Razortail

Razortail is a unique Sharkskin Belt in Diablo 2 Resurrected that has earned best-in-slot status for Amazon builds through one crucial modifier: Piercing Attack (33). This exceptional belt allows projectiles to pass through enemies and strike multiple targets, transforming single-target attacks into devastating area-of-effect damage that defines endgame Amazon effectiveness.

The Power of Pierce

What makes Razortail legendary isn't its defense or attribute bonuses—it's the pierce mechanic. When projectiles pierce, they continue traveling after hitting an enemy, potentially striking every monster in their path. This multiplies your damage output exponentially when enemies are properly lined up, turning Multishot Amazons into room-clearing powerhouses and making Guided Arrow far more efficient against dense packs.

The pierce chance stacks additively with the Amazon's Pierce passive skill. With Razortail's 33% pierce, you need only 9 hard points in Pierce to reach the critical 100% pierce threshold (the skill provides approximately 67% pierce at level 9). This efficient synergy allows Amazons to maximize damage output while preserving precious skill points for offensive abilities.

The belt also provides +15 to Dexterity, directly boosting Amazon attack rating and physical damage, while +10 to Maximum Damage adds a minor offensive bonus. The Attacker Takes Damage modifier scales with character level, reaching 99 damage reflection at level 99—a small but satisfying defensive perk.

Best Uses & Builds

Multishot Bowazon

Razortail is absolutely essential for Multishot Amazons. Without pierce, Multishot arrows stop on impact, limiting damage to surface-level hits. With 100% pierce from Razortail and the Pierce skill, every arrow can potentially hit multiple enemies, turning Multishot into one of the game's most devastating area attacks. This makes Cow Level runs, Chaos Sanctuary, and Worldstone Keep farming dramatically more efficient.

Javazon Builds

While Lightning Fury Javazons benefit less from pierce (the lightning bolts already chain), physical javelin builds using Plague Javelin or hybrid setups gain significant value. The pierce allows thrown javelins to hit multiple targets before exploding, maximizing poison cloud coverage and physical damage output.

Alternative Bow Builds

Exploding Arrow and Immolation Arrow Bowazons use Razortail to ensure arrows penetrate enemy lines before detonating, positioning explosions deeper into monster packs. Strafe and Guided Arrow builds benefit from the improved target penetration, though the effect is less dramatic than with Multishot.

Alternatives & Limitations

The main alternative to Razortail is Buriza-Do Kyanon, a unique crossbow with 100% Piercing Attack built into the weapon. Amazons using Buriza can skip Razortail entirely and equip belts like Verdungo's Hearty Cord for massive vitality and damage reduction, or Arachnid Mesh for +1 skills. However, most endgame Bowazons prefer top-tier bows like Faith or Windforce, which lack inherent pierce and make Razortail mandatory.

Non-Amazon ranged builds can technically use Razortail, but the belt's efficiency depends heavily on the Amazon Pierce skill. Paladins running Blessed Hammer or Sorceresses using projectile spells don't benefit from pierce mechanics, making Razortail Amazon-exclusive in practical application.

Finding & Trading Razortail

Razortail drops most frequently from Nightmare Andariel in the Catacombs Level 4, making her one of the most reliable farming targets. Other good sources include Nightmare Mephisto, Nightmare Diablo, and Hell Andariel. The belt's level 32 requirement means it becomes available during late Normal or early Nightmare progression.

Due to its specialized use case and relatively common drop rate, Razortail has modest trade value—typically exchanging for low runes like Lem or Pul. However, for Amazon players, it's worth far more than its market price suggests. Every serious Bowazon or Javazon should acquire Razortail as a priority upgrade, usually before even completing Nightmare difficulty.

Final Thoughts

Razortail represents focused excellence in itemization. It doesn't try to be universally useful—instead, it solves one specific problem perfectly. For Amazon builds relying on projectile attacks, Razortail transforms damage output so dramatically that the belt remains best-in-slot from level 32 through endgame, resisting replacement even when characters acquire godly rare belts or other unique alternatives.

The satisfaction of watching Multishot arrows pierce through entire screens of enemies, or seeing Guided Arrows punch through tightly packed monster groups, makes Razortail one of the most build-defining items in Diablo 2 Resurrected. It's not flashy, it's not expensive, but for Amazons, it's absolutely irreplaceable.