With the release of the expansion to Diablo 3, Reaper of Souls, comes a new character class called the Crusader, reminiscent of the previous Paladin class familiar to many players. Find out more about the Crusader class on your Diablo 3 account.

Live and Die for the Crusade on your Diablo 3 Account

The Crusader is a new class accessible by players who buy D3 account, included once they purchase the Reaper of Souls expansion.  They are heavily based on a Paladin; however, they are meant to be a darker and grimmer version of the Paladin class, swearing vows to live and die for the Crusade. Crusaders focus heavily on being the strong defensive champion in a group—in other MMORPGs, they are the tank / DPS archetype. They are clad in heavy armor and large shields, as well as flails and two-handed weapons to overpower their enemies, protected by their potent defenses and faith. Crusaders can also use a two-handed weapon at the same time as a shield with the use of a passive skill, providing them solid protection at all times. Crusaders are best with groups since they can provide beneficial auras and buffs called laws, as well as protect others in the group with taunts and stuns.

Crusader Appearance on your Diablo 3 Account

There is a strong theme to the armor that you will find for the Crusader class, as well as an overall progression in the appearance.  Low level Crusaders look much like any other simple knight with bits of armor and some cloth through to a fully plated heavy knight.  Many of the armor sets look like they were truly from the Crusades as they are reminiscent of the Crusaders we see in movies, whereas the higher level armor sets look far more powerful and imposing. Overall, the appearance of the Crusader in the game is visually appealing and quite possibly, the best compared to the looks of other classes.

Crusader Gameplay Mechanics on your Diablo 3 Account

The different classes use different resources to power up and activate their abilities. The Crusader uses a resource called Wrath. Certain Crusader skills generate Wrath, while others deplete it. The Primary skills all build up Wrath and should be your main attack abilities. Your Secondary skills use up your wrath, so be careful when activating these skills. Most of the other Crusader’s abilities are cooldown-based, although some also require Wrath to activate. The Crusader’s primary combat style is a one-handed weapon and a shield; the shield is the basis for many Crusader abilities and plays directly into their heavy tank play style. Additionally, the Crusader’s main choice of weapon is a flail. The flail is a difficult weapon to effectively wield and is only mastered by Crusaders.

Crusader Skill Types on your Diablo 3 Account

The Crusader class has 6 different skill types just like the other Diablo III classes. Primary skills are used to generate Wrath through various attacks each granting 5 wrath.  These include Punish, Slash, Smite, and Justice. The Secondary skills are more powerful attacks that form your basic rotation, but these consume Wrath instead of generating it.  These include Shield Bash, Sweep Attack, Blessed Hammer, Blessed Shield, and Fist of the Heavens. Defensive Skills help keep you and your party alive. They are Shield Glare, Iron Skin, Consecration, and Judgement. Utility skills cover taunts, mobility, and more.  The skills in this section include Provoke, Steed Charge, Condemn, and Phalanx. Laws are dual purpose buffs that provide short term large benefit abilities when used as well as longer term buffs for you and your party after the short term effect expires.  They are the Laws of Valor, Laws of Justice, and Laws of Hope. Conviction are various high damage long cool down abilities. They are Falling Sword, Akarat’s Champion, Heaven’s Fury, and Bombardment.