Spirit is a caster staple for its +2 skills, 25-35% FCR, resists (in a shield), and also a juicy 55% FHR (especially nice for teleporters). In this regard, I like Partizans because they have lower Str/Dex requirements which mean it's easy to get them on your merc right at lvl 27.

Non-ethereal and even just exceptional bases are good and can carry you into hell, especially given Insight's high-ish enhanced damage and built-in Critical Strike. The runes are dirt cheap, and only high end bases are hard to come by (4os eth elite polearms). Insight on an act II merc is pretty standard for mana-hungry characters if you don't want to constantly chug blue potions.

Some of the runewords I've found that are particularly useful, versatile, and cheap: I'm in kind of a similar situation: SP with runewords, with 2 sorcs (90 Meteorb and 84 FO/CL/L), a 87 Fishyzon (LF/CS/FA), and then a handful of developing characters (55-ish Fireclaws/Maul Werebear, 55-ish Charger/Avenger/Abbot, 35-ish Tesla/Frost Zealer) with more on the way. Smoke is IMO one of the best mid-tier defensive armors and is the best investment if you're looking for protection going into Nightmare and/or Hell. TL:DR Insight, Spirit, Treachery, are easy-to-make runewords that are endgame-viable and can find homes on a multitude of character builds and/or mercs. How about Prudence in a high defense eth armor? Splendor? Is Edge any good (I'm playing SP but with ladder runewords enabled)? Grief seems very interesting - better than Honor? Insight? Obedience? Spirit? Some of those seem almost suitable for end game, BTW. Of the higher levels but still not end game: Duress is something I'm going to try. Honor - I do have a 5-socket Ancient Axe, is it good in mid-game? Melody? I'm looking more into weapons - have Leaf on my fire/ice level 24 sorceress, but what else? Black? Definitely Holy Thunder if I ever make a Holy Shock pally. Oh, and Lore helms were passed between my characters as they grew up. I very rarely make Ancient's Pledge, usually going for Rhyme, because I don't have many CBF sources. I did make a couple of Smoke armors to pass around. Some of those are level 30+, some are still in their twenties - but I'm looking for something to help them glide through NM and the beginning of Hell, so aiming at levels 37 and up.Īll of my characters are or were wearing Stealth armor at some point - really like that one.

Right now I'm looking for runewords which will help my other characters. Thanks to my level 87 Javazon, I've got quite a few low- to mid-level runes, and several higher ones, including Ist and Gul.

Runeword diablo 2 level