Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Crusader Class Guide

Blizzard has released Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Crusader class guide videos. Check out the expansion pack’s new mid-range hybrid caster/melee class!

Impenetrable armor, gleaming weapons, and heavy, heavy damage — wield the power of the Crusader, the unbreakable new hero of the mortal realms.

Index of Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Guides:

Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Crusader Class Guide

Based on the Paladin class from Diablo 2, the Crusader is a seasoned hero who embodies divine justice, dispatching enemies with holy thunder while warding off vicious attacks. Stalwart defenders of the Zakarum faith, they stride fearlessly into battle wearing an unyielding coat of steel that shines beneath the shadow of Death.

Watch and listen to learn about the origins of the Crusaders, their prowess with flail and shield, and the divine favor that empowers them to unleash the fury of the Heavens.

Crusader Overview:

Crusaders are unbending champions of faith and law. These living fortresses use impenetrable plate and towering shields to wade through scores of foes, leaving demonic bodies smoldering in their wake.

The thick of battle is unforgiving, but crusaders rush in without hesitation, relying on holy magic and heavy armor to guarantee victory. Well-trained crusaders are adept at deflecting attacks entirely, often shrugging off massive blows that would fell lesser combatants. If pressed, they can sacrifice speed and mobility for pure staying power.

Bone-crunching flails and wicked shields are perfect for melee, but crusaders are hardly limited to extinguishing evil at close range. When one of these divinely empowered warriors joins battle, blazing fire and blinding light follow, smiting entire packs of enemies who dare to resist judgment.

Crusader Background:

“The crusade calls me…so I go.”

The leaders of the harmonious Zakarum religion once strove to imprison Mephisto, Lord of Hatred, beneath Travincal temple, preventing him from ever twisting the hearts of humanity again.

They failed.

It was not the first time Zakarum had lapsed; 200 years prior, the cleric Akkhan noticed corruption at the heart of his faith, and sent his acolytes on a far-ranging quest to cleanse it. Akkhan’s “crusaders” were young recruits, chosen for honor and goodness, trained in weaponry and flesh-scouring magics, though their most important quality was unwavering devotion to duty.

Today, the crusaders’ focused quest for purity has broadened. Flimsy “containment” gives evil many opportunities to thrive, and wandering crusaders – often master and apprentice pairs – regularly strike down Sanctuary’s demons. Some fight out of righteousness; others in the hopes that their victories may make corrupt Zakarum whole again. When a crusader’s master dies, their student takes up their weapons and their identity…and the crusade continues, even beyond death.

Crusader Equipment:

To brandish a Crusader’s unique shield requires extraordinary training, as they’re used for far more than simple protection. Crusaders hew about with their shields, flinging them like javelins or bashing their opponents into a daze. Crusaders are also taught to swing cruel flails, spiked steel weights suspended on heavy chains. Veteran crusaders learn to grip a giant two-handed weapon in one mailed fist, provided they tread slowly with their deadly burden.

One-Handed Weapons:
• Axes
• Daggers
• Maces
• Spears
• Swords
• Flails

Two-Handed Weapons:
• Axes
• Maces
• Polearms
• Swords
• Flails

Off-Hand Weapons:
• Shields
• Crusader Shields

Crusader Armor Progression:

1. Fledgling crusaders’ gear is light enough for wide-ranging travel. Zakarum iconography prominently displays the crusader’s heritage – and protects about as well as any flag or banner would.

2. Crusaders who’ve spent time picking over battlefields furnish themselves with heavy mail and wrought gorgets, guarding the sensitive areas of their body that seem so attractive to demonic fangs.

3. The legendary crusader, ensconced in titanic armor and carefully selected regalia, is steel-clad from head to toe. A crusader’s life is daily menace; they dress accordingly.

Head:
• Helms

Shoulders:
• Pauldrons

Torso:
• Chest Armor

Wrists:
• Bracers

Hands:
• Gloves

Waist:
• Belts

Legs:
• Pants

Feet:
• Boots

Jewelry:
• Amulets
• Rings

Crusader Leveling Guide:

Watch Maxwell’s video guide to get handy tips for power leveling the new Crusader class.

Power Leveling Location:
Act 2: Chapter 5 – Quest “A Royal Audience”. Go to “Kill Ghom”. And set the game to the highest Torment difficulty level you have available to you.

Here’s how to level up quickly in Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls without fighting elites or champions, using the Royal Audience run.

Crusader Active Skills List:

Primary Skills:
• Punish
• Slash
• Smite
• Justice

Secondary Skills:
• Shield Bash
• Sweep Attack
• Blessed Hammer
• Blessed Shield
• Fist of the Heavens

Defensive Skills:
• Shield Glare
• Iron Skin
• Consecration
• Judgment

Utility Skills:
• Provoke
• Steed Charge
• Condemn
• Phalanx

Law Skills:
• Laws of Valor
• Laws of Justice
• Laws of Hope

Conviction Skills:
• Falling Sword
• Akarat’s Champion
• Heaven’s Fury
• Bombardment

Go to the official Blizzard website to find the full details on each of the 24 Crusader’s Active Skills.

Crusader Passive Skills List:

Passive Skills:
• Fervor
• Heavenly Strength
• Vigilant
• Fanatacism
• Insurmountable
• Nephalem Majesty
• Indestructible
• Holy Cause
• Divine Fortress
• Wrathful
• Lord Commander
• Hold Your Ground
• Long Arm of the Law
• Iron Maiden
• Renewal
• Finery
• Blunt
• Towering Shield

Go to the official Blizzard website to find the full details on each of the 18 Crusader’s Passive Skills.

Will you be playing as the Crusader class in Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls?