Diablo 2and itsResurrectedremaster offers no shortage of weapons for players in their quest to slay Diablo once again. However, players simply can’t or shouldn’t just pick the weapon their heart desires for their class. That part of the game is over — anywhere from late Nightmare to Hell means one has to use their brainpower much more in order to be efficient.
RELATED:Diablo: Inconsistencies In The Series' Lore
Part of that means being wise with one’s weapon choice. While there are class-specific weapons for each class,Diablo 2also gives players more options, which are rather importantfor Runewords. Knowing which weapons fit Runewords better is also an important factor in sticking to certain weapon types. Hence, these weapon types ought to prepare players for the worst that the Prime Evils have on offer.
Updated on July 21, 2025, by Sid Natividad:Diablo 2 weapons types can be terribly varied. The vastness of its selections and the modifiers thrown on top of them can make the selection process quite daunting. It also doesn’t help that some Diablo 2 weapons are class-specific, meaning it’s harder to sift through all the drops to check which ones are universal weapons.
Thankfully, there are still many weapons in the game that don’t fall into specific weapon classes Diablo 2. They all have their advantages over some of the class-specific ones and players would do well to take note of which Diablo 2 weapon types are the most viable. Hence, we’ve updated this Diablo 2 best weapons roster so that players can see which among the universal weapons are worth picking up.
12Throwing Weapons
Throwing weapons come in many shapes and sizes. They can range from axes to knives and their biggest con is that they’re not very customizable. They have no sockets, meaning no Runewords or any jewel/gem combos for them. This does limit theirbuild viability.
However, their damage is often superior due to the fact that they’re throwables. Even the melee damage is decent enough. Moreover, some throwable unique weapons are quite formidable. Gimmershred is one good example of this, Lacerator is another. Both unique weapons can enable some pretty niche builds.
11Scepters
Some people might dismiss scepters as Paladin weapons due to their Paladin-focused skill bonuses but they’re actually pretty good for some niche classes like the Riftsin. It’s all thanks to the Rift Runeword which is quite a beast in the right hands. Lawbringer is another good option especially for people looking to make budget Uber Smiters or Zealots.
RELATED:Diablo 2: All Bosses Ranked According To Difficulty
It also helps immensely that some scepters come with the Crushing Blow modifier. This is the single most powerful weapon modifier inDiablo 2because it practically halves the target’s health, turning even the toughest of Uber bosses into jokes.
10Wands
One doesn’t have to have a Necromancer in order to maximize wands. It’s true that it’s mostly a Necromancer weapon but even the blue-quality wands have some nifty default modifiers that make them sought-after by some classes. Some wands that merchants sell contain a Necromancer curse.
It could be anything from Life Tap or Lower Resist to Decrepify or Amplify Damage. These three curses are highly useful inendgame content, especially against enemies with immunities. That’s why for most classes apart from the Necromancer, wands tend to be the go-to weapon swap set.
9Daggers
Daggers don’t exactly do well as a universal weapon due to the fact that their range is laughable and the low durability is bothersome. However, they make up for it with a good attack speed. That very well means Barbarians can find a good use for them.
If not, then they sometimes house some valuable Necromancer Curses such as Lower Resist among others. That makes daggers about as valuable as wands when it comes to debuffs. Its Runeword viability does leave a lot to be desired but again, niche builds might find a use for Runewords in daggers.
8Shields
They may or may not be weapons depending onthe class one picksinDiablo 2,but shields are very much part of the in-game META. That’s becausemaximizing Block Chanceis one of the best ways to ensure that players don’t get steamrolled by unfair enemies in Hell difficulty.
Having a shield introduces players to a new mechanic where they canavoid a certain percentageof attacks based on Dexterity (up to a maximum of 75 percent). Theoretically, this might not seem like much, but it works like Resistance, where each point of percentage matters a lot more in practice. For Paladins and even other caster classes, shields are mandatory for survival, more so in Hardcore mode.
7Bows
While all classes can use bows, not many of them can truly maximize the weapon quite like an Amazon. She has a skill tree dedicated to bows and crossbows, meaning this weapon was made for her. Even regular bow attacks are best done in the hands of a competent Amazon.
RELATED:Diablo 2: Best Runewords For Armor
Still, that doesn’t mean bows are useless in the hands of other classes.For early-game, particularly when leveling up in Normal difficulty, bows can be a godsend. Theyallow players to rack up experience quicklyby picking off wayward enemies.
6Javelins
Sadly, thrown weapons inDiablo 2can’t have Runewords, so the Javelin is left out. However, the weapon type makes up for that by having one of thehighest damage numbers. Players can achieve that by throwing the weapon instead of jabbing enemies in melee mode.
This comes at a cost of depleting the weapon’s quantity, but replenishing it is cheap anyway. As always, any class that’s just starting out can harness the power of javelins before they start specializing with their META builds. TheAmazon and the Barbarian, however, can safely stick with javelinseven up to the endgame since they can build their stats and skills around it.
5Polearms
Polearms are a popular choice among many endgame Whirlwind Barbarian builds due to the wide range of the swings as well as how generous the weapon can be with its sockets. It’s open to any class as well, and is a great tool forkeeping enemies at baywhile experimenting with a melee setup.
RELATED:Diablo 2: Best Runewords For Weapons
It does have one other more significant or even universal purpose:giving it to an Act 2 hirelingafter crafting an Insight Runeword into it. Doing this will fix any mana problem a character has, be it caster or a melee bruiser that’s hungry for that blue orb. As such, most classes or builds will benefit from polearms, even if they don’t equip the weapon.
4Maces
Blunt weapons, such as those that fall under the mace category, have some good inherent perks fordealing with undead enemies. After all, bones don’t fare well against blunt force trauma. Hence, plenty of classesin the gamemight even prefer the mace for its ability to quickly deal with dungeon enemies.
Other than that, maces have fast attacks (at least, the one-handed ones do) and a healthy selection of sub-types. Not to mention the best Runeword weapon for casters falls under the flail sub-type for mace weapons: Heart of the Oak. Sorceresses, Necromancers, and Paladins shouldn’t sleep on it.
3Staves
When one seesstaves in Diablo 2, the immediate class that comes to mind is the Sorceress, since it’s her default weapon on the character creation screen. There’s also the fact thatstaves — even the lowest quality ones — come with a Sorceress skill or two. If it’s Teleport, then players have themselves budget Enigma Runeword on weapon swap.
RELATED:Diablo 2 Resurrected: Most Useful Horadric Cube Recipes To Remember
That very well makes the staff weapon type a viable or even preferable weapon for any class or build. At the very least, staves with a Sorcery skill can seeextended usage in the weapon swap slot. It’s also a legitimate base for the Heart of the Oak Runeword, but since it’s two-handed, it’s best to put that expensive Runeword into a mace.
