Malice

Malice is an early-game melee runeword in Diablo 2 Resurrected that excels at boss killing in Normal difficulty. Created with Ith, El, and Eth runes in any 3-socket melee weapon, it's available at level 15 and offers guaranteed Open Wounds for sustained damage against tough enemies.

Boss Killer Specialty

The defining feature of Malice is its 100% Chance of Open Wounds combined with Prevent Monster Heal. Open Wounds causes enemies to bleed over time based on their maximum health, making this incredibly effective against Act bosses like Duriel and Diablo in Normal difficulty. The -100 to Monster Defense Per Hit stacks quickly, allowing you to land more hits as fights progress. This makes Malice an excellent weapon swap option specifically for boss encounters.

The Drain Life Problem

The major drawback is Drain Life -5, which slowly depletes your health over time. While this won't kill you on its own, it becomes problematic during extended farming sessions. You can counter this with life regeneration gear, a Perfect Skull in your helm or armor, or by using an Act 2 mercenary with Prayer aura. Alternatively, make Malice for your mercenary instead—hirelings are immune to the Drain Life effect.

Usage and Rune Availability

All three runes drop from Normal Countess, making Malice easy to create. However, El runes are the rarest of the three, averaging one drop per 10 Countess runs. Use a fast base like a Flail for maximum attack speed. This runeword is best kept as a swap weapon for tough single targets, then replaced by stronger options like Strength or unique weapons by late Normal or early Nightmare.