Dates and game state
| Field | Archive record |
|---|---|
| Start: source calendar date | 17 May 2019 |
| End: source calendar date | 18 August 2019 |
| Live patch | 2.6.5 |
| Season theme | Season of Nightmares |
Platforms and timing boundaries
PC and supported console editions have separate platform leaderboards. Diablo III does not support cross-platform multiplayer. Do not assume PC fixes and console schedules were identical.
Nintendo Switch released during Season 15 in November 2018; later seasons also run there. PS5/Series consoles use the compatible PS4/Xbox One editions.
Calendar dates are archive records, not live spawn calculations. Regional PC launches and the global console start can fall on different German calendar dates; the linked Blizzard announcement supplies the relevant rule.
What this season changes in play
Legacy of Nightmares is active as a seasonal power while no other set bonus is active. Suitable Ancient individual items form the engine; the LoN ring pair is not additionally required. Class sets remain playable alternatives but do not receive the theme bonus.
Legacy of Dreams does not yet exist this season. A later LoD blueprint must not retrospectively use its gem or the Squirt/Echoing Fury effects reworked only in 2.6.6.
Patch changes and historical boundaries
2.6.5 improves Chantodo and several individual-item archetypes. Monk uses freed LoN ring slots while Wizard uses a separate Vyr/Chantodo set alternative. There is no LoD gem before Season 18.
Optimised class plans and seasonal adjustments
| Class | Dated build | Concrete adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Barbarian | Immortal King: HotA · 2.6.1–2.6.6 | Use the linked dated Barbarian plan with its complete skills, gear, stats and rotation. Seasonal loot or activity rules change collection or play, not automatically item introduction. |
| Crusader | Invoker: Thorns with Pig Sticker | Use the linked dated Crusader plan with its complete skills, gear, stats and rotation. Seasonal loot or activity rules change collection or play, not automatically item introduction. |
| Demon Hunter | Shadow: Impale · classic Ricochet version | Use the linked dated Demon Hunter plan with its complete skills, gear, stats and rotation. Seasonal loot or activity rules change collection or play, not automatically item introduction. |
| Monk | LoN: Wave of Light · Season 17 | Use the linked dated Monk plan with its complete skills, gear, stats and rotation. Seasonal loot or activity rules change collection or play, not automatically item introduction. |
| Witch Doctor | Arachyr: Firebats · classic melee version | Use the linked dated Witch Doctor plan with its complete skills, gear, stats and rotation. Seasonal loot or activity rules change collection or play, not automatically item introduction. |
| Wizard | Vyr/Chantodo: Cold Archon · Season 17 | Use the linked dated Wizard plan with its complete skills, gear, stats and rotation. Seasonal loot or activity rules change collection or play, not automatically item introduction. |
| Necromancer | Pestilence: Corpse Lance · 2.6.1 | Use the linked dated Necromancer plan with its complete skills, gear, stats and rotation. Seasonal loot or activity rules change collection or play, not automatically item introduction. |
Convert the starter set into the target build
The table shows the starter set, not automatically the linked endgame build. Open gifts on the intended class and follow period Journey objectives; early S5/S6 progression differs from the later Chapter II/III/IV scheme.
Activate the set bonus actually within reach first and collect its core weapon through Kadala, rare upgrades and Kanai’s Cube where those systems already exist. Do not replace useful pieces before completing the target bonus.
This season’s Haedrig sets
| Class | Starter set |
|---|---|
| Barbarian | Might of the Earth |
| Crusader | Thorns of the Invoker |
| Demon Hunter | The Shadow's Mantle |
| Monk | Monkey King's Garb |
| Witch Doctor | Raiment of the Jade Harvester |
| Wizard | Firebird's Finery |
| Necromancer | Grace of Inarius |
Optimise step by step
Step 1
Complete the linked profile engine: check six skills, four passives, equipped slots and available Cube powers.
Step 2
Test resources, protection and buff uptime a few rift tiers below the current limit. Only then reroll toward more offensive stats and test longer boss windows.
Step 3
Separate farming and pushing: fast elite chains use different gems and cooldown assumptions from long Rift Guardian fights. A source’s rift tier is no performance promise at other Paragon or on another platform.
Evidence and verification boundary
Linked profiles distinguish contemporary author bars, documented patch rules and explicitly added editorial slot repairs. No historical rank-one rating is asserted without an archived benchmark. German and English contain the same information.
Class builds for this season
Choose your class. Profiles state their historical version and full-setup requirements.
Immortal King: HotA · 2.6.1–2.6.6
Immortal King keeps Ancients permanent; Fury spending reduces Berserker cooldown. Istvan weapons, Gavel and First Men concentrate damage into rapid Fire hammers.
View buildInvoker: Thorns with Pig Sticker
Invoker transfers Thorns into fast Punish hits. Pig Sticker supplies attack speed and stats; Akarat’s Awakening reduces cooldowns through blocks while Trove maintains the Bombardment condition.
View buildShadow: Impale · classic Ricochet version
Shadow, Karlei and Holy Point Shot form an elite-focused build. Karlei refunds require targets already hit by Impale; enemies that die too quickly create sustain gaps.
View buildLoN: Wave of Light · Season 17
The seasonal LoN bonus replaces the ring pair. Rabid Strike copies the Epiphany bell while Cyclone activates Lesser Gods and Lefebvre effects.
View buildPestilence: Corpse Lance · 2.6.1
Pestilence supplements manual Lances through corpse consumption. Brittle Touch builds critical chance; Reservoir and Shadowhook tie the burst to Essence.
View buildArachyr: Firebats · classic melee version
Cloud of Bats rewards sustained channeling near the pack. Arachyr, Bakuli and Chiroptera form the engine; Haunt and Locust satisfy the old Ring of Emptiness requirements.
View buildVyr/Chantodo: Cold Archon · Season 17
Build Chantodo charges outside Archon and spend them alongside Vyr stacks inside Archon. Swami overlaps two generations of Archon stacks; Fazula supports entry.
View buildYOUR NEXT STEP
Your checklist
Saved locally on this device, shared between both languages. This counter measures guide tasks, not game progress.
Sources & editorial reference date
Independently written guidance. Linked sources support verification of game systems, versions and described changes. Editorial reference date: 2026-10-23.
- D3Resource: Seasons, patches and Haedrig gifts d3resource.com
- Blizzard: Patch 2.6.5 Now Live news.blizzard.com