Hand of Justice

Hand of Justice is a fire-focused runeword in Diablo 2 Resurrected designed for Holy Fire aura stacking builds. Created with Sur + Cham + Amn + Lo in weapons, this expensive runeword provides a Level 16 Holy Fire Aura When Equipped and serves as the weapon component for the legendary Dragondin archetype—but has extremely limited applications outside this specific build.

The Fire Aura Foundation

Hand of Justice exists almost exclusively to enable Holy Fire aura stacking when combined with two pieces of Dragon runeword (one in armor, one in shield). This combination creates a level 44 Holy Fire aura—one of the highest aura levels achievable in the game. The synergy mechanics work identically to Dream builds: when multiple items provide the same aura, their levels stack additively, and all auras pulse simultaneously.

A Paladin with maxed synergies (Resist Fire and Salvation providing 20 points each) running dual Dragon plus Hand of Justice can deal 2,655-3,174 fire damage every two seconds to all enemies within a 32.67-yard radius. This passive damage output rivals dedicated caster builds, creating the "Dragondin" or "Fire Auradin"—a melee character that kills primarily through aura pulses rather than weapon swings.

The Core Stats Package

Beyond the Holy Fire aura, Hand of Justice provides +280-330% Enhanced Damage, +33% Increased Attack Speed, Ignore Target's Defense, 7% Life Stolen Per Hit, -20% to Enemy Fire Resistance, and 20% Deadly Strike. The weapon also includes Cannot Be Frozen from the Cham rune and Freezes Target +3, creating mechanical redundancy that wastes the Cham's primary benefit.

The 100% Chance to Cast Level 36 Blaze When You Level Up and 100% Chance to Cast Level 48 Meteor When You Die are primarily cosmetic effects with minimal practical value. The Hit Blinds Target modifier can actually interfere with gameplay by applying curse effects that may override more beneficial curses.

The Dragon Dependency

Hand of Justice's extreme specialization creates a narrow use case. The runeword makes sense almost exclusively when you're already committed to making two Dragon runewords (requiring two Sur runes and two Lo runes). This means the full Fire Auradin setup demands: - Hand of Justice: Sur + Cham + Amn + Lo - Dragon Armor: Sur + Lo + Sol - Dragon Shield: Sur + Lo + Sol Total: 3 Sur, 3 Lo, 1 Cham (plus lower runes)

This astronomical investment creates one of the most expensive builds in D2R. The result is powerful and unique, but the opportunity cost is severe—those runes could create multiple endgame characters worth of gear in alternative runewords.

Alternative Applications

Standalone Fire Builds

Using Hand of Justice without Dragon runewords provides a level 16 Holy Fire aura, which offers some fire damage but lacks the scaling to compete with dedicated weapons. Fire Sorceresses, Druids, or hybrid builds gain minimal benefit from the -20% enemy fire resistance when compared to weapons that boost skill levels or provide better damage modifiers.

Fire Bowazons

Immolation Arrow and Exploding Arrow Amazons theoretically benefit from Hand of Justice's fire resistance reduction and Holy Fire aura. However, the weapon slot for Bowazons is better filled by Faith for physical damage builds or specialized setups using +skills bows. Hand of Justice's melee-oriented stats (life leech, IAS for melee) don't translate well to bow-based gameplay.

Base Selection Considerations

Hand of Justice can be made in any four-socket weapon, but base choice matters significantly for Fire Auradins:

• Phase Blade - Indestructible and fast base speed, standard choice for Auradins who care more about aura damage than weapon damage
• Berserker Axe - Higher damage base for hybrid builds that supplement aura damage with melee attacks
• Matriarchal Bow - Theoretical option for fire Bowazons, though rarely optimal

Since Auradins kill primarily through aura pulses rather than weapon swings, the weapon base matters less than it would for traditional melee builds. Phase Blade's indestructibility and zero strength requirement make it the default choice.

The Dragondin Experience

Fire Auradins create a unique playstyle that diverges from traditional melee combat. You're essentially a walking area-of-effect damage source, killing enemies passively while using Zeal or Charge primarily for mobility and life leech rather than damage. The build excels at clearing dense packs of enemies and performs adequately against fire-resistant enemies when combined with Conviction aura to reduce resistances.

However, the build faces significant challenges compared to other expensive alternatives. Dream Paladins (Tesladins) using dual Dreams cost roughly the same but generally provide higher damage output and better immunity breaking with sunder charms. Physical damage Paladins with Grief cost a fraction of the investment while delivering superior boss-killing capability.

The Rune Economics Problem

Hand of Justice suffers from the same Cham rune problem as Doom—you're using the second-rarest rune in the game for a build that doesn't truly leverage its primary benefit (Cannot Be Frozen, easily obtained from Raven Frost). The Sur and Lo runes have numerous high-value alternative uses, making the opportunity cost of Hand of Justice particularly steep.

Most players who accumulate the runes for a full Fire Auradin setup already have multiple fully-geared characters and are seeking build variety rather than optimal power. This places Hand of Justice firmly in the "trophy build" category alongside Last Wish—impressive to achieve, fun to play, but not justifiable from a pure efficiency standpoint.

The Single-Purpose Specialist

Hand of Justice is D2R's most specialized weapon runeword, serving essentially one purpose: enabling Fire Auradins when combined with dual Dragon. It performs this role adequately, creating a viable and unique playstyle that some players love. Outside this specific application, Hand of Justice is outclassed by nearly every alternative weapon choice in the game.

Make Hand of Justice when you're specifically building a Fire Auradin and have already exhausted conventional progression paths. Don't make it hoping to find alternative uses for it later—those uses don't really exist. The runeword represents the pinnacle of build specialization, rewarding players who commit fully to the fire aura stacking concept while offering nothing to anyone else.