Insight

Insight is one of the most essential runewords in Diablo 2 Resurrected. Created with Ral, Tir, Tal, and Sol runes in any 4-socket polearm, staff, or bow, it's available at level 27 and solves mana problems permanently through its Level 12-17 Meditation Aura.

The Meditation Aura Revolution

The defining feature of Insight is its Meditation Aura, which provides 575-700% increased mana regeneration depending on the aura level (12-17, variable). This transforms mana management completely. Without any mana regeneration, characters naturally recover from 0 to full mana in 120 seconds. A level 17 Meditation aura reduces this to just 15 seconds—an 8x improvement. For casters who burn through mana with skills like Blizzard, Frozen Orb, or Blessed Hammer, this is game-changing. Most players equip Insight on their Act 2 mercenary rather than wielding it themselves, allowing them to benefit from the aura while using better weapons.

Act 2 Mercenary Synergy

The standard setup is giving Insight to an Act 2 Desert Mercenary with Prayer aura. Meditation synergizes with Prayer, providing massive healing to both you and your mercenary. For an even more powerful combination, equip your mercenary with the Cure runeword helmet, which grants a Level 1 Cleansing aura. Since Prayer synergizes with both Meditation and Cleansing, all three auras stack together for exceptionally fast health and mana regeneration—often eliminating the need for potions entirely. This triple-aura setup also drastically reduces poison duration and curse effects, making your mercenary nearly unkillable. Combined with Fortitude or Treachery armor, this Insight + Cure + Prayer combination has become the preferred mercenary setup and is currently used in Necromancer speedruns. The +200-260% Enhanced Damage, +9 to Minimum Damage, and 180-250% Bonus to Attack Rating help your mercenary deal respectable damage.

Best Bases and Rolling

When first making Insight in Nightmare difficulty, use any 4-socket polearm you can find—common bases like Partizan, Bec-de-Corbin, or Grim Scythe work fine to get started. As you progress into Hell difficulty, upgrade to elite polearms like Colossus Voulge, Thresher, or Giant Thresher for significantly higher damage. Ethereal bases are ideal since mercenary weapons don't lose durability—this provides 50% more base damage. For self-use on casters (rare but viable for Druids or Necromancers), use a staff with +skills. The +35% Faster Cast Rate helps reach FCR breakpoints. The Meditation aura level (12-17) is variable, so many players reroll for level 17, though the difference between level 12 and 17 is only 125% mana regeneration—still excellent either way.

Common Mistakes

The most common error is making Insight in a spear instead of a polearm. Spears (Spear, Trident, Pike, etc.) do NOT work—only polearms (Voulge, Scythe, Poleaxe, Halberd, etc.), staves, and bows/crossbows (added in Patch 2.4) are valid. Always verify the base weapon type before socketing.

Rune Farming and Progression

Ral, Tir, and Tal all drop from Normal Countess. Sol drops from Nightmare Countess or can be cubed from 3 Amn + 1 chipped Amethyst. You can make your first Insight in early Nightmare and use it permanently—many endgame casters never replace it. Necromancers can also create an Iron Golem from Insight, giving the entire party Meditation aura without needing a mercenary. The +2 to Mana After Each Kill and 23% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items are minor bonuses that add convenience.