The Budget Zealer achieves solid results with gear that is much easier to acquire than the gear on the Standard Build. This variant can farm almost every Farming Spot the Standard Build can, and almost just as well, albeit on a lower Player Count. With 1-3 Players in the game or /Players1-3 on Single Player, the Budget setup dominates Travincal, The Pit, and Act Bosses. It can even hold its own in Chaos Sanctuary and Worldstone Keep. With a Teleport Charge Amulet or Naj's Puzzler on Weapon-Swap, you can jump directly into Elite Packs after using Charge. A Wizardspike on swap allows us to achieve the 75% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint for Teleporting when using a Teleport Charge Amulet. If you can acquire Bone Break you can smash Immune to Physical mobs. The Budget Zeal Paladin makes use of several lower-end gear options that still provide solid Damage, Attack Rating, Resistances, Damage Reduction, and the Cannot Be Frozen stat.

Similar to the Standard Build, the Budget Zeal Paladin uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll and Guillaume's Face. However, because Fortitude requires a Lo Rune, Duress, Treachery, and Duriel's Shell make great Budget alternatives for a Body Armor.

1-Point Charge is used for mobility on the Budget build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Smite
2. Charge
3. Cleansing
4. Vigor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Zeal
2. Fanaticism
3. Sacrifice
4. Holy Shield

Put all remaining Skill Points into Defiance and/or Resist Lightning past Level 80.

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough Stat Points into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

This is the Standard Best in Slot (BiS) Zeal Paladin featured in the beginning of the guide. It is the balanced "jack-of-all-trades" version, capable of performing the most tasks well. This variant is the point of comparison for all other variants. It carefully balances Damage, Magic Find, Defensive Stats, and Teleport mobility. Bone Break allows this build to smash Immune to Physical mobs. This setup reaches the 48% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap.

The Standard Zeal Paladin Mercenary is an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll for -50% to Enemy Physical Resistance from its Decrepify proc. Fortitude and Guillaume's Face maximize this Mercenary's damage and survivability.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Smite
2. Charge
3. Cleansing
4. Vigor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Zeal
2. Fanaticism
3. Sacrifice
4. Holy Shield

Put all remaining Skill Points into Defiance and/or Resist Lightning past Level 80.

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough Stat Points into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). You can also allocate additional Stat Points into Strength to increase Zeal's damage. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

This Zeal Paladin variant achieves a minimum of 113% Increased Attack Speed (IAS) on its gear to completely nullify the Attack Speed Slow from Decrepify. In combination with Fanaticism and Grief Phase Blade, 113% IAS on your gear provides such a large Attack Speed surplus that Oblivion Knights are no longer able to slow Zeal (this mitigates the effect of enemy Holy Freeze as well). Baal's Decrepify is also completely negated by this setup. Naturally, Chaos Sanctuary, Worldstone Keep, and Baal Waves/Baal are strong loot/Experience farms for this build variant. The IAS stat is required on nearly every piece of its gear. Ruby Jewels of Fervor and Nosferatu's Coil make this setup possible. Bone Break allows this build to smash Immune to Physical mobs. The Attack Speed Zealer sacrifices Damage Reduction and a Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint from the Standard Build.

Just as with the Standard Build, the Attack Speed Zeal Paladin uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll, Fortitude, and Guillaume's Face.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Smite
2. Charge
3. Cleansing
4. Vigor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Zeal
2. Fanaticism
3. Sacrifice
4. Holy Shield

Put all remaining Skill Points into Defiance and/or Resist Lightning past Level 80.

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough Stat Points into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). You can also allocate additional Stat Points into Strength to increase Zeal's damage. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

This Zeal Paladin variant achieves the 125% Faster Cast Rate (FCR) Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap by using Arachnid Mesh, Trang-Oul's Claws, a Rare Circlet with 20% FCR, and a Caster Crafted Amulet with 10-20% FCR. Prioritizing fast Teleport cast speed, this setup is optimal for farming The Pit, Travincal, Uber Key Bosses (e.g. Nihlathak), Act Bosses, and any Farming Spots which require travel such as several Terror Zones. Bone Break allows this build to smash Immune to Physical mobs. The Mobility Zealer sacrifices Damage and Damage Reduction. Reaching the 75% FCR Breakpoint is much easier and does not sacrifice damage; it only requires Arachnid Mesh in place of String of Ears on the Standard Build.

Just as with the Standard Build, the Mobility Zeal Paladin uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll, Fortitude, and Guillaume's Face.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Smite
2. Charge
3. Cleansing
4. Vigor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Zeal
2. Fanaticism
3. Sacrifice
4. Holy Shield

Put all remaining Skill Points into Defiance and/or Resist Lightning past Level 80.

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough Stat Points into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). You can also allocate additional Stat Points into Strength to increase Zeal's damage. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

The Ubers variant specializes in defeating the Uber Bosses, including mini-Ubers such as Lilith. Crushing Blow, Open Wounds, Deadly Strike, Enhanced Damage, Damage Reduction, Resistances, and Life are priority stats on this setup. You can use a Teleport Charges Amulet for mobility to justify using Fortitude or Chains of Honor for more Damage and All Resistances. Exile, Dracul's Grasp, or a Life Tap Charges Wand provides a source of Life Tap for much needed Life Sustain. Pre-buffing Enchant with Demon Limb provides additional Attack Rating and pre-buffing Fade with Treachery provides Damage Reduction, Resistances, and Curse Duration Reduction. Thundergod's Vigor and stacked Lightning Resistance allows this build to tank Uber Mephisto. For extra swag, use Last Wish for its solid combination of Uber-killing stats.

Just as with the Standard Build, the Ubers Zeal Paladin uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll, Fortitude, and Guillaume's Face. Along with Bone Break, Decrepify also allows you destroy Uber Baal's Physical Immune summons.
Note: The Mercenary is notoriously hard to keep alive versus Uber Bosses. Don't count on him being alive 100% of the time.

Use Resist Lightning Aura against Uber Mephisto if you are lacking stacked Lightning Resistance on your gear. Use your 1-Point Smite to train down the Ubers if your Damage and/or Attack Rating with Zeal is insufficient.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Smite
2. Charge
3. Cleansing
4. Vigor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Zeal
2. Fanaticism
3. Sacrifice
4. Holy Shield

Put all remaining Skill Points into Resist Lightning past Level 80.

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough Stat Points into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

For the Hardcore mode variant, aim for 50% Damage Reduction, high Defense, and maximum Chance to Block (75%) to guard against taking extreme amounts of Physical Damage. Additionally, overcap Resistances beyond the natural cap of 75% if possible to counteract hostile Conviction or Lower Resist. If you choose to use Bone Break, you can equip Stormshield to counteract its negative effect. This setup reaches the 48% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap. Consult the "Hardcore" section for more detailed information.

Just as with the Standard Build, a Hardcore Zeal Paladin uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll, Fortitude, and Guillaume's Face.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Smite
2. Charge
3. Cleansing
4. Vigor

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Zeal
2. Fanaticism
3. Sacrifice
4. Holy Shield

Put all remaining Skill Points into Defiance past Level 80 if you do not plan on farming Baal/Worldstone Keep. Otherwise, put Skill Points into both Defiance and Resist Lightning just as on the Standard Build.

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough Stat Points into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.