Wrath
Wrath is the Crusader's resource, built up by some attacks and gear, and expended with the class' bigger attacks. This resource feels a lot like the Monk's or Barbarian's, building up with combat attacks (melee or ranged), but most of the Crusader's spenders are flashy magical attacks, many of them quite mage-like in appearance and style.
In addition to Wrath costs, many of the Crusader's best abilities come with hefty cooldowns, and finding ways to overcome those is crucial to achieving success with the class.
Wrath was originally called "Faith," and the name was officially changed during the Reaper of Souls beta test.
Wrath Generation
Various skills are designated as Wrath generators and build up X amount of Wrath with each use. All the PRimary skills generate Wrath, some adding additional bonuses with specific rune effects.
- Generate: 5 Wrath per attack
- Strike your enemy for 200% weapon damage and gain Hardened Senses, increasing your Block Chance by 15% for 5 seconds.
- Requires Shield
- Generate: 5 Wrath per attack
- Ignite the air in front of you, dealing 190% weapon damage as Fire.
- Generate: 5 Wrath per attack
- Smite enemies up to 15 yards away with holy chains that deal 165% weapon damage as Holy. The chains break off and strike up to 3 additional enemies within 20 yards for 125% weapon damage as Holy.
- Generate: 5 Wrath per attack
- Hurl a hammer of justice at your enemies, dealing 175% weapon damage.
- Generate: 30 Wrath
- Cooldown: 20 seconds
- Taunt all nearby enemies and instantly generate an additional 5 Wrath for every enemy taunted. Taunted enemies will focus their attention on you for 4 seconds.
The Crusader's Passive skills can also boost Wrath:
- Your primary skills generate an additional 3 Wrath. Increase maximum Wrath by 30.
Wrath Spenders
The Crusader's attacks are mainly magical in style, almost mage-like, and they come with substantial Wrath costs.
- Cost: 30 Wrath
- Charge at your enemy, bashing him and all nearby foes. Deals 325% weapon damage plus 300% of your shield's Block Chance as Holy damage.
- Requires Shield
- Cost: 20 Wrath
- Sweep a mystical flail through enemies up to 18 yards before you, dealing 400% weapon damage.
- Requires Weapon
- Cost: 10 Wrath
- Summon a blessed hammer that spins around you, dealing 200% weapon damage as Holy to all enemies hit.
- Cost: 20 Wrath
- Hurl your shield, dealing 280% weapon damage plus 250% of shield Block Chance as damage. The shield will ricochet to 3 nearby enemies.
- Requires Shield
- Cost: 30 Wrath
- Call forth a pillar of lightning from the heavens that explodes, dealing 250% weapon damage as Lightning to any enemy within 8 yards. The explosion creates 6 piercing charged bolts that arc outward and deal 210% weapon damage as Lightning.
- Cost: 30 Wrath
- Summon powerful avatars who charge forward to the targeted destination. Enemies caught in the charge path take 295% weapon damage.
- Cost: 25 Wrath
- Cooldown: 30 seconds
- Launch yourself into the heavens and come crashing down on your enemies, dealing 1100% weapon damage to everything within 14 yards of where you land.
Wrath Official Description
Wrath is described on Blizzard's Crusader page thusly:[1]
Crusaders dominate battlefields through sheer purpose. The support of the heavenly Light and the sanctity of their quest lend Wrath to a crusader’s punishing attacks.
As crusaders prepare for combat, their Wrath simmers, increasing slowly but steadily. When they cut down their foes, it boils over. A crusader overfull with Wrath is a dangerous adversary indeed: blessed with iron skin; swathed in scourging flames; blasting foes apart with bolts of radiant light, and springing back to life after defeat.
Resourceful crusaders find means beyond dispatching enemies to fuel their Wrath. Their many skills allow them to recover spent resources through blocking attacks, suffering serious injuries, or when they’re encircled by snarling demons.