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class-guide · September 18, 2026

Season 15 Buffs: Necro, Paladin & Spiritborn Rise

Patch 3.2.1 buffed Necromancer, Paladin & Spiritborn. See who to play this season — then grade your build's gear at Stat Verdict.

Patch 3.2.1 landed on September 15 and it came swinging for three classes. If you've been sitting on the fence about what to main this season, the Season of Hell's Legacy launch just made your decision a lot easier. Necromancer, Paladin, and Spiritborn all walked away with meaningful buffs — not the token 3% damage bumps we sometimes get, but real kit changes that reshape how these classes play and, more importantly, what gear they want. Let's break down who won, where they land on the launch tier list, and which affixes and Splinters you should be chasing.

The 3.2.1 Buffs: What Actually Changed

Blizzard split the love across offense, sustain, and scaling, so each of these three plays differently now.

Necromancer

Necro got the cleanest buff of the bunch. Minion damage scaling was reworked so that army builds — Skeletal Warriors, Mages, and the Golem — now inherit a larger share of your critical strike and Overpower stats. Bone Spear also had its base damage bumped and its lucky-hit interactions widened, so caster Necro isn't left behind. The upshot: both Summoner and Bone Spear are viable from level 1, and minion builds finally scale into the late game without falling off a cliff.

Paladin

The Paladin — still the newest kid on the roster from the Lord of Hatred expansion — got its defensive identity tightened. Holy resource generation is faster, block-based Aegis mechanics now convert a portion of blocked damage into a Holy explosion, and the class's flagship physical smite skills received a damage-per-block scaling pass. Paladin was already sturdy; now it hits like a truck while it tanks. This is the biggest quality-of-life jump of the patch.

Spiritborn

Spiritborn didn't need raw power — it needed consistency. The buff smoothed out its Spirit Hall guardian uptime and boosted the Quill Volley and Rushing Claw scaling that had quietly fallen behind. Vigor generation is more forgiving, so you spend less time ramping and more time deleting screens. It's less of an explosion and more of a "this build now works the way it always should have" correction.

How the S15 Launch Tier List Shifts

Here's my read on where things sit now that the dust has settled:

If you're rerolling into one of the winners, don't dump your stash yet. Scan your existing gear at statverdict.com to see which pieces carry over — a strong Greater Affix chest or a well-Tempered amulet often transfers cleaner than you'd expect, especially with the new reroll tools.

Core Stats and Affixes for the Buffed Builds

The buffs shifted stat priorities in ways that aren't always obvious, so read carefully before you commit Masterworking mats.

Necromancer

Summoner now wants Critical Strike Chance and Overpower Damage because minions inherit those. Stack Minion Damage and Attack Speed on gloves, and don't sleep on Intelligence for your base scaling. Bone Spear Necro leans the classic route: Critical Strike Damage, Vulnerable Damage, and Lucky Hit Chance.

Paladin

Block Chance and Block Damage Reduction are now offensive stats — they feed the Aegis explosion. Prioritize Physical Damage, Damage While Fortified, and Strength. Shield-slot affixes matter more for Paladin than any other class right now, so grade every shield that drops.

Spiritborn

Focus on Damage per Vigor-adjacent affixes, Critical Strike Damage, and generous Resource Cost Reduction to keep Vigor flowing. Quill Volley in particular loves Attack Speed and Lucky Hit.

Don't Forget the Resistance Revalue

This one trips people up on every fresh build. As of the Season 15 revalue, a Single Resistance affix is worth roughly seven times an All Resistance affix on equipment, Charms, and Tempering. All Resistance is no longer strictly better. If your new build is short on one element, a targeted Single Resistance roll does far more work per affix slot. Bake that into your gearing decisions from the start.

Splinter Pairings That Synergize

You can only bear one Prime Evil Splinter at a time, so pick the one that matches your build's damage type and reputation track through War Plans.

Layer on your Soul Splinters — the eight new jewelry socketables, up to three equipped and upgraded via Amalgamation in the Cube. Remember every Soul Splinter carries a boon and a liability. A Splinter that grants big minion damage might also cut your resource regen; one that boosts block might reduce movement speed. Always read the liability line before you socket, because on a squishy caster Necro the wrong downside can get you killed.

Don't Sleep on the Crafting Safety Net

A lot of gear that felt "dead" in past seasons is recoverable now. The Horadric Cube's Affix Value Reroll rerolls base affixes while protecting Greater Affixes — so that item with two perfect GAs and a garbage base roll isn't trash, it's a project. Since 3.2.1, you can even reroll the powers on Unique items and Unique Charms. And any Magic or Rare with a Greater Affix is a crafting candidate — never salvage those on a fresh reroll.

Before you spend obols and mats chasing new drops, pull up your stash and check what's already worth keeping. Rerolling to a buffed class? Scan your existing gear at statverdict.com to see which pieces carry over and exactly which stats your new build actually wants.

The Verdict

Season 15 handed the crown to Paladin and Spiritborn at the top, with Summoner Necromancer right behind as the low-stress, gear-forgiving pick. Match your Splinter to your damage type — Hatred for physical Paladins, Terror for fire builds — respect the resistance revalue by favoring Single Resistance rolls, and lean on the Cube's reroll tools instead of salvaging anything with a Greater Affix. Do those four things and you'll be pushing Pit tiers faster than the rest of the pack.

Ready to build your winner? Screenshot your gear and grade it in seconds at statverdict.com — then go conquer Hell's Legacy.