Grief Runeword: Stats, Best Bases & Builds
Grief is the damage ceiling for physical attacks in Diablo 2 Resurrected. Here is the stat breakdown, best bases for each build, and how to value your finished runeword.
Grief (Eth Tir Lo Mal Ral) is the king of physical damage runewords. Slot these five runes into a 5-socket sword or axe and you get damage-per-second numbers that rival or exceed spell builds, thanks to a large flat damage bonus, Ignore Target's Defense and a Deadly Strike chance.
Runes Required and Socket Setup
Grief requires a 5-socket sword or axe and character level 59. The sequence is Eth + Tir + Lo + Mal + Ral, in that exact order. Eth is common; Lo is the expensive bottleneck. Most Grief builds use either a non-ethereal superior base or an ethereal base, which adds 50% to the base weapon's damage but not to Grief's flat damage.
The rune cost is high — Lo alone runs 2-4 high runes depending on ladder timing — but the weapon pays for itself on the first endgame boss kill through raw damage output.
Full Stat Breakdown and Variable Rolls
Grief grants:
- Damage +340-400 (flat physical damage added to both ends of the weapon's range)
- +30-40% Increased Attack Speed
- Ignore Target's Defense and -25% Target Defense
- 20% Deadly Strike
- 35% chance to cast level 15 Venom on striking, with -20-25% to enemy poison resistance
- Adds 5-30 fire damage
- +1.875% damage to demons (based on character level)
- Prevent Monster Heal
- +2 to Mana After Each Kill and +10-15 Life After Each Kill
The flat damage is the whole point. Flat damage on a weapon is added after the weapon's own enhanced damage, then multiplied by your stat bonuses and any off-weapon or skill enhanced damage, which is why Grief scales so well on Smiters and Zealots.
Deadly Strike is the quiet bonus: a 20% chance to double a hit adds roughly a fifth to your average damage over time. Prevent Monster Heal also stops healers like Fetish Shamans from topping their allies back up.
Best Bases: Phase Blade and Silver-edged Axe
Phase Blade is the weapon of choice for Smiters and Zealots. It needs only 25 Strength (and 136 Dexterity), is one of the fastest swords in the game, and is indestructible, so even an ethereal one never wears out. A Phase Blade Grief is the prestige endgame weapon for single-target bosses and Ubers. Non-ethereal Phase Blades run 1-3 high runes; the weapon itself is cheap and the Grief runes are the cost.
Silver-edged Axe is the heavy option for characters with the Strength to swing it: 62-110 base damage against the Phase Blade's 31-35, five sockets and a 166 Strength requirement. With ethereal bases that works out to roughly 499 average damage against roughly 420 on a Phase Blade, but the Phase Blade swings faster (speed modifier -30 against 0).
Grief only goes in swords and axes, so there is no polearm or crossbow Grief. Since Patch 3.4, Eternity can also be made in bows and crossbows, but only on Reign of the Warlock Online Ladder and Offline, and it costs a Ber and a Sur; our Eternity rework math compares the two.
Ethereal vs. Superior Bases
Ethereal bases add 50% to the base weapon's damage and cannot be repaired. Grief's flat damage is added after that bonus, so ethereal is worth only a few percent here: about 420 average damage on a Phase Blade against about 403 non-ethereal, using the midpoint of Grief's range. The Phase Blade is indestructible, so ethereal costs it nothing in durability.
Superior bases get a small Enhanced Damage roll (up to 15%) on the base weapon's damage. On a Phase Blade that is only a few points, so it is a nice-to-have rather than a requirement.
Most endgame players use superior or ethereal bases. Vanilla bases are vendor trash.
Who Uses Grief
Smiters are the signature Grief users. They stack Conviction Aura, which strips enemy resistances. Grief's flat damage, Ignore Target's Defense and -25% target defense turn a Smiter into an Ubers juggernaut and PvP death machine.
Zealots (Zeal Paladins) swing a Phase Blade Grief at high attack speed, and Grief's flat damage applies on every hit of the Zeal sequence. The damage-per-second is staggering once the attack speed is there.
Fury Druids in Werewolf form use Grief to scale their attack speed and damage into the endgame. A Fury Druid with Grief, Call to Arms on swap, and proper IAS gear can match or exceed spell builds on sustained damage.
Frenzy Barbs also use Grief, though many go Oath or Breath of the Dying instead.
Ranged builds like Bowazons cannot use Grief at all, because it only goes in swords and axes.
Budget Alternatives
Oath (Shael Pul Mal Lum) is cheaper, needs only four sockets, and gives +210-340% Enhanced Damage and +50% Increased Attack Speed. It is indestructible and fits swords, axes and maces, so an Oath Phase Blade or Silver-edged Axe is a legitimate endgame weapon for a budget Barb.
Insight in a polearm, staff or bow offers a Meditation aura, +35% Faster Cast Rate and +200-260% Enhanced Damage, which is ideal for mercenaries or characters that need mana.
Breath of the Dying (Vex Hel El Eld Zod Eth) is a six-socket weapon runeword with +350-400% Enhanced Damage, +60% Increased Attack Speed and Indestructible. It is built from high runes including Zod and is not cheaper.
Most players skip straight from budget Malice or Honor to Grief. The rune jump is steep but the payoff is immediate.
Cost to Assemble and Trade Value
Grief runes cost 4-6 high runes depending on ladder timing. By week two, aggressive farmers can assemble a Grief. By week four, Griefs are plentiful and slightly cheaper as supply increases.
A finished non-ethereal Phase Blade Grief trades for 5-8 high runes. An ethereal Phase Blade Grief trades for 6-10 high runes. The premium on ethereal is steep for what it adds. With Grief's flat damage the ethereal bonus is only a few percent, so pay it only when the price gap is small.
Conclusion
Grief is the benchmark damage runeword for physical builds on a sword or axe. It is expensive, endgame-gated, and worth every rune. If you are running Smiters, Zealots or Fury Druids at endgame, your goal should be assembling a Grief by week three of ladder. No weapon will improve your kill speed as much.