Diablo 2: 12 Best Weapon Types That Any Class Can Use (2024)

Diablo 2 and its Resurrected remaster offers no shortage of weapons for players in their quest to slay Diablo once again. However, players simply can't or shouldn't just pick the weapon their heart desires for their class. That part of the game is over — anywhere from late Nightmare to Hell means one has to use their brainpower much more in order to be efficient.

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Part of that means being wise with one's weapon choice. While there are class-specific weapons for each class, Diablo 2 also gives players more options, which are rather important for Runewords. Knowing which weapons fit Runewords better is also an important factor in sticking to certain weapon types. Hence, these weapon types ought to prepare players for the worst that the Prime Evils have on offer.

Updated on December 14, 2021, by Sid Natividad: Diablo 2 weapons types can be terribly varied. The vastness of its selections and the modifiers thrown on top of them can make the selection process quite daunting. It also doesn't help that some Diablo 2 weapons are class-specific, meaning it's harder to sift through all the drops to check which ones are universal weapons.

Thankfully, there are still many weapons in the game that don't fall into specific weapon classes Diablo 2. They all have their advantages over some of the class-specific ones and players would do well to take note of which Diablo 2 weapon types are the most viable. Hence, we've updated this Diablo 2 best weapons roster so that players can see which among the universal weapons are worth picking up.

12 Throwing Weapons

• Pros: Versatile playstyle
• Cons: No sockets
• Notable Runeword: None

Throwing weapons come in many shapes and sizes. They can range from axes to knives and their biggest con is that they're not very customizable. They have no sockets, meaning no Runewords or any jewel/gem combos for them. This does limit their build viability.

However, their damage is often superior due to the fact that they're throwables. Even the melee damage is decent enough. Moreover, some throwable unique weapons are quite formidable. Gimmershred is one good example of this, Lacerator is another. Both unique weapons can enable some pretty niche builds.

11 Scepters

• Pros: High attack speed and one-handed damage, often comes with Crushing Blow
• Cons: Limited Runewords
• Notable Runeword: Rift (Hel + Ko + Lem + Gul), Lawbringer (Amn + Lem + Ko)

Some people might dismiss scepters as Paladin weapons due to their Paladin-focused skill bonuses but they're actually pretty good for some niche classes like the Riftsin. It's all thanks to the Rift Runeword which is quite a beast in the right hands. Lawbringer is another good option especially for people looking to make budget Uber Smiters or Zealots.

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It also helps immensely that some scepters come with the Crushing Blow modifier. This is the single most powerful weapon modifier in Diablo 2 because it practically halves the target's health, turning even the toughest of Uber bosses into jokes.

10 Wands

• Pros: Comes with useful and META Necromancer spells
• Cons: Not much utility apart from debuffs
• Notable Runeword: White (Dol + Io)

One doesn't have to have a Necromancer in order to maximize wands. It's true that it's mostly a Necromancer weapon but even the blue-quality wands have some nifty default modifiers that make them sought-after by some classes. Some wands that merchants sell contain a Necromancer curse.

It could be anything from Life Tap or Lower Resist to Decrepify or Amplify Damage. These three curses are highly useful in endgame content, especially against enemies with immunities. That's why for most classes apart from the Necromancer, wands tend to be the go-to weapon swap set.

9 Daggers

• Pros: High attack speed, also contains Necromancer Curses
• Cons: Short range, low durability
• Notable Runeword: Strength (Amn + Tir), Fury (Jah + Gul + Ith)

Daggers don't exactly do well as a universal weapon due to the fact that their range is laughable and the low durability is bothersome. However, they make up for it with a good attack speed. That very well means Barbarians can find a good use for them.

If not, then they sometimes house some valuable Necromancer Curses such as Lower Resist among others. That makes daggers about as valuable as wands when it comes to debuffs. Its Runeword viability does leave a lot to be desired but again, niche builds might find a use for Runewords in daggers.

8 Shields

• Pros: Can dramatically increase survivability
• Cons: Damage potential might get reduced
• Notable Runeword: Spirit (Tal + Thul + Ort + Amn)

They may or may not be weapons depending on the class one picks in Diablo 2, but shields are very much part of the in-game META. That's because maximizing Block Chance is one of the best ways to ensure that players don't get steamrolled by unfair enemies in Hell difficulty.

Having a shield introduces players to a new mechanic where they can avoid a certain percentage of attacks based on Dexterity (up to a maximum of 75 percent). Theoretically, this might not seem like much, but it works like Resistance, where each point of percentage matters a lot more in practice. For Paladins and even other caster classes, shields are mandatory for survival, more so in Hardcore mode.

7 Bows

• Pros: Fast, ranged attacks
• Cons: Attacks are limited by ammunition
• Notable Runeword: Faith (Ohm + Jah + Lem + Eld)

While all classes can use bows, not many of them can truly maximize the weapon quite like an Amazon. She has a skill tree dedicated to bows and crossbows, meaning this weapon was made for her. Even regular bow attacks are best done in the hands of a competent Amazon.

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Still, that doesn't mean bows are useless in the hands of other classes. For early-game, particularly when leveling up in Normal difficulty, bows can be a godsend. They allow players to rack up experience quickly by picking off wayward enemies.

6 Javelins

• Pros: Versatile ranged and melee weapon
• Cons: Ammunition runs out fast
• Notable Runeword: N/A

Sadly, thrown weapons in Diablo 2 can't have Runewords, so the Javelin is left out. However, the weapon type makes up for that by having one of the highest damage numbers. Players can achieve that by throwing the weapon instead of jabbing enemies in melee mode.

This comes at a cost of depleting the weapon's quantity, but replenishing it is cheap anyway. As always, any class that's just starting out can harness the power of javelins before they start specializing with their META builds. The Amazon and the Barbarian, however, can safely stick with javelins even up to the endgame since they can build their stats and skills around it.

5 Polearms

• Pros: Good range for a melee weapon, high damage
• Cons: Two-handed, damage range is a little too wide
• Notable Runeword: Insight (Ral + Tir + Tal + Sol)

Polearms are a popular choice among many endgame Whirlwind Barbarian builds due to the wide range of the swings as well as how generous the weapon can be with its sockets. It's open to any class as well, and is a great tool for keeping enemies at bay while experimenting with a melee setup.

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It does have one other more significant or even universal purpose: giving it to an Act 2 hireling after crafting an Insight Runeword into it. Doing this will fix any mana problem a character has, be it caster or a melee bruiser that's hungry for that blue orb. As such, most classes or builds will benefit from polearms, even if they don't equip the weapon.

4 Maces

• Pros: Fast attacks, lots of weapon selections
• Cons: Its best Runeword is picky
• Notable Runeword: Heart of the Oak (Ko + Vex + Pul + Thul)

Blunt weapons, such as those that fall under the mace category, have some good inherent perks for dealing with undead enemies. After all, bones don't fare well against blunt force trauma. Hence, plenty of classes in the game might even prefer the mace for its ability to quickly deal with dungeon enemies.

Other than that, maces have fast attacks (at least, the one-handed ones do) and a healthy selection of sub-types. Not to mention the best Runeword weapon for casters falls under the flail sub-type for mace weapons: Heart of the Oak. Sorceresses, Necromancers, and Paladins shouldn't sleep on it.

3 Staves

• Pros: Inherently has more sockets and can come with caster-type skills like Teleport
• Cons: Two-handed
• Notable Runeword: Heart of the Oak (Ko + Vex + Pul + Thul)

When one sees staves in Diablo 2, the immediate class that comes to mind is the Sorceress, since it's her default weapon on the character creation screen. There's also the fact that staves — even the lowest quality ones — come with a Sorceress skill or two. If it's Teleport, then players have themselves budget Enigma Runeword on weapon swap.

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That very well makes the staff weapon type a viable or even preferable weapon for any class or build. At the very least, staves with a Sorcery skill can see extended usage in the weapon swap slot. It's also a legitimate base for the Heart of the Oak Runeword, but since it's two-handed, it's best to put that expensive Runeword into a mace.

2 Axes

• Pros: Fast attacks and high damage with allowance for more slots
• Cons: High strength requirement
• Notable Runeword: Beast (Ber + Tir + Um + Mal + Lum)

One would think that the axe is a weapon most fitting for Barbarians but it's actually the preferred weapon type of Fury or Werewolf Druids. That's because axes have some of the highest melee damage numbers out of all the melee weapons in the game.

They also have a reliable damage range. Most axes also occupy six inventory slots, meaning most of them also allow for at least four sockets or higher. In any case, axes are great melee weapons that will turn any high-strength character into beastly warriors, both literally and figuratively.

1 Swords

• Pros: Fast attack speed and lots of varieties
• Cons: Poor melee range
• Notable Runeword: Grief (Eth + Tir + Lo + Mal + Ral) or Spirit (Tal + Thul + Ort + Amn)

Finally, swords. This type is one of the most widely-used weapons across several builds, from casters on a budget thanks to the Spirit Runeword to budding Whirlwind, or even Frenzy Barbarians who want weapons with reliably fast attack speeds.

Swords also have the widest selection of sub-types available for them, meaning Barbarians who specialize in their Mastery skill for swords can't go wrong. Because of their many variants, they also tend to drop more frequently compared to other weapon types. Finding a sword Runeword base is thus an easy task.

Diablo 2 Resurrected was released on September 23, 2021, and is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

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