by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

Books have often been society’s only bastion of light for passing along knowledge that would otherwise be lost to time or convoluted by the oral tradition. In order to provide new and old adventurers with as much knowledge of what to expect on their journey in Sanctuary, we created this tome of knowledge – Ars Arcanum. We will regularly feature a Legendary weapon or armor piece, discussing its stand-alone powers and capabilities, as well as how it may synergize with new builds or other items.

The long awaited Patch 2.1 has been with us for quite some time now. Not only did it usher in essentially a new era of Diablo with its massive introduction of new features, but it also brought with it new items to mercilessly hunt down and theorycraft new builds with. One of those particular items is currently tucked away as a season-only Legendary, so if you want to seek out this beautiful shield, you’re going to have to roll a seasonal Crusader or wait out the end of Season One. (All seasonal items will be rolled into the normal non-seasonal pool upon the completion of the preceding season.) I’m of course speaking of Frydehr’s Wrath.

Why is it good?

Anyone that has played a considerable amount of Reaper of Souls understands the frustration behind achieving a “perfect” off-hand – we’re talking quivers, sources, shields, etc. The sheer amount of possible affixes makes enchanting these things a nightmare. Why does Frydehr’s Wrath receive any love then? It’s no secret that the shield is a great source of power for Crusaders and this one is no exception. With the legendary power removing the cooldown of Condemn, turning it into a “spammable” skill instead at the steep cost of 40 Wrath, a completely brand new style of play emerges. Since it is normally a cooldown skill, Condemn has great damage output and, perhaps more notably, great proc coefficients (ability to trigger effects on your gear or from your gems such as Chance to Freeze or a smite from Mirinae, for examples), which is what makes being able to use this skill many times within a few seconds such a powerful change. It’s also worth mentioning that it provides even more power for the Blade of Prophecy, a two-handed sword that deserves its own write-up in the near future.

Who is it good for?

Naturally, this Crusader Shield is reserved for Crusaders only. In terms of the different types of Crusaders out there, though, this shield will be best for those of you that prefer melee combat over ranged combat. Anyone looking to farm Torment 6 Nephalem Rifts as fast as possible would be remiss to look past this shield and the builds that it enables. I contend that it is actually the fastest farming build after 2.1, if not for the sole fact that Condemn doesn’t interrupt any other actions, so you can continually “run and gun,” burning down everything behind you in a path of holy destruction.

Where can I find it?

You will currently only find this shield as an available drop for Seasonal Crusaders. It can be found anywhere in Sanctuary as long as you’re on Torment difficulty and you can also gamble it from Kadala, although it appears to be one of the shields that she’s a little stingier about doling out.

The Fluff

Frydehr was near death, his wounds outnumbered only by his foes. It was then that he discovered that the depth of a crusader’s wrath is far greater than anyone had ever suspected.

Frydehr seems to be a Crusader of days gone by. One must wonder if his apprentice was by his side at this time, as we know they are supposed to take up the mantle of their master as soon as that Crusader falls in battle. Imagine their surprise when Frydehr started fighting again, unleashing furious power after digging into his internal well of Wrath. The flavor here brings out the power of this shield nicely, as the shield truly does allow for a brand new way to use your Wrath and, when managed properly, take down foes and Greater Rifts in a way that no player had yet imagined possible for Crusaders.