Build notes: |
June 18, 2021 January 12, 2022 |
Build Overview
Diablo Clone fight is one of the hardest encounters Project Diablo 2 has to offer. In Season 2, the fight was reworked and had its difficulty massively increased. However, with its extreme difficulty comes extremely good loot (mentioning just Annihilus should be enough to hype you up). If you want to stand a chance against the Diablo Clone, you will need a well-geared build designed specifically for the encounter - this guide's featured build is just that.
This version of the Hydra Sorc is fully capable of solo-farming the Diablo Clone which makes it a top-tier moneymaking build. If you can afford it, you should definitely add this build to your roster - it will allow you to make even more money.
Season 4 Note: After the nerfs suffered in season 3, this build is a bit weaker than it was. However, with the addition of Combustion and -Fire Resist gear, it is now much more versatile - it's great for Mapping and clearing densly-packed areas.
You can also check our other Best Project Diablo 2 Builds
Pros | Cons |
Great build for defeating Diablo Clone and solid for Mapping | Not optimized for farming other content - this can be solved with proper gear choices |
Extremely high Damage | Very Expensive to gear up properly |
Great Mobility | Sort of a one-trick pony |
Good Utility and Survivability |
Skills
ATTRIBUTES |
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FIRE SPELLS |
This is the core Skill Tree of this Build. Our main offensive ability is the Lesser Hydra (it deals much more damage than its "bigger brother" - the "regular" Hydra). To make the most out of it, we also max out all of its synergies - Fire Bolt, Hydra, and Fire Mastery. If you'd like to do some Mapping with the build as well, you should also take Combustion. Skills:
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LIGHTNING SPELLS |
Sorceress's Lightning Spells Skill tree offers high utility abilities that simply cannot be passed up. The obvious one is the Teleport which turns the Sorceress into a queen of battlefield mobility. The less obvious one is the Static Field that works especially well on high health enemies, like Bosses. Skills:
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COLD SPELLS |
This skill tree is not the focus of this build. Skills:
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Items
As per usual with PD2 Builds, you want to get as many Skill Levels (Sorceress/Fire Spells in this case) as possible to increase the build's overall power level. Resistances are also extremely important for the Diablo Clone fight, so you should have them capped and increased as high as possible. A faster cast rate is also the main stat (the higher the breakpoint, you can achieve, the better - 56 FHR and 75 FCR breakpoints are rather easy to achieve and you should aim for them at least). Defensive stats, like faster hit recovery and life leech, are a nice addition but you should not choose gear for them specifically. |
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HELMETS |
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Harlequin Crest (Shako) - You can't go wrong with Shako (and chances are, you already have one). This helmet gives you everything you might want for your Hydra Sorc - Skill levels, Mana, Health, Damage taken reduction, attributes, and magic find. |
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Delirium (Rune Word) - If you don't like Shako for some reason, here's a great alternative. Delirium gives +2 to all Skills and a nice boost to Magic Find. |
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Kira's Guardian (Tiara) - A very interesting Helmet that supplements the build's Damage by lowering enemy fire resistance. It will be especially useful if you plan on farming in areas that feature a lot of fire-resistant monsters. |
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WEAPONS |
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Eschuta's Temper (Eldrich Orb) - This insanely powerful Orb will give you the highest Damage boost of all available Weapons. It increases all your Skills by +3 (you should buy one that has +3 Skills on it, don't bother with other ones), and reduces Enemy Fire Resistance by up to -10% which is extremely strong for a build that deals fire damage exclusively. On top of all this, it offers a 40% Faster Cast Rate which is unbelievably strong. |
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Heart of the Oak (Runeword) - A solid alternative to the Eschuta's Temper that provides +3 to all Skills and a 30% Faster Cast Rate. You can't go wrong with this one either. |
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The Oculus (Swirling Crystal) - Another great Sorceress Orb that adds up to 3 Skills. It also offers a nice Faster Cast Rate boost and some defensive stats. Moreover, it has a whopping 50% Magic Find. |
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SHIELDS | |
Stormshield (Monarch) - a BiS defensive option that will allow you to achieve Resistance caps rather easily. This is the best Shield you can bring to the Diablo Clone fight - you should get it. |
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Phoenix (Runeword) - A definitive top choice for raw damage output, thanks to its -28% to Enemy Fire Resistance. Also, it provides some great elemental resistances boost and high Fire Absorb. |
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Spirit Shield (Runeword) - A solid balance between offense and defense. This one also gives good Resistances but sacrifices some defense in favor of +1 to All Skills. |
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WEAPON SWAP | |
Call to Arms (Rune Word) - This powerful Runeword will allow you to pre-buff yourself up with Warcries (buffs persist through weapon swap).
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Lidless Wall (Grim Shield) - A very powerful Shield that grants up to +2 Skills and high FCR. |
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AMULETS |
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The Rising Sun - The best choice for the build. This amazing amulet not only boosts your fire skills, but also lowers enemies' fire resistance. |
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Mara's Kaleidoscope - In a build that wants +All Skills, this amulet is a top choice for the end game. It provides a great combination of offensive (+2 to all skills) and defensive (+20-30 to all resistances) properties. |
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[Alternative] Rare/Magic Amulets with + Sorceress/Fire Spells are great budget choices and solid fillers before you are able to get Mara's Kaleidoscope. Magic Amulet with +3 to Fire Spells is actually a better offensive choice than Mara's.
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ARMORS |
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Guardian Angel (Templar Coat) - While this Armor recommendation might look a bit weird at first glance, we have a VERY good reason to suggest it. Mainly, Guardian Angel offers a boost to Maximum Lightning, Fire, Cold, and Poison Resistances, and three of these (Fire, Cold, and Lightning) are extremely important to have. This makes Guardian Angel a top defensive pick for any diablo clone farming build, including this one. |
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Enigma (Runeword) - One of the better armors you can pick up for this build, but not the best one - Guardian Angel is better as those Max Resistances are BiS stats. Enigma grants a nice bonus to Skills, Faster Run/Walk that improves mobility by a bit, and a nice flat Damage reduction. |
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RINGS |
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[BiS] Raven Frost - This ring provides Freeze Immunity which is extremely important to have on every build. For us, however, its most important attribute is the Cold Absorb which is life-saving during Diablo Clone fights. |
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[BiS] Dwarf Star - A must-have defensive ring that increases Life and gives up to 8% Fire Absorb and up to 15 Magic Damage Reduction. |
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The Stone of Jordan - If you're after some more offensive power, you could also choose this one. Stone of Jordan increases the level of all your Skills and your max Mana. Also, it's one of the most iconic items in Diablo 2. |
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GLOVES |
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Magefist (Light Gauntlets) - These gloves give +1 to Sifr Skills which automatically makes them extremely powerful. Moreover, they increase your Cast Rate, add Fire Damage, and improve your mana regen.
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Frostburn (Gauntlets) - These gloves can give you up to -10% to Enemy Fire Resistance and a healthy boost to the mana pool. |
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BOOTS |
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[BiS] Waterwalk (Sharkskin Boots) - You can't go wrong with these boots - they are an extremely solid all-around choice. The most important thing about them, for this build, is the +5% Maximum Fire Resistance. On top of that, they make you move much faster and increase your Life by quite a bit. |
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Hotspur (Boots) - Another great choice for this build, especially if you feel like you're lacking that additional bit of Fire Resistance (Hotspurs add +10% to your Max Fire Resistance). |
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Itherael's Path (Mirrored Boots) - These versatile boots will not only boost your attributes, defense, and hit recovery, but also increase your running speed and casting rate. A solid option for the build. |
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BELTS |
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[BiS] Verdungo's Hearty Cord (Mithril Coil) - A very solid defensive option that offers a Faster Hit Recovery bonus, an insanely high boost to maximum stamina, and up to 40 (!) Vitality. But most importantly, it Reduces your Damage Taken by up to 15%! |
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String of Ears (Demonhide Sash) - Another great option if you're after some additional survivability. The String of Ears also provides up to a 15% damage reduction bonus which is almost mandatory for this build's intended purpose. |
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Arachnid Mesh (Spiderweb Sash) - A great offensive option that you should go for if you're confident that you won't need extra Damage Absorb. Arachnid Mesh gives +1 to all Skills in addition to increasing your Cast Rate. |
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CHARMS |
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MERCENARY |
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We recommend picking up Act 2 Defiance Mercenary for extra damage mitigation bonuses. He should be equipped with:
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END NOTE This is our premiere Project Diablo 2 build where we tried to include all of the important information on how to set up this character while keeping the guide as compact as possible. If we've missed something of importance, please let us know! If you have any Build requests, please post them in the Comments section below. We will be happy to cover your most requested builds in the future! Also, we hope that you have found this guide useful and informative. Also, we will be happy to receive constructive criticism that will help us improve our future work, so don't hesitate to give us your feedback. |