Looking for a Diablo 4 build that can clear all content with minimal effort, barely any gear investment, and zero mechanical stress? A build so simple that you can play it half-asleep after work, kids screaming in the background, and a drink in hand-yet still farm Tier 100 Nightmare Dungeons with ease?
Congratulations. You've just found it Diablo IV gold.
This is the Brandish Paladin build, an absurdly strong, hilariously simple setup that turns one button into a screen-clearing death aura. It's cheap, easy to assemble, scales insanely well, and remains effective even without mythics. Most importantly, it's fun as hell.
This is the definition of Dad Gamer Approved.
How the Brandish Build Works (AKA: Press Button, Win)
At its core, this build relies on one single interaction:
The Supplication Sword
This sword completely transforms Brandish from a mediocre basic skill into a monster. It does three critical things:
1.Massively increases Brandish damage
2.Provides perfect core stats
3.Turns Brandish into omnidirectional projectiles
Instead of aiming, Brandish fires in all directions around you. That means:
No targeting
No positioning stress
No mechanical precision required
You simply run near enemies and press Brandish, and everything around you dies. Instantly. Repeatedly.
That's the foundation of the build. Everything else just makes it stronger, tankier, and smoother.
Core Gameplay Loop
The playstyle is almost offensively simple:
Keep Arbiter Form active at all times
Run into packs
Press Brandish
Mash your auras
Watch enemies evaporate
The build is designed so that you're rewarded for being lazy. Cooldowns reset themselves, survivability scales naturally, and damage skyrockets without requiring complex rotations.
Skill Setup and Key Interactions
Brandish (Main Damage Skill)
Brandish is the centerpiece of the build thanks to Supplication. For most content, the Cross Strike modifier is best because it applies Vulnerable, which is essential for scaling damage.
Speed farming: Cross Strike
High Pit pushing: You can swap to other variants if Vulnerable is solved elsewhere
For 99% of content, Cross Strike is the correct choice.
Falling Star (Mobility + Arbiter Engine)
Falling Star is a Disciple skill with a cooldown, which is extremely important because of Disciple Oath.
Every time you use a Disciple skill with a cooldown, you:
Enter Arbiter Form
Refresh Arbiter duration
Falling Star + Condemn ensures permanent Arbiter uptime, which is mandatory for damage scaling.
Condemn (Grouping + Arbiter Sustain)
Condemn pulls enemies together, stuns them, applies crowd control, and helps maintain Arbiter. This is the skill you want to spam, not Falling Star, since spamming Falling Star is a DPS loss.
Condemn:
Groups enemies
Enables Dizzying Blow damage bonuses
Keeps Arbiter rolling
Aura Package (Triple Aura Setup)
This build runs three auras, and every one of them is critical.
Defiance Aura
Grants armor
Increases resistances
Provides Resolve stacks (20% DR)
Generates Unstoppable when activated
Armor = damage + defense in Diablo 4, and this aura is doing serious work.
Fanaticism Aura
Grants attack speed
Provides crit chance and crit damage
Applies Weakened (20% DR)
Uses the second attack speed bucket (very important)
Attack speed scales directly into damage through Paragon, making this aura mandatory.
Holy Light Aura
Provides healing
Synergizes with Life on Hit
Enables sustain through massive hit frequency
Because Brandish hits constantly, Holy Light turns Life on Hit into pseudo-immortality.
Gear Overview: Cheap, Forgiving, and Flexible
Mythics Are Optional
This build can run zero mythics and still obliterate endgame.
Paladin aspects are so overtuned that mythics only offer marginal gains.
If you have them, great. If not, it doesn't matter.
Weapon: Supplication (Mandatory)
This is the only item the build requires.
Farmed from Grigo
Prioritize:
High aspect roll
GA Brandish ranks
Attack speed
Brandish double damage roll (as close to 100% as possible)
This sword is the build.
Offhand
Your offhand should prioritize:
Damage Reduction (mandatory)
Strength
On Guard ranks
With enough armor, max life, and DR, you become nearly unkillable.
Chest: Shroud of False Death (If Available)
All stats solve Paragon requirements
Boosts strength (one of your most important damage scalers)
Rune combo: Sir + Vex
This boosts Brandish directly and indirectly via auras.
Gloves
You need to solve attack speed and crit chance here and on rings.
Aim for ~40% attack speed on gear
Paragon provides another ~40%
Moonrise covers the remaining 20%
Aspect: Holy Punishment for raw damage.
Pants
Focus on Brandish ranks
Armor
Max life
Aspect: Indomitable for absurd armor scaling
Rune combo: Ahoo + Cax, which stays active almost permanently while clearing packs.
Boots
Aspect: Hectic
This aspect constantly resets your cooldowns due to how fast you attack. Arbiter duration tempers are optional but make gameplay more relaxed.
Amulet
You want as many useful Paladin passives as possible. Quad-passive amulets are unrealistic-don't chase perfection.
Aspect: Ascension
Grants massive stacking damage
Easy to maintain at 10 stacks
Rings
Finish attack speed and crit chance caps
Then stack strength, max life, or armor
Aspects:
Moonrise (damage + attack speed)
Celestial Strife (huge Arbiter scaling bonus)
Dropping Arbiter is not an option.
Paragon Boards: Turning Stats Into Damage
General Rules
Legendary nodes and glyphs first
Armor and max life > strength early
Strength dump later
Key Boards
Preacher Board
Over 40% attack speed
37.5% max life
Massive value once attack speed is solved
Socket: Resplendence (level this early)
Shieldbearer
100% damage increase with capped block
Socket Spirit for crit damage scaling
Castle Board
This is your main damage engine.
Scales damage directly from strength
Socket Apostle
Dump as many nodes here as possible
Divinity Board
Damage vs Vulnerable
Another major multiplier
Synergizes perfectly with Cross Strike Brandish
Arbiter Board
Only grab what you need for the multiplicative bonus. No need to overinvest.
Mercenary and Divine Gifts
Divine Gifts
Screams: survivability
Sin: armor
Lies: fortify
Pain: emergency barrier
Mercenary
Raher is strongest (fortify, armor, DR, damage)
Subo is fine if you like wall hacks
Reinforcement:
Field of Languish for DR
Cannibal only if you aren't attack speed capped
How to Actually Play the Build
Good news: this is borderline idiot-proof.
Spam Condemn to keep Arbiter active
Use Falling Star only for mobility once Arbiter is stacked
Mash all auras whenever they're up
Spam Brandish nonstop
Cooldowns reset automatically thanks to Hectic. You do not need to think.
Bossing Tip
Because Brandish fires outward in a circle, stand as close to the boss as possible. Crawl directly into their hitbox so all projectiles connect.
Do that, and bosses melt.
Final Thoughts D4 materials for sale
This Brandish Paladin build is:
Cheap
Easy
Tanky
Extremely high damage
Perfect for casual and hardcore players alike
If you want to farm Tier 100s without sweating, thinking, or suffering carpal tunnel, this is one of the best builds Diablo 4 has ever seen.