To make an Exile shield in Diablo 2: Resurrected, you need to spell out the runeword “VexOhmIstDol” by adding a Vex rune, an Ohm rune, an Ist rune, and a Dol rune to a 4-socket Paladin shield. The runes must be added in exactly that order for the runeword to work. And the shield must be a Paladin shield — you cannot make Exile with a Monarch, Ward, or Aegis.
It’s possible to get a 4-socket Paladin shield as early as Act IV on Normal difficulty, but the probability of finding one increases steadily as you progress into Nightmare and Hell difficulty. And if you find a normal Paladin shield anywhere on Act IV Normal or later, then you can either get Larzuk to add sockets to it, or take a chance with the Horadric Cubes add sockets recipe. Having said all that, Exile is an expensive runeword, so you’re kind of wasting it if you don’t make it with an exceptional shield found on Hell difficulty (or maybe on the Secret Cow Level on Nightmare difficulty).
Related: Best Paladin build in Diablo 2: Resurrected
Dol is the easiest rune to get in this recipe. You might even be lucky enough to get one as early as Act V on Normal difficulty. If not, you can farm it at the Hellforge on Nightmare, or from The Countess on Nightmare or Hell. Ist is much harder to get, dropping on Act V Nightmare at the earliest, and only dropping at the Hellforge or Countess on Hell difficulty. But Ist is way easier to get than Vex or Ohm, neither of which can be dropped by the Hellforge or The Countess at all. You’ll be relying on random drops on Hell difficulty for both of those two, unless you have two spare Gul runes and a ruby, which can be combined in the Horadric Cube to make a Vex. If you somehow end up with two spare Vex runes, you can combine those with an emerald to make an Ohm.
An Exile shield is guaranteed to make your Paladin into an absolute tank thanks to its defense boosts and its Defiance aura. All it really lacks is resistance bonuses, so make sure you get those in some other way.
Exile’s full list of bonuses is as follows:
- 15% Chance To Cast Level 5 Life Tap On Striking
- Level 13-16 Defiance Aura When Equipped
- +2 To Offensive Auras (Paladin Only)
- +30% Faster Block Rate
- Freezes Target
- +220-260% Enhanced Defense (varies)
- Replenish Life +7
- +5% To Maximum Cold Resist
- +5% To Maximum Fire Resist
- 25% Better Chance Of Getting Magic Items
- Repairs 1 Durability in 4 Seconds
