeal — Main damage dealing skill, required
3. 20 points to Sacrifice — Damage synergy for Zeal, required
4. 20 points to Holy Shield — Improves Chance to Block and Defense, required
5. 20 points to Fanaticism — Main Aura, increases attack speed and damage significantly, required
6. 1 points to Salvation — Very useful for Resistances, optional
7. Any number of points to Resist Lightning, Resist Fire, and/or Resist Cold — For every 2 points in Resist skills, you passively gain +1% Maximum Resist to the relevant element, optional

The Zealot is probably the most viable melee build in the game, with high single-target damage that is easily achieved through extremely fast attacks and high Chance of Crushing Blow.

Since Zeal is a multi-hit skill, making sure it hits the maximum animation speed is vital. Fanaticism helps with this goal tremendously, and a little bit of Increased Attack Speed from gear will allow a Zealot to reach maximum Zeal speed with a Phase Blade. The Phase Blade is generally considered the best-in-slot base item for a Zealot due to its -30 weapon speed. Additionally, since the Zealot is a melee build, "Cannot Be Frozen" is a must-have attribute.

The following section discusses how many attribute points should be allocated to each of the primary stats.

Enough for gear — If using an Ethereal Vortex Shield this is 138 Strength. If choosing to use another shield with lower Strength requirements such as Herald of Zakarum, then 103 Strength for an Archon Plate is most likely necessary. This number always changes based on the gear you are using however, so make sure to always double check the Strength requirements of each piece of gear you have as well as how much Strength each piece will provide once equipped.

Enough for max block — Between 130 and 170 Dexterity total is usually enough to reach the 75% maximum chance to block. For a typical Paladin wearing the Herald of Zakarum and using a fairly high level Holy Shield, 130 Dexterity should be enough. Always check your Character Sheet however, where you can track your current chance to block as you allocate Dexterity.

Everything else into Vitality — 250+ Vitality. Every excess attribute point should be allocated to Vitality, as long as you can meet the Strength and Dexterity requirements of your items by the time you wish to equip them, as well as the 75% maximum chance to block.

Nothing — allocating stat points to Energy in a final build is universally considered sub-par for almost every character due to the widespread availability of Mana Potions.