Players who are still on the fence about Diablo 4's Lord of Hatred DLC but want to give the new Paladin class a try has the chance to demo the character in Season 12. Diablo 4 is offering a limited-time Paladin trial from March 11th to March 18th, allowing players to level the class up to level 25 during this time. While that may not seem like enough time to really dig into the class, there is a build that can give players a solid picture of the Paladin's strength even at lower levels during this trial period.
Diablo 4 players can unlock access to the full Paladin class by pre-purchasing the Lord of Hatred expansion, which also gives them access to the Warlock class upon release. Paladin has been one of the best Diablo 4 classes in the meta since it dropped at the beginning of last season, so it's definitely worth checking out the demo for players who haven't given Paladin a chance yet. Diablo 4 also brings back the classic Auradin build from Diablo 2which is arguably the best way to experience Paladin during this Season 12 limited trial.
One Diablo 4 Class gets the short end in Season 12
Diablo 4 players may want to avoid this class during the Season of Slaughter, as its playstyle does not mesh well with the seasonal mechanics.
Diablo 4 Season 12's Auradin Build is ideal for the Paladin Demo
The distinctive for Diablo 4's Paladin is the class' access to Aura skills, giving it passive effects in addition to active abilities that can both buff themselves and damage and take down enemies. Diablo 2 players familiar with Paladin in that game will probably already know how powerful Auras can be. And while Diablo 4 version of Paladin does not have as many auras as its Diablo 2 the equivalent, the Auras it has can be stacked to create one of the best builds in the game, even early in the class' leveling progression.
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Skills needed for a level 25 Auradin in Diablo 4
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Fanaticism Aura
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Holy Light Aura
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Defy Aura
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Advance
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Condemn
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Falling star
The first skill new Paladin players will want to invest in is the Advance Basic skill, which essentially exists to create the faith needed to cast the Paladin's Aura skills. Condemn is helpful for drawing enemies within range of the Paladin's auras while stunning and damaging them. Falling Star gives the Paladin some improved mobility, allowing the class to jump into the air and fall back to deal damage and reposition players to get out of sticky situations.
The three auras on this build, Fanatacism Aura, Holy Light Aura, and Defiance Aura, are the Paladin's main focus. Fanaticism Aura passively increases the Paladin's attack speed and critical strike chance, while actively weakening all nearby enemies. Defiance Aura increases passive resistance and armor while making the Paladin unstoppable. Holy Light Aura is the main damage dealer, passively damaging nearby enemies and actively unleashing bolts of Holy damage that chain between enemies and heal the Paladin upon return.
Auradin works best in Paladin's Arbiter Form, so players will want to pick up Disciple Oath when it becomes available at level 15.
The best gear for a level 25 Auradin in Diablo 4
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Aspect of Holy Punishment
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Busy aspect
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Aspect of proselytization
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Aspect of Angelic Masterwork
Unfortunately, Diablo 4 players participating in the free Paladin demo will not be able to reach the Torment difficulty levels during their trial, making Uniques like the Dawnfire gauntlets incredibly elusive. The Dawnfire Gloves are the capstone to the typical Auradin build, but for the sake of this trial, players will have to do without them. However, there are several legendary aspects worth farming for that can still showcase the Paladin's holy warrior prowess.
The Aspect of Holy Punishment is ideal for the Paladin's shield, as it increases the holy damage of Holy Light Aura. The hasty aspect goes best on the Paladin's chest armor, and it reduces the cooldown of a random skill after every 5 uses of basic skills, making it the perfect legendary aspect for players to use when spamming Advance to reduce the cooldown of their auras. The Proselytizing aspect of a ring gives Paladin's Judicator skills, such as Holy Light Aura, the chance to chain to an additional enemy, further allowing players to spread out their Aura damage. For Paladin's Arbiter Form, the aspect of Angelic Masterwork comes in handy as it increases the player's resistance while in Arbiter Form.
How to get the most out of Diablo 4 Season 12's Paladin Demo with Auradin
With 25 as the level cap for Diablo 4 Season 12 Paladin Demo, it can seem difficult to get a full picture of how the class actually plays. Players won't really be able to access Pit of the Artificer or Lair Bosses during this trial, so Paladin's true endgame potential can't be fully showcased. However, the Auradin build does a good job of giving players an idea of the Paladin's leveling abilities and how well it can handle groups of enemies.
Ideally, new Paladin players will want to spend their time leveling up in a Helltide, as Paladin's Auras should be able to make short work of the high monster density in these zones. Otherwise, Paladin players will probably want to jump into a Nightmare Dungeon as soon as possible, as fighting a boss at the end can give them a good gauge of how well the class fares against strong single targets. Thankfully, Auradin is still a very strong build in the early game Diablo 4and it should give players a good taste of how powerful Paladin can be in the end game.
- Released
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June 5, 2023
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, User Interaction
