Blizzard is making some significant buffs to the Paladin in the upcoming Diablo 4 Season 14, which will finally make the class viable again. The patch notes for Diablo 4 Season 14 are now live, revealing that the Paladin is one of the big winners this time around.
Throughout Seasons 11 and 12, the Paladin was actually the best class in Diablo 4 by some margin. This is expected – it was the class’s first two seasons in the game after its release, which usually means a period of being overpowered. But for Lord of Hatred, Blizzard hit the Paladin with some serious nerfs, and according to the Pit leaderboards, it was the worst class throughout Diablo 4 Season 13.
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Diablo 4’s Paladin Buffs Are Huge in Season 14
Blizzard recently released the patch notes for Diablo 4 Season 14, and is buffs across the board for Paladin builds. Tons of Paladin skills have seen crucial damage buffs and cooldown reductions, while the same can be said for several Oaths. The Zealot, Judicator, Juggernaut, and Disciple Oaths have all received damage increases, while buffed skills include the likes of Zenith, Shield Charge, Heaven’s Fury, and more.
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It’s cool that Blizzard has instantly addressed player feedback to bring the Paladin back to full strength for Season 14. These changes should allow for even more Diablo 4 Paladin builds to be more viable at higher Pit tiers, so it will be interesting to see how the class fares in the upcoming meta.
While Diablo 4‘s Paladin should be stronger than before in Season 14, whether it will be the dominant class once again remains to be seen. In the Season 14 patch notes, it seems to be another season largely focused on buffs, so every class is getting similar treatment. So, yes, the Paladin is better, but so is everything else, so whether the changes are enough to bridge the gap will only be clear when Season 14’s endgame builds really start to take shape.
Many players were seriously worried about Diablo 4 Season 14 after the PTR earlier this month. Luckily, the final patch notes have changed course on what most players were worried about, and while the seasonal mechanic is still underwhelming to some, it feels as though gamers are in for another strong season. Season 13 (Lord of Hatred) was always going to be a tough act to follow.
Diablo 4 Season 14 Patch Notes (All Paladin Changes)
Oaths
Zealot Oath
- Damage per echo increased from 21% to 25%.
Judicator Oath
- Damage increased from 60% to 80%.
- Damage after an enemy is Judged changed from 8% stacking 10 times to 60% stacking once.
Juggernaut Oath
- Damage increased from 60% to 80%.
Disciple Oath
- Damage increased from 50% to 80%.
Skills
Zenith
- Initial hit Base damage increased from 450% to 550%.
- Final Hit Base damage increased from 400% to 500%.
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Advance
- Weaken Upgrade duration increased from 4 to 8 seconds.
Clash
- Crusader’s March Block Chance increased from 15% to 30%.
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Seize Them Variant
- Now capped at 16 stacks of Resolve.
Blessed Shield
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Shield of Retribution Variant
- Thorns damage reduced from 100% to 70%.
Shield Charge
- Base damage increased from 90% to 180%.
- Cooldown reduced from 10 to 8 seconds.
- Movement Speed while Charging changed from 100% Cap 1 speed to 50% Cap 1 and 50% Cap 2 speed.
- Base armor granted while charging increased from 40% to 60%.
Heaven’s Fury
- Cooldown reduced from 30 to 15 seconds.
Wing Strikes
- Base damage increased from 160% to 200%.
Defiance Aura
- Bonus Armor and Resistances increased from 30% to 50%.
Stalwart Paragon Node
- Blocked Damage Reduction increased from 5% to 15%.
Aegis
- Now also grants 30% Armor while active.
Items
Seal of the Second Trumpet
- Judgement damage increased from 80-100% to 100-150%.
Unique Items
Light’s Rebuke
- Damage increased from 120-150% to 150-200%.
Ward of the White Dove
- Damage increased from 55-77% to 77-99%.
Red Sermon
- Damage increased from 85-105% to 100-120%.
Sunbrand
- Damage increased from 70-90% to 85-105%.
Supplication
- Damage increased from 60-80% to 120-160%.
- Released
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June 5, 2023
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
