Alright so yesterday I decided to grind a new Crusader in Diablo 3, wanted that fast leveling route ’cause ain’t nobody got time wasting hours crawling through normal.
The Starting Point: Zero to Hero Ain’t Easy
Spun up the character, fresh level 1. Took Slash immediately ’cause gotta have something to smack those early zombies with. Picked up Punish around level 2 or 3 – felt super slow though. Basic attacks were painful, honestly. Felt like swinging a wet noodle. Killed Leoric quick, grabbed the crown gem. No brainer there.
Got Steed Charge at level 13. Hallelujah! Finally some speed! But… man, the cooldown felt forever. Used it every time it popped just to cover ground faster between packs. Died twice in Tristram caves ’cause forgot how weak you are early on. Annoying.
The Mid-Game Grind: Finding My Groove
Hit level 20-ish. Started getting some active skills that mattered. Rolled with:
- Blessed Hammer (Wrath spender)
- Provoke (For generating Wrath)
- Steed Charge (No choice, gotta go fast)
- Laws of Hope (For the heal)
Blessed Hammer was doing decent area damage. But that goddamn Wrath generation… Provoke was carrying me hard. Found myself spamming it constantly like, “Gimme wrath!” Ran Adventure Mode Rifts on Hard difficulty mostly. Anything higher and stuff just slapped me down too quick. Upgraded the blacksmith whenever gold allowed.
Cruised through to level 40-ish. Found a couple yellow weapons with increased damage. Prioritized Rubies in weapon sockets – always helps. Started feeling a bit smoother, clearing packs faster, but still had moments where I’d just stand there smacking one elite forever. Almost rage-quit when stuck chasing a Treasure Goblin. Little jerk got away.
The Home Stretch: Hitting Turbo Boost
Past level 50, things kicked into gear. Got the “Falling Sword” rune that pulls enemies. Started using it to group mobs, then hammered ’em down. Efficiency jumped way up. Around level 60 I gambled for a few pieces with Kadala. Got some pants with sockets for Emeralds (survivability). Crafted a level 70 two-handed axe at the blacksmith early – like level 61? – and that damage spike was juicy.
Ditched Laws of Hope eventually for Iron Skin with speed rune. Zoom zoom! Basically focused everything on movement speed and resource reduction. Stacked as much Cooldown Reduction as early gear would allow. By level 65, I was plowing through Torment I Rifts. Died maybe once to some insane Arcane laser beams I shouldn’t have walked into. My bad.
Finally: Ding Level 70!
Pushed the last few levels doing Nephalem Rifts back-to-back. Finished at level 70 in about 4 hours of playtime? Could’ve maybe shaved off 30 mins if Rift RNG was better. Some layouts sucked. Overall felt solid. Key takeaways for any new Crusader:
- Steed Charge is your best friend. Non-negotiable.
- Blessed Hammer is king for fast clears. Spin to win early.
- Wrath management sucks. Use Provoke, pray for resource gear. Really.
- Stick to Hard/Expert until geared. Don’t get cocky early.
- Craft weapon ASAP at level 61+. Huge damage boost.
Still feels clunky compared to some classes, but hey, it works. Now time to gear up for endgame… another headache. That’s it for today’s grind.