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Zealot

The Zealot guide

Written by MrLlamaSC for Icy Veins, shown here with his permission. Read the original on Icy Veins· Skills and items link to their pages.

›Introduction

The Zealot revolves around using Zeal and Fanaticism to reach one of the highest attack speed in the game. With on-hit effects such as Chance of Crushing Blow, the Zealot can kill individual targets extremely quickly while ensuring his survival through Life Leech. The most glaring weakness of the build is a lack of area of effect damage, making it unsuitable for farming dense areas.

›Zealot Skill Build

  • 1 point to all prerequisites

  • 20 points to Zeal — Main damage dealing skill, required

  • 20 points to Sacrifice — Damage synergy for Zeal, required

  • 20 points to Holy Shield — Improves Chance to Block and Defense, required

  • 20 points to Fanaticism — Main Aura, increases attack speed and damage significantly, required

  • 1 points to Salvation — Very useful for Resistances, optional

  • Any number of points to Resist Lightning, Resist Fire, and/or Resist Cold — For every 2 points in Resist skills, you passively gain +1% Maximum Resist to the relevant element, optional

›Zealot Paladin Stats Discussion

The following section discusses how many attribute points should be allocated to each of the primary stats.

How much Strength Does a Zealot Need?

Enough for gear — If using an Ethereal Vortex Shield this is 138 Strength. If choosing to use another shield with lower Strength requirements such as Herald of Zakarum, then 103 Strength for an Archon Plate is most likely necessary. This number always changes based on the gear you are using however, so make sure to always double check the Strength requirements of each piece of gear you have as well as how much Strength each piece will provide once equipped.

How much Dexterity Does a Zealot Need?

Enough for max block — Between 130 and 170 Dexterity total is usually enough to reach the 75% maximum chance to block. For a typical Paladin wearing the Herald of Zakarum and using a fairly high level Holy Shield, 130 Dexterity should be enough. Always check your Character Sheet however, where you can track your current chance to block as you allocate Dexterity.

How much Vitality Does a Zealot Need?

Everything else into Vitality — 250+ Vitality. Every excess attribute point should be allocated to Vitality, as long as you can meet the Strength and Dexterity requirements of your items by the time you wish to equip them, as well as the 75% maximum chance to block.

How much Energy Does a Zealot Need?

Nothing — allocating stat points to Energy in a final build is universally considered sub-par for almost every character due to the widespread availability of Mana Potions.

›Zealot Paladin Mercenary

You can either hire a Defensive (Holy Freeze) or Offensive (Might) Desert Guard Mercenary in Act 2, Nightmare difficulty, depending on whether you want to slow monsters for added safety or improve your overall damage as well as that of your Mercenary.