Shield Charge Paladin

Overview

With Relentless Charge, Shield Charge becomes a Core skill that you hold down to charge back and forth through a pack. Every hit counts as a Block, and that's what powers Shield of Retribution, Herald of Zakarum and your Thorns. You don't need much Attack Speed or Weapon Damage here. The build lives on Block, Retribution chance and Thorns.

We think it's one of the toughest builds in the game right now, and it moves quickly too. It does need a handful of uniques and two charm sets before it clicks, so we'd save it for when you have some Lord of Hatred gear to work with.

Strengths

• Very tanky, with blocks, Fortress and auras all stacking up
• High damage once Thorns and Retribution are capped
• Moves around the map quickly
• Oath of the Juggernaut fits the build perfectly

Weaknesses

• Needs specific uniques and two charm sets to shine
• Faith can drain fast while you hold Shield Charge
• Shield Charge ranks and Weapon Damage don't raise its Thorns damage, which confuses a lot of people

Gear for Endgame

• Helm: Leoric's Crown. Affixes: Cooldown Reduction (greater affix), Maximum Life, Strength, Armor. Sockets: Abyssal Splinter of Anguish, Abyssal Splinter of the Black Soulstone.
• Chest: Mantle of the Grey. Affixes: Strength, Maximum Life (greater affix), Armor, Resistance to All Elements. Sockets: Yul, Gar.
• Gloves: Fists of Fate. Affixes: Critical Strike Damage Multiplier (greater affix), Vulnerable Damage Multiplier, Critical Strike Chance, Strength.
• Pants: Tibault's Will. Affixes: Strength, Maximum Life (greater affix), Armor, Resistance to All Elements. Sockets: Bac, Que.
• Boots: Aspect of Accursed Touch. Affixes: Movement Speed (greater affix), Strength, Maximum Life, Armor.
• Amulet: Exploiter's Aspect. Affixes: Critical Strike Damage Multiplier (greater affix), Vulnerable Damage Multiplier, Ranks to Aura Skills, Strength. Sockets: Abyssal Splinter of Pain.
• Ring 1: Crushing Aspect. Affixes: Critical Strike Damage Multiplier (greater affix), Critical Strike Chance, Vulnerable Damage Multiplier, Maximum Life. Sockets: Abyssal Splinter of Sin.
• Ring 2: Aspect of Lapa's Scripture. Affixes: Critical Strike Damage Multiplier (greater affix), Critical Strike Chance, Vulnerable Damage Multiplier, Maximum Life. Sockets: Emerald.
• Main hand: Aspect of Channeling. Affixes: Strength (greater affix), Critical Strike Damage Multiplier, Vulnerable Damage Multiplier, Maximum Life. Sockets: Skull.
• Off hand: Herald of Zakarum. Affixes: Strength (greater affix), Maximum Life, Armor, Critical Strike Damage Multiplier. Sockets: Ruby.

Paragon boards

1. Start - Spirit
2. Relentless - Sentinel
3. Shield Bearer - Resplendence
4. Castle - Retribution
5. Beacon - Honed

How to play

Rotation

• Cast Fortress first. Barricade lets you move it and makes kills extend it. It also makes you Unstoppable, which triggers Tibault's Will.
• Keep Fanaticism Aura and Defiance Aura running.
• Use Aegis for the Impunity bonus to Thorns and Retribution.
• Cast Clash about every six seconds to keep Punishment and Crusader's March going.
• Hold Shield Charge to charge through packs. If Faith runs low, let go and start again.

Getting started

• Tibault's Will keeps your Faith up, so we'd get it early.
• Herald of Zakarum caps your Retribution chance, and Mantle of the Grey adds a lot of damage.
• Fists of Fate is only worth wearing as a Mythic. Until then, any good pair of gloves will do.

Stats to look for

• Critical Strike Damage first, then Vulnerable Damage, then Critical Strike Chance.
• After that, All Damage and Physical Damage, then Strength.
• Most of your Block and Thorns comes from skills, sets and uniques, so your armour can focus on Life and Armor.

Paragon

• Start with Spirit, then go to Relentless for damage while moving. That suits a build that never stops charging.
• Shield Bearer turns your Block chance into damage, and Castle does the same with your armour.
• Finish on Beacon, which pays off when your mercenary stands in your auras.
• Take the Legendary nodes first, then glyph activation, then Life.

Talisman

• Use the Seal of the Diamond Mind so you can wear two charm sets at once, Cathan's Righteous Will and Cathan's Iron Conviction.
• Add Sundered Night for its free Consecration and extra Aura Potency.
• On charms, Ranks to Aura skills is the best roll, then All Stats and Maximum Life.

Season 15

• We bind the Splinter of Hatred for physical damage.
• Leoric's Crown takes two splinters because it counts as jewellery. We use Anguish and Black Soulstone there, then Pain in the amulet and Sin in a ring for more Life.
• Hire Subo, and bring Raheir to cast Bastion whenever you get crowd controlled.

War Plans

• In the Pit, start with Choron's Haste and Choron's Blessing for extra glyph upgrades, then work down to Choron's Soul. Heart of Stone is worth it here, because this build clears at a steady pace without dropping it.
• In Helltide, we like Hellmouth into Writhe and Rot and Bursting Brood for Lair Keys and Boss Trophies. Fall of the Fell doubles your Cinders.
• For Lair Bosses, Two by Two into Greater and Ultimate Nemesis is the best line for mythics in our view. Lair of Plenty adds a hoard chest to every kill, and Children of Zir lets Lord Zir's uniques drop in the Pit.
• In the Undercity, Jade Epiphany and Endless Swarm give the most experience. Add Finely Tuned for extra Tuning Prisms.
• In Nightmare Dungeons, Branching Pathways keeps your runs chaining and Waking Spoils adds a chest at the end.
• In the Infernal Hordes, Infernal Hoard and Forged in Flame bring gear and Obducite. Take Flawless Find instead if you need gems.
• In the Tree of Whispers, take Corrupted Roots first, then Wisdom of Whispers for experience and Resplendent Favor for Sparks.