Best Diablo 3 Crusader Builds: Season 33

If you’re wondering what the best Crusader builds are in Diablo 3, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to find out the best skills, items, and weapons for your Crusader class to use in Season 33 of the game.

The Crusader is the Tank class in Diablo 3 and is the spiritual successor to Diablo 2’s Paladin. Both are champions of law and faith and will enforce their ideals through steel and force if necessary, however, their fighting styles do differ. The Crusaders are heavily armored and use their physical strength to overcome their enemies.

Often armed with a mighty sword or flail and a great shield, Crusaders excel at close combat – although thanks to the magical abilities they have access to, they can also wield spells to tackle their enemies from a distance.

If a Crusader is your class of choice for Season 33 of Diablo 3, we’ve got a full rundown of the best builds to use below.

Is the Crusader right for me?

The Crusader is well suited to those who like the idea of easing into the game with a tank-like character, but may also want to indulge in some magic and unique skill-based play later. While the Crusader appears to be a chunky armor-clad, hammer-wielding powerhouse, there’s a lot more to them.

You may also want to consider if the Crusader’s personality and style suit you as an individual. Crusaders are very forthright, disciplined, and focused on their ideals. Anyone who doesn’t share these is simply in their way. While this can make for some fun banter between them and characters like the Scoundrel, they may not be to everyone’s taste.

If you prefer your protagonists to be morally grey anti-heroes, then the Crusader might not be for you. They are essentially the Captain America of the Diablo universe – great in a fight, but due to their unshakeable and unmovable values, not so fun at a party.

Yet in battle, the Crusader is buttery smooth in the right hands and can deliver massive damage from afar and up close. They can also rush their opponents in ferocious charge moves that are great for crowd control and cutting through swathes of demons.

If you want to smite your enemies with both power and unrelenting judgment, then the Crusader will be your character of choice.

Is the Crusader good in Season 33?

According to Maxroll.gg’s key farming tier list the Crusader’s AoV Heaven’s Fury build this season scores an A rank.

This means that those who choose the Crusader this season and decide to use this build are in for a treat – and Diablo’s minions are in for one hell of a bashing.

Best Diablo 3 Crusader build

The top Crusader build this season is the Aegis of Valor Heaven’s Fury. As you can guess this is built around equipping the Aegis of Valor set and taking advantage of the massive bonuses it gives to the Heaven’s Fury skill.

Active Skills

Skill	Rune
Heaven’s Fury	Fires of Heaven
Speed Charge	Rejuvenation
Akarat’s Champion	Prophet
Laws of Valor	Unstoppable Force
Fist of the Heavens	Fissure
Shield Glare	Divine Verdict

Passive Skills

We’d recommend making use of the following passive skills as soon as you can:

• Heavenly Strength
• Holy Cause
• Finery
• Long Arm of the Law

Items and weapons

Here’s a breakdown of the items you’ll need and where they go:

Item type	Name
Helm	Crown of Valor
Shoulders	Spaulders of Valor
Chest	Aquila Cuirass
Gloves	Gauntlets of Valor
Bracers	Bracer of Fury
Belt	Captain Crimson’s Silk Girdle
Pants	Captain Crimson’s Thrust
Boots	Greaves of Valor
Ring 1	Stone of Jordan
Ring 2	Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac
Amulet	Squirt’s Necklace
Main-hand weapon	Fate of the Charge
Off-hand weapon	Shield of Fury

Follower

With the Crusader being a tank, it may make sense to bring along the Enchantress so she can blast spells at enemies and provide some elemental damage.

But we’re inclined to recommend the Templar for two reasons. First, his dialogue is interesting. Kormac is also a member of the Church of Zakarum, and for every similarity he shares with the Crusader, he also has a different view. Secondly, his healing buffs can be the most useful skills for this build and add a layer of security.

Although, you can also hire the Scoundrel to watch him test your Crusader’s patience. His buffs are useful too, but you’ll not have much use for his attacks. Remember the Crusader has no summonable minions or pets, so unless you bring along one of the three followers, you’re on your own against the legions of Hell – but that’s just how the Crusader likes it.

Alternative Diablo 3 Crusader builds

If this build doesn’t seem like your style then there are other paths the Crusader can walk:

Legacy of Dreams Bombardment Crusader Build

Skill	Rune
Punish	Celerity
Condemn	Vacuum
Shield Glare	Divine Verdict
Bombardment	Barrels of Spikes
Iron Skin	Reflective Skin
Akarats Champion	Prophet

Akkhan Condemn Crusader Build

Skill	Rune
Justice	Sword of Justice
Laws of Valor	Unstoppable Force
Phalanx	Bowmen
Condemn	Shattering Explosion
Judgment	–
Akarats Champion	Prophet

For all the Diablo 3 character class builds, check out our guides for the Necromancer, Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Witch Doctor, Monk, and Wizard.