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The Grandfather is a Mythic Unique two-handed sword for the Barbarian and Necromancer, and in Season 14 it is the standout Iconic Mythic in the game - a single item that hands your build a massive Critical Strike Damage bonus plus guaranteed Critical Strike Chance. It jumped from a niche pick to the undisputed top of the Iconic Mythic tier this season.
It even rolls without Maximum Life, which makes it a natural fit for the low-Life immortal Barbarian. This guide covers exactly what it does now, which builds want it, and the one crafting route that actually lets you target it.
What The Grandfather Does
Its whole identity is critical strikes. The Season 14 rework trimmed the headline number but added guaranteed offensive affixes that more than make up for it:
Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
Item type | Mythic Unique Two-Handed Sword (an Iconic Mythic) |
Class | Barbarian and Necromancer |
Unique effect | Increases your Critical Strike Damage by 120% (reduced from 150% in Patch 3.1) |
Guaranteed affixes | Critical Strike Chance and Weapon Damage (new in Season 14) |
Other rolls | High base Life and All Stats; its other properties can roll higher than normal |
The guaranteed Critical Strike Chance is the real story. With a Greater Affix, masterworking and a temper, a single Grandfather can reach 40% or more Critical Strike Chance on its own - value that normally takes several gear slots to assemble.
Is The Grandfather Good in Season 14?
Yes - it is the best Iconic Mythic of the season. The Critical Strike Damage cut from 150% to 120% sounds like a nerf, but the new guaranteed Critical Strike Chance addresses a problem nearly every build has, so The Grandfather went from a fringe choice to an S-tier item.
- It solves both halves of critical damage - chance and damage - from one slot, freeing your other gear for pure multipliers.
- It can roll without Maximum Life, which is exactly what the zero-Life immortal Barbarian needs - see our Melted Heart of Selig guide.
- Because any Unique can now be Mythic, it competes for the weapon slot with build-specific options, so check that its crit actually beats your alternative before committing.
Best Builds & Who Uses It
The Grandfather is a two-handed sword, so it is limited to the two classes that can wield one:
- Barbarian - the main home. Two-handed crit builds love it, and it slots straight into the low-Life immortal setup alongside Melted Heart of Selig and Ramaladni's Magnum Opus (see our Ramaladni's Magnum Opus guide). Full plans are in the Barbarian build guide.
- Necromancer - two-handed sword builds use it for the same one-slot crit package. See our Necromancer build.
- Other classes cannot equip a two-handed sword, so it is a Barbarian and Necromancer item only.
Where those classes rank this season is in our Season 14 class tier list.
Where The Grandfather Drops
The Grandfather is part of the Mythic Unique pool, so it can drop as a Mythic from any boss once you are on Torment 1 or higher. Natural Mythic drops are rarer this season, so target the best sources - the full ranking is in our Mythic Unique farming guide.
- The seasonal Corrupted Reaper has the best Mythic drop chance, and Belial is the best permanent boss.
- Any Lair Boss can drop it from the shared Mythic pool - the boss loot table shows the pools.
- The seasonal loop (Pandemonium Ruptures, Deathtoll Chambers, Nightmare Dungeons) also feeds drops and crafting currency - see the loot farming guide.
A naturally dropped Grandfather is the best outcome, because it does not count against the crafted-Mythic limit below.
How to Get It Fast: The Blacksmith
Here is the part most pages get wrong. The Grandfather is an Iconic Mythic (one of the original Mythics, alongside Harlequin Crest, Ring of Starless Skies and the rest), and Iconic Mythics have their own crafting rules:
- The Jeweler and the Horadric Cube's Upgrade to Mythic produce standard Mythics from the huge general pool - they cannot target The Grandfather.
- To target it, use the Blacksmith Iconic Mythic recipe: 2 Resplendent Sparks for a random Iconic Mythic. Because that pool is only the handful of original Mythics, your odds of hitting The Grandfather are far better than any general-pool method.
- The exact Spark and rune costs, plus every other Mythic recipe, are in our crafting cheat sheet and the Mythic Uniques 3.0 guide.
So the plan is simple: farm for a natural drop while running the seasonal loop, and gamble the Blacksmith recipe when you have spare Resplendent Sparks.
Save -20% on your boost ⚡
The Crafted-Mythic Limit & Cycling
One Season 14 rule shapes every Mythic decision: you can equip only one crafted Mythic at a time. A Blacksmith-crafted Grandfather carries a Crafted tag and counts against that limit.
- A naturally dropped Grandfather has no Crafted tag, so it is exempt - which is why a drop is worth more than a craft, and why you keep running bosses even while crafting.
- The intended loop: find a Mythic as a drop to free your one crafted slot, then craft your next-priority Mythic - for a Barbarian that is often Ramaladni's Magnum Opus or Melted Heart of Selig.
- Upgrading adds 30% Unique Power and maxes affixes, so a Mythic Grandfather is a real step up over a plain one.
Tips & Reality Check
- Roll it without Maximum Life if you are building the low-Life immortal Barbarian - it is one of the few crit items that lets you do that.
- Enchant and temper toward more Critical Strike Chance and a damage multiplier; the guaranteed affixes give you a head start most weapons cannot.
- Do not force it. Since any Unique can be Mythic now, a build-specific weapon can out-perform The Grandfather - equip it only if its crit genuinely beats your alternative.
- Save your single craft. If a Grandfather drops naturally, spend your crafted Mythic on a different slot and a solid gear base elsewhere.
FAQ
What does The Grandfather do in Diablo 4?
It increases your Critical Strike Damage by 120% (reduced from 150% in Patch 3.1) and, new in Season 14, comes with guaranteed Critical Strike Chance and Weapon Damage. It is a Mythic Unique two-handed sword for the Barbarian and Necromancer.
Which class can use The Grandfather?
Barbarian and Necromancer - the two classes that can wield a two-handed sword. No other class can equip it.
Is The Grandfather good in Season 14?
Yes, it is the standout Iconic Mythic of the season. The Critical Strike Damage was cut to 120%, but the new guaranteed Critical Strike Chance solves a problem nearly every build has, so it jumped to S-tier.
Why is The Grandfather good for Selig Barbarians?
It can roll without Maximum Life, which the zero-Life immortal build needs, while still supplying huge crit. That combination pairs perfectly with Melted Heart of Selig and Ramaladni's Magnum Opus.
How do I get The Grandfather?
It drops from the Mythic Unique pool on any boss at Torment 1 or higher, with the best odds from the Corrupted Reaper and Belial. To target it specifically, use the Blacksmith Iconic Mythic recipe - see our Mythic Unique farming guide.
Can I craft The Grandfather at the Jeweler?
No. The Jeweler and the Horadric Cube produce standard Mythics only and cannot target an Iconic Mythic like The Grandfather. Use the Blacksmith recipe (2 Resplendent Sparks for a random Iconic Mythic) or wait for a natural drop.
Was The Grandfather nerfed in Season 14?
Its Critical Strike Damage dropped from 150% to 120%, but it gained guaranteed Critical Strike Chance and Weapon Damage. The net result is stronger for most builds, which is why it rose to the top of the Iconic Mythic tier.
Can I equip The Grandfather with another Mythic?
A crafted Grandfather counts against the one-crafted-Mythic limit. A naturally dropped one is exempt, so a drop lets you keep a second crafted Mythic like Ramaladni's Magnum Opus in another slot.
