D2R Best Eternity Bases: Top Bows and Weapons for Season 16

The Eternity Runeword is receiving one of its biggest upgrades in Diablo 2 Resurrected Season 16. With Patch 3.4, Eternity can now be made in five-socket melee and missile weapons, opening the door to new weapon choices for physical Bowazons and melee characters. Its improved Enhanced Damage, added Increased Attack Speed, and new Revive skill bonus also make base selection more important than ever.

However, not every five-socket weapon is equally useful. The best Eternity base depends on your character class, build, attack speed requirements, and whether you want to focus on physical damage or utility. Choosing the wrong base can waste valuable runes, especially since the recipe requires both Ber and Sur.

Quick Answer: Which Bases Are Best for Eternity?

The best Eternity bases depend on how you plan to use the Runeword:

For a Bowazon, the Grand Matron Bow and Matriarchal Bow are the main Amazon-specific options worth considering. For melee characters, an ethereal Berserker Axe or a suitable ethereal two-handed weapon can take advantage of Eternity's Indestructible property.

Before choosing a base, remember that the updated Eternity requires exactly five sockets. A weapon with a different socket count cannot be used for this Runeword.

How Patch 3.4 Changes Eternity Base Selection

Before Season 16, Eternity was restricted to five-socket melee weapons. This limited its use to melee characters, despite the Runeword offering a combination of physical damage, life leech, Crushing Blow, Cannot Be Frozen, and Revive charges.

Patch 3.4 changes that restriction. In Reign of the Warlock, Eternity can now be created in five-socket melee and missile weapons. This includes compatible bows and crossbows, giving physical ranged builds a new option.

The updated Runeword also receives several offensive improvements:

Enhanced Damage increases from 260–310% to 300–390%.

+30% Increased Attack Speed is added.

+3 to Maximum Damage per character level is added, reaching +297 at level 99.

The old Level 8 Revive charges are replaced by +5 to Revive as an Oskill.

These changes make Eternity more interesting for both melee and ranged characters. However, the base weapon still matters. Enhanced Damage and other weapon modifiers interact with the weapon's base damage, while Increased Attack Speed must be considered alongside the character's equipment and attack breakpoints.

There is also an important version limitation. Blizzard's Patch 3.4 item changes apply to Reign of the Warlock Online Ladder and Offline play. They do not automatically update the original Lord of Destruction version or Online Non-Ladder Eternity. Make sure you are playing the correct game mode before collecting expensive runes and preparing a base.

Best Bow Bases for Eternity Bowazon

The biggest new opportunity is the physical Bowazon. Since Eternity can now be made in missile weapons, Amazon players can experiment with a weapon that combines physical damage with the ability to summon Revived monsters.

Not all bows are equally attractive, though. Amazon-specific bows provide bonuses to Amazon bow skills, while ordinary bows can be used by other compatible characters.

Grand Matron Bow

The Grand Matron Bow is one of the first bases physical Bowazon players should consider.

Its main advantage is its Amazon-specific skill bonus. A Grand Matron Bow with useful skill bonuses can improve the relevant Amazon bow skills when Eternity is equipped. This makes it particularly attractive for players building around skills such as Strafe or Multiple Shot.

The Grand Matron Bow also offers a strong physical damage foundation. This is important because Eternity is designed as a physical damage Runeword rather than an elemental bow option.

However, the Grand Matron Bow has a slower base attack speed than the Matriarchal Bow. A Bowazon should therefore calculate the complete equipment setup before deciding that the higher-damage base is automatically better.

Best for: Physical Bowazon players who value weapon damage and Amazon skill bonuses.

Matriarchal Bow

The Matriarchal Bow is another strong choice for Eternity Bowazon builds.

Its major advantage is its faster base attack speed compared with the Grand Matron Bow. Since Eternity adds 30% Increased Attack Speed, this faster starting point can make it easier to reach useful attack speed breakpoints.

The Matriarchal Bow is especially worth considering for players who want a smoother attacking experience with Strafe or Multiple Shot. Faster attacks can improve the overall feel of a build, but the actual result depends on the character's skill, other equipment, and applicable attack speed breakpoints.

The trade-off is its lower base physical damage compared with the Grand Matron Bow. Players should compare the final damage and attack speed of their complete setups rather than judging the base by one stat.

Best for: Bowazon players who prioritize attack speed and a responsive attack cycle.

Crusader Bow and Hydra Bow

Players who are not using an Amazon can also consider ordinary bow bases.

The Crusader Bow and Hydra Bow are two options worth examining for physical missile weapon setups. The Crusader Bow offers a balance between damage and attack speed, while the Hydra Bow emphasizes higher base physical damage at the cost of a slower attack speed.

These bases do not provide Amazon-only skill bonuses. As a result, they are more relevant to non-Amazon experiments or characters that do not depend on Amazon bow skill bonuses.

They are not automatically better than Amazon-specific bows for a Bowazon. If your character benefits from the additional Amazon skill levels, that bonus should be included when comparing the final weapon setup.

Best for: Players exploring Eternity outside a conventional Amazon build.

Can You Use an Ethereal Bow for Eternity?

No. Bows and crossbows cannot be ethereal in Diablo 2 Resurrected.

This is an important distinction when choosing a base. Eternity has the Indestructible modifier, which makes ethereal melee weapons attractive because they can benefit from the increased base damage without breaking. That advantage does not apply to bows.

For a Bowazon, focus on the bow's base damage, attack speed, skill bonuses, and socket compatibility instead of looking for an ethereal version.

Best Melee Bases for Eternity

Although the new missile weapon option attracts attention, Eternity remains a melee Runeword as well. Its improved damage and attack speed make it worth evaluating in several melee weapon categories.

The main advantage of a melee base is the ability to use an ethereal weapon. Because Eternity includes Indestructible, an ethereal melee weapon will not lose durability during normal use.

Ethereal Berserker Axe

The Berserker Axe is a strong one-handed option for characters that want physical damage and flexibility.

An ethereal Berserker Axe benefits from the increased base damage of an ethereal weapon, while Eternity's Indestructible modifier removes the usual durability concern. Its one-handed nature also leaves room for a shield or another off-hand setup.

This makes it an appealing choice for characters that value a combination of offense and defense. However, players should check the weapon's requirements and their character's available Strength before committing to a high-value base.

A five-socket Berserker Axe is required. Do not assume that every Berserker Axe will automatically receive the correct number of sockets.

Best for: One-handed melee builds that want high physical damage and equipment flexibility.

Ethereal Decapitator

For characters that prefer a two-handed weapon, the Decapitator is another base worth considering.

Its high base damage makes it suitable for a physical melee setup. Eternity's Enhanced Damage and level-based Maximum Damage can further increase its offensive potential.

The main disadvantage is that a two-handed weapon prevents the character from using a shield. This can affect survivability, especially in high-density areas or difficult endgame encounters.

The Decapitator is therefore more suitable for builds that can handle the defensive trade-off and make good use of its damage.

Best for: Two-handed physical melee characters focused on weapon damage.

Ethereal Giant Thresher

The Giant Thresher is an option for players who want a polearm-based Eternity.

Its relatively fast base attack speed makes it worth comparing with slower, higher-damage weapons. A faster base can help when calculating attack speed breakpoints, although the final result still depends on the character and skill being used.

Polearm users should also consider weapon range, character requirements, and the specific skills they plan to use. A high-damage base is not necessarily the best choice if it makes the build slower or harder to equip.

Best for: Polearm users who want to balance physical damage and attack speed.

What to Check Before Making Eternity

Eternity requires five runes:

Amn + Ber + Ist + Sol + Sur

The recipe is expensive, so choosing the right base before inserting the runes is essential.

Keep these points in mind:

• Check the socket count: The weapon must have exactly five sockets.
• Check the weapon category: The updated Runeword accepts compatible melee and missile weapons.
• Check the base damage: Higher base damage is valuable for physical damage builds, but it should be compared with attack speed.
• Check the weapon requirements: Make sure your character can equip the base without sacrificing too many attributes.
• Check the character's attack speed breakpoint: The additional 30% Increased Attack Speed does not guarantee the same attack speed result for every build.
• Check the game mode: The Patch 3.4 Eternity changes apply to Reign of the Warlock Online Ladder and Offline play, not every version of D2R.

It is also important to understand the difference between a weapon's maximum possible sockets and the sockets it actually has. A base that can receive six sockets is not automatically suitable for Eternity. You need a five-socket weapon, whether it drops that way or is prepared through an appropriate socketing method.

Do not use the Horadric Cube or Larzuk quest without first checking the base item's socket limits and item level. The number of sockets granted can depend on those factors. If you are preparing an expensive Runeword, verify the exact result before using your valuable D2R Ladder Items.

Grand Matron Bow vs. Matriarchal Bow: Which Should You Choose?

For most Bowazon players, the decision comes down to damage versus attack speed.

Choose a Grand Matron Bow if your build benefits more from its higher base damage and you can reach a suitable attack speed breakpoint with your equipment.

Choose a Matriarchal Bow if you prefer a faster weapon and want more flexibility when building around attack speed.

There is no universal winner. A Bowazon's final performance depends on the complete setup, including skills, equipment, character level, attack speed breakpoints, and the enemies being fought.

Final Recommendation: Choose the Base for Your Build

Eternity's Season 16 rework gives players more freedom than the original melee-only version. Bowazons can now explore Grand Matron Bow and Matriarchal Bow setups, while melee characters can continue to take advantage of ethereal weapon bases and the Runeword's Indestructible modifier.

For a physical Bowazon, start by comparing the Grand Matron Bow and Matriarchal Bow. For a one-handed melee setup, an ethereal Berserker Axe is a strong candidate. Two-handed players can examine bases such as the Decapitator and Giant Thresher according to their damage and attack speed requirements.

Most importantly, do not spend Ber and Sur before confirming the base's socket count, weapon category, and compatibility with your intended build. The right Eternity base is not simply the weapon with the highest damage number. It is the weapon that delivers the best overall performance for your character.

The U4GM Team