Shadowfang

Shadowfang is a unique Two-Handed Sword in Diablo 2 Resurrected that serves as a reliable early-game weapon for leveling characters. This normal-tier sword combines cold damage with dual life and mana leech, making it effective for physical builds during Normal and early Nightmare difficulty.

Combat Utility

The sword's standout feature is its extended cold duration. While the 10-30 cold damage isn't particularly high, the 6-second freeze is significantly longer than similar weapons like Gleamscythe. This extended crowd control remains useful even in Nightmare difficulty, where cold duration is typically reduced. The combination of 9% mana stolen per hit and 9% life stolen per hit provides excellent sustainability for melee characters during the leveling process.

Best Uses

Shadowfang shines from levels 12-25 for any physical damage class. Barbarians can wield it one-handed thanks to their innate two-handed sword mastery, while other classes must use both hands. The +100% enhanced damage and fast attack speed make it effective for clearing Normal difficulty content. The +20% cold resistance provides additional survivability against cold-based enemies.

Once you reach Nightmare difficulty or find better exceptional weapons, Shadowfang becomes obsolete. It lacks the damage scaling needed for late-game content, and many players replace it with runewords like Steel or better unique finds by level 30.