The Anathema Primes’ two-handed sword is a unique toy for Warlocks. And it’s truly powerful. The problem is: where to get it? The most reliable way is to farm Andariel, the boss in the Hall of the Hanged Man. Yes, the same Andariel summoned through the Great Lair Key. You can’t do without the key.
These keys are rare, especially at lower Torment levels. The higher the level, the more frequently they drop, but even at Torment 6, don’t expect a steady stream. They’re obtained from the treasuries of lesser bosses: Lord Zir, Gregoire, and the Beast in Ice. Opening them gives you a chance. A chance isn’t a guarantee.
But what if Andariel is stubborn? Or if you run out of keys? That’s when the Horadric Cube comes into play. A classic. You take a regular two-handed sword—either from the gambler, the Merchant of Curiosities, or from mobs—and upgrade it with the cube. The “Enhancement” function requires two things: Enhanced Primordial Dust (also rare, but not as rare) and Raw Primordial Dust (there’s plenty of this stuff). The result is a guaranteed Anathema of the Primes. Yes, no randomness.
Also, about gambling. If you’re lucky, you can drop a sword directly—but that’s like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s much wiser to use them as a source of regular two-handed swords for the cube. Cheap and cheerful.
A tip from a practitioner: spin Andariel until you get bored. And when you do, spin the cube. Anathema is worth it.
How does Anathema of the Primes work, and which builds use it?
The sword’s mechanics are simple yet elegant. When you hit enemies with various basic abilities, they begin to take increased damage from you. And here’s the main surprise: all skill variants in the Archdemon form become basic. And they don’t spend Transcendence, but Wrath. Sounds like a small thing? In fact, it completely changes the logic of combat.
The author of this article (yes, I liked it myself) particularly recommends the “Demonic Strike Rampage” build. Take Anathema of the Primes and add the “Foul Pact” ring to it. It increases your Rampage’s damage and expands the area of effect with each enemy you defeat. What do you get? You’re like a Leaping Barbarian, only instead of meat and steel, you’re a blazing demon. Sounds similar, right? Very much so.
There’s also an option through Metamorphosis—the “Demon of Sin” build. I haven’t personally tested it, but people are praising it on the forums. However, simply attaching a sword to your regular basic abilities won’t do much. There’s almost no synergy between them, so it’s a waste of potential. We don’t need that.
See also: See also: Cow Level – how to complete
