Diablo 2 Resurrected Unique Polearms Guide - D2R Polearms Tier List, Normal, Exceptional & Elite

Diablo 2 Resurrected Unique Polearms Guide - D2R Polearms Tier List, Normal, Exceptional & Elite

1/18/2022 4:06:53 PM

Polearms are in an interesting space for unique, since with the prevalence of runewords, it's fairly rare a unique item can compete with the top slots, but polearms fly in the face of that with several of them being competitive with Diablo 2 runewords and a few even being best in slot for several builds. So today let's take a look at some unique polearms in Diablo 2 Resurrected.

Diablo 2 Resurrected Unique Polearms Guide - D2R Polearms Tier List

Unique Normal Polearms

1. Dimoak’s Hew

A fairly solid pull arm for level 8 despite its low damage, it packs a bit of increased attack speed, a fairly large chunk of dexterity for the level and a solid amount of enhanced damage. While it's not going to be a great weapon and nightmare, in terms of punching your way through normal with a pull arm, it can be a solid option.

2. Steelgold

It's a melee weapon that has monster flea on it, but it does have a good chunk of deadly strike and a little bit of resist to help out. We don't find it redeeming enough especially since demo's average damage is only a little lower than this weapon's maximum.

best & worst polearm runewords tier list D2R

3. Soul Harvest

This is a much more reasonable polearm for use which is basically just a somewhat better malice for more relaxed play. With decent reliable damage, mana leech, open wounds and a fairly large boost to all resists, has the defensive perks to make up for losing a shield early while still doing okay with the rest of its functionality. Malice will be a little better for speed but this definitely sits strong where it's at in normal.

4. The Battlebranch

A polearm that pretty much guarantees the use of an act 2 mercenary in normal and that's because it's when you first start seeing polearm damage really go up. But on top of that, it packs solid increased attack speed and life leech which are awesome on a mercenary and a little bit of dexterity can be nice as well if you're using this on a druid build instead.

5. Woestave

Packing similar damage to battle branch, it may lack increased attack speed but it packs in a lot of mods that really mess with the enemy with 50% open wounds, blind target, freeze target and slow target. It can really make enemies much easier to deal with than otherwise would be. And like battle branch, this can be semi-useful even into early nightmare and is a candidate for possible exceptional upgrade if you don't find better since it's relatively cheap.

6. The Grim Reaper

Unlike the previous two, this is only a mediocre upgrade candidate compared to them, because it relies on a smaller percent boost, but it does have nice enough mods to carry you into nightmare release, despite being listed with less raw damage and that's because of the 100% deadly strike effectively doubling the damage output with this weapon. And the little bit of mana leech to keep you swinging is pretty nice too.

Unique Exceptional Polearms In D2R

1. The Meat Scraper

It packs itself with a life leech and open wounds as the name suggests but also decent damage increased attack speed and plus to barbarian masteries. Combined with a pinch of magic find, you can use it in nightmare for solo sell found runs and it works out just fine for that purpose.

2. Blackleach Blade

It brings a few interesting tidbits to the table with reasonable damage and a bit lower requirement, but still comes with enough life leech to matter and also packs on a scaling maximum damage per level and even throws in a chance to cast weaken on striking, which can be pretty useful for reducing the potency of enemies or even helping counteract some of the boosts. They can get from boss mob auras or even just weakening them in general. Though as of recording this, they have not stated specifically how they're going to modify weakness 2.4, so we'll see how that pans out in the future, it could be better, it could be worse.

3. Athena’s Wrath

With +3 druid skills, +30% increase attack speed and +172% enhanced damage with +89 to maximum damage per level effect. It also stacks in a boost to dexterity and a scaling boost to life as well. Though with how mechanics work, that would be scaled better with just flat, but it's still not bad and it is a good fury druid weapon in nightmare.

4. Pierre Tombale Couant

It does come with +3 barbarian skill levels, +219% enhanced damage, as well as 6% mana leech, +30% faster hit recovery and +169 to attack rating, but more importantly than any of that, a 55% chance of deadly strike which can help double the damage you do with this already reasonably high damage polearm, only real drawback is its speed or lack thereof, but not all skills necessarily need to aim for that.

5. Husoldal Eve

This one does come with +20% increased attack speed and +20 replenish life though it loses out on a lot of nice perks that came with it as well. So while this is a big stick that will hit hard, it's not among the top picks for the exceptional polearms, especially with its comparatively high stat requirements.

6. Grim’s Burning Dead

It's basically the Necromancer scythe, it packs +3 to Necromancer skills to fit the theme, but also packs in some traits that really do make it a bit more viable for Necromancers such as -50% requirements, -50% enemy defense, +207 to attack rating and even a bit of off weapon boosted defense. All of this with a reasonable bump to damage as well as extra raw fire damage and fire resist.

D2R Unique Elite Polearm Runewords

1. Bonehew

It's casting bone spear on striking, it's not always ethereal.

50% chance to caste level 16 bone spear on striking

+30% increased attack speed

+304% enhanced damage

Level 14 corpse explosion (9/30 charges)

Ethereal (cannot be repaired), socketed (2)

2. The Reaper’s Toll

This is one of the more sought-after polearms which is often considered as one of the best in slot options for act 2 mercenaries. Usually preferably ethereal but non-ethereal is plenty strong, packing reasonable enhanced damage, ignore target defense, 12% life stolen per hit, 4-44 cold damage and 33% deadly strike even with its base functions, it would be strong. But what makes it so desirable is actually a 33% chance of cast decrepify which is pretty much a guaranteed piercing of physical immunity when triggered and works exceptionally well for a lot of builds in the game. So while you may hear about insight and infinity more because of how many people just favor casters, this is the polar arm you want for any physical damage builds.

3. Tomb Reaver

It is used in a lot of things but probably the most popular is on Druids though act 2 mercenaries can use it as well. With +60% increased attack speed, +274% enhanced damage, all resistance +31, +10 life after each kill, 60% better chance of getting magic items, etc,. It's just a great polearm to begin with and would be good even without sockets. But the fact that it can spawn with anywhere from one to three sockets can make it quite powerful. With one of the most sought-after versions being a high roll with three sockets and ethereal. Sentence is easily one of if not the best weapon for fury druids in the game for just raw damage even if you have to burn a zod on it. Though even non-ethereal is still a great weapon.

4. Stormspier

It did have a super brief time in the limelight but is forgotten about nowadays. It just doesn't stack up to the other big polearms though it does stick with its lightning theme quite well with chain lightning and charge bolt when struck. Lightning retaliation, +50% lightning resists and -237 lightning damage stacked on +233% enhanced damage for an elite and +30% increased attack speed.