14 DAY TRIAL // Blizzard has shared some new info about the weapons that can be wielded by the new Crusader class in Diablo 3's Reaper of Souls expansion, confirming that he can use a 2-handed weapon alongside a shield, thanks to a special passive ability.
Diablo 3 focused on five different character classes, each with its own special abilities and a few with unique weapons like the daibo for monks, the wand for wizards, or the crossbow for demon hunters.
Now, Diablo 3 is set to receive a sixth new character class called the Crusader, which promises to introduce a different playing style thanks to new skills and abilities.
Of course, like other characters, he has his own unique weapon category, in the form of the flail, but he can employ many other items, according to Blizzard's Andrew Chambers, who detailed the class on Battle.net.
"Flails are his class weapon, and those have good solid ratings across the board, so we'd recommend those, but it can depend! If you want to be able to spam as many Blessed Hammers on screen as possible, you may want a super-fast Dagger," he said.
"Or, if you want Shield Bash to hit really heavily, you could try to find a really slow 2-Handed Mace. The Crusader is a Medieval Knight who is heavily trained in the art of war, so he can wield almost any weapon he finds."
The Crusader has a special passive skill called Heavenly Strength, and Chambers emphasized that it doesn't allow the character to use two 2-handed weapons, as it can only be employed alongside a shield.
"To be clear, the Heavenly Strength passive on the Crusader allows him to wield a 2-Handed Weapon and Shield, not two 2-Handed Weapons," Chambers emphasized.
"We felt that we had to allow this ability for a few reasons. First, the Shield is a defining characteristic of the Crusader, and many of his skills actually require a shield to be used. If Crusaders were forced to choose between those skills or 2-Handed Weapons, that would just feel [lousy]. Secondly, as the Crusader cannot Dual-Wield 1 handed weapons, this gives him a unique edge and makes him stand out amongst the other classes."
As such, players shouldn't have to worry about an overpowered crusader, as Blizzard wanted to keep him awesome but balanced when fighting against the legions of hell in Reaper of Souls.
The new expansion launches on March 25 worldwide for PC and Mac.