It's going to be some time until Diablo 4 is finally released, and whilst we might have Diablo 2 Resurrected to keep us occupied (albeit without the Season 1 Ladder), most fans might prefer to stick with Diablo 3, which never fails to satisfy our needs from one season to the next.
Despite being seven years old, Diablo 3 is certainly not getting long in the tooth just yet; there's plenty of fun to be had from the hack-and-slash action RPG still.
If you're just starting out with Diablo (firstly, where have you been?) then you might be wondering which class you should pick when Diablo 3 Season 25 Starts. Well, worry not, we've got an up to date Diablo 3 Season 25 Tier List you can read, which sorts your S Tier builds from your F Tier flops. We also have a guide to level up fast if you need help with that too.
If the Witch Doctor class has caught your eye and you want to know the best build to use in Season 25, don't you worry. We've got all the key details you'll need just below.
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Is The Witch Doctor Good In Diablo 3 Season 25?
That is a tricky question. The Witch Doctor has got one very good, very strong S-Tier build and then a smattering of A-Tier options. But if we're looking strictly at the top 10 builds of Season 25, there's certainly more Witch Doctor build options compared to the Barbarian, Demon Hunter or Wizard classes.
Season 24's undisputed best Witch Doctor build, the Mundunugu Spirit Barrage has taken an almighty fall from S-Tier to low A-Tier, likely a result of Ethereal Weapons going away. It's also worth looking at the Arachyr Corpse Spider Witch Doctor Build, which is incredibly fun and easy to play.
However there is another Witch Doctor build that is topping the charts, and can be viewed as the third best build of the season.
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The Best Witch Doctor Build in Diablo 3 Season 25
The best Witch Doctor build for Diablo 3 season 25 (patch 2.7.2) is the Zunimassa Poison Dart Build. Our only caveat is that it's by no means the easier build and if you do find it too difficult it could be worth another look at the Arachyr Corpse Spides Build. For now though, here's how to set up your Zunimassa Poison Dart Witch Doctor.
Zunimassa Poison Dart Build Gear Set-Up
You'll need to gather the Zunimassa armour set as we want that six piece bonus, although thanks to the Ring of Royal Grandeur you'll only need 5 pieces. This then allows us to work in the 2 set bonus from Aughild's Authority. Follow the links if you would like a closer look at the stats on the Diablo 3 website:
- Helm: Carnevil
- Shoulders: Aughild's Power
- Gloves: Zunimassa's Finger Wraps
- Chest: Zunimassa's Marrow
- Belt: The Witching Hour
- Pants: Depth Diggers
- Boots: Zunimassa's Trail
- Bracers: Aughild's Search
- Amulet: Squirt's Necklace
- Ring 1: Convention of Elements
- Ring 2: Zunimassa's Pox
- Weapon: The Dagger of Darts
- Offhand: Zunimassa's String of Skulls
In terms of those set bonues, here's what you should know. Having two pieces in the Zunimassa set means your Fetish Army lasts until they die and the cooldown of your Fetish Army is reduced by 80%. Having four pieces means you and your pets take 3% less damage for every Fetish you have alive. Whilst the six piece bonus means enemies hit by your Mana spenders take 15,000% increased damage from your pets for 8 seconds.
As mentioned before, we also have the 2 set bonus from Aughild's Authority, which also Reduces damage taken by 15% and Increases damage dealt by 30%.
Legendary Gems
Kanai's Cube Slots
- Weapon Slot: Echoing Fury
- Armour Slot: Mask of Jeram (Pets deal 157% increased damage)
- Jewellery Slot: Ring of Royal Grandeur
Best Soul Shards For Witch Doctor In Season 25
Ethereal Weapons are gone in Season 25, replaced instead with a new type of socketable item known as Soul Shards. In total, the game is adding 7 of these new soul shards and if you want the complete guide on how to get them and how to use them, follow the link above.
For now, let's assume you know how these Soul Shards work and dive into which you want to use with your Witch Doctor build in Season 25.
Prime Evil Soul Shard - Sliver of Terror
Base Power:
- Your cooldowns are increased by 25%. For every skill on cooldown, you take 12.5% reduced damage and deal 12.5% increased damage.
Additional Powers:
- Your attack speed and critical hit chance are increased by 5% for each skill on cooldown.
- You cast a devastating Ring of Fire after killing 100 enemies.
- If three or more skills are on cooldown, your lightning and fire skill damage is increased by 50%.
Lesser Evil Soul Shard - Dregs of Lies
Base Power:
- You deal 25% less damage. Your pets deal 25% increased damage.
Additional Powers:
- Killing an elite enemy reduces all your active cooldowns by 5 seconds.
- On receiving fatal damage, spawn a shadow that prevents your death, restores your health to 35%, and grants +225 All Resist to all party members while it is active. The shadow only lasts 15 seconds.
- Each time your pet hits an enemy, your damage is increased by 0.5% for 5 seconds. This stacks up to 100 times. When you reach 100 stacks, the stacks quickly reset to 0.
Best Witch Doctor Active Skills To Pick
- Poison Dart with the Spined Dart Rune
- Piranhas with the Piranhado Rune
- Horrify with the Frightening Aspect Rune
- Spirit Walk with the Jaunt Rune
- Soul Harvest with the Languish Rune
- Fetish Army with the Legion of Daggers Rune
Best Witch Doctor Passive Skills To Pick
- Spirit Vessel - When you receive fatal damage, you automatically enter the spirit realm for 2 seconds and heal to 50% of your maximum Life. This effect may occur once every 60 seconds.
- Grave Injustice - Gain 1% of your maximum Life and Mana and reduce the cooldown of all of your skills by 1 second when an enemy dies within 20 yards. The range is extended by items that increase your gold pickup radius.
- Pierce the Veil - All of your damage is increased by 20%, but your Mana costs are increased by 30%.
- Fetish Sycophants - When you hit enemies with your spells, you have up to a 15% chance to summon a dagger-wielding Fetish to fight by your side for 60 seconds.
Witch Doctor Zunimassa Poison Dart Build Video Guide
Whilst we could write down all the nitty-gritty details, how about a video, because that's far more interesting. Have a watch of Diablo expert Rhykker as he runs the rule over this Zunimassa Poison Dart build. Do note, the build guide was made for Season 24 but still applies to Season 25 builds, with the only exception being that it dives into ethereal weapons which are no longer relevant.
What Other Class Should You Pick In Season 25?
Let us assume you've got to the end of this story and decided 'actually, I don't want to play as the Witch Doctor in Season 25'. That's fine, we're grateful you've read all this way. How about you have a look at some of our other best builds in the game, just below.
- Best Barbarian Build In Season 25
- Best Crusader Build In Season 25
- Best Demon Hunter Build In Season 25
- Best Monk Build in Season 25
- Best Necromancer Build In Season 25
- Best Wizard Build In Season 25
And if you still don't know after reading all these guides, then we can't help you; Enjoy the new Season!