S-TIER | PALADIN BUILD Purification cooldown infini (@Screamheart) | SEASON 13

ENDGAME | PIT PUSH PALADIN

Build Overview

Screamheart pushed a simple concept to the extreme: what if Purify became an offensive skill, when it deals no damage at all by default? The answer comes in two words — maxed cooldown reduction. By capping that stat at 75%, you turn this purely utility skill into an offensive spam capable of dishing out trillions of damage per second across a wave of monsters.

The foundation of the build is Resolve stack stacking. Five slots benefit from it (helm, chest, Pants, amulet, shield) and each stack multiplies damage from Fortress, unlocks max block via the Interdiction glyph, and synergizes with Aspect of Glynn's Anvil for defense. That's what allows the Paladin to hit 100% block chance while keeping an S-Tier offensive profile.

On paper, the build clears Torment 12 effortlessly with average gear and comfortably runs Pit 115. The Endgame version banks on Heir of Perdition for raw power, while Mid-Game leans on Godslayer Crown for monster vacuum. Both variants are fully viable — the choice depends on what you drop first.

This is exactly the kind of off-meta build that combines visual spectacle and raw performance: Falling Star has no cooldown, letting you leap from one pack to the next constantly, while Spear of the Heavens applies continuous pressure on Bosses. The whole thing shines in Infernal Hordes — the current event.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Recommended Gear

Horadric Seal S13

The talisman is a scaling pillar here. Main objective: secure a seal that unlocks an additional charm slot (+1 Charm Slot) — ideally with a damage affix on top. You then target the full 5-piece Radiant Fire set aiming for Judicator skill ranks, which massively boosts the duration and range of judgment effects applied by Holy Light Aura.

The completion unique charm is Griswold's Opus, providing both a damage multiplier AND substantial healing — the perfect offense/defense balance this build wants. If you equip the set properly, you benefit from the 2 / 3 / 5 piece bonuses simultaneously.

Gameplay Tips

The build's mantra is move every 2 seconds. Each movement triggers three seconds of cooldown reduction which, combined with the Purify refresh (1 second per enemy hit thanks to Echo), let you spam continuously. If you stay still too long and the cooldown drops, two options: either you move again, or you activate one of your auras — that instantly refreshes the cooldown of all your main skills (Purify, Fortress, Falling Star and Spear of the Heavens).

Against Bosses, the pattern shifts. You first drop your Spear of the Heavens on the ground — after a short delay, it turns into a sphere that reduces your cooldown on every tick. You then spam Purify over it and you get the exact same infinite flow as on monster packs.

For Fortress, stay inside the circle as much as possible: it's what stacks your Resolve (up to 70 stacks observable on the full build) and each stack adds 4% multiplicative damage. If it expires mid-pack, recast it — or use your ultimate to refresh it instantly in emergencies.

Rune-wise, Seervex is your priority pick: it adds three ranks to all your skills (around 10% extra damage). To complement, Yuljar provides a recurring bulwark based on cooldown skill casts — given the absurd frequency of your Purify spam, you generate a bulwark almost every second. It's the ultimate defensive option if you want to become unkillable.

Talent Tree

Mercenary S13

Paragon

The board order is set with a clear goal: stack cooldown reduction above all, then amplify damage multipliers tied to Resolve and Block. The starter board lays the foundation with the Canny glyph; then move up to Relentless to grab the Resplendence node — that's what provides the overwhelming majority of Paragon cooldown reduction. Each node becomes 5%, and with a leveled glyph, you gain even more, which frees up affix slots on your gear.

Next, head to Castle for the Judicator glyph — this board scales on total armor (105% bonus observable on the full build), hence the Strength + Armor priority on defensive pieces. Sentencing welcomes the Spirit glyph, and we finish on Shield Bearer with Sentinel — this one scales on block chance and is your best final multiplicative. Note that Sentinel doesn't depend on bar fill like most glyphs: its scaling comes directly from the board bonus, making it more tolerant to a late levelup.

Rotation and cooldown cycle

The ideal rotation is almost hypnotic: Purify in continuous spam with a tap every 2 seconds to trigger the movement bonus, Falling Star to leap between packs (no cooldown), Fortress renewed under your feet with each movement, and Spear of the Heavens dropped preemptively before Bosses. Auras (Fanaticism Aura, Holy Light Aura) stay active permanently and act as a "reset button" if cooldown drops.

Resolve stacking and synergies

The theoretical cap is 40 Resolve stacks for the judgment multiplier (12.5% per stack = 500% max damage), but the Judicator Oath adds another 80%, bringing the effective counter to 580% at the plateau. This mechanic stacks with the Resolve Damage Bonus multiplicative from Fortress, the scaling of Aspect of Glynn's Anvil and the block bonus from the Sentinel glyph. This stack of interconnected multipliers is what allows hitting trillions of damage per cast.

Defensive switch for Pit push

If you want to push very high Pits (120+), Screamheart recommends swapping Falling Star for Defiance Aura in the Endgame version. You lose mobility but gain survival for long phases. An even more extreme variant replaces Fortress with Heaven's Fury and the Walk with the Light + Duration upgrade — it's flashier, but you then need to recover your Resolve stacks via a Defiance Aura with Rite of Prayer to compensate. This swap is purely situational for pushers.