Paladin & Necromancer Changes – What Actually Matters

Hello everyone, welcome to my Season 12 PTR analysis for Diablo 4. Traditionally, my deep-dive analyses have focused almost exclusively on the Necromancer, but Season 12 pushed me to broaden the scope. Over the course of this season, I played and tested multiple Paladin builds, and I’m happy to report that at least one of my favorite Paladin setups received a significant boost. At the same time, we’re dealing with major system shifts—losing Sanctification, unclear impacts from Kill Streak and Bloodied item effects, and a wave of bug fixes that fundamentally change how several builds function. Because of that, this analysis is more streamlined than past seasons, focusing on what you actually need to know going into the PTR, whether you’re grinding naturally or choose to buy Diablo 4 Gold to accelerate your progression.

Sanctification Removal – Setting Expectations

Before diving into class changes, we need to level-set expectations around Sanctification, because its removal dramatically affects perceived power loss.

How Much Power Are We Actually Losing?

1. Perfect Sanctification setups (Grandfather on boots, Starless Skies amulet, ideal offensive aspects):

· ~10–11 Pit / Tower tiers

2. Average players (most of us):

· ~2–5 Pit tiers

· Even doubling your damage through something absurd like a Grandfather slam only translates into 2–3 Pit tiers in real endgame scenarios. Defensive, utility, and cooldown sanctifications mattered far less than people think.

3. Takeaway:

Sanctification felt insane at the top end, but for the majority of players, its removal is not catastrophic.

Paladin – High-Level Season 12 Changes

Castle Legendary Node Nerf

· Previously: ~14–15x damage multiplier

· Now: ~110% damage multiplier

· This brings Castle in line with other Paladin legendary nodes. As a result:

· Heavy armor stacking is no longer mandatory

· Expect more diversity in tempering options and pants aspects

· Castle will average closer to a 100% damage multiplier in practice

Aura & Functionality Fixes

1. Several long-standing bugs are finally addressed:

· Holy Light / Orian Aura now properly scales with attack speed

· Snapshotting issues fixed

· Fanaticism Aura now works as intended

· Sundered Knight 2H Axe now grants aura skill ranks, potentially returning as BiS

2. Orian damage was reduced because:

· Allies and pets were never meant to trigger Holy Light at full rate

3. Net Result:

· Less raw damage scaling, but far smoother and more enjoyable gameplay.

Judgment Builds – Nerfed but Healthier

Judgment builds lost raw power but gained:

· Cleaner rotations

· Less button-mashing

· Better long-session playability

· You’ll push slightly lower, but your hands will thank you.

Thorns (Retribution) Paladin – The Big Winner

All the mechanics that should scale with Thorns now actually do.

· Previously strong at speed farming

· Held back by bugs

· Now gaining 300–400% effective damage scaling

· This won’t necessarily dominate the meta, but it becomes fully viable—and fun.

Zenith Ultimate Build – Sadly Weaker

1. Zenith (the giant anime sword build):

· Lost unintended interactions (Xan Rune loops, Apic Fervor stacking)

· Feels clunkier and less powerful

2. One bright spot:

· Sunder Zenith variant is now functioning correctly and may find niche use as a burst tool

· Still, I’d love to see Zenith receive intentional buffs post-PTR. We’ve had enough Angel Simulator 2025—let other ultimates shine.

Necromancer – Deeper Breakdown

Unlike Paladin, Necromancer changes are more nuanced—and sometimes frustrating.

Overall:

· Most builds gain a few Pit tiers

· Endgame clears feel smoother

· PTR numbers are not final—post-PTR tuning matters more 

Golem Necromancer – Massive Buff

1. A single bug fix fundamentally changes the build:

· Fell Gluttony now properly benefits from double-hit Golem attacks

2. Shields now outperform focus:

· More damage

· More damage reduction

· Fell Gluttony likely moves to the amulet slot

3. Result:

· Faster clears

· Better boss damage

· Much tankier gameplay

· Golemmancer may rival—or even surpass—Shadow Blade post-PTR.

Expected Necromancer Meta (PTR)

1. Shadow Blade

2. Golemmancer

3. Blood Wave

4. Mage Minions

If you enjoy Golem builds, you’re about to eat very, very well.

Legendary Node Changes – What Works & What Doesn’t

Blood Begets Blood – Finally Usable

· Longer duration

· Stronger per-orb scaling

· Much better uptime on bosses

· DOT builds still dislike the board layout, but the node itself is far more reliable.

Flesh-Eater – Better, But Awkward

· Now: 60% damage for consuming one corpse every 8s

· Fueled by Death still lasts 6s

· Desynced durations make this feel sloppy, but it’s still strictly stronger and easier to maintain.

Scent of Death – Niche at Best

· 45% multiplier

· Damage reduction included

· Board is filled with damage to injured/healthy, which underperforms

· Hardcore players may still use it, but it’s outclassed for most builds.

Blood Bath – The Worst Change

· Now boosts physical damage, not blood skills

· Shadow-converted blood builds lose damage

· Blood Surge & Blood Lance gain <3% damage

· Blood Wave and Bone builds lose ~17%

· This change reduces build diversity and solves nothing.

Wither – Bigger Numbers, Same Problem

1. Increased from 300% → 400%

2. Still only procs 20% of the time

3. That means:

· Great on paper

· Inconsistent in real gameplay

· Adds unacceptable RNG to competitive pushing

· Shadow DOT should ramp deterministically, not randomly.

Final Thoughts

Season 12 PTR is a mixed bag overall. The Paladin becomes healthier, smoother, and more diverse, making it a much more appealing option going forward. The Necromancer gains noticeable power, but still struggles with class identity and RNG-heavy mechanics that can make consistency an issue. If you’re testing these changes or preparing for the season launch, having access to resources can make a big difference—many players choose to buy cheap Diablo 4 Items to speed up progression. MMOEXP remains a popular option for Diablo 4 players looking for reliable materials, items, and fast delivery to stay competitive throughout the season.