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Jab Fend Amazon Guide


Stab stabby stab! If you have ever felt great satisfaction from stabbing things (or at least the thought of stabbing things), the Jab Fend Amazon is for you! The closest thing to Vlad the Impaler in Diablo 2, this Amazon uses Spears, Pikes, or Javelins to vanquish its enemies. This lady thrusts her way to victory using Jab and Fend, dealing rapid consecutive Physical Damage blows to monsters within her immediate vicinity. This build deals a surprisingly high amount of DPS and is not to be underestimated!

The Jab Fend Amazon (aka Jabazon or Fendzon) is a highly capable Uber Boss slayer, felling them all (including Diablo Clone) with ease. And even though this build is not incredibly efficient at Magic Finding, it is fully capable of targeting Elite Packs and otherwise cutting down monsters for loot. This Amazon can farm virtually any area in the game with Bone Break and The Reaper's Toll equipped on her Mercenary. There are many fun and effective ways to build a Fendzon! Try them all if you can!

Ideal Standard Setup

Jab

Fend

Impale

Teleport

This build guide assumes you have a Character at Level 75 before transitioning to it. Check out our Amazon Leveling Guide and our General Leveling Strategies to reach Level 75.

Great Survivability ✔
Deals Insane Damage ✔
Easily Kills Uber Bosses ✔
Easy To Learn And Master

Can Farm Almost Anything

❌ Low Mobility
❌ Dangerous Playstyle
Only 1 Type Of Damage
Attacking Can Feel Clunky
❌ Highly Weapon Dependent


Sunder Charm Setup

Patch 2.5 introduced a new way of breaking Immunities: Sunder Charms. Any enemy that would be Immune to your damage type is instead reduced to 95% Resistance, before any other Resistance reductions apply. The Charm also reduces YOUR Resistance against the sundered damage type! Check out our post on Sunder Charms to learn more about these new Charms. The following setup uses Bone Break, allowing you to farm anywhere you want.

Sunder Charm Setup

Gear Changes

To optimize this Sunder Charm you need as much -% Enemy Physical Resistance as possible. Equip The Reaper's Toll on your Mercenary for its Decrepify proc to accomplish this.

Counteract the negative effect of Bone Break with % Damage Reduction items such as Crown of Ages, Vampire Gaze, String of Ears, and Verdungo's Hearty Cord.


Terror Zones

The new Terror Zone mechanic combined with Sunder Charms open up a wide range of farmable areas. The following list highlights the best and worst Terror Zones for this build. With the Sunder Charm Setup, more Terror Zones become accessible. Learn more about Terror Zones here and see how they stack up in our Terror Zone Tier List.

Best

Travincal - Bosses, Quick Access, Breakable Immunities
Pit - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Easy Mobility, No Immunities
Tristram - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Easy Mobility, No Immunities
Bloody Foothills + Frigid Highlands ONLY - Bosses, Easy Mobility, No Immunities
Chaos Sanctuary - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, No Immunities

Worst

Arcane Sanctuary - Trash Mobility, Immunities
Far Oasis - High Elemental Damage, Immunities
Crystalline Passage + Frozen River - High Physical Damage, High Elemental Damage, Immunities
Ancients' Way + Icy Cellar - High Physical Damage, High Elemental Damage, Immunities
The Secret Cow Level - Few Elite Groups, Tanky Enemies, Slow Access, High Physical Damage


Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into the following Skills:
1. Impale
2. Inner Sight
3. Slow Missiles
4. Decoy

Put 1-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Jab
2. Fend
3. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
4. Penetrate
5. Valkyrie

You can choose to max Impale instead of Valkyrie if you want to snipe Elites with it.

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Damage

Jab* is your Primary Single Target Damage Skill. Use when you are targeting an Elite Monster or engaging an isolated target such as a Boss or Uber Boss. It makes you lunge 3 "jabs" in quick succession, dealing Physical Damage to an enemy or enemies directly in front of you. Your Character is stuck in the attack animation until the 3 "jabs" have been completed. This Skill can only be used with a Javelin or Spear Weapon.

Fend* is your Multiple Target Damage Skill. Use when engaging multiple mobs. It makes you lunge multiple "jabs" in quick succession, dealing Physical Damage to all nearby enemies. Your Character is stuck in the attack animation until all adjacent mobs have been targeted or the attack is interrupted. This Skill can only be used with a Javelin or Spear Weapon.

Impale* is a slow, uninterruptible Single Target strike that is best used against Elites, Act Bosses, and Uber Bosses. Use this Skill once at the very beginning of a Boss fight to temporarily Slow the Boss' movement, Attack Speed, and Cast Speed; reuse this Skill as soon as the effect wears off. Similar to Smite, this Skill always hits. This Skill can only be used with a Javelin or Spear Weapon.

* Increased Attack Speed Skills (IAS)

Utility

Critical Strike* adds a % chance to deal double Physical Damage with your attacks. This chance increases with Skill Level.

Penetrate* grants Attack Rating based on Skill Level.

Dodge* provides a chance that you "Dodge" melee attacks while attacking or standing still. This negates any potential Damage from a melee attack completely.

Avoid* provides a chance that you "Dodge" ranged attacks and/or spells while attacking or standing still. This negates any potential damage from a ranged attack completely.

Evade* provides a chance that you "Dodge" an attack (any) while walking or running. This negates any potential damage from an attack completely.

Valkyrie* creates a Valkyrie Warrior which fights by your side, mainly serving to tank damage. Re-summon her if she dies.

Decoy* creates a replica of your Amazon with increased health at the location of your cursor. It remains in one spot, drawing monster attacks/abilities until it is destroyed or expires.

Slow Missiles* slows and reduces the damage from ranged enemies' attacks/projectiles when cast. This Skill also illuminates nearby enemies.

Inner Sight* illuminates nearby enemies and lowers their Defense. This de-buff can be applied to ordinary mobs as well as Bosses.

* Faster Cast Rate Skills (FCR)
* Skills that do NOT utilize either FCR or IAS


Attributes

Note: This section provides you with the standard Stat Point allocation. Build Variants may require different allocations!

Strength

Allocate at least enough Stat Points into Strength to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Strength your gear provides when equipped.
Recommended: Put additional Stat Points into Strength to increase the Physical Damage of Jab, Fend, and Impale (usually 100-300 additional Stat Points based on build and playstyle).

Dexterity

Allocate enough Stat Points into Dexterity to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Dexterity your gear provides when equipped.

Vitality

Allocate any remaining Stat Points into Vitality after meeting Strength, Dexterity and Energy requirements.

Energy

Don't allocate any Stat Points into Energy. Mana costs are mainly covered by the “x% Mana stolen per hit” stat on your gear. This build also gets enough Mana from gear, Charms, buffs, and Mana Potions.


Essentials

Gear Options

While every Stat in the Desirable Stats column is useful for this build, we highlighted the Priority Stats in Teal so you can easily identify the Most Important Stats on them.

Hover over any Item to see a pop-out with the full Item description.

Gear Notes: Any Items with specialized or niche uses have a superscript that refers here.
1) Phoenix Monarch and Stormshield are used on the Off-Hand when using a Javelin on certain Build Variants (see the "Sustain" and "Safe Ubers" Build Variants).
2) Only use Wizardspike and Stormshield on Weapon-Swap for fast and safe Teleporting in a Party with Barbarian-granted Battle Orders.
3) Only use Naj's Puzzler or a Staff of Teleportation for Teleport Charges if you are not wearing Enigma.
4) Use a Life Tap Charge Wand for Life Sustain, a Demon Limb for Attack Rating from Enchant, and a Treachery to proc Fade (for Resistances and Damage Reduction) when facing Uber Bosses.

SlotItem OptionsDesirable Stats
WeaponEthereal Breath of the Dying Matriarchal Spear
Ethereal Breath of the Dying Ghost Spear
Ethereal Breath of the Dying War Pike
Ethereal Breath of the Dying Matriarchal Pike
Obedience Matriarchal Spear
Ethereal Rare Matriarchal Spear
Ethereal Hone Sundan (Upgraded)
Hone Sundan (Upgraded)
Lycander's Flank (Upgraded)
Stoneraven
Arioc's Needle
The Impaler (Upgraded)
Hustle
Ethereal Titan's Revenge (Upgraded)
Titan's Revenge (Upgraded)
Ethereal Rare Matriarchal Javelin
30% Chance to cast level 21 Enchant when you Kill an Enemy
5% Chance to cast level 1 Burst of Speed
Indestructible
Level 1 Fanaticism Aura When Equipped
+x to All Skills
+x to Javelin and Spear Skills [Amazon Only]
+x to Amazon Skills
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x% Enhanced Damage
Ignore Target's Defense

-x% Target Defense
+x to Attack Rating
+x% Damage to Undead
+x% Mana stolen per hit
+x% Life stolen per hit
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
x% Deadly Strike
+x to Attribute
All Resistances +x
Replenish Quantity
Repairs x durability in x seconds
Ethereal, Socketed [x]
Off-HandNone
Phoenix Monarch1
Stormshield1
None
Level 10-15 Redemption Aura When Equipped
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Block Rate
x% Increased Chance of Blocking
+x% Enhanced Damage
+x to Attribute
+x Life
+x% to Maximum Lightning Resist
+x% to Maximum Fire Resist
X Resist x%
+x Fire Absorb
Damage Reduced by x%
Weapon-SwapCall to Arms
Wizardspike2
Naj's Puzzler3
Staff of Teleportation3
Harmony
Bone Wand of Life Tap4
Demon Limb4
Level 10 Vigor Aura When Equipped
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Cast Rate
+x to Battle Orders
+x to Battle Command

+x Mana
All Resistances +x
Level x Teleport [x/x Charges]
Level x Life Tap [x/x Charges]
Level x Enchant [x/x Charges]
Off-Hand-SwapSpirit Monarch
Stormshield2
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Cast Rate
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x% Faster Block Rate
x% Increased Chance of Blocking
+x to Attribute
+x Mana
X Resist x%
Damage Reduced by x%
HelmetsGuillaume's Face (Ruby Jewel of Fervor)
Guillaume's Face (Scintillating Jewel of Fervor)
Guillaume's Face (Cham Rune)
Guillaume's Face (Um Rune)
Crown of Ages (2x Ruby Jewels of Fervor)
Crown of Ages (2x Ber Runes)
Vampire Gaze
Crown of Thieves
Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest
Rockstopper
Bulwark
Temper
Wisdom
Kira's Guardian
Harlequin Crest
Valkyrie Wing
Sigon's Visor (2-4-Piece Sigon's Set)
Gemmed Mask (3x Perfect Topazes)
Gemmed Mask (Ral Rune, Ort Rune, Thul Rune)
Nadir
+x to All Skills
+x to Amazon Skills
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x% Enhanced Damage
+x to Attack Rating
+x% Mana stolen per hit
+x% Life stolen per hit
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
x% Deadly Strike

+x to Attribute
+x Life
+x Mana
X Resist x%
Damage Reduced by x%
Magic Damage Reduced by x
Cannot Be Frozen
+x to Mana after each Kill
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Level x Cloak of Shadows [x/x Charges]
Socketed [x]
Body ArmorEnigma
Fortitude
Chains of Honor
Skullder's Ire
Treachery4
Hustle
Jeweler's Archon Plate of the Whale
Jeweler's Archon Plate of Stability
Shaftstop
Leviathan
Duriel's Shell
Duress
Lionheart
Smoke
5% Chance to cast level 15 Fade when struck
20% Chance to cast level 15 Chilling Armor when struck
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x% Enhanced Damage
+x% Damage to Demons

+x% Damage to Undead
+x% Life stolen per hit
+x% Chance of Crushing Blow
+x% Chance of Open Wounds
+x to Teleport
+x to Attribute
+x Life
Increased Maximum Life x%
+x% to Maximum Lightning Resist
X Resist x%
Damage Reduced by x%
Cannot Be Frozen
+x to Life after each Kill
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
GlovesLaying of Hands
Blood Crafted Gloves
Dracul's Grasp
Immortal King's Forge (2 or 3-Piece Immortal King's Set)
Sigon's Gage (2-4-Piece Sigon's Set)
Death's Hand (2-Piece Death's Set)
Bloodfist
Chance Guards
Steelrend
Lava Gout
Magnus' Skin
5% Chance to cast level 10 Life Tap on striking
2% Chance to cast level 10 Enchant on striking
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x% Enhanced Damage
+x to Attack Rating
+x% Damage to Demons
+x% Life stolen per hit
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
+x to Attribute
+x Life
X Resist +x%
Poison Length Reduced by x%
+x to Life after each Kill
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
BeltsNosferatu's Coil
String of Ears
Verdungo's Hearty Cord
Arachnid Mesh
Goldwrap
Thundergod's Vigor
Immortal King's Detail (2 or 3-Piece Immortal King's Set)
Sigon's Wrap (2-4-Piece Sigon's Set)
Death's Guard Demonhide Sash (2-Piece Death's Set)
+x to All Skills
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Cast Rate
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x% Life stolen per hit
Slows target by x%
+x to Attribute
+x Life
Increased Maximum Mana x%
+x% to Maximum Lightning Resist
X Resist +x%
+x Lightning Absorb
Damage Reduced by x%
Magic Damage Reduced by x
Cannot Be Frozen
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
BootsWar Traveler
Gore Rider
Goblin Toe
Immortal King's Pillar (3-Piece Immortal King's Set)
Sigon's Sabot (2-4-Piece Sigon's Set)
Sander's Riprap
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x to Attack Rating
Adds x Damage
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
x% Deadly Strike
x% Chance of Open Wounds

+x to Attribute
+x Life
X Resist +x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
AmuletsHighlord's Wrath
The Cat's Eye
Angelic Wings (2-Piece Angelic Set)
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Increased Attack Speed
+x to Attack Rating
x% Deadly Strike
+x to Attribute
+x Life
X Resist +x%
RingsRaven Frost
Rare Ring
Rare Ring
Rare Ring
Blood Crafted Ring
Nagelring
Dwarf Star
Wisp Projector
Angelic Halo (2-Piece Angelic Set)
+x% Faster Cast Rate
+x to Attack Rating
+x Minimum Damage
+x% Mana stolen per hit
+x% Life stolen per hit
+x to Attribute
+x Life
+x Mana
X Resist +x%
Cold Absorb x%
Fire Absorb x%
Lightning Absorb x%
Magic Damage Reduced by x
Cannot Be Frozen
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
CharmsShimmering Small Charm of Good Luck
Fine Small Charm of Good Luck
Steel Small Charm of Good Luck
Fine Small Charm of Vita
Fine Small Charm of Inertia
Fine Small Charm of Balance
Shimmering Small Charm of Balance
Shimmering Small Charm of Vita
Shimmering Small Charm of Inertia
Fine Small Charm
Small Charm of Good Luck
Small Charm of Vita
Shimmering Small Charm
Resistance Small Charm
Sharp Large Charm of Vita
Sharp Large Charm of Inertia
Sharp Grand Charm of Vita
Steel Grand Charm of Vita
Sharp Grand Charm of Balance
Steel Grand Charm of Balance
Sharp Grand Charm of Inertia
Sharp Grand Charm of Maiming
Sharp Grand Charm
Steel Grand Charm
Shimmering Grand Charm of Balance
Shimmering Grand Charm of Inertia
Shimmering Grand Charm
Resistance Grand Charm
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x to Attack Rating
+x Maximum Damage
+x Life
X Resist x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Unique CharmsBone Break
Gheed's Fortune
Amazon Hellfire Torch
Annihilus
Monster Physical Immunity is Sundered
+x to All Skills
+x to Amazon Skills
+x to All Attributes
All Resistances +x
+x% to Experience Gained
x% Extra Gold from Monsters
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Reduces all Vendor Prices x%
+x to Light Radius

Farming Spots

The areas below are efficient farming locations that make use of the build’s strengths. Other farming spots might not be as effective due to Immunities or bad layouts.

Anything that has a in the "Starter" column can be farmed with the Starter Build Variant.

Act 1

AreaStarterRewards
The PitAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
AndarielUniques
Sets
Jewelry

Act 2

AreaStarterRewards
Stony TombAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Ancient Tunnels-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling

Act 3

AreaStarterRewards
Arachnid LairAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Ruined TempleAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
TravincalGearing
Runes
Charms / Gems / Jewels
Gold
MephistoUniques
Sets

Act 4

AreaStarterRewards
City of the Damned-All Item Types
River of Flame-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Chaos Sanctuary-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Diablo-Uniques
Sets
Leveling

Act 5

AreaStarterRewards
Eldritch the RectifierGearing
Gold
Leveling
Shenk the OverseerGearing
Gold
Leveling
PindleskinGearing
Gold
Leveling
Drifter Cavern-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Nihlathak-Key of Destruction
Leveling
Worldstone Keep / Throne of Destruction-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Baal / Waves-Uniques
Sets
Max Area Level
Leveling

Ubers

This build is capable of farming Uber Tristram and the Mini Ubers before (See the "DPS Ubers" and "Safe Ubers" Build Variants):

AreaRewards
LilithDiablo's Horn
DurielBaal's Eye
Izual Mephisto's Brain
Mephisto, Diablo, BaalHellfire Torch

Mercenary

Your Mercenary serves an incredibly important role to the overall success of your build. They can be a front line tank, provide a pivotal Aura, and/or deal Physical Damage to kill enemies with Immunity to your Skill set.

Act 2 Desert Mercenary

The Act 2 Desert Mercenary is hired from Greiz.
He can be equipped with a Spear or a Polearm, a Body Armor and a Helmet. 
Every Act 2 Mercenary has access to an Aura and uses Jab as his base Attack. The Aura activates once the Mercenary has engaged in combat and remains active between traveling to and from town. The Auras available are based on what difficulty you hire the Mercenary from.

Might Reaper's Toll

Reaper’s Toll, Might

Use a Desert Mercenary with Might Aura to significantly boost your Physical Damage. Equip him with The Reaper's Toll for a 33% Chance to cast Decrepify on striking, Slowing down and increasing Physical Damage dealt to enemies. Decrepify can even break most Physical Immunities.

Alternatively, you can use an Act 1 Cold Mercenary equipped with Faith for more Attack Speed at the expense of raw Damage (see the "Attack Speed" Build Variant).

Mercenary Gear Options

Your Mercenary needs maximum Resistances, Life Leech, a high damage Weapon, and high Defense and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive reliably. Cannot Be Frozen is also a great stat for maintaining Mercenary DPS and leech. Ethereal gear is preferred since it doesn't lose durability. Mercenary Types and Gear Options at each Gear Level perform equally well in different situations; choose based on Farming Spots and/or personal preference.

Gear LevelEarly-GameMid-GameEnd-Game
Mercenary TypeAct 2 Might
or Act 5 Bash/Frenzy
Act 2 MightAct 2 Might
or Act 1 Cold
WeaponThe Reaper's Toll
Hustle
Lawbringer(s)
The Reaper's TollThe Reaper's Toll
Pride
Faith Matriarchal Bow
Body ArmorTreachery
Smoke
Lionheart
Hustle
Skin of the Flayed One
Goldskin
Rockfleece
Gemmed Dusk Shroud
Venom Ward
Treachery
Duress
Shaftstop
The Gladiator's Bane
Duriel's Shell
Guardian Angel
Treachery
Shaftstop
Duress
HelmetTal Rasha's Horadric Crest
Bulwark
Undead Crown
The Face of Horror
Gemmed Mask
Temper
Cure
Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest
Guillaume's Face
Vampire Gaze
Crown of Thieves
Stealskull
Kira's Guardian
Rockstopper
Cure
Guillaume's Face
Guillaume's Face
Vampire Gaze
Andariel's Visage
Andariel's Visage

The Mercenary is hard to keep alive until you have the minimum gear recommended in this guide. Remember you can drag Healing Potions onto the portrait, or shift + 1/2/3/4 to directly feed them a Healing Potion from your Belt. The Mercenary also gains bonus Resistances from Thawing Potions and Antidote Potions.

If your Mercenary dies in battle, you can revive them from any of the Mercenary NPCs in each Act. This does come with an increasing cost, capping at 50,000 Gold. Keep that in mind and decide if the Mercenary is currently worth the cost.

Playstyle

General

  • Before starting a Magic Find/Experience run, cast Valkyrie on your weapon loadout with the most + to Skills. Recast as necessary for it to remain by your side or to draw monster aggro away from you or your Mercenary.
  • If you have Teleport granted to you by an item, use it to travel short distances and to reposition you and your Mercenary into Elite Packs. You can also use a Harmony on Weapon-Swap for faster travel.
  • Recast Valkyrie and/or cast Decoy near dangerous Elite Packs prior to engaging them.
  • Cast Slow Missiles when faced with dangerous ranged enemies.

For Multiple Enemies:

  • Use Fend when engaging multiple nearby targets. It is optimal to hop directly into the center of Elite Packs (using Teleport) and use Fend until the Elite Monsters and their surrounding minions are dead.

For Single Targets/Bosses:

  • Use Jab when engaging a single, isolated target (such as a Boss) directly in front of you. Jab can also be used to snipe Elite Monsters and is decently effective at clearing small groups of tightly clumped monsters (no more than 3).
  • Use Impale once at the beginning of an Act Boss or Uber fight for its Slow effect. Use this Skill again when the effect wears off. If you are lacking Attack Rating, kill Uber Bosses exclusively using Impale. Impale can also be used to snipe low Life Elites. However, in most cases, using Impale multiple times in quick succession lacks effectiveness due to its slow Attack Speed (low DPS).
  • Use Inner Sight to lower the Defense of an Act Boss or Uber Boss to make them easier to hit, especially if your Attack Rating is <10K.

Immunities

  • Bone Break sets all Immune to Physical monsters to 95% Physical Resistance, allowing any sources of -x% to Enemy Physical Resistance (including Decrepify) to take full effect.
  • Reposition your Mercenary (if possible) on top of Physical Immune monsters to break their Immunity with Decrepify from his The Reaper's Toll.
  • Skip Physical Immune monsters that are still Physical Immune, or extremely hard to kill (highly Physical Resistant), even after applying Decrepify.

Late-Game

  • In the beginning of a Magic Find/Experience run, cast Battle Command 2 times and Battle Orders once using your Call to Arms. Refresh these Call to Arms buffs whenever they expire (approx. every 2-3 minutes).
  • While on your Faster Cast Rate-granting Weapon-Swap, use Teleport from Enigma to travel to your Farming Spot or between Elite Packs. Teleport outpaces running despite the fact that Amazons have the worst Faster Cast Rate Breakpoints in the game. Swap to your main weapon loadout to kill monsters using Jab or Fend.
  • Use Teleport while on your main weapon loadout to reposition your Mercenary to apply Decrepify from his The Reaper's Toll to the mobs that you are striking with Jab or Fend.

Optimal Loot/Experience Farming Strategies

  • Ubers - The Jab Fend Amazon destroys the Uber Bosses and is an overall great build for farming Hellfire Torches (see the "DPS Ubers" or "Safe Ubers" Build Variants).
  • Travincal with 3 Players in the Game - A combination of Jab and Fend takes down Council Members with ease. Council Members have great loot odds for Runes, Charms, Jewels, Jewelry, Gems, and basic gear, especially with 3 or more Players in the game or /Players3 on Single Player.

Breakpoints

Breakpoints in Diablo 2 are the minimum values required to reduce the frames of an action. Below are the important breakpoints considered for this build. For more information on the mechanics involved, check out our in-depth Resource: Breakpoints.

Faster Cast Rate (FCR)

Faster Cast Rate is not required for this build, but certain Breakpoints can be utilized for faster Enigma Teleport on Weapon-Swap. You don't need FCR if you are not using Enigma.
Note: FCR only controls the animation speed of the Character, and not any internal Cooldowns spells have.

Frames191817161514131211
FCR07142232486899152

Increased Attack Speed (IAS)

Increased Attack Speed speeds up your attack animations. Weapon Bases have different IAS Breakpoints. Values for the bases of most recommended weapon options are provided below (see "Gear Options" for these options). Consult the d2planner for other bases.

Matriarchal Spear/Ghost Spear Base Weapons

Frames312118171615151514
Jab IAS (No Fanaticism)04092125129174180187240
Frames211615141413131312
Jab IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism)039567892117138157180
Frames15141312121110109
Fend IAS (No Fanaticism)015183039487586125
Fend IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism)----02152037
Frames342420191817161514
Impale IAS (No Fanaticism)03986105133174232360638
Impale IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism)-02029405675109157

Matriarchal Pike/War Pike Base Weapons

Frames4221201919191818171717
Jab IAS086105125129138152180194200250
Frames2019181716151413121110109
Fend IAS02611182437507099147168250

Matriarchal Javelin Base Weapons

Frames2316161515141413121111
Jab IAS04652637283109117168280317
Frames11111099877
Fend IAS081026425095142

Faster Hit Recovery (FHR)

Faster Hit Recovery increases survivability. Aim for at least the 52% FHR Breakpoint.

Frames11109876543
FHR061320325286174600

Hardcore

For all Hardcore gameplay, your primary focus is increasing your Resistances, Damage Reduction, Chance to Block and Maximum Life. This can mean sacrificing overall power level for a more secure playstyle.

The Jab Fend Amazon can become Hardcore viable with key changes to Gear, Stat Point allocation, and Skills. Review the changes below before building this character in Hardcore, as some of these changes differ significantly from the Standard Build.

Gear Changes

  • Damage Reduction: Equip either Crown of Ages or Vampire Gaze for a Helmet, along with either Chains of Honor or Enigma for a Body Armor, and either a String of Ears or Verdungo's Hearty Cord for a Belt to achieve high % Damage Reduction on a Hardcore Jab Fend Amazon.
  • Stacking Resistances: Stack your Fire/Lightning/Cold Resistances beyond their default maximum values of 75 each (175 total in Hell). Stacking 85 additional Resistances in Hell completely negates the Conviction Aura of any Elite Boss or the Oblivion Knight's Lower Resist Curse. Beware of encountering both at the same time! Consider the primary damage type(s) of the monsters in the area you want to farm. Chains of Honor and Crown of Ages are great Body Armor and Helmet options for stacking Resistances on this build; Jewelry and Charms are also ideal sources.
  • Lightning Absorb: Equip Thundergod's Vigor when farming or Teleporting through an area where Burning Souls are able to spawn such as Worldstone Keep/Throne of Destruction.

Stat Point Changes

  • Only allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear.
  • Allocate all remaining Stat Points into Vitality for maximum safety.

Skill Point Changes

  • Allocate additional Skill Points into Dodge, Avoid, and Evade instead of Valkyrie to negate as much damage as possible.

Build Variants

Starter

Setup

The Starter variant of the Jab Fend Amazon meets the minimum gear requirements for farming the Starter tagged areas in the "Farming Spots" section above. These areas can be Solo-farmed by this setup (/Players1 on Single Player) in both Nightmare and Hell difficulty. Obedience Matriarchal Spear is a strong, relatively easy to acquire weapon that provides this build with sufficient power. There are several other low budget options that work just as well or nearly as well (see "Gear Options" above). Beyond a decently strong weapon, make sure to prioritize Attack Speed, Damage, Damage Reduction, Resistances, Cannot Be Frozen, and Life stats on your gear. A Teleport Charge Staff on Weapon-Swap provides this build with limited mobility and the ability to reposition. Harmony can also be used for faster travel. Follow the Amazon Leveling Guide to get your Amazon to Level 75.

Mercenary

The Starter Jab Fend Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll to increase her damage and ability to deal with Physical Immune monsters. Mercenaries require Resistances, Life Leech, and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive. Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest and Treachery are ideal early-mid game Helmet/Body Armor options for these stats. Even cheaper options such as Bulwark and Smoke are also acceptable.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into the following Skills:
1. Impale
2. Inner Sight
3. Slow Missiles
4. Decoy
5. Valkyrie (Max Last)

Put 1-3 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Jab
2. Fend
3. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
4. Penetrate
5. Valkyrie

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put any remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Standard

Setup

This is the Standard Best in Slot (BiS) Jab Fend Amazon 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 mobility. This setup achieves the 32% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap. You can also use Arachnid Mesh and 2 Rare Rings with 10% Faster Cast Rate to achieve the 68% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap for improved Teleport cast speed at the expense of Attack Speed. A Cham Rune in your Helmet would provide your Cannot Be Frozen stat in that scenario. Bone Break allows this build to crush Immune to Physical mobs.

Mercenary

The Standard Jab Fend Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll for damage, -50% to Enemy Physical Resistance, and a Slow from its Decrepify proc. Treachery and Guillaume's Face add to his damage and survivability. This Mercenary reaches the 75% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint for maximum Decrepify procs.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into the following Skills:
1. Impale
2. Inner Sight
3. Slow Missiles
4. Decoy

Put 1-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Jab
2. Fend
3. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
4. Penetrate
5. Valkyrie

You can choose to max Impale instead of Valkyrie if you want to snipe Elites with it.

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

First allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Then put anywhere from 100-300 additional points into Strength to increase your damage. Lastly put any remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Attack Speed

Setup

This variant achieves 125% Increased Attack Speed (IAS) on its gear along with Fanaticism Aura on the Mercenary. Having so much Attack Speed allows this version of the Jabazon to attack much faster with Jab than the Standard Build; it also makes this build much more resistant to the Slowing effects of monster Decrepify and Holy Freeze when using Jab or Fend. As a result, the Attack Speed variant tends to perform better in areas with Oblivion Knights: Chaos Sanctuary and Worldstone Keep. It is even possible to reach maximum Jab IAS (180%) on this variant by equipping Treachery and Crown of Ages socketed with 2x Jewels of Fervor in addition to what is shown. This setup also focuses more on damage instead of mobility, opting for Fortitude over Enigma.

Mercenary

The Attack Speed Jab Fend Amazon uses an Act 1 Cold Mercenary with Faith. Its Fanaticism Aura provides this build with ultra-high Attack Speed. Shaftstop and Vampire Gaze provide this Mercenary with much needed Damage Reduction.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into the following Skills:
1. Impale
2. Inner Sight
3. Slow Missiles
4. Decoy

Put 1-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Jab
2. Fend
3. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
4. Penetrate
5. Valkyrie

You can choose to max Impale instead of Valkyrie if you want to snipe Elites with it.

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

First allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Then put anywhere from 100-300 additional points into Strength to increase your damage. Lastly put any remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Sustain

Setup

This variant uses a 1-Handed Weapon instead of a 2-Handed Weapon to make use of the incredible sustain provided by Phoenix's Redemption Aura along with a decent amount of Chance to Block. The Sustain variant has the potential to reach Damage values similar to the 2-Handed variants with high +x% Enhanced Damage Ethereal Rare Javelins in addition to the Enhanced Damage on Phoenix. And even as this build beautifully showcases the power of insane Ethereal Rare Javelins, an Ethereal Upgraded Titan's Revenge are a decent substitute. Bone Break allows this build to crush Immune to Physical mobs.

Mercenary

Just as with the Standard Build, the Sustain Jab Fend Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll, Treachery, and Guillaume's Face.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into the following Skills:
1. Impale
2. Inner Sight
3. Slow Missiles
4. Decoy

Put 1-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Jab
2. Fend
3. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
4. Penetrate
5. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

First allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Then put anywhere from 100-300 additional points into Strength to increase your damage. Lastly put any remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

DPS Ubers

Setup

The DPS Ubers variant is designed to kill all Uber Bosses, including Uber Mephisto, quickly and effectively. Crushing Blow, Open Wounds, Deadly Strike, Enhanced Damage, Attack Rating, and Resistances, are priority stats on this build. This setup represents a more dangerous, offensive approach, using Jab with a high damage 2-Handed Weapon to vanquish these challenging foes. Chains of Honor provides Resistances, Life Leech, and Damage. Thundergod's Vigor and stacked Lightning Resistance allows this build to tank Uber Mephisto. A Dracul's Grasp or a Life Tap Charges Wand provides you with much needed Life sustain. Pre-buffing Enchant with Demon Limb and Fade with Treachery provides you with essential Attack Rating, Resistances, and Damage Reduction.

Mercenary

Just as with the Standard Build, the DPS Ubers Jab Fend Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll, Treachery, 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.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into the following Skills:
1. Impale
2. Inner Sight
3. Slow Missiles
4. Decoy

Put 1-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Jab
2. Fend
3. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
4. Penetrate
5. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

First allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Then put anywhere from 100-300 additional points into Strength to increase your damage. Lastly put any remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Safe Ubers

Setup

The Safe Ubers variant is designed to kill all Uber Bosses, including Uber Mephisto, safely and reliably. Crushing Blow, Open Wounds, Deadly Strike, Enhanced Damage, Attack Rating, Damage Reduction, Resistances, and Life are priority stats on this build. Using Jab with a 1-Handed Weapon allows this setup to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%) with Stormshield, and thus solid safety. Chains of Honor provides Life Leech, Resistances, and Damage. Thundergod's Vigor and stacked Lightning Resistance allows this build to tank Uber Mephisto. A Life Tap Charges Wand or a Dracul's Grasp provides you with much needed Life sustain. Pre-buffing Enchant with Demon Limb and Fade with Treachery provides you with essential Attack Rating, Resistances, and Damage Reduction.

Mercenary

Just as with the Standard Build, the Safe Ubers Jab Fend Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll, Treachery, 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.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into the following Skills:
1. Impale
2. Inner Sight
3. Slow Missiles
4. Decoy

Put 1-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Jab
2. Fend
3. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
4. Penetrate
5. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

First allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Then put enough Stat Points into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Lastly put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality for maximum survivability.

Hardcore

Setup

For the Hardcore mode variant, aim for high Damage Reduction and overcap Resistances beyond the natural cap of 75% if possible to counteract hostile Conviction or Lower Resist. If you choose to use Bone Break, consider socketing your Helmet with Ber Rune(s). Consult the “Hardcore" section for more detailed information.

Mercenary

Just as with the Standard Build, a Hardcore Jab Fend Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with The Reaper's Toll, Treachery, and Guillaume's Face.

Skills

Allocate additional Skill Points into Dodge, Avoid, and Evade on a Hardcore Jab Fend Amazon. The rest is identical to the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into the following Skills:
1. Impale
2. Inner Sight
3. Slow Missiles
4. Decoy

Put 1-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Jab
2. Fend
3. Critical Strike (Almost Max Out)
4. Penetrate
5. Valkyrie

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Only allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality for maximum survivability.


Video Guide

Video Guide by DarkHumility

Summary

  • Use Jab against single targets such as Bosses and Fend when facing groups of enemies. Smart use of Impale can make Uber Boss fights easier. Impale can also be used to snipe Elites.
  • Rely on a combination of +x% Life stolen per hit, Valkyrie, Decoy, Dodge, Avoid, and Evade to keep your Character alive. Make sure to have a decent amount of Damage Reduction as well if playing Hardcore.
  • You can never go wrong with a Breath of the Dying in an Ethereal Elite Spear and The Reaper's Toll on your Mercenary. However, there are many valid approaches to building a Jab Fend Amazon. Choose the Build Variant that fits the playstyle you most enjoy.
  • Obedience Matriarchal Spear, Lycander's Flank, Hone Sundan, Stoneraven, and other Spears (see "Gear Options" above) are great weapon options on a budget. An Ethereal Upgraded Hone Sundan is a great intermediate option before acquiring Breath of the Dying.
  • Don't be afraid to dive directly into packs of monsters with Teleport. Fend is an incredible Skill for taking down monsters even while completely surrounded!
  • This is the best Amazon build for defeating Uber Bosses! Take advantage of this build by farming Hellfire Torches. A Fendzon can also farm virtually every area in the game with a full build, including every Terror Zone with the help of Bone Break.

We hope you enjoy this build! Stabbing things...ahem...monsters has never been so satisfying. Skewer the Ubers! Put their heads on a pike!

Good luck!


Credits

Written by DarkHumility
Reviewed by Teo1904


Changelog

Oct 5th 2022
Updated to Patch 2.5 Added Sunder Charm and Terror Zone sections

Apr 19th 2022
Updated to Patch 2.4