Death Berserker Axe - Ethereal - 300-349% ED
Death is a five-socket weapon runeword aimed at melee builds, offering a level-scaling Deadly Strike bonus and a flat 50% chance of Crushing Blow at a fraction of Breath of the Dying's cost.
Key Stats
- 100% Chance To Cast Level 44 Chain Lightning When You Die
- 25% Chance To Cast Level 18 Glacial Spike On Attack
- Indestructible
- +300-385% Enhanced Damage
- 20% Bonus To Attack Rating
- +50 To Attack Rating
- Adds 1-50 Lightning Damage
- 7% Mana Stolen Per Hit
- 50% Chance of Crushing Blow
- +(0.5 per character level) Deadly Strike, up to roughly 49.5% at level 99
- Requirements -20%
Why buy this
Death gives most of Breath of the Dying's damage profile - Indestructible, big Enhanced Damage, and a scaling damage bonus - while only needing a Vex and a Gul rather than a Zod, making it a much more attainable endgame weapon for melee builds.
- Massive Crushing Blow chance is excellent against bosses and high-HP uniques
- Deadly Strike scales with character level, growing stronger as you level
- Indestructible lets you safely use an ethereal base for extra damage
- Far cheaper than Breath of the Dying for similar melee performance
Quick Facts
- Runes: Hel + El + Vex + Ort + Gul
- Sockets required: 5
- Base item: Sword or Axe
- Required level: 55
FAQ
What runes does Death need?
Hel, El, Vex, Ort, and Gul, socketed in that order into a 5-socket Sword or Axe.
Is Death better than Grief?
They serve different purposes - Grief leans on Enhanced Damage and -% Target Defense for faster overall DPS, while Death adds Crushing Blow and scaling Deadly Strike, which shine more against very high-HP enemies.
Why use an ethereal base for Death?
Death includes the Indestructible modifier, which removes the durability downside of ethereal items, letting you use their higher base damage safely.
How do I make a runeword?
Socket the listed runes, in the exact order shown, into a Normal, Low, or Superior quality (grey-named) base item of the right type with exactly that many open sockets. Magic, rare, set, and unique items can never carry a runeword.